Supreme Court Victory for Video Games


"The United States Supreme Court voted 7 to 2 to overturn a California law restricting the sale of computer and video games--declaring those games to be protected speech like any other form of creative expression. Justice Scalia writes:

Video games qualify for First Amendment protection. Like protected books, plays, and movies, they communicate ideas through familiar literary devices and features distinctive to the medium. And "the basic principles of freedom of speech . . . do not vary" with a new and different communication medium.
With our freedom of speech at stake you, and the rest of the Video Game Voters Network, sprung to action. You rallied to oppose this law - and you succeeded.

However, our job is not done. We have won our freedom of expression, now join other video game players and game developers in pledging to defend it.

Sign the Gamer's Pledge to protect and defend video games as free speech.

The Gamer's Pledge is an emphatic declaration that you agree with the Supreme Court's ruling, and acknowledgment of the work ahead. It says that you will support continued efforts to ensure games are recognized as free speech, and defend these rights against attempts to manipulate the ruling.

You contributed a great deal to this victory in the past year. Collectively, VGVN members sent thousands of letters to state attorneys general, calling on them to oppose the California law. Ten even signed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, arguing in favor of video games as protected speech.

Celebrate today's victory for parents, consumers, video game developers, artists, and all game players by signing the Gamer's Pledge to defend it. Then tell your friends to do the same:

Revel in this victory, and tell your friends today:

http://www.videogamevoters.org/sign-the-pledge"


This is just a small step for the protection of freedom of speech. Stay tuned as I will keep you posted on this development.

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Corporations and Civil Unrest

Recently MacDonalds held a national hiring day in which they hired 50,000 workers. One would assume that this went smoothly. This is not the case in this situation. I can't explain in words you just have to watch.

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Ohio Kids Use Video Game System for Indoor Physical Activity




"The Oakwood Village Youth Council (OYC) hosted its first Let’s Move! event on April 2, 2011 for children of Oakwood Village and surrounding communities. Want to take a guess at the type of event? A video game tournament, but not of the sitting down type, the OYC held a tournament using the Nintendo Wii and the game “Michael Jackson: The Experience,” a popular interactive dancing game.
Our finals featured two kids playing head-to-head on a big screen while everyone in attendance watched.
The Wii Tournament was a fun way for the OYC to encourage local youth from ages 5-17, to get off the couch and move through dancing. Children in attendance worked up a sweat to match the King of Pop’s spins, twists, and moonwalks!
Michael Jackson favorites such as “Rock with You,” “Black or White,” and “Bad” were used in the competition. As for the final phase of the tournament, the all time favorite “Thriller” song was used. The winner received an iPod Shuffle and an “iTunes”gift card.
As the children worked up a sweat and competed in the dance competition, refreshments were served such as carrots, broccoli, and celery. A fresh bowl of fruit was provided along with water and a variety of fruit juices.Deli sandwiches and baked chips were also on the menu.
In Oakwood Village, Ohio, it snows often and cold weather can last for weeks (they informed me that even the month of May is not exempt from snow storms). So, on days when the weather is too bad for the children to engage in physical activity outdoors, we hope moving forward that they will remember that there are ways to achieve 60 minutes of physical activity while indoors.
Childhood obesity is a national issue that affects every community in our country. We hope that Young Americans across the country continue engage this very important issue, by getting their local communities involved in the Let’s Move! Initiative. I want to applaud the Oakwood Village Youth Council for their creativity and engagement of Let’s Move! Because of it, their local youth were exercised through dance, ate healthy food, had lots of fun, and witnessed firsthand that physical activity can be enjoyed no matter the weather."
This is a great program and I'm glad that there are people who are covering it and giving information. I wonder who out there believes that this will have a positive effect on the overall culture of society. 

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Relay For Life

This past Friday was the annual relay for life walk. Mike and I attended and had a great time along with others in our group. Below is some footage of the walk. We encourage others to participate in this event as it helps to bring about awareness. We had a great time and I will participating in many more walks in years to come. Walk for cause, Relay for life!


The walk was held in the Mackal Field house, which allowed many individuals to come out and show support! 

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Corporations taking advantage of the economic system

Surveying the inter webs today I came across a great article that shows the way I believe that corporations may be using today's economic system to take advantage of the people that are in dire need of jobs. I have posted the article below. Notice the part where they talk about the ""Mcjobs" will include crew and management positions, part-time and full-time." I have an issue with this, if they are hiring 50,000 people, how many of these people are going to have the opportunity to get these management positions.

I would assume that some people would need to have the right qualifications to be able to get a position like this. Hiring 50,000 workers is good for the U.S. economy because it is putting people that are not able to find jobs the opportunity to do so. I think that this will help the companies that are on top by giving them the ability to widen the wage and income gap between the rich and the poor as some of these jobs will not be available to all individuals, because it may require some college experience that most people who apply to these jobs don't have.



McDonald's to hire 50,000 workers - in 1 day


NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- McDonald's said Monday that it is planning a one-day hiring spree of 50,000 new workers on April 19 for its U.S. restaurants.
McDonald's (MCDFortune 500) said that these new "Mcjobs" will include crew and management positions, part-time and full-time.
"We're excited to offer 50,000 new jobs, all across America, all in one day," said Jan Fields, president of McDonald's U.S.A.McDonald's, which has 14,000 restaurants in the United States, said the hires will occur nationwide.
Fields, who started working at a McDonald's restaurant as a crew member behind the counter in 1978, said the 50,000 new hires will increase the U.S. workforce to 700,000 from its current level of 650,000.
She said the average pay for the jobs is $8.30 an hour. That's compared to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, though in some states the minimum wage is higher. She said that restaurant managers can make $50,000 a year.
This announcement from McDonald's is just the latest sign of an improving job market. On Friday, the U.S. government announced a gain of 216,000 jobs in March, pushing the unemployment rate down to 8.8%, its lowest level in two years.


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Welcome



Greetings everyone, Allow me to introduce myself. I am one of the creators of this blog that you see here before you. I am Gregory Laporte and I am a student, gamer, workout head, aspiring sociologist and all around fun loving guy. I'm currently a student at the University of Rhode Island in my fifth year. I will be graduating with a major in sociology and also a minor in French. I have the ability to speak 3 different languages English, French and Haitian (French/creole). I am the youngest of four children and I also do many extra curricular activities.

Here are some of the extra activities that I do. I am the assistant editor at www.gamerfitnation.com this is a website where we combine Gaming and Health in order to promote a healthy lifestyle within the gaming community. This is where my love for sociology stems from. I look a lot at the society of gaming and see many of the things that happen in their society that I can speak greatly on. I am an avid gamer so i have experience many of these things first hand. I want to put my voice and thoughts out there for all people to read. I feel as though studies and research that currently focus on video games and society are looking at it the wrong way. I am also the treasurer of the University of Rhode Island Iron Cage Society (Sociology Club). We are doing great things and I will post the link below so that you can join our Facebook Page and see what we are doing.


This blog was created based on the idea that Mike and I have of a lot of sociological ideas that we want to share with the world. We both have many ideas and skills that we think will provide a better understanding and knowledge to others out in the world. We are very resourceful individuals and skilled in our own unique areas. We will be posting our thoughts on current events and issues that arise. There may even be an article or two that we may post if we find it interesting. This blog is for everyone so do not be afraid to comment.

If you want to follow me and some of the things I do check out these links.

Facebook Group  "Iron Cage Society" http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_145866155477265
Twitter @theownerz http://twitter.com/#!/theownerz
Gaming and Health website: www.gamerfitnation.com

If you need to contact me, send me an email at xtheownerzx@gmail.com

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