UPA- History, Style and Influence

 

UPA Studios

History, Style, and Influence

    

       The early 1950s was an interesting time for world history and animation. Many studios started to come out of the rise and one of great importance was UPA. UPA is short for United Productions of America. UPA is a studio that has an interesting history and whose influence can still be seen in work today. 

History and Creation

    The founding of UPA is quite an entertaining story. In 1940 after the release and success of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney used the profits to create a new building. The purpose of this building was to segregate the tight-knit team onto different floors depending on their job hierarchy. Disney's working conditions were terrible and borderline tyrannical resulting in many employees of the animation unit going on strike. The strike, which had started in 1941 came to an end when over two hundred strikers were fired leaving them ripe for a growing animation market. These battered and talented ex-employees sought refuge at other more appreciative places of work. Many went to work for Colombia Pictures in the newly purchased and renamed Screen gems including the well known Frank Tashlin. Others who left due to the strike or condistions surrounding it inlcude John Hubley, John Mcleish, and Zack Schwartz. Other than the short lived Screen gems many also found strange liberation in the U.S. Army. Lacking care for artisitic style so long as the message was distributed the army provided a place for artist to experiment try new methods of animation. It was those animators who decided to create their idealized studio that they wished for, Stephen Busustow, Zach Schwartz and Davis Hilberman worked after hours from the army studio to create UPA, and the rest is history. 

    The three founders of UPA actually collaborated on projects before UPA, originally forming a company called Industrial Film and Poster Service. It was after they formed UPA that they gained more commissioned work mailny from the United Auto Workers union (UAW). These works include Hell-Bent for Election(1944) and The Brotherhood of Man(1946). On these films they worked with other big names such as Chuck Jones and Bobe Cannon. It is in the latter film that you can see some of the tell tale signs of UPA's style, this includes lines that done match up with backgrounds, focus on human figures and more.

Style

    Overall UPA had no designated studio style, each artist putting their own stye and experimentation into works, sometimes more than one artists style on a single work. The studio aimed to remain departed form the strict structure and expectations that were had of them at disney. UPA employed the use of "Limited Animation." The type of animation focuses more on expressive intention rather than on movement and backgrounds. This style allowed for less drawings and thus saved time and money, UPA however, proved that it could be used more than for cutting budgets. "It was only after Bobe Cannon’s (an UPA artist) animation “Gerald McBoing Boing” that Limited Animation was accepted in major Hollywood cartoon studios. Gerald McBoing Boing was shown in 1951 and it won an Oscar for that year" (D'source, 3).

(View Above for Gerald McBoing Boing)

    The McBoing Boing series is actuall

Jollie Frolics

The impact of the cold war

The unique style of UPA

The lasting influence of upa and impact on others.

Refrences

Representing animation artists, writers and technicians since 1952. Animation Guild. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://animationguild.org/about-the-guild/disney-strike-1941/   

YouTube. (2012). The Brotherhood of Man. YouTube. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnrxbkajy9M.  

Prof. Phani Tetali and Phidi Pulu. (2017, October 6). Downloads. D'Source. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://dsource.in/course/limited-animation/downloads 

Winsor McCay and Early Animation

 

Early Animation: A Study of Winsor McCay

Naomi Blowe

Animation History - Lambert

02 February 2022

    Animation has a long and extensive history and it all dates back to the mid-1600s. Since then it has developed and formed into what we know now, blockbuster movies and tv shows. Along that journey, one name sticks out in the earlier years. That name is Winsor McCay. 

    McCay is often considered the "Father of Animation." Starting out as a portrait artist and moving on to circus posters, he found his way to comics. This is where he created his strips such as Little Sammy Sneeze (1904-6), Dream of the Rarebit Fiend (1904-11), and one of his most famous works Little Nemo in Slumberland. It is in his Little Nemo comic where he demonstrates his incredible understanding of movement. As can be seen in the picture below.

