D’oh! Random Thoughts on the Simpsons Movie

Before I delve into some serious Simpson’s talk, I’d like to extend my apologies for not being consistent with this blog. In order to live up to the lofty label that is a Media Mogul, I understand that more posts need apply. But now that I’ve attended to some personal business, I’m back and ready to roll.

Now, I’m sure you’ve all heard about the biggest movie of the summer. No, not Pirates of the Carribean #17,000 – nor the Fantastic Four (again) – I’m here to discuss the very first (and hopefully ONLY) The Simpsons, movie. This is the same Bart, Marge, Homer, Maggie and Lisa that we’ve known and loved for the last 18 years.

But first, I must admit that I’m not a huge fan of The Simpsons. I would estimate that in my entire life, only 25 episodes from the satrical cartoon have won my attention. However, there is no denying the genius of creator Matt Groening. The series has won a handful of awards and has an uncanny ability to mock American Society while appealing to such a vast audience. I’ve dug up pictures of myself sporting a mullet and a Bart Simpson t-shirt circa 1990 and it’s no surprise, given the longevity of the series, that I’m writing about The Simpson’s today.

I’m sure the movie will be outstanding. But in the unlikely, yet possible event that it flops, it would be interesting to see how the tides will settle with loyal fans. My good friend Dave has been a Simpsons die-hard since the first episode. He says that even if the movie fails to capture the same respected aura as the cartoons, there won’t be any dissapointment because the show has already provided him with countless hours of entertainment as it is. Good point if you ask me.

Although nobody (but me) seems to be overly concerned about the Simpson’s movie flopping, the possibility is still there. I guess i’m just bored sick with the lackluster cinematic adventures these days. Sequeals and triologies are dominating and the creativity has vanished. The Simpsons seemed to be, dare I say.. the purest cartoon out there. Just think, Groening could have easily thrust a Simpsons movie into the theatres upon an initial wave of success, but it did not happen. A part of me respects the show even more because it has been carried so far on television. From a business standpoint, making this movie is a no-brainer. On the other hand, since it has been such an impecable television series it seems partially unfit for the big screen.

All-in-all, I just hope the Simpson’s movie pays “homerage” to the show for the sake of the loyal fans. Most importantly, heres hoping the show doesn’t prompt a famous quote belonging to none other than Bart Simpson himself: “I never thought it was humanly possible, but this both sucks and blows.”

Internet Word Play

Check out this article on The Most Hated Words on the Internet. Funny enough, the term “blog,” rests atop the list. Most words in the English language are arbitrarily assigned. The only reason that we call a tall object with bark and leaves a “tree,” is because at one point in history, a group of important people agreed upon the name. A chunk full of other names have been borrowed from other languages and some words have even been created in error. Ahh, behold one of my favorite classes in college: Structures of Modern English.

I would argue that hating a word is a silly concept to begin with. The English language is a great source of nouns, verbs, slang, nonesense, phonology and… you get the point. Instead of cringing at the constonant ridden “blog” word, you could simply just call it “web journal.”  Yes, I can see it now. “Hey, guys I haven’t written in my web journal in a long time.”  Unfortunately the consequence of a comment like that would be getting a pocket proctector for your birthday that year.

Love it or Hate it, Internet jargon has made quite the impact in today’s technological milieu. Additional words, especially slang, are necessary to make you seem like less of a dork when discussing the latest trends in media culture. And since I have yet to see anyone speak perfect Standard English (show me if you can find someone) I will continue to scoff at the notion that certain words can be “hated.”  Peanut butter-internet-history-viewing-COOKIE anyone?

Easing the Fear of Social Networking (Teens)

I love reading articles, whether it be online, in magazines or from newspapers. Hearing different opinions on a plethora of topics is healthy to the mind and provides for a distinct advantage if there is opportunity to debate. So after reading the blog post, Dangers Overblown for Teens using Social Media, my own thoughts effortlessly poured out like that of the grandest waterfall.

First off, I praise Antasia Goodstein for unlocking the truth of the situation. Internet predation certainly exists and most of us are aware of that fact. However, the media devours news that shocks and appauls, so I can’t help but think that this issue is incessently blown out of proportion.

