Capture Every Moment

We remember life's highlights. And we remember its lowlights. But what about those quiet, uneventful, sorta-OK moments? They can be quickly forgotten.

But no more. Now there is a small, wearable camera that can literally photograph every moment of your life. NPR reports.

Question...

•Is this cool or creepy?

•How many photos do you shoot during an average week?

•How do you react to being photographed without your consent?

•If this sold for $100, would you buy one?

AlertU Campus Warning System

Do you want to receive a text message if the school has to close or if the college needs to warn you about something or someone? If so, you may want to sign up for AlertU, the campus warning system. Details about how to sign up are here.

Transfer Center Trip

Your Humble Blogger received the following email from Transfer Center Director Kevin Meza...

Hello all,

It’s that time again! I am pleased to announce that we have secured funding (thank you ASGCC) and will be going on the Northern California College tours during spring break (April 15-18). Based upon student interest we will continue to visit UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, and UC Santa Barbara. The trip will include admissions presentations, college tours, student panels (featuring former GCC students), and sightseeing in San Francisco.

The fee for students is $25 (includes transportation and housing). Students are responsible for their own meals (and therapy after hearing me sing on the bus). Students can either visit us in the Transfer Center (SR building, second floor) or download the application from our website:

http://glendale.edu/index.aspx?page=2109&recordid=4235&returnURL=%2findex.aspx%3fpage%3d150

Here are some quotes from our student evaluations:

“I loved the trip! I’ve meet new people I would have probably never talked to, and had the chance to see/meet/talk to students who transferred to my school of choice. I feel that there was the perfect balance of freedom and program curriculum.”

“I’m the first college student in my family, so being exposed to all these schools is something I wouldn’t have been able to do.” “Berkeley Rocks! It’s like Venice Beach, but with more culture.”

“How to improve the trip? Next year, let’s all go to Vegas!”

“After the icebreaker we all became one big happy family. Jana!”

“I thought Davis was going to be farm like, but it turned out to be my favorite campus.”

“Really glad I got to see San Francisco, it was great. The counselors made this a lot of fun and educational. It was quite an experience. I enjoyed all 4 campuses.”

“Kevin! You deserve a raise!” (That’s a real quote….Let’s use that as an opener during contract negotiations.)

The Art of Protest

Pussy Riot may be the most controversial musical group in the world--at least in their Russian homeland.

The feminist, pro-LBGT, and anti-authoritarian group is known for its surprise public performances of punk-inspired protest songs. The most successful of these performances are edited into music videos. Many are disrupted by Russian authorities. Two Pussy Riot members recently served a 21-month jail sentence for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred." It is fair to say that Pussy Riot has a better reputation in the U.S. and Western Europe than it does in Russia.

The Winter Olympics in Sochi gave Pussy Riot a unique opportunity to spread its anti-authoritarian message worldwide. National Public Radio has posted Pussy Riot's Sochi video, including members of the group being whipped by Cossacks.

•Is the video effective at presenting its anti-authoritarian viewpoint?

•Why was it so hard for Russian authorities to control the pictures coming out of Sochi?

•What level of protest should have been allowed during the Olympics, and what would have been too much?

•Does the Internet help us understand one another, or does it make us angrier at each other?

•What are some other examples of artists, actors and musicians becoming instruments of protest?

Supplemental Instruction

This semester, Mass Comm 101 is fortunate to have two weekly Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions. The SI sessions are reviews of material recently covered. Students should bring their books and notes, because it is not the job of an SI leader to give out answers. It is that person's job to guide the students to the answers.

Attendance at each SI session is worth two extra credit points. This semester's SI sessions will begin next week:

•On Tuesdays, Mike Arvizu will lead a session from 12:30-1:30 in AD217. Mike has created a Facebook page for his study group.

•On Thursdays, Paulina Lainez will lead a session from 12:30-1:30 in CR234.

Games for Grownups

Big-action games aren't for everybody. And not every game developer dreams of an even gorier Zombie Apocalypse.

The motion picture industry has its independent moviemakers, and the recording business has its independent music. So why not independent games?

As with indie music and movies, independent game makers aren't shooting for a huge mass audience. Rather, they are trying to say something with their games that goes beyond the often-superficial messages of mainstream media. The Los Angeles Times reports on this trend toward independent games.

Questions...

•Is gaming a mass medium? Why or why not?

•Are young men naturally attracted to games, or is it really the violent content that they are attracted to?

•Which is a better storytelling medium--games or movies? Why?

•Which is a better teacher--games or movies? Why?

•Which is better at getting you to think about social and political issues? Why?

iStool Pigeon

Is your iPhone an iNformant? Do US, British and perhaps other spy agencies have basic data about you? Are corporations also collecting data about you, your preferences, your whereabouts, and your life?

Yes on all counts.

The New York Times and The Guardian of London recently reported on how the National Security Agency (among others) are using so-called "leaky apps" on your smart phone to collect data about you. Here is the New York Times article.

And just in case you were wondering what a "stool pigeon" is, it's clear that you didn't watch enough 1940s gangster movies. Here is the dictionary definition.

Questions...

•Is this a big deal to you? Why or why not?

•What sort of things may you not want to do with your smart phone?

•Which do you fear more: Big Government, or Big Business? Why?

•Is Edward Snowden a hero, a traitor, or something else?

Does Beer Make You Think?

Well, it made Bud wiser.

That's an old (and not very good) joke. But it does beg the question: Just what does inter-species affection between a horse and a puppy have to do with beer, anyway?

This Budwiser ad, titled "Puppy Love," was this year's most-liked Super Bowl ad, according to USA Today.

According to a recent article in this Los Angeles Times, this was a very good year for the Greater Los Angeles area, because many of the Super Bowl ads were shot in the area. The "Puppy Love" ad, for example, was shot around Thousand Oaks. The Times article says that these ad shoots are very good for our local economy.

Questions...

•What was your favorite Super Bowl ad? Why?

•If beer ads sell beer, do ads with L.A. locations sell L.A. ... either for tourism or as a place to live?

•Who is the target customer for the "Puppy Love" ad?

•What does the ad have to say about the features of the product (Budwiser)?