Weekly Written Analysis 5

According to Wikipedia, [a] marching band is, in the broadest terms, a group of performers that consist of instrumental musicians and sometimes dance teams / color guard who generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching (and possibly onto other movements) with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments.

In central Ohio marching bands are very popular and become a cult for those associated with one. I was associated with marching bands for 7 years. Those 7 years were the best years of my life. Why? Because my children were members of a 200+ marching band at their high school. Another reason the years were so great was because the band has maintain a tradition of being an award winning group that celebrates notoriety year after year.

Watching teenagers from their first day of band camp where they barely know how to play their instruments AND having to learn over 200 charts (routines) that make up a competition show is incredible. The growth experience is much more than just playing and marching – it builds character. It creates team spirit and stresses discipline at its highest level. Each weekend during the fall the band competes against other bands while also performing for entertainment purposes for the half-time crowd of the varsity football game.

Marching band competitions are judged using criteria similar to the criteria used in drum corps competitions, with emphasis on individual aspects of the band (captions for music performance, visual performance, percussion, guard (auxiliary), and general effect are standard). Dublin Coffman has traditionally won the highest awards in their class because of the discipline and the talent teaching staff.
If you live in the Midwest, then of course, you have heard of the TBDBITL (the best damn band in the land). TBDBITL equates to The Ohio State Marching Band. Many graduating students from the Dublin Coffman Marching qualify for the OSMB mainly because of the rigorous program at the highest level prepares them for a very competitive spot in the OSMB program.

Many students move on to majoring in music as either future music educators or as performance majors, composers and conductors.

My son is a music major with a dream of becoming a composer and orchestral conductor. Coupled with his years in marching band and his love of orchestral music, he has a great start on the road that will lead him toward his goals. Without the strong music programs offered in the school district, he may have never found his love of music.

As a parent, I was fortunate to serve as the Vice President of the Music Boosters during those years and loved contributing my volunteer time to supporting the program that gave so much to my children. In my role I had to oversee the yearly fundraising program that contributed more than $35,000 a year from outside donations. These funds help support all the music programs of the Dublin City School district – elementary through high school.

My children have graduated and moved on to college. I have missed being involved in the high school program but attending the football games and the band competitions are still fun.

As a tribute to the Dublin Coffman Marching Band program, I have provided you a video of their highest scoring competition in 2007. My son is in this video as a Sousaphone player. Enjoy.

Dublin Coffman’s last football game of the season is tonight – if they win, they close out the season undefeated. That means the football and marching band season continues throughout the playoffs. What a great year they have had! Go Rocks!

Note: At the end of the video is a nice visual effect!

Reference

Wikipedia. (2009). Wikipedia:Marching Bands. Retrieved October 29, 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marching_Bands

Weekly Written Analysis 4

Nobel Peace Prize – Deserving or Undeserving?

On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 was awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. According to the Committee’s press release,

Obama as a President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened (Nobelprize.org, 2009).

Immediately after the announcement, the reactions came flowing in – some positive and some negative. One would believe that the reactions would follow political party lines but they didn’t. According to FoxNews.com the following statements were made from the political left:

Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein joked on Twitter: “Obama also awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry. ‘He’s just got great chemistry,’ says Nobel committee.” The Daily Beast’s Peter Beinart wrote: “I like Barack Obama as much as the next liberal, but this is a farce.” And Michael Russnow wrote on the Huffington Post that he too is an Obama supporter but, “Whatever Happened to Awarding for Deeds Actually Done?” Russnow likens the “extremely premature” award to “giving an Oscar to a young director for films we hope that he or she will produce.”
Even President Obama was quick to add "view it as recognition of my own accomplishments. I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures that have been honored by this prize," he said. (FoxNews.com, 2009).

So what do you think? Deserving or undeserving? I think this subject falls pretty close to our analysis on celebrities. Sometimes being famous does not mean anything more than being well known. According to North, Bland and Ellis (n.d.) a celebrity is “[a] famous person whose achievements are well known nationally or internationally, but who does not create any objects or ideas of permanence or lasting importance.”

