Me, Myself, & I

[bribinion-blog]

Dr. Spencer Reid

In the television show, Criminal Minds, Dr. Spencer Reid plays a Supervisory Special Agent with the BAU. Dr. Reid is a socially awkward, genius. He is able to remember key historical facts and details that help his team analyze symbolic clues. For example, in “Aftermath”, Reid seems to be the only team member who notices Elle’s odd behavior, and confronts her; he gets her to open up to him but it does not stop her from spiraling out of control. Dr. Reid’s life and career is far from normal. From his action packed career to his mentally ill mother, Reid has very eventful days. This is a poem written from Dr. Reid’s perspective:

My name is Dr. Spencer Reid,

I do good deeds for those in need.

I am very intelligent, have three Ph.D.’s,

you probably didn’t know that about me.

But my life is quite unusual,

The crime senses I see are very visual.

I analyze the crime scene and people’s mind,

Sometimes the unsub has DNA and clues that they leave behind.

I enjoy reading all types of books,

They help me catch the crooks.

As you can tell my career is far from normal,

My personal life is even more abnormal.

I can be awkward at times,

I have trouble fitting in with the society norms oftentimes.

My mother is schizophrenic,

I am worried because I was told it is genetic.

I want to help her get better,

There are many medications that I have to get her.

The medication doesn’t seem to help her at all,

Thinking of her condition makes me sad and want to bawl.

All in all my life may not be perfect,

But I would never trade it.

A Supervisory Special Agent has many ethical rules that they must follow. Ethical dilemmas is an issue in the professional field that we have discussed. Dr. Reid and his team have been in numerous ethical dilemmas throughout the seasons. It is important to deal with ethical dilemmas in a professional way.  

[megstechwritingblog]

I really liked your poem! I thought it was very creative and fits the character well.  I was also impressed at how you managed to make the words rhyme.  It was interesting to see how you incorporated themes for the course like ethical dilemmas into your poem. Nice work!

[chiggylodha-blog]

This was a great poem! It is interesting to see that even despite ethical guidelines in our society, especially the workplace, it is still quite difficult to make decisions. Sometimes, what we think is ethically correct may be contrary to our morals. It is somewhat paradoxical to think that ethical guidelines that are there to help us make decisions, end up making decisions harder sometimes.

[gr00k-blog]

I really enjoyed your poem it was fun to read and had a powerful message. The ethical decisions that we make everyday are difficult and our choices are not always perfect. It was interesting  and thought provoking, well done!

[ferncamachoblog-blog]

Barry B. Benson

Poem:

I love to make honey,

I’m not in it for the money.

You humans don’t treat us right,

And for that I had to fight.

I fought to get it all our honey back,

Not realizing I put the ecosystem under attack.

Now I know if we all work together,

We’ll make the ecosystem much better.

I chose the character Barry B. Benson from The Bee Movie, because as a Food and Resource Economics major it was quite difficult to chose a film character that embodies this. However, Barry along with his film cover a lot of the issues that occur in not only the Food and Resource Economics industry, but also agricultural issues which fall under my college the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Barry was so infuriated when he first found out that humans are taking all of the honey from bees to resell at local grocery stores and super markets. He spent his time throughout the movie with Vanessa Bloome, a local florist, and together they fought to return all honey back to the bees. However, they did not predetermine the dangers it would cause to the ecosystem. As they took all the honey, bees no longer needed to pollinate flowers and all the plants and fruits no longer grew. This goes to show the importance that we play in agriculture. By using these natural resources as human we are able to keep the ecosystem going. However, we must use them in moderation any surplus or shortage of resources can cause short run or long run problems in the future. From an economist point of view, it is easy to take as many resources needed from the quantity demanded from consumers. However, this movie sends an important message that bees are endangered so we must take into account ecofriendly methods of breeding bees and acquiring the honey in the most humane possible way. One of the big themes we covered in class is ethical dilemmas. I chose Barry B. Benson because I think he is one of the greatest film characters to portray environmental ethical issues that us as humans can cause. He really puts us in the eyes of a small creature and goes to show what we do to them, such as killing bees through pollution or acquiring their honey and then killing them with toxic sprays.

