I was in an Abercrombie and Fitch recently when I stumbled upon the catalog your company uses to sell clothing. I have to say I decided to flip through it and to be honest it took me a total of ten seconds for my jaw to drop.

In this catalog there are nothing but several explicit pictures of naked men and women cannudaling together. If I didn’t know better I would say your company doesn’t even sell clothing at all. As a matter of fact if I didn’t know better I would assume you were the CEO of a pornographic company not of a chain of clothing outlets.

I understand that your clothing is designed and directed for adolescence but that doesn’t change the fact that younger kids wear them too. I know kids in middle school who wear Abercrombie clothing. For goodness sake you even have a chain of Abercrombie clothing meant for the use of children.
This being said it is clear that not only the adolescence are interested in your products. This interest by younger children may lead them to your stores in their local malls where your catalogs are held and then bam. Whether they like or not the kids are going to get a hold of these unambiguous sex ads and they aren’t ready for that.
Pornography should not be at the hands of younger children and this is a concept that our society has recognized. This is why you may have noticed you have to be 18 years of age to purchase such products. This being said why would you put it in a magazine where underage kids can view so readily?
In my opinion your store sells some very nice products. You don’t need the use of this vulgar advertisement in order for your company to make a profit because your business is above that. Abercrombie is popular enough on its own without needing the use of porn.

Thank you for your time and I hope you take my voice into consideration. I think in the end you will realize the advertisement is not worth the parental complaints you will most certainly here.

From
Brian Callan

Easily the most influential and riveting book I have ever come across is called Behold a Pale Horse by William Cooper.

This novel is about a former U.S. Naval intelligence briefing team member revealing information kept secret to us by our government. This naval intelligence briefer claims that he has seen things that are usually talked about in the fiction section of the library. I am referring to topics like UFO’s, the J.F.K assassination, the “secret government”, the war on drugs, and alien activities.

The only thing that is a tad eschewed here is that this book like many of its topics is not meant to be placed in any fictional library shelf. This entire novel is said to be real life first person and second person claims by the author, William Cooper, himself. During his career as a Naval intelligence briefer he claims that he has personally seen real life UFO’s, evidence that J.F.K assassination was a cover up, and alien activity being rolled up, in all its complexity, by what he calls the “secret government”.

When most people think of a conspiracy theorist they probably envision a nerdy internet geek blogging about absurd claims. William Cooper does not fit this stereotype.

Cooper is considered by many to be a credible source making his book even more head scratching. As a matter of fact he grew up in a military family. His father worked and retired in the navy. Then, not falling far from the tree, he attempted to do the same. He spent many years working his way up to the elite stature in the navy but reached a point where he had “seen to much” and couldn’t take it anymore.

This book is meant to be a tell all account of what he has experienced in his time in the navy along with years upon years of meticulous research.

Believe me when I say that I am not a conspiracy theorist by any means, but the fact remains this book will make you think about the government we entrust with so much power.

I first came across this book not from any friend or relative, but actually just while surfing the web. It was completely unexpected for me to stumble across it but I would have to say it in a way changed my life.

Don’t get me wrong I am not claiming to be a different or in any way a better person from reading Coopers book. What I am saying though is that I am more aware of the world that I live in now. Even though I don’t necessarily believe the stories being told in the book I still take them into consideration.

After reading this book I don’t think I am as susceptible to believing everything I hear on the news or in the paper. Now I will look into things that I am being told to believe by our government before I jump on the bandwagon. It’s like what Cooper says, “read anything, listen to everyone, watch everything and believe nothing you cannot prove for yourself”.

The UFC gets their product exposed perhaps more than any other sport today. This may be the reason why we see sports deemed as “America’s pastime” like baseball dying off and this fighting sport take off.

In order for this business to get their sport exposed they use several different multimedia. They started off with the basics like television and internet ads, but have slowly evolved into a product placement machine using the video game, magazine, and even the movie industry.
“As real as it gets” this is the basic campaign the UFC President Dana White uses. Nothing very creative, but it works. They use this in the beginning to show their fight cards on cable television station Spike. This network advertises almost solely to male audiences from ages 18- 34. This being because who else would want to watch two grown men beat the snot out of each other?
As the sport expanded so did the media campaigns. Dana White had already placed his product on America’s first screen, but now it was time to take it to their second screen. This of course is their computer. The UFC started an internet website which still targets the same audience but in just in another place.
The real major leap in multimedia progress didn’t come until later in 2009. This progress was the direct result of a video game called UFC Undisputed. The game broke barriers previously untouched by the company. Sure they expanded their industry by using magazine and movie theatres, but this new game really went after new audiences. Now opposed to adult males they are also greatly appealing to children ages twelve and up. This being because children are more likely to play video games then adults. I speak from experience when saying there isn’t much more appealing to a middle school boy then physical violence, so the UFC has found a place in the heart of males from ages 12-34.