Shows like DateLine NBC’s “To Catch a Predator,” acquire so much attention because parents want to see justice being served to these sick individuals who bite the bait on naive American children. But think about how small of a sample size this is. You could argue that the only concern of the network is to get ratings. Would it be any different if a local law enforcement agencies hosted a similar show? Probably. Nevertheless, the main goal here is to inform children and parents alike about the danger of being exploited online.

To risk going on a quick tangent, I will never dispute the importance of staying safe online. It’s important to safeguard against some of the brutal ugliness that the internet trancends. However, I don’t think enough credit has been handed to the kids themselves. Kids are smart and fully capable of controlling their own environments. Thus, I don’t think it would be totally unreasonable to go for the hotline-number route, as discussed in the blog post. It should be an option for kids to call a specific number in the event that they feel unsafe on the internet. This would allow the kids to explore these social networkings without feeling watched, yet still protected from potential harm.

This is my favorite passage from Goodstein’s article.

Even when we discuss cyber-bullying, we must put it in perspective. It’s definitely causing lots of drama at school and sometimes can be so severe that it results in lawsuits or expulsions. But most of the time, teens are pretty good at blocking, ignoring or IMing back until the harassment stops or goes away. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about bullying prevention or how to respond; it just means we have to understand how teens view this issue and are responding to it as well.

Exactly. Invest a little more trust into these kids, but keep communication with them alive. It’s not a perfect formula by any means but what is?

Effective Communication 101

As promised, this blog will span a plethora of topics related to communication.  Thus, I would like to present my first post on effective communication. Arguably, the most significant facet of communication is the ability to deliver messages in a clear and concise manner. Moreover, all forms of relationships are common place for messages to be altered, misconstrued and even ignored. If this has happened to you, then have no worries. Each and every human suffers from some form of communication breach, and whether it revolves around business or personal relationships is irrelevant. This blog will inform you of tips and tricks to be a more effective communicator.

Consider the following three tips to help conquer any potential communicative demons:

Listening – Listening plays a HUGE role in communication process. You’ve probably heard the cliche phrase, “It feels like i’m talking to a brick wall.”  Whether its a machine trying to communicate with another device, or a man arguing with a woman; when two parties are not actively involved in the transmisison of a message, then it simply cannot be properly delivered. The art of listening goes beyond hearing what the other person says. A message must also be interpreted.

Interpreting – In communication, the receiver of the message has the option to accept or reject a message. And the following is probably why a great deal of personal relationships go awry: person A delivers the message, personal standpoint or argument only for person B to deny the message before they have given any thought as to the validity of the message. I’m no relationship expert, but the neccessity of interpreting a message is apparent.

Consideriation – Communications is intensely complex. With that being said, its important to realize that not one person utilizes communication to perfection. This is precisly why barriors in communication must be accepted. Beyond obvious difference in spoken languages, there are dozens of natural restrictions that counter effective communication. Non-verbal cues, power struggles, false assumptions, and differences in perception are just a few examples of “noise” that can get in the way of communicating effectively. So despite the complexity of communication, giving consideration to differences in communication practices can certainly go a long way.

Let’s hear other ways to communicate efficiently. I’m curious to hear as many opinions as possible.

My unstable battle with technology

I love my Mom to death, but one of the greatest challenges in life was teaching her how to use a computer. I understand that parents didn’t grow up with such technology, otherwise they’d be self-proclaimed experts. But explaining that this particular type of mouse doesn’t squeak or eat cheese proved to be a tougher task than I had ever imagined possible. Chronically, I would explain to her that the best way to learn how to operate the latest technology is to screw up. Yes, I said it, screw up. Just like driving in big cities for the first time, you might venture on a couple wrong-way streets, and even if you don’t come out unscathed, then hopefully you can still say you took something from the experience.