[bribinion-blog]

I really like your poem. It shows the ethical dilemma that Barry B. Benson deals with in the movie. He wanted to protect the bee community but ended up hurting the ecosystem. He had to make a tough decision to save the ecosystem.  

[gr00k-blog]

I want to say I loved the poem and it was a really cool choice. The dilemma that you outlined in the post. Barry must choose between the ethical choice that the bees deserve the honey they need and the selfless choice where they give up their honey but in doing so save the plants or in this case the flowers. He made a tough choice but I believe it to be the right one. 

[sedagrrl]

Elderberries Podcast Link

https://soundcloud.com/user-101406347

@gittastuff, @evanwlove, @gr00k

[gr00k-blog]

Good Morning Vietnam -DJ

The film character I will be doing this assignment for is Adrian Cronauer, who was portrayed by an always beloved and extremely talented actor, the late Robbin Williams. The largest theme of the movie I chose, Good Morning Vietnam, was how a spunky and fun loving radio DJ was tasked with raising moral for the Vietnamese troops. In doing so he broke many rules and guidelines which ultimately nearly cost him his job and life. The way I have chosen to immerse myself in this character is by writing a short letter exchange that he may or may not have had the chance of experiencing.

To: Airman Cronauer

It has come to my attention that you are deviating from the scheduled programing of the station in an effort to pursue what has been called more rambunctious and distracting noise. Your show which has quickly become known by its name “Good Morning Vietnam” is a disgrace to our country and the men in uniform. You as a service man to the United States Army have an obligation to the corps and as such must produce content that is approved and likely to be enjoyed by all. You are a rookie who believes that he has more intellect and knowledge on the subject of human morale for the troops than the professionals. It with this form and feeling of outrage that I hope to express just how weighty the next words I’m go to share with you. I ORDER YOU TO STICK TO THE SCRIPT OR YOU WILL BE DISHONORABLY DISCHARGED! I hope that understand the gravity of the situation you now find yourself in, so shape up and I look forward to listening to your new and greatly improved show in the near future. Signed, General Bullocks

To: General Bullocks

You don’t know crap!

With love, Airman Cronauer

[barco96-blog]

Florida Panther Population Misreported

For years now people still believe that the Florida panther population is still an endangered species. When people think of the Florida Panther they think of this beautiful puma because it is has been our state animal since 1981. The fact is, that this large cat is becoming a problem to Southwest Florida as the population keeps rising. Just last week on June 5th, a panther was caught on a security camera killing a family’s pet cat from Naples, Florida where I am from. This could have been someone’s child being mauled by this beast. Now neighbors are terrified and on the alert because of their kids and pets that play outside. Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission needs to do a better job of controlling the panther population to designated wildlife areas such as Big Cypress National Preserve or Everglades National Park.

If FWC wants to save the panther population they need to keep track of the panthers to make sure they stay away from rural areas that cause fatalities to cats by vehicles hitting them. Last year in 2017, twenty-eight panthers died while 23 where by road kill and in 2016 the record was set with 42 overall deaths with 34 being vehicle kills. These deaths just prove that the panther population is thriving and eventually will get out of control because the Florida Panther has no predator to control its population. Panther crossings could also benefit the panther population and the problem of the interaction with people and their pets. Designated wildlife crossings could save panthers from being hit by cars and family pets being killed. I myself have seen two panthers in one day on my friends farm in Labelle, Florida.

The Florida Panther is thriving and needs to be controlled to wildlife conservation areas. Panthers also attack farmers livestock such as baby calves which is how most farmers make their living by raising cattle. Panthers are not endangered and if you’re from South Florida you can see the significance drop in population to other wildlife such as hogs and deer. I myself have seen two adult panthers in one day on the farm.

[sedagrrl]

While I cannot be sure that they are thriving, I do not doubt that the Florida panther populations were often misreported as endangered. I agree that this could be a dangerous issue if the panthers are not moved to wildlife areas and kept away from areas with people and families. The FWC should make a count of how many there are and work to secure their habitats. 

[gr00k-blog]

I was unaware that the panther population in Florida was thriving. It was my belief that the population was as you said endangered. It is odd that the population is or was so miscalculated. You do bring up a good point with the safety issues that are being brought up. I do fear if the population were to become over populous the everyday man may be in danger and I believe that we should watch them as time continues. 

