Monthly Archives: December 2011

Link Ch. 13 – Firefly, Fascism and Free Speech

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has produced a fascinating video about a Wisconsin theater professor who was accused of promoting violence and creating hostile environment by putting up a poster with a quote from the TV series … Continue reading

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My New Tumblr Blog

I’ve just started up a new Tumblr blog for sharing photos, videos, and material from other Tumblr blogs.  Unlike this blog, there’s not particular theme to it beyond “Things I Like.”  Feel free to check it out! http://ralphehanson.tumblr.com/ Today’s post … Continue reading

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Link Ch. 1 – Interview with Neil Postman

In this interview, C-SPAN’s Brian Lamb talks with Prof. Neil Postman about his book Amusing Ourselves to Death.

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Link Ch. 1 – Media on Everest

7 Truths: Media are essential components of our lives: Mobile WiFi hits Mount Everest You no longer need a satellite connection to go surfing at Everest base camp.  There’s almost nowhere to escape our media. Scroll through the Google Books … Continue reading

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Link Ch. 1 – Are FCC Indecency Rules Still Relevant in New Media Age?

FCC indecency rules (or at least enforcement of them) has varied greatly over the years, but ever since Janet Jackson’s 5/16ths of a second nipple exposure, the FCC adopted a “zero tolerance” policy.  But does fight against fleeting nudity and expletives … Continue reading

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Ch. 1 Link – Hearing a Speech v. Reading a Speech

Both President Barack Obama and his challenger Senator John McCain were credited with giving excellent speeches on election night 2008.  Take a listen to these two speeches, then read a transcript of them.  Which gives you a better sense of … Continue reading

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Link Ch. 7 – Girl Walk: Girl Talk’s All Day: The Movie

(Updated 2/17/19) For those of you who are fans of mashup artist Girl Talk, there is a now a fascinating dance film out that is essentially a 71-minute long video for Girl Talk’s latest album All Day. There’s a preview … Continue reading

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Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

Are aggressive kids more likely to play violent video games? Study says not so much.  Some interesting findings. Is it really a World Wide Web? Well, 25 percent of Europeans have yet to be online. Here’s a link to the … Continue reading

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Sigourney Weaver & Buster Poindexter do “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” on SNL

I’ve been looking for this for years!  A 1986 episode of Saturday Night Live featuring Sigourney Weaver singing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Buster Poindexter, the former head of the SNL Band.  My favorite version of this Christmas classic.  This … Continue reading

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Virginia Tech Collegiate Times Reporters Praised for Coverage of Shootings

There can be no doubt that student journalists at Virginia Tech’s Collegiate Times had the best coverage in the country of Thursday’s shooting deaths of the VT campus.  As I wrote on this blog yesterday, the paper’s staff did an … Continue reading

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