In the paper...

http://www.mississauga.com/opinion/letters/article/230510--christmas-is-coming

http://www.mississauga.com/opinion/letters/article/216173--get-your-flu-shot

List of Sources

The Unheard of Nation, Ironically the First

• Darren Thomas
• http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-003-x/2007001/figures/4129880-eng.htm

Young Weezy Baby

• http://www.thesuperficial.com
• http://www.lilwayne-online.com
• www.starpulse.com

How Bad or Not-So-Bad is Swine Flue?

• Dianne Wiegand (administrative assistant to the medical officer of health)
• Ken Peters (Reporter for Hamilton Spectator)
• www.peelregion.com
• http://thesixtyzone.com/swine-flu-scam

Something’s Fishy…

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKhgg6TuFrc
• www.guardian.co.uk
• Marsha Walton, writer for CNN, article ,“Frogs, fish and pharmaceuticals a troubling brew”
• www.enviromentalhealthnews.org
• http://greatlakesecho.org

Merry Christmas VS Seasons Greetings

• Sophie Fatsis, Spring Shoes sales associate
• Ex Tim Horton worker
• Ex Wendy’s worker
• Leonard Swidler, Professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue
• Ben Stien on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary (http://www.dailypaul.com/node/74209)
• Bernard Stephenson, assistant pastor at Mississauga City Baptist Church
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaY_wQZ143o

2012

• http://www.2012endofdays.org
• http://www.merinews.com
• www.whowillsurvive2012.com

making the link

www.thesuperficial.com

What’s easier than passing the first grade? Making fun of celebs! “The Superficial” brings you all the gossip, scandals and of course the ridiculously funny things celebrities do in their so-called perfect worlds. The issues “The Superficial” enlightens its readers with are somewhat true, however in order to spice it up, capture the reader, and keep their audience laughing, they have to add a lot of modified info. Websites like these are not always very reliable, since the story has most likely been changed two hundred and one times. But if a catchy story is something you need to build off of, this is a great base to start at. Also the issues they bring up can always be further researched to get the real story. Therefore “The Superficial” is a great place to get a story, find out what the media isn’t tell you and an awesome way to brighten up your day.

and of course a website would not be complete with out all these lovely snap shots of celebs at their worst!

2012

Pack your bags people, the world is going to end! Well that's at least what a good portion of this planet thinks. It has been the talk of the town lately and with the help of a big motion picture behind it, wow, now there is a real phenomenon on our hands.

Why 2012? What has blessed our lucky souls to have to live through this disastrous century? I’ll break it down for you. One “great cycle” according to the Mayans is equivalent to 5125.36 years. The current “great cycle” is coming to an end. Ending date is Dec. 21, 2012, which is the winter solstice. So basically since the “great cycle” ends so does the earth.

The Mayans were intelligent people; I’ll give them that. With their advanced knowledge in engineering, astronomy and mathematics they certainly would have a head start in determining the end of the world. But to mark it down on one exact date? It's kind of hard to buy.

So how is it going to end? There are a few possible answers to this. Some say humans are the ones to do it and we ourselves are going to set off the world to it's end. Others believe that perhaps natural disasters will destroy the earth and every living thing on it. And lastly several individuals think God is simply going to pull the plug on humanity and the world is going to stop. Aren't you excited?

All the information the media is throwing at us on 2012 is hard to ignore, but on the other hand it’s very easy to question. Especially with a multimillion-dollar film being produced on it. What a great way to make a heaping amount of money! Scare the pants off humanity while making them pay for a movie stub to see it! Seems like a genius idea!

The media is constantly spitting out new discoveries on how the world will end. Miserable and hopeless news on surviving 2012 is all we are considering. It causes a ruckus, it gets people thinking and most importantly it sells! Reasons on why the world won’t end are certainly not as exciting or exhilarating.

Lets be spontaneous! Quit school, spend your retirement savings and live it up. You only got 1118 days left to do it! Oh and keep laughing, because I definitely am.

Making the link

www.youtube.com

From how to apply fake eyelashes to tips on taking care of your pet shark, Youtube.com has got it all. It is by far a huge portion of North Americas entertainment and also a great way for savvy individuals to get their thoughts and funniest moments on the web. As funny and ridiculous as Youtube may be it also has a great source of information available for any one to get their hands on.