[gittastuff-blog]

MRIs Scamming the Not-so Sick

How many times have you been referred to receive an MRI in your life? You may have been in a mild car accident once and went to the doctor for some slight neck pain and they immediately tell you to get an MRI scan, even though you most likely just have slight ship lash. Though the invention of the MRI has saved thousands of lives, it has also filled the pockets of doctors who prescribe their patients to use it. This can easily lead to a bias in doctors who want to make a little cash with patients that have nothing wrong with them. 

 Back in 1990, the Government Accountability Office found that Florida doctors ordered 3x as many MRIs, 2x as many CTs and 5x as many ultrasounds if they owed a piece of imaging service. Even though Congress has been attempting to cut down on these self-refferals, claiming they promote doctors to order unnecessary test and inflate health care costs, yet there are loopholes. Doctors are still able to refer patients to scanners/MRIs in their own building, and since time-shares are allowed, doctors are able to send patients during hours they own the machine.

 Looking at doctors who do not have any skin in the game, patients who they prescribe for an MRI only have 23% outcomes with no abnormalities compared to doctors who do receive profit have 42% patients with no abnormalities. This is an issues that must be made aware to the public as these costs are driving up the cost of healthcare and the bills of patients who may not

[sedagrrl]

This is a really great point to make, I agree that there is a general overuse of MRIs by doctors. When I was in the backseat of a car accident, I was barely touched by the air bags, and doctors only said I had bruised muscles, but suggested an MRI just in case. Many patients may not need MRIs, but doctors and other health care professionals may misrepresent issues in order to make more profit. Good analysis.

[state-of-being-happy-and-health]

This is very interesting to me since I had an MRI in high school for fear of brain damage. I had had multiple concussions within the span of a year with ongoing symptoms so my neurologist sent me for an MRI. I ended up being completely fine and he had good reason to have me get an MRI but it is interesting to think that not all doctors do. Wanting to go into the medical field, I am a little surprised that doctors are profiting off medical procedures that might not be necessary when their job is to be helping people. I hope that awareness of this issue increases and that doctors remember their code of ethics and are not breaking it to earn some extra cash.

[gr00k-blog]

This is very interesting, and I found your point to be quite fascinating. MRI’s are being over prescribed and are becoming a problem. You painted such a picture and light on the topic, you did a good job with your analysis. It is a scary thing to see that more and more doctors are prescribing a costly and sometimes unnecessary procedure. Good Job!

[gr00k-blog]

Fake News

In my field of telecommunication the largest current news story is that the news is fake and wrong. This story is so contrived and baseless that it boggles the mind that it still gets used. Fake News was first popularized during the 2016 election when Donald J Trump, used it against the news media that was condemning him and his actions. This ultimately became so popularized that the public took the term and ran with it. They began to use it on and for anything/everything that they didn’t agree with, most notably social media.

With this rise on social media and the creation of a trend (which is defined by an echo chamber) more and more people were drawn to it, meaning the viewers and with the viewers the money shall follow. This has brought about a wave of media content on both social networks and any professional outlet, where they are currently in a shouting match where Fake News is being directly or indirectly shouted at most of a competitor’s content. The reason this may be so popular could be to what I like to call the echo chamber effect.

The echo chamber effect is when you, or any consumer of media, wishes to be right and will gravitate towards an outlet that speaks on the user’s issues with similar stances. Once the user has surrounded themselves with content that speaks to the user and they trust it, said user is likely to defend the statements and call conflicting facts false, the current banner for such actions is that of FAKE NEWS!

In order to combat this we as intelligent users must agree that news and other information must be checked by not only the sources but ourselves. We as consumers must understand that we are human and being human means its ok to be wrong, so long as you learn from it.