Do to the increasingly large audiences I think it is undeniable that the UFC’s multimedia campaign is effective. No other sport has ever grown this fast so maybe other organizations like the MLB and FIFA should take notes.

It turns out that Tiger Woods has been has broken his marital ties to wife of two years. Woods didn’t cheat on his wife with one woman. Woods didn’t cheat on his wife with two women. Tiger Woods was linked to sleeping with 11 different women during his two years of wedlock. This is just absolutely shocking.

It is no easy task to get back the reputation with people who have the high family values that the American public. The golf star betrayed not only his wife but also his young children as well. It would be a tremendous public relation’s task to get his image back, but maybe not impossible.

If I were in charge of Mr. Woods’ pr campaign my strategy would be simple. I would first apologize for my actions in a very, very well written public statement. Then I would have him stay out of the public’s eye for at least four months. Meanwhile I would attempt to make right with his family and prepare for my not so triumphant return.

After the time was up I would have him make a subtle return to his rightful place on the PGA tour. Realizing he would at first be hated, I would just make sure he kept his mouth shut and let the whole thing blow over. Eventually I feel that people like with Charles Barkley will forget what Tiger has done and go back and cheer while he becomes recognized as the greatest golfer of all time.

It’s hard to say how this campaign will turn out really it is anyone’s guess. According to the PRSA this strategy has met the accuracy, truth, and responsibility criteria. Woods would have come out in this address and admitted meaning he fulfilled the truth and accuracy part and then met responsibility part when he apologized for his actions.
The only problem with my strategy is that I don’t have a way to meet the fairness criteria. It is hard to say what is fair in this circumstance. Woods devastated his wife, his children, and millions of fans across the world. There really is no fair punishment for the actions in which he participated in, so I guess this box will remain unchecked.

It’s a tough campaign to run but I believe these are the best actions to take. Hopefully the public will respond well to the fact the Tiger took responsibility told the truth and was accurate about his dealings. In the end though I find it tough to find our public excepting the fact that he had not and will never receive a fair punishment for his actions.

Now more than ever it appears as though it is becoming increasingly more impossible for someone to ponder about what time will bring. The reason of course is the leaps and bounds we have seen in technology. What we can do today to some people of past generations would be describable only as magic. This being said what will my generation think of the world around us in the coming 25 years? The year 2035 will undoubtedly bring us great technological innovation. The question that seems to haunt me the most however is not what great feats will be made through technology, but how will these inventions be used by the men that control them?

In the year 2035 technology will be unfathomable to me. I cannot even begin to image what science will bring us. What I can fathom though is a world where new tools that will turn our lives from a cruel reality to a surreal fantasy world.

I can see the people of the world in 25 years enjoying themselves in virtual reality worlds where their deepest fantasies come true. I imagine a society where genetic engineering has brought everyone to the point where everyone looks like celebrities and have the desired athletic abilities of professional athletes. The term manual labor will have lost all its meaning as people no longer will have to do strenuous jobs due to machinery and other tools doing it for them. Additionally it is reasonable to assume the internet and handheld devices will evolve to a point where people and information is never out of reach. It seems as there are no limits to what innovations may bring us in the coming years and how they will benefit the everyday man. On the same sense though it is just as easily imaginable of a world where these same tools bring us nothing less then misery.

The same innovations made by technology seen in the previous world could just as easily bring society in the exact opposite direction. It is even easier for me to think of the negatives that technology can bring. A world where there is no privacy a world where the everyday man lives his life in fear. It is very possible for me to think of a world where the government uses this technology to spy on its citizens at their action, thus eliminating their privacy and taking away their freedom. This is a similar world to which George Orwell predicted only about 50 years later, a world clearly in which no body would want to live in.

