MoZ - Brüno meets Ron Paul

I couldn't wait for this day to come. Since I watched ''Ali G.'' many years ago, I have regularly following Sacha Baron Cohen's appearances on TV. Three years ago it was ''Borat'' that on the one hand offended but on the other hand made people laugh so badly and finally since, last Thursday, ''Brüno'' is in the movies. After about 3/4 th of the film Ron Paul was in the center of the action...Ron Paul? YES, ''our'' Ron Paul. Ron Paul, the Republican Congressman. Brüno who pretends to be an Austrian fashion journalist asked Ron Paul for an interview on Austrian economy. Believing this, Paul agreed and met Brüno. Being in Brüno's hotelroom the ''interview'' started. And as you can all guess, it was not the kind of interview Ron Paul expected. I will briefly describe what happened because the movie was unfortunately removed from youtube :(
Brüno offered Paul something to drink and eat...then ''worked out'' a bit his butt facing Paul's direction....then he took off his pants and stood in front of Ron Paul trying to seduce him... Paul freaked out and left the room shouting that Brüno was gay...
Brüno's intention was to confront an anti-gay politician with his pretended homosexuality. Brüno reached his goal...as said before, Ron Paul freaked out! Mission accomplished! ;)

My question to you folks is: Was the way Cohen critizised Paul OK or did he go too far?
I think that the way Cohen did it was OK, OK and again OK!

Watch Paul's comment on his very short appearance on ''Brüno''


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

Have a good day,
Sebastian

Response to Trippi's ''Afterword''

Hey readers,
well, honestly I was not very surprised when I read Trippi's ''Afterword'' because I actually noticed the change and the snowballing importance of the internet. The older I got the more the internet was around me. One could have not not realized the changes.
Trippi...I admire him...he did so much for Dean. He pretty much lived for the campaign. The unfortunate thing is that the entire internet and blogging thing started to develop when Trippi was involved in the Dean campaign. If Trippi had had more possibilities in terms of new media tools he and especially Dean could have made it further. Right, there were things like DeanTV, a pre-youtube format, and it in fact did reach a, for 2004, broad audience due to Trippi's brilliancy. But there were still not that many internet users which Trippi would have needed.
I am of the opinion that if Trippi had decided to run the 2008 elections he would have succeeded. The mix of his genius and the large number of new media tools would have enabled him to really hit it big!

Sebastian

Moment of Zen - Mrs. Makeyeva's absence

Tuesday, July 23rd, 8.25...I was present! 5 minutes later we were joking about that Mrs. Makeyeva wouldn't come...10 minutes later we were seriously wondering...was the train late again? 15 minutes later....we all decided to leave...wow, that's what I call working coherence ;)
I could have slept in! I really needed this extra hour of sleep;) but don't worry Mrs. Makeyeva, it could have happened to anyone of us...how often have students been late...uncountable times!

Again, don't worry :)

Sebastian

Minute on the US Voting System

Good afternoon, readers!

Yeeeeah, it's America's birthday again this week...1776 - 2009. Wow, 233 years of ''liberty and justice for all''. Indeed, liberty and justice are foundation plliars of democrazy! But how come America dares to speak of democrazy if they do not even have a voting system that is entirely democratic??? My point simply is the following: The candidate with the majority of votes does not necessarily become the US President. This is due to the electors or electoral college. I do not have to go further into detail because you all know what I am talking about since we dealt with this topic in class. In 2004 G.W.B. did not get the majority of votes but still became President. This anew brought up the question whether America has an entirely democratic voting system or not because according to the definition and Greek heritage of the word ''democrazy'' it's the PEOPLE who decide about the president! Ain't it more ''demo - CRAZY'' ???

Well, let me know what you think about it?
Don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Cheerio,
Sebastian

Moment of Zen - McCain on Obama

Surfing through the internet I found an interesting article...well, the content was not really interersting but the headline caught my attention: ''McCain compliments Obama on his administration of the first 5 months''. McCain says that Obama did a good job in terms of legislative initiatives. Since he used to be his opponent he, of course, not only said good stuff about him and his policy. Thus he critiques his Guantanamo policy. But nevertheless, when reading this article I was wondering WHY McCain openly spoke positively about Obama. I did not really get it. What did McCain try to intent with that? Was it meant honestly or did he like the majority of politicians just say it in order to gain positive PR - just to put himself back in the focus of the press? The question I asked myself is if high ranked politicians CAN be truthful at all or do they just think about themselves and their career when making positive statements about their political opponents...? Do they really think about the people's good anymore or are they so power - obsessed that they totally forgot about WHY they once decided to become politicians...the will and desire to improve things..well, at least that should be the reason for becoming a politician...
Think about it guys and post your opinion.

Later,
Sebastian

source: www.yahoo.de

Importance of social networks

Hey guys,

this blog entry will be about the importance of social networks. In order to emphasise the significance of social networks I would like to bring up the current situation in Iran. The Irani government is prohibiting any Western news coverage because it does not want the truth about the elections to be revealed. Therefore many young Iranis are filming the demonstrations against the election result in order to have a proof for the enourmously high number of people participating and to show the riots which are also part of the demonstrations. These videos are uploaded on Facebook, Twitter or other social networks. This way the videos are spreading all over the world and other countries see what is really going on in Iran. Iran has a very young population with an age average of 25.8 years. 70 % are under 30. This is an indicator for the high usage of the internet and the mentioned social networks. These networks help a lot and may hopefully soon play a very important role for a political recommencement in Iran!

