The Kite Runner

Under the Wikipedia encyclopedia there is a definition of what exactly is propaganda, and it also states that there are many different scales of it.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda) In fact it states that a form of propaganda is to appeal to one's emotions to change the state of peoples opinions. In my opinion after reading Kite Runner as far as this definition goes I am sure that this book is a minor stage of propaganda. The kite runner changed the view of how I view Afghanistan, I should be a book read nation wide, and I believe certain interest groups may use it to their advantage. The honor of the book made me relate the story to myself and so much more. I understand that many may be objective to my response as this book used as propaganda, but I will explain my reasoning.
I usually viewed propaganda as a negative thing but after my research I see it is only used to change peoples opinions. I my self had a distant cold view of Afghanistan. The was it has been portrayed and by sure using propaganda we have been told a different story of Afghanistan. After the heart breaking attacks on September 11 we were geared to view Afghanistan as our enemy filled with terrorism. Since then my mind has a different picture of life in Afghanistan and the way people are from there, as if there had been a wall put between them and us. This book has changed my mind completely by the Wikipedia definition I believe that means the book preformed the act of propaganda on my beliefs. You see this book made Afghanistan a place that sounded familiar, a place that could happen every where and a place that has gone through a lot of violence. With the story of Amir and the things he goes through it made it seem a familiar story, the events which he goes through change him forever! The social classes formed by difference of ancestry and bias. The violence encountered, and the search of Amir for approval from his Baba. The most emotional moving piece was Hassan and when he was rapped and latter killed by the Taliban. It just shows the suffering of the people and by Amir coming to America and starting from the bottom to later succeed. The whole story is moving and shows the determination they had to go through. It reminded me of the struggle my parents had to make to come here to America. Amir and his father came to avoid the invasion of their country my parents came to find a better life. The came from Mexico, the government was being run by corrupt official and my father worked as an accountant when the fishing press he worked for went out of business. My family was used to our big house by the sea side to arrive here in California to a small apartment like Amir and his Baba. I believe it changed my thoughts because it made the story familiar to me in a way and I see the struggle of the people.
I can definitely view why certain groups would want to use the book at their convenience. The United States might use certain parts of the book to associate it with justifying the invasion of the U.S to save the people of this oppression like the soon of Hassan, Sohrab. They would justify their attacks but in actuality to the Afghanistan people it may seem as another countries invasion and more violence. The way things are told lies in the way the person views the events. I could see how people here in America that are from the Middle East can use this book to show all others judging them their story. Many of those who live here now are running from the type of persecution taking place in Afghanistan. The may work at gas stations, and liquor stores by they are here like many others trying to find a better life for their offspring. It is a book string enough to portray many sides and that's why I believe it can be used to tell the stories of so many.
The change this book has had on myself is astonishing. I never thought I could get such a clear view of what is going on through a book. The book takes place in the 1970's yet the story relates to today 2006! I changed my mind of how I view things it cleared my foggy picture of how people live in Afghanistan. They are just one of the many country's being oppressed by ill willed rulers on their search for power. I think the change I made should be campus wide it should be read by all people. Not only campus wide but nation wide. This book adresses the feeling and emotions taking place in America as we speak. Every time I turn on a form of media their is something of the war, Afghanistan's, even talk shows of how Middle Eastern's are being discriminated in America today. People should have an open mind and view the world instead of thinking that America is it, there is more out there and we are so fortunate to live the way we do.
So I believe the book is propaganda because it changed my views. It was propaganda to me it touched my emotions and the way I think. I changed the book due to the book about Afghanistan and it's people. I relate it to the struggle of immigrants and discrimination. I feel fortunate to live in America. I feel fortunate to be a student trying to make something of my life and be able to accomplish things for my family. I am against invasion and war and oppression more than before. By the story of Amir and the things he endured he and Hassan represented so many others making the story come to life. Some may say it isn't good some may say it is great but the story is real and it should be told. I found out that the book is being made into a movie in 2007 and I think it is a great thing. The Kite Runner is a book of this era and the problems of today.

