Guest bob_barron Report post Posted February 5, 2003 Recently in Washington DC, a sniper went out and killed fifteen people. They probably found the people who did it and they are now in custody. When they caught the guys, I was happy- I hate seeing my Americans suffer. But in a way I was disappointed. I mean- why should I watch the news anymore? The excitement is over. There’s no what’s next. It’s done, over with it. Scanning the news I look for other interesting- the Russian hostage situation is over and there really is nothing in the news. I’m bored. Wow. I just sound like a real bad insensitive person who doesn’t care about my fellow man. In the book Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, one of the main characters Kurtz doesn’t really either. Kurt also has Marlowe who seems interesting and loyal to him. I have the news which is interesting and loyal to me. I know that back home at 8 pm I will put on Fox News and Bill O’Reilly will be telling me the no spin truth and what is the most ridiculous item of the day. At 7 am I wake up to Katie and Matt with Al checking the weather and Ann at the news desk. I feel they are loyal to me- they get me up out of bed and while I am getting ready for class I hear them talk about all the things that are supposedly important. You know- who is in the big Hollywood movie and what tips there are to save money on something that will probably never affect me- but hey its loyal and as a teenager going through a lot of change- loyalty is all I ask for. Heart of Darkness is not an easy read. You can’t just go to the bookstore, pick it up, read it and put it down. It makes you think about your own darkness and darkness in the world. The way a lot of people, including me, responded to the sniper killings in the DC area made me think- there’s the darkness in society- the desensitization of people. The first day of the sniper ordeal, the sniper killed five people. I thought it was one of those whackos who lost their job and was pissed off. Whatever, seen it before, seen it again- no one cares. I’m sure Ted Turner (owner of CNN) and Rupert Murdoch (owner of Fox News) were thinking the exact same thing. Then one day this five people in one day turned into something big- it became THE SNIPER! (Cue news music) America was captivated by it. Who was the sniper? Was he a terrorist? A bitter war veteran? When will he struck next? This is just like a movie! “This is just like a movie”. Every time I hear about that 9.11- I get mad. IT WASN’T A MOVIE, I shout- it was real. There is no Harrison Ford flying to Afghanistan to take out Osama Bin Laden. This was all real. I’m a New Yorker so I have very strong love for New York and my country and I am very sensitive about it. I think since I’ve been here I’ve about four arguments over the stuff my country does. When I watch CNN and see the World Trade Center collapse I just kind of sad and depressed and think of the guy from my down who passed away and all the NYPD and FDNY in there. I don’t think- that looks like a movie. When I watch CNN and see the coverage of the Washington sniper I think: Whoa- I would SO see this movie! I know that if I lived in the DC area- I wouldn’t make the movie remark. I would probably watch the coverage of the sniper and think: Oh- I rode that bus- he seemed like a nice guy. A good news story will be just like a good action packed movie. It has a hot beginning and keeps you going until the big blow you away ending. I hate to say this and I feel guilty typing it right now- 9.11 had that. Bad guys hijack plane, bad guys fly plane into big NYC building, plane collapses film at 11! The Washington sniper was more of a TV show then a movie. Something that would play on Law and Order. In fact, CBS recently had to postpone an episode of CSI:Miami due to a storyline about a sniper going around killing people. Not once did I mention the tragedy that occurred in was that ten innocent people died and three were wounded as a result of the sniper. In the post 9.11 society that we live in- ten people doesn’t seem like a whole lot. Ten people- ten people were gunned down for no reason other then- they were there. They were pumping their gas, going to Home Depot, walking to school- just doing what President Bush told us to do post 9.11- go back to normal. I didn’t tune in to CNN one Friday morning because I wanted to know who was killed and what they’re life was like and how they’re family was coping. