The Day the Earth Stood Still

So how does this movie relate to my topic? Well, I found three examples of how it actually does relate.

In the beginning of the film, when H.P Cullenburg is reporting, he mentions the anxiety and concern that is going on but immediately shifts to talking about “signs of normalcy” and how it is a beautiful spring day and the tourist crowd is around public monuments. This shows how even when things aren’t going so well the media tries to put up a good front. Which then leads back to my topic of the press shaping public opinion. If the media stresses that everything is “normal” will the public remain calm and continue with their day-to-day routine?

Another example is when Drew Pearson is conducting his TV radio broadcast and talking about the arrival of the spaceship, but then all of a sudden a note is handed to him during the broadcast. He then shifts gears and starts saying that there is no reasonable cause for alarm because the rumors are absolutely false and based on hysteria. Obviously, in the note, Pearson was ordered to not scare the public and tell them whatever is happening is complete bogus. Again, the media shaping the public’s views.

Lastly, when Bobby and Mr. Carpenter are interviewed near the spaceship, Mr. Carpenter exclaims, “I am fearful when I see people substituting fear for reason.” The news reporter immediately cuts him off and moves on to talking to another person. That wasn’t the answer the news reporter was looking for and it doesn’t make good TV.

Is McCain’s Age Showing?

Last Wednesday, when I was riding the metro home, I found a copy of The Washington Post on the seat next to me and began reading it. I came across an article written about McCain and his continuous verbal slips also known as “gaffes.” The article mentioned how McCain referred to the “Iraq-Pakistani border” instead of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. We had talked about this earlier in the day in class and I remember that Dr. Larsen was wondering what the press had to say about it.

The article also discusses how Obama is given more media coverage then McCain. Additionally, whatever Obama says is scrutinized; whereas, McCain gets away with confusing Sunni and Shittes, referring to incorrect borders, and identifying Vladimir Putin as Germany’s president simply because he’s an expert at foreign policy.

Here’s a link to the article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/22/AR2008072203201.html

D.C.

Since class was canceled on Thursday, I decided to go and see the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. The other day, I saw the Monument from a distance but my feet were killing me so bad that I wasn’t able to walk all the way up to it. It was a perfect day to walk. I got off on the Smithsonian stop from the metro and started walking towards the Washington Monument. A gentle breeze was blowing across my face as I anxiously walked closer and closer to the Monument. I know I said that I hate taking those same ol’ tourist photos, but I just had to take some of the Monument. And the view of the Washington Monument from the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial is simply breathtaking.

I wanted to see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, but there were so many people around it that I decided I’d go back another day.

So after touring around for over an hour, I was really hungry and I decided to go to Dupont Circle and get something to eat. I took the metro there. I began walking around deciding on where to eat and then I passed by Cosi and saw all these people eating delicious salads so I thought I would go there. I’m glad I went there because the Caesar salad I got was really good, and OMG the bread was delicious!!

This first photo reminded me of those postcards that you see in the giftshops at the airport. So I thought I would add the little “Wish you were here…” to it since I miss all my friends from Houston so much.

I just love the yellow! I saw this while walking around Dupont Circle, but I’ve also seen a similar home behind the GW hospital.

I think this was the outside of one of the Smithsonian buildings…

Finding My Inspiration

So today after class, I decided to go for a walk around campus. I started walking and before I knew it I could see the Washington Monument from a distance. I didn’t know it was so close to GW. I pulled out my camera and began taking pictures of things that looked interesting to me..iron benches, columns, t-shirts, etc. While taking these pictures I started to feel inspired again. I started to feel that passion again for photography that made me like it in the first place.

While I was roaming around, I got thirsty so I stopped at one of those hot dog stands to buy some water. I payed $2.25 for a bottle of water! Crazy! And oh while I was at the stand, I saw an Asian man taking so many pictures of the hot dog stand. I was really tempted to ask him what he found so fascinating about it, but then again I always take pictures of the most randomest things and i’m sure people think i’m crazy too.

I thought I would post a few of my pictures. I guess they’re not your average D.C. tourist photos.

Abstract

“Nation Building and Body Building”

Margaret Farrar analyzes the layout for the National Mall while comparing it to the alley reform which occurred around the same time. She mentions that the whole purpose behind the reconstruction of the National Mall was to create a sense of national identity and unity within the city of Washington. However, at the same time, the residents of the alleys were excluded from society. Farrar depicts the environment of the alleys and the people that lived within it. She mentions the many diseases they had, the filth they lived in, and how nothing was done to help the situation of these alley dwellers. Farrar concludes that the ugliness of these alleys was hidden from society.