[chiggylodha-blog]

During each commercial break when I watch TV, there always seems to be an advertisement about toothpaste. Each brand claims that that they are the best brand of toothpaste for a variety of reasons. Some claim that they whiten teeth within a matter of days while others cure gingivitis or prevent gum disease almost instantaneously. I chose this meme because it clearly states my point about every brand of toothpaste claiming they are the best while also mocking it. The meme directly calls out companies for all stating the same as their competitors, when there can only be one type of toothpaste that is the best. This meme is typically used to blatantly state something irking the creator while the addition of “that would be great” at the end of the meme adds humor to the graphic. It is easy to follow, and the content is concise, allowing the reader to easily relate to the content. The graphic of the meme calls the reader’s attention to the topic. After gaining the reader’s attention, the meme makes the reader focus on the issue, which is presented by the text of the meme. This makes the reader wonder about why each toothpaste company claims to be the best of the rest. By making the reader think of this through the mockery of the meme, the meme itself effectively highlights a common perception in healthcare: Everyone believing they are the best service or product. The meme not only mocks this topic brings attention to it through this mockery so that the reader is informed of this common trend of competitors claiming to be the best in their industry. This fallacy is not only seen in healthcare advertisements, but other fields as well, such as certain fast food chains claiming to be healthier than the rest.

[chintyleruf-blog]

I agree with you here, all of the commercials about each different company having the best toothpaste is confusing and annoying. The meme does an excellent job at simply and concisely explaining the subject, while adding some humor to the situation. It would be great if the companies only explained the benefits of their product instead of claiming to have the best product, unless it is actually proven that they are the best.

[gr00k-blog]

This points out the hypocrisy in advertisements and how they conduct their “tests” to in this case dentists. The reason every brand has a 4 out of 5 dentists agree this is amazing and would recommend it is because of leading questions. The most common of which in this case is that they ask the dentists what would they recommend using our toothpaste or not brushing at all? This makes every dentist say the toothpaste as anything is better than nothing, but since we as the public are not likely to believe that 5 out of 5 recommend a brand they simply say 4. Their is no definitive test as to which of anything is the best and in there lies the problem.

[ferncamachoblog-blog]

As a food and resource economics major, most of the debates that we take a look at are based on food pricing, consumer behavior and the allocation of food. We take into consideration that, like in all other businesses, there is a certain amount of supply coming from companies and a demand from consumers. 

In the past few years, prices for organic food have risen, while fast food chains keep lowering their prices and increasing the number of franchises. In some cases, people may think the solution to fixing issues in America, such as obesity, is just by lowering the food prices of “healthier alternatives”. However, as any economist would say, there is much more to it than just that. Considering the physical work, time and resources it takes to produce and manufacture organic food or fresh food, the resulting price will be higher than that of frozen “beef” patties and other fast food elements. While this does seem like a decent solution, fast food restaurant franchises have taken over a huge part of the food industry already and it would take some time to modify this issue as these franchises don’t want higher expenses. 

I chose this meme because it reminded me of a friend that was angry about this topic as well. She was wondering how obesity rates would ever decrease if we continue to raise prices for ‘healthier’ alternatives and keep opening more fast food restaurants. The man in the meme is angry and calling out a contradictory point. In this case how do you expect obesity to end if healthy food is basically getting more and more expensive. He is representing all those that are bothered by this situation, but are not aware of all the economics and food allocations that play a role in this.

[sundrysanvidge-blog]

I really enjoyed reading your post, it was both well thought out and informative. I think that many people are angry about this topic because they don’t consider  health as a luxury, they consider it as a necessity. Organic foods are inherently harder to produce compared to processed foods, which is the main reason they are more expensive. People who might not be able to afford these higher prices might place a different value on the health benefits associated with them compared to people that can afford the higher prices. 

[itsanashakblog-blog]

Your post was really interesting to read. It is ridiculous that food prices for healthy foods have increased so much whereas fast food prices are so cheap. With these kinds of prices on food, it is obvious that people would pick the unhealthy and cheap choice. Also, although many people want to pick a healthy lifestyle, they simply can’t because they don’t have the money to do so. I agree with you when you say lowering prices on organic and healthy foods is not that easy because of the extra time and resources it takes to manufacture fresh food. 

[gr00k-blog]

This is the eternal struggle of health vs cost. In one corner we have the heavy weight being the massive fast food and gmo enhanced food where they can get discounts due to to size of orders and higher crop yield. This has created such an environment where while many are aware of what is unhealthy to eat they can not afford the healthy option due to it being out of their budget. While I would like to see lower cost healthy options that would require a massive shift or intervention by the government offering subsidies for organic farmers. 

[gr00k-blog]

Clickbait this will SHOCK YOU!