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Where would the sniper strike again I wondered? I watched CNN for the first time since I’d had arrived in Toronto. The whole sniper story was “cool”. Why? Because I think it’d make a great movie or an episode for a TV show. The climax was disappointing though- an arrest at rest stop? Boo! I wanted a shoot out in the streets with everyone shouting and getting loud until the bad guy snaps and a big shoot out erupts and soon the bad guy has been shot to death. Rereading over that paragraph- I realise how insensitive I sound and how I know if I lived in Washington DC- I would get mad if I heard something like that. But I take solace in the fact that I’m not the only one who thought that way. The way the news is constructed and the way breaking news stories are presented, has made the big stories mini-movies, designed to get the readers attention so they will stay not only to listen to the story but they will also stay and watch the “expert” who comes on and talks about nothing really but I guess is there to make sure the all-news station can still be called that and not just HBO 6: The News Channel! That Friday morning where I watched CNN I learned some information. There was a white van, cops were stopping people, the way serials killers act, that they’re not one hundred percent there this is the sniper (thanks Paula Zahn- I got it the first time), what schools were doing and to make sure CNN: Sports Illustrated gets its fair shake- whether the Redskins home game would go on. Not once did I learn anything about the victim. I got his name, age, where he was when he got shot- but I didn’t learn why I would miss him, how his family is coping, did he leave behind any kids, is there a way I can send a donation to the family. All I was told was Big Bad Sniper blew away some anonymous person and now the cops are the hunt! Can you honestly blame me for thinking this thing was cool? It’s not like he was in Toronto. At the end of Heart of Darkness a dying Kurtz yells: the horror! The horror! The horror, or darkness, of Heart of Darkness is that all these imperialists went into Africa, took a bunch of natural resources to make profit and also slaughtered many Africans along the way. In Heart of Darkness it didn’t seem like they were too upset about it either. All they cared was helping the mother land and wanting to come home look liking great heroes. In history class these people are presented as savages. Evil horrible human beings who went to Africa blah blah blah. While they didn’t grow up with CNN, the way it was programmed to these guys was: Africans bad! Get the resources. I’m programmed to think: sniper on the loose killing people! Instead of: John Smith who loved his two kids is dead just because he went to Home Depot. I understand that reaction to serious news stories and going to another continent and slaughtering the residents is completely different but there are some similarities. I think I have a little Kurtz in me. Kurtz is a guy who has been so desensitized that he has human heads in his house. I’m having my parents save copies of the newspaper back home with coverage of the sniper. Again- not as a memory of the victims, but so I can remember all the details. By writing this essay, and looking back at the sniper ordeal and the way it was covered and the way I thought about it, four words come to mind: The horror, the horror! While Kurtz was dying I think his life flashed before his eyes and he realised everything he had done. He realised that he took lives. He wasn’t killing wild savage dark skinned beasts- he was killing people-just like you and me. As he was dying, he regretted all the evil he had caused. He had a spiritual awakening. Just like Kurtz I did too. I look back on that Friday morning and think: Wow- what the heck was I thinking. Now I know that I shouldn’t just let myself be a pawn in the news game of chess- I should look deeper and look closer. I should think about all sides of a story, I should look at everything and not just accept what I am shown. I don’t want to be like Kurtz. I don’t want my life flashing before my eyes and seeing myself only look at the side of a story that makes my adrenaline rush. I had my: the horror, the horror experience and hopefully it will change me for the better. Hopefully my discovering of a heart of darkness from reading Heart of Darkness will result in some light. I said before Heart of Darkness is not an easy book to understand and it isn’t. It took a serial killer who terrorised a region of the United States and killed ten people to make me understand. It took a spiritual awakening inside of me to understand the way I should look at life. It also took some really bad newscasting that gave me help on what not to do when I become a journalist. It took me fully understanding how important the human life and how we should treat people with respect and the dignity they deserve- it took all that to understand Heart of Darkness. I wonder if we’ll ever know John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo truly view darkness as. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest IDrinkRatsMilk Report post Posted February 5, 2003 left to right: me, barron's mom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Amazing Rando Report post Posted February 5, 2003 Barron's got a computer generated MILF... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest IDrinkRatsMilk Report post Posted February 5, 2003 me murdering barron so I can fuck his mom: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Amazing Rando Report post Posted February 5, 2003 FINISH HIM!