Honest America

2010-01-25T23:14:00.000-08:00

Frank Capra's "Why We Fight" World War II Propaganda Series

2009-12-15T19:46:00.001-08:00

Here are clips of propaganda films that showed a little bit of what was going on at the battlefront. It also shows how America (along with Germany, Britian, Russia, and Italy), used propaganda to gander support for the war efforts.

Military Family Communication during the World War Era

2009-12-15T19:31:00.001-08:00

Shortly after the Civil War telephones were invented, but they were not the most exciting form of communication that came about during this time. By World War I, the radio had been invented. This made it easier for people to communicate over long distances (country to country), and it made it possible for not only military families to hear about their loved ones, but for the whole nation to rally together in support of the troops.

Film was also a major development at this time, as it allowed for propaganda to be spread easier and faster to the masses. It also allowed for video news to be shared with Americans before television came about.

By the end of World War II, though, television had reached 50 million viewers, and it was a viable way to rely information about the war. Shortly after, shows like 'Hogan's Heroes' were created to parody the war.

Modern movies, like 'Valkyrie' also show us how military units used teleprompter or fax machine type devices to relay information quickly about military plans, deaths, and orders. It would have allowed secretaries to quickly type letters informing the families of soldiers that their loved one had died or gone missing.

This is when basic communication as we know it in a technological era today was formed and first developed to convey news about the home front. It is not only exciting to see how far we have come since then, but to see how far they had come since the Civil War in being able to communicate information from the soldiers to the families.

The following is a link to authentic radio newscasts from 1940-1945. I highly encourage you to have a listen:

http://www.otr.net/?p=news

Next, we will see how communication technology in modern-day can help families communicate with each other.

War Communication to the Home Front During the Civil War

2009-12-15T18:35:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how far we've come in the past 150 years with regards to how military families communicate with their loved ones while they are overseas. This topic means a lot to me and my fellow students as many of them have been a member of a military family and we live in a military town. The next three posts will look at how military families communicated during the different time periods that we have been studying in class.

First, I would like to talk about communication during the Civil War. We made amazing technological advancements around this time period that allowed people to communicate faster and over longer distances. During the Civil War, the most prominent form of communication was the Telegraph. The telegraph charged by word and messages were therefore kept very short, much like Twitter is today. Movies like 'Gone With the Wind' showed us how telegrams were used to convey soldier deaths to the families and from immediate families to extended families.

Pictures also developed greatly over this time period. While they were not mass produced, pictures of the war and the soldiers were available for books and newspapers to show the public what it was like behind the scenes of the battlefront.

While telegrams were certainly faster to recieve than letters, it was still a while for families to wait for news about their loved ones. One can only imagine what it is like to wait for days or weeks to find out if your loved one is still alive.

Ashley and Shirlyn's Leadership Project

2009-12-13T22:11:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share! :D

WCC Honors Story

2009-10-05T13:10:00.001-07:00

This is SO cool! Go WCC Honors Progam! :D

WCC Honors Program

2009-10-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

View wcc-honors-story-0001-wmv

This is SO cool.

just an observation

2009-09-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

I find it funny that there are more links to videos on this blog so far than actual writing. I have to admit that I am a facebook junkie. That is America to me today. I keep in touch with more friends than I probably ever would without this sort of digital social network. I talk to people and know more about them than I ever would in the short period of time I talk to them on a weekly basis. I'm sure that there are people out there that know more about me than they ever wanted to know, as long as they click on my link. The point of this randomness is that I generally click on most links that people post (unless they mention overtly Christian overtones) because I find them fascinating. I am a fan of the written word. Believe me, I generally prefer books to the movies they become... but there is something about sharing short clips in this day and age. My fascination stems from the wondering of what made a person compelled to share the clip. Funny, serious, interesting.. doesn't matter. There are so many interpretations of a 2 minute clip that one could not get from a writing that takes two minutes to read. Heck, there isn't anything deep or meaningful meant from my little rambling. I'm just saying that please world, share your clips. They are just as fun to read in to as they are to watch.
Jennifer