Live news reports from years ago or just yesterday are available on Youtube for anyone’s reference. These broadcasts come in very handy for assignments, projects and relating issues from way back when to the world today.

Youtube also works as a media watch dog. What the media isn’t telling you is sure to appear on someone's Youtube broadcast. From small town issues to the obvious, people are willing to spill it all on Youtube. This can be great when the reports are serious and researched but also very confusing since literally anyone can post anything on Youtube.

An excellent quality Youtube portrays is opinion. Every upload has some opinion to it, which is great when deciphering different views on a wide range of topics.

When the media isn’t telling you something Youtube probably will.

Making the link

www.peelregion.ca/health/

People seem to have their own methods of dealing with everything, especially their health. Having said that your health is something you don't want to mess with. The media can send mixed messages on ways to take care of your body and how to protect your self from disease. In the end this can really confuse people!

They best way to get information on your health, current fitness issues, and the precautions to take when dealing with all these bugs and germs flying around is to go to the professionals. By turning to a reliable source we can be sure to get researched facts as well as the most beneficial answer.

Due to all the scares on the flu these websites are essential for an individuals piece of mind. Being told five hundred different things at once is over whelming and definitely bewildering. If one article tells you to do this and one article tells you to do that, how do we know what to believe?

This source is essential in order to get the correct information on what the media is telling you or perhaps isn’t telling you. The media is a quick in-your-face-source on health however the whole truth and nothing but the truth lies on professionally researched websites like peelregion.ca/health.

Merry Christmas VS Seasons Greetings

Its holiday time! But really how much of a holiday is it? An Office worker will get about 2 days off, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, a student is recovering after a deadly week of exams and trying not to think about the upcoming semester ahead, and retail workers are ripping their hair out dealing with all the crazy shoppers. And we are calling this a holiday?

Its Christmas, we are doing all the baking, shopping, decorating, and gift giving because December 25 is marked Christmas, not Holiday day. Ironically Christmas is slowing being stripped from Christmas, as “Happy Holidays and Seasons Greeting” is apparently the polite thing to say in this modern world.

Tim Hortons and Wendy’s workers are instructed to say “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings” and never a “Merry Christmas.”

When asked, Sophie Fatsis, sales associate at spring shoes, her thoughts on the lack of “Merry Christmas” she remarked that, “I feel I have the right to wish anybody a Merry Christmas…I feel that this shouldn't offend anybody since we are in a multi-cultural community.”

Leonard Swidler, Professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue, comments that, “I make it a habit to wish my Muslim friends a blessed Eid at that time, my Jewish friends a Happy Hanukkah at that time, my Hindu friends a blessed Divali – and Christians a Merry Christmas at Christmas time!”

Many believe Jesus is the reason for the season and want to express their religion at this time of year. However in Modernized Canada it seems religion is not making the cut.

Ben Stien on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary exclaimed that, “I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.”

In Canada Christians should not be getting pushed around! Canada is categorized as a Christian country so why should celebrating or even as little as acknowledging a Christian holiday be so difficult? The choice to keep Christ in Christmas should be a personal choice as well as a free one.

According to Bernard Stephenson, assistant pastor at Mississauga City Baptist Church, “it's a choice of the cup of water or the cup of poison. Which one will society take? Unfortunately, to take Christ and all that represents out of Christmas is to choose the cup of poison and all that that entails.”

A large portion of flyers, commercials and sales associates are representing the holiday side of Christmas only. That's okay, Christmas comes from the heart, and as long as it is still alive in there have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

City On Line hosted a call in 2007 on the Merry Christmas vs Happy holidays topic. More opinions on this controversial subject can be found here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaY_wQZ143o

Making the link

www.EnvironmentalHealthNews.org

Gossip, scandals, and the latest trends seem to take over the newsroom and what really matters never gets brought to our attention. Websites like Environmental Health News (EHN) are great communicators of environmental issues the media may leave out or perhaps over exaggerate on. Getting information from the professionals is always a consistent source and that is exactly what EHN is providing its readers with.

EHN provides many views on scientific studies and also lets us know the medias spin on current events, may they be accurate or mistaken. EHN expresses the scientific side, media angle, and opinion of the readers as well as what the journalists say. This is a full 360 of answers from all sides of the story.

When the media's angle is not cutting it for you reliable websites are the ones to gravitate to. Cold hard facts, researched answers and a professionals take on an issue are what we should be relying on and looking for. When researching how to create a greener world, where drinking water is safe, and what areas to stay away from due to toxins, EHN is the source to study.

