9/11 September 11 Statistics Infographic

Let’s not forget the fateful day of 9 11. September 11, 2001.
Below is a Statistic Infographic of the World Trade Center events of 9/11.

• Some Key Statistics of 9/11
• 4 Planes, 19 Terrorist
• 3 Major Attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the Crash at Stonycreek Township which is believed to have targed the US Capitol Building / White House.
• 18,000 Small Businesses were Destoryed or Displaced
• The Collapse of the World Trade Center reached speeds of 120 miles per hour
• 1,506,124 Tons of Debris removed from site
• 2,000 First Responders Injured in the attacks
• 36,000 units of Blood Donated at the New York Blood Center
• 99 Days Fires Burned after the Attack

• 3,051 Number of Children who lost parents
• 343 Firefighters & Paramedics who died
• 125 People who died at the Pentagon
• 92 People killed on Flight 11
• 64 People died on Flight 175
• 64 People died on Flight 77
• 44 People died in Flight 93
• 23 NYPD Officers lost in the attack

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting september the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children,”
- President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

“Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend- even a friend whose name it never knew.”
- President George W. Bush, December 11, 2001

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, therefore we will not fear even though the earth be removed, though the mountains carried into the midst of the sea, though its waters roil and be troubled, though mountains shake with its swelling,”
– US President Barack Obama at the Ground Zero ceremony, reading Psalm 46.

• Please share any thoughts below.
• Also appreciate any more statistics or good quotes you’ve heard.

Remembering 9/11 – Attack of the World Trade Center

An early apology for dampening your day, but I am a strong advocate for the need for all people to remember the events of September 11, 2001. This was a historical moment in history, one that will be seared in our minds forever. As hard as it is to relive the experience, I think it is important that we remember the fragility of life and how in the aftermath of this horrible tragedy, everyone had to stop their hurried life to reexamine why they do what they do. Questions about the meaning of life, why suffering exists, questions about God and afterlife all became a real issue in the eyes of those not only living in the United States but around the world.

See first the details of the event, followed by my own experience that morning.

Details of the Sept 11, 2001 Attack on WTC

Early in the morning on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, nineteen hijackers took control of four commercial airliners en route to San Francisco and Los Angeles from Boston, Newark, and Washington, D.C. (Washington Dulles International Airport). At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 was crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower, followed by United Airlines Flight 175 which hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. Another group of hijackers flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. A fourth flight, United Airlines Flight 93, whose ultimate target was thought to be either the United States Capitol or White House, crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m, after the passengers on board engaged in a fight with the hijackers.

During the hijacking of the airplanes, the hijackers used weapons to stab and/or kill aircraft pilots, flight attendants and passengers. Reports from phone callers from the planes indicated that knives were used by the hijackers to stab attendants and in at least one case, a passenger, during two of the hijackings. Some passengers were able to make phone calls using the cabin airphone service and mobile phones, and provide details, including that several hijackers were aboard each plane, that mace or other form of noxious chemical spray, such as tear gas or pepper spray was used, and that some people aboard had been stabbed. The 9/11 Commission established that two of the hijackers had recently purchased Leatherman multi-function hand tools. A flight attendant on Flight 11, a passenger on Flight 175, and passengers on Flight 93 mentioned that the hijackers had bombs, but one of the passengers also mentioned he thought the bombs were fake. No traces of explosives were found at the crash sites, and the 9/11 Commission believed the bombs were probably fake.

On United Airlines Flight 93, black box recordings revealed that crew and passengers attempted to seize control of the plane from the hijackers after learning through phone calls that similarly hijacked planes had been crashed into buildings that morning. According to the transcript of Flight 93′s recorder, one of the hijackers gave the order to roll the plane once it became evident that they would lose control of the plane to the passengers.Soon afterward, the aircraft crashed into a field near Shanksville in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, at 10:03:11 a.m. local time. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, organiser of the attacks, mentioned in a 2002 interview with Yosri Fouda, an al Jazeera journalist, that Flight 93′s target was the United States Capitol, which was given the code name “the Faculty of Law”.