Check out this vid to get an impression of what I was just talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaWqf6Upd78

Catch you all later,
Sebastian

--> in case of having already read this blog entry I am providing you with some new material that I just found on the internet....it's an article about a shocking video illustrating the resistance of the Iranians...http://de.news.yahoo.com/26/20090622/tpl-neda-gibt-widerstand-im-iran-traurig-4860fce.html


source:
www.rtl2.de

''You can see Russia from Alaska''

Hey mates,
I just got back from playing tennis and I again hurt my back...it hurts sooo badly...anyways, I wanna share something about Sarah ''The Hockeymom'' Palin with you guys. I ellaborated a little bit on her appearance on www.youtube.com and talked to an American citizen about her reputation in the ''land of the free and the home of the brave''. Not that I didn't already know but Palin is very very unpopular in the States. She is considered as dumb by many American citizens. They do not think that she is/was the right person for the job of the Vice President of the most powerful and only remaining super - power in the world! People actually feared the fact that she could have become President one day because John McCain, no offense, is not a spring chicken anymore. A few weeks before the elections actor Matt Damon said in an interview that ''she would have the nuclear codes''. Right, opinions of actors towards politics can be seen in various ways, but nevertheless he representatively spoke for the majority of the Americans. His opinion is reflected and confirmed in the pole - numbers. Another indicator for Miss ''You can see Russia from Alaska'' 's bad reputation is that most of the search results on youtube when searching for ''Sarah Palin'' were either parodies or comedians and showmasters making fun of her. She is actually one main reason why John McCain and the Republicans lost the elections.

Post your opinion on Sarah Palin and let me know what you think about her.

Check out the following link to see Matt Damon roasting Sarah Palin:

...nope, I'm sorry folks but I cannot give you the link for this vid because youtube is down for maintenance at the moment...actually the first time I am told :D...well, just type in ''Matt Damon Sarah Palin'' and you will find the video :)

Have a good night,
Sebastian

Can the American - Iranian relations be appeased with some hotdogs?

When the diplomatic relations between the US and Iran broke up back in 1980 Iranian diplomats were no longer invited to the anual embassy greetings taking place on 4th of July. Now, that Barack Obama gave an overwhelming speech in Egypt ''winning the hearts of the majority of the Muslims'', the US Foreign Office decided to renew the relations by putting Irani diplomats back on the greeting list for the anual ''hotdog - parties''. Whereas political topics are discussed with diplomats from other countries, the US government calls out the order NOT to become politically with their Iranian colleagues. The US Foreign Office speaker, Robert Wood, said that this is a ''symbolic step'' and that it ''corresponds to their ( American ) policy to seek exchange with the Iranian government''.
I was wondering whether this will improve the American - Irani relations....because what made the relations break up back in 1980 was extremely severe. After radical Muslims brought back Ayatholla from his exile in France in1979 Iran became a Muslim theocracy under his governance. Ayatholla followed a very anti - Western and especially anti - American policy. This policy reached its peak in 1980 when radical Iranians occupied the US embassy in Teheran and kept hostages. This changed the relations strongly.

My question to you is: Do you think that an invitation to a ''hotdog party'' can appease the US - Irani relations?

Feel free to comment on this entry posting your opinion.

Sebastian

Sources:

http://de.news.yahoo.com/2/20090602/tpl-usa-locken-iran-mit-hotdog-diplomati-ee974b3.html

http://www.weltpolitik.net/Regionen/Naher%20u.%20Mittlerer%20Osten/Iran/Grundlagen/Die%20Beziehungen%20der%20USA%20zum%20Iran.html

Abortionist killed in church

Dear Readers,
I am not going to write down any details about the title of this blog - entry because I accidentally deleted my almost finished entry :( . But I can tell you that I was very shocked when I had to find out what happened in America yesterday. I also see a big paradoxy in it, i.e. killing a human being although one is against someone who, according to anti-abortionists, kills human beings. If you feel like reading the latest news just click on the following links:


http://de.news.yahoo.com/2/20090601/tts-prominenter-abtreibungsarzt-tiller-i-c1b2fc3.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090601/ap_on_re_us/us_tiller_shooting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tiller


My question to you is: In how far is vigilantism acceptable?

Let me put a quote by Obama at the end of this entry that I totally agree with:

"Ganz gleich wie groß die Differenzen der Amerikaner bei so schwierigen Themen wie Abtreibungen sein mögen, sie können nicht durch abscheuliche Gewalttaten gelöst werden."