And now it’s time to give my Mom some credit; truth is, she’s a beast with computers now, as she fears nothing about them. In fact, a few months ago she cleaned her laptop keyboard with a vacuum cleaner hose (personally don’t reccomend it, but it did the trick for her). So not only can she perform risky methods of cleaning keyboards, but also has shown me a thing or two about random internet sites such as her favorite, Craig’s List. I’m proud that she ditched the hunt-and-peck typing method and learned how to e-mail me pictures of funny lookin’ dogs and cats. And although I’m confident she still has some laps to go before she catches up to me in the ‘technology-learning’ race, I must admit that even I’m scared.

Scared of what, you say?  I’m terrified that technology is even surpassing my own capability to understand it. I should heed my own advice: Just play around with it and first screw up, you’ll learn. Oh, I hope so. But with technology such as blue-ray discs, SD cards, and trees full of Apple goodies flying in every direction, I must admit that i’m overwhelemed. With that said, I completely understand the general implications of a supply-and-demand concept: As consumers, we crave the latest and greatest products on the market.

This is not to say that we don’t deserve such advanced technology on the market. And I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but what good is a product when it takes a degree to learn how to operate it? I’m an intelligent person with a fair amount of common sense – so i’d like to believe that i’m not alone with my helplessness when dealing with the latest technology fads.

When reflecting on my unstable battle with technology, I keep in mind a few points:

1) Technology should continue to advance to the point where it no longer benefits a target population.

2) The complexity of today’s technologies is quite subjective. Just because I think its advancing too rapidly, doesn’t mean others don’t agree (which is why i’d like your input).

3) I have no problem learning the latest technologies. In fact, I love to learn new things, but then patience is compromised consequently becoming a double edged sword: 

It comes down to this: Advanced Technology leads to efficiency which in return saves us time. But then we call for more time in order to learn that technology. Seems like a contradictory cycle to me.

 What does everyone think about this?

A new extension of the Mogul Blog Series!

Okay, so i’m obssessed with blogging now. So, instead of merely including a section for Fantasy Sports on my Media Mogul site, i figured I would just dedicate a whole seperate blog to my other passion, fantasy sports. No, this certainly doesn’t mean i’m giving up on this Media Mogul blog. In fact, this blog is growing beyond my epectations, so i’d like both blogs to be top-notch in terms of awesomeness.

Anyway, if you’re a huge sports buff like me, then I encourage you to visit my new Fantasy Sports Mogul Blog. Thank ya!

Application Overload: Facebook’s Latest Addition

When learning of Facebook’s plan to open up to developers, my eyebrow rose in curiousity. It seemed that implementing an API (application programming interface) would allow Facebook to strap on a jet pack and soar above the Myspace competition. But for those who haven’t logged onto Facebook before – or lately – allow me to further explain what this developer thing is all about.

From my understanding, the gurus over at Facebook have made it so that users can add their own applications directly into the Facebook platform. For example, an existing application is a compass that determines your political “direction” based upon a brief survey for those unsure of their status. Not a fan of politics? How about a “trakzor” tool that allows you to see who is viewing your profile? (the developer claims its safe and not creepy). The list of available tools and apps goes on and on and on. But, for some facebook users, that’s precisely the problem.

“Too much goin’ on,” says a friend of mine. “I don’t like how they keep constantly updating stuff.”  Interesting, to say the least. I guess I had never thought of it with a ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’ mentality. But just like when Facebook added the news feed feature, users will eventually warm up to the latest changes. Perhaps the top priority within these social communities should be to continue giving users OPTIONS, and Facebook is great about it. It seems like the most success occurs by introducing new features when the messages are direct, subtle and not “in your face.”

I haven’t played with many facebook applications thus far, but this doesn’t mean that i’m not tempted. A developer created a “top friends” application, which Myspace would probably label as “old news” since they’ve had that as a standard feature on their site. Listing my top friends isn’t something that I deem neccesary, though, so I will ignore this one. But give me the poltical compass and the ability to play games with other users – Now we’re talkin!

 But before I sign off for the night, I need your guys’ thoughts. Do you like the new Facebook applications? If so, which ones? Why or why not?

Video Games.. good for you?

“Punish him!” demanded the Mortal Kombat narrator back when I was a thirteen-year old. In no time, I learned that my MK charachter had the power to reach inside the chest of an opponent, only for their heart to be squeezed out like a lemon and the plump organ was triumphantly raised into the air - COOL, right?

