So the new season of Lie to Me started on Monday and I watched it online yesterday. I really like this series. It follows Dr. Cal Lightman and his associates as they solve crimes by detecting lies through analyzing people's microexpressions (involuntary facial expressions that people do when trying to hide and mask emotions) and body language. Most people can't read these things, but the people at the Lightman Group are experts.
This show fascinates me because it is based on true research. Dr. Cal Lightman is based on Dr. Paul Ekman, a psychologist who really researched microexpressions and can detect them in others. I would love to be able to read people's expressions like that. I think it could really help me understand others better by know what they really are thinking and feeling. Maybe someday I can take a class on it or something...
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Grace
Today, in one of my classes, we watched a movie called Grace. It was a documentary about a woman with Alzheimer's disease. It really made me quite emotional and I struggled to maintain my composure so I wouldn't start crying in the middle of class. It was so sad to see this woman turn into a shadow of what she used to be and to see how her husband (who had to care for her) dealt with it. It was so powerful seeing what this disease is really like for those who experience it and those who have to care for loved ones with the disease. It's one thing to read or hear about it, but a complete other thing to actually see it. Visual media can really have a huge impact in that way.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Plot?
So today, one of my friends and I decided to check out a movie at the International Cinema on campus. I looked at the plot summary for the movie (The Spirit of the Beehive) and it looked pretty interesting and had a 100% rating on rottentomatoes.com. However, we ended up leaving once it was about 2/3 through because we weren't terribly impressed. Quite frankly, we were bored.
We discussed it after and we were both really confused. We were afraid maybe we just weren't cultured/smart enough to understand it. Which I guess is possible. But I really feel like the plot should've emerged sooner than halfway through the movie (and even then, it was rather shaky). Though there were some interesting shots, and I think it showed promise, I really feel like I wasted almost an hour and a half of my life. I should've just read the summary on Wikipedia and moved on.
We discussed it after and we were both really confused. We were afraid maybe we just weren't cultured/smart enough to understand it. Which I guess is possible. But I really feel like the plot should've emerged sooner than halfway through the movie (and even then, it was rather shaky). Though there were some interesting shots, and I think it showed promise, I really feel like I wasted almost an hour and a half of my life. I should've just read the summary on Wikipedia and moved on.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
CSI-Miami: Reflections on the Past
So...the new seasons of the various CSI shows are starting up this week, and my roommate and I watched the premiere of CSI-Miami last night. During the long summer break, I kind of forgot how much I like these series. For some reason, I really like crime-solving dramas. And I really like the relationships of the characters on the CSIs.
Anyways, I especially liked last night's episodes because it flashed back to years before, before the CSI division was created. It showed how some of the current characters originally got started on the force and it displayed some of the most advanced technology at that time (which is now pathetically out-of-date). It was fun for me to see how much had changed in those years. It also got me thinking about how this happens in real life. For example, on the show, it showed Calleigh meeting Eric for the first time and him flirting with her. She assured him that she would never date someone that she works with. As anybody who watches CSI: Miami now knows, they are basically dating. Looking at my own life, this sort of scenario happens quite a bit. I have a set idea of how I plan on having things in my life work out, and then they work out so differently. I really like how this key concept of human experience was reflected in the episode.
Anyways, I especially liked last night's episodes because it flashed back to years before, before the CSI division was created. It showed how some of the current characters originally got started on the force and it displayed some of the most advanced technology at that time (which is now pathetically out-of-date). It was fun for me to see how much had changed in those years. It also got me thinking about how this happens in real life. For example, on the show, it showed Calleigh meeting Eric for the first time and him flirting with her. She assured him that she would never date someone that she works with. As anybody who watches CSI: Miami now knows, they are basically dating. Looking at my own life, this sort of scenario happens quite a bit. I have a set idea of how I plan on having things in my life work out, and then they work out so differently. I really like how this key concept of human experience was reflected in the episode.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Rumors are Flying!
One great thing about media is also one thing that annoys me greatly. The fact that information can spread so fast through media like TV and the internet is wonderful. We're able to hear about everything going on in far-off places right after they happen instead of waiting days, weeks, or months like they had to do in the olden days. However, sometimes this same process makes false information spread super fast, as well. I've been getting really annoyed lately by people who spread rumors through media without checking facts.
For example, yesterday, I saw a few of my Facebook friends posting the exact same message in their statuses. It said, "Apparently the FAN CHECK Application is a VIRUS that takes 48 hours to kick in. Even if you are tagged in a photo the virus still attacks you. Please inform all you friends and remove/delete the application ASAP. Copy and paste this as your status...."
I didn't want to spread false information, so I went to Snopes.com to check it out before I posted it as my status. After just a few clicks and a bit of reading, I found out that it really isn't a virus, but if you think it's a virus and go to a site claiming they can get the "Fan Check" virus off your computer, you could get a virus from that (if that makes sense). I told my friends that and they were embarrassed.
This isn't the first time I've seen this happen. I can't think of any other example right now because I'm rather tired. However, I've seen way too many friends and acquaintances get caught up in this because they believe whatever is told them and don't check the facts.
Moral of the story: check your facts. Just because you read something on the internet or hear it on TV doesn't mean that it's true.