Sebastian

''Vote or Die''

Buena Sera Amici,
today's Moment of Zen will be about the fact that many people do not vote! The reason why I am coming up with this topic simply is that there will be three elections - very importantn ones - here in Germany coming up in the next few months. I don't wanna talk around the matter...so GO VOTE!!! As I said at the beginning many people do not make use of their right to vote...a very important right...a right many people fought and died for....the main abutment of democracy. C'mon guys...I don't wanna hear things like: ''Ahhh, I'm not voting because all the politicians are telling lies and are jerks'' Yes, it might be true that some, no many politicians are lying and jerks...but nevertheless GO VOTE! You might think if you don't give your voice it won't mind because it's just 1 voice! But the problem is that millions think this way. This makes it possible for radical right-winged parties to achieve a ridiculously high percentage of voters. A couple of years ago it happened that in the German state of Saxony the very right - winged party ''NPD'' got more than 5 percent and became thus part of the senat. Ok, let's be serious on this...they do not have any influence on politics with 5 point something percent...but if more and more people refuse to vote the ''power'' of such parties will increase because young voters are often convinced to vote radically by right - winged party - members. Listen folks, there will be three elections coming up this summer and fall...make your cross or to say it with P.Diddy's words: ''Vote or Die''...don't be too serious with that quote though ;).

Catch you all next week,
Sebastian

Moment of Zen - Television

Hey guys, it's me again...sorry to beg for your attention...I know you hoped to be left alone for a week but that's the way the cookie crumbles ;).

In the following blog entry I will be covering 3 questions that I was given after Lena and me presented our summary on ''Television''. My answers will be connecting the following questions.

The questions are:

1. Is TV really an ’’information – medium’’? Isn’t it more entertainment?
2. Does TV replace newspapers/magazines/books today?
3. Would people go mad if TV didn’t exist anymore? ( just in case…:) )

My following statement might not correspond with your views because it's MY personal opinion:

I think one can say that TV is an entertaining information - medium! The moving images make it possible for us to absorb information without pushing ourselves. It is a lot easier to recieve information this way. The moving pictures and the comments on the pictures contain a certain entertainment - factor. That is why, in my view, TV will replace other mediums such as newspapers or magazines... many people just like to relax after a hard day at work and turn on the TV to get the latest news. Imagine TV wouldn't exist any more...YES, people would go mad because television has become part of people's lives...it is everywhere...I personally could not imagine living without TV because it has become of great importance to me...and not just because of the Simpsons and Family Guy ;)

cu,
Sebastian

Heartfelt apology by the author himself

Hey mates,

I regretfully made a major mistake in my presentation on television concerning music history...I told you guys that the song ''Video killed the Radio Star'' was by Queen. At home I looked through the questions I was given by you. Someone told me that ''Radio Gaga'' was by Queen but not ''Video killed the Radio Star''. That is in fact true! The person who told me that - let's call him Mr. or Mrs. X ;) - wanted to know who the actual artist of the song was. Therefore I would like to correct myself saying that ''Video killed the Radio Star'' is by The Buggles, a British New Wave band founded in the late 70's.
Again, sorry guys for this inexcuseable mistake ;)

Click the following link if you want to check out the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWtHEmVjVw8

Catch you next week,
Sebastian

source: www.wikipedia.org

CIA under fire!

Howdy fellas,
my second blog and Moment of Zen will be about the horrible tortures of terror - suspects by CIA agents. The CIA, also known as '' Cannabis Inhalers Association '' jk ;) , Central Intelligence Agency, is accused to have tortured allegedly radical Al - Quaida terrorists for 11 days under the Bush- government. According to Barack Obama the information the suspects gave under the tortures will not be valid at court. Also does he want to close Guantanamo, the prison where the mentioned suspects and other felons are detained. But nevertheless: Is it really admissible to abuse his or her authority just in order to get information from SUSPECTS??? It was and still is not proven if they were really involved in terroristical acts against the Western world...or any country in the world...

SO: Make up your mind, guys! What do you think about the latest news? Are tortures any good at all? Are the methods too blatant? Again, feel free to post a comment on this entry...

Talk to you next week,
Sebastian

sources: www.yahoo.de

Air Force One over Manhattan

Hola out there,

this is my very first blog entry ever! So please be gentle ;)

This entry also covers my Moment of Zen. Here it is:

Last week Barack Obama's aircraft, aka Air Force One ( AFO ), was sighted over Lower Manhattan. It was accompanied by two fighter jets of the US Army. The fact that the AFO was chased after by two jets and that it flew extremely close over the skyscrapers made many New Yorkers think back of the 9/11 attacks. It luckily ''just'' turned out to be a photo - session.....RIDICULOUS! The population did not get informed about this event. The only ones who knew about it was the NYPD, some D.C. politicians and the White House Military Office Director, Caldera. Obama had no clue what was going to happen. This lack of information, in my view, is totally inadmissible!!! But anyways, that's not what I'm aiming at in this entry. What I am really concerned about is the question: How could one have not ''warned'' them. People saw the Twin Towers collapse...they saw people die and suffer in the ruins. Why wouldn't the ones in charge not simply tell the people...?

Well, nothing happened but don't they bear a certain responsibility over the people who are still traumatized by the attacks 8 years ago???

Check out the following link for a video showing the AFO flying close over the skyline:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU5W3dKCQek

Feel free to comment on my entry...what do you think about what happened in NYC?

Sebastian