Only time will tell if Obama will become a hero.

References

Baier, B. (2009, October 12). Media reacts to obama's nobel peace prize win. Retrieved October 18, 2009, from http://www.foxnews.com

North, A., Bland, V., & Ellis, N. (n.d). Distinguishing heroes from celebrities. British Journal of Psychology, 96(1), 39-52. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from http://search.ebscohost.com, doi:10.1348/000712604X15473

(2009, October 9). The Nobel peace prize for 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2009, from http://nobelprize.org/cgi-bin

Weekly Written Analysis 3

New airport security full body ex-rays machines are being introduced in Manchester England. This full body ex-ray is designed for those who don’t like to have a physical search of their body when going through airport security. Watch the video carefully. The image presents your body with no clothes and outlines all body parts. Are we ready for this in America? I am not so sure. It is conventionally known that Europeans are more “open sexually” than Americans. So, am I surprised that they are unemotional about such a new gadget? I think not. If you will recall the time that Janet Jackson exposed her right breast in a costume malfunction during the Super Bowl, we American’s went nuts. “Forget spam. Forget the latest virus. You want to get pretty much every electron in the US of A stirred to a frenzy? Get a singer's breast exposed on Super Bowl Sunday, then watch the phone lines buzz with moral indignation, hear TIVOs whir into overdrive replaying the pivotal moment in Super Bowl History, and wait while internet routers hum with a sexual buzz. All fixation, all the time, it seems” (Martin, n.d.).

I work for a company that has offices in 49 countries. The week after the Super Bowl game, my co-workers in Amsterdam were laughing themselves silly over the reaction we were having here in the United States over Janet Jackson’s breast exposure. The term “prude” was being tossed around as a perfect stereotype of us Americans However, that doesn't mean that there aren't odd attitudes about sex or breasts in Europe, it's just that, taken as a whole, the attitudes about sexuality and the human body are a bit more relaxed than they are in the US; so there's no need to get fixated on an object like Janet Jackson's right breast. You've see 'em before--even, quite likely, as an infant (Martin, n.d.).

Next week I am flying to Belgium and Amsterdam for meetings with the European HR team. In Amsterdam, legal prostitutes in skimpy lingerie knit in front of picture windows while waiting for customers. I hope I am able to experience the culture differences while I am there on business. No, I am not interested in obtaining the services of a prostitute…just thought I would clarify. :-)

Would you go through one of these new full-body ex-ray machines?

Reference

Martin, J. (n.d.). Janet Jackson's right breast and european sexual attitudes. Retrieved October 14, 2009 from http://goeurope.about.com/cs/sex/a/euro_sexuality.htm

Weekly Written Analysis 2

Glenn Beck. Everyone has heard of him. You either love him or hate him. I find him interesting. I do not believe everything he says and sometimes I don’t like the way he says things either. But I do find some of his points valid. Glenn Beck is neither a republican nor democrat. He is a libertarian who calls it like he sees it. When it comes to the criticizing politicians, everyone is game. He refers to himself as “the fusion of entertainment and enlightenment” (Time, 2009). He claims to be the voice of the people.


Sometimes he appears to me as a “gloom and doom” kind of guy and uses fear to make his points. But I have to ask myself, when do we become afraid? When it is too late? Post-trauma? I believe the American people have become numb and overwhelmed to the point of being paralyzed. It’s like being part of a debate and the opponent is overwhelming us with big words and fancy phrases (smoke and mirrors) that leave us confused and empty. Regardless of our view, we don’t speak up. We don’t make a stand. We believe that the act of voting is the only voice we have. Some of us believe the act of voting is meaningless and actually refuse to participate. What has happened to us? Well, I will tell you that I am afraid. I am afraid of how greed and power has clouded our judgment as a nation. Below is an excerpt of a statement Glenn Beck made regarding 9/11 and the site of the former Twin Towers. Regardless of your political view, his comments hit a nerve. It’s about us, the American people, and he reminds us of who we are. I believe we need to be reminded of who we are and we need to send a message to Washington that we, the people, are the only special interest group they should be catering too. And he said,

