It's What You Make of It...

When it comes to television, I would have to say that I have a mixed opinion when it comes down to its benefits versus its costs. There is no doubt in my mind that television has brought more celebrity based pop culture to the limelight and put more meritorious achievements such as Nobel prize winners on the backseat. This is simply one of the possibly negative effects of having the access to virtually any entertainment that you want to view. However, television viewing can be very informative for knowledge of current events and other news. Basically, what I am trying to say is that television, like other technologies, is what you make of it. You can be watching a so-called guilty pleasure reality show like Jersey Shore, then come back and watch Tool Time or other informative shows such as Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. There is no clear cut definition of “good entertainment” in my opinion; however some entertainment is more beneficial than others. The argument that it is merely a way for advertisers to stream their messages is a very naïve way to look at television. Those advertisements may be obnoxious, but most likely they are from where the channel gets a large portion of their funding to bring you the programs you enjoy. So, you could say that television is an advertisers media, but to me that is not a huge deal.

take a break, watch some TV

Ah the television...since its creation in the 1920's our lives have never been the same. Television can be good, it can be bad, and it can be ugly. I believe that it provides our society with entertainment, is an indispensable channel for the media, helps generate mass amounts of money, and tells us what is going on in the world around us. Though these things all sound quite positive, I believe that anyone would agree that the television can be a very negative force in our lives as well. It's almost hypnotic; you get roped into watching something and it's just so good you can't pay attention to anything else. Because of this we may waste our valuable time though. Not only this but we don't even realize just how much it influences our decisions, opinions, or even how we choose to act.

For me, TV is a form of utter relaxation and pure happiness. I have a very busy schedule so it's not often that I can sit down and dedicate inordinate amounts of time to watching shows. I have to pick and choose wisely what's worth my time. I wouldn't exactly say TV is a necessity for me, but I would classify it as more of a guilty pleasure or luxury. Honestly there's no better feeling in the world than coming home after a long, hard day at school and watching a funny show for a little while to cheer you up. Even better, working steadily to get all or most of your homework done and out of the way then taking a nice break to take a deep breath and get comfortable to watch your favorite weekly show. It is really fulfilling, and sometimes I don't know what I'd do without it.

As of right now I am obsessed with Criminal Minds. It's thrilling and each episode is different; I also love shows like Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, The Office, Modern Family, and even crappy reality shows like The Bachelor/Bachelorette. Commercials are another thing; I think that commercials are vital to our media and even to our economy on a bigger scale, but I find them to be petty annoyances laced with persuasive appeals most of the time. It's just a quick and guaranteed successful way of getting your brand's name out there or advertising your new product to the masses. Despite this though, commercials work. We see something that looks cool and new, we the consumer go and buy it. It's simple. All in all, TV can has many positive and negative aspects to it. We love what it can do for us, but sometimes we hate the messages it sends to us. Everyone deserves to take a break from whatever they're doing though and watch a little TV. It can't hurt.

TV and Stuff

To me, TV is like that little kid that's always being overshadowed by his big brother. Really, just about anything that is aired on TV can be re-watched anytime on the computer. Yet with such a disadvantage, I still give it attention as it does have its own perks, a comfy sofa and the big plasma screen being the first things that come to mind. And even with the absurd amount of reruns, once a episode of Family Guy comes on, you can find me sitting tightly on the sofa with some snacks and possibly a drink.

More people watch the Emmy's than the Nobel Prize, and some are upset over that. Don't be. People who watch TV want to be entertained, and what seems more entertaining to you: your favorite actors and actress duking it out to bring home the gold, or some scientist you never heard of win something for a concept you can't understand? Most people neglect to watch the Nobel Prize not because they don't care about advances in science, but because they don't understand the information; really, anyone outside the scientific community couldn't understand. Besides, the last thing the scientists want is a crowd watching the Nobel Prize just because it's the intellectual thing to do.

