The Ongoing Dominance of Tiger Woods

Before watching the final round of the U.S Open golf tournament today this was definietly not the topic I was planning to touch upon. Unfortunatly watching Tiger Woods over the years, and watching what he did again today, I feel he would be great to talk about. Tiger entered the final hole one stroke behind leader Rocco Mediate. He put his tee shot into the bunker, then made an even worse second shot as he layed up on the long par 5 into the rough. Everyone knew that Tiger was definitetly not down and out as he made a very nice approach shot to the green. Tiger, like always, was in the spotlight on the 18th hole at a major championship. He stepped up, and like always, he made the shot to tie and the winner will be decided tomorrow in a playoff. Not one person watching would have doubted Tiger missing that shot, and I doubt anyone will expect anything less than a victory from him tomorrow.

Woods has won 13 majors to this date, looking to make it 14 tomorrow. It might just be me, or I might be the only one who has ever watched golf, but ever since I was young, and even today Tiger Woods is always near the top of every major golf event. I have always seen the man in the red collared shirt in the dusk of every Sunday during the summer.

My personal favourite golfer is "lefty", Phil Mickelson. He and Tiger is the most publicized rivalry in golf. The media does anything to hype them up every time at a major championship. Mickelson and Woods were even paired together to start of this tournament this weekend, with Woods coming out on top as always. How many of you guys have a favourite golfer? If it is not Tiger Woods, do you feel Woods is taking over all the time and your favourite golfer never stands a chance? Whenever Phil is not on his "A" game, and Tiger is in that same tournament, I feel that Mickelson does not stand a chance.

Not only does Tiger dominate the golf world, he also makes millions of dollars in endorsements, more than which he does playing golf itself. As he gets older, it seems like he is starting to play better, and make more money each and every year. He has 64 total PGA tour wins, and that is only going to increase as he is only 32 years old. Do you feel Tiger is one sports figure one can say "Dominates the game"? Can he can go down in history as one of the most dominating sports figures of all time? That is only for time to tell, but right now, Tiger is a pleasure to watch and despite not being his biggest fan, I hope he continues to do well in the future and I feel confident he will do just that.

Photo Essay Entry

Well high school baseball got in the way of a lot of things this year like every other, and unfortunatly the trip to MuchMusic was one of them. This meant I had to do my photo essay on my own based on another topic. Can't say I enjoyed the trip like everyone else did, but I can say I did enjoy that baseball game if it counts haha. During class, we talked about a few people that were instructing everyone throughout the day at Much. I believe the director is very important because he basically runs the show and tells the audience how everything is going to work during that episode and when it is all going to happen.
The lights and screens I believe are run by those backstage. I heard there were about 9 cameras working and it is up to the people running these cameras to decide which one to use and from which angle would look the best at a particular time. Other jobs would include those who tell the audience where to sit, when to applaude or when to stay quiet. I cannot say what happened during commericals, but I heard from others that it was their favourite time. They got to talk to the hosts and got a time for a break off camera.

I decided to make my photo essay based on my friend Jesse and I playing a typical game of pool. The thesis of my photo essay is "Practise does not always make perfect", which corresponds to my essay as the experienced pool player who plays all the time (me), loses the game to the inexperienced player (Jesse).It begins with the pool table set up normally and photos of Jesse and I preparing to shoot. Certain photos describe who is shooting for what type of ball and others show the progression we have made throughout the game. In the end, Jesse was victorious and the pool "master" ( me ;) )
was defeated

Are The Dixie Chicks, Pink and Kanye West really..."BUSH?"

One might not understand what all three of these people/bands have in common, considering they all sing a different genre of music and gain a different level of population. Well, the one thing they do share in common is their strong and publicized opinions against "Mr. President", George Bush. Have it be Pink's "Dear Mr President" lyrics, Kanye West's unscripted tirade (Freaking out Mike Myers in the process) or the Dixie Chick's brilliant comment at a concert in London, England, all 3 opinions are strongly critisized by the media. But let's talk about the Dixie Chicks shall we? During that concert in London, singer Natalie Maines decided to tell a secret to the people of England: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas". One might also wonder why she would say something like this as Natalie herself is from the Lone Star State.

