FREDDY KRUEGER

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/freddy-krueger-copycat-found-guilty-of-murder-108069.html

When Halloween rolls around each year, television is full of movies that depict the classic horror characters such as Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Jason, etc. Since these people are considered to be some of the many faces of Halloween, I looked into whether or not there was a copycat killing or act that was done in regards to trying to be like one of the listed characters. I came across an individual in London who was responsible for killing 4 people in his quest to try and be like Freddy Krueger. His desire was to kill at least 10 people in a case of serial murders, which he failed at. He killed these 4 people, two men and two women, in a three day span. He also was said to have began faking a mental illness sometime before he committed the murders in order to help him in court. It was also said that he tried to fake out psychiatrists upon his arrest but failed miserably. The court had him locked up, however, in Broadmoor, a maximum security mental institute, where he proceeded to try and eat his arm off? He later was convicted of murder and was going to have multiple life sentences.
This particular case was one of which I felt to tie into our class in respects to the copycat effect. This individual told police that it was his desire to find out what it was like to be Freddy Krueger in the horror film Nightmare on Elm Street. This copycat incident is just one of many that occur throughout the world on a daily basis. It's just a shame that weak minded people can ruin the horror film industry by trying to be like the characters depicted in film.

RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4o-TeMHys0

When browsing around YouTube, I came across a man who was taking place in a debate for the governor of New York. Jimmy McMillan is his name and he is a representative of the Rent is Too Damn High Party. He basically talks about, in this particular clip, how children are starving everywhere, and parents are working multiple jobs to support them. I think that this guy is rather interesting in that he is an ordinary man who has most likely experienced some kind of the difficulty he discusses at some point in his life. He also discusses how many people are living on the streets because, like his party, the rent is too damn high. I know people in the audience thought the guy was a joke, but I think that may be half of the problem with society, we laugh at the things that should be focused on more and taken care of. Overall, I think the guy is awesome and I would love to hear him talk more about his unique party.

MOVIE

When watching the Bill Curtis movie, I was kind of bothered by the fact that people can be influenced as much as they were by movies. The one kid who popped into his classroom at school in the same way as the guy had done in the movie he had seen and proceeded to shoot a gun was terrible. I think, however, that many people have fantasized about doing such a thing, and by seeing it in the movies, it helps them refine their strategies. It also, I feel, gives them an excuse as to why they did such a thing. I think that by them blaming it on the movies, they feel as if it will posisbly help them get away with it, which it doesn't, obviously. Overall, it was an interesting movie, but i thought it was quite disturbing to see how mentally weak many people are in respect to being influenced by a business such as the film industry. 

COPYCAT SHADES

http://www.allinternetmarketing.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/nomar-garciaparra-dreams.jpg    notice in the pic. the shades he is wearing.

When I was a little kid, I loved watching Nomar Garciappara and the Boston Red Sox. Nomar was by far my favorite player, and by me still being young and starting to play baseball, I wanted to be just like him. Nomar was known for wearing his flip down sunglasses while playing. He could wear them flipped down during the late evening or when the sun was bothering him, but when he didn't have a use for them, he simply flipped them back up.

By seeing Nomar wear these shades, I thought it would be cool to copy him and get a pair for myself, thinking it would make me play better (which I should have known would have no impact on my play at all). Soon after getting my pair of "flip shades" a few of my friends followed suite by getting a pair. Overall, looking back on how Nomar Garciappara influenced me on getting these rediculous sun glasses, I laugh. My reasoning for getting these shades was absurd, but at the time, it sounded good.

http://www.trutv.com/shows/conspiracy_theory/index.html

I was sitting down this evening watching television when I stumbled accross Jesse Venturas new television show, Conspiracy Theory. Not only is this show shown on the television medium, but I found it quite interesting to note that much of the stuff he says can easily be contradicted. He goes on a hunt around the world to track down individuals who have information to back up his theories on things, or theories that he has heard about. By him doing so, I feel as if he is carrying out the confirmation bias because he is hunting down individuals that will back up the conspiracy that he is hunting. Not once did i see him find someone who disproved of the theory, everyone he found was promoting the particular conspiracy he was researching. For instance, I saw him trying to hunt down a guy to give his side of the story in regards to global warming being a way for many powerful people to make more money and take over the world. The only guy I saw him talk to was a journalist who came up with this conspiracy. Overall, I think the show is BS but the guy does have some interesting arguments to back up these absurd conpiracy theories.