Confessions of a Television-aholic

Television shows can be funny. They can be dramatic. They can be scary, thrilling, educational, romantic, historical, adventurous, and informational. They can be anything you want them to be, whether it's the romantic comedies we need to enhance our mood or the somber documentaries to give us purpose. It's by giving us role models that we look up to and emulate, that television shows have the power to define who we are and who we want to be. So each week, not a day goes by when we don't think about the cliffhanger that the last episode left off on as we eagerly anticipate the arrival of the next one. I am a recovering TV addict, and I'm going to tell you why.

It all started on a mid-September Sunday night while in the seventh grade that I became helplessly hooked to the endless cycle of great television. After watching my first episode of Survivor I couldn't stop thinking about my incredible anticipation for the next installment until finally 8:00, Thursday came and the process repeated itself. I realized that I couldn't wait an entire week for the episode of my show so I started watching Heroes on Mondays. Then it was Amazing Race on Sundays. And all of the sudden, by the end of seventh grade I had a list of at least seven different TV shows that I completely and utterly addicted to. It came to the point that I needed TV in order to turn my mind off, to simply forget about everything but the LCD screen I was staring at for mass amounts of time. It was bliss; like reading a book without doing the work of actually reading it and I savored every moment of it. But I kept wanting more. I couldn't watch just one episode of something, because every time it'd end on that dreadful cliff hanger I needed more. My hunger for television was never satisfied. For two years television practically defined me, until the day came that Heroes got cancelled. Then Survivor drastically changed. One by one almost all of my shows started to become boring and predictable, and that was the day that I realized what a waste of my life this all was. My epiphany happened, and I became a recovering addict. No I didn't go to therapy or triple-A meetings, but I purposefully started to cancel recording my shows, and then see how long I could go before I'd wind up watching them online and try and improve that number as each week went by. I became a success story and inspiration for TVaholics every where, and within weeks I had stopped watching everything but Amazing Race, which is something I really couldn't afford to give up.

Now, two years later, I still only watch the Amazing Race, Modern Family, and the occasional Grey's Anatomy.

Television is good and bad for everyone

Does TV provide a good form of entertainment? Is it just a convenient delivery system for advertisers to send their messages to the masses? Is it an inane use of time? Can it be all three?

TV definitely provides a good form of entertainment, no mater what you like and what entertains you! You can watch sporting events (which is mainly what I watch), comedy shows (Modern Family, The Office), you can watch intense mysteries (NCIS, CSI, Criminal Minds), cartoons, movies new or old, news, really just about anything! It provides entertainment when you are feeling lazy and up to sitting down and having a screen entertain you. Everybody needs some entertainment to stay happy and have a good laugh sometimes.

It is also a convenient way to deliver advertisements. People have to watch commercial, if they are well made (Super Bowl ads), people remember them and buy those products.

It can also be a wasteful use of time to people. If there is something more productive that you could directly be doing, then it may be a waste of time. If it is a sunny day and all of your friends are playing football outside and you are sitting in your basement watching television shows, then that seems like a waste of time and an unhealthy use of your time. You could be active, but instead, you are being a slug and feel left out and isolated probably. But if your favorite NFL team is playing one rainy Sunday, you could have some friends over to watch the game and that would not be a waste of time.

So, all in all, it really is a mix of all three that depends primarily on the situation at hand.

Television is evil

Personally,I do not watch any telivision. There are two reasons for this: my parents cancelled our cable and I, simply, do not have the time. No, my parents did not cancel the cable because I am a bad kid, but because my three younger siblings would rather watch science on the discovery channel than do their science homework. When my parents first cancelled the cable, I was in a fit: What will I do with my life?! I realized, over time, that I really do not miss the television. I do more productive things(such as this blog on a Wednesday night) and make better grades. I can honestly say that I do not miss watching The Bad Girls Club, Sixteen and Pregnant or CSI on Wednesday nights.
It is quite sad and shocking that more Americans watch the Grammy's than the Nobel Prize. This predicament is similar to a cartoon we observed in English class. It was the cartoon encompassing the trashy woman voting for American Idol over the presidency. This highlights our country and generation's poor values. American Idol and the Grammy's will be arbitrary compared to a Nobel Prize in Physics, in twenty years. For example, we still use Polonium in Chemistry(Marie Curie, Nobel Prize winner, discovered)but I am not aware of the accomplishments of ANY Grammy winners of the past. Our youth needs to shift their focus to more infinite causes that actually matter.