The World Trade Centers Collapse

Three buildings in the World Trade Center Complex collapsed due to structural failure on the day of the attack. The south tower fell at approximately 9:59 a.m., after burning for 56 minutes in a fire caused by the impact of United Airlines Flight 175. The north tower collapsed at 10:28 a.m., after burning for approximately 102 minutes. When the north tower collapsed, debris heavily damaged the nearby 7 World Trade Center (7 WTC) building. Its structural integrity was further compromised by fires, and the building collapsed later in the day at 5:20 p.m.

Widespread Confusion, a Traffic Controller’s Nightmare

The attacks created widespread confusion among news organizations and air traffic controllers across the United States. All international civilian air traffic was banned from landing on US soil for three days. Aircraft already in flight were either turned back or redirected to airports in Canada or Mexico. News sources aired unconfirmed and often contradictory reports throughout the day. One of the most prevalent of these reported that a car bomb had been detonated at the U.S. State Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Soon after reporting for the first time on the Pentagon crash, CNN and other media also briefly reported that a fire had broken out on the Washington Mall. Another report went out on the AP wire, claiming that a Delta Air Lines airliner—Flight 1989—had been hijacked. This report, too, turned out to be in error; the plane was briefly thought to represent a hijack risk, but it responded to controllers and landed safely in Cleveland, Ohio. [Source: Wikipedia]

Casualties of Sept 11, 2001 – The Statistics

There were a total of 2,993 deaths, including the 19 hijackers: 246 on the four planes, 2,603 in New York City in the towers and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon. An additional 24 people remain listed as missing. All of the deaths in the attacks were civilians except for 55 military personnel killed at the Pentagon. More than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks on the World Trade Center. In 2007, the New York City medical examiner’s office added Felicia Dunn-Jones to the official death toll from the September 11 attacks. Dunn-Jones died five months after 9/11 from a lung condition which was linked to exposure to dust during the collapse of the World Trade Center.

NIST estimated that about 17,400 civilians were in the World Trade Center complex at the time of the attacks, while turnstile counts from the Port Authority suggest that 14,154 people were typically in the Twin Towers by 8:45 a.m. The vast majority of people below the impact zone safely evacuated the buildings, along with 18 people who were in the impact zone in the south tower. 1,366 people died who were at or above the floors of impact in the North Tower. According to the Commission Report, hundreds were killed instantly by the impact, while the rest were trapped and died after the tower collapsed. As many as 600 people were killed instantly or were trapped at or above the floors of impact in the South Tower.

At least 200 people jumped to their deaths from the burning towers, landing on the streets and rooftops of adjacent buildings hundreds of feet below. Some of the occupants of each tower above its point of impact made their way upward toward the roof in hope of helicopter rescue, but the roof access doors were locked. No plan existed for helicopter rescues, and on September 11, the thick smoke and intense heat would have prevented helicopters from conducting rescues.

A total of 411 emergency workers who responded to the scene died as they attempted to rescue people and fight fires. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) lost 341 firefighters and 2 FDNY paramedics.The New York City Police Department lost 23 officers. The Port Authority Police Department lost 37 officers, and 8 additional EMTs and paramedics from private EMS units were killed.

Cantor Fitzgerald L.P., an investment bank on the 101st–105th floors of One World Trade Center, lost 658 employees, considerably more than any other employer. Marsh Inc., located immediately below Cantor Fitzgerald on floors 93–101 (the location of Flight 11′s impact), lost 355 employees, and 175 employees of Aon Corporation were killed. After New York, New Jersey was the hardest hit state, with the city of Hoboken sustaining the most deaths.

Weeks after the attack, the estimated death toll was over 6,000. The city was only able to identify remains for about 1,600 of the victims at the World Trade Center. The medical examiner’s office also collected “about 10,000 unidentified bone and tissue fragments that cannot be matched to the list of the dead”. [Source: Wikipedia]

The Morning of Sept 11, 2001 – Shocked & Confused

I woke up to the sound of someone talking on the radio. The sun was already beating down through the bedroom window, another beautiful day I thought. Half alert, I was wondering why my roommate had the radio on. I had planned to sleep in a bit. Then I heard over the air-waves, someone speaking of a plane crashing into a building. For a second I thought I must have misheard. Planes being run into buildings? That’s crazy. I need more sleep. Then I heard it again, a plane has hit the world trade center. I am not dreaming. Something is going on. I jumped out of bed. My roommate and I ran out to flip on the TV and there it was. The country was in utter chaos. Everyone was confused. It was surreal, you don’t ever hear such words like planes, buildings, terrorists uttered in the same sentence. Our eyes were glued to the TV, looking at the burning tower, the people screaming, the people crying. It was as if the world stopped. Are the people out? What about those on the top floors? What in the world happened? Why is no one making it clear what happened?! By now everyone was on the phone calling their own families. Then it happened, the tower collapsed. We gazed in horror as New York was engulfed in smoke. The dust smoke crawled and expanded in and between all the buildings as if it had the intent to bury all in it’s path.

