Polygamy law change in Canada?

Newsworthy #3

Due Nov. 17, 2010

“Examining polygamy in Canada”

By Allan Dowd, Reuters

http://www.torontosun.com/life/2010/11/29/16358921.html

November 29, 2010

Polygamy is one of the few things in religion that truly fascinates me. I have been interested in learning more about this practice since I was young. Polygamy is alluring because it is a group of people in our own country that are so very different than us. I wouldn’t say they are so different than us, but culturally, polygamy is still not accepted really at all. In my lifetime, gay marriage has become widely known and quite accepted, especially among younger and more liberal thinkers- the people I am around daily. But a man being married to multiple women has really not even been discussed in our culture, other than to say it is illegal and wrong. This group of people has been forced to be secretive; therefore I am fascinated by their lives. A recent article on TorontoSun.com details how Canada is investigating the practice and has ideas about changing the law against it.

The Toronto Sun is published daily in Toronto, Ontario. “News stories in the tabloid style tend to be much shorter than those in other newspapers, and the language Sun journalists use tends to be simpler and more conversational than language used in other newspapers.” Its slogan is "Toronto's Other Voice" and according to wikipedia, editorally it is rather conservative. Reuters is a United Kingdom-based news service that employs reporters around the world to gather news to be picked up by many news publications, like what the Toronto Sun did with this story. According to Wikipedia, “Reuters has a strict policy towards upholding journalistic objectivity.” Reuters is read around the world and is very careful to remain un-biased and inoffensive to all people. The information from this company is very trustworthy.

I think the subject of polygamy is very important to the study of women and religion, or maybe gender and religion. As our country moves forward, we seem to become more accepting of different things. The civil rights movement, the women’s movement and the new laws that allow gay marriage all come to mind. Polygamy is currently outlawed in both the US and Canada, but I am sure some of the same arguments for gay marriage could be used to change the laws to allow polygamy. Those against polygamy cite that it can be used to take control of women and encourage the marriages of young girls to men.

This is a newsworthy item because it is new and different. If a nation is discussing changing a law, people are going to be interested. It’s especially interesting because Canada is so close to the US, and their culture is very similar to ours too, so their decisions definitely can affect us. The overturning of this law may set a precedent for other countries, including ours. I believe that humans are hard-wired to be curious about others’ lives, and that’s why reality television is so popular. Watching how other people live is fascinating, especially when they are people in your own country that live so differently than you do— but still deal with problems similar to yours. Polygamy is newsworthy because it causes people to be curious and draws them into the story or television show.

The article details how a court in Vancouver has decided to do a two-month investigation into polygamy. Members from the US and Canada who practice polygamy are testifying anonymously so that they will not worry about legal consequences and be able to speak freely. The article goes on to detail the history of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The group broke off from the Mormon faith after the decision in the 1890s to stop practicing polygamy. The article says that the US government put pressure on the Mormon church to get rid of polygamy. The author writes that polygamy has been in the news more recently due to the popular television shows such as Big Love and Sister Wives.

The author does a good job of breaking down exactly what people of this faith believe, in easy to understand terms. “FLDS members believe that a man must have multiple wives to follow the will of God and advance in the afterlife, and “celestial marriages” help protect women and children from social ills and poverty in old age, the court has been told. In practice, fundamentalist men have only one legal wife with other wives recognized in that role only by their faith. Law enforcement officials contend that is still illegal.” He also goes on to explain why the law is up for investigation.“But a Canadian judge has begun a special judicial inquiry to examine whether a Canadian anti-polygamy law violates protections of religious freedom or is still needed to protect women’s rights and deal with a variety of social problems.”

Church members argue that the law against polygamy keeps them from practicing their religion, which is supposed to be a guaranteed right. Prosecutors who want the law to stay in place say that obeying laws intended to prevent other social harms are more important than religious freedom. Opponents of polygamy say the practice allows women to be controlled and encourages or forces underage girls to marry older men. The article ends in saying that the law against polygamy has not been consistently enforced in Canada, and that they began to take it more seriously when women’s rights groups accused the government of ignoring the rule.

I think the investigation is sort of a break-through in the study of women and religion. Throughout the course we have struggled with how old traditions and laws don’t work anymore in our time, and how they can oppress people. By reviewing an old law- the Canadian government is being very progressive. Can they prove that polygamy is wrong or harmful? We shall see.

Faith & Fashion in Jordan & Boston

Newsworthy #2

Does My Religion Make Me Look Fat? The Connection Between Piety and Body Image by Paul O'Donnell was posted in Huffington Post's religion section on October 26, 2010. O'Donnell is a freelance religion journalist and has worked at a few different publications. He was one of the original editors at the web magazine Beliefnet and worked there from 2000 to 2004. The article is in the column section on HuffPost, so readers may give it more credibility than if it were a blog. The writer's background and experience make him seem like a knowledgeable and trustworthy journalist. O’Donnell’s point of view seems pretty objective, but definitely with a little of his own opinion thrown in, such as “Reading a little Scripture instead of a woman's magazine can make you feel better about how you look. No brainer?” This line implies that it is true for everyone that Scripture will make one feel better than a magazine would, which just isn’t true. It also hints at the fact that magazines are the root of all body image problems. This is where I feel the writer’s opinion about media and magazines comes through; he obviously blames the media for women’s poor self-esteem. This is a potential problem with the article, but it doesn’t affect it too much since the facts are still there. I was able to read the article and skim over his opinion and absorb the conclusions from the study objectively.

