Google Goggles

I thought this was pretty cool as far as advanced technology goes. Here is a link to a CNN article about it. I haven't downloaded the app yet for my new Android phone, but I probably will once I get the time to look for it. I think that eventually they could adapt it to maybe blind people so that they can see.

Japan Toilet games

here is the Link to information on the Japanese toilet games, brought to you by Sega. If you google "japanese toilet games" it will pop up a lot of options, but the link I found shows better images of it.

Cool interactive thing...

I found this link on Fark. Its an interactive timeline of the events in the middle east starting in December. You can direct the movement a two ways (dragging the date on the top, or pulling the ball by the word "navigate"). Then there are different icons to highlight various events to read the first few lines of the article on that event, if you click on the icons it gives you the whole article. Its really interesting to see the events on a timeline like this as you can see how things are changing and where.

The Path of Protest

Sundance!

Just thinking about film, I wanted to post something about my experiences at the 07 Sundance Film Festival. It was the most fun I had with going to  movies. I saw about 2 premiers and just missed the premier for "Black Snake Moan". I was under 21 at the time so I couldn't go to some premiers and parties. It was really fun because everyone there was passionate about watching and making films. Some films had panels and Q&A portions after the films with actors and directors. I suggest everyone watch "Four Sheets to the Wind", "Year of the Fish", and "Black Snake Moan" (I missed the premier, but I just think that it was awesome that I was at there). I think anyone who even thinks that they want to make movies should go, they have so many discussions and panels that talk about new technology and methods and just all the networking that can go on there.

Early movie watching....

The earliest movie I remember seeing in the theater was Aladdin. We went and saw it with some cousins. That's about all I remember from it. My family liked to go to movies a few times a month. So I saw all the Disney movies and a few other kids movies growing up. I've grown to like more chick-flicks and artsy/dramatic movies.

Money in twitter...

I thought that this was interesting, apparently celebrities can charge for their tweets. Kim Kardashian, for example, charges $25,000 for mentioning certain products per tweet. This could be a big business for the future. I really wonder how much other celebrities get paid for their tweets. I suppose that there could be other consequences if people tweet about products without getting paid.

My newspaper experience

Well, in junior high, my English class had Carpe' Diam day every Friday. All we had to do was find something interesting in the papers and write/talk about them in class.

I have been in the paper for almost every theatrical production I have been involved with since high school. Not really anything major, just pictures and my name. They were just the local "Star Tribune", or the ones by my school in Belgrade

I wrote for the Trojan Times for about a year. I pretty much hated it, because, really, there wasn't much going on and I had to write about something. I got a few good articles, for the Virginia Tech shootings, for the school having a ridiculous virtual tour, and my experience going to Pine Ridge on a mission trip. The one thing I liked about those major stories, is that I got some major feedback from the readers and even Dr. Knowlton.

As for reading papers, at home my parents always had an ongoing subscription to the "Star Tribune", so there was always something to read. I mostly stuck with the funnies. At college, I don't personally have a subscription, but I have bought a paper or two depending on what is going on locally.

I do have a deep hate for the "Argus Leader". I hate their stories, I hate their headlines, I hate their bias, I hate their editor. Their stories have little depth, and lately I've been seeing more AP, USA Today articles than local writers. Their headlines are extremely sensationalized, and when they weren't sensationalized they were biased. Like one that stands out in my mind is "Noem Identifies with South Dakotans". It chose words that sway readers, they could have used any other word than "Identifies" to describe her luncheon with some city. People assume that what they say is fact, and if Kristy identifies with South Dakotan's, then Stephanie in turn does not. I can't even open the Argus during election periods, because any article on a candidate is almost like free advertising.