Interview – Muse

Muse is a British rock band formed in 1994. The band is originally from Teignmouth, Devon. The components of the band are three school friends. Matthew Bellamy is the main singer but he also plays lead guitar, piano, keyboards, and keytar. Christopher Wholstenholme plays bass, keyboards, rhythm guitar, and harmonic. Chris also does vocals. Dominic Howard is the drummer and percussionist. They recorded a total of six albums.
Showbiz (1999)
Origin of Symmetry (2001)
Absolution (2003)
Black Holes and Revelations (2006)
The Resistance (2009)
The 2nd Law (2012).

Christopher (Bass). Matthew (Singer). Dominic (Drummer).

Why do I find them so fascinating?
First of all, they came to my ears in 2008 because a friend. People use to listen what their friends say so I did that too. Another day the rock band came to my mind and I started to appreciate its music. I used to listen to them with my two best friends and the feeling was awesome. When we realized they were coming to Spain we were looking forward to attend one of their concerts. Eventually, we went to the concert in Madrid where they recorded an official music video of the song “Resistance”. That concert meant for me everything; it was amazing they didn’t forget any detail in their performance: stage, lightening, opening… The sound was spectacular, they met all my expectations. Generally, if you like rock music you will like them, but in other case you would like some album of them because of their style. Their music is very creative; they innovate in every new album, their fans can’t expect what they are working on. I suggest you to listen to them some time, why not now? Here you have access to the song “Resistance” from their album with the same title “The Resistance”.

If I could ask them something, this will be my list of questions:

1.  What were your inspirations in your first songs like “Overdue”, “Cave”, and “Escape”?

2. Your music is changing in every new album you create, how did you decide that change in your style?

3. Which expectations did you have about your new album “The 2nd Law”? Are you satisfied with the results?

4. Do you have any preference choosing a place for your performances? Which city where you have never performed would you really like to go?

5. In your European tour in 2009, you recorded the official videoclip of “The Resistance” in Madrid. Would you say why that concert specifically? Why it wasn’t in London, for example?

6. Do you have a great memory of your first performance? Among all of your tour dates, do you have a great memory of some concert? Which one?

7. In your beginning, had you ever thought that your music could revolutionize the masses?

8. Muse is always performing in live, how did you feel when you had to do playback in the Italian show “Quelli che il calcio”? Who had the idea of switching places in the performance?

9. About the show European Music Awards, Muse was nominated for “Best Live” and “Best Rock”. All your fans were expecting Muse to win at least “Best Live”, they were very disappointed with the results, how was it for you? Which expectations did you have?

10. Your name as a music band is Muse. Would you like to explain why that choice? Was so hard for you find a name?

Here, my favorite song from Muse, “Starlight“.

What should I believe in?

What should I believe in?

Should I trust the media? That is the biggest question audience ask. Dear audience, the biggest problem is the information overload in our society.

Many years ago people couldn’t get informed easily; they were rich people who knew how to read and how to write. They also had money, the main thing to know about what was happening at that time.
Nowadays, society has changed. Information is available to everybody. The growth of newspaper industry, the emergence of new broadcasting and television network companies, and about all, the development of Internet offer to the world the possibility of know what is happening in the immediate time.

The Internet is the best option to the majority. People know about what they are interested in and they look for it directly. No need for waiting to the next newspaper or next television news. They get what they want to when they want to. However, Internet has also another side; everyone publish on it and everyone read it. So, should the audience trust in the media coverage of news?

The latest news about the hurricane Sandy make people think about it. Media published a lot of fake pictures which became viral on social networks like facebook and twitter. The question is: what for?

                             

If the purpose of the media is covering accurately what is going on, reporters shouldn’t spread information and manipulate people. They have to check all their sources before publishing their information.
Hurricane Sandy was a hot topic in the web; a trending topic on twitter. The essential characteristic of twitter, immediacy, enabled people to read rumors and look fake pictures about the natural disaster.
Twitter is a good way to get informed, but this time it didn’t help. It made some famous and relevant news channels like CNN or Reuters be wrong. People started to post their own thoughts about the storm, and a twitter profile “@ComfortablySmug” made its followers be afraid and confused, and they overreact. His name was Shashank Tripathi, a New York City hedge fund analyst who apologized Tuesday night and resigned.

However, Internet helped to discover and spread the truth. The website Poynter.com informed about the fake information Chad Meyers, CNN’s meteorologist, gave about the flooding of New York stock exchange building. The audience can find more information about fake images in “Is Twitter Wrong?” an interesting blog of Tumblr.

The media focused in hurricane Sandy and they collaped the web with updates of the natural disaster. The mobile applications were so relevant because people depended on them to get informed and reported when they lose power during the storm.

2012 U.S. presidential election and the media

The only vice presidential debate took place on Thursday Oct. 11 in Danville, Ky. The debate was in the Centre College where Joe Biden and Paul Ryan talked about their plans of defense spending. Martha Raddatz, ABC News Chief Foreign Correspondent, moderated the debate.