The article highlights a study done comparing body image of girls from different religious backgrounds. The study was done on students in Jordan and Boston, and the questions asked were about their feelings about their bodies. Both groups were also asked about their religious beliefs. The girls from Jordan ranked much higher in how religious they are, and how happy they are with their appearance. The study was done in 2009 and is the reason that the article is newsworthy. The correlation between faith and body image is an fascinating one for researchers to delve deeper into. But even more interesting is the fact that women in Jordan often cover their hair and body when going out in public. The differences in dress between the women in Boston and those in Jordan definitely has an affect on body image. Women in America often bear a lot of skin, and in some situations there is even pressure to show more than one wants to. In Jordan it is the opposite, it is encouraged to cover one’s self up. I think that covering up one’s body every day would make a woman think less about her body, which would eliminate many of the worries that American women have on a daily basis. In turn, this may lead to happier feelings on the subject of one’s body. In America, we put so much emphasis on appearance that it becomes a huge issue in everyone’s life. My opinion aside, I do respect the study and think that religious beliefs can have an affect on one’s body image. Correlations between religion and anything in popular culture will always be newsworthy, including fitness, environmentalism, depression, alcoholism, patriotism, morality, sexual orientation and so on. People love to make connections!

Another interesting thing about the study was that the girls in Jordan said they were looking to TV and magazines even more than the American girls for images about bodies and fashion. This fact is the most striking to me, because you would not think they would consume more media and yet still be happier with their bodies. This fact is important because it highlights that there must be forces at work that keep these girls happy, while the media so adversely affects girls in the US. The author goes on to write about discussions between women about wearing a hijab. In conclusion, the author paraphrases members at a roundtable discussion about religion and dress, “…all women's dress has to be understood in the context of the surrounding culture,” and “Modesty, said Malushi, should even be understood in the context of the person.” I like these two statements because too often we put our own ideas of what is “right” or “normal” onto other people, and do not take into account their culture or their own preferences. In the end O’Donnell states that in the US women have the choice of how to dress. Oh how I love choice! This part really speaks to me and my own view on feminism, and women and religion. I think the basic principle behind feminism is the freedom of choice. To define a woman’s role or norm is to take away her choice, and this is what feminism aims to fight. Feminists shouldn’t fight to change gender roles completely, but just to open up the possibilities of what “norm” is.

This article makes me think of the readings we have done about womanist theology. Although the womanist perspective stems from black women, it can be applied to any women. I see this movement as one about choice. A womanist is someone who believes that a woman can still be a woman but be powerful too, and the only way that women of today will know that is if they are shown the images and stories of brave, powerful women of the past. In the US, I think this can relate to body image a lot because the only way for girls to be happy with their bodies is to see women of all shapes and sizes being accepted in the media. If all different bodies types were celebrated and put into magazines, TV and billboards- girls would see those images and stop worrying about attaining the skinny body- which is really the only celebrated body in our culture right now. To me, it is all about role models. Self-confidence fluctuates, so on the days where one is feeling down- looking to a role model can restore faith in oneself and confidence, acceptance and pride in one’s body. Whether it be brave women from the past or self-confident women of today, they both serve as reminders to contemporary women that they can do it, too.

Witchcraft and Women's Culture

This reading by Starhawk resonated with me. The way the author describes her religion is how religion should be, in my opinion. She describes that this sect of religion is extremely open--and that is missing in many organized religions. Witchcraft is nature and earth entered, and practicers worship the Goddess- the giver of life. Although Christianity is very prevalent in the US, and most people would say they do not practice witchcraft, I think more people than you think do things similar to "witches".

The author writes that in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, "When Christianity first began to spread, the country people held to the old ways, and for hundreds of years the two faiths coexisted quite peacefully," (261.) This line made me think of my home life a lot. Although I'd never categorize my parents as Pagan, Wiccan, or practicers of witchcraft, I would say that they worship nature and the earth. I live on a farm and a big part of the values my parents instilled in me has to do with appreciating nature and respecting it. Because we make a living off of the crops from the earth, a respect and celebration of nature starts to come naturally. I like the idea that Christianity and a faith based in nature can coexist instead of directly competing.

Starhawk also writes about how women are starting to look deeper into ideas about the Goddess. "The feminist movement, which began as a political, economic and social struggle, is opening to a spiritual dimension," (262.) I have learned about the feminist movement many years of my life, but I never thought about how it would affect religion. I do believe that women reconnecting with the Goddess is in large part due to the women's movement. The movement is all about freeing up women and their minds, and instilling in them the same freedom that men have-- we can do anything.

Artemis and Images

Christine Downing stresses the importance of images and the stories linked to them. In her chapter in Weaving the Visions, she writes "As our dreams make evident, the psyche's own language is that of image, and not idea. The psyche needs images to nurture its own growth; for images provide a knowledge that we can interiorize rather than "apply," can take to that place in ourselves where there is water and where reeds and grasses grow."

