Sorry Beyonce, Girls Don't Run The World...Money Does...

"Why do a number of women's sports succeed, yet basketball fails?" Where does basketball go wrong? I comes down to what is wrong with the above video; Basketball is NOT Basketball. 

The WNBA has long compared themselves to the NBA and there in lies the problem: you're not the NBA. Your skill level is is lower, your athleticism is lower and your ability to dunk is nonexistent. But for some reason you WNBA are still alive and beating and it's because of the underlined sexism. 

If we put aside the fact that there are women and even the fact that the people who support the staying alive of this sport are mostly women then all you are left with is a failing business. 

Like any business minded person, I understand that after a decade and some change of existence and my books aren’t safely in the black, I’m going to start weighing my options and find a way out. But because men don’t want to be mean and women don’t want to lose their independence and fall back in time, we are stuck with a sport that nobody wants and is milking the NBA dry.

Here is what I want to say, can women's sport's succeed? YES THEY CAN! Should women be allowed to play and grow in their own sport and own way? HECK YEA! But stop feeding me this lie that the game is the same. Ladies should be able to be ladies and not draw comparison to their male counter parts. You don't see Mia Hamm challenging David Beckham to a match. And when  Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova are out on the court, you don't see them trying to compare themselves to Roger Federer or Pete Sampris. No, they just come out and play the game they love to play and they just happen to do a great job of entertaining us along the way.

In the blogs to come, I will talk more about the lack of sales in the individual cities which contributes greatly to the overall failure in addition to the bad timing of the WNBA (having its season in the summer during MLB and when most people are on vacation) and the advertising in the media. 

~Give Me Room to Stand, And I Will Move the World~

Why Is It Still Here?!?!

So, apparently I have been going in the wrong direction with my Justification paper, but Professor York helped me out.

The thing I would like for people to know a out the WNBA is that I feel it is a waste of money. The games, the gear, and the girls are all replaceable and I feel that we should go ahead and end it.

The piece of medium I feel I should use (I don't even know if I can call it a medium) is the lack of sales; specifically of the one video game that the program has.

The reason I chose this medium, and why it fits best, is the simple fact that the lack of sales shows that the people, those that are the target audience and even others, do not want this product.

So why do we waste money on it? For diversity, and for girls to grow up desirous of a career that nobody else is interested in. I really cannot see any other benefit to the WNBA.

~Give Me Room to Stand, And I Will Move the World~

PR Agents vs News Channels?

To the question “What steps can reporters and editors take to monitor PR agents who manipulate the news media?” I ask why you would want to stop them. I feel that in that manipulation everyone wins. The news becomes interesting, which causes viewers to watch longer and the subject gets face time, which I say any publicity in good publicity. The symbiotic relationship helps all parties involved in this trade. To delve deeper, the news team that would run the media just got “free” work because they didn’t have to do any research, but the PR agents are able to spin the story whichever way they would like. As a viewer, to interoperate the news that is being provided and fact or fiction is irrelevant. If I’m watching a channel that I trust and they give me news about a story that I’m either interested or not interested in, then I automatically trust that too, right? As the viewers become more conscious of what their watching then they could make the decision to believe what is right. The job of the PR agent is to persuade you to believe what they would you to about their client while the news station is just there to provide news…It seems like everyone gets a piece of the cake in this situation. When in come to me, I like to hear more than one opinion than just mine. Does it mean I will change my thoughts? Not really, but I like to hear what others think and maybe engage in a healthy debate.

~Give Me Room to Stand, And I Will Move the World~

The Good... And The Not So Good

When it comes to commercials, I can’t that I truly recall my first encounter; they have always been there. However I do remember the first commercial (for me) that really gave a buzz, I mean everyone was talking about these commercials. The Budweiser Frogs was the first big recognizable commercial for me. Anyone who is anyone was talking about those frogs and reciting the commercial line for line. My favorite commercial is pretty recognizable, because there are many forms of this one commercial.

The E-Trade Baby holds a special dear place in my heart.

This commercial < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmw23Ad9aLM> or even this one

< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqVBKO_QM3o>

I can’t exactly put my finger on why I love these commercials so much. Maybe, it’s because I know what’s going to happen and I still get excited or maybe even because I don’t watch it for the product. I don’t use E-Trade…never even stumbled upon their website, but if they keep giving me commercials like the ones that are out know, I won’t use my Tivo and fast forward through them.

The type of commercials that get on my nerves may make me seem heartless. But I HATE those ASPCA commercials. I have literally dove across couches and nearly broken my neck to get the remote to change the channel. If you don’t know what I am talking about let me show you.

< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc>

Oh dear God, tell me you didn’t just die a little right there and then?!? It’s already sad to see these animals hurt and abused, but the to add that song…that song that reminds you of your own life and how short it is.

