The Kite Runner

“La illaha il allah, Muhammad u rasul ullah,” a phrase not heard or spoken since Amir’s childhood, but when the son of his childhood friend is dying, he finds himself kneeling with his head on the ground almost thirty years later looking to his God for answers--for help. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a story of a boy born and raised in Afghanistan who flees to America with his father when wars begin to rage in his homeland. The story is taken through the important steps of youth in Afghanistan in the ‘70s, through escape from war ridden land, and the struggle to be true to oneself and ones culture in a new land and the struggle to go back home to save yourself. The Kite Runner brings an entirely different view of Afghanistan into the readers mind, but in the wake of September 11, 2001, is its purpose to influence the reader’s opinion of Afghanistan and its people? Propaganda, according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, is “the spreading of ideas, information, or rumors for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person.” Now assuming this is a universal definition, it would be my disposition to say that The Kite Runner is not propaganda and I am not quite sure that I could understand how anyone could consider it to be.
The Kite Runner is a book, that although written to tell a story of life in another country, is not meant to persuade the reader’s opinion of the country. The book tells a story of how life was, how it is, and how it has changed over the years. Just like in America, there are times when everyone was happy, and life was good and there are also times that were not so good. Amir’s life in Afghanistan was great, although he struggled to please his father, he had a good life. He had a good friend and he had his family. The story that is told in The Kite Runner is one of life.
Propaganda, to me, is more of an ad. It is something that tells you what to think. Propaganda is something that makes you think that a certain product, thought, or concept is better than what someone is already thinking. But who is to say that anyone is right? A story of life and of love, is not a book of persuasion, it is a book of reality. The Kite Runner shows its readers that there is life in other countries, it may not be as glamorous as life seems here, but it does exist and it is necessary to open our eyes to it. This book does just that, it opens our eyes to what is already there.
With the story that is told, it is up to the reader to interpret what is being said. It is in my interpretation that I have found the book to be moving and touching, but not to persuade any opinion that I have already formed of Afghanistan. Before reading this book I knew very little of Afghanistan and now after reading the book, I know the same. Afghanistan is a country that although there are many who have money, there are even more that do not. It is a country that has its own problems.
A book of this caliber is moving and it captivates an audience. Although I do not view this book as propaganda, I do understand why it could be considered as such. It tells a story of a world most of its readers do not understand. A world in which little boys get raped by other little boys, a world where fleeing seems to be the only way to survive, and a world in which an orphanage is even more dangerous than the streets. It would seem based on these ideas that the story of The Kite Runner is propaganda, but after careful consideration I have determined that the book was not intended to change the reader’s opinion of Afghanistan, only to open the reader’s eyes.
When considering the story, the reader must see that there are terrible things that go on in Afghanistan, both decades ago and in recent times, but it must be realized that things like this occur everywhere. Not to say it is any less terrible, but it does occur. Anyone could write a story about America and tell almost the exact same story, it does not matter where the story is set, it can happen anywhere. It just happens to be set in Afghanistan. Many people who read books, read them to get away from the reality that is life, we read to escape the world we are currently and divulge ourselves in a world that is far beyond and inescapable. Finding ourselves in the Amir’s life is an experience that someone can never forget, because it was often difficult to put his life story down. He takes us on a journey through his young childhood to mid-adulthood, where he finds himself happy for the first time in nearly 25 years. He is definitely a character, but unlike a character in an ad, or maybe like a character in an ad, I think we know better than to let a book persuade us in such a way to completely change our opinions of what we know.

White and Nerdy

I was scouring the internet attempting to find a topic for my blog today and I somehow found myself on Robert Scoble's website. I came across his posts for September 21, 2006, and at the top of the page was a post about Weird Al Yankovic. When I was reading, although it was a short post, I was still reminded of when I was younger and I used to see Weird Al video's everywhere. As a kid I remember growing up and watching the video's by the original artists and then not long after Weird Al's spoof would premiere and make me laugh. I think that is what he is all about. Weird Al is one of the very few artists who has made his career by creating spoofs of other artists, and he is only artist to become successful because of it.