Once again, although this course is about religion, it is easier to understand the text in relation to my life- which is religion-free. This paragraph really made me think about images in our society and how they unknowingly affect our minds. In taking many courses on media, and being an active consumer of fashion magazines-- I have seen a lot of images of women. While I'd like to think I have control over how these images affect me-- Downing is sort of saying that I don't. I cannot fully control how my mind uses these images to create my own self-image. The psyche does have a language all its own how it works out stories and images while I dream is a mystery to me. This whole idea of the sub-conscious ruling my thoughts without me even knowing is a little scary, but I know it is partially true. The human brain is a very complex thing, and scientists do not have it all figured out. All I know is that images do greatly affect one's psyche, but how, I do not know.

Published October 7, 2010, Body Image: Questions, Issues and Answers was written by Critley Lynn King, a second year student at Somerset Community College. She writes "The New Harvard Guild to Women's Health says, "Body image is the inner perception of her (his) own physical appearance. This image may or may not correspond with reality." But where does this image of the idea body come from? It's sad to say, but most of the time television, magazines, peers and family problems are typically to blame." King goes on to talk about airbrushing and how this causes images of perect bodies to be unattainable. She also goes one step further in her analyzation to say that images in the media of perfect women cause competition within the female gender. In conclusion, the article describes how images in the media have unanticipated and unintentional effects on girls. "People in the media often do not think of the repercussions of their actions. They do not think of the millions of little girls and boys who feel less than just because of their movies or photographs."

This concept of how images affect our minds is not new to me, but applying it to religion is. Because I get a lot of stories, myths and cultural constructs from magazines- I understand the power of those images. Religion is foreign to me, so I am only now understanding how images can work within a particular religion.

Myth of Demeter & Persephone, Artemis, and how religion is killing homosexuals

Weaving the Visions; pages 72-76

This story is a myth about how the seasons change. For me, there is no connection to religion. Persephone, daughter of Demeter, decides to live in the underworld in order to recieve the dead--so their spirits would not roam confused. Demeter is depressed while her daughter is away, and since she is a spirit with the ability to grow wheat-- the fields become barren when she is sad. When Persephone returns-- Demeter is pulled out of her depression and Spring fills the land. Just like any other myth or fable or story used to explain something about the world, it isn't supposed to be taken literally ( in my opinion at least.)

This myth shows women figures as the powerful creatures, and that is the only difference I see between this and other stories. In the beginning of Christine Downing's passage, Artemis; The Goddess Who Comes from Afar, Downing writes "We need images and myths through which we can see who we are and what we might become." (page 119) This line really struck a chord with me, because it makes me understand why stories about women are important. I have learned a lot about self-esteem and the importance about good role models, and this is just another example of where females can look to get that confidence. By reading myths and stories about powerful women, it gives one faith in oneself that they too can achieve big things. Without a role model to look up to, it is harder to imagine accomplishing big things. This reminds me a lot of Dolores Williams' chapter on "womanist" theory. Womanists are all about connecting strong women in history to contemporary women, to show them that there have been brave, courageous successful women before us-- and we can be like them. These concepts make sense to me, but I have a hard time connecting them to religion because religion is not part of my life at all. But I see how religious myths that show powerful women would be important to a religious woman that is used to only hearing stories in her place of worship about brave males.

A very recent blog post on HuffingtonPost.com in the religion section reminds me of this whole concept. Although I may not be religious, I live in a community and a country where people around me are sometimes very affected by religion. How Religion Is Killing Our Most Vulnerable Youth was published October 15, 2010, and was written by The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson. He is the Ninth Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire and a visiting Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, Washington, D.C. In this course, we learn how religious traditions and readings can influence women to think they are not as good as men, just by seeing a lack of a powerful female role model. But for gays- in some religions, they are outright told they are less than heterosexuals, and some even go as far to say they are abominations before God. Our course explores how the lack of role-models affects women, but what about the opinion on homosexuals and how it affects them? Robinson goes on to write

"You don't have to grow up in a religious household, though, to absorb these religious messages. Not long ago I had a conversation with six gay teens, not one of whom had ever had any formal religious training or influence. Every one of them knew the word "abomination," and every one of them thought that was what God thought of them. They couldn't have located the Book of Leviticus in the Bible if their lives depended on it yet they had absorbed this message from the antigay air they breathe every day."

This paragraph brings everything together for me. I cannot connect to much of the religious aspects of this course because that is not part of my life, but I can understand things better when I realize that they can still affect me. The stories and the opinions that religions in my country have, can affect everyone around them. The article about homosexuals cites a lot of the recent suicides linked back to anti-gay bullying. This is an easy-to-understand example of how religion can affect people, and it makes it easier to see why it's so important to have religious myths about powerful women.

Starting from the beginning...

So I haven't been keeping up with the blogging, so I thought I'd go back and touch on some of the reading from the beginning of the semester. Sorry to go out of order!

September 1 reading: Franzmann chapters 1 & 2

On page 5, Franzmann quotes Ursula King, "Female bodily existence is a primary source of women's self-image and destiny, but not an exclusive one." This line resonates with me and I carry it throughout whatever else we read in this class. To me, it means that yes, females are different than males in many ways-- and this affects their experience in life. The differences in biological makeup between men and women causes the two genders to function and feel differently. But, to say that everything a woman experiences is affected by her bodily existence just isn't true. To paraphrase the author, I think it means that women and men have differences and similarities, and we can't pin down exactly what they are or what they mean. And to study women and how they interact in the world, one must remember that women's self-image comes from many different things than just their "female bodily existence."