According to Nielsen, a television ratings company, 51.4 million people watched the debate across 12 networks. However, this company does not include any Web viewers, just home viewers. Some of the TV Channels Broadcasting Live were ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC.

In additionYoutube  in the section politics, on CNNPolitics and the homepage of CNN.com, and AOL provided a live stream of the debate. Anyway, it wasn’t all, if you were moving you could also watch the debate on apps for smartphones and tablets.

So many people follow the hashtag #debates on twitter and the same time they commented what they were watching and lisstening. Brandon Griggs published on Friday Oc. 12  an article called “The 25 funniest tweets about the VP debate”.

ABC News offered to the audience a live stream blog that you can find in the following link: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/10/vice-presidential-debate-live-blog

And ABC News also provided the vice presidential debate transcript in this link: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/vice-presidential-debate-transcript-danvilel-ky-oct-11/story?id=17457175#.UH1kwYaVyao

The full debate is on the web, Youtube:

To contrast, you can find an analyze of CNN website: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57531028/fireworks-fly-at-vice-presidential-debate/

The coverage of the media was global, and it was so relevant the live streaming on Internet, people from all over the world could watch it easily. In some international channels they provided to their audience a translation of the debate. It was helpful because people who doen’t speak English could be informed about that relevant issues that affect to everyone.

There is an interesting video about the elections and presidential debate moments. I invite you to watch it!

10 Things I thought before coming to US

 

1. Where is Murray? Kentucky? Where is Kentucky?
2. How long will take me to go there? Maybe 16 hours, maybe…
3. I will stay another year in college, c’mon! Suitebathrooms? What’s that?
4. Let’s try to live in a small town instead of a huge city.
5. How to pack just one suitcase for a whole year?
6. What if… I can’t understand anything?
7. Everything is gonna be new.
8. So many documents to fill in.
9. It will be fun, a new experience.
10. I really don’t care; I just wanna go.

What is it happening?

Close your eyes.
Think about the world and answer the next question: Do you know what is happening in the other side of ocean?
Open your mind; let’s go to figure it out.

Across the Atlantic Ocean we find another continent, Europe. Europe is one of the seven continents of the world located on Western of Asia and Northern of Africa.  Well, we try to go ahead. Almost everyone knows that there is an international crisis, which is known as Global Financial Crisis. Europe is also related to crisis. The media try to cover the situation telling the audience what it is happening but, are they right? Are they offering their best information?

Different media are covering international issues. In the United States we find newspapers or online media like USA Today, CNBC, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and also CNN, deal with it. Due to the fact that Europe is not close to the United States, is the media doing their best? In order to answer this question, we need to analyze some news.

According to an article published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday 26, Stephen Filder and Jonathan House focus on economic aspect. Filder and House wrote:

“Spain’s borrowing costs rose and its stock market fell sharply on the eve of Madrid’s announcement of new austerity measures, putting the shaky economy again at the center of Europe’s race to preserve its currency union.
Spain’s benchmark IBEX-35 index fell 3.9% and other European exchanges posted losses as well. The government’s 10-year borrowing costs rose nearly one-third of a percentage point, to above 6%, placing renewed pressure on Madrid to find a way out of its debt crisis and appearing to crimp its prospects for avoiding a bailout from its euro-zone partners.”

They did a good resume explaining the economic situation. However, if the audience didn’t hear about the issue before or they didn’t know some technical concepts; they wouldn’t be able to understand it.

Going further, there is a better coverage from Reuters. The news agency covered it including economical and social aspect. Toni Vorobyova wrote the article titled “Spain pushes euro zone equities to worst day in 2 months.” Vorobyova covered the financial crisis and also mentioned the protests occurred in Spain. This report helps to the general comprehension of the whole financial situation in the Continent. Nevertheless, it focuses on Europe’s market, people who is not interested in economics are not going to follow reading it after the lead:

“Euro zone equities suffered their worst session in two months on Wednesday, as violent anti-austerity protests in Greece and Spain underscored the hurdles the bloc faces on its road out of recession and financial crisis.
Financials were the top fallers, as investors locked in profits on strong summer gains on expectations of central bank stimulus. Sentiment for the sector was further soured by vocal disagreements among euro zone member countries on how to recapitalise struggling Banks.” Toni Vorobyova wrote.

Don’t be impatient, the engaging news is coming. The information offered by The New York Times, CNBC, USA Today, and CNN is good enough. Society care about their own issues, and this is a social fact. There is not taking place around US, but it affect to the whole world. People must be informed; reporters and agencies should get credible news. That media is doing a good job broadcasting the international crisis. Focusing on Spanish protests, articles which people is going to read and get inform about it are:
-From CNBC:
“Spain’s Troubles Worsen, Sparking New Phase for Euro Crisis” written by Laurie Laird (26 Sept.).
“Reasons Not to Lose Faith in Spain…Yet” written by Dhara Ranasinghe (26 Sept.).
-From CNN:
“Tens of thousands protest Spanish austerity measures” written byAl Goodman (15 Sept.).