Business and Blogs

As I was surfing the net I came along a really interesting press release it said how the world of business wanted to be involved in the world of blogging. Their point was that if everyone else was so involved in this new way of media that they wanted to join so that they can even control their own comments about their large corporations. If they blogged it would be a positive thing. They even created a website to help corporations let the word out and let people know about it, basically to generate a buzz it is halvorsonnewmedia.com.
I found it really interesting that this evolution in the way of business mobiles is evolving. Christine Halvorson is actually the pioneer of this movement. The whole situation sort of reminded me of the record company executives being stuck in their old ways. Unlike them the business world sees a world of possibilities in the world of blogging. I think it is people like that that are on top of new technology and use it to their advantage. In a changing world adaptation is important. I believe that the business corporations that participate will benefit, I'm sure of it. To view the release click herehttp://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/9/emw438447.htm

Different Types of Media Publication

I never really realized what a difference reading the same article in two different ways was. I read California Prison Crisis Clock Ticking On Overcrowding in the San Jose Mercury News and found out pros and cons as well as on line the exact same article at http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/15547071.htm. While reading the actual paper I felt really comfortable, I was laying down relaxing. A definite plus is the different sections that come with the actual paper copy of the newspaper, while I was reading my story on the first page my friend Jesus asked me for the sports page I simply handed him that section and at the same time we enjoyed our reading. Then I realized that there are bad things as well, I had to walk to the coffee shop in the library and purchase my newspaper there. Then as I was reading the beginning of the story I have to decide whether the story is interesting enough to continue and therefore look for the page in which the story is continued. Now the fonts and pictures do make it more interesting and eye catching on paper. At least for the article I choose there were no pictures on line in comparison to the paper you can visibly see the over crowding of the prisons.
Now on line I found it a bit more convenient. I went to the search line typed in the name of my article and was able to read it consecutively by scrolling down with my mouse. How ever it was a bit inconvenient to sit and relax with a laptop in my hands. It also lacked a structure which the layout is different than what we are used to. Now a definite plus is that I got it for free I paid nothing for my article, yet I have to consider it is less tangible.
So now I am left more confused than before, on line or paper? Well I would have to say that at the time I prefer the paper because I find the on-line version isn't as complete. Now maybe if a smart person came along and composed a good online format that was better I would be open to change. I have to say that i enjoyed the on-line version and well, who knows what change will be brought on. Maybe those of us that are content with our paper version will be pleasantly surprised.

The future of Books

What would happen if books as we know them changed forever? With the technology we have today the distribution of information is being passed through new ways. Can a book be available on line? Well they already are, but are they popular? I don't think books have become a hit on line because of the inconvenience of having to view them on a computer and not while we relax in comfort. However I am not opposed to the idea of text books becoming affordable, books are highly priced for college students. As if school isn't expensive enough books are changed constantly with new editions, and we have to buy them. I wouldn't mind some one coming up with a solution to make textbooks more affordable and widely distributed. I wouldn't even mind reading a textbook on the Internet if it meant that I wouldn't have to spend hundreds of dollars semester after semester. As far as novels go I do prefer a hardback book I could take with me and carry. Now I am not going to be against anything I'm open to change that is positive. Overtime opinions also change, when ATM machines first were introduce to the American public people were outraged, they wanted to deal with bank tellers only. Now I prefer to deal with an ATM machine and only go to a teller inside the bank when I really need to. Now as far as throwing books away if they were to vanish as we know them , I would not throw them away. Actually when I am done with a class and get a chance to sell my book back, I don't. I find what I get in return is not worth as much as the value of the book. Eventually things come in handy I have kept books and my friends use books from my previous classes when they needed them for classes I've taken. I am the type of person that think if you hold on to something long enough it may gain value. My mother has gave me several books that she has read so that I could read them also. Actually even when one of my aunts reads a good book they do pass it on with my mom and she will trade a good book also. I would try to share books with my kids but definitely not impose it on them. Just as music is changing books could change and we can avoid change.

Hard Headed Fools: What's wrong with Record Executives?