Franzmann also quotes Judith Grant on page 6 in her ideas about rationality and objectivity. In class we often talk about how many systems in place in our society are "patriarchal," and I think Grant highlights how this is somewhat problematic. Just because a way of doing something has been in place for years, and maybe been used to oppress or control, does not mean it is inherently wrong, or inherently "male." Franzmann writes, "To suggest that rational ways of knowing are male and not female makes "the implicit assertion that the sex of one's body is at least as significant as the condition of one's mind in assessing one's reason." This line means that yes, men and women are different, but to say that rationality is a "male trait." Isn't the whole point of feminism to appreciate the differences but also highlight that women are just as capable as men?

In closing, I like how Franzmann basically wants to find patterns in womens' different experiences in order to understand individual experiences. These speaks to me, because even if we read about experiences that black women had, we can use them to understand ALL womens' experiences. It's a way of studying all kinds of experiences and using them to explore individuals.

Post on "Womanist Theology: Black Women's Voices"

Having just finished reading this assignment, I find myself pleasantly surprised. Although I am not religious myself, I found this chapter very interesting and relevant to my life. Much of the reason that I do not like organized religion is because of how it can be used to oppress people. Women, minorities and homosexuals are often regarded as unimportant characters in religious stories, or not present at all. This article explains that by being a "womanist," one can find ways to connect women and religion in positive ways, and show women in present day that they have roots to powerful women in the past.

The author's explanation of the expression "You acting womanish," made me laugh. She wrote that according to Alice Walker, that means "wanting to know more and in greater depth than is good for one...outrageous, audacious, courageous and willful behavior." She goes on to say that "A womanist is also "responsible, in charge, serious." This description made me think of how girls are sometimes known for being a little bit nosy and into others' business, hunting for gossip. But it also makes me think about journalists, and about how this is an important quality for a reporter to have. The description is kind of good and kind of bad, but when you see the word courageous in there, it takes on more of a good meaning.

One part of the reading reminded me of a reading we did that highlighted the importance of 'old wives tales,' stating that these tales originated as good advice from older women to be passed down to younger generations. The author, Dolores S. Williams writes "Walker's codes are female-centered and they point beyond themselves to conditions, events, meanings and values that have crystallized in the Afro-American community around women's activity and formed traditions." This struck a chord with me. Although 'old wives' tales' are usually scoffed at as nonsense, both these authors are trying to say that the stories came from somewhere. The tales may not be exactly how they started out, but there is wise advice buried deep within them. I think this is how I read all religious texts and stories; as myths that have some good ideas in them, but not always to be taken literally.

Williams has a lot of good points, and one more is how she highlights the importance of strong female figures. Men have unlimited figures to look up to and to use as role models, and this helps them shape themselves and have confidence in themselves. Women have less role models to look up to, and this can cause women to lose faith in themselves and their own goals or dreams. The author references ladies such as Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Rosa Parks throughout the chapter to draw upon their strengths and accomplishments. By seeing that women have existed in our history with powerful personalities makes it possible for contemporary women to relate. On page 181, Williams writes "Retrieving this often hidden or diminished female tradition of catalytic action is an important task for womanist theologians and ethicists," and goes on to say that women have helped in various situations during history. Bringing these women to light will encourage women of today to look up to these figures. It reminded me of the article we read on "re-membering," because what womanists are really doing is taking a look at history and highlighting the roles that women played.

Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed the end of this chapter. The author wraps everything up by saying that womanists need to bring their thoughts and theories into church and into day-to-day practices. What good is all this knowledge if it is not implemented? Williams writes that the church needs to be challenged and questioned on their portrayals of women-- and this is an essential job of womanists.

Newsworthy #1

Sister Wives

The TLC network has a new show that debuted Sunday, September 26, called Sister Wives. It follows a polygamist family of one husband, three wives and 12 children, that all live together. The first episode was an introduction to their lives, and at the end there was a highlight reel of the season to come. During this season the family will take on another wife and her three children from a previous marriage. The show has sparked a lot of debate and news articles, and also a Utah police investigation to see if the family’s actions are to be deemed illegal. Although Kody Brown, the husband, is only legally married to one wife, the authorities are looking into things because bigamy is a third-degree felony in the state, and cohabitation is one of the determining factors. One article on Slate.com details how the show has made polygamy seem quite attractive.

The article, How The TLC Show "Sister Wives" Makes Polygamy Seem Appealing, was posted on Slate September 30. Slate is a daily online magazine, and the article came out on one of the site’s many blogs, DoubleX. On Slate’s About Us page, they write about themselves that they offer “…analysis and commentary about politics, news, business, technology, and culture.” It goes on to say that Slate has a “strong editorial voice and witty take on current events.” The blog’s tagline reads “XX factor, What women really think.” The blog is updated daily by different writers, and the pieces focus on issues going on in the media that affect women. The fact that this item of news is from a blog makes one question it a little more than if it was a straight news article from a newspaper. When reading a blog, the reader knows that more opinion is thrown into the mix than in a newspaper article, but the honesty can be refreshing. I checked other news sources to make sure this author had basic facts about the television show correct.