The video shows what is going on in Madrid, the capital of Spain. The article published for USA Today titled “Protests against budget cuts in Spain, Greece rock world markets” was written by Nikolia Apostolou and Evangeline O’Regan.  It is a great reflect about the situation because it also involves what is happening to society, not only the economical fact; so people will engage it.

“Spain has undergone two days of violent protests because of cuts to public benefits and jobs due to be announced in Madrid on Thursday for the 2013 budget. The cuts are an attempt to meet austerity targets demanded by the eurozone, the 17 nations that use the euro as currency, in return for financial assistance.” Apostolou and O’Regan said.

They offered relevant information about measures and its consequences. They told the audience that people is moving and they complained about the crisis, and how it affects to them.

Take a breath.

The world moves, every second involves a new fact. Audience is ready to know. The job of reporters and media is uploaded information in the best way. Transparency is a key; opinion is not necessary.

In short, international news are less important because there is no proximity. However, it doesn’t justify the lack of information. Sometimes audience has to find their preferred sources, and also take a look to other medium. Anyway, contrast is the essential key.

Now, you can see.

10 Things make me smile day to day

1. People smiling.
2. Laughing about anything.
3. Listening The Kooks.
4. Reading messages from people who are so far away.
5. Meeting people.
6. Eating chocolate.
7. Sleeping.
8. Saying the word pretty.
9. Singing “Psych” intro.
10. Cuddling.

Something unexpected.

All I ever wanted was to enjoy the little things in life. My name is Victoria; I am an exchange student for one academic year at Murray State University. I grew up like an ordinary girl. When I was a child, I learned my native language, Spanish. When I went to school, I made friends and learned to communicate with others. I was able to travel around the world before eventually being accepted into a university. Like everyone else, I have had so many experiences; some of them are great memories and they deserve to be told. I remember my first exchange; it was four years ago. I went to France and I learned how to speak French. I was very proud of myself. However, my life still goes on, and it is changing all the time, in every second, there could be something unexpected, it just happens.

One year ago, I travelled to Vienna in order to participate as a volunteer in a work camp. We were a group of thirty people from all over the world using English to communicate with each other. We had never met each other before; it was so weird spending the first night sleeping together in the same room. The only thing that we had in common it was the project. In the work camp, we had to coexist, and perform in a play. We traveled to Vienna only knowing that we had to live there for three weeks and to perform a play that included people with disabilities.

Two days after we met, we still had trouble remembering names. After doing some exercises, we learned everyone’s name. This play was so meaningful because it allowed us to become closer.  We all trusted each other, and got along well. It was an amazing experience. We also participated in creating the play; it consisted of little pieces of our own thoughts and feelings. The main theme of it was being a foreigner, getting lost, and finally finding a way home. Everyone could identify with that issue, since we were all far away from home, and in a place where we didn’t belong.

We shared every second, every morning, every breath, every lunch, and every step. We exchanged words, thoughts, gestures, performing, cooking, cleaning, singing, painting, playing, and laughing. We did it every single day for three weeks. The best three weeks of my life. We did not just collaborate, participate, meet new people, or learn from each other; we also made friends. We learned the meaning of the word friendship, how to live together, and that fear is gone when you get over it and open your mind. Home is wherever you are, the only things that matter are having the people you appreciate around, and you can feel comfortable, like home.

The experience that change my life the most was going to Vienna because there I realized that life just happens, and it made me feel alive, more than ever.

Tuesday, 11th September 2012

Tomorrow, it will be the 11^th anniversary of the most tragic occurred in United States. The September 11^th attacks. I was an 8-year-old child when it happened. I still remember some hard images which appeared in television. However, I was not aware of it. The only thing I could realize was that the atmosphere around me was different and unusual; adults seemed extremely worried. A few years later I was conscious of what took place in Manhattan, the fall of the twin towers and its consequences.

The fact is known in America as 9/11, even though in other countries it took another proper name, for example, Spanish media called it “11-S”. It was a huge catastrophe: millions of people suffered, families were broken, victims decided to jump and die quickly. The terrorist group got to terrify people from all over the world destroying the significant buildings in the World Trade Center. The three buildings that collapsed were the symbol of economic and military power. The terrorism attack provoked financial chaos. It also affected to exchange stock; Wall Street closed, and that effected to Europe where the market decreased. Terrorism got its climax; it was an unexpected aggression against United States and mankind. Afterward, human feelings were devastated.

As a consequence, all countries tightened security and watched over airline companies, specifically USA. Mass media collaborated to promote help to each other and to spread covered news. Mass media is in transition; according to new trends in social media people would have used their mobile phones to tell the world what was happening immediately. However, a variety of channels covered the twin towers attack like BBC did.Currently, there is no need to be a great reporter to cover news, citizen journalism is increasing and it is helpful to agents.

This is a following example:

Welcome!

Welcome to my little place on the web.

As an exchange student, I will tell my own experiences occurred in USA, an unexplored continent for me.

As a Journalism project I will try to write about everything around this world.

I hope you enjoy it.

If you want to add information, make some suggestion, or share your experiences, you are also welcome.

Victoria.