Blood provided the landscape for the game, whereas rain and sun were missing in action. Vividly, I recall the sheer excitement that I got from ripping the hearts out of my video game victims. Although it was a while ago since playing the game, it’s for certain that malcontent had never been a friend of mine, and if breaking anyone’s heart were included in my fate, it would be in the figurative way.

Fast forward fifteen years and the games have gotten far more aggressive. Instead of ripping out hearts - which was questionable in the first place – morals and ethical standards are being questioned by video games such as Grand Theft Auto – San Andreas where it is the gamer’s “mission” to murder, rob and annihilate surroundings. Although this blog topic isn’t intended as news – everyone knows video games are violent – I must argue that parents are more of an influence in a child’s life than any decision a kid makes from playing violent video games.

Even if my opinion above isn’t worth debating. And even though video games probably have an intrinsic link to aggression and increased desensitivy towards real-life violence and occurrences, then at the very least, its worth introducing you to the other side of the argument. Video games and their benefits.

Steven Johnson is a controversial media critic daring enough to argue that video games make us smarter, and provides several key arguments for his case in the book, “Everything Bad is Good for You.”  Contrary to what many believe, he doesn’t even give the “hand-eye coordination” cop-out.

Instead, he tells us that video games do the following:

1) Video games gives us rewards. When there is a reward in a video game (which there is, even in violent games), then we subconsciously translate this into our daily lives and consequently learn how to set goals for ourselves. Concept: Goals lead to rewards.

2) The interactivity in video games is sophisticated. Unlike a book where word are read, imagined and comprehended, Johnson hypothesises that video games force us to fill in neccessary “information gaps.”  By doing so, we adapt to unexpected situations on-the-fly, which bodes well for real-life-situations.

3) Video games teach us how to learn not what to learn  in our society (which is arguably becoming lazier than ever). By teaching us how to learn, it forces how to tackle more situations, whereas teaching us what to learn implies an undeserved limitation on what information that we should know.

Here are several more key arguments as to whether or not video games are good for you. Please comment on this: Do you think video games can be good? I got you started on such an idea, so how can video games benefit us and possibly outweigh the obvious negativity impact associated with them known as violence? 

Where were you in the 80’s Nickelodeon Hotel?

Check out this link about a Nickelodeon Hotel.

Pretty ingenious idea. Think about it: A kid wants to go to Disney land/world. What do they want to see in their hotel? No, not fancy garbage cans and an array full of gigantic plants like most hotels. Ok, wrong company, we’re talking about Nickelodeon here. But the point is, kids want to be absorbed in their own worlds, as often as possible; they want to see Spongebob, Jimmy Neutron and everyone else that they watch on TV. The idea is to get kids feeling like they’re a part of something that they had imagined from the get-go. This is why I feel that having a hotel centered around kids is an over-due concept.

In retrospect, if I could have visited a hotel filled with twisting water-slides and visuals of my favorite cartoon characters surrounding me, I would have been elated. It would have been amazing, back in the 80’s, to be immersed in interactivity such as that planned by Marriott & Miller global properties. Truth is, i’m insanely jealous. This will bring families closer together and make the chilins’ happy campers… er… hotel goers.

 Here’s a quote clipping from the article.

“There’s not a gadget or a screen where kids can’t get to their best friends Dora, Diego, Drake & Josh, Neopets or the Naked Brothers Band,” McGrath said. “And now they can share the good times with all of us on another frontier — the wildest adventure of them all — the family vacation.”

A little support through reading

As we all know, the proverbial dark side of media is that no news is good news. People crave news that shocks, appauls, and debates. Back in college, I learned the hierachry of a news lineup, and at the very end of a broadcast you will be “treated” to a light story intended as a diversion from all of the ugly news of the world.

I’m not here trying to re-route the news format, but I do believe we are deserving of some refreshing articles here and there. Upon navigating the internet for articles on kids communities, I stumbled upon The First Book Blog. This is a blog that helps children coming from low-income families discover ways to start reading. It’s true that literacy is often taken for granted, and it’s uber-important to recognize that there are kids out there that need your help with reading.