Statue

2009-09-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

If the world were a village of 100

2009-09-10T21:15:00.001-07:00

My high school English teacher had a poster on her wall with the same information. I wrote it down in a notebook, and it sticks with me every moment of every day. When baseball stars and celebrities sign multi-million dollar contracts, I think of this movie. When the U.S. talks about how much debt it's in, I think of this movie. When a charitable organization asks for my help, I think of this movie. It is very powerful. It hurts to watch, and rightly so. I encourage everyone to watch it and share your thoughts. Were you surprised? Overwhelmed? Disappointed?

Shirlyn :D

Secretary Chung and President Obama Auto-Tune Health Care

2009-09-06T20:17:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness! This is so funny! And I didn't realize 'til the night I watched it that when they say, "Kill your granny and save your life" they basically meant it! I'm surprised.

I'm not here to play the politics game. Obama is our president for the next four years, so I better agree with it. I know that he can't make a perfect healthcare plan. (In a democracy, the best you can hope for is 75% of your constituents to agree with you.) I think, though, that he should take more time to work it out. In a world where 24/7 news is the way to go, when Americans hear "Health care plan in the works" they jump on it without all the details, but Obama is the man in charge. He should know better than to put out a half-baked plan just because the people want it now.

Shirlyn

For Granted

2009-08-29T22:37:00.001-07:00

We hear it all the time, "American's take their freedom for granted." The new response is, "If you can't stand behind the guys on the front line, stand beside them." I think it's beautiful.

I volunteered at a football game tonight and I realized just how "old school" I am, and instantly came to the conclusion that "what a shame that is." The JROTC raised the flag, and the band played the national anthem, and people had to be reminded to take their hats off. Then, even with the reminder, it was amazing the number of people who didn't--the number of people who didn't even stop what they were doing to take a moment and appreciate what we have.

I'll admit, I take it for granted a lot more than I ought. In fact, one of my biggest dreams is to move to Europe where it's so modern and classy. But there is something about homebaked apple pie, baseball, and the American South that just sings to me. It's amazing the number of people that take that for granted.

My suggestion is that, just, next time you want to complain about the government, or the military, or see a flag being raised, that you just take off your hat and be thankful for the ameneties that you have. Be thankful that because of freedom of speech, and laissez faire; capitalism, and freedom to gather, that you're allowed to have the lifestyle you have today. Remember that your grandparents fought in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the World Wars so that you can have your freedom. They were thinking if you. It's only best to remember them.

Be proud to be an American. (And let's come up with some new cliches.)

Shirlyn :D

Social Media Revolution

2009-08-28T22:42:00.001-07:00

I believe blogging is the future of literature. If you don't believe me, just watch this video.

Shirlyn :D

Hopes and Expectations

2009-08-28T22:23:00.001-07:00

Hey guys!

I want you to have as much fun as possible blogging and reading this site. Feel free to upload pictures, videos, links to other websites, and whatever else you might like!

Feel free to tell the world how you feel being an American, what you like about America, how you feel about the direction the country is going in...Anything! Also, feel free to talk about what's going on in class. If you just read a story and you're burning to tell someone about it, PLEASE blog it. Tell us what you liked, what you didn't like, what burned you up inside. Does it relate to America today? What's changed? What do you hope will change? It doesn't have to be grammatically correct. It doesn't have to be prim-and-proper. One of the number one things I like about blogging is the stream-of-conciousness flow about it. Just write what you're thinking, just like you would tell us in class.

You can also comment on what anyone has posted by clicking the "Comment" link at the bottom of an entry. You don't have to have a gmail account (although it's a plus). All you have to do is type what you think about an entry.

If you have any problems, feel free to e-mail me, call me, text me...Whatever. I'll be happy to help, but one of the reasons I chose this site is because of the easy formatting. I know some of you don't like blogging as much as I do, but I hope by the end of the semester, you will enjoy it a little more.

Shirlyn :D