What is wrong with this system of music? Why do some people always have to take advantage of positions with power? Music has evolved over time and has become to even represent the era and time we areliving in. The movement of music came from the people. Way back in the day people seemed to have a sort of brilliance to expressing their thoughts trough music, now songs seem repetative. But even when Thomas Edison's invention of the phonograph came that actually record music came a sort of selfishness to wanting to control it. As time went by the technology made it possible to provide music through recordingsand expand it to a mass audience. Hi-Fi was developed and sophisticated technology made it possible for sound of recordings to improve. All of a sudden emerged the birth of mega industries with great ideas in mind. An idea of popular music arose and different styles of music were developed. Record companies invested money and created mega super stars. It was genius, to have the vision to make money off the distrabution of music. Some where in between these grand dreams and wonderful technology things took a diferent direction and extremely complicated. All of a sudden there were copyrights issues, and signing of certain artist, money got in the way. Music licensing, having to pay royalties, it all became so complicated that the entertainment business became a sort of money monster that controlled the profit of eentertainment.
I believe that what is wrong with music CEO's and executives of these mega recording companies is that they become a target of blame for whats going on today, but there may be a twitch in the actual whole picture. If I were an executive at one of these major recording companies I would make several changes to try to improve the situation. While listening to on the Edge 102 I must say I agree with a lot he has to say. The artist we have now in days are dancing, little talent singing, sex symbols that have a few good songs in a garbage album that is advertised in all the wrong ways. And then there is the Internet issue, file sharing, and a new generation of consumers not willing to pay the price for an unworthy product. Executives must recognize the problem is not the technological advances such as the cassette and compact disk and heaven forbid the Internet. The problem falls in them not wanting to see new ways of channeling their music and distributing it to make a profit. I look at them as some kid who was raised to believe something and all of a sudden they are thrown into a new world that contradicts what they already know. Instead of changing this child begins to through a tantrum wanting things to remain the same. We saw it happen with Napster insident, this guy has a brilliant idea, the company master minds are appalled and throw all the money and legal power to stop it. But guess what it is unstoppable to avoid change it's inevitable. So as an executive they should follow simple rules. Go back to supply and demand, demand is low right? Billions of dollars are lost from year to year. Then why are we paying the same thing as we were a few years ago? Of course lower prices. Channel music through the Internet sale the songs at a reasonable price, let people control what music they buy. There is after all amazon, and eBay, it works the concept isn't that hard things sell on the Internet. Their can also be incentives to spark interest. For example buy the music and enter the chance to win something, that couldn't hurt. You have to familiarize your product and the face of the company as equals. I would stop acting as if I war fighting a war against the consumer calling them thieves and comprehend why people are downloading. All nations that enforce their ways through fear are eventually overthrown, learn how to identify with the consumers needs. A big problem is the artist themselves that are signed to these multi-billion corporations have to be required to posses real talent not just a perty face. Albums suck right now, there are only a few good ones being put out there. My recommendation would be to return to old ways, to the basics, think not of the money but of the music and invest in the quality of that and the people will return on their own. It's not the end of recording companies, it is the evolution of it invest your money in creating the next way of distribution instead of avoiding it then your company will make money. Stop being hard headed fools and open up to the evolution of music.

Foreign Piracy

This past summer I traveled to Mexico for a family trip. I traveled to Mexico City, distrito federal, and also to Acapulco a great beach in the state of Guerrero. While on my visit I saw many things and now relating to the subject at hand I ran into several stand of pirated Cd's. In Mexico city just around the corner from my grandmothers house there was a stand next to the marketplace. It was very big, the guy had all types of music from a famous Spanish rock group named Mana, to the latest in hip hop and Spanish pop new releases. Well the stand wasn't what made a big impression on me it was the price of the Cd's. The Cd's were sold for only 15 pesos, this comes out to be about a dollar and fifty cents. Here in the states I have never seen such cheap Cd's. Now I must admit I bought several Cd's just about ten dollars worth of them. I played them and to my surprise they were great, one of them had not even been released for sale in the stores! So later that week when I had already gone to Acapulco we went to a mall in the center of the strip. There at the mall there was a store called Mix Up. Mix Up is a version of a tower records. The have all the Cd's there, now the prices were any where from 150 pesos to 250 pesos, that's any where from fifteen to twenty dollars. There were some on sale for just 100 pesos, ten dollars but I must admit they were not good. My mother purchased two Cd's there they included here favorite songs while growing up so she thought it was worth the forty dollars she paid. I guess memories are worth paying the price but I was just as happy with all the Cd's I had purchased earlier that week for a fraction of the price. Now we were tourist we probably could afford buying authentic Cd's from stores such as this mix up store, now for the locals that are of the working class that would be impossible. In Mexico the minimum wage is about 50 pesos a day! That is five dollars a day, here in California we make more that that in an hour. For the working class there that illegal stand selling the Cd's are essential. That way they are able to own at least some Cd's. The last thing on the peoples minds is that they are illegally buying music and cheating artist and record companies of money. They are just worried of being able to afford it. Sure there are people that can afford going to the Mix Up and have far better jobs. The way I viewed it there was that the people buy Cd's according to their budget, those who can't afford authentic Cd's go for the other Cd's. Now here in the states I think it is a question of convenience, if we could get away with buying something cheaper or getting it for free does it make it okay?

