Old is New

No, that's not a definition from the Newspeak dictionary. It's a title for this post of my "homework" assignment from the Explore Animation class I'm participating in on-line through the National Film and Television School.

When the World Wide Web was new, getting movement on your website was only possible by using animated gifs (graphics interchange format). I created a lot of them in the 90s, and found it amusing when they started appearing again. I hadn't made one in years, but this homework assignment  seemed like a good opportunity to remember the old and make it new again. The task was to create an animated ball with a flip book. I didn't have the supplies I needed for that project, so I created this instead! It's not a masterpiece, but it was fun to figure out how to do it in the newest version Photoshop.

Why Am I Here?

I have given up on the idea of blogging. I am not a writer. I am a journal keeper. One does not beget the other.

I began The View from Kalamazoo in 2006 after great inspiration at the National Conference on Media Reform. I had hoped to bring attention to that issue through a blog that no one knows exists — ironic and very naive.

Irony too in how invisible I feel as a person nine years later. Maybe it's that I'm nine years older, but it feels more like me fading away to be replaced by everything new and exciting. And so it goes.

Summer in the Zoo

Flowers are blooming, cyclists are cycling, students are graduating, parades and festivals are only weeks away. The countdown to summer time in Kalamazoo has begun!

If you haven't taken advantage of all the great events that take place during the summer in our fair city, I encourage you to visit Downtown Kalamazoo, Inc. for a calendar. You might be surprised to see what you've been missing!

See you downtown!

Do-Dah Parade 2010

The Hermit is Back!

During a conversation about psychopaths last night, we were reminded of this great song by Eddie Vedder from the soundtrack of Into the Wild:

Society

hmmm ooh hooo hooo

It's a mistery to me
we have a greed
with which we have agreed

You think you have to want
more than you need
until you have it all you won't be free

society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me

When you want more than you have
you think you need
and when you think more than you want
your thoughts begin to bleed

I think I need to find a bigger place
'cos when you have more than you think
you need more space

society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me
society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me

there's those thinking more or less less is more
but if less is more how you're keeping score?
Means for every point you make
your level drops
kinda like its starting from the top
you can't do that...

society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me
society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me

society, have mercy on me
I hope you're not angry if I disagree
society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me

Idiot America

My blood pressure was given a good elevation this morning when I read this:

Fox News on top: Cable net celebrates 10 years at #1 in ratings

I do NOT recommend the article. It's just bullshit from Roger Ailes.

This is why American's are SO... uninformed! Worse — filled with misinformation that they repeat over and over again as if it was fact because (as my friends mother said) they "heard it on the news." What this network broadcasts is NOT NEWS! It's propaganda, pure and simple (see my post "Welcome Back Bill" about Canada and Fox). Pure lies and deliberate misinformation.

A great little independent film that shines a light on this fact and the problem of media in general is called Outfoxed. I highly recommend it for those who crave some explanation and find this headline as disturbing as I do!

Watch Outfoxed here for free!

Please! Then pass it on.

Only People are People

It's exciting to see the energy and support building around overturning Citizens United. I am now a volunteer in the fight.

Learn more by watching this great little video, then re-post as many places as possible. I do miss being on Facebook for this kind of thing. This blog gives me a way to "put stuff out there," but NO ONE reads it.

And, for more education on the subject of our broken democracy, don't forget to tune in Moyers & Co. tonight at 7:00 p.m.

Get Your Homework Done Today

It was good to hear NPR continuing to report on the "Stop Online Piracy Act" act today. Many sites will not be available tomorrow in protest. Hope it helps!

You can join the protest too. There are many groups organizing and asking you to call your government representatives. This is just one of them.