"Let me tell you something. I believe that if it were up to you or me, just regular schmoes in America, the Freedom Tower would have been done years ago. And it wouldn't have been the Freedom Tower; it would have been the Freedom Towers — because we would've built both of these towers back the way they were before! Except we would've built them stronger! We would've built them in a way that they would've resisted attack. And you know what? My guess is they would've been 25 stories taller, with a big, fat 'Come and Try That Again' sign on top. We would've built it with our bare hands if we had to, because that's what Americans do. When we fail, when we face a crisis, we pull ourselves up and make things better. I believe the only reason we haven't built it isn't because of Americans. It's because we're being held back. And who is holding us back? Politicians. Special-interest groups. Political correctness. You name it — everybody but you."

Whether you like him or not, one thing is true. His voice is loud and clear – just look at his earnings and show ratings. He’s representing somebody out there.

Reference

Von Drehle, D. (2009, September 17). Mad man: is Glenn Beck bad for America?. Time, Retrieved October 7, 2009 from http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1924348,00.html

Assignment 2-2 Icon Analysis

   

The three contemporary icons I have chosen are the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, the original coca-cola bottle and Santa Claus. All three of these iconic images are known all over the world with no (or very little) explanation as to what they represent.

A common element of icon status is the ubiquity of imagery and allusions to the iconic figure.  It is common for the figure to be recognized and even celebrated in areas outside the original source of celebrity status (Wikipedia, 2009).  All three of the icons I chose have this ubiquitous nature.  For instance, Santa represents more than just the season, but the art of gift giving and joyous occasions.

The Hollywood Sign is a perfect example of a contemporary icon. This sign, originally used to advertise a new housing development in Los Angeles has evolved to representing the movie industry and the obsession of celebrity status we have in America (not the mention the rest of the world). People from all over the world come to view and take pictures of the sign. Many cities around the world have copied the elements of this sign for their own signage. On a recent trip to LA, it had not even occurred to me to look for the sign nor was it on my list of “things to do”. But as I rounded a corner and the sign came into view I was immediately caught off guard by my own emotions while looking at the sign. I could not help but marvel at its presence and came to realize how this simple sign has come to be one of the more popular emblems of the United States. I am sure the original creator of the sign had no idea what impact this sign would have on our society.

The original bottle of coca-cola has a special meaning to me. As a child of the late 50’s and 60’s who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, the coca-cola drink was a family staple. My father traveled for a living and when he came home each Friday, we gathered as a family, sat around the kitchen table with our cokes and talked about our week. This was a very special time for me. Just to share a weird part of my experience, I would take salted peanuts and put them in the bottle. The salt from the peanuts gave the coke a special flavor and, of course, eating the coke-soaked peanuts at the end was a treat. With the new formulas of coke today, I am not so sure this would taste the same.  The image of this bottle brings back many memories -- ones I will cherish my entire life.

I love the Christmas season and I also love images of Santa Claus. This is one of those universal images that bring a sense of job and happiness. Even though I know that Santa Claus is not the real meaning of Christmas (as part of my family tradition, we reflect on the true meaning of Christmas), I can’t help but love the emotions that are created by this mythical creature. While all we have is the image or picture of Santa Claus, this image conveys a meaning much bigger than just a picture. Santa Claus is an emotional experience that begins in early childhood and continues it emotional claim through adulthood. Did you notice that I choose a picture of Santa with a Coke?

Reference

Pop Icon, (2009, October 7). Retrieved October 7, 2009  from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_icon#cite_note-4

Assignment 1-4 Weekly Written Analysis

Entering its second season on FOX, Monday night, is the show Lie To Me starring Tim Roth. This TV show is a criminal investigation drama inspired by the scientific discovery by a renowned psychologist, Paul Ekman, for his research on facial expressions and for his ability to carefully monitor expressions, body language, gestures and voice (PsychCentral, 2005).

