The End of MCOM 72

Sad, but true, my favorite class of this semester is over and I have learned so much through out these last five months. Blogging really opened up my eyes to the real journalism world and how to think, write, and research like a journalist; which is why I enjoyed this class and the assignments we did so much. I also discovered a new favorite book of mine The Kite Runner, if it wasn't for this class I probably would have never taken a second look at it, but I read it and loved it.

When I looked back on my first blog we had to write about what type of media consumer we are and I said magazine, however, now I have discovered I am a media consumer of many more. From learning about all the different forms of media in our society and how it affects us, I realized I consume a lot more media then I thought; I am a media consumer of magazine, television and radio. These three types of media take up most of my time throughout my day, I am a subscriber to seventeen, teen people, and cosmopolitan, I watch reality TV almost everyday, and I love the radio. Basically, media is a huge part of my life, which is why mu major is broadcast journalism and advertising. I just love the media and the huge effect it can have on people and society in general. Thanks to this class and Lilly Buchwitz I have learned so much about myself and the media world; which I was so clueless to before. Thanks to the class i discovered the amazing world of blogging, which I intend to keep writing.

Overall, this class has helped me in so many ways and got me more excited to take more mass communication and journalism classes, to have as much fun as I did writing and learning this semester in MCOM 72.

Secret Santa

It is christmas time and you all know what that means: shopping for gifts. One of the hardest person to buy for is your secret santa you picked at work or in class. You don't want to buy a gift that is too cheap, too expensive, innapropiate, or something this person will just throw away or give to someone else as a christmas gift. Secret Santa gift exchanges are one of the most fun parts of christmas, even though it is hard to find that gift, there are people out there to help.

I recently just had a secret santa gift exchange this weekend, and one guy gave a girl a vibrator for his present, while she bought him a nice shirt. This was just awful to witness as the guy thought he was funny, the girl was offended and wanted her gift back because he did not deserve it. So how do you know what to get or what is appropiate if you have no idea what your secret santa likes? Luckily there is a website "SecretSanta.com" where they make you fill out a questionare and give you ideas on a perfect and appropiate gift for your secret santa. They even have their top ten choices, they are:
1. gift cards
2. wine
3. spa gifts
4. books
5. DVD's
6. cooking items
7. chocolate and candy
8. candles
9. tea or coffee
10. CD's

These are just a few of the suggestions they offer, and I have used this website to find perfect gifts for friends and family as well. So as you take part in the "Secret Santa" at your job, club, or school and you get that one person you have never spoken to in your life or maybe you get someone you have your eye one, just relax and have Secretsanta.com help you choose the perfect gift, without giving any negative thoughts.

It's Official Cell Phones Do NOT Cause Cancer

For a few years now scientist and doctors have been saying cell phone use will cause cancer. This did arise some scare across America, but it did not decrease the cell phone use at all since most citizens couldnt imagine a life without one. Thankfully for all the cell phone addicts out there, cell phone use will not increase the chances of cancer for anyone.


A study in Denmark by scientist have proven that cell phone use will not cause cancer, they claines: "They matched phone records to the famed Danish Cancer Registry that records every citizen who gets the disease — and reported Tuesday that cell-phone callers are no more likely than anyone else to suffer a range of cancer types". This is good news for all Americans and even for those who tried to cut down the usage of their cell phone. Even though this has been discovered scientist already know this will not end the debate that cell phones can cause cancer and tumors. Scientist say doctor's believed cell phones were dangerous because "Cell phones beam radiofrequency energy that can penetrate the brain's outer edge, raising questions about cancers of the head and neck, brain tumors or leukemia". This could be true, but scientist say it is very rare and they haven't seen a person affected by it yet.

As we live in our technology addicted world, it id good to know one of the main technological consumption; the cell phone; is no longer dangerous to American's health. Now let just see how how much cell phone usage will increase over time.

Holiday Gift Don'ts of 2006

Finally the holidays are here, and that means one thing shopping, shopping, shopping! However, choosing a gift for everyone on your christmas list is not the easiest task. Due to this, columnist and bloggers have created a list of "don't gifts" for this holiday season.

Columnist and bloggers have been around malls and tried different hot technology out to see which ones are actually worth giving to your loved ones as a gift they will love. First on the list was Wi-Fi phones, the gift shoppers say this phone is nothing special of a regular cell phone and not worth all money. Second on the list was anything with digicents, these are electronics with scents, weird dont you think. Third was the USB vacum, these little vacums do not really help at all and apparently are useless. Fourth was Atech toilet paper dispenser ipod deck; shoppers do not really know if it is real and actually works, but the most unappealing part is the germs it will collect while sitting in the bathroom. Fifth on the list disposable technology, disposable video cameras and digital cameras are only adding to the filth of America and we do not need anymore. Lastly on the list was technology for babies or pets, one is the Whycry Baby Analyzer; this device translates baby cries and pet noises. However, consumers have claimed they tested one years ago and their kids have never been the same.