Talk To Me

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

-MLK

In the movie Talk To Me, Petey Green says this quote by Dr. Martin Luther King and it really got me thinking. When times are easy, everyone is jolly and happy-go-lucky, but when the going gets tough it’s only then that you see a person’s true personality and who they really are.

Brainstorming…

So I was thinking about writing my paper on the power of the press. Maybe talk about the importance of the press back then and now.

Some points that I’m considering…

-Readership today

-”Yellow journalism”

-Hearst and Pulitzer

-Broadcast journalism vs. written journalism

-Radio bringing the family together

Films to consider:

-Mr. Smith Goes To Washington

-All the President’s Men

-Citizen Kane

-Talk to Me

Exploring the City

It’s already been a week since I left Houston and I’ve been meaning to explore D.C. Today, I had a chance to look around and walk for a while, but instead I decided to go to Pentagon City Mall and shop.

I’m really into photography and taking photographs. But these days, I don’t know what is up with me I’ve kind of lost my inspiration. And it sounds crazy, I’m in D.C., a tourist hotspot, but I hate taking those same old cliche and boring photos. I’ve been meaning to take a cool panning shot of the metro. Where you know, the metro is going at full speed and it has that cool motion blur and then the people waiting for it are in focus and everything else is out of focus. But I haven’t come around to taking it yet.

I’m excited to go to school in D.C. in the fall. I can’t wait to see the leaves change different colors in the fall, snow in the wintertime, and cherry blossoms in the spring. In Houston, we don’t really get to experience all four seasons. It’s only summer and fall. Our winter is like Virginia’s fall. Pretty pathetic I know.

Some things I want to see in D.C. are…

-Lincoln Memorial at sunset

-Dupont Circle

-Georgetown

“Come Undone”

This morning I got to the metro station at 10:45 a.m. which is early cause I usually get there at 11 a.m. So while waiting for the metro to arrive, I turned on my iPod and opened up my “Metro Mix” playlist which I was excited about since I had spent some time creating it last night. The first song on the list was “Come Undone” by Duran Duran. Instead of the song starting to play my iPod just froze. The screen was lit but nothing was playing. I felt my heart begin to melt as I quickly pushed down the menu and select button and then the apple symbol appeared. After a couple of seconds, the battery symbol showed up and then my iPod was dead. I literally felt like screaming out loud! AHHHHHHHH! The metro then arrived and I walked in upset thinking what I would do on my 30 minute commute. To make my morning worse, the clasp on the front pocket of my bag broke as I was putting my ipod inside. Great, what else could go wrong today?

The last week or so I had been listening to my ipod nonstop on the metro, and today was the first day that it did not work. I felt tortured. While sitting and staring blankly at strangers, I began to think that it was ironic that the song that my ipod froze on was “Come Undone” and that’s exactly how I was feeling right now. As the metro ride continued, I realized that it wasn’t all that bad to be without my ipod. I could live without it for a day. And while I was busy thinking, suddenly I heard, “next stop Foggy Bottom” and I already started to feel better.

Metro Ride For the Very First Time

My first time taking the metro was last Tuesday. I imagined it to be something like the New York City subway, but I was wrong. It was great! It felt as if I were taking a train in Switzerland. My head was pressed against the window as I stared at all the greenery on the way to Foggy Bottom. We passed through many stops on the way: Van Dorn Street, King Street, Braddock Road, The Pentagon, Pentagon City, Crystal City…While I was aimlessly looking out the window and daydreaming, a young boy behind me tapped me on the shoulder and asked me what brand my sunglasses were. I asked him why he wanted to know and he told me that he liked them and wanted to get some for his mom. I thought about taking them off and giving them to him, but the devil inside of me talked me out of it. Besides they were my favorite pair of sunglasses!

So after about sitting in the metro for 30 minutes I finally reached Foggy Bottom. And now the hard part was looking for the Government Hall building where my class would be. I wasn’t familiar with any of the streets or how to get to the building so I asked about five different people where to go. Three of them pointed me in the same direction but two of them showed me totally bizarre routes. As I crossed unknown streets and saw unfamiliar faces, I felt like I was in New York. I loved the feeling of being in the city and seeing all the hustle and bustle. I walked quickly from I street to H street to G street. While walking I saw those little hot dog stands with their yellow billboards and UTZ chips pinned up to the stand.

So after walking endlessly and my feet aching with blisters from my brand new Cole Haan flats I found the Government Hall. I looked at my watch as I got into the elevator and it was 12:05 p.m. Man, I was five minutes late but hey, that wasn’t bad for the very first day.