#27 Mirrors: Seeing Things From a Different Point of View

In 1999, Kim Peterson received a very important phone call. At the other end of the line was the Levy couple, the parents of the recently missing girl Chandra. Kim Peterson works for a corporation known as the Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation, a group that assists families (whose loved ones are missing or have been murdered) with controlling the media. Although the news crews appeared desperate for the story at first - Kim's phones rang nonstop; the Levy family was constantly flanked by security guards; and one cameraman tripped over a planter while walking backwards in an attempt to get a shot of the Levys walking to their car.  - after a while, they began to work together and help the family out. They shared camera shots so that the parents didn't have to tell their story more than once or twice or have to move to another location. According to Kim Peterson, the crews and reporters never argued over who got the first shot or the best location; they treated the Levys with great compassion both on and off camera. They may not have known exactly what the Levys were dealing with, but they handled their situation delicately. And then the rumors started up, claiming that Chandra Levy was in a secret relationship with Congressman Gary Condit. The reporters took a small break from being nice and, finding a picture of Chandra, a friend, and the congressman, they cut the friend out of the picture so that it looked like it was only a picture of Chandra and her supposed lover. This influenced the public, confusing them. They didn't know whether they were supposed to side with Chandra or not. And it just made it worse when the reporters came out with unconfirmed theories as to how and where Chandra had been killed and buried. It devastated the family every time they had to look up at the television screen and realize that the reporters could be right.

I was surprised to find that the reporters were at one point very considerate and kind to the Levy family. Few people in the media, it seems, take time out of their busy jobs to make sure they're not harming the people they're actually supposed to be helping. And then they just went and ruined it all by completely crushing the family. Their rumor-based stories are obnoxious. I do realize that the media believes they must do whatever it takes to get the story, but taking things out of context and without thought for the victim's family is completely inconsiderate.

The Chandra Levy Story
Chandra Levy Case Video link

#26 Racial Profiling?

Trayvon was only fourteen years old when he was stopped by a police officer and told to stand against the wall, arms over his head. Why was he stopped? The cop thought it was suspicious that the dark-skinned, young man was walking around with a hoodie over his head.

I think this is ridiculous. To have someone be stopped by a policeman just because he's black and is wearing a hood is racist. He or she hasn't done anything wrong, and the cop has no evidence that he's done anything wrong, so why was he asked to halt and place his hands above his head? It's a truly curious thing how some people can think that this is an okay thing to do.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/rookies/2012/mar/23/

#25 War Is Coming: Game of Thrones Cast Rallies for Battle on April 1

Article Link
Trailer Link


"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground." - Cersei Lannister


      Months have passed since season one ended for Game of Thrones, a collection of books brought to life by director David Benioff. The season closed with many surprises, most of them horrifying. The biggest shock to most viewers, however, was the execution of Lord Eddard Stark (Sean Bean), best friend and hand of the late king Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy). Many characters protested his death, even those who were responsible for his capture, such as Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), wife to the late king and lover to her twin brother, Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau).  But the new king, Cersei's son Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), was adamant, and the execution was followed through. Now the seven kingdoms of the Westeros are in a turmoil. The Lords of two kingdoms are dead by Cersei's hand. Two other kingdoms lack lords for unexplainable reasons. Two more kingdoms, run by a Khaleesi ("queen"), are determined to fight a war against the Baratheons and Lannisters. And the Lannisters themselves? They are backed by hundreds of thousands of soldiers that would give their lives in an instant for their Lady Cersei. Each kingdom is set to blame another for their own struggles, when the main cause of the collapse is one terrible decision made by the queen's twin brother, Jaime Lannister. And to make everything worse, Queen Cersei's son Joffrey is now on the throne, a boy perhaps more evil than even his mother.
      With season 2 of Game of Thrones set to begin on Sunday, April 1, millions of fans are waiting to see: what new characters will director David Benioff unveil? For those lucky enough to realize, pictures of the second season appeared online just a few days ago. Shall we begin?

Pictured here is Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), mere days after he is captured by the late Eddard Stark's wife, Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley).

Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), or "The Imp", the only Lannister who appears to be moral in what he fights for. 

The somewhat pretty but utterly evil Cersie Lannister (Lena Headey).

Khaleesi (Emilia Clarke), or Daenerys Targaryen, a young queen who had her own brother killed in order to gain more power.

Jon Snow (Kit Harington), the illegitamate son of the late Eddard Stark who spends his days as part of the Black Watch, a group of men who commit their lives to protect the realm.

 Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), daughter of the late Eddard Stark and betrothed to the young King Joffrey, the boy who had her own father executed. In her own way, Sansa had an unintentional part in Eddard's death.

Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen), a man who the late Eddard Stark had thought to be on his side but ended up turning against him. Petyr Baelish works for Cersei Lannister.

King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) himself. Son to Cersei Lannister and her brother Jaime, but thought to be the son of the late King Robert Baratheon, Cersei's husband. A cruel, vicious, and naive ruler, this little Lion accidentally causes a battle that changes the fate of hundreds of thousands of people.