He started his career in the late '70s, he made a name for himself in the '80s, kept it big in the '90s, and is remaking himself today. He was a pioneer in the music field and when everyone else was idolizing big names like Madonna and Michael Jackson, he was making fun of how they got there. While Madonna's "Like a Virgin" was a huge hit, Weird Al created his Like a Surgeon. Michael Jackson made hits like "Beat it" and "Bad," Yankovic created hits like Eat It and Fat. His career has spanned generations and he does not appear to be slowing down. He made hits that spoof off of Madonna and Michael Jackson, he kept his name strong in the '90s by creating Amish Paradise (a spoof of Coolio's "Gangster's Paradise"), and he is keeping his name strong today with the September release of his latest album, Straight Outta Lynnwood, which hails tracks like Canadian Idiot (a spoof of Green Day's "American Idiot") and White and Nerdy (a spoof of Chamillionare's latest hit "Ridin' Dirty"). Throughout the years, Weird Al has proven himself to be a strong presence in the musical industry and he has shown that he is not going any where.

Weird Al has changed the music industry in more ways than one. He has created an entirely new genre of music that is all his own and he has proven that he can make a very successful career out of other people's music.

If you have never heard of Weird Al before, or even if you've just never heard his music or seen his videos, then please take a look. Take his lyrics lightly, they are meant to entertain, but he is a serious artist and he is good at what he does.

Completing the Picture

I wasn't sure how to approach reading both the San Jose Mercury Newspaper and the Online version of the paper. It wasn't the reading part I couldn't handle, it was the approach to comparing the two that seemed to pose a problem. Now, I generally try to read the paper version of the Mercury everyday, but realistically, it happens about every other day. On the day I decided to compare the two versions, I sat down at the kitchen table, with the Saturday paper and my laptop. On my laptop I had the internet opened up to the Mercury News . As I sat there, I seemed to be swimming in a world of current (or at least daily) news. It was at this time that I decided to narrow down my search to determine the differences in printing. I set my sights on the Sports section.

Let's face it, on Friday night (for the Saturday edition), there isn't much going on in the wideworld of sports. The biggest news was baseball in the Bay Area and golf. On the front page of the sports section there was a story involving the Oakland A's hunt to clinch their division title. There was a picture with captions letting readers know that Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's home run record by hitting yet another home run. There was a huge picuture of Tiger Woods which took up almost half the page. What seemed to be most prominent about the front page of the sports section was that the reader can actually begin to read the article to get an idea of what it is about and then they have the option of whether or not to turn the page to read the rest or the article. After finally getting passed the front page of the sports section, I got to the "insides." What I found inside is that, it is the heart of the section. It is on the "inside" that you find articles that are not local. I found articles on many key sports teams/people that are not in this area. I also found that there are one page dedicated to each Bay Area baseball team, yet all other teams have small articles and share the page with quite a few advertisements.

When it comes to the online version of the Mercury News (at least the sports section), the online version seems to fall short of the print version. What you find on the sports page is group of links, all the same size, color, font and they stand out in no way shape or form. There are only two articles that are introduced with a paragraph proceded by a link to find the rest of the story. To me, the online version lacks the ability to give the reader the experience of reading a newspaper to get current events that are tied in with pictures and something that the readers can relate to. Although there are local articles within the online version, they seem empty because they are being read through a computer screen that makes your eyes go fuzzy when you stare at the screen for too long (or maybe that's just me).

Whichever version a reader decides to read, they choose the version for their own reasons. My loyalty lies with the printed version because it, to me, creates an experience that cannot be compared to staring at a computer screen.

Can a Caveman do it?

As I came to school on Wednesday, I noticed print ads all over the campus ground. From what I saw they were ads for GEICO'S campain, "So easy a caveman could do it." On first impression I was not sure whether this was an attempt at advertising to college students gone bad, but as I grabbed a copy of The Spartan Daily on the way to class, I realized that it was actually an advertisement that was incorporated in the newspaper.