This particular article was written by the managing editor of the blog, Jessica Grose, who has also co-authored a book titled Love, Mom: Poignant, Goofy, Brilliant Messages from Home. Her bio on the site says that she has written for Jezebel, New York Times, the Village Voice, Salon, and Radar. One of her posts on Jezebel about Sarah Palin actually caused a Fox News anchor to denounce her on air. The bio also says she and another writer run a website called www.PostcardsFromYoMomma.com, a humorous site about correspondences between mother and child. Upon further research, Grose’s personal site popped up, www.JessicaGrose.com. Many of her articles are about what it’s like being a woman in the 2000’s and about relationships that mothers have with their children. On her Slate blog, she writes candidly about issues that affect women. One of her recent posts on the blog, Why Compelling Democratic Women Candidates Matter, explains that the left side of politics needs a female candidate with the charisma of Sarah Palin, but with better ideas and a platform they can agree with. Grose lets it be known that she detests Palin, but respects how Palin has marketed herself to women. On other websites, Grose writes about the trials and tribulations of her college days including losing her virginity, dating losers and lying to friends. Grose is a very open and honest writer, and her biases definitely come through.

The fact that there is a reality show about a polygamist family in the first place says something about our culture. This isn’t the first time a TV show has delved into this kind of family, but it may be the most “real,” in-depth coverage. Before this series, HBO had a scripted television show called Big Love that focused a lot on the sexual relationships of a polygamist family, and many talk-shows and news hours have covered polygamist communities. Warren Jeffs, church leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been in the news for arranging marriages with girls under 18, and encouraging their new husbands to have sex with them, which is statutory rape. A lot of the coverage of polygamist families is focused on child abuse, but the show doesn’t touch on that at all. This series is newsworthy because it shows the women and this religion in a way they are not usually portrayed; normal.

This is what Grose is trying to get at in her article. She highlights how the entire show is filmed and edited in a way to make this family look normal, and almost better then the average family. While Grose briefly gives in to this idea, she quickly comes back to say that there is a question as to whether the women really had a choice in the matter. It is great to see this religion portrayed in a good way for once, if it is real, and it definitely adds to the study of women and religion. This religion is often cited as one that uses and abuses women from an early age, and puts them in an extremely secondary position to the man. This show does work to dispel those old feelings about polygamists. Though the show demonstrates that the women came freely into the marriage and are happy to have the other wives and children in the family, the man is still definitely in control. Polygamy is such an interesting topic to talk about in terms of women and religion because on one hand, women are treasured and coveted— but on the other hand, the man is still the decision-maker and the one that gets to enjoy multiple partners. Grose brings up an interesting point, “However, one has to wonder how much of a "choice" it was for the women raised in polyg families, who have never known any other sort of relationship.”

This article suggests that the media thrives on reporting about polygamist families. This show is worth talking about because it gets people hot and bothered; it stirs up emotions and differing viewpoints, and it gets people to discuss. Now that the era of legalized gay marriage is here, the next question just may be about legalized polygamist marriages. The fact that women willingly enter into a union where they have to share a man is just something that people will enjoy debating about for years to come. The way that this family does things could be empowering to women; it allows time and energy to focus on things other than the kids and household. But this system also does damage against a female’s confidence; it may instill jealousy and feelings of inadequacy. The two sides of polygamy regarding women will always be talked about and analyzed because two-person relationships are the “norm” in this country.

Celebritiesssss

Wow I haven't updated in a while!

Well the time has flown by lately. I am still liking my internship at University Link Magazine. My first stories will be coming out in the March issue, which will be out soon! I have done a lot of cool stuff for the mag.

Celebrity update:

We went to an LA Kings hockey game, and afterward we got to meet one of the players! The game was really fun. The captain Dustin Brown, went to Ithaca High School so our program set it up that we got to talk to him briefly. After talking to us he was off to Vancouver to play on the US hockey team in the olympics! I got to talk to him for a second, and it turns out that we have a mutual friend.

Recently, Jay Leno and his crew were walking around our apartment complex knocking on people's doors! He was filming a few skits about the Oscar nominated movies. He happened to knock on someone's door from the IC program, so we got to be in a skit! Three boys got dressed up in full makeup and body suits to look like characters from Avatar. They filmed in the boys'

apartment, and it was supposed to be a party scene. So you can see me in the background for a second. Jay Leno was hanging out with us in the apartment for a few minutes before filming!! Watch the clip here: Me on Jay Leno!

Today my roommate and I went to The Grove for the first time, an outdoor mall with a farmer's market nearby. It was really pretty, and had a range of stores. When we walked in, I glanced to the right and saw a celebrity! Jane Lynch was leaving a restaurant! It was very weird to see her just hanging out in public.

Tomorrow, my roommate and I are going to a taping of Oprah. She is having a special "after

Oscars" show and will be interviewing celebrities. We have to be there around 6 a.m. though, so it's going to be a long day!!

That's all for now. I will be ome in two months, and I have to admit I'm pretty excited to see everyone. The weather is pretty nice here though :)

Love to the east coast,

Laura

country girl goes to the city...

...and gets her stuff stolen.

So it only took 3 weeks of being here to get robbed! :(

On Sunday we hiked to the Hollywood sign. We drove through a bunch of residential streets to get there, and then pulled off onto a little dirt road/side path to park, where the trail started. The neighborhood seemed like a pretty nice area, nothing sketchy about it. Soooo, for some reason I brought my purse, and realized that I didn't want to carry it during our 2-hour hike. So I set it on the floor of the front seat of my friend's rental car, and covered it with my sweatshirt. I took my phone with me, but left my wallet, iPod Touch, and camera in my purse. Uh oh.