Finally, this is the late Eddard Stark (Sean Bean), a man who placed honor over everything else... except for family. Belittling himself, Ned confessed to "crimes" that were pinned on him by Cersei Lannister in order that he might go free and save his daughters. Unbeknownst that he was actually an innocent man, King Joffrey ordered his execution anyway. Cersei protested, but it was no use. The ruling stood, and the sharp blade of the sword fell upon Lord Eddard Stark's neck.

I myself am a huge fan of Game of Thrones. Originally drawn in by Sean Bean's portrayal of Eddard Stark, I soon found myself attached to the other characters as well. There is no doubt in my mind that, since I don't own HBO, I will watch the season two episodes as soon as they arrive on DVD. 

#24 Freedom of Speech - Student Newspapers and Yearbooks

When creating an article for the school paper, some students may feel it is okay for them to write about a controversial topic, or include profanity in it. According to the case of Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier, which brought the topic of freedom of speech in high school writing to court. The Supreme Court eventually decided that it was not against students' rights for the school board to keep them from placing a certain article in the school paper. High schools, not colleges, are allowed to punish and/or censor their students. In another case, a college board was furious about the format that a student editor had used on their college's yearbook. The board confiscated the yearbooks, but the student editor and others argued that this was against their first amendment right of free speech. In a backlash, the board claimed that because the yearbook was on a non-public forum, they had the right to keep the students from distributing the yearbooks. This case was Student Government Ass’n v. Board of Trustees of the University of Massachusetts and it eventually was decided by the Supreme Court that the rules that applied in high schools did not apply in colleges. And so the college board was defeated by the student government.

Article Link

#23 Freedom of Speech - Student Newspapers and Yearbooks

When creating an article for the school paper, some students may feel it is okay for them to write about a controversial topic, or include profanity in it. According to the case of Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier, which brought the topic of freedom of speech in high school writing to court. The Supreme Court eventually decided that it was not against students' rights for the school board to keep them from placing a certain article in the school paper. High schools, not colleges, are allowed to punish and/or censor their students. In another case, a college board was furious about the format that a student editor had used on their college's yearbook. The board confiscated the yearbooks, but the student editor and others argued that this was against their first amendment right of free speech. In a backlash, the board claimed that because the yearbook was on a non-public forum, they had the right to keep the students from distributing the yearbooks. This case was Student Government Ass’n v. Board of Trustees of the University of Massachusetts and it eventually was decided by the Supreme Court that the rules that applied in high schools did not apply in colleges. And so the college board was defeated by the student government.

#22 New Star Trek Villain and Never-Before-Seen Dark Knight Rises Footage

Recently, E! Online has announced the online appearance of two interesting movie clips and snapshots. First, there's Star Trek 2. The untitled sequel to the J.J. Abrams success was filming on February 24, and E! was able to capture a picture of the newest villain on set. Rumored to be portraying superhuman Khan (who was previously depicted by Ricardo Montalban) is Benedict Cumberbatch, star of films such as War Horse and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. In the picture below, his character is howling in pain due to the Vulcan nerve hold that Spock appears to have on him.

Next we have something a bit more juvenile, but just as, if not more interesting. In celebration of The Dark Knight Rises (appears in theaters Summer 2012), a montage artist made a parody that combined The Lion King and The Dark Knight Rises. The result is incredible. If you haven't already seen The Dark Knight Rises trailer, you won't understand the montage, so make sure you watch that first.

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

Lion King/Dark Knight Rises Montage Link

Being the self-proclaimed trekkie I am, it is no surprise that the new Star Trek snapshots caught my attention. I have seen the older movies, one of which starred Ricardo Montalban as Khan, James T. Kirk's superhuman prisoner. This especially excites me because Khan has always been my favorite Star Trek villain, and to have a younger version of him be portrayed in the upcoming Star Trek film would be fantastic. 

In reference to The Lion King montage, I was wowed by how professional the trailer seemed. The mouths, actions, and places each matched up with The Dark Rises trailer in such a precise way that it seemed almost eerie. But hey, Disney did say that they hide small hints of other films in their movies. But who would've thought that their Lion King could be made into The Dark Knight Rises?

New Star Trek Villain Revealed link
Never Before Seen Dark Knight Rises Footage link

#18 Awake Sneak Peek: Jason Isaacs Gets a Reality Check

A new drama is joining the television show lineup on NBC. Titled 'Awake', this series tells the story of police detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs) after he and he wife and child were involved in a horrendous car crash. Britten is immensely shaken by this terrifying incident, and so horror-struck is he that he starts to reside in two different realities. In one, his wife survived the crash. In the other, it was his son who survived. To make everything worse, Michael sees a therapist in each reality and both are attempting to convince him that the reality he's in is the "real" one. It makes a person wonder, what is really going on in Michael Britten's mind? Which is the "real" reality?

Awake Trailer

Article Link

Personally, I've always been a fan of Jason Isaacs. The first movie I saw him in was The Patriot, and no one could've played a better Colonel Tavington than him. The possibility of this type of television show excites me. It being so mysterious, my mind has been provoked, and now I really want to know what it's all about.

Jason Isaacs (right) as Colonel Tavington in The Patriot.