Ravings from a Media Madman

Awake again?

2011-03-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

It's 3:13 a.m. Friday, March 18 and I am wide awake.
I did yard work most of the day, cleaning up piles and piles of leaves. I actually hired someone to do the work last October and am still waiting for them to show up.
I also finally got the nets off my koi pond, just in time for spring. My body aches something awful. A great way to enjoy spring break, right?
I even took a sleeping pill and cannot sleep. If there are many typos in this, please excuse them. I am hoping that trying to write will make me tired enough to sleep. So far, that hasn't worked.
Spring break is almost over and I haven't accomplished much that I had planned. I do finally have my tax information compiled so I can file. I am hoping I won't have to pay either the state or federal government.
I am all for a simplified tax system.
I was once told about a new system under consideration by the government. There would be one question and one line of instruction.
The question? How much money did you make last year?
The instruction? Send it in.
That really isn't funny, but at now 3:20 a.m., what could you expect?

Lady Gaga? Take me back to the 1980s

2011-03-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

My daughter phoned us just a few minutes ago. Seems she is in Louisville at a Lady Gaga concert.
I know nothing about Lady Gaga other than the fact her taste in fashion is unique to say the least.
It's interesting, though, that while daughter Calen called, I was watching TV (no big news there) and listening to a promotion of a Time-Life collection of music from the 1980s.
I remember almost all of the songs and was able to sing along. It's good you couldn't hear that. I wouldn't last two seconds on American Idol.
My wife says my memory isn't what it once was. That may be true, but man could I still remember some of those songs!! I also remember what I was doing when listening to some of those tunes for the first time!
(I promise you, it really wasn't that bad).
The songs, though, did bring back many memories. And I can see myself cruising down the highway while listening to those songs.
I can't imagine under what conditions I would be listening to Lady Gaga while driving.

Wow! It is 2011 already? Let's stop some of the hate

2011-01-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

Time flies as someone once said. I turned 58 last month. It is snowing and classes will begin soon.
Before you know it, I will be back in the classroom with plenty to talk about. I'm teaching, among other things, mass media ethics this semester.
Some in the federal government are talking about a law that would make it illegal to say bad things about federal officials. Many have already opposed it, citing First Amendment issues.
I am going to have to take the side of the First Amendment defenders. But I also agree that those of us who call this planet home, need to find a way to dial down the rhetoric. People are angry for many reasons, the economy perhaps the most, and words that are said in haste only adds fuel to the fire.
We need a little common sense and respect for one another in our discussions. I have friends who are Democrats, friends who are Republicans and friends who are probably something else.
We can discuss issues without pulling guns or resulting to physical violence.
My profession has undergone much change in recent years and probably will continue to do so in the years to come. That's because any of us with a computer or smart phone can post whatever we want, whenever we want, on the Internet.
I even have a smart phone now and am texting. Two months ago I would have told you that would never happen. I did not get an iPhone though I am an Apple fan. I am waiting until my current provider can offer me one. It is an Android phone.
Back to the point.
Twitter, Facebook and all such sites are where most of us get "news" today. And some of what you will read is little more than pure hate.
We need good journalists more than ever today.
Topix is a good example of what I am talking about. The idea to communicate with each other through Topix is appealing and, in theory, a great idea. But Topix is full of so much trash and libel that it is, in my opinion, worthless.
Many organizations that preach hate had almost disappeared until the Internet allowed haters from the far corners of the world to easily unite.
Do we ban all communication because there are a few nuts out there?
No, but we do need to consider consequences of our actions.
We all need to think about what we say and what we post. Though the Internet we can all communicate quickly. That's good. But anything that is inaccurate or hurtful is as permanent as the worthwhile stuff.
We need to remember that.

Where does the time go revisited

2010-10-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

I had hoped to write more. It hasn't happened. Life has just been too busy lately.
Next Saturday, Oct. 23, is the annual Homecoming Car Show at Campbellsville University. I literally began planning for it almost a year ago after the 2009 version was over.
All of the awards are in place, all of the promotion has been done and I am now hoping for good weather, though we really do need some rain.
I am amazed at how quickly October has arrived, especially since I still have a few odds and ends to do in preparation for the car show.
I've also had the flu or something close to it. I got a flu shot in anticipation of not getting sick this flu season. I got the shot on a Tuesday morning, not quite two weeks ago, and by afternoon I was sick with chills, leg aches and the works.
My doctor told me to NEVER get a flu shot again.
I feel better, but not 100 percent. I am congested and at times still feel kind of miserable. I must shake it, though, because there's too much to do for classes, at home and the upcoming show.

Where does the time go?

2010-08-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

Years ago I wrote a weekly column and loved it. In fact when I left the newspaper business and became a full-time professor, part of me still wanted to write columns.

Blogging seemed to be a good way to voice my opinions and satisfy that part of me that wanted to write and be heard. Somehow, though, I have gotten out of he habit of writing on a regular basis.