A Little Late, but....

Above is a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr.....but you don't really have to be told that, do you? Martin Luther King, Jr. changed our world in a way that few historical figures can say they have. He held the reigns to one of the biggest movements in our American history to obtain freedom for his oppressed people, and the result is a free America.

In the picture, you can see that he is at the Lincoln Memorial, where his famous "I Have a Dream" speech took place. It looks as if he is recognizing the people that are there, as if to say how much he appreciated them all being there, or to give them an indication as to how much their participation could change the world.

Not only is his position important, but just look at all of the people. You wouldn't know it, but the background of this picture is the National Mall, a big long stretch of green grass the goes from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument. There are so many people in attendance at this event that you can't even see the background; and that's what I find so thought-evoking.

It's funny to imagine an event like this, either in terms of numbers or magnitude, in today's world, but this picture helps us a lot. The most evoking thing is, as I said before, the amount of people that turned out for this event. Another thing to note is that there are white people as well as colored people in the audience; and that's what I find so inspiring. Through this photo, the kids of our kids will be able to understand just how powerful this world-changing movement really was.

Assignment 5: For the Love and Hate of Television

The Emmy Awards are kind of a big deal. Not a big deal in that life altering kind of a way, but a big deal in the sense that a lot of celebrities dress up, that a lot of companies pay more money in advertisements, and a lot of people stop watching reruns.

The Emmys are not the only award extravaganza of the season though. During the first week of October, without the advertising, paparazzi, or celebrities, the Nobel Prizes are announced. But how many people are listening? With the Emmys comes television's fall lineup, but what does the common person get after the announcement of the Nobel Prize in physics?

So, what are your thoughts? Choose one or two or all of the following prompts:

Why do you watch TV? Why do you not? What shows do you love or hate?

Does TV provide a good form of entertainment? Is it just a convenient delivery system for advertisers to send their messages to the masses? Is it an inane use of time? Can it be all three?

What does it say about our society that the Emmy's have so much glitz and attention and the Nobel Prizes are quietly announced in the news? Is this bad? Good? Appropriate?

Check out these sites for more information:

Turn off Your TV

Television and Health

Positive Benefits of TV on Toddlers and Children

Phantom Punch

This picture was taken February 25, 1964. This was the day that the World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston was knocked out by the young Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). This was the most important fight in the history of boxing, and is one of the most important moments in all of sports. This picture depicts Clay yelling in victory after he knocked out Liston who previously had only lost once, in which he had a broken jaw, and this photo of the iconic “Phantom Punch” as the “punch” Clay threw as Liston was on the ground was the real knockout because many believed that Clay didn’t knock out Liston actually, and it was the cover of Sports Illustracted “The Centurys Greatest Sports Photos.” This photo marks a change in all of sports because it is the generation of the “trash talking” and with the success of Clay allowed players from all sports to become the big talking and flashy people that they are. After this fight Liston would drop from publicity of boxing, while Clay is on a rise to become the most important athlete of all time and especially gained publicity when he converted to become a Muslim and changed his name to the now popular Muhammad Ali. Also, after he changed his name to Ali he was enlisted by the army by the draft but refused due to his faith, which then took away all of his wins and even his title fight with Liston. Lastly, he was also born in Louisville, KY and is known as one of the most important people to ever be born in KY, which makes this picture even more important to myself and other fellow Kentuckians.