The facts are indisputable. Technology will change the way future society’s functions. The question that seems to linger is how will this future look? Possibly the future will look like that in which I portrayed, but probably not. Perhaps the industry that is affected the most is the media industry. In 25 years most media conglomerates will be an even bigger issue. This will lead to media being even more filtered to what the conglomerates want us to hear. This will directly affect journalism and personal relations because they will be limited to what stories they are allowed to produce and publish.

It is probable that media will no longer even print news on paper because everything will be digital and portable. Books in addition will probably all be digitalized and found on a mainstream database. Television, movies, radio, and internet will probably all be accessible through one system opposed to having to buy separate ones like we do today. By doing this more businesses will merge creating even more massive cooperation’s then the ones seen today.

It is clear that the exponential and unstoppable growth is molding the world around us. Technology is created with the promise to make life easier, safer, and more enjoyable. Will this growth stay true to the promise of technology by 2035 or will it just create an environment comparable to George Orwell’s 1984.

Even though they are criticized for their opinionated news it still seemed to be a preference in my household growing up. Every day at dinner my family would sit down to eat dinner with the Fox local news channel playing. This perhaps may be due to the fact that we are a conservative based family or possibly due to them putting on interesting and reliable news broadcast. Regardless of why we watched Fox, the program had a way of sticking in my mind. I say this due to the fact that I still rely on Fox today.

Even though I have been digesting this news site for years it has never really occurred to me until now the views they portray. I would be lying if I were to say that I was aware of the fact that one man controlled what could and could not be produced by the news anchors.

The man that I now know to be behind this news propaganda is Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch is an Australian native who happens to be a member of the conservative party. The conglomerate is not only in charge of Fox News, but also happens to own a corporation known as News Corporation.

News Corporation is not only seeing over broadcasting programs like Fox, but also many others as well. They are in control over many other mass media channels as well such as 20^th Century Fox, a film company, The New York Post, a newspaper company, and The Weekly, a magazine company, to name a few. In actuality there are several other media companies this conglomerate controls in each industry in varies countries.

The presence that they have throughout all the media industries leads to something called cross promotion. Cross promotion is when one product is advertised through various media industries.

If I were in the position that Murdoch and News Corporation were in I would cross promote just the same way they do.

If I were to produce a movie then I would easily be able to spread word about it throughout the many industries they own.

I could have an interview with the producer of the film. In the interview I would as him various questions that would put a positive spin on his movie.

Additionally I could put an article in a magazine. This article would paint the movie in a colorful and fascinating light. I could discuss the humor of the movie if it was a comedy or even the incredible special affects if it was an action movie. When seeing this it would add motivation for viewers to see the film.

All this cross promotion would lead to the largest audience being reached; therefore giving my film the greatest chance it would to succeed.  In the end all this advertising would cause a trickle down affect not only benefiting the corporation, but also the film , magazine, and television industry.

The knowledge of Wood’s recent affairs is not exactly esoteric. Ever since he got into his car accident wild speculations seemed to circulate almost instantaneously as to what was really happening. Immediately radio hosts, tabloids, and your everyday person began assuming that Wood’s wife caused the accident do to him cheating on her.

Should this surprise us though? Tiger Woods is the highest paid athlete in the world to go along with being arguably the greatest golfer of all time. Is it no wonder that these rumors would spread so rampantly?

As I surfed the web it seemed as though most bloggers were no better than the media, assuming as the worst about the golfing superstar before knowing what really occurred. This being said not everyone was as brutal toward Wood’s persona and privacy. I was able to stumble on three blogs that stood above the rest who seemed to look at this incident differently than the common mainstream media.

The first blog I read was called Tiger Woods in car accident updates by Geoffrey Rosete. This article was strictly news oriented focusing solely on the facts of the incident without the hint of any opinion and was directed toward the general public not just the typical sports fan. The purpose of the article was to inform people that Woods had been in an accident and that there were indeed rumors circulating about what was behind the incident. No specifications were made as to if any rumors were true or what rumors were spreading. The next blog that I stumbled upon was titled, Is the ‘Tiger Woods Affair’ Rumor True?, by Flickr Keithallison. This article was written as both a combination of news and a personal diary because it both told facts about an event while viewing an opionion. Keithallison wrote this for the general public with the purpose of telling what happened to Tiger Woods followed by her voicing her opinion by saying that celebrities today lack morals because they cheat on their spouses often. Then she decides to hypocritically lash out against people for exploiting his personal affairs even though she is doing the same thing.