The thought of the lives of 3,000 some people, gone in an instant, was something impossible to even fathom or comprehend. What about their families? How many people left that morning as if it was just another day in their lives to only have their lives transformed in a blink of an eye? I don’t know about you, but in that moment my view of life itself became very focused. What is the meaning of life? What really matters in life? What happens after life? Why is this happening? What is evil? Why is there suffering? Emotionally this day would shake the foundations of many who witnessed what we would later call 9/11.

To be honest, it is only the next year as I attended a gathering memorializing the event, when it really hit me what kind of horrible event I had just lived through. I just hope that all those questions people had then, will not be forgotten and those who dared to ask such tough questions, chose to find answers. If they did not, I think that is a tragedy in itself. Don’t let such an event not change you for the better.

• What is your memory of the Sept 11, 2001?
• Did your life change at all due to the incident?
• Did you ever grapple with questions like the meaning of life, suffering, afterlife or any other “life questions”?

Update Sept 13, 2011 – 9 11 Quotes & Statistic Infographic

Israel Palestinian Gaza Media

There has been a lot of talk on the Media Wars in Gaza between the Palestinians and Israel. Both sides have kept a careful lip on what gets transmitted out to the public. Below I’ve tried to give a snapshot of the “media war” and how Israel and Palestinians go about controlling their message to the world.

Israel claims that opening their borders for journalist would put those in the terminals in danger. The government has long banned Israeli journalist from entering Gaza because of the concerns for their safety. However they had allowed foreign reporters to enter. Thus without access, the media has no reliable source or information.

“What would America do if Mexico was launching rockets at Texas everyday?”

Drawing on mistakes made during the Lebanese conflict in 2006, Israel has carefully tidied up it’s information operation and processes. In Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah, Israel garnered great PR damage due to leaks found from cell phone conversations by soldiers and officers who were uncertain of their mission and and a lack of preparedness. “I don’t even have a helmet”. Pretty damaging information. In this conflict, cell phones were taken away and as mentioned before journalists were not allowed into the Gaza strip.

Israel had created the National Information Directorate to coordinate the media activities of the government, army, embassies and other non-government organizations. They always present a unified message while making sure random information does not leak out to the public.

One very interesting analogy often used by government officials and military officer is the question “What would America do if Mexico was launching rockets at Texas everyday?” But as reporters hear such unified messages from different sources it becomes very clear that these sources are being fed a unified message.

“Fatalities in Gaza are already over 400 and injuries close to 2,000 so far as is known. Total Palestinian civilian casualties are 400 times greater than the casualties incurred by Israelis,” wrote three-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader in an open letter to Bush, five days into the Israeli onslaught.

The Israeli media continues to send messages throughout the Arab world in the hopes to capitalize on what they consider a “growing divide between Hamas and the Palestinian street”, says Mark Regev the Israeli government spokesman. Mark Regev and Maj. Avital Leibovich has been daily fixtures on the Al Jazeera satellite TV networks since the conflict began. The media assault has included youtube videos sent by the Israeli Army, pro Israeli bloggers discussing the situation and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter posting updates on every missile hitting Israel.

The Foreign Press Association appealed the ban of journalists in the Gaza strip to the Supreme Court. So far the Court has suggested a compromise of sending in a a small group of reporters that can share their reports with other foregin media. “We want to honor that decision,” army spokesman Doron Spielman said, but he added it would be done only in a way that would not compromise military operations or endanger journalists.

Below is an example of how the media continues to battle out what picture is shown to the foreign public.

Take the appalling loss of life at the UN run school in Jabaliya, northern Gaza. 43 people, including many children, died when an Israeli tank shell struck the school which had been a shelter for people fleeing the fighting.