Maines is a very opiniated woman and this did not help her cause during this concert. I'm sure she would love to have that one back, but after the concert, Maines and her crew Martie Mcguire and Emily Robison apologized for Natalie's comment. Maybe Natalie and the Dixie Chicks should take her comments and music to a new "country".

Pink, on the other hand just flat out rips decides to rip the president in her song "Dear Mr. President"..go figure. This pop song was actually popular as it made the top 10 and cracked a top 5 appearance in Australia. Was that just because Australia has something against Bush, or is Pink really that good? I think Australia might be flirting with Iraq but who that doesn't matter. Her song opens with:

Dear Mr. President,Come take a walk with me.

Let's pretend we're just two people and

You're not better than me.

I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

Pink might be better than Bush in the president department, but I think big George can make up some better lyrics that that. Pink is obviously very opiniated also, and felt strongly enough to put her feelings into this song.

Finally, Kanye West blurted out: "George Bush doesn't care about black people". He said this while talking on NBC's Hurricane Katrina's fundraiser. He later said: "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they are looking for food". This all being said while poor Mike Myers is speaking from his heart to help those in need. Unfortunatly, it seems Kanye is speaking from his heart also, which was made very controversial by the media as yet another famous singer decides to attack Bush.

Got to feel sorry for Myers in this picture
<---

I still do not understand why the Dixie Chicks comment was still more controversial than those of Kanye's and Pink's. Freedom of Speech is a right in the United States which means everyone has their opinion, and although it is not always the brightest thing to do, no one should be brought down so much like the Dixie Chicks did for it.

On the other hand, I believe Kanye West's comments on national television were unacceptable, and for the fact they were advertising for the red cross, that is even worse. Pink just straight up felt the need to sing about it, meaning these comments are going to be said more than once as one can hear this song everyday.

It is good to see the Dixie Chicks over this now when watching the end of "Shut up and Sing". They should not be feeling sorry for what Natalie said, Kanye and Pink in my opinion should be the one's to apologize.

Pink Photo- http://styletraxx.com/pink

Kanye Photo- http://a.abcnews.com/images/Entertainment/ht_Kanye_West_070912_ssh.jpg

Dixie Chicks- http://www.morethings.com/images/dixie_chicks/dixie_chicks_entertainment_weekly-5-2-2003.jpg

(Class handout also)

Pink's Lyrics- http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/pink/dearmrpresident.html

(Handout also)

Gwen or Goddess?

The release of Gwen Stefani's first solo album created attention to her group of four Harajuku girls. These girls are featured throughout some of her music videos. Despite being in her music videos, these girls constantly follow her around. Stefani decided to name these girls in order with her new clothing line and album named "L.A.M.B". Each girl represets one of these letters, being Lamb, Angel, Music and Baby. These are not the real names of the girls, and Stefani does not allow them to speak in public. One who does not know Gwen Stefani's full intention with the Harajuku Girls would believe this is nuts, or she is not being fair. People may think these girls are just slaves to Stefani to make her videos more appealing and she is disrespecting the Japanese culture in the process. Other thoughts include if these girls are even fully Japanese themselves, of if they are only Japanese Americans who are also adapting the Japanese culture. These women are rumoured to be American, who are only obligated to speak Japanese in public, especially to the media. It is also argued that she does not even care about the culture at all, and is just doing this for the money and fame. This is not the case, there are many people out there who respect and want to learn other cultures, why can't Gwen Stefani just be known for wanting to do the same? Just because she is making money as a result, and to from the expense of the girls does not mean she does not care about them and the Japanese culture. She just wants to interpret a new culture into her music and show the public the Harajuku culture. She does not deserve to be judged, and does not deserve people assuming these things without knowing the truth.

Media Inventory

Which family member uses it most?

TV- Me
Telephone- Father
Cell- Father
Computer- Me

Which family member uses it least?