The third and final article I decided to examine was written with the intent to criticize people who talk about celebrity affairs without knowing the celebrity personally. The blogger tells the general public that they do not personally know Tiger Woods therefore they have no way to know if he is a bad guy or not. This is humorous considering by this time it was already made public that within two years of marriage Woods had already had an affair with over ten different women; clearly showing the father of two is not exactly a stand up guy. This article is called, The Tiger Woods Cheating Scandal byMichael David and written as a personal diary considering the fact that it was merely an article of his opinion.

I deemed all three of these blogs to be credible because the first two which used facts I researched and confirmed them all. The final article which was based on opinion had to be credible because it’s that person’s opinion, so there was nothing really to lie about.

All three of these blogs were written to the same audience with the same general focus on Tiger Woods current public persona. The difference was the opinions they presented the public and the way they went about them.

The first method was to write the blog as if it were general news. This was a bad choice of blogging because the reason people read blogs is primarily to see perspective; if we people were just looking for hard facts they would simply read the news paper.

The next technique used a combination of both news and personal diary. This in my opinion is the best way to write a blog because the reader gets both facts on the subject as well as a perspective to look at. If I were to continue blogging it would definitely be in this fashion because it’s what I look for when I search for different sides of a topic or issue. All in all it was informative yet at the same time interesting due to the authors views which is the way I prefer to write.

The final style in which I examined was purely a personal diary which I completely dislike. Even though these blogs can be entertaining; I personally don’t like to listen to everyday people tell me how I should think.

Tiger Woods like him or not the facts remain. People will remember him. People will talk about him. And people will continue to blog about him. The only question is will it be about him winning majors or him and his previous affairs.

The first two minutes going back to media I decided to, of course, check my cell phone. On my cell phone I had missed five calls and 15 text messages. Two of these calls and four of these messages were from members of my family which I thought was strange. When I decided to get back in touch I found out that my dog had gotten into some gum and had to be taken to the hospital, a trip that took 800 dollars out of my parent’s wallet. Hearing this awful news I was curious as to what else went wrong while I was cut off from the world. Luckily it turns out that the rest of my messages and calls were just from friends trying to see what I was up to, so nothing too important. As far as returning to my life with my computer and IPOD I have to say I was very excited. I could now get through the blistering cold mornings with the aid of my music and when I was finished for the day I could go on the internet and find plenty to do while waiting for my friends to finish class.

Overall I feel that this assignment taught my some valuable lessons. For one I realized how grateful I should be for living in a country where all these media devices are so easily accessible. More importantly though I feel I learned how much time I am wasting with things such as Facebook. Since I realized that I am wasting time on this website I have decided delete my profile for the semester and focus on more important things like school work. Even though this assignment was definitely useful I am glad to say it is over and that I can go back to my daily routine.

The first day of my assignment I woke up to go to class and turned off m cell. I left my dorm feeling slightly naked outside without the usual IPod in my back and cell phone in my side pocket. I’m used to having my music to numb the brutally cold walk to my 8:00 AM class, but not today. I had to admit this experiment hadn’t started off well. When I finished my classes for the day I usually go to the gym to get a quick workout in before going back into hibernation. During my workout I found myself very sluggish and unmotivated. It seemed as though exercising without my IPod isn’t so easy. Then for the rest of the day I just slept in my room waiting for my friends to finish class so I could have something to do. Normally I would get on the computer and go on Facebook, Youtube, and ESPN but off course I couldn’t. Finally when my roommate got back from class I had something to occupy myself. I used him in order to get back in contact with the world around me. Even though I was with people I couldn’t help but notice that everyone was texting and checking their profile on Facebook, I was envious to say the least.

The next day I got up with the same routine, no IPOD no phone. When I got back from class though I decided to call it quits and went straight to my phone to see my text messages. I have to say even though technically I quit I was still glad because it turned out that my dog had eaten some gum and had to be taken to the hospital. The first thing I did was talk to my mom to make sure everything was okay. I have to say that this assignment was definitely harder than I assumed. I realize now that even though I can live without watching TV that I am still dependant on my IPOD, cell phone, and computer to get me through the day. This assignment made me definitely more grateful of the how technology today has made everything easier and more convenient.