A picture for the ages

This picture was taken during the Great Depression, and it depicts two young children protesting about the obvious situation. The Great Depression was a nationwide tragedy that affected almost everyone. Millions went hungry due to the lack of work that was available due to the failed economy. This specific picture really highlights the way this disaster affected children. Even the youngest and most innocent in our society were tormented by this blight, with their parents not able to work they were not able to get food or shelter in many cases. I've personally done a lot of research on the Great Depression, so I know about how terrible it was. That's why this picture resonates with me personally. This stark contrast between the youth of then and the youth of now, and how it changed so suddenly. It shows the frailty of life, youth and the world as a whole.

Earthrise

Suddenly, from behind the rim of the Moon, in long, slow-motion moments of immense majesty, there emerges a sparkling blue and white jewel, a light, delicate sky-blue sphere laced with slowly swirling veils of white, rising gradually like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery. It takes more than a moment to fully realize this is Earth . . . home.

— Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14

December 24^th, 1968 - Apollo 8.

Location: The Moon.

Earthrise, taken by William Anders during the first manned-mission to the moon, shows the Earth from the Moon. The Earth is in the center of the picture, taking up a very small portion of the image. Except for the lunar horizon and the Earth, the entire image is black, as the moon has no atmosphere. The viewing angle of the Earth is also different- North is right and South is left.

But what is the significance of the photo? Why does it mean so much for America and the world?

The answer is simple.

It showed us just how small the Earth is.

Today, we live in a world where anyone can see a high-quality satellite photo of anywhere in the world from any location, right down to the color of the car parked down the street. It’s almost as if we had the world in our pocket. Half a century ago, we could only see blurry television images of the Earth in black and white, showing only the topography of the Earth. We could not comprehend the scale of the universe; the world was the biggest thing we’d ever seen - it was our universe. Before this, we had never seen any photographs like this, and the Apollo missions changed everything. Our desire to travel to space, fueled by the launch of Sputnik 1 (Cпутник-1) only grew larger, resulting in several more missions to the Moon, which led to the development of various projects, including the launch of hundreds of satellites, and construction of the ISS.

The photo Earthrise shows our Earth in a completely different perspective; instead of photos with the Moon in the sky, Earthrise is an inversion- the Moon is the ground, while the Earth is dwarfed in comparison. Just by a quick glance at Earthrise, one can visualize just how enormous the universe- and even just our solar system- are. From our closest neighbor, the Moon, which is just a marble in the sky, to the Sun, the glorious ball light that fuels life on Earth. When we see Earthrise, we start to ponder the scale of things. Sure, we could fit over 1,000 Earths in Jupiter, but how much is that really?

This much.

There is an immeasurable amount of celestial objects in our solar system, an immeasurable amount of stars in our galaxy, an immeasurable amount of galaxies in the universe – we are nothing in comparison. The Sun is only a medium sized star; countless stars are unimaginably more massive than our own sun, and humanity has only scratched the surface of space exploration.

That day, Christmas Eve 1968, was when the world first saw the Earth from the Moon.

October 4^th, 1957- The launch of Sputnik.

The beginning of our journey into space.

Everyday the World is Changing

This is a picture of Hurricane Katrina aftermath. This photograph captures the shock value that the entire United States felt when they saw what happened, and when the help we were trying to give seemed to be so useless. The outer areas of the city were destroyed on that August day in 2005, as the rest of the States watched in shock and horror. A city below sea level was suddenly engulfed with water and slowly being swallowed by the ocean itself. This event changed the way we prepared for natural disasters and how to respond when the far corners of the country went through these disasters as well.

This picture really makes me think about what I take advantage of, my house, my neighborhood, my school, my lifestyle, everything. This is what was taken away from the people of New Orleans. All in an instant. This photograph makes me really stop and think about everything mundane and constant in my everyday surroundings. This photograph really does move me.