    It was the latter comic from which he created his first animated film released in 1911. The film itself starts out in the "real world" (this portion was directed by James Stuart Blackton, another well-known animator) this is where we see McCay make a bet that he can animate his characters and make them come to life. Towards the end of the video when McCay presents his work to his friends we see him do what many before him had done; he draws a lightning sketch of one of his characters and shows us the mechanism in which he takes the photos to give the drawings the appearance of movement. After all that we finally get to see the completed characters consisting of Nemo and some other regular from the strip, perform a series of movements including elongating and shrinking their bodies, a visual technique that will later become known as "rubber hose" animations.

    It was in this film and others to come where McCay developed "personality animation." The two films that exhibit this the best are How a Mosquito Operates (1912) and Gertie the Dinosaur (1914). The characteristics of the characters are evident in the actions they take, displaying distinct personalities -although sometimes rather violent- they are prevalent in their nature. Not only did these characters display McCay's understanding of personality and how to make characters think they also showed his evolution of accuracy to reality. One may notice that the mosquito (Steve) has trouble lifting himself after taking an excessive amount of blood from his target. His bulbous behind has a real sense of weight and space to it. This is all expressed through visuals only. And as it is in Gertie it is obvious more study into the movement and behaviors of other animals was put into this work. For example, Gertie rolls onto her back in a very cat-like way, she is also seen wagging her tail.

 

    

  Now of course one must be thinking, "well how did he accomplish such skill all on his own, the drawings must have taken ages!?" And you would be correct in all of his earlier films McCay drew each frame by hand by himself and photographed them individually, the same process we witnessed in his first Little Nemo film. Another of McCay's great advancements came after a terrible American tragedy. The Sinking of the Lusitania (1918) was a great shift from McCay's earlier works. This film took on a more realistic and documentary look, utilizing great detail, shifts in framing, perspective, and a darker tone. The film itself was a starting point for a discussion on the U.S joining the Great War in 1917. McCay showcased his ability to create depth by having the ship emerge diagonally from the left side of the screen. It was in this film that he also debuted his new method of using celluloid films to speed up the process of animation making.

    It was the use of the new Cels technology that allowed for faster production and for McCay, a man who valued the quality and art of animation over the quantity who was being quickly swept away by competition, this was much needed. The cels allowed for the background to remain stagnant and not have to be redrawn and characters could be placed in open spaces and moved around the area. This technology became a great advantage to everyone in the industry, that is of course until John Randolph Bray started slapping patents on everything, even technology, and techniques that weren't originally his that no one had claimed yet. This put McCay in a spot when Bray tried to sue him due to this patent, but thankfully he could easily prove he had been using the method long before Bray came along.

    Winsor McCay has had a long and full career starting as a portrait artist and circus worker all the way up to creating works that would earn him the title of "Father of Animation." he laid the foundation for the animation world as we know it and I believe I speak for everyone when I say we thank him for his contributions.

Final Blog Post

 

My Relationship With Technology <3

It is no secret or surprise that technology is advancing. Even people in 1964 knew this; they had quite high expectations. Electronic technology has been on the rise and has also risen in impact on the daily lives of humans. It is nearly impossible to walk around outside without finding some source or type of technology. This rise in technology and its uses has had a significant influence on us as a society, both positive and negative. I will explain below some of the impacts technology has had on us and what it holds for our future.

In the video of the 1964 World Fair, they show off their "Futurama." In this model, there are many examples of how they think the world will look in the future and how it actually it. The model shows great advancements in technology such as putting a man on the moon, which we accomplish 5 years later, and people living in communities in Antarctica. Technology has brought us to a point in our civilization that we can only grow from. The average life span is longer, people are more social, and basic needs are relatively easy to come by. For people just 200 years ago we are living in a utopia. All of these things are positive and great, but what they failed to mention or have the foresight to think of are the unintended consequences. 