These are just some gift tips on what not to get your loved ones, so while your our hitting up all the busy malls and frusrated because you can't find parking. Just remeber not to buy the people on your Christmas list the ghastly gifts of 2006.

Ways To Get Better Sleep

Every college student and young adults experience it: insomnia. Insomnia which is difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or poor quality sleep affects fourty five percent of the adult population. Most people have insomina due to stress, and insomnia affects your attention span, cognition and memory, poor performance at work or school, increased accidental injuries, a more likely chance or drug or alcohol abuse, and a higher rate for depression. Insomnia is a serious issue, luckily doctors have discovred solutions for curing yourself of insomnia.

Doctors suggest certain ways of "sleep hygiene" will help improve your sleeping habits. Step one is to establish a schedule, and try to go to bed at the same time every night. Step two: create an enviorment in your room that is comfortable to sleep in, for example cold to use more blankets or warm to use less. Step three: relax before going to bed without a televison, radio, and even reading a book. Doctors say people believe these acts relax you, but truthfully these only keep your mind working making it more difficult to relax and fall asleep. Step four: avoid liquids, medicines, depressants, and stimulants before bed, these can make your bladder full and will only disrupt your relaxing process to fall asleep. And finally step five: Do not nap during the day and exercise thirty minutes a day to create the need for sleep.

These are five ways doctors assure will improve your "sleeping hygiene" and soon your insomnia symptoms will dissapear and your body will be able to fall asleep and relax, giving you a better nights rest, which can improve your lifestyle and performance during the day.

The Cons of Eating Fast Food

We all are guilty of it, its late you have just done several hours of homework or being at work and the last thing you want to do is cook a meal or go to a resturant to eat, so you choose fast food. Or your on lunch break your starving and you only have thirty minutes, chances are you will probably choose fast food. So since we all do it we should all be aware that fast food is dangerous, not only because you gain weight since every meal is packed with fat and cholesterol, but you could also catch diseases and illness from unproperly prepared food. Fast food resturants are targeted by health inspectors for unproper preperation of food, for one fast food chain it lead to closing of thier store.

Taco Bell is an American favorite fast food chain besides Mcdonalds, and recently they have been acused of the sickness of nine people who caught E.Coli from one of their fast food stores. The Taco Bell in New Jersey was closed by health authorities because of an E.Coli outbreak that sickened nearly a dozen people. It affected mostly children and six people were hospitalized, this damaged the name of Taco Bell all over the states. It became worse when two patients then devoloped hemolytic uremic syndrom (HUS) which can cause permanent kidney damage. Health authorities say all fast food resturants have poor food preperation skills, which is why fast food is so dangerous to your health.

We can only hope that soon people will learn their lesson that fast food is not healthy for you in several ways, and this evidence should only prove how horrible fast food is prepared and hurtful to your body.

The New Soda Flavors Fish Taco and Salmon?

Could you imagine, drinking a soda that tasted like your favorite food? What if you could got to dinner and order the diet burrito soda...disgusting huh. Well in Seattle, Washington a new genre of soda flavors have been invented, Fish Taco and Salmon soda; and Jones Soda company has even introduced the green pea flavored soda.

Jones soda was introduced and became popular by every bottle of soda having a different photo on it that was sent to them by photographers all over the world. Now they have come out with food flavored soda, and suprisingly people are buying them. "Peter van Stolk, chief executive of Jones Soda, said on Monday the collection of strange-flavored sodas usually sells out quickly, even though he can not stomach the drinks. Past flavors included broccoli casserole, corn on the cob and Brussel sprout, Green pea, along with other unusual sodas such as turkey and gravy, dinner roll, sweet potato and antacid flavor, will be part of the company's $10 to $15 "holiday pack" of bottled drinks available nationwide."


I have no clue how people can actually drink these new flavored sodas, you could not pay me enough to even try a soda that is turkey and gravy flavored. Suprisingly, Jones Soda Comapny ahs made more money than Pepsi and Coke with these new flavors, and even gained notoriety in 2003 for their turkey and gravy flavored soda. These sodas are just amazingly disgusting and never ever would I try one, but for the people who do they deserve a high five and a pat on the back.

Foreigners Don't Vacation in the U.S.