Both types of ads serve their own purpose, but then they share a common: to ge the word out about their product or cause. And ultimately they have done a good job of portying it in a way so that I remember the commercial, whether positively or negatively.

~Give Me Room to Stand, And I Will Move the World~

It’s Like Having My Bookcase Everywhere!

Would I like to read my books on a device that is light weight and compact, holds more books than my backpack, can also hook me up to the internet and comes with me everywhere I go anyways? YES!!! What kind of question is that? Reading my book on my iPad is like the best thing that has ever happened to me. I don’t really read different genres of books, but when I find a good series I can’t help but be lost in the mystery and imagination of it all.

It’s is a great conversion stopper. Let me explain. J I have many friends that will argue about the information that a particular book gives. I then come in with my trusty iPad and turn to the exact page and prove them wrong while making me smile just a little bit.

I hope that having access to book on out hand held devices will increase children’s desire to read. I feel that the nation can improve its literacy one Kindle at a time. Kids already use if for games and studying why not add one more thing to their list and encourage them to explore their imaginations and read. The bonuses to this are if they stumble upon a word they do not know, they have a dictionary a few clicks away. Or if they finish one book and don’t want to break the mood of getting up to find another, one quick search and they can have a new series of books waiting to be read.

~Give Me Room to Stand, And I Will Move the World~

Let's Lock and Load!!!

One of my favorite magazines is Guns and Ammo. OMG!!! I become a kid in a candy store when I get the latest issue. From hand guns and bullets to holsters and news, Guns and Ammo has it all!!! This magazine (even though I mostly use the online version) helps satisfy my thirst for knowledge about my hobby and how to better my skills by using the right tools. Now, it took me a minute, but I came to the realization that my love for this magazine defines me as a consumer. I use this magazine to sift through the many options I have as a gun user; mainly what gun works best for myh hand type and competition. I buy products, not just guns, and accessories to help advance my skills. I realize that every citizen has an access to the second amendment (which is essential the right to bare arms) and if I was using this magazine to find out more about the second amendment, then I could be defined a citizen, but because I use it to find out the latest news, about how having protection can save lives, or how much my new Springfield M19 will cost, I am a consumer.

I don’t think magazines have a responsibility to educate readers as a consumer or citizen, I think that readers are attracted to what they want. Magazines are there to provide the product that the people desire. And also, isn’t that what we have newspapers for? To be educational. I know that when I started with Guns and Ammo it didn’t have nearly as many stories as it have now, but when they felt secure in their fan base they add more stories until eventually the whole last section of the magazine is about the good uses of guns and self defense mechanisms. I think that Guns and Ammo do their civic duty by encouraging people to take classes at your nearest range or club, preferably sponsored by the NRA and also mention that if you do not use your civic right to protect yourself, the government might threaten to take it from you. Most importantly, they stress how ammunition is for self protection and the protection of others and any other use is subjected to a court of law.

<http://www.gunsandammo.com/>

~Give Me Room to Stand, And I Will Move the World~

Big Brother is Watching...

Newspapers have always intending to provide the reader with a pressing topic (politics, weather, foreign nations, ect) give a few examples and maybe a few opinions, but hopefully (ultimately) the final opinion was that of the reader…and that was the opinion that was suppose to matter. But on a rare occasion newspapers bring attention to matters that we, as readers, didn’t even know we cared about until we read it. And it is because of this point I feel that newspapers still play a role in being that “watchdog” figure; keeping big business in check.

The message that newspapers give is one of concern for the people; whether for or against the problem or product. Our very own Atlanta Journal Constitution provided an article as to how the headphones, mainly used on Apple products, are causing ear loss in teens and young adults. Now this article can be received in many different ways. One can read this and think, “Wow, maybe I shouldn’t use Apple headphones,” while another person may think, “This kids need to be off these devices and read a book any ways.” What I feel this article truly did was cause Apple to revisit their product, cause them to think, is this true? How can we help consumers to buy this product without fear of hearing loss? Newspapers articles also work both ways though.

Apple, a few weeks later, asked for a rebuttal article that stating, “Nothing is fundamentally wrong with our headphones, but please be sure that the volume is not up all the way as you listen to your programs.” In addition, they did place a warning label on their headphone packages.

Newspapers help keep the people informed about these businesses that they trust so highly. If newspapers downsize, and in my opinion become obsolete, the knowledge of the people would decrease. Newspapers do what people don’t and even can’t; get to the source and ask questions. The average person cannot ask the CEO of a company why they do what they do, but newspapers ( by showing the interest of the people) can persuade and convince the head to have a sit down.

At the end of the day, I would like to know the different situations that are plaguing my community, my city and especially my country.

~Give Me Room to Stand, And I Will Move the World~