I find this show fascinating in that it weaves in real life pictorial examples to support Dr. Cal Lightman’s (Tim Roth’s) assessments of facial expressions. When Dr. Lightman is explaining how a certain facial expression is representative of a certain deception technique, the show gives us examples of famous people (President Clinton, foreign leaders, famous personalities etc) using that same expression.

The idea that one can learn to detect deception is also fascinating. In an article by USA Today, the concept of using facial recognition or deception techniques is becoming very popular by our government. Recognizing emotions won’t help pick a terrorist out of a crowd, but in face-to-face situations, an out-of-place emotion can prompt further questioning (USA Today, 2005).

This show is gaining popularity in that it is exposing new scientific discoveries in assisting criminal investigators very much like how the ever popular TV show CSI (and its sister shows) introduced scientific evidence like DNA, fiber analysis etc.

What will become more interesting is how this new trend will branch into certifications, degree programs and other course work material to attract new talent into the field of psychology and criminal investigation.

If I were able to reinvent myself, this is an area I would be most interested in. I would be willing to devote years to learning this area in order to become a leading expert.

References

Grohol, J (2005, July 21). Face expert's ability to see deception has him in demand. PsychCentral /World of  Psychology, Retrieved October 2, 2009 from http://www.psychcentral.com

Jayson, S (2005, July 20). Face expert's ability to see deception has him in demand. USA Today. Retrieved  October 2, 2009 from http://www.usatoday.com/news/health

Assignment 1-2

What is pop culture? Anything and everything. To be truly deemed pop culture, it must have a following that makes it popular and must have an impact on our lives. Time usually is the indicator of when or if something becomes pop culture.

Pop culture is a very important part of our lives as it provides a means to measure our behavior, fashion style, interpersonal communication etc. against the standard that is being set. In business, these trends tell us stories that are vital to understanding business expectations and planning for the future. Paying particular attention to the trends will help me as a Human Resource professional design and implement programs that attract and retain all current and future employees. For example, keeping up with social changes and how it is reflected through our pop culture will help me understand that the millennial employees (born between 1977-1988) expect technological advances, are inventive and individualistic, have high demands and expectations within the work place. The work place of their parents will not meet their needs of today or tomorrow. Keeping abreast of and embracing these cultural changes will help me serve my Company’s needs in attracting and retaining talented employees.

The artifact I chose to share with you is a video compilation of Super Bowl commercials that have been rated in the top 10 best commercials for 2008. Have you noticed how the hype around the Super Bowl is not just about the teams and players anymore? The hype has been extended to include the multi-million dollar 30-second commercial spots during the game. These commercials have become part of the Super Bowl experience for the viewing audience. They are preceived as an integral part of the entertainment package – not to mention the paybacks the advertisers receive from increased sales or product/service awareness. I chose this artifact because I find it to be an art form. Actually I find it brilliant. How many times have we geared ourselves up for a fabulous football game to find it boring and unworthy of watching? The marketing geniuses have found a way to keep our attention and entertain us even when the football game may not be so entertaining. These 30-second commercial spots speak volumes to our pop culture and how we determine what's in and out of style. Another aspect of the Super Bowl Commercials is the media frenzy of analysis that goes on after the game. Deeper qualitative analysis reveals that most viewers wanted something new and funny, as 62% of members said that humor influences their purchase behavior. Other qualities of an ad that motivate consumers include excitement(9%), surprise (8%) and inspiration (8%) (Nielsen, 2008). The analysis after the game is just as entertaining as it can validate it’s effectiveness. I love football and now I love the commercials!

Reference
Holmes, G (2008, February 07). Nielsen's recap of 2008 super bowl advertising. Retrieved September 27, 2009 from www.reuters.com