When we got back to the car, we immediately saw that the window had been smashed, there was glass everywhere. We were stunned! Then my stomach dropped as I remembered that my purse was in there. I glanced in and saw it was gone :( As I stood there shocked, I saw a granola bar laying on the ground next to the car. I thought, hey, I had that in my purse. Then I saw my water bottle laying next to it, and my prescription glasses!! I was hoping they'd thrown out my ID or something else, but that was all they left. Hey, at least I don't have to get new glasses! I'm pretty much blind without them.

So that really sucked. I had to cancel my credit cards, we went to the police dept. to fill out a report, I have to get a new license and my parents had to wire me money. Thankfully I didn't have a lot of cash in my wallet. My friend had to get a new rental car, and he is still waiting to hear from them as to whether he has to pay for the window or not. I was really upset about the whole ordeal, and felt really stupid. But, I survived and at least everything is replaceable. Lesson learned- put everything in the trunk from now on!!! How was I supposed to know? Most of the time in T-burg I don't even think to lock my car doors. I'm likely to see more deer on my drive to town than cars...I've never had to worry about this stuff before. I will be much more careful.

In other news, I started my second internship. It is at dots! tv, a website dedicated to celebritiy: fashion, beauty, lifestyle, fitness and gossip. The site has photos, videos and a shopping section. It was created by the founder of E! Entertainment Television. The plan is for it to eventually become a television network. I got to write a little blurb about fashion during the awards season, which popped up on the main page for a few days. It says my name and everything! I pretty much got to pick any photo I wanted and write about the fashion trends that the star was wearing. Oh hey, another dream internship! The staff was really nice and fun :) They even took me out to lunch! I am enjoying both my internships. I have gotten to do lots of interviews with cool people at the magazine, but am not allowed to talk about it before the issue comes out. So you will all just have to subscribe :)

Also, we went to Universal Studios recently. We got to go on a tour of some tv/movie sets, and there were rides in the park.

I started work-study today. I'm doing 2 hours a week in the IC office, answering the phone and little stuff like that. I'm gettin paid $8/an hour, and hopefully upping my hours if possible. I need some ca$$$$$$$h.

That's all my news for now!

Love to the east coast,

Laura

The fun starts in LA!

Soo, I've been here for over a week already! I arrived Friday, Jan. 8. My flight to Newark from Ithaca was canceled, so my day was turned upside down. I ended up flying from Ithaca to Laguardia, Laguardia to Dallas, and Dallas to LA. It was a very long day! It didn't help that I hadn't slept that night because I was too excited, and was packing until 4am when we had to drive to the airport anyway. We had scheduled a van to take a bunch of Ithaca kids from LAX to our apartments, but I missed it by a few hours. I had to take a taxi. The ride was so long that I fell asleep! It was a long way, in rush hour traffic. The total was around $90!!!! It wasn't the best start to my time in LA.

Thus far, I've been shopping for groceries and home items, rode the bus to get my nails done, attended orientation, and lounged around with my roommates A LOT. It has been very relaxing, but I am ready to be busy again! The weather was great, sunny and 70's, but now it's raining, and it's supposed to keep raining for a week straight! I've heard flood and mudslide warnings on the news.

Tomorrow the chaos begins. From 10am-3pm I will have my first day working/training at University Link Magazine. My editor wrote me an e-mail explaining that I will be writing a piece on fashion. Can you say DREAM JOB? I am excited and nervous! I will be doing my intern duties, as well as writing freelance pieces that I will get paid for! Fans of my work will only be able to read it if they subscribe to the magazine, because they don't put that much content on their web site. Right after I get out of work, I have to jet over to an interview at another company, dots! tv. They called me after I had already accepted the position at ULM, so I told them I'd only be able to come in one day a week. They said it was fine, so we scheduled an interview. I don't know much about the company, but I requested to work in the beauty/fashion section. If I end up taking both internships and the workload is too much, I will just have to quit one. But I think both jobs sound pretty interesting!! P.S.- I have to do all this traveling by bus! It's going to be pretty hectic.

At the end of my busy day tomorrow, I will be going to my first class! I have Government and Media from 7pm-10pm. I should probably just inject coffee into my veins tomorrow. Good thing I've gotten a lot of rest this past week! I live at the Oakwood Apartments, and class is about a 15 minute walk down the street. It's in a big building, but only one floor is for Ithaca College. It has a few classrooms, a computer lab, a lounge, a big library of movies on DVD, and our professors' offices. Our floor is called The Pendleton Center. Here's a photo of the building.

In other news, I was grocery shopping today and saw a celebrity! My first sighting in LA! "Will" from the tv show Will and Grace walked by me with his son. The actor's real name is Eric McCormack, and he was with his young son, Finnegan. I couldn't even believe it was him! I heard him call his son's name, so I'm positive it was him. From doing a little internet research, I found out he lives in Toluca Hills, which is right where I am. Very cool!

That's all for now, I will definitely have more to write about after tomorrow. I have taken a few pictures, but haven't been able to upload them yet. They are coming soon, though!

Love to the east coast,

Laura

Rocky Mountains will have journalism!

When the Rocky Mountain News closed earlier this year, I have to admit, I'd never heard of it. Someone from Colorado brought it up in my politics class, and I soon realized that the closure was a pretty big deal.

This Denver news site has an article published yesterday about Colorado Public News, a new news website for the area. The site is in the process of raising money, so the link sends you to a "beta version" for now.