When I got to my seat before class started I pulled out the print ad and took a good look at it. What I found was that not only was this an advertisement, it was an advertisement geared toward gaining a new audience, not maintaining one. On the back of the ad I found a new pitch "Actually, a caveman can do lots of things. For example, this easy peasy little puzzle." Below this statement you see a picture of a Sudoku puzzle, which is the latest and greatest in the puzzle crazed world.


Sudoku is a game that has "blown up" in recent times. It has been stereotyped as an "Asian" game, but I have seen many different people playing it. It is a game of numbers and logic, in which the ultimate goal is to have 1 through 9 in each row, column, and 3x3 box. It is a challenging game and almost always come in different difficulty levels.

As I was saying, on the back of this print ad for Geico there was a sudoku puzzle. This interested me because although many of these ads ended up scattered on the grounds of the campus, I knew, many people, like myself, who wouldn't normally take a second glance at this advertisement, would most certainly take the time to do the puzzle. I am not a big fan of inserts or leaflets in magazines or newspapers, but when these advertisements allow me to entertain myself, if only for a few moments, is worth my time.

From my own experience, I have determined that the goal of this print ad was to reach college students that do not normally look twice at these types of ads. Although many papers were on the ground, if two or three were kept and the puzzles were done, then the ad was successful. I say this because I kept it, it is in my backpack as I write this. I am waiting for the perfect time to amuse myself with a puzzle that is so "easy peasy" even a caveman could do it.

Can you Handle the Mint?

The question posed today, is what propaganda have you read lately? When reading a magazine, or a newspaper, or even a book, not many people think, "Wow! This ad is just feeding me with propaganda." Before today, I never would have even known that propaganda could be almost everywhere. As far as I understood, it was a form of news meant to create a dislike for the enemy in times of war (that may not be the best way to phrase that, but it is the only way I can think to explain it). What I learned today is that propaganda is just about everything that attempts to persuade your opinion or your behavior rather than just give you the news. Propaganda can be found in any form of media. It can be anything that you look at, a billboard, a magazine ad or article, a television commercial or show, and even a book that you read. I am constantly reading books and, when I get the opportunity to, I watch TV, but I have never thought about the propaganda that I am consuming. Looking on it now, I see that many of the commercials I see attempt to make the consumer believe that their product is ultimately the best in the market. My main concern is that although I do not consider what I view propaganda because I would like to believe that I am not so easily persuaded, but the truth is, who isn't? I may not give the ads in, well let's say, Vanity Fair a second look, because I know for a fact I can hardly afford the 400 page magazine, let alone the clothing and products advertised within, but I have glanced back at products that I would not normally buy that are advertised in other magazines. The second glance to me does not mean much, but when discussing the topic of propaganda I learned that that "second glance" is exactly what the advertisers were aiming for. I may not be the target market for that product, but the more times I glance back at the advertisement for that product, the more likely I am to go out and buy it, because the ad is persuading my opinioning of the product within it. For instance, this website, The Curiously Strong Mint is the ad gallery for the print ads for Altoids (branded "The Curiously Strong Mint"). These ads draw my attention, because although I would not normally purchase these mints, looking at these ads makes me consider purchasing the product because the ads are so entertaining. I hate to say it, but what I have learned today is that with all the media I consume everyday, propaganda is within all of it and there is probably no way around it.

