Tell Me Something I *Don't* Know

Ah yes, the world of academia.....

A study was published recently by three researchers, 2 from Baylor and 1 from the University of Houston - Clear Lake, entitled: "Harry Potter and Children's Perceptions of the News Media."

This study (which can be found here: http://www.acjournal.org/holdings/vol10/01_Spring/articles/sturgill_etal.php ) manages to tell us that through the first six Harry Potter books, the portrayal of the news media is overwhelmingly negative. Their concern is that this portrayal could give children a belief that "all news media are slanted and deceptive."

LOL And your point is? Why *not* give children this portrayal, since it is obviously closer to the truth than those deceptive and slanted journalists would have you believe.

Hey all you non-slanted journalists, you care to explain these photographs to me?

It was completely obvious to anyone following last year's presidential election that the American news media had a collective hard-on for Senator Obama. Journalistic integrity out the window.

Obama's family -- Off Limits!

The Palin Family -- Open Season!

Maybe we should look at the respect that "journalists" show each of the two most-recent Presidents.


The authors of the study make this statement: "The ideal goal of journalism is to ensure an informed citizenry in an objective and truthful manner."

Maybe someone should have told that to Dan Rather before he broadcast forged documents regarding President Bush's military service.

To Misses Sturgill, Winney and Libhardt -- I submit to you that you are correct. The portrayal of the news media in the Harry Potter books, through Rita Skeeter, The Daily Prophet and the tabloid-esq The Quibbler is overwhelmingly negative. I submit to you however, that this is *precisely* how we should represent the media to our children since, notwithstanding the journalistic "ideals" which you've highlighted, is actually the way it really is.

We should teach our children the truth.

Originally Posted August 7, 2007

Begone Accursed 11 year-olds!!

After many years, I have reached the terminal of the Hogwarts Express.

Bummer -- it was a magnificent journey.

Originally Posted July 22, 2007

Twelve years ago when I first became internet active, the World Wide Web seemed to be a vast wasteland of uselessness. Web sites were either personal "Look at me I have a web page!", commercial (generally a repeat of a company's current magazine campaign), or just straight up porn. Finding useful information was usually a futile effort.

Thankfully, this has changed.

I found myself with a problem. I was one book behind in reading the Harry Potter series. When "Half-Blood Prince" was released in 2005, I dove in head-first, only to find that in the 2 years since "Order of the Phoenix," I had forgotten much of what had happened. So many events in the early going of Book 6 referred to Book 5, that I found Book 6 nearly unreadable. Not wanting to go back and re-read book 5 just to read book 6, I set it aside. Of course, within a few days, some blabbermouth on TV revealed the big ending of "Prince," and to say I was pissed off is an understatement. I was now one book behind, with no motivation to read it since I knew how it ended.

This posed a problem as the release of the final book approached.

My plan to get caught up was to wait until the Book 5 movie was released, watch it, then quickly read Book 6 in the week prior to the release of the final Chapter, "Deathly Hallows." A good concept, but poor in execution. The "Phoenix" movie is not nearly long enough or detailed enough to cover the information I needed before reading "Prince." I was stumped as to what to do. Re-read Book 5, then read book 6, and do it all before book 7? This would be an insurmountable task for someone who is gainfully employed.

And then I discovered this:

http://tinyurl.com/aaqw37


In 38 pages, a complete summary, including links that will clarify specific people and events when needed. A better solution to my problem cannot be found.



Twelve years ago THIS is the kind of thing I had always thought we should be able to access on the Web. And now 36 hours after discovering this information, I am further in to book 6 than I had ever gotten before. I should be finished by Monday, and dive right in to the final chapter. Before some fucking 11-year-old big mouth blows the ending for me. Again.



Thank god for the Internet.