The site contains a note to visitors:

We are just getting started. Like public television, we are raising funds from the community to support our project. Once we have hit our goal, we will publish every week.

...So what's the big deal?

The big deal is -- their approach.

"The concept: Instead of going it alone, CPN has formed a nonprofit partnership with Channel 12, an adventurous public-television station."

This is an attempt to secure enough revenue to be able to produce investigative journalism. The model was inspired a lot by Voice of San Diego. So what are the perks?

• Channel 12 would commit to providing approximately a quarter of CPN's annual budget, currently set at $2.2 million.
• The station would also broadcast a regular, thirty-minute CPN show that would both promote the website and presumably legitimize it in the minds of possible donor organizations and individuals.

Sounds pretty sweet to me!

This model seems exactly like what the area needs. People want a credible news source that is hip to technology, and CPN is going to fill that want. Recruiting well-known professionals for the staff can't hurt either. The people, business model and attitude of this organization are what new media is all about.

"We're asking people to get involved in the creation of this product -- to call us, e-mail us, comment on the stories," she says. "It's the first step in trying to use social media to develop the journalism that's on the site as well."

@ariannahuff comes to IC!

So, Arianna Huffington was pretty late... but it was cool to see her :)

Highlights:

Her ideas on why Dan Froomkin is so popular; he engages readers and wants citizens to be involved. I think we need to keep hearing this over and over again, until we realize that that is how you keep readers in this "new technology era". I also liked how she explained "comment moderators" on Huffington Post; she really knows her stuff with new media!

Her thoughts that "not every story has two sides." She said we should be pursuing truth, and that sometimes there aren't two equal sides. Since coming to IC I've heard a lot about this argument, but I'm still undecided. I guess I still have hopes for objectivity and showing every side, and this argument just doesn't sit well with me.

Arianna mentioning IC on her twitter!!! :)

She was really pushing having a specialization, something that you care about- and she referenced the movie Julie & Julia. The moment that movie came onto the screen when I was watching it in theaters, I knew I was going to LOVE it. Every journalism student should see it. It really reminds you that writing can be fun, and it can affect people more than you think. And it shows that blogging can be frustrating, but sometimes it can lead to amazing results. We're not all into politics, but we do all have hobbies and interests we can write about.

I'm pretty sure this is the real blog: The Julie/Julia Project

Will bloggers always be banned?

From a story on OregonLive.com:

"Who defines news?" he asked. "If somebody writes a column, is that news? Is there information in there that is newsworthy you wouldn't consider news? There's all kinds of shades in there. If I were a city council, I wouldn't want to be in a position to decide that."

The policy also raises the issue of whether the government should be in a position to legitimize a media organization or reporter, Randall said.

"The government shouldn't be controlling the media," he said. "What it gives, it can take away."

Yikes!! I would not want to be in that position either! This reminds me of "the war on Fox News". Who defines news? And should the government be in a position to define it or legitimize it?? No, thank you! What a sticky situation.

Obviously, with the growth of the Internet, rules and regulations regarding media must be changed. But maybe the whole view on media needs to change first. Why is the White House speaking out against a news channel simply because the channel is holding government officials accountable? Why is a blogger excluded from an executive session, when he or she is trying to get important information to his or her readers? Isn't it better to allow many voices into a debate? I believe the attitude toward media as a whole is going to shift in the upcoming years. More and more people become bloggers every day, and the elite and exclusionary group of media producers just won't be able to stay the same.

Disclaimer: Hope I am not offending anyone by including my political analysis in my blog posts. I find it easier and more fun to post if I am worked up about something. Obviously, you have the right to disagree. These are just my thoughts! :)

More on Fox

A quote from an LA Times article from today:

"Fox News executives said the administration is failing to distinguish between their commentators and news programs.

"They talk about the opinion shows and they say, 'See, you're not doing journalism,' " said Michael Clemente, the channel's senior vice president of news, calling the contention that Fox News is not a news organization a "smear."

"I think it reinforces the fact that on the news side, we're the people that will ask the right questions, whatever those questions are," he added."

A quote from a column on "Politics Daily" from 10/14/09:

"Last night Glenn Beck kept the back-and-forth going by showing off a special red phone he said he had installed for Dunn to call him directly. "If we got it wrong, we want to correct it," Beck said. "But if we didn't get it wrong, it looks like you're engaging in one of those -- what do you call it? A smear campaign. Anita, call me. You can call me at any time. We want to have a dialog.""

---I love that Glenn Beck did this. If the White House finds errors in Beck's show, they should let him know when it happens!! He might be outrageous, but it was clever.

Networks stand behind Fox!!

I heard today that the White House tried to block Fox News from an event where news outlets were interviewing "pay czar" Kenneth Feinberg. This in itself is pretty outrageous and newsworthy. How can the government do that? Sounds like something that would happen in a communist country, not the US. We don't like it when blogs are regarded as "not real media", and aren't issued press passes... so for the White House to block an actual TV news station is pretty ridiculous. What are they trying to hide???

The other newsworthy note is that the other networks that were there to conduct interviews refused to do it unless Fox was allowed in!!! I think this is a step in the right direction. If the White House can decide to block one outlet, who's to say that tomorrow they won't be blocking CNN, MSNBC or ABC? Media outlets everywhere should be outraged. The White House shouldn't get to decide who gets to know the news.

