This week I want to look at a brief article entitled "'Fix' Facebook's New Home Page  " by Rick Broida on The Washington Post.

I want to take the time today to mention the passing of Ray Browne , the founder of Popular Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University .

 

While I was only in his presence a handful of times, his dedication for Popular Culture was always  strong. I first saw him speak at the Battlegrounds conference (a graduate run conference at BGSU) back when I was a prospective student. He spoke of his

Briefly, I would first like to discuss a little known issue about the production of technology. The article, “The new blood diamonds? Electronics makers are pressed to stop using 'conflict minerals' from mines controlled by armed groups in DR Congo ” by Lawrence Delevingne speaks to the growing amount of technology related minerals coming from the Congo. I would argue that most consumers do not know that the majority of the electronic products they use consist of ‘conflict minerals’. ‘Conflict minerals’ are those like Coltan (which Tantalum is extracted from) that are in cell phones, dvd players, computer, and video game systems to name a few. Many of these minerals are being mined from the Congo where armed militant groups are funding their brutal conflicts.

Welcome back to my blog!  I have been with The Weave on and off since its inception way back when I was an undergrad. Unfortunately, I have been on hiatus because of the pressures of grad school (first a Masters in Popular Culture and now a PhD in Media and Communication ), but luckily for you I have finally decided to set my priorities straight. The Weave is a crucial space where students and faculty alike can share their analysis of new s and/or promote under-reported stories. The Weave is a place where we should feel free to comment and be commented upon. While news is a big portion of the picture, dialogue is equally as significant and I hope to see some lively discussions arise from some of these articles.

I have been a reader of Perez Hilton for several months now. I figured that since I was now a popular culture student, I should at least be somewhat aware of "popular" culture type activities.

 I would prefer that we thought of Popular Culture in terms of the tension between high and low culture...which is how Stuart Hall defines it, but it seems that most people think that all I do is study

There have been many stories in recent weeks over the overall economic downturn in the United States. Just today there is one on MSBC about new home sales plunging 8.5 percent , the lowest since 1991. The dollar is now at a record low , gas prices will be around 4 dollars a gallon over the summer and food prices are skyrocketing.

 

I currently reside in Ohio, a state that is always

Barack Obama has recently been called out for his so- called “Elitist” comments. I find it interesting that while Hillary and John McCain have both been attacking Obama for his words at a private function, they ignore the fact that to become a president, one must be elitist in some way. The president is one of the most elite people in the United States, especially being that he leads over 300

 

 In 2007, the band Radiohead was one of the first to independently release an album on its own label and website. “In Rainbows” was their first attempt at not being connected to a record label. Instead, the entire album was posted for download and users got to pick how much money they would spend on it. While the music could be downloaded for free, there were several other options that

On msnbc.com , a recent story entitled “Chelsea Clinton finds voice on campaign trail: Ex-first daughter evolves from quiet supporter to self-assured campaigner ” explores the ways in which the internet is being used in contemporary political campaigns. While similar technologic advancements have occurred in the past, spaces like Facebook create an alternative political sphere that has the

A couple of weeks ago the new cover of Vogue was released amid much controversy. In the photograph, LeBron James is coupled with world-famous model Giselle.

Bowling Green State University is similar to many lower tier state colleges throughout the country.  Like many other campuses, Bg is having a month full of sexual awareness activities. The question I would like to pose today is that are these events enough to address the lack of  year round discussions involving these issues?

Now, by no means is Msnbc.com a quality news source. Often stories are very short, glamorized, and have an entertainment bent to them and yet still I go to it almost every single day for my most basic news. There is something to be said about repetition, but I digress.

It feels good to be writing for The Weave again, it has been far too long.