Within the study of telecommunications or more specifically the college of journalism there is a worrying trend. In recent years there has been a massive boom in online revenue due to targeted advertisements, with this increase in revenue a massive amount of online content followed. Now with an oversaturated market each and every website and article is forced to compete with each other. It has been shown that the average person will read a title and if interested stay and if not move on seeking to fulfill their interest. These two trends have caused the less popular websites and pages to start using misleading titles or clickbait in an attempt to gain viewers.

This worked as titles such as “10 THINGS YOU NEED TO SEE AND DO NOW OR YOU WILL DIE!!!!!! NUMBER 7 WILL SHOCK YOU!!!!” grab a reader’s attention this was successful at first and really fit some websites well. But where this went from a nice little trick to just over kill was when it made its way to social media. Once on a social media platform, (such as Facebook), it was quickly brushed aside by many users as a scam, that is until it started to produce results and results breed copycats.

Credible news outlets, webpages, and websites quickly copied this as it again produced views, which produces revenue. This uptake in clickbait has turned what was once a nifty way to gain views into a disgusting common practice that has left many with seeds of resent and distrust towards the journalism industry.

It is my hope that one day the public will ignore these titles and view pages based on content and not what they appear to read. That day is one that is off in the future, for now we must brace ourselves for clickbait shall grow until we grow tired of it.

[gr00k-blog]

Esports the World’s Most Unknown Competition

Introduction

           Competitive Esports is a recent term as it was first introduced less than 20 years ago, however it still means the same thing that being an online or electronic game or sport. This means that while it is still a video game it isn’t like your old Mario, with Esports they play for keeps. Some of the more popular online games are shooters or what we call MOBAs (more on that later). For the purpose of this document I will be dividing this term into four major parts, the top countries that play or promote Esports, the issues and challenges that many of the players can face, what exactly the most popular games are for Esports, and what kind of competitions or events are held for Esports. But before we delve into it I should define what exactly Esports are. Esports are the electronic sports or competitive videogames where players, organizations, and even countries compete for massive prizes and bragging rights.

Major Countries

           First I will talk about the major countries that take part in Esports. The major regions are the United States, China, and South Korea. The reason for each of these countries having such a dominate presence is due to either the culture, personal beliefs, or just nature of the people who live there, However they are all post industrial countries where computer and or internet access is relatively easy to get. Take America for example we have a large population and most have access to what would be considered the barrier of entry, however we also as a nation seem to produce the most competitive of people which may draw them to such games and Esports. China will be the next country I talk about and perhaps the one with the simplest of explanations, China has the world’s largest population of any society, while still being a post industrialized nation, and as such it may owe its Esports presence to its size. South Kora has a rich history of Esports and is even considered by many to be the birthplace of Esports. This is due the small amounts of land they have where outdoor sporting events could take place, combined with their cultural acceptance of electronic media may have resulted in a desire for a substitute and Esports or videogames filled the niche.

Health and Issues

           Next I will talk about the health of those who play Esports. It is important to remember that due to the sedentary nature of Esports many must make an extra effort to stay healthy. Still many health issues have arisen as consequences of strict and ridiculous training regime, where some players will play for up to 12 hours a day. The most common injury for Esports players to receive that can end a career is carpel tunnel syndrome. This syndrome causes can cause extreme pain when moving ones fingers or wrist, and is caused by over use or improper use of the digits. Finally the largest and most well-known issue in terms of health has to be the once rampant use of both recreational and performance enhancing drugs. The largest that has since been outlawed and enforced with random drug check has to be Adderall. Players were taking large amounts of Adderall which resulted in health issues and by clearing/stimulating the mind an unfair advantage over other players.

[Cutesy of US Health]  

Popular Games

           I will now talk about what the most popular games are for competitive Esports. The three most popular games take up two different genres of games, those being Shooters, such as Fortnite and MOBAs. MOBAs are Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas where teams (usually teams of 5) play in a set area and attempt to defeat the enemy by destroying their bases and or killing their opponents. The reason for the popularity of these genres may be due to the fact that the top games are free to play and thus can attract a large group of people from all walks of life who seek a challenge and or a competitive game they can pay with or against friends. But just because they are free doesn’t mean the prizes are small.