A quote from the article:

"What it's really about to me is the Executive Branch of the government trying to tell the press how it should behave. I mean, this democracy -- we know this -- only works with a free and unfettered press to provide information," he said.

Read the story @ Huffington here

Another good article on Huffington talks about how Fox's numbers keep going up.

A quote from it: "Having the president attack you is the best advertising in the world without having to spend a nickel on it."

Read it here, this one is pretty interesting.

Independent Media Blog!

I'm Laura Gallup, and I started this blog for a different journalism class, but am going to continue it for "Independent Media".

Now onto media... I talked to my Republican father today and he asked if I'd heard about the ACORN scandal. When I said no he was very surprised, so I had to go look it up. Apparently two people dressed up as a pimp and a prostitute secretly filmed this organization giving them advice on prostitution! Now the Senate has voted to discontinue funding to the organization!

An article on The Telgraph calls the site with the story BigGovernment.com "two twenty-something independents with a few thousand dollars, a bit of time and a lot of guts."

Wahoo for independent media! Here's an article on the blog: New Political Blog BigGovernment.com Launches Thursday

Two videos about the "Atheist sign"controvery.

Both very interesting!! Gotta love free speech!

Shopping addiction driven by credit cards, unmet personal needs and social stigmas

There are 15,000,000 shopaholics in the U.S. according to the home page of StoppingOvershopping.com. Many over shoppers fuel their addiction and worsen their debt by using a credit card. New research has shown that shopping is being used by many people as a way to fill a void in one’s life, and that a lot of people are afraid to admit to their debt and addiction.

Ben Woolsey, media spokesman in charge of content on the website CreditCards.com said that there is definitely a link to debt and the use of credit cards. He said that the relationship between acquiring a product and actually paying for it are not linked in consumers’ minds. Swiping plastic just isn’t the same as handing over hard-earned cash.

“It feels less sacrificial to use your credit card,” said Woolsey.

Woolsey gained knowledge from working at JPMorgan Chase, a financial services firm.
He said that the addiction is not about the merchandise, its about shopping and looking. People are trying to compensate for some sort of a void in their life by shopping, he said.

Ithaca College sophomore Kate Zaleski, an avid shopper, may just be one of those people looking to meet a personal need by visiting the mall.

“I’m not addicted to buying things, I’m addicted to wanting to look,” said Zaleski.

Zaleski said that she’d drive to the mall right after leaving work five days out of every week during the summer of 2008. She said that walking around looking, and sometimes buying things, was a stress relief and a relief from boredom. Zaleski used the act of shopping as a way to brighten her mood.

Zaleski said she does not use a credit card and has not gotten into debt, but knows she has a slight obsession with clothes. She said she thinks her love of window-shopping comes from her hate of “looking grungy”. She said that if she doesn’t pick out her outfit at night, she can’t fall asleep.

“I’m just not in as good of a mood when I don’t try to look good for class,” said Zaleski.

Marcela Torres, a contributor to the “Stopping Overshopping Manual”, has experience counseling those with a shopping addiction. She said that many addicts search for a high when stepping into a store.

“If it’s a store that you like and that prompts your desire to buy, a lot of over shoppers experience what they describe as a “rush”, excitement for being there and thinking about all the “deals” that they wouldn’t be able to miss,” said Torres.

Torres obtained her degree in psychology from the Universidad de Los Andes, in Bogotá, Colombia. She is currently working full time at The Children’s Aid Society, a non-profit agency aimed at preventing children from being placed into the foster care system. Torres said she believes that there is a link between debt and credit cards.

“Credit cards are tricky because they create the illusion of having the ability to spend and get some things that normally if we based it in our actual income, probably we wouldn’t be able to afford,” said Torres.

Torres said that over shoppers tend to shop to try to meet a personal need that truly cannot be met by acquiring material goods.

“For example if you have a need for belonging and you go to the store once you feel lonely…you can be occupied while you are looking for something you don’t need, but that purchase won’t make you feel a sense of belonging,” said Torres.

Patrick, creator of the personal finance web page “Cash Money Life”, agrees that credit cards can cause different problems for many people. He said that most people do not need multiple credit cards, and that many do not know how to handle them.

“I think people do get in trouble with credit cards because they are unaware of how much they spend and don't keep track,” said Patrick. “They think that because they can afford the payment (it's only $25 per month!), then they can afford it. Paying off credit cards at the minimum payment will take years. Add compound interest in the credit card company's favor and you have a recipe for real trouble.”

Patrick, whose web site he said is for informational and entertainment purposes only, agrees that addicts often shop due to personal issues that need to be worked out. He also said he knows that many people do not see this bad habit as an addiction.

“I think spending addiction is a little known problem in our society, and is probably dismissed by many as "harmless,” said Patrick. “Our culture (and economy) is built on consumption. Everywhere you look, people are telling you to spend more money.”

Many experts agree that some people have a hard time seeing shopping addiction as a real problem. There is a stigma around the problem, because our society is based on economic achievement. Many shoppers guilty of getting themselves into debt are embarrassed to admit what they are doing because of the stigma.

“With credit card debt, its hard to blame anyone but yourself,” said Woolsey.

A survey conducted from June 27-29, 2008, by GfK Custom Research North America on behalf of CreditCards.com revealed that credit card debt was the topic people were most unlikely to talk about with someone they just met. Debt beat out love life and weight to be the clear winner of most uncomfortable topic.

Photo from BarnesandNoble.com