This is a picture of the attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. 2,402 men were killed, and 1,282 were injured. This attack inflicted a profound shock on America, and is what ultimately caused us to enter World War II. Looking back on this picture 70 years later, the shock of this attack is still present based on how effective this picture was at capturing not just the moment, but the feelings with it as well. It is obvious how great the disaster of this event was, and how this event is what impacted America to get involved in the War. The complete history of the world was changed due to this attack.

The World is still Bee-autiful

One of the most beautiful places in the world suffered one of the most devastating events in the world. December 7,1941 began as a beautiful, sunny Hawaiian day, but ended as a smoky day streaked with tears of blood. This attack, by Japan, marked the beginning of the United States' involvement in World War II.
Pearl Harbor was established as a naval base in 1899; a shallow bay with small capacity for ships was refitted as the USA's primary naval base. The years preceding 1941, defined Pearl Harbor as a prime destination for foreign attack and one of the most beautiful places in the world. Americans in the Navy hope to be stationed at Pearl Harbor, even after that fateful day. The attack was unexpected, so it shocked and united the United States. Before that day, national anticipation of attak was low, but this fatal day increased safety measures. Nine ships and over two thousand lives were lost that day. Family members and the perished were enjoying life and cherishing each other, in previous days. Two hours of attack, tore apart families and claimed lives. Many citizens' lives would never be the same. Today, the USA better prevents against these attacks and scenic Pearl Harbor has a beautiul memorial.

Yeah, I typed this from my phone.

this image shows Alvin the submersible taking photographs of the sunken titanic. this shows us the contrast between the new technology today and the new technology of 1913. this was the first time that we ahd actually been able to photograph the sunken ship. this makes me feel WOW! i just cant believe how fast nature has taken over something so unnatural. inside is a diverse ecosystem of fish, while on the outside things have been rusted and the entire ship is breaking down. its just difficult to believe that in only 98 this can happen, think how fast human kind and its memorandum will be wiped off the face of the earth. another great thing shown in this picture is that how far our technology has come. it contrasts old and new. Alvin is an amazing piece of technology and without him we wouldnt have been able to see this wonderful photo. the community of photographers and perhaps the whole world was amazed at this picture. and that is why i chose it, it is something less drastic than world war 2 and yet still it is a major landmark in our history.

Can't hide forever

The picture I chose for this week was one of Osama Bin Ladin. The event I chose was his capture and regrettably the pictures of his body were too graphic to post on this blog. This was an extremely important event for those of us in the united states. This signified success in our long, drawn out war on terror. While this did not actually end the conflict, it was a large victory that demoralized the enemy and improved confidence in our own abilities to wage this war.

When I heard this news, I was eating breakfast before school like any other day when it came on the news. My initial reaction was shock, but then elation. I was very glad he finally got what was coming to him. At the end of the day, this was a great day in history because the world was rid of a terrible man.

At right is a picture of Jews in line for a train heading to one of the most terrible establishments ever built in the 20th century; a German concentration camp. The most terrible part of this picture is not what their fate entails, but the fact that they are not criminals or protestors or even men, but (in this photo at least) completely innocent women and children. While other wars have came and gone, the only one in the past centuries we associate with the word "genocide" was this conflict. Did people die in WWI? Lots of them. But there were not nearly as many non-soldier deaths as WWII. Even in todays Middle East conflict, we cannot compare the innocent lives lost with that of WWII. Sadly, millions of Jews, Poles, and other factions were killed solely based on their affiliation. If these people were shown weeks after this picture was taken, they would not be clothed, or have apathetic looks on their faces. Most of them would be lucky to be standing or even alive. That is why this picture is provoking, because in this picture they might not even know the hells they are about to endure, but we do.
In short, this picture would be terrible if it was of soldiers being sent to a concentration camp, or of criminals or even people who had opposed the government's advancement at all. But these were children playing and women quietly in their homes given treatment most American prisoners today don't even endure. That is what makes it beyond hatable.