There always seems to be something else to do.

I now have and iPad and love it. I use it each and every day, up for four hours at a time. Yes, I am addicted.

My search for the perfect iPad case has been interesting. I finally have a case made by Waterfield Designs in California (Sfbags.com) that seems to work fairly well. It is great for carrying the iPad and accessories. I still need a case, though, for the iPad itself.

The Apple case works fine, but the materials feel funny to me and it gets dirty quickly.

I have much to say but little time at the moment to write.

School is back in session. Paperwork is due. I am reading textbooks, refreshing myself on various aspects of my courses and doing my best to keep students interested.

The Mass Communication program at Campbellsville University is also undergoing some changes.

Life is busy. I plan to write more and soon.

Let's see if that really happens.

I'm getting too old for this

2010-03-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

This blog is called ravings from a media madman for a reason, I suppose. It's a place for me to complain about technology and other things that bother me. Perhaps I am just getting to old to understand all of these gadgets most people take for granted.
I have been using a Flip Video Camera for the last few days. Officially I am getting to know the ins and outs of the camera so once my students begin using them I can answer questions they might have.
Unofficially, I am having a blast playing with the camera.
The software, though, is becoming a bit of a pain. Just figuring out how to save a video in the proper spot was a bit of a challenge. Uploading videos to YouTube and e-mailing them are relatively easy.
Posting the videos on my Web site is another matter. I have chatted with tech people until I am almost blue in the face and my videos still do not show up the way they are supposed to when I add content to my site. In fact, they don't show up at all.
I am settled for posting links to YouTube where they work just fine.
The videos are in the proper format. They work just fine everywhere except my Web site. I can't figure it out. I really can't.
So, for now, it is back to playing with the camera before I turn it over to my students. Maybe they can show me why the videos won't post on my site.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

2010-03-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

Actually, the hair was gone yesterday.
Yes, I am now bald. My head itches and I don't recognize the man in the mirror. It was all for a good cause, though, as several donors sponsored me to have my head shaved with all the money going to St. Baldrick's and to find a cure for childhood cancer.
You can still donate. Just go to Stbaldricks.org and search for an event. Type in either Campbellsville, Campbellsville University or 42718 and you will soon find the proper event.
There is also a video on YouTube showing me losing my hair as well as several others.
You can go to my wife's Web site, joanmckinneyphotography.com, and under photographs find links to two different videos.
They were both taken with a new Flip video camera my students will soon be using to post to the Web. Things have certainly changed since I was in college.
Anyway, I'm bald, I'm older and I am glad it is spring break.

I have pre-ordered an ipad

2010-03-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

OK. I did it. I pre-ordered an iPad. I went with the 3G model and the largest amount of memory available.
I also ordered a keyboard docking station and an Apple case. Of course, an extended warranty, an Apple Care plan, was necessary.
Let's just say that my last notebook computer didn't cost much more.
I just got a notice from Apple that my order for the protection plan has been canceled because my home state (Kentucky) has as of yet not approved its sale.
I assume that will change as a delivery date approaches.
Since I do not have an iPhone or a fancy cell phone with a data plan, I decided to pass on the wi fi version of the iPad that will be released on April 3. That means waiting a while to play with this new device, but the 3G will permit me to cruise the web anywhere I wish using a relatively cheap data plan.
I can hardly wait to cruise the web while in the middle of nowhere. (Yes, I really need to be able to do that. Read sarcasm).
Yes, I am a gadget freak. Today at my office I received five new Flip Video cameras. I was like a kid at Christmas though they are intended for student use. I will have to play with them, only to learn how they work so I can assist students. Right? The camera is simple to use and easily imports video to a computer through a built in USB port.
So far I am impressed.
I only hope the iPad will please me as much. It doesn't have a USB port, though, so I will have to get a bit creative to mate the Flip Camera and the iPad.
I've got about six weeks to figure out how to do that. It's going to be like Christmas in late April
I can hardly wait.