It provoked outrage across the world and seemed a serious blow to Israel’s efforts to get world public opinion on its side.

I phoned the Israeli defence forces media centre a few hours after the news broke. I was told that the army’s preliminary investigations had revealed that the school had, in fact, been used by Hamas to fire mortars at Israeli troops in the area, and rockets into southern Israel.

The spokesman even named two alleged Hamas operatives who had been found among the dead at the school. For the next 24 hours Israel heaped odium on Hamas for using civilians as a shield.

Then UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, issued a statement saying it was 99.9% sure that Hamas militants were NOT at the school.

Full Link to Article

 
How about the Palestinian Arab Media?
On the other end, the Palestinians continue to send out pictures and videos of civilian casualties to turn public opinion against Israel’s strikes. Hamas runs a TV network called Al Aqsa television and utilizes the footage shot by the network to control what gets outputted to the public.

For the moment the horrific images of ambulances ferrying the dead and injured to the Shifa hospital in Gaza, or of fathers crying over their dead children are all provided by a handful of mostly Palestinian and Arabic camera crews still working in Gaza.

Arab television shows a starkly different viewpoint than of the Israelites. The constantly broadcast images of children with blood on their faces being taken to hospitals. They interview parents who lost families especially those who lost children. In response to Israel saying that the Hamas and the Palestinian people were divided, they make sure to message that the all people were unified against the “barbarism” of the Israelites. News anchors call the Israeli army as the army of occupation while news on television flash statements such as the ones below.

“Millions around the world protest to demand an end of Israeli operations in Gaza.”
“Urgent: children and women among the victims of the Israeli invasion.”
“An invasion from several fronts…. Gaza under the threat of a holocaust.”

Hopefully this post gives you a snapshot on the media war that is occurring during this Gaza conflict. it is always important to know who you are getting the information from and what bias are involved especially if the information is coming from a foreign country that do not have a free press. In the same way, I really hope many would take this clear blatant example of controlling messages and manipulating perceptions and recognize that this is done all the time in the every day shows and movies we watch. The messages we take in and the worldviews that are formed are endless in our daily intake of media.

Thoughts? Leave a Comment!

Related Posts
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Media Influence – Perception of the Financial Crisis – Who’s Fault?
Proposition 8: The Musical – Lies & Intolerance by Who?
Viewpoint – Women & Modesty – Christian Dilemma

Today was election day! Hope everyone has gone out to vote! Not just for the presidential candidates but for all the propositions and local positions.

To be honest I don’t like writing about politics, but in the spirit of voting day here is another!

Media Spend by Candidates Breaks Reocrds
So as everyone knows a candidate’s spend on media will have a direct influence on how we view the candidates and ultimately who we vote for. So how much has been spent on this election?

The country will have spent $5.3 billion on federal political candidates. 27% higher than 2004. The presidential race? $1.5 billion by mid-October, on track to be closer to $2.4 billion by the end according to Center for Responsive Politics.

The candidates raised $1 billion dollars shattering all kinds of records. That is nearly $8 for every vote cast. From that purse, Obama has spent about double of McCain. They have traveled more miles, had larger staff and of course spend millions on political advertising. Obama, who abandoned the public financing system, the first major party candidate to do so since the money reforms of watergate has found success utilizing the media which will only encourage future candidates to do so as well.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has spent three times more than McCain on television advertising in these final couple days before election. He has spend nearly 21.5 million dollars in spend just between October 21 to October 28th. McCain’s camp has spend about 7.5 Million dollars. Obama’s campaign is on track to spend more on TV advertising than any campaign in history with over 100 million dollars. The half hour infomercial alone costs more than three million dollars.

Market’s Failing, Job Losses, Spend 5.3 Billion on Elections!
With all the talk about markets failing, people worrying about sending their kids to college or worried about paying off their mortgages as aptly described by both candidates, literally over a billion dollars are being spent for this election. Does that bug anyone? Do you think it’s justified and “hey it’s just politics”? What if a candidate pledged half it’s funds to help the economy in some way? Unrealistic? Probably, but hey it’s interesting to think about. Comment below with your thoughts!