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Sting ray kills Steve Irwin:The Crocodile Hunter

On Monday Steve Irwin was filming on the Batt Reaf of the coast of Australia, he ironically was filming for a television show, "The World's Deadliest." His colleague and great friend John Stainton was present when Steve swam too close to a sting ray. The sting ray attacked and with it's sharp and poisonous tail, it pierced Steve's heart. Crew members aboard Croc One, the boat, emergency services were called from nearby city Cairns, and he was pronounced dead when arriving to the hospital. Many people close to him and fans morne for his death for he was known as a cheerful, enthusiastic environmentalist. Stainton addressed the media and said, " He died and left doing what he loved best and left this world with a happy and peaceful state of mind. He would have said Crock Rule!" The accident came as a surprise to many for sting rays are usually not likely to attack and humans are not likely to die from their attacks. The freak accident has shocked many. His fame spread when in 1992 his adventures were televised by the Discovery Channel. He later went on to do some Hollywood movies and appear in talk shows such as, Regis and Kelly. Controversy surrounded his actions once in the past when he feed a crocodile while holding his newborn baby. He later apologized and said he wanted to expose his children to what he loved. Steve had great knowledge and educated many people about the wildlife and the importance it had not only the preservation but to appreciate it. I personally admire the dedication that Steve had with his job, a job is more than that when you love what you do. Steve died doing what he loved. He died at only 44 and left behind his wife Teri, daughter Bindi Sue and son Bob. His death was unexpected and now more than ever we should remember all he stood for and the knowledge he left behind. Unlike several of us living in corporate America he stood for something completely different and for that we should remember.

Casualties of War

When surfing through the net I found an interesting story on the CNN website. It read," 14 Britons Die in Cash in Afghanistan". I believe what caught my eye first and foremost was the mention of Afghanistan after it's long disappearance in the media. All the news about terrorism and the war had began to focus on Iraq and all the rest faded into the backround. Now even in the media there is a decrease in cover on Iraq. Did the story get old? I feel we become detached from the situation unless we know troops and have to wait and pray for their safe return. It's not happening on our soil so why worry? Wrong, I believe we must leave our selfishness behind and think of those less fortunate being affected by war. In war no one wins everyone looses, the people loose, and those who encourage it well we all know there are hidden agendas.
The story talks about the plane crashing in the city of Kandahar. The troops are their fighting efforts to of Taliban in southern Afghanistan. What always confuses me about reports such as these is that there are two sides to them. The crash was said to be accidental and not part of an attack, yet a spokesman for the Taliban named Abdul Khaliq took credit for the crash although it was not possible to verify or support the claim. The city of Kanahar was once a strong point for the Taliban regime, it was out stated by the US invasion following the attacks in September 11. As of now the British have about four thousand troops in Afghanistan and attacks in this area have increased the most in the last five years leading to more violence and death. I truly am taken away by the situation, I feel bad for the innocent civilians of the area and the troops fighting there also. Everyone to me is a victim of those selfish leaders fighting to peruse money, power and think not of the innocent people who are to them simply casualties of war.

To view the story click on the link http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/02/afghan.plane.ap/index.html