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digital death?!


For the discussion of the current media environment, we are starting with a rather extreme perspective: digital death.  Who owns your digital soul and what happens to it when you pass on?  Whether you think the question is valid or a bit extreme, it tends to bring together a lot of different issues: personal vs. public information, digital identities vs. real world identities, intellectual property rights, the amount of time we spend on the Internet, viral videos causing hysteria, etc.   

To Add Drama, Press the Button!


Here is one of the videos we watched this week in class.  Take this opportunity to review your irregular verbs:

Be  - Was/were – Been

Bleed – Bled – Bled

Come – Came - Come

Drive – Drove – Driven

Fight – Fought – Fought

Hit – hit – hit

Ride – Rode – Ridden

Run – Ran – Run

See – Saw – Seen

Shoot – Shot – Shot

Take – Took – Taken

Next, read the text to get more practice.

It all started when a man innocently rode his bike into a square in Belgium.  He saw a strange red button with a sign: Push to add drama.  He pushed it thinking not much would happen.  Wow, was he wrong!

Suddenly, an ambulance drove into the square – sirens blaring.  The paramedics ran into a building and took a man out on a stretcher.  Unfortunately, they dropped him as they were putting him into the ambulance.  Things got even worse when they forgot to lock the back door and the sick/hurt man fell out of the ambulance as they accelerated. 

Although this is dramatic, it’s only the beginning.  Next, a second cyclist rode across the square.  He hit the ambulance door, which was left open by one of the paramedics.  This caused a sensational conflict between the two men, but this, of course, was not the end of the action.

As they fought, a woman in red lingerie rode a motorcycle across the square.  We don’t know why, she just did.

We didn’t really have time to contemplate this because next the police and mafia drove into the plaza.

Their cars screeched to a stop and they shot at each other in a massive shootout injuring at least one man – he bled quite a bit. 

Then it ended as quickly as it began.  The police and the mafia jumped into their cars and drove away.  And, as if the situation wasn’t absurd enough, a US football team came and took the (newly) injured man back into the building. 

In the end, a huge sign was unrolled which said, “TNT, your daily dose of drama!”


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

We listened to chapter 11 in class.  If you want to hear it again, go to this link and go to minute 4:09.


Bilingualism and the Brain

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/26/149394943/parlez-vous-francais-it-might-boost-brain-power

Google Goggles

This kind of blew my mind.  Many have suspected that "Terminator" style computer glasses would one day pop into existence, but I was thinking "in about 10 years"; it turns out that 10 months might be more realistic.  Listen to the report and learn more.

Click here for the radio report.

As always, be prepared to discuss the story in detail.


TED - My Immigration Story by Tan Le

Here is a phenomenal story which is superbly told.  Tan Le tells of her family's perilous immigration journey to Australia in a fishing vessel.  The story takes us from her life at age four to present day in which she is a successful entrepreneur and advocate.  No transcript is available, but subtitles come in 8 languages.  Click for story.




Science and Love

Sticking with the theme of "Love & Hate", here is a great TED lecture on love.  It specifically deals with "Your Brain in Love".  What perspective does science give us on this age-old mystery.

And please look on the right of the screen to see the "interactive script".  This might be very helpful.  Notice that you can run your cursor over the text and select certain parts.

Click here for lecture.

Israel and Palestine: A Bloody Yet Peaceful Initiative

Here is a new, unusual initiative to bring awareness and participation to the Middle East peace process.  What do you think?

click here to see video


Anonymous! More Hacker Scandals!

This mysterious group has struck again.  This time stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/27/144306957/anonymous-arm-says-it-hacked-stratfor


Wonderful World - The Ramones Cover

Here is a great way to practice English.  A classic song re-done by the Ramones.

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you ("Bloom" is when a flower opens)
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?" ("Shake hands" is to say hello by touching hands)
They're really saying "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Oh yeah


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