TV- Mother
Telephone- Me
Cell- Mother
Computer- Mother

My mother does most, if not all of the housework. She also works 4 days a week. Besides using the phone, she does not have too much time or too much interest in watching television. She also isn't fully up to date on computers and cell phones. It sometimes feels wierd when I see my father NOT on the computer, or not on some kind of phone. He tends to do both at once as he has a demanding job and customers and co-workers are always trying to contact him via phone or e-mail. If I am at home, and have nothing better to do, I am on my computer. Enough said.

Use is restricted?

TV-No
Telephone- No
Cell- No
Computer- No

My parents are not at all strict, they understand that the majority of the kids now a days need a cell phone and a computer. Only when I am on it a little too much, will my parents step in and tell me to get off.

Unrestricted?

TV- Yes
Telephone- Yes
Cell- Yes
Computer- Yes

Mostly for entertainment?

TV-Yes
Telephone- No
Cell- Yes
Computer- Yes

I only watch TV for entertainment purposes, mostly sports on weekends and sitcoms on weekdays. My cell phone and computer are pretty much solely based on fun interaction with my friends.

Mostly for homework?

TV-No
Telephone- No
Cell- No
Computer- No

I spend more time on the internet, or watching television than I do with my homework on a daily basis.

Expensive?

TV-No
Telephone- No
Cell- Yes
Computer- Yes

My cell phone and laptop were pretty expensive. My dad only buys the best products and will not settle for anything sub-par. I'm pretty spoiled.

Cheap?

TV- Yes
Telephone- Yes
Cell- No
Computer- No

Favourite Media tool?

Father- Cell
Mother- Telephone
Sister- Computer
Me- Computer

Least favourite?

Father- Radio
Mother- Computer
Sister- Radio
Me- Telephone

Which item is used the most?
My laptop is definately used the most. When I am at home, I will be sitting in the chair either looking at my laptop, or possibly turned around watching the television. When home, my sister is constasntly on her laptop also, either for fun or for work purposes which she takes a lot of pride in doing. My father is also always on his laptop, and is only on it for work purposes.

Do children of different ages or sexes prefer different items?

Children of different ages prefer different items because their parents have influenced their kids at a young age and as they begin to grow up. When fully grown, they begin to want to do things on their own.

Fighting in Hockey...Start Dropping the Gloves

It has always been known as “part of the game”, and it is shown in almost every highlight one will see, but would you believe fighting in hockey is truly a necessity? Hockey is played by players who possess speed, skill and knowledge of the game.
Other players play the game to help motivate their team by winning a fight, or applying a big hit.





This topic has been discussed within the NHL (National Hockey League) and the NHLPA (Players Association) since 1994, when fighting and blood were taken out of the video game made that same year. They thought this was bringing upon violence and poor sportsmanship. This was the only feature not carried on from NHL 93 as the logos, rules and all the other aspects of the game were retained. This game was named as “The absolute height of hockey video games”.



http://www.ioffer.com/i/SEGA-GENESIS-GAMES-Case-Instructions-Cartridge--5890539

An article from ww.Boston.com named NHL 94 the greatest sports video game.
http://www.boston.com/sports/lighter_side/greatest_sports_videogame/

This all being said without the ability to fight, or witness any blood on the ice. This was mostly because of the new features including penalty shots, four-player support and reverse angle instant replays.

Fighting and blood was re-introduced back into NHL video games in 1996. With the advancements in technology and graphics over the last 12 years, fighting has become more of a focal point in these games. Check out this clip from a newer hockey video game, NHL 07.


New features to the fighting strategy include a button for a face punch, body punch and one for uppercut. Have you ever played this game? If so, and have been part of a fight, did you feel the fight was too graphic, or was it entertaining?


How about hockey fighting in the real world? The media continues to portray it and make it look as important as the game itself. Just watch highlights of a hockey game and you are bound to see a fight being shown in one of them. In some cases, a fight will be shown rather than a goal. 38.46% of NHL games included at least one fight during the 2007/2008 season, which is a big increase from only 29.02% in 2005/2006. A total of 473 fights took place this season.
No punishments are made to fights during the game; the players only receive a 5 minute penalty, unless a player instigates the fight therefore receiving 2 minutes more and a game misconduct. Is a 5 minute major penalty nearly enough? Most players who get into fights can afford to miss 5 minutes as they do not produce big numbers offensively.
Scott Morrison, the recipient of the Hockey Hall of Fameis 2006 Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, has been covering hockey for 25 years. He believes fighting is in the game of hockey but there are obvious risks. One of them he mentions is if someone drops their gloves, there is always the risk of injury, but it has always been that way.