Another Note: Wonderful Promises! Now how much is it going to cost?
I always didn’t like it when politicians promise the world without explaining how in the world we are going to fund it. There is only so much money to go around, if you want 500 million here, you need to take it away from someone else! You can’t promise everything just to be on my good side. I found this link on the GOP site which adds up all of Obama’s promises. How accurate is it? I don’t know but it’s a perfect example of what I mean by… where is the money going to come from? This isn’t just Obama but for all past and present candidates.

Obama’s Fiscal Agenda – $1.2 Trillion in New Spending?

Creativity in getting Obama Supporters out to Vote!
Now that I’ve posted something pro-McCain, I must post some stuff that is pro-Obama! This was a very creative video paid for by moveon.org where you can send a video to your friends customized with their name. Looks like it was my fault Obama has lost the election…

Obama’s 3 Million Dollar 30 minute Spot
And here is the 3 million dollar 30 minute spot.

Do you think its responsible for candidates to spend this much money? Do you think something is wrong with the picture or do you think it is all justified since it’s such a huge decision? By the way, if you didn’t vote you have no right to complain .

Related posts:

1. Are Election Media Polls Trustworthy?
2. Bias of American Media – Influence of Media Money
3. Youtube Statistics – The Ultimate Time Suck

As everyone has heard by now, it was later found that the cute little girl, Lin Miaoke, was lip syncing while the original girl, Yang Peiyi, was yanked from the program last minute told to sing from backstage because she wasn’t “flawless in image” according to the musical director of the olympics. The musical director said the reasons were for national interest and that the child on camera should be “flawless in image, internal feelings and expression. Lin Miaoke is excellent in these aspects”. “The reason why little Yang was not chosen to appear was because we wanted to project the right image, we were thinking about what was best for the nation,” said Chen Qigang. The interview appeared briefly on the Chinese news website Sina before it disappeared.

“What was best for the nation”. Do you believe what they did was best for the nation?

My first thought when I heard this news was thinking about what kind of message this sent to the two little girls involved as well as to the rest of the viewers. Yang Peiyi was basically told that if you aren’t pretty you can’t be on stage or in other words there is a limit to how far you can go if you don’t have the looks. Despite her incredible voice, it was her physical appearance that held her back. In an interview the General Music Designer slipped in saying she wasn’t attractive enough and had crooked teeth. This was indeed tragic as she is so young. What do you say to her when she asks why she isn’t being allowed to go stage but has to sing in a mic as another girl pretends to be singing?

Though Lin Miaoke got the stage time, I think her situation is even worse in that now she has tasted a bit of fame resulting from her physical appearance. What kind of message and thoughts of how the world works and what she should value will she carry for the rest of her life? It is no surprise that her debut is earning her a lot of attention and accolades as newspapers in China are already calling her a new star born out of olympics. Do you find this worrisome at all? I do. She may find a lot of fame but at what cost? How will she determine her value or worth as she continues down this path? What kind of example will she become for future children who may end up looking up to her or seeing her through the media?

Also what kind of message does this send to the rest of the viewers both in China and abroad? Hopefully most adults are able to at least feel some sense of “wrong” in what happened. Though some may argue that this is a performance so whatever goes, I would hope that when thinking directly about the girls involved we can all feel like this could have been, at the minimum, handled in some other way. I imagine myself as the mother of Yang Peiyi and how heartbreaking it is to know your child was bumped off because of her looks and having to explain that to her. Yang Peiyi said she was honored to have the role, but she knows she didn’t get to sing for her country in public because of her looks. Such an experience could really mess up a person’s psyche.

So was what they did really best for the nation? China was already struggling to take off the image of being a closed country. A reputation for one that controls the media through propaganda and quickly suppressing and even jailing those who criticize the government. As I’ll mention later in a future post, many were expecting a lot of protests during the olympics especially in regards to China’s humanitarian issues. However China required those who want to protest to apply to get “approved” to protest and they turned down all 72, then proceeded to jail and send some of those who submitted the applications to work camps. They then turned around and proclaimed how the Olympics was protest free. The best thing the country could have done, in my humble opinion, was to not simply share all of China’s rich history, traditions, and cultures but also come forth and admit to areas they need to improve upon and show some of their national efforts in their commitment to humanitarian rights. This would have done wonders in the eyes of the other countries. However small incidences like these have only fueled the kind of suspicious tension that we still have today.