Technological Consequences

Though the advancement of electronic technology has come with great advantages and has helped shape society into the bustling hub that it is now, there are also many drawbacks that come with these new perks. As we see in the Mad World Remix of Moby Video technology can become addicting. The video showcases many real-life scenarios that we witness far too often. The characters appear to be "asleep" while walking and interacting on their mobile phones, this is most likely to show how we have been living and working on autopilot relying on our technology to do everything for us. An example of this is in 2019 when a Woman Distracted By A Phone Walks Onto Train Tracks. This woman, who thankfully survived, was so engrossed by what was on her phone screen that she held no regard for her own safety and even the safety of those around her. According to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), there were 3,142 distracted driving deaths in 2019. The majority of distracted driving includes texting, calling, and even using a GPS. Exactly like we saw in the video people would simply walk off the end of the earth chasing that next like or subscribe.

Another concerning feature that we witness in the Moby Video is people's desensitization to tragedies. This is exemplified towards the end of the video, where a girl is mocked for her dancing and this causes her to commit suicide by jumping from a building. Rather than reaching out to the girl or offering her help they simply record the incident on their phone and walk away laughing at the next "big thing" on the internet.  A study found in The Journal of Abnormal Psychology says "Between 2009 and 2017, rates of depression among kids ages 14 to 17 increased by more than 60%, the study found (TIME)." These are astounding numbers, especially considering that the targeted audience for most social media and internet-related things are teens.

Technology In My Life

Technology can be addicting to anyone. Yes, even I have fallen victim to overuse of the internet at times. The Pandemic has forced many people to remain inside for an extended period of time. Of course, people are going to get bored quickly and head straight to the internet for a steady stream of entertainment. If I were to evaluate my personal internet usage I would say sometimes abuse the internet. That's almost a full DAY just using my phone. I myself use the internet and social media apps for entertainment and as a source of procrastination from work, I'm not very inclined to do. This is a very unhealthy practice and something I have been trying to work on, but progress is slow.

Other than my excessive usage I have quite a large digital footprint. Simply by Google Image searching my first and last name out of the 20 pictures that pop up only 4 aren't related to me in any way and the first search result that comes up is my Twitter (that I never use). Other than having a prominent online presence there isn't anything overtly negative when my name is searched, in fact, most of the things are positives such as me winning awards or scholarships, participating in school activities, or random social media that hold no significance. I like many other iPhone users have given the government my fingerprint face print, and at this point, I've practically signed away the rights to my first child. There is no wonder my print is so large because most of my information is already out there. When I think about this in the mindset of a 20-year-old college student, it doesn't bother me much but when I think outside of myself and realize what they can do with that information it scares me what I've signed myself up for.

Overall when you look at the positives and negatives of the internet and other growing technologies. The world may not look exactly as they imagined it would in 1964 but we are on a steady course to reach that destination sooner than I think most people are ready for. Hopefully, in that process, we can avoid the future predicted in the Moby Video. This should remind everyone to keep their head up and enjoy the ride.

Blog Post #12

 

EOTO Evaluation (Part 2)

In My EOTO I di news desserts one topic that interested me the most was actually in my own group. The topic was Net Neutrality presented by Tyler Katz. This issue is most pressing for people of my generation. The economy is slowly recovering and is always in flux. with the job market being so unstable sometimes even I wonder if I will be able to find s job after I graduate.  So the idea of having to pay more for a service I don't even use is not a comforting thought.

Blog Post #11

 

Privacy

Privacy in recent years along with the expansion of the internet has become a more pressing issue. From websites using cookies to social media apps harvesting user information for sale. Privacy seems almost hard to come by nowadays.

It was in recent news that Former President Trump tried to have the popular social media app with Chinese Origins, TikTok, banned in the U.S. due to privacy leaks and selling of personal information.

Nowadays all of your information is already on the internet, whether you like it or not. Unless you live under a rock, there is most definitely a trace of you somewhere on the internet.

Blog Post #10

 

EOTO: News Deserts

The second EOTO that I did on was New Deserts. News Derests are a growing concern in the United States. Even the state in which I attend school has a growing news desert.

Bog #9

 

Diffusion Theory

All great technologies must grow and be popularized in order to have a significant impact on the world. One of these technologies is the printing press. The printing press allowed for the spread of information to many people across long distances.

The printing press first started gaining popularity through the sake of bibles and also allowed for the spread of the protestant reformation.