Prizes

           Finally I will talk about the competitions and prizes of them. I will be focusing on one from each of the following games, League of Legends (MOBA), DOTA 2 (MOBA), and Fortnite (shooter). Fortnite and its creators over at Epic Games have decided this year to jump into the world of Esports and have chosen to invest 100 million dollars in terms of tournaments and prizes. This is the largest single investment in Esports history but it is not the largest single tournament prize pool. That honor goes to DOTA 2 where over a single best of 5 series nearly 25 million dollars were given out (exact amount $24,687,919.00). The final game I will talk about is League of Legends who after playing in the Birds Nest (2012 Beijing China Olympic Stadium) won an Emmy for production with their incredible 3D Augmented Reality show. As these prize pools continue to increase so do their player base.

[Curtsey of Riot Games]

Conclusion

           In closing Esports in the competitive scene can take on many forms, from the genres the video games take to the games and prizes themselves. There are perils for players who fail to watch out for their health. Esports can and has brought the world closer together through the spirit of competition and with its rapid growth in terms of prizes, production value, and player base it looks like it will continue to do so in years to come.

[megstechwritingblog]

UF Exotic Animal Club

Platform: Facebook

Handle: UFExoticAnimalClub

The UF Exotic Animal Club is a great way for students who love animals and wildlife to get involved on campus.  The UF Exotic Animal Club’s Facebook page makes meeting dates/times and other opportunities readily available for students.  The page also uses visuals to grab a reader’s attention and encourages people to get involved in the club.

On the left side of the Facebook page, there are links that direct students to information about the club, its members, photos, events and more.  When you click on the event tab, you can see all the meetings, social events, and service events.  The calendar makes finding event dates incredibly simple.  The club officers will also post reminders about meeting dates in case people forget.  The individual event pages give students information about event times, locations, and a synopsis about what the event is about.  The event summary is short and only gives the information the students need to know about the event so they don’t get bored.  The event pages also include a funny picture to get students interested in going to the event.

The Facebook page has many other ways that students can get involved with the club apart from the events themselves.  There are frequent polls which allow members to choose what event dates and times work best for their schedule.  This increases member participation and helps students feel like they have an impact on the club itself.  There are posts that link students to outside information that might interest them.  For example, one of the club officers made a post about Ellen Degeneres’ Wildlife Fund T-shirts and included a link to the webpage, which would help raise money for the conservation of endangered gorillas.  In addition, the club also allows some students to post their own information if they find something exciting related to exotic animals or even if they have a question about college in general.

The UF Exotic Animal Club’s Facebook page is a great platform to find out more about the club and to get involved.  

[state-of-being-happy-and-health]

This seems like a very cool club! I didn’t know that it existed. I think it is great that they have a Facebook to stay connected with this generation that would prefer to check social media rather than email. By posting about their events and meetings, it makes it super easy for their members to stay connected and informed. Also, the photos are a great idea to keep things fun and keep people involved with events.

[chintyleruf-blog]

I agree that the UF Exotic Animal Club did a great job setting up their Facebook page. They did an exceptional job making all of their information so effortless to find and access. I also really enjoy how active they allow their members to be on the Facebook page. By allowing them to vote on when meetings are best for them and allowing them to post their own interesting exotic animal articles helps to keep the members active in the club. 

[gr00k-blog]

Firstly I’d just like to thank you for sharing such a cool club with us. The Facebook page was super easy to browse through as it is a standard page. The content on the page though is where it shines. The stories and articles were easy to find and read and the pictures they choose to share were amazing. The way that they choose to vote on meetings and use the platform to discuss was very effective. This was super cool to discover that such a rare and well exotic club was so close to home. 

[evanwlove-blog]

UF College of Health and Human Performance

Platform: Facebook

Handle: UFHHP

The College of Health and Human performance is the college within the University of Florida designed to educate students on the human body and its capabilities. The page on Facebook is easy to navigate as all the pages are on the left-hand side of the page. These pages range from about the college, photos, videos, and upcoming events. At the top of the page is a large picture depicting the Vitruvian Man and the building where the college resides, Florida Gym. This image draws in interested viewers by making a connection with the viewers who are interested in the college, that interest being the human body.