But one thing is still for sure. The message that was sent to these two girls, their families, and those who were watching in regards to the value of beauty is not for the better. I pray this experience won’t mess up these precious girls.

Agree? Disagree? Have thought’s you’d like to add. Please comment below!

Part I – Intro

Related posts:

1. China’s 2008 Beijing Olympic Deception & Lies: Impact on Culture Part I
2. Top 11 Commercials & TV Spots of 2008 Beijing Olympics
3. Surveillance of Skype Messages in China Part II

The 2008 Beijing Olympics was the most widely watched Olympics in history. It had all you could ask for. It had high drama, incredible feats, and one of the most beautiful opening and closing ceremony ever. I was completely in awe with the beautiful creativity in displaying all of China’s history and culture. Great job China.

However… coupled with such great display of the magnificence of Chinese culture, so was the display of some not so magnificent incidences. Lot of deception was carried out by the Olympic decision makers to put forth their best face. It’s a show, so much of it is understandable, but I strongly believe that actions the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) & the Olympic organizers carried out poorly contributed to its own culture and sent the wrong message to the very people they govern.

The list of what are being called “deceptions” or “lies” continues to grow. A wonderful little girl with a wonderful voice, Yang Peiyi, was yanked from the stage and told to sing backstage because the organizers wanted to have a more prettier girl, one “flawless in image” as mentioned by the music director, to be on stage. The new girl, Lin Miaoke, ended up lip syncing while the Yang Peiyi had to sing backstage during perhaps the biggest stage she would ever get a chance to participate in. CCP also claimed to have sold out the games but admitted later to hiring volunteers to fill up the empty seats. Organizers also showed fake digital fireworks making the firework display grander than it actually was to the rest of the world. Organizers also claimed and printed on their programs that the spectacular display of China’s ethnicity groups were actual people from those provinces while later saying that they were actually nearly all from the Han ethnic group that make up 90% of their population. CCP kept emphasizing harmony with its people while sanctioning away water and resources from the countryside farms to keep Beijing well stocked and pushing out migrant workers out of their cities. CCP praised the fact that the Olympic games were protest free while quietly jailing any dissenters and sending elderly protesters to work camps. Then there is the still unresolved matter of the Chinese Gymnastic team.

Some of these acts can be argued to be just a natural part of performance especially the ones that had to do with ceremonies. Others such as quietly jailing protesters are simply disturbing. However more than the acts themselves, what bothers me most is how they tried to hide it and use language to lie about the issue then once information is leaked, they keep coming up with reasons to why they did it that way. But what is truly interesting is that, many of organizers and leaders really believe they are justified to do what they did. It’s completely built into the CCP culture. They speak as if lying and putting up a fake image is ok and they mean it. They are indirectly teaching this to the next generation as they ask them to take part in the deception. It teaches them that this kind of action is a normal thing to do. This is what is truly heartbreaking. The young singer Yang Peiyi, the lipsyncing Lin Miaoke, the China gymnastic team (if they are found to be underage) all had to take part and even had to defend the claims directly. I cannot even start to factor in the impact it must have had on the millions of Chinese children and adults tuning in and seeing their very own government put up a facade.

For the next few weeks I will be posting about each of these acts and sharing my perspective on how it contributes in molding a particular way of thinking into its culture. So please come back and give your input on the comment sections.

Also you could sign up for RSS feeds to be sent to your reader or your email box. Just sign up here. Clean Cut Media RSS Feed

Related posts:

1. China’s 2008 Beijing Olympics Media Part II : Beauty is King
2. Top 11 Commercials & TV Spots of 2008 Beijing Olympics
3. Powerful Impact of Media on Children

Next Session: 8/22 @ 7:30-9PM
Gracepoint Berkeley Church – Alameda
2000 Northloop Drive. Alameda, CA 94502

Gracepoint Fellowship Church, a Berkeley church located near the UC Berkeley campus, is having free seminars / workshops called Life Matters. These are free courses that require no commitment or previous attendance. Some food is provided for free and the event is followed by a Board Game Night. They will have stack full of board games for people to stick around and play with one another.