Blog #8

 

EOTO Evaluation: Facebook

I found many of my classmates EOTO's to be highly interesting there were a few that cought my eye. Teh first one being FaceBook.

Facebook had an interesting histoir and many interesting implications for the future and for our Nation's Privacy.

Blog Post #6

 

EOTO: The Radio

The radio is something that we are all familiar with something that we have all grown accustomed to throughout our childhoods and into our adulthood and everyday lives. The radio has an extensive and interesting history and a long evolution bringing it all the way to portable radios, A.K.A mobile phones, that we know today.

History

The radio has a fascinating and deep history. Like many other great inventions, the actual creator is disputed. Some believe that it was Nikola Tesla during his 1893 demonstration of wireless radio signals in St. Louis, Missouri; however, despite this demonstration, it is Guglielmo Marconi that is most commonly attributed to the invention. It was also Marconi who was awarded the first English patent in 1896; however, just 4 years later, Tesla received an American patent for the same invention in 1900. Despite the issue with the patents, Marconi is most commonly recognized as the inventor thanks to his great feat of being the first person to send a radio signal across the Atlantic in 1901.

This revolutionary item was first popularized due to its use on naval ships during the First World War. In fact, it was only 1906 when inventor Reginald Fessenden improved upon Marconi's wireless transmission by giving a Christmas gift to some sailors off of New England. He read the story of Christmas from the Gospel of Luke while a violin played "Silent Night," between Morse code transmissions.

It was thanks to this feat that radios started to grow in popularity even more in the 1920s leading to KDKA becoming the first licensed radio station. They had their first transmission on November 2nd, 1920, election day. They broadcast the results of the Harding versus Cox election, announcing Harding as the winner. It was later, in 1923, that AT&T, the first Toll and Chain Broadcaster released their first radio advertisement. Companies like NBC and CBS were created to AT&T being the sole broadcasting station with rights to toll broadcasting. 

Evolution

Evolution

The radio has evolved significantly from that first transition across the Atlantic to the portable radios in our pockets and in our cars. Since advancements like the first transmission across the Atlantic, the radio continued to developed, leading to new great feats such as the first live human voice being transmitted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1919. It was also in the 1920s or the "Golden Age of Radio" that radios began to be sold commercially. They were geared more towards family and were used for music, news, and other forms of entertainment. Later in the 1950s, National News Stations were created, allowing for greater and more widespread information and connection. It was then in 1960 when radios began to be used in the Space Program, and as we all know, it was only 9 years after this development that our country landed a human on the moon.

Advantages

Radio, like other great communication advancements, has had a tremendously positive effect on society. One way to prove the effect radio has had is to look at its significant effects or use by prominent people. One such example is radio's use during the Great Depression by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt(FDR). From March 1933 to June 1944, FDR used his commonly known "fire-side chats" to calm the nation during this difficult time and also to provide support to and promote his New Deal Policies. Many people found that the fire-side chats did exactly as intended. They felt like they connected to their president and could rely on him.

Another advancement that most people in modern times would appreciate is the spread and popularization of many different genres of music. Many genres such as Jazz, Rock n' Roll, and country gained popularity. Previously Country was a regional sound that was only displayed in close, familiar settings and not typically heard by people, not in southern communities. Music became popular through the creation and increased use of AM and FM radio stations. Not only was the music itself made more popular, but thanks to "flaming youth" in the 20's using Jazz to rebel against society standards, African American culture was more widely accepted.

And finally, one last advantage that the radio provided to the world is the increased spread of knowledge and news. In the past, the spread of information was hindered by a lack of education and illiteracy. Newspapers, of course, were incredibly popular and useful, but for those that don't know how to read, they were at a loss for information. Newspapers also took time to produce, so by the time the paper was issued, the news could be old and over. The radio allowed for fast-paced information minutes after or even during the event itself.

Disadvantages

Too much of a good thing can be detrimental to oneself. This is the case for any great invention, and the radio is no exception. Despite all of the amazing advantages that come with the radio, there are still some significant disadvantages. 

