Media as Hero Killer

High profile political campaigns are rough. The candidate's drunk driving arrest from 20 years ago could come up. So might the legal status of a former housekeeper. And watch out if the candidate has ever been intimate with anyone other than his or her spouse.

Political Commentator Jeff Greenfield believes that even the much-revered Abraham Lincoln would look less like Honest Abe and more like Lyin' Lincoln in the harsh glare of today's mass media.

Greenfield's commentary is in Yahoo! News.

Questions...

•What sorts of things do we find out about major political campaigns from the media?

•What don't we find out in their coverage?

•Does the media reinforce the political center, or the extremes?

•How is politics changing because of the Internet?

Put Your Stuff To Work

Your Humble Blogger, sadly, can ride only one bicycle at a time. The others sit. Similarly, the spare bedroom in your house may be little more than a storage room. Can it be put to better use?

Maybe. Some Internet startups give you a way to put that spare room to use. And Superstorm Sandy has become a big test of how well these services work. NPR reports.

Questions...

•How has the Internet been used to help people and do charitable things?

•What are other things that people can give, rent or swap through online services?

•What do students own that they don't use all the time? Could they share or rent them?

•What are the problems with people sharing or renting their stuff?

Final Exam Schedule

Final Exams are coming! Every class gets a special 2.5-hour time slot for its final exam. There should be no conflicts between classes. Check out the days and times for all of your final exams by looking at the official Glendale College Final Exam Schedule.

Facebook Primary in 2016?

What motivates people to vote has been studied by political scientists for generations. Campaigns recruit armies of volunteers to make phone calls, drive voters to the polls, and give out information. But what if voter turnout could be increased by merely informing Facebook users when Election Day is, where they can vote, and which of their friends have already voted?

The Atlantic Monthly has this fascinating report of an experiment that may lead to increased voter turnout.

Questions...

•In everyday life, when does peer pressure make a difference in how people behave?

•Name all the ways that Facebook alters our behavior

•If Facebook is cooperating with experiments designed to increase voter turnout, are they being politically neutral? Why or why not?

•In general, does social media make us more involved with real-life events, or less involved? Why?

New Field Trip

MC101 students have been clamoring for another field trip, and Your Humble Blogger has found one. For MC101 field trip credit, you are invited to a free public lecture on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.. Title of the lecture is Will Gaming Change the Way We Learn?

In order to attend this lecture for field trip credit, you must

1. Make an online reservation by using the link above, and

2. Fill out a supplemental field trip form, available in class. (Get the form at the end of class.)

Peace, One Broadcast at a Time

As the United States plans its military exit from Afghanistan, one question has been how to get messages across that nation's famously rugged landscape. One answer is radio. It is relatively simple and cheap, and it is a practical choice in nations where literacy is not widespread. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Why is radio a great medium for Afghanistan?

•What messages would you want to send out over the radio to Afghans?

•How do you keep the Taliban from using the airwaves?