The reason Gracepoint Berkeley Church’s Life Matter course is listed here is because they have a workshop called “More Than a Face”. This workshop address our media-based society and how the media shapes and affects our self-image. This specifically addresses how media affects the modern women’s self image. Though targeted to women, all is welcome. The will be showing clips from advertisements and movies and discuss the underlying messages that shape how we view beauty. These courses are also done throughout the UC Berkeley campus, in dorms and sororities.

Other courses include, “Boundaries”, “Tough Questions”, “The World as we know it” and the “Time of Our Lives”. “The World as we Know it” will also touch upon how our culture and media affects our worldview of key issues such as truth, tolerance, reconciliation, purpose of life. It is less media focused but still a course people might be interested in.

For more in depth description you can visit Gracepoint Fellowship Church Berkeley site . Note, signing up is not required but highly encouraged for logistical purposes.

I have been to several of these sessions and they are great! Lots of friendly people who enjoy discussing issues that matter in life. The building is located in a commercial area thus has a lot of nearby parking. This building is Gracepoint Fellowship Church’s headquarters so its not really a church building, rather a modified commercial building. Gracepoint Fellowship Church actually holds its services in Berkeley near the UC Berkeley Campus.

Ques? Leave a Comment.
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Sponsored by “Praxis” the Adult Group in Gracepoint Fellowship Church Berkeley. Pastor Ed Kang & Kelly Kang lead this Berkeley Church located in 2000 North Loop Rd in Alameda CA. Services are held in Berkeley. This Church serves UC Berkeley Campus and the Eastbay Area.

Next Session: 7/25 @ 8:30-10PM

Gracepoint Berkeley Church – Alameda

2000 Northloop Drive. Alameda, CA 94502

Gracepoint Fellowship Church Berkeley is holding their Life Matter courses again. Couple new courses as well as continuation of several popular classes. The media class is unfortunately not available but has been replaced by class that would touch on very similar topics. It’s called “Analyzing Popular Culture”. This class will talk about the content and medium through which popular culture comes to us and shapes our worldview. Media obviously plays a huge part in shaping the way we view life, view others and our ethics.

These courses are free, requires no commitment, and food is provided. Nice. Meet friendly people and discuss important matters about life!

Several of these courses dive directly into the impact of media on our culture and our worldview. In addition to “Analyzing Popular Culture”, “More than a Face” deals with how Media directly influences our view of beauty and impacts our view of self worth. If you haven’t seen the fantastic videos by Dove in regards to the perception of beauty see our previous posts: Distorted Beauty in Media & Media Impact on Children.

The course on Worldview called “The World as We Know It” will also touch upon how the way we view the world has changed in our time. Though not specific to Meda – it is clear that all forms of media from Music to Film, has had a huge impact on the way we perceive what is right and wrong and what is considered the norm. Of course it is a two way street in that as our perceptions change, so does the messages in TV & Movies as it caters to what we (or the directors & writers) believe. Some of these say Part II or Part III, but it is stated on the site that you do not need to have attended previous sessions.

You are not “required” to sign up and can drop in anytime, but if you are certain you would like to come you can sign up in the link below. It’s just courtesy so they can plan room allocations and food quantities. I have been to several of these sessions and I highly recommend them. The building has plenty of nearby parking. Also if you are curious, its Gracepoint’s Headquarters so its not really a church building, rather a modified commercial building. Gracepoint actually holds its services in Berkeley near the UC Berkeley Campus.

Course description related to media & world view below. It is straight from the Gracepoint Berkeley Church Website. Go to the signup page for more info: Signup Page: Life Matters – Bay Area

• Analyzing Popular Culture: Part II (do not need to have attended part I to join) 

Join us as we continue to look at the content and medium through which popular culture comes to us and indentify the half truths that we buy into as we consume and live in our culture today

• The World as We Know it: Part III (do not need to have attended part I or II)

Based on the Wide Angle: Framing Your Worldview DVD curriculum by Rick Warren and Chuck Colson, this course will examine worldviews as they relate to the most important questions of our day. Together, Warren and Colson explore such key issues as truth, tolerance, terrorism, reconciliation and the purpose of life.  

• More than a Face

In our media-based society where most of us have grown up watching hours of TV and movies and advertisements are everywhere we look, this session will explore how the media affects our self-image. 

Ques? Leave a Comment.