One disadvantage that actually only served to prove the power of the radio was the War Of The Worlds incident. 'War Of The Worlds" is a Sci-Fi Action novel written by H.G. Wells. In 1933 a radio station held a live reenactment broadcast of the book. Some listeners tuned in late and missed the disclaimer saying that this was indeed all fake and that there was nothing to worry about. Because of this, many believe that this was an actual news report claiming the earth was being taken over by Martians leading many to run to the streets armed and ready to protect their planet. Nowadays, we may see this a foolish and completely unbelievable, but during this time-space had not been explored, and the radio was meant to be a person's most trusted source of news, of course, you would believe what they are telling you. This leads us to our next disadvantage.

Our next disadvantage comes in the form of the Fairness Doctrine. The Fairness Doctrine of 1949 required any station broadcasting a political point of view over the air to allow equal time to all reasonable dissenting views. This means that if you were to give your opinion on something relevant to the nation, you also must allow time for your opposition. This provided for an equal playing field for all parties. This policy was disputed by radio stations under the First Amendment and abolished in 1987. Because that this was taken back, radio stations and any other online media can now be completely biased and not provide accurate or complete information to the public. Imagine if you live in a relatively rural area where you can only receive one radio station, and that station happened to be on the opposite side of your political views. You will not obtain the information that you desire. Our country just had a large and important presidential election. If biased views are all that are given to the people, how can we expect a fair and equal election of power?

Currently as I write this I am listening to music on my phone and if I wanted I could go to my car and listen to music there. Thsi just shows how the radio had been adapted into our everyday lives and how influential they can be. The radio had been through many changes and still remains relevant to our lives, I predict that the radio will not die out anytime soon in the foreseeable future. 

Blog #7

 

War, What Is It Good For?

One could say that America is a country build on war and supremacy. We have fought in countless wars and only two have been on our own soil, at the time that we were an official country. The U.S. is well known for being a police state and helping keep the world in order. We step into conflicts we believe disturb the people's freedoms just like we did in Vietnam and Korea. It's only right that we do so because it is our patriotic right to protect, life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Right? Well, what about the people who don't want to fight. What about those who think it would be better for our country to stay out of other business.

 

There are many out there that voice these Anti- War opinions ion the daily, but what have you never heard of them.

Blog #5

 

Living In An Age of A.I.

Just as the title suggests we are currently living in a technological boom, and this increase in technology is accompanied by the expansion of Artificial Intelligence, better known as A.I. BuiltIn defines A.I as "a wide-ranging branch of computer science concerned with building smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence." This definition is put to justice in the documentary In The Age Of AI. This documentary goes through the evolution of AI, its current and potential uses,  and how it affects us as a society. 

One of the things that concerned me during the film was the possibility that our world would soon become fully automated and thus jobs would be delegated to A.I. systems rather than humans. The world is already integrating this kind of technology in A.I. self-driving cars and face identification. The use of Face ID in China is already normalized, even our own cell phones use that technology. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics in March 2021 the unemployment rate was at 6.0%. The COVID-19 pandemic took a huge hit on many people, many had to be laid off from their jobs and could not afford basic needs. Imagine if A.I. was to have the same effect by taking those jobs, except this time there would be no chance of them getting their jobs back.

One positive that could come out of A.I. that the film mentioned is that it can expand our minds. A.I. has the capacity to think farther beyond the human mind can at the moment and come up with things that are far in our future. With technology like this hopefully, we can use it for the betterment of our society and everyone in it rather than the destruction.

Blog #4

 

Black Lives Matter Movement And The First Amendment

The Black Lives Matter Movement got another jumpstart in May of 2020, after the murder of George Floyd. This sparked many protests full of people wanting justice and expressing their pain over the systemic racism that has plagued this country since its birth. Since this incident, there have been countless protests, as shown in this Timeline. Many politicians, particularly on the Republican side, including Former President Trump, have tried to condemn these protests as not what they are, but as riots and destruction of property. This however is not the case. As provided by the US Crisis Project, in their report states, "About 93% of racial justice protests in the US since the death of George Floyd have been peaceful and non-destructive (CNN)." This kind of peaceful protest is protected under three clauses of the First Amendment; Speech, Press, and Assembly. 