The three leading fighters this past season were Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jarrod Boll with 27, Philiadelphia Flyers forward Riley Cote with 24, and Anaheim Ducks forward George Parros with 23. Boll only recorded a total of 10 points, Cote a total of 5 points and Parros also a total of 5 points. All three players recorded more fights than points. Does this tell you something? These players are simply brought in to spark their team, or raise ticket prices by starting a fight. They clearly have little offensive ability and do not play the game of hockey due to their skill.

Check out this clip from a fight last year between Leafs forwad Kris Newbury and Penguins forward Ronald Petrovicky. After viewing this, does this not give you a chill, is this truly needed in hockey? (Hate to rip up on the Leafs, but have to say it really is not that hard..)



Or this one....sorry Leafs fans




Other fights like the following can be very entertaining, and as shown at the end, both teams benches, and the fans are cheering on the combatants.




There is no definite answer if hockey will still be popular if fighting were to be taken out of the game. Many fans watch it just to see two guys beating up on each other, as others watch it for the love of the game itself. Those who are die hard fans of the game will continue to watch it with or without fighting. Being a hockey fan or not, do you watch the game simply for the fights, or do you fully respect the sport of hockey?

My Media Exposure

What I Did
- Walked to a friends house

Media I Experienced
- Saw an ad on a bench for Real Estate
- Talked on MSN to my friend discussing what time to go to his house
- Listened to Killswitch Engage on my iPod on the way there

What I Did
- Drove to baseball practise

Media I Experienced
- Heard Three Days Grace’s song “Animal I Have Become” playing on the radio
- Talked to my father about Tim Horton’s new Deli Trio commercial
- Saw an advertisement promoting the new movie “Jumper”

What I Did
- Walked home from school

Media I Experienced
- Read an ad on a cigarette box saying smoking is a “heartbreaker”
- Talked to my friend about him uploading new songs on his iPod
- Heard some girls talking about how this new hair product they heard about should make their hair look a lot nicer


What I Did
- Drove to the corner store

Media I Experienced
- Saw an advertisement on the door promoting slushies and yu-gi-oh cards
- Saw an advertisement passing by Tim Horton’s saying Roll up the Rim is back


What I Did
- Walked to McDonalds with friends

Media I Experienced
- Talked on msn about what time to meet
- Received a text message from my friend saying he is going to be late
- Listened to Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat” whenever my friend received a call or text


What I Did
- Spent Sunday at home on the internet

Media I Experienced
- Saw advertisements about “Lava life” at the bottom of MSN
- Saw an ad on the side of facebook about becoming a fan of “Senate- Dominant Metal”
- Received a pop up from tsn.ca about staying on track with Tuesday’s NHL trade deadline by receiving text messages to my cell phone.


What I Did
-Read the Newspaper

Media I Experienced
- Saw an ad from Canadian Tire about new baseball gloves and bats
- Saw an ad from Wal Mart about the IPod mini and video
- Read an article about Lindsay Lohan


What I Did
Drove to the Mall

Media I Experienced
- Saw an ad on a bus about nestle water
- Heard “Shadow of the Day” by Linkin Park on the radio
- Talked to my friend about him playing NFL Madden 08 online
- Saw an ad for bowflex on a television in the mall



Nothing surprises me with my interactions with media, every company needs some way to promote their product to the consumer, or find a way to create an interesting story for some to read. They find a way to advertise this media just about anywhere, so everyone can easily interact with it and are a part of it. I feel the same exposure to the media as everyone else. The media is everywhere and everyone experiences it the same way. It might be a little too much, but I think it is good to be a part of it as some of these products advertised might be important or intriguing to you when you see them.