An Image of Extraterestrial Proportions

For this week’s blog, I immediately thought of the picture of Neil Armstrong standing on the Moon on 20 July 1969. Just think about it, it was the first time that any man had set foot on anything outside of our planet. Of course, the assassinations of presidents and other such saddening pictures change the world, but they are not as impactful as something like the moon landing. To me, the nation’s sadness will go away with time, but the hope and amazement that comes with such an achievement won’t die easy. As comparison, we don’t see the deaths of famous historical leaders from long ago near as impressive as say the development of antibiotics and antiseptics. These developments were the starts of HUGE scientific areas. The ability to put a man on the moon is not only amazing for the name of modern sciences, but it also defended the United States’ name as the world’s biggest super power. So, in a way, this picture, which appeared in newspapers all over the world, changed the world forever in multiple ways, not just one. In addition, the Moon Landing spawned one of the most famous conspiracy theories to date, which only made the topic even more popularly talked about.

"Oh, the Humanity."

The word Hindenburg brings to mind images of fire and terror. The Hindenburg disaster was a notorious disaster not just because it exploded but also because it was preventable. This image features the Hindenburg in full flame, lighting up the sky. The Hindenburg disaster effectively destroyed the zeppelin industry, which, until then, had been considered one of the safest forms of transportation. In the years prior to the disaster, companies had been safely transporting passengers between Germany to the Americas. That stopped after the terrifying images of the disaster were released to the public along with the perfectly quaint quote "Oh, the humanity." These events defectively effaced the zeppelin industry as a viable means of transportation. Despite the relatively low death toll, the images, quotes and news coverage forever condemned the once prosperous zeppelin business.

The Hindenburg was originally designed to be filled with helium. However, the Helium Control Act would make it impossible for the company to obtain the helium necessary for the Hindenburg. Unable to obtain helium, the company resorted to hydrogen, an especially volatile and flammable gas. The hydrogen was did the job and provided enough lift for the zeppelin. After the Hindenburg disaster, though, the company would pay dearly in the form of an entire industry

On September 11th, 2011, America endured a tragedy unlike any in our nations history. Some of those trapped in the upper floors of the Towers chose to fall rather than die by the fire that surrounded them. Officially, no one committed suicide that day, they were " forced out by the smoke and fire or blown out". All of the deaths were ruled homicides on the death certificates and though many have supposedly identified this man through close examination, there is no definite answer. Regardless of the identity of the man, it is his action that captivates. Some will say that in a final act, he took back control of his life. Others will say he should have fought for his life. But in the end, all I am left with is the unsettling feeling in the back of my head. I feel a mix of grief and anger and confusion because I don't have a right answer. This picture leaves me speechless, much in the way the rest of that day leaves me speechless. There is no way to explain that day, all there is to do is build anew and remember. All we can do is move forward. No one knows how just like no one knows the situation those who jumped were in. In many ways that is life, there aren't always right answers and we don't always understand; yet we continue to live.

Hometown Tragedy

When Comair Flight 5191 attempted takeoff from Bluegrass Airport on August 27, 2006, the families of the passengers did not expect that they would never see their loved ones again. Nobody expected that the wrong runway would be used; a runway that was half of the length of the correct runway. Nobody expected that plane would crash into the ground a thousand feet beyond the runway, killing 49 of the 50 passengers and becoming one of the worst tragedies in Lexington, Kentucky.

On this quiet Sunday morning, I remember seeing the news reports about this while I was getting ready for church and my piano recital later that afternoon. At the time, the whole story was shocking because I didn’t know what to think of it. I remember wondering if it had anything to do with the 9/11 attacks because the 5 year anniversary was coming up around that time. Later that afternoon during my piano recital, I noticed that one of the girls who was supposed to play before me wasn’t there. I asked my teacher why there was an empty seat and she told me that the little girl’s father had died in the plane crash that morning.

This is why this photo provokes me. It makes me feel uneasy to know that I was indirectly connected to a person who lost a loved one. This picture also makes me upset to know that the mistakes of a few can dramatically affect lives of people within a community. It also draws my mind to the fact that terrible things can happen anywhere. Bad things don’t happen exclusively in big cities or in other countries; they can also hit close to home.