There is a dark side to this coin, and that is the violent actions taken by those not expressly associated with the Black Lives Matter Movement. 

Riots such have these have taken place sporadically during the growth of the black lives matter movement. Under the clauses and understanding of the First Amendment, riots like these are not protected. This is classified as an "Action." Even if one was to make the argument that this should be classified as an Expressive Action because it conveys the message that people are tired of racism, it still would not be protected. The first amendment only protects expressive actions that stand to cause no harm to others involved or around it. 

Despite these few actions of those intending to pervert the good name of this worthy cause, over all the Black Lives Matter Movement is justified and protected under this country's Supreme Law.

Blog Post #3

 The Eight Values Of Free Expression

(By Naomi Blowe- April 1st, 2021)

The world today is full of people wanting to make a change or have their voices heard through the crowd. To some, it might seem impossible to rise to the top and have importance placed on your words. Thankfully our forefathers and mothers thought ahead about this issue and place regulations into the First Amendment of the Consitution. There are eight values of expression that are withheld in the constitution. In this age of social revolution and volatile political climates,
some stand out more than others.

The 8th Value: Protect Dissent

The 8th value of free expression is the most relevant pertaining to current issues and events. The value in protecting dissent is in our history. Our government is built on democracy and was never meant to be one of mob rule. The government holds power only so long as the people allow it. It is one of the most valued rights we hold, for it was this value we enacted in 1776 with the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence. In fact, it is in that very declaration where it is stated that it is our patriotic duty to criticize the government. As found in A Declaration of Independence: A Transcript the document reads: 

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness... it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

An example of this in current times would be the Black Lives Matter Movement that regained momentum in the Summer of 2020.

    Black Lives Matter

The Black Lives Matter Movement regained steam after the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. This was a movement against systemic racism in America as examples by the disproportionate killing of Black people by Police Officers. This is not an issue that had just occurred but rather one that more people are being educated on. The people involved in the protest and petition of grievances are exercising their right to free speech, assembly and petition all held under the 8th Value of expression, the protection of the right to dissent.  This issue has persisted for many years, and as the Declaration of Independence states above, it is the duty of the people to stand against a system that threatens their life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. More details on the history of the Black Lives Matter movement can be found at BLM Timeline.

The 5th Value: Check on Governmental Power

The 5th Value of Expression is the value of having Checks on Governmental Power. In the First Amendment, there are six fundamental freedoms, one of which is the freedom of the press. This freedom may not be what you think it is. Most people belie that this rule applies only to those who work in the press industry, such as journalists or reporters, but that is not the case. This freedom is for all written works, made by any person, whether it be a book, a pamphlet promoting religion, or even a blog sug as this one. It is that freedom of the press that allows us to keep tabs on governmental actions and watch for abuse of power and provides us an avenue to correct this behavior once spotted. This is part of the checks and balances system.

The Checks and Balances system is an imperative part of our government. For it is even said that the citizens but be the front line to any governmental abuse of power. A recent example of the government implementing internal checks and balances is the Impeachment of Former President Donald Trump... Twice. 

Former President Trump was Impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. This power of impeachment falls into the hands of the Legislative branch of government. The House of Representatives has the power to enact an impeachment and the Senate has the power to try all impeachment trials. The house acts on the behalf of the people and thus it all comes back to the will of the people once again. An individual citizen has the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, giving them the power to check the government on their actions. Without such a power awarded to the people, the government would be able to run without regulation, effectively installing a mob rule, which is what our forefathers and mothers fought against. 

The 6th Value: Promote Tolerance 

Tolerance encompasses some aspects of the previous two points. The value of tolerance is that society as a whole simultaneously and yet without a spoken word agree that some things are taboo. And so we extend protections to hateful speech in order to foster a more tolerant society. This helps spread social norms and acceptable behavior. There have been many examples most recently of society exhibiting this behavior. People, more specifically have cultivated a social field filled with Cancel Culture. 