Something's Fishy...

Catching a fish is an easy job; however determining its sex could cause a whirlwind of problems. Apparently the fish cannot even decide, male fish are stepping over to the glamorous side and becoming females! According to a US Geological Survey 1 in 5 fish have characteristics of both female and male especially in the Mississippi river, now that's fishy.

How is this happening? Is finally one species of male figuring out that the female life is the beautiful life? No, fish can’t possibly be that genius. Instead it’s all the soap, pharmaceutical waste, household products, estrogen and pesticides we rinse down our drain are making the fish go bonkers!

www.EnvironmentalHealthNews.org states even when we pop birth control pills we can be harming the minnows! The synthetic estrogen mixing with all of the sewage is causing feminization in males. Controlling our species is creating a whole other one, how ironic!

Back in 2002 Marsha Walton, writer for CNN, commented in her article ,“Frogs, fish and pharmaceuticals a troubling brew”, that, “Researchers are working on several fronts to determine how big the problem is and just what short- and long-term ecological effects there might be on wildlife.” That was a whopping seven years ago, and I bet this is the first time you are hearing of this issue. Unfortunately this fish frenzy never hooked onto a big story.

Shockingly its not only North America’s fish who are doubling up on the reproductive systems. The www.guardian.co.uk stated back in 2000 that France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and Finland’s fish were also starting to experience this problem.

Bet you never even thought twice before rinsing soap or pesticides down the drain, or ordering your next box of birth control. Now the fish will definitely be doing a double take before singing “ we in luck here down in the muck, under the sea!”

Still don't have you convinced? Watch NBC’s documentary on the topic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKhgg6TuFrc, its an informational yet alarming snippet on our mutated fish.

How Bad or Not-So-Bad Is Swine Flue?(interview story)

The flu is back, so get your surgical mask on, make an appointment for your flu shot, don't cough in public, avoid contact with everyone and if you feel sick you better stay in quarantine. Also if you really want to be safe, upgrade your mask to a N95, you will never breath in another germ again.

Ridiculous? I thought so too. However this is what society appears to think the norm is while dealing with the flu. We seem to be our own doctors when it comes to conquering swine flue and fail to listen to the professionals.

So get that surgical mask out, come on, it is the accessory of swine flue. However we’re oblivious to the fact that Peel Public Health says do not wear the mask if you have no flu like symptoms. These over precautions can actually harm us since we can contaminate ourselves with the flu while applying and removing the masks and most do not even wear it correctly.

Swine flue talk seems to be the only talk, let’s be realistic, is this getting blown out of proportion? Dianne Wiegand administrative assistant to the Medical Officer of Health, comments, “If I didn't work in public health and got much of my information from reading the paper and watching TV, I would probably be a little more concerned. Either that or I would turn off my television and only read the Sports section of the papers until 2010.”

On the other hand, Hamilton Spectator reporter Ken Peters comments that swine flue, “as a news story is very important.” He continues, “as journalists we have to deliver the full message from the health care professionals.”

Stop deciphering how you are going to get around swine flue; just do what the professionals say. If they say get the vaccine, get it! According to Peters, “it's a no brainier.”

Remember professionals are professionals for a reason; you wouldn't try to argue with a doctor where the incision for your heart surgery should be, so why argue on how to protect yourself from swine flue? Don't stress (you’ll live longer), and listen to the professionals. Wiegand says, “Really, its just the flu.”

Guess what? You’re more likely to die from drowning in your bathtub than from swine flue. Next time you hop in the tub make sure your life jacket and water wings are securely fastened.

Young Weezy Baby

He’s a “young money millionaire, tougher then Nigerian hair” and is loved by anyone who knows anything about music. Apart from Lil Waynes unbelievable swag and ability to get “every girl in the world” he is a down right convict.

Due to lack of media exposure on Lil Wayne’s legal issues we keep quoting his genius lyrics on our facebook statuses, downloading his music, and supporting him as not just a rapper but as a person. We seem to know every song and lyric this man produces but when it comes to the legal stuff media hinders the issue as much as they can.

Oct. 22, 2009, was Lil Wayne’s most recent plea to felony gun possession in a New York courthouse. This plea was regarding an issue that took place back in 2007 when a .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol was found on his tour bus in Manhattan. There has been some spark in the media about this issue, but nothing compared to the full out fire it should be.