Not Invincible

Prior to January 2, 1943, any and all pictures dealing with the ongoing world war, upon release in America, were positive, with an optimistic outlook, generally delivering the message, "America is doing great in this war! All we do is win, win, win! No problems here, everything looks great! We should be done in about a month or so!"

Until these pictures from Buna Beach were released, after the end of the six-month campaign.

This shocked and horrified the American public. And why wouldn't it have? After all, to be told that your armies are winning, having great success, doing perfectly, and then seeing this? A photo of dead American soldiers, having been shot down right on the water's edge? This is some troubling stuff to see.

This picture completely shifted the worldview of many Americans in the 1940s. To see a picture of their soldiers, dead, after several years of the government censoring any and all negative-looking pictures or reports was a very sobering thing.

The release of this picture was also a bit of a gamble when it came to war bonds. The hope was that, upon seeing this image, Americans would choose to buy more war bonds in order to support the soldiers and help them win. This did, in fact, work, and there was a tremendous upshoot in the sales of war bonds.

This image helps to send the message that you should not just always believe whatever you read, and instead try to find as much information on any topic as possible, because, if you don't, how can you know that you're not only getting one side of the story?

The End

On June 6, 1944, thousands of allied soldiers arrived on the five beaches of Normandy to begin an assault known today as D-day. Operation Overlord as it was called took months to formulate. This beach, guarded by Nazis stationed in France, was a strategic point in which the Allies could take and force the Nazis back out of France.
Through deception and misguiding the Nazis into thinking their assault was from elsewhere, men from American, Britain, and even Canada contributed in this early morning landing on the beaches. Caught off guard the Nazis hurried to defend the beach. Some of them were more fortified than others and there was mines and forts built all over each landing. In the end the combined amount of air and ground units were way too much for the Nazis to handle and those who did not die were captured. D-day was not only important in terms of an allied victory over Germany but it allowed them to enter France and liberate the people city by city.
After this day, the allies would expel the Nazis from France and lead to the eventual decline of the axis powers. This day was tremendous as it was the instigator to the freedom of the people in Europe and to the decline of a world war. Imagine what it felt like for an American soldier bottled up in a landing craft eager to arrive and fight or a German soldier waking up to the sight of hundreds of thousands of troops in the sky and ground bound on attacking and killing you. The significance of this day determined that the Germans were no longer able to withstand combined world powers and helped millions more regain the freedoms they had lost.

Afghan Girl

Above is what has come to be one of the most famous photographs of the 20th Century. Taken at the Nasir Bagh Refugee Camp in Pakistan sometime during 1984, the "Afghan Girl" was featured in the June 1985 edition of National Geographic. Featuring a 12 year old Afghan refugee named Sharbat Gula, the story of her expulsion from her home in Afghanistan touched millions and sparked a world-wide pro-refugee movement that has changed hundreds of thousands of war-torn Afghans' lives.

Living in the midst of the Afghan-Soviet war that raged on for nine long years, Gula was orphaned after the Soviet helicopter gun ships destroyed her village, forcing her and her siblings to cross the perilous border to the refugee camps set up in Pakistan. There, while attending school, she came in contact with photographer Steve McCurry, who asked to take her photograph. Her haunting and haunted sea-green eyes are the main subject of the picture that has touched so many. They stay with those who see them, reminding them of the atrocities of war, as well as the people who are subjected to them. They scream of the terror the war-drained people of Afghanistan have experienced since the beginning of the Soviet occupation in 1979, the civil war that followed shortly after, and even today as us Americans continue to battle the terrorists that hide among the countless caves and mountains in the lawless provinces across the nation. They demonstrate the hard ships and losses each and every citizen of the distraught country have gone through. And finally, they explain to us the dark side of being one of the few survivors, from the meaning of living in a haunted world, surrounded by the deaths and dying of others to the poverty they face day in and day out.

actions speak louder than words

A picture may not last forever, but a picture's impact certainly can. This particular picture produced immense shock value for the world, as it depicts the strongest form of self-expression and political and religious freedom.