When Americans go on vacation out of the country they are usually greeted by welcoming foreigners who are happy to escort you and show you their country. Its too bad foreigners can't say the same about visiting America. The Discover American Partnership released the result of a global survey which proved America is the worst place to vacation for foreigners because of the difficult process of getting a visa and getting past rude immigration officials.

Washington says: "Rude immigration officials and visa delays keep millions of foreign visitors away from the United States, hurt the country's already battered image, and cost the U.S. billions of dollars in lost revenue, according to an advocacy group formed to push for a better system." The word is spreading from foreigners that have experinced traveling to the U.S already, that America is no friendly place, but a place of racial profiing anf rude people who judge you by your citizenship. The number of foreign visitors in America has dropped by 7.4%, this hurts our economy in more ways then one.

Since September eleventh, security and immigration laws have only become more stricter, however, it has come to the point of being ridiculous that Americans are being rude and prejudice towards foreigners. America should not be portrayed in this way, and we should be as welcoming to foreigners as they are to us in their home countries.

A Burrito is Not a Sandwhich...Duh!

Did you ever think that maybe a burrito could be considered a sandwhich? I know I never ever though about that, since the two are nothing alike whatsoever. Do you put rice in beans in you sandwhich? Or turkey and ham in your burrito? I do not kno what you think, but that would be disgusting; which is why it amazed me that in Worcester, Mass. Panera bread company bakery and cafe chain tried to argue that a burrito is a sandwhich, but the judge stated no it is not. Where this issue evolved from is beyond me.

In the court Panera Bread Company argued a burrito is a sandwhich by the tortilla is the bread; and any food porduct with a bread and a filling is a sandwhich. However, the court judge went against their argument and claimed that a sandwhich has two slices of bread while a burrito only has one tortilla, so it is not a sandwhich. Then Culinary chefs and historians argued it is an insult to the cooking world to call a burrito a sandwhich, the idea would be "absurd".

This entire issue is just halarious and makes me laugh that the Panera Bread Company actually brought this issue to the court. Too bad for Panera Bread they lost the case.

Desperate for Cash? Donate a Kidney

Yes, donating your kidney for money is illegal in America, but in Pakistan it is how most are getting paid. How desperate must you be to actually donate your own kidneys for money? For the poor Pakistanis it is their only choice to get money to pay off landlord debts, and support six children. But is it really worth it when you no longer can work like you used to and be an active human being? It really is not which is why it is illegal in America, but sad that people in Pakistan have to rely on this method to make money to survive.


These people donate their kidneys and only recieve up to two thousand dollars and sometimes just half of that, which is sad since donors in china recieve up to six thousand dollars. The surgery is no piece of cake either, it is painful and patients must have regular check ups to make sure their blood pressure and sugar level is able to keep up the other kidney, but no donor in pakistan has ever recieved follow up care. After you donate your kidney you also loose your ability to run, lift heavy things, and work as well as you could before, which slows you down from working and making more money. All this only to make up to two thousand dollars, when most patients are in dept for three thousand dollars or more. The reason they recieve less money is because doctors charge foreigners for the postoperative care the kidney needs while being shipped overseas.

This plan for making money is just sad and in a way taking advantage of the unfourtanate. The horrible part is these people are willing to destroy their bodies in this way just to makle enough cash to try and get out of debt and feed their children. The whole situation just saddens me, hopefully something will happen for these people to change their ways of making money.

Super Size Me... The Greatest Documentary Ever

I have finally watched the documentary movie "Super Size Me" and I loved it; it was honestly the best movie I have ever watched. The film is a documentary of just how horrible the fast food resturant Mcdonalds is for all human beings. The character sacrafices himself by ruining his health and body by eating Mcdonalds for breakfest, lunch, and dinner every day for a month; obviously to any normal human being that is just a awful idea.


Since I was younger I have hated Mcdonalds because ever since I looked into the chicken mcnuggets I was absoulutly disgusted, because the meat looked like something undescribable. I now hate the place even more knowing every single item on the menu, including the salads are full of sugar and cholesterol. The film explained that Mcdonalds is the largest fast food chain in the world, however, it is also the worst fast food to eat. The man who sacrificed himself to prove Mcdonalds is the worst possible food to eat became very sick and his body very unhealthy, and went through a lot of recovery to get his body back to being able to function properly.

Everyone should watch this documentary film, and as soon as you see how their chicken mcnuggets are made, you will never want to eat there again either. I know I am probably the last one to watch this movie, and discover just how horrible Mcdonalds is, but the film was still informative and I enjoyed it, for it made my hatred for Mcdonalds even stronger.