Near the center of the opening screen and on the right-hand side of the page are reviews of the college and their contact information. This makes it very easy to see the credibility of the college and an easy, professional way to contact them. The page averages posts of about 2 a week. These posts range from news, recent events, and basic information of what is going on within the college.

The posts done by the college draw viewers in by adding pictures with people smiling. This indicates happiness and a sense of community. One post, for example, congratulates a specific student for receiving a scholarly award as well as graduating. This post draws viewers in due to multiple reasons. The picture within the post is a darker contrast to the background. The picture is of the graduation ceremony, specifically with the award-winning student on the big-screen. The post lets the viewer know that the college cares and supports its students.

The page does a great job drawing in a viewer and keeping them interested. The page has common postings with smiling pictures with current events within the college. The page is well organized keeping basic information at the top, keeping nothing confusing, and has a good layout with color images and posts that show interest within the college.

[barco96-blog]

i also chose a Facebook page to examine for my discussion post because I feel Facebook is the easiest social media site to navigate. Just like the facebook page that I examined all the pages are on the left side and a picture at the top of the page that pulls in the viewer. I also think that the image at the top of the page draws in the viewer because it is the perfect balance and alignment that the page needs.

[gr00k-blog]

It’s nice to know that I wasn’t the only one to choose a Facebook page. While the format is interesting for each page and constant across the platform the main thing that I personally looked into was how well the page was up kept and the images/stories they choose to promote.  That being said this page was interesting in its own right and I would agree with you in that the page is colorful and between the two I’ve seen at this point it is the better.

[gr00k-blog]

The page and media that I choose to review was the student run top ten radio station GHQ by looking at their Facebook page. GHQ is an interactive student experience available through the college of journalism but is open to all UF students.

When you look at their Facebook you are shown a ticker of events that either correlate to on campus information or the latest gossip on musical artists. The format is standard to that of a normal Facebook page which means news stories and posts are on the main attraction here.

The page itself seems to be out dated as it hasn’t been updated since early April. That being said the pages that it links to such as dance marathon and the college of journalism are up to date and thus makes the page at least a solid hub for gathering information on events within the college. The main reason for this webpage is to direct students who are seeking involvement or information within the college of journalism. If this page were to perform to its specified requirements I’m sure that it would be a useful tool to all students.

That being said while the Facebook page is underwhelming in terms of content and consistency, which may be due to the summer, their twitter however is up to date so there is still hope for the organization’s online presence. That being said the close inspection I had to do for the organization that I admittedly have a bias towards (due to being a part of it) falls short in nearly all aspects of effective web design and social media usage.

In closing this is a terrible Facebook page and you can find better and more accurate information elsewhere. I would suggest that all UF students look online, through the advising office, or just asking teachers and students about opportunities on campus should they be so interested.

[chiggylodha-blog]

House M.D.: “Informed Consent”

In this episode, the titular character is faced with an ethical dilemma. House is assigned a patient: a 70-year old medical researcher who is dying of a mysterious illness. However, the patient, Ezra Powell, is tired of living a life epitomized by hospital visits and treatments and desires euthanasia: a mercy killing to put a patient out of his pain. House’s team believe that there is no room for interpretation for ethics and follow the rule to “do no harm” to the patient. House believes in patient ethics over the responsibilities of the doctor; simply doing no harm means that Powell will continue to suffer a slow and painful death of what is later diagnosed as amyloidosis.

This ethical dilemma is quite difficult to resolve. Helping the patient will help him stay alive, but will not help his condition significantly, which will make him want him to die even more. However, by giving him the euthanasia, the patient is put out of the pain that he has endured for the last ten years. A consequence of doing so is facing legal charges for murder and malpractice. This grey area between helping patients dealing with their pain and ending someone’s life makes this a very difficult ethical dilemma. I believe that euthanasia should not be a crime because it is a choice that a terminal patient makes to end their suffering. It depends on the perspective one has about doctors. While some believe that doctors should not do any harm to the patient, I believe that a doctor’s responsibility is to help the patient however they can. By denying euthanasia, a doctor prolongs a patient’s suffering, doing harm to him which is unethical. However, this option should only be taken if the patient is confirmed to be terminal, such as a stage IV cancer patient.