On June 11, 1963 a Buddhist protest march was taking place on Saigon's Phan-Din-Phung Street. A car that was part of the procession of about 400 Buddhist monks and nuns suddenly stopped though, and 66 year old Thich Quang Duc, a monk himself, calmly got out of the car and sat in a meditative pose. The accompanying monks then began to pour gasoline all over the man. The old man withdrew a box of matches, lit one, was instantly engulfed in flames and burned to death moments after.

Malcolm Browne, the only western reporter present at the scene is responsible for photographing this jaw-dropping image. Browne would win the Pulitzer prize later that year for it as well. Apparently, Thich Quang Duc had written a series of letters to the government of South Vietnam and other Buddhist counterparts which explained his motives. In them he explained his need to voice his disapproval of the repressive regime that controlled the Vietnamese government. After viewing this image, JFK began taking strides to end American support of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime.

This provokes me to think about the unthinkable lengths that some people in the world are willing to go to just to gain their just freedoms in their societies. This Buddhist monk did not have to burn himself, yet it was a momentous sacrifice that drastically altered people's ways of thinking. The monk's voice would not be heard by his oppressive, over-powerful government, so instead of trying once again to have himself heard, he let his shocking actions speak for themselves, and thus, self-immolation was his solution.

"A date which will live in infamy..."

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 -- A date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." That statement is from President Franklin Roosevelt's "Declaration of War" speech to Congress the day after the biggest attack on American soil until 9/11.

It was just a normal Sunday in Honolulu, Hawaii. While the rest of the world was at war, America's military was sitting back and enjoying their day of rest. People were either sleeping in or going to church. The crew of the USS Arizona had won the 1941 "Battle of Music" which was the contest consisting of all of the ship's bands. As a reward, the entire crew of the Arizona was given permission to sleep in that morning. The United States could not have been more unprepared; the planes, the ships, the equipment, and the overall lack of strategic organization and awareness of our military at Pearl Harbor was suicidal.

The surprise was complete. The plan was executed to perfection. The planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 a.m., the second at 8:55. By 9:55, it was over. Nothing but smoke and destruction filled the blue skies of Pearl Harbor. 2, 403 dead, 188 destroyed planes, and 8 destroyed battleships. One of these was the Battleship Arizona, which took 1,177 lives alone. A bomb went through the deck into the magazine compartment of the ship which almost blew the bow of the ship out of the water (this was soon before when the picture above was taken).

This attack is the most devastating attack in this nation's history. This is because of the overall impact of the attack and the fact that it eventually led the United States into World War II. In one stroke, the Japanese action silenced the debate that had divided America on the Nazi war in Europe.

It was the 2006 World Cup Final. The game was between Italy and France. France was being lead by Zinedine Zidane, one of the best midfielders ever to play the game decided to come out of retirement and lead the French team, and he did just that. He became the hero for the French, at times just taking control of games. When they finally reached the Finals the hype around this game was surreal. Here we had two of the greatest countries competing to win the world biggest tournament.

Once the game got going both teams were evenly matched and a pk by Zidane and a corner by Italy were the only goals. Late into the overtime however is where one of the most memorable moments in soccer occurred. Away from the ball all of a sudden an Italian player goes down with Zidane standing over him. The sideline ref was really the only one who saw it. Replays went on to show that ZIdane, one of the best soccer players ever, had just head-butted an italian player. He was given a red card and sent off leaving the French to go into penalty kicks without their greatest player. People no longer remember ZIdane for all the great things he did in his career or how he's one of the greatest midfielders to ever play the game. Instead soccer fans are left with the image of seeing one of the greats being sent off in the World Cup Final in the last game he would ever play.