For example, yesterday, I saw a few of my Facebook friends posting the exact same message in their statuses. It said, "Apparently the FAN CHECK Application is a VIRUS that takes 48 hours to kick in. Even if you are tagged in a photo the virus still attacks you. Please inform all you friends and remove/delete the application ASAP. Copy and paste this as your status...."
I didn't want to spread false information, so I went to Snopes.com to check it out before I posted it as my status. After just a few clicks and a bit of reading, I found out that it really isn't a virus, but if you think it's a virus and go to a site claiming they can get the "Fan Check" virus off your computer, you could get a virus from that (if that makes sense). I told my friends that and they were embarrassed.
This isn't the first time I've seen this happen. I can't think of any other example right now because I'm rather tired. However, I've seen way too many friends and acquaintances get caught up in this because they believe whatever is told them and don't check the facts.
Moral of the story: check your facts. Just because you read something on the internet or hear it on TV doesn't mean that it's true.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Sunday Music
I absolutely love music. It's been a really big part of my life since I was little. I took piano lessons and eventually learned to sort of play the organ, as well. I sang in choir in high school and still continue to sing for fun. Music surrounds me. But I especially love music on Sundays.
On Sundays, after church, I always just turn on my computer and listen to church songs for the rest of the day. I have an entire playlist full of EFY songs, MoTab, BYU Choirs, and others singing hymns and other inspiring and uplifting music. I think I started doing this once I came to college because I was so used to listening to church music on Sundays while I was growing up. My mom would always put in tapes like Scripture Scouts when I was little and started playing EFY songs and MoTab as I grew older. I just took it for granted. But as I sat and listened to it yesterday while I was doing some other things, I realized how much it really affects me. While I often listen to certain songs on other days of the week that get me excited and worked up, I feel so peaceful after listening to "Sunday music." I love how the Spirit can so easily enter my life when I am listening to and singing songs about the Savior and the gospel. It calms me and strengthens my testimony. It's quite the wonderful use of media, in my opinion.
On Sundays, after church, I always just turn on my computer and listen to church songs for the rest of the day. I have an entire playlist full of EFY songs, MoTab, BYU Choirs, and others singing hymns and other inspiring and uplifting music. I think I started doing this once I came to college because I was so used to listening to church music on Sundays while I was growing up. My mom would always put in tapes like Scripture Scouts when I was little and started playing EFY songs and MoTab as I grew older. I just took it for granted. But as I sat and listened to it yesterday while I was doing some other things, I realized how much it really affects me. While I often listen to certain songs on other days of the week that get me excited and worked up, I feel so peaceful after listening to "Sunday music." I love how the Spirit can so easily enter my life when I am listening to and singing songs about the Savior and the gospel. It calms me and strengthens my testimony. It's quite the wonderful use of media, in my opinion.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Seriously so Blessed
I know most people think of television and movies when they hear the word "media". I generally do, as well. However, I know I use a lot of other types of media. One type of media that I really like is blogs. Though I don't have one myself (besides this one for class), I love reading other blogs... There are some hilarious people out there! One of my absolute favorite blogs is called titled "Seriously So Blessed." (http://seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com/)
A little background about this wonderful little blog. It was started last summer as a joke by an unknown woman. She decided to do a spoof of all the "Mormon Mommy Blogs" that she kept seeing pop up everywhere. I stumbled across it just a few months after she started it and immediately went back to the beginning and read all the posts. I have been a faithful follower ever since. I absolutely love how well she pins down certain parts of Mormon (and Utah) culture. She created a total cliche character named TAMN (Tiffany/Amber/Megan/Nicole...read the about me at the site to find out more) who talks about her "seriously so blessed" life with her husband and twin babies. She addresses such topics as "modest bikinis", living out in the "mission field" when her husband was on an internship, and she even spells the way that some Utahns speak (i.e. "Lake Pal" instead of "Lake Powell").
Another thing to note is that fact that sometimes the comments people leave rival the levels of hilarity of the actual blog posts. It's also great when people get offended and say so. I also enjoy looking at the older blog posts and reading the comments from people who didn't realize it was a parody.
Nobody knows who the creative genius behind TAMN. But regardless, I always can get a laugh out of it and I keep going back for more. It definitely fits the diversion use/need of media that we talked about in class. But don't take my word for it. Check it out!
Enjoy. :-)
A little background about this wonderful little blog. It was started last summer as a joke by an unknown woman. She decided to do a spoof of all the "Mormon Mommy Blogs" that she kept seeing pop up everywhere. I stumbled across it just a few months after she started it and immediately went back to the beginning and read all the posts. I have been a faithful follower ever since. I absolutely love how well she pins down certain parts of Mormon (and Utah) culture. She created a total cliche character named TAMN (Tiffany/Amber/Megan/Nicole...read the about me at the site to find out more) who talks about her "seriously so blessed" life with her husband and twin babies. She addresses such topics as "modest bikinis", living out in the "mission field" when her husband was on an internship, and she even spells the way that some Utahns speak (i.e. "Lake Pal" instead of "Lake Powell").
Another thing to note is that fact that sometimes the comments people leave rival the levels of hilarity of the actual blog posts. It's also great when people get offended and say so. I also enjoy looking at the older blog posts and reading the comments from people who didn't realize it was a parody.
Nobody knows who the creative genius behind TAMN. But regardless, I always can get a laugh out of it and I keep going back for more. It definitely fits the diversion use/need of media that we talked about in class. But don't take my word for it. Check it out!
Enjoy. :-)
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