Spike Lee

"When the Levees Broke" a mini-series type documentary by Spike Lee is one of the most educational shows I have ever watched. In it you get commentary by many of the survivors of the hurricane, as well as many reporters and others that were involved in the relief process. You see the aftermath of the hurricane in a different aspect than normal news reports showed. Many news reports showed the devastation, but this was truly in depth coverage. People dead in the streets, houses completely destroyed, streets flooded for miles, and it seemed as though the damage would or rather could not be repaired. Within the show you hear many times "where was the government?" or "where was FEMA?" You see news reports with reporters interviewing those around them to find out how mad they were at the President, but my question is, what were those reporters doing to help? How come no one asked why the camera men were just standing behind the camera, why not put the camera down and help someone? Now I am in no way attempting to defend the government in their slow effort to provide aid, because as the President of our country, over looking people dying from a plane and not coming into "ground zero" for two weeks was inconsiderate and inhumane. When people see that picture, do they really think that someone 14,000 ft in the air is really sympathetic to those dying below him? The documentary by Spike Lee is wonderful in the sense that it shows its viewers the details and the first hand experience of the situation. I would definately recommend viewing the show, or at least checking out the website.

When the Levees Broke

Throughout the events of Hurricane Katrina, the residents of Louisianna (mainly New Orleans) were referred to as REFUGEES. This is a name the media generally gives to people fleeing countries during times of war to avoid persecution. Yet, this is a name that we gave to people simply seeking shelter and normal living conditions. This name was given to people simply needing help. This documentary shows you how the citizens of Louisianna feel about the entire situation. It is eye-opening and educational. If you do watch it, please make sure you pay attention to the segment about the President's mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, because she makes a comment that few will forget.

Katie, the Final Frontier?

So I didn't realize until today in a diversity in the media class that Katie Couric's broadcast tonight was as important as it really is. Her broadcast will apparently signify the first broadcast to have a female news anchor. There are other news stations which have female anchors, but this is a World news report, it is available to the entire country, if not a wider span of viewers, unlike our local telecasts. I have to be honest, I am not to keen on the idea of watching World News on American television channels. In my experience they have a tendency to be biased and when I look for news, I want truth and honesty, regardless of my feelings or whether or not I can handle the truth. I think that Katie Couric's taking on the CBS Evening News is definately a step forward, but at the same time I'm not sure whether or not that is a good thing. I didn't get a chance to watch it when it aired so I actually went back and watched it online, and what I noticed is that hardly any news stories were covered. The few stories that were covered, were introduced by Katie and run by someone else and the one story covered by Katie was an interview with the President. I'm not quite sure how I feel about all of this, because I think I expected more. With as much as goes on in this world, especially with the "War on Terror," you would think that the new's stations would have something else to report on besides the precious and already infamous "TomKat." Why is it that our news stations look to celebrities for the latest in "world news," but it is other countries that know what is really going on in the world? Are we ignorant enough to believe that we are getting the "real" news or do these news stations just hope that we are?

Click here to watch Katie

Ayudame!

HELP ME!!! So I am trying to work the blog roll. I did the help thing on blogger and I still have no idea how to add links to my blog roll...If anyone has any clue how to help me, please do.

In the Words of Jack Sparrow, Are You Savvy?

Are you Savvy??? Since the last class meeting I have been trying to get onto my internet here at home, but it hasn't been working. My uncle, The Whiz, was in the mountains for the weekend and no one else in the house knows how to fix our wireless connection. Now this wouldn't normally be a problem, but since I had an assignment which required the internet, I was a little stumped. My situation this weekend made me wonder how much media I actually consume and how much I know about the technology that brings me that media. The answer to that question seems to be that I consume quite a bit of media, but I have no clue how any of the technology works. It seems to me that throughout the day a person can see or here commercials for the newest and latest technology. A person can see a billboard or scan an ad or article in a newspaper or magazine, but when it comes to understanding how to work the technology behind the media we tend to leave that to the "Geeks." Hence the creation of Best Buy's "Geek Squad." Now I don't know how many people are like me, in the sense that I do not enjoying spending too much money on one thing (Some may call it cheap or frugal, but for sake of the argument, I will call myself a money saver). I don't like spending money on things that do not seem all that necessary, however, I am more likely to go to Best Buy's "Geek Squad" than even attempt to understand how to fix a computer myself. Why is that? I love learning new things, but when it comes to technology, I just need to know how to work it, not fix it. I know there are plenty of other people out there like me. But why is it that although we need it, we don't want to know how to fix it???