I'm going to be taking it all off

2010-03-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

Before anyone gets greatly concerned, I'm not planning to do anything obscene. On Saturday, March 13, I will be getting an ultimate haircut just like the one I had a year earlier.
Seriously, I am a shavee in the St. Baldrick's fund raising event set for Campbellsville University.
How do you raise money by having your head shaved? That's a question someone asked me just a couple of days ago.
You raise money by securing donors.
Let me be the first to admit that I am a terrible fundraiser. I just don't like asking people for money. That may have something to do with the fact that I was a practicing journalist for many years.
So far my fund raising total isn't exactly breaking any records. As of Thursday, March 4, my donations totaled $10. Please, won' t someone donate to the cause?
The cause, in case you didn't know, is a good one. The money goes toward research to find a cure for childhood cancer. Any cancer cure will be a blessing. I am also hopeful that if we can cure one form, cures for others will soon follow.
My mother died a little more than three years ago from cancer. The hurt of her death is still with me each and every day.
Last year I had my head shaved for the first time to raise money for cancer. I did that in my mother's honor. I am doing it again this year in her honor and memory. I plan to keep doing it, as long as I have hair that can be cut, until I die or a cure for cancer is found.
I remember taking my mother to the Brown Cancer Center in Louisville for radiation treatments. There were so many people of all ages there being treated for cancer. I often wonder what happened to all of those people. Did they win their battles or did they lose their fights with cancer?
As we all know, cancer treatments can cause patients to lose their hair. The idea behind St. Baldrick's is to shave our heads with pride and in honor of those who lose their hair because of cancer treatments.
Some of my students last year were a bit shocked to see me without hair. This year I have encouraged a couple of them to also have their heads shaved.
I just wish we could raise more money.
Please give if you possibly can. Donations may be made on line at stbaldrick's.org or may be given to any participant. Donations may also be made at the event which will be most of the day in the gym on campus.
Let's all take it off and help make cancer a thing of the past.

Going to the extreme

2010-02-28T13:16:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I purchased a new computer. It is a wonderful device, 27-inch screen, Magic Mouse, wireless keyboard and the works.
The screen is larger than most of the televisions I have owned over the years. It is actually so large that viewing text, photos and the like on such a large monitor has taken some getting used to, but I have managed.
In short, I love the new computer and really love the Magic Mouse. The tiny Apple keyboard, though, is a bit awkward to use.
Technology somehow seems to always find a way to bite me.
I use QuarkXPress quite a bit to lay out newspaper and other pages. I was able to get a copy of the newest version of the software and it loaded quickly. Problem is, it would not work. Turns out there is a compatibility problem. I had to download an update to cure that problem.
That download took an hour and a half.
Time to look at my DSL connection.
It turns out faster DSL and unlimited long distance was available for less than I was already paying per month. So I signed on the dotted line.
My wireless router, however, was not up to the job. It was several years old and, like me, has seen some better days.
I looked at many routers and decided on Airport Extreme from Apple.
Fed Ex had it to my house in just a couple of days.
Within a few minutes I had it out of the box and a password-protected network up and running. I am not a computer geek and consider that somewhat of a minor miracle.
Let me knock on wood. Everything seems to be working OK.
I just haven't had the courage yet to try my printer on the new computer. I have read that it should be compatible though a download may be needed.
I think I will tackle that another day.

Why does saving money always cost more in the end?

2010-02-17T12:58:00.000-08:00

Just the other day I got a copy of an advertising text in the mail. It is an updated version of a book I have used for years.

I was surprised to find 775 pages punched for a binder and no cover. The "book" was wrapped in plastic and ready for me to supply my own binder.

I e-mailed the publisher, McGraw-Hill, to ask what was up about the new book. I was told that all copies of the book, for students and faculty, are now being published that way to save money. Now get this, the coverless copy will"net" for $81, according to the McGraw-Hill rep. The former edition of the book, with a hard cover, had a "net" of $145.50.

As an author who has written four books, I know a little about publishing. After writing my first book, I formed my own publishing company to save money on printing costs. Every printer I have used can supply hard covers for $10 to $12 per book.

Here is the real kicker, though. The McGraw-Hill rep told me that the whole purpose of the change was to save students' money by offering a book with no cover.

The campus bookstore will not buy that book back at the end of the semester.

Why?

Will some of those 775 pages students must supply a binder for after spending $81, become damaged, soiled or lost during the course of a semester? It is possible, perhaps even likely.

I also cannot imagine that someone in the bookstore would spend the time necessary to look through all 775 pages to be certain they are there before buying the book back.

Simple fact is that books without covers will mean an end to used books. Students may pay less for the new book but they won't be able to sell it back for any price.

Will that be a net savings for students? I seriously doubt it.

Another colleague of mine has predicted the end of all books within the next five years or so.

A downloadable version of these 775 pages should be much cheaper than $81. Slap that onto an iPad and we would all be set for class.

I really have to wonder, though, why a basic book on advertising requires 775 pages.

Maybe the attention span of students is longer than I thought.

Let me begin at the beginning

2010-02-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

As a university professor who spent more than 25 years in the newspaper business, all this blogging, twittering and Facebook stuff has me somewhat confused.
Part of me would like to move out in the woods away from electricity and the internet. Yet I am already requested to be notified when Apple is actually selling the ipad.
I embrace changing technology on one hand and yet on the other hand worry about how it is changing our world. Many tell me printed books, newspapers and magazines will disappear. I would like to think they will not. Time will tell.
I believe that the need for facts, the truth, is as great as ever. So that part of journalism will not change. The delivery system likely will.
I am trying to learn all I can about this brave new media world.
This blog is part of that adventure.