The best male hip-hop artist of 2009 according to BET and winner of 2009 Grammy for best song, performance and album is simply just too loved to be hated. The media most likely sees Lil Wayne as such a successful individual no tabloid or newscast is going to bring the beast down.

So you know he had a gun on his tour in Manhattan. Now for the real question, are you still going to go senseless when Lil Wayne is coming to tour in your town and most definitely buy a ticket to see Mr. Carter? Probably yes, I know I would. And funny thing is no one really feels threatened by his possession of a gun since media makes this topic so unimportant. The lack of media attention correlates with lack of seriousness.

Imagine Oprah Winfrey, who is also loved by the public eye, was found with a gun on her talk show. Every journalist, news station, and tabloid would be covering this story to its fullest. No individual would go to bed that night with out some twitter of this story passing them by. With Lil Wayne this situation can almost be expected due to his “thug life” image. The media just doesn’t care to cover it any more.

Lack of media attention creates lack of seriousness, which creates lack of care. Lil Waynes fans will simply love him even if he “should be hooked on phonics.” The man has “summer hating on [him] cause [hes] hotter than the sun,” not because he carries a 40-calibur semi automatic gun. Lil Wayne is simply the bomb like “tick tick.”

The Unheard of Nation, Ironically the First!

When we think aboriginal we think of the hard-core casino goers, drunks, smoke shop owners, and of course their luxury of tax exemption. If this is all we associate the aboriginals with we are ignorant and most definitely wrong! Many of us have this view because the aboriginal nation severely lacks media attention. We do not know anything or we know the wrong thing, simply because we never hear about it!

Darren Thomas, a gentlemen part of the Seneca bear clan, presented some history on his degraded nation to the journalism students of Laurier Brantford on Monday October 5^th. He brought many of his emotions to the table as he spoke to the students and wanted to stress his point that we “must take interest to know, or else [we] will know nothing about aboriginals.” All the negative stereotypes and demeaning news articles presented about aboriginals are drowning their reputation in Canada. He asked the Journalism students to think of one positive news story about the aboriginal community. In a class of over two hundred students only one individual could reference an article on aboriginals and nature, nothing very positive though.

The love and emotion he shared for his people, culture and Canada was very moving and definitely a motivation for the journalism students to get to know what is really going on. Thomas stated that “Canada is one of largest human rights violators in the world,” hearing this brought reality into the lecture hall. This is serious stuff! Its a shame that this is not made obvious to all Canadians, and when it is it certainly is a shock.

We should be praising the aboriginals for being the origin of this amazing country. Instead Canada sends their children off to residential schools miles away from home, easily strips them of their status, literally cages them into their reserves, and sadly forces the aboriginal community to disengage from Canadian society.

The cries of the aboriginal people need to be heard; there is no more time to waste on announcing their point of view on this violation. Yes they are aboriginals, but most importantly they are Canadians, and Canada needs to remember that!

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-003-x/2007001/figures/4129880-eng.htm

The link above will lead you to a graph from statistics Canada. This graph provides information of the aboriginal population in Canada for the years of 1996, 2001, and 2006. By looking at this graph we can come to the conclusion that the aboriginal population grows each year. Ironically the bigger it gets it seems to attract less and less media attention. This is a growing population people! We need to know more about them, we do live in the same country after all!

With proper media attention and coverage the struggles as well as joys of being an aboriginal will be heard. Our wicked stereotypes of the first nations people could have the chance to be corrected. We just need to know more! Perhaps the media feels like this issue is simply a lost cause and not worth the time to investigate. But I say it is! The aboriginal people started Canada lets give them the coverage they deserve!

What this blog is about...

We all want the truth, but the question is “are we really getting it?” The agenda setting process creates the list of “important events”. These are the events we will be informed about, think about and most importantly know the "truth" about. But what about all those left over stories? The ones that don’t go along with our morning coffee or seep into our brains as we sit in rush hour traffic. The little stories or maybe not-so-little stories need their recognition too. So that’s what I am going to do, I will give you the stories that the media doesn’t. I will be following this topic by being able to recognize things in society that are not on every other cover story or not what is being talked about at the water cooler. Also I will look into the one sided stories and bring you the other side. The stories that lie on the news room floor and never see their way onto the publishing desk will now be the winners! The little guys are finally making it big!