Cancel culture is when a public figure comes under scrutiny for a past present or chronic action deemed irreprehensible or condemnable by the public, then they are seen as irrelevant and generally deplorable people. This has lead to the down fall of many celebrities and public figures. More recently Famous youtube and beauty guru James Charles has been under fire for accusations of pedophilia and grooming. This is an example of how we as a society have deemed such actions as reprehensible and this cast out and reprimand the people who perform such actions. Cancle culture also extends to issues such as racism, homophobia, xenophobia and more. So to the naked eye it may seem strange to protect such behaviors, but it is we the people who shall protect ourselves. 

Blog Post #2

         

   The Inner Workings of the Supreme Court

I learned a lot from watching Part 1 and Part 2 of the supreme court videos. One thing that surprised me was the way that the court actually worked together. My thinking had always been that because the court was appointed by different presidents, as the video mentioned, that they would hold the views of the president that appointed them in consideration. Instead, I found that all of the judges were quite non-biased in their decisions and quite attentive to the intricacies and wording of the commanding document the Constitution. I also gained a lot of knowledge on the actual decision-making process, I thought it was kind of a unanimous decision type of process, but there is actually a great deal of deliberation and consideration that the judges do. Of course, this process can only allow for a certain number of cases to be seen at a time. I did not know the actual large quantity of petitions they received in a year and just how many they had to turn away. 

Again when it comes to the decision and announcement on a case, I was surprised that only one person would write up a report, and then in some cases, people who did not agree with the final decision would write dissents. I have read one dissent on a case from a long time ago, I found it refreshing that the judges even if they were in the minority were given this opportunity to give their opinions and rebuttals.

Blog Post #1

 

My Top Five News Outlets

(18, March 2021- by Naomi Blowe)

In a world that is as ever-changing and volatile as the one, we live in it is important to stay informed on all of the events and changes that occur within the day. Each individual has their preferences as to where, when, and how they like to receive news and consume information. I also have five of my own personal preferences for news that I will share with you today.

1.) Instagram

Instagram

    Instagram might seem like the least likely place to obtain legitimate news updates. But the social media app, once filled with likes and duck faces has evolved to fit the social climate full of curious people wanting to learn about our world. One particular page that I frequent to keep myself updated is called Change. On this page, I get updates on prominent issues and events in the world. Instagram keeps me updated on current social issues and lesser topics, such as celebrities and movies. 

2.) Youtube

Youtube

Youtube is a great source of entertainment and information. Youtube provides a welcomed distraction to much of what goes on in the world, but it can also bring light to some issues not normally covered on mainstream media sites. One specific channel I like to frequent is Inside Edition. They cover many hot button and current topics and also cover many specific local news stories that may have a larger issue behind them. Another channel that sheds light on the public's opinions on current issues is What Would You Do? This channel puts people in crafted situations to gauge their response to hot button topics and circumstances.

3.) CNN

CNN

CNN is probably one of the most commonly used news platforms out there. Ther provide real-time coverage and features on up-to-date current events and topics that may even be in progress as we speak. They are on top of the information and the sources that they release to the public and have a great deal to do with how some public opinions on certain topics are shaped.

4.) Apple News

Apple News

The apple news app is convenient and available at all times. It sends me notifications on top stories from other outlets. The news app allows me access to breaking stories when they happen. I remember specifically when I got a notification that Ruth Bater Ginsberg had died, almost right after it had happened. This fast-paced mode of news delivery allows the news and multiple platforms to reach a multitude of people all at once and it is easily accessible... for iPhone users.

5.) Friends and Family 

What better place to receive your news than from a source that constantly surrounds you, friends, and family. This may not be the most reliable source and it may not have the most up-to-date information but I see it more as a starting point. Somewhere for me to hear about the base details of a story and then the rest is on me to find more details and make my own conclusion on the story. This may be one of the best sources in that case. As it is entirely up to me what information I absorb and how I interpret it.