To prolong suffering is unethical on the doctor’s part, especially if the patient is dying. If a patient is suffering greatly and there is no other option, I believe that euthanasia should be an ethical alternative. 

[max-tech-writing-blog]

This is an interesting ethical dilemma with tension between personal and social ethics, and between legal and care ethics. If a doctor’s responsibility is to their patient, what happens when the patient’s interests and the law conflict?

[gr00k-blog]

I am glad you brought this dilemma up, as it has been a source of hot button issue debates for a while now. I personally believe that should you be in constant pain, terminal, or unable to receive a reasonable quality of life that you should be able to  medically end your life. This topic has made strides in recent years in the international stage and I hope it continues to grow for years to come.

[evanwlove-blog]

“Business Ethics” Season 5, Episode 3

In this episode, Dundler Mifflin holds an ethics seminar. This seminar begins as a lecture on what can and cannot be done in the office and what is considered “unethical”. The lecture is held by the Human Resources Director, Holly, but quickly gets taken over by the Head Manager, Michael. Rather than lecturing the employees, he decides to hold an immunity activity where everyone can state what unethical actions they have done on shift with no repercussion. Multiple employees state what unethical actions they may have done but one employee stands out in severity. During this activity Meredith, a Supplier Relations employee, tells them that she has been sleeping with a business partner for a discount on their supplies. Holly decides that she must take action, however Michael tries to prevent her from doing so.

There are two ethical dilemmas here. The first dilemma is Meredith’s actions. She partook in prostitution, conflict of interest, and “stealing office hours”. The second is the disagreement between Michael and Holly on what to do about Meredith’s actions. Michael believes that they should ignore what Meredith has done because the office is a family. Holly, however, being the new Human Resources Director, has no emotional attachment to the employees. She wants to stay professional and write her up to Corporate and get her fired. Both employees become challenged in the situation because both characters are developing feelings toward each other but at the same time they are disagreeing on a decision that could ruin their friendship and an employee’s career. While they continue to disagree, the final decision comes down to keep her in the company, because a corporate employee says to not worry about it. This essentially leads the three head employees to commit obstruction of justice.

Even though the two decide to keep Meredith employed and stay a “family”, I disagree with their decision. While the workers may be friends, Dundler Mifflin is a business first. If it were to become public on Meredith’s actions, the company would potentially face multiple lawsuits and fire Meredith anyway. The company must maintain their regulations, professionalism, and keep their reputation high.

[canenblr-blog]

This episode presents an interesting conundrum. On one hand, Meredith was baited into exposing her actions under the pretense that she would have immunity. However, what she did was totally out of line and the action of firing her is the correct one. 

[gr00k-blog]

This episode does create a series of ethical dilemmas. I also agree with you as the obstruction of justice was massive and the reasoning for engaging in prostitution (a discount) leaves little to no sympathy in my heart. I do believe that they made the wrong call as far as ethics go but for the show itself they fall in line with the message that family comes first. 

[gr00k-blog]

Sports Casting in Brockmire

Brockmire is a drama comedy that follows the fall and then attempted rise of Jim Brockmire a Major League Baseball sports announcer who has a major breakdown live on air after his wife commits adultery all while keeping track of and reporting the game (link above). This can help show some of ethics that doing such a job and the mental aspects and hardships that creating, portraying, and maintaing a persona can entail.

As someone who wants to peruse sports casting as a career and a radio DJ I understand and can relate to the pressures that are portrayed within the show. The first thing I was told when I became a DJ is that "no matter how bad your day is; be happy. I don't care if your dog died just be happy and energetic for your listeners." This can help explain as an example to the pressures that are standard in the industry and how you are expected to perform and be a friend to those who listen to you no matter what you're going through, which in my opinion Brockmire shows in detail and well.

Brockmire is reinforcing the mental stereotypes and the gray area of ethics that the teams, businesses, and cooperation’s place on announcers and casters. Brockmire may have reinforced the ethics and stereotypes but by bringing it forward to the public in relatable or understandable ways it is shedding light on an issue that may have been left in the dark. This allows for the public to see and understand the mind and lives of casters which helps redefine them as humans and not a robotic play by play machine.

In closing Brockmire reinforces the ethics and stereotypes of the Casting world but by doing so may help them to be destroyed as more and more people see and can call out these possibly unethical standards.