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Sponsored by “Praxis”

the Adult Group in Gracepoint Berkeley Church. Pastor Ed Kang & Kelly Kang lead this Berkeley Church located in 2000 North Loop Rd in Alameda CA. This Church serves UC Berkeley Campus and the Eastbay Area.

Next Session: 5/16 @ 7:30-9:30PM

Gracepoint Fellowship Church – Alameda

2000 Northloop Drive. Alameda, CA 94502

New sessions start May 16th. Couple new courses as well as continuation of several popular classes. These courses are free, requires no commitment, and food is provided. Meet friendly people and discuss important matters about life!

Several of these courses dive directly into the impact of media on our culture and our worldview. “God in Media” touches about how specific worldviews are underly every film and how to dissect and understand the message. “More than a Face” deals with how Media directly influences our view of beauty and impacts our view of self worth. If you haven’t seen the fantastic videos by Dove in regards to the perception of beauty see our previous posts: Distorted Beauty in Media & Media Impact on Children. The new course on Worldview will also most likely touch upon how the way we view the world has changed in our time. Though not specific to Meda – it is clear that all forms of media from Music to Film, has had a huge impact on the way we perceive what is right and wrong and what is considered the norm. Of course it is a two way street in that as our perceptions change, so does the messages in TV & Movies as it caters to what we (or the directors & writers) believe.

You are not “required” to sign up and can drop in anytime, but if you are certain you would like to come you can sign up in the link below. It’s just courtesy so they can plan room allocations and food quantities. I’ll be there so just look for a “Paul”, would love to chat!

Course description snippets below. Go to the signup page for more info: Signup Page: Life Matters – Bay Area

• Love & Respect
  • … Find out how the truth of Ephesians 5:33: “Husbands must love their wives and wives must respect their husbands,” can make a difference in every marriage.
• Are you there God: in Media?
  • Learn about how different worldviews are presented to audiences of television, film, and news media. We’ll learn how to dissect creative decisions that were made to reach an “effect” and examine the underlying values and emotions that can often go unnoticed…
• Tough Questions
  • Most of us have a picture of God in our minds that we have drawn, usually based on a series of ideas, feelings and past experiences from our life. We will explore and discuss answers to common questions people have about God, Christianity, the Bible and Jesus…

• The World as We Know It
  • Framing Your Worldview DVD curriculum by world renown Rick Warren and Chuck Colson, this course will examine worldviews as they relate to the most important questions of our day. We will explore such key issues as truth, tolerance, terrorism, reconciliation and the purpose of life…
• More Than a Face
  • In our media-based society where most of us have grown up watching hours of TV and movies and advertisements are everywhere we look, this session will explore how the media affects our self-image…

Ques? Leave a Comment.

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Sponsored by “Praxis” the Adult Group in Gracepoint Fellowship Church Berkeley. Pastor Ed Kang & Kelly Kang lead this Berkeley Church located in 2000 North Loop Rd in Alameda CA. This Church serves UC Berkeley Campus and the Eastbay Area.

Next Session: 3/25 @ 7:30

Gracepoint Fellowship Church – Alameda

2000 Northloop Drive. Alameda, CA 94502 

For the Bay Area Folks. Free Course in examining the different worldviews found in media especially on hollywood’s portrayal of God vs. Myths, Christianity vs. Atheism, and Life Values. This course is free and open to anyone who wants to check it out. There are several other courses called Stress Less, Love & Respect, Are you there God in Science, and Tough Questions.Gracepoint Fellowship Church Berkeley – Life Matter Courses. There is a total of three sessions, but they don’t necessarily build on each other.Here is the excerpt from their signup page. The sessions are held in Alameda.

• Are you there God: in Media? 
  • Learn about how different worldviews are presented to audiences of television, film, and news media. We’ll learn how to dissect creative decisions that were made to reach an “effect” and examine the underlying values and emotions that can often go unnoticed. Understand how to clearly critique today’s media outlets and the recent media trends present in our marketplace (such as the Disney Corporation)

Ques? Leave a Comment. 

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Sponsored by “Praxis” the Adult Group in Gracepoint Fellowship Church Berkeley. Pastor Ed Kang & Kelly Kang lead this Berkeley Church located in 2000 North Loop Rd in Alameda CA. This Church serves UC Berkeley Campus and the Eastbay Area.