MEDIA

When reading the article based on media and information that the public receives, I noticed many forms of information bias that I had learned my Freshman year here at JMU. To me the bandwagon effect is one of the most common forms of information bias. If people hear their friends, or other's who are important to them ranting and raving about something, they are more reluctant to jump on and agree with everythign they say. The confirmation bias is one that I also find to be quite familiar in that many people, when arguing with another person, always resort to some sort of information to back up their claims. Another form is the base rate fallacy which I feel is pretty common. People, in regards to base rate, think that their experiences over rule the facts and figures that have been studied for years preceding. Each person who experiences something experiences something that is entirely unique. The result can be similar to what was researched, but the factors leading up the to result can be quite different. Finally, cognitive dissonance is basically based on teh fact that if it proves you wrong, you disprove of it. People cannot stand being wrong and think it is only their way, when other facts are presented that disprove them, they disregard it immediately.

In one particular situation, I used the bandwagon effect in regards to the situation pertaining towards President Bush some years ago. I had no clue what was going on, but everyone else was not approving of his actions, so I jumped on and agreed. I know now that this was wrong, but I can still say that I shamefully took part and jumped on the Bandwagon.

Finally, I think that a Department of Information would be a good idea. I know there are a lot of provisions that would have to be made in order for it to be effective, but I think that if the government really cared about honest news and the truth, time would not be a problem to make this effective and put it into motion.

ANOTHER LAWNMOWER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95qZtwJNjxk&NR=1

Since I did my last free blog on a guy on a lawnmower, I thought of another incident in which a man on a lawnmower was arrested. The guy's name is Steve and he has several videos on YouTube of him getting arrested while driving drunk on a lawnmower. In this particular video, the Internet is showing a video of just one of several interesting and absurd things that cops see everyday. Steve is shown driving his lawnmower down the road where he is pulled over by a police officer. The officer tells Steve to cut the lawnmower off, put his cigarette out, and pour out all of his whiskey that he was drinking. Steve gets off of the lawnmower and puts his cigarette out and gives the officer grief for having to pour out his new bottle of whiskey. He then gets back on his lawnmower, tells the police officer "I am not going to jail today," and starts to drive off. The officer then tases Steve and apprehends him. This video to me was just another funny incident that is portrayed on a type of medium where justive prevails. Even though it may be halarious to watch, I am sure it gets quite annoying for officer's who repeatedly have to put up with absurd types of behavior such as this.

SOUTH CAROLINA GUNMAN

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/22/south.carolina.school.devices/index.html?npt=NP1

In this particular case, a young kid walks into his school in Conway, South Carolina where he proceeds to walk into the school police officer's office. After talking with him a little, the kid pulls out a gun on the police officer. The officer wrestles the kid to the ground and they fight over possession of the firearm. During this scuffle, the kid fires a shot, missing the officer, and hits the wall consequently resulting in shrapnel hitting the officer in the face. The officer finally gains possession of the firearm and detains the juvenile. The school is then evacuated, which then leads to school officials learning of potential bombs being present throughout the school. The police then called in the bomb squads and extra help to try and find these bombs, which later lead to them discovering several pipe bombs. Because of the discovery of these objects, the police then carried out a search warrant on the kids home where they discovered things that would be used to create a pipe bomb, backing up their previous discovery. Charges in this case have still yet to be determined, and the case is still open to investigation.
I found that this article was similar to the reading from last week in that it was another example of the media only broadcasting terrifying events. It was something serious enough that the news stations knew it would get some numbers, which most likely led to them reporting on this story.
In the development of this case, however, I feel as if the media will report on every negative thing they can find to try and persuade all of the listeners of a guilty verdict. Although the article provided every bit of information I needed to come to the conclusion that this kid was the one, and that he intended to cause lots of harm to his classmates, and other school memebers.
I also feel as if this case is one that is more entertaining to its viewers. People love seeing terrible events on the news, which go right along with what we have gone over in class, so I find that the news companies only posted it so they could get the numbers, which in turn would make them the money. I only wish I knew what many of these news companies were thinking, and I wish they would report on every situation of this magnitude no matter the circumstances.