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted February 5, 2003 Bob Barron Library Lead Copy At the Toronto Research Library Centre on Young and Bloor St., excitement comes in all shapes and sizes. A senior citizen gets the news read to her in French, a young man looks at annual business report, and young and old alike search the Internet to find the exact information that will get them an ‘A’ on their paper. When you walk into the library, excitement is already abuzz. The first floor is where the Centre for Disabilities is and it is a popular public service for disabled Torontonians. The Centre has many services including a dictionary with large print, a Braille typewriter and an optical magnifier. For people in wheelchairs, a special table is set up to give them easier access. There are posters on the wall with stories about Franklin Roosevelt and Agatha Christie that are meant to inspire people and let them know that no matter what the handicap, they can accomplish anything The second floor is much like the first, with more people sitting around reading, browsing the shelves and doing research on the internet. One thing caught my attention however. When you get off the stairs and step onto the second floor you notice a clock that’s a bit off. The clock has military and normal time on it which is quite unusual to see. The clock has the regular numbers in back, with the military numbers (13-23) all in front. It’s something not many people notice but it seems like it is designed to get someone’s attention. On this day, it succeeded. Bob Barron Library A Copy Needing a rest, I figured I’d take the elevator to floor three. The elevator at the library is transparent so as you go up and down you can see the whole library at work. Floor three is probably the most helpful floor of the whole library. The business section is one of the best maintained sections of the library. It has top-notch periodicals and a whole section blocked off just for annual reports of various copies. I quickly headed there and read various annual reports for different business all over North America. For the inventor in all of us, there are many reference books with all American and Canadian patents. The business section is the perfect place for any investor, know matter how experienced. Floor three also has a lot more information. The Health section is very well kept up with lots of information on where to go to get help. There is information on the effects of various drugs, maps of the human body and many medical and self-help books. Floor three also has a section devoted to helping people find careers with many books available for people looking for a job or a young entrepreneur wanting to start a business. Floor five is always a busy floor since it is where people go to learn a language or to learn how to act. There are many advertisements including a headshot of an aspiring actress and notices of theatrical and musical performances. There is also a place to go listen to music and there are regular ESL classes designed to help people learn the English language. Bob Barron Library B Copy The library is like a nice big escape from reality. Here, everything is at your fingertips and like in a fairytale, any wish you have, whether it be an annual report or a travel book on Africa will be granted. It’s a place where innocence is recaptured. As I head down the transparent elevator, looking at everyone working, and head out the door, reality starts to hit again and the innocence starts to fade. Right before you leave, a security guard goes through your backpack. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest IDrinkRatsMilk Report post Posted February 5, 2003 this is what I did to barron's mom after he was dead: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Amazing Rando Report post Posted February 5, 2003 WOOHOO...DEATH~! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest IDrinkRatsMilk Report post Posted February 5, 2003 and then barron's dad walked in and I stole his soul: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted February 5, 2003 Bob: Bonjour Carly: Bonjour Bob: Je m’appelle Bob Barron Carly: Je m’appelle Carly. Bob: Vous estes anglais? Carly: Non, je suis canadienne Bob: Ou habitez vous? Carly: J’habite a Toronto. Vous estes canadien aussi? Bob: Non, je suis americain, mais j'habite à Toronto. Carly: Impressionat. Vous voulez un verre de vin. Bob: Oui, je veux bien. Je veux devenir ivre. Carly: Que diriez-vous de du thé à la place? Je n'aime pas les personnes ivres. Bob: Vous nagez comme un poisson. Carly: Vous trouvez? Bob: Oui. Carly: Vous ne m'avez jamais vu nager . Bob: Je vous demande pardon. Carly: Pas de probleme. Quand ils m'approchent, ils disent que je nage comme un poisson. Bob: C'est une certaine vie à mener. Carly: Le thé est ici. Bob: A votre sante Carly. Carly: A la votre. Bob: Comment ca va? Carly: Je vais tres bien, merci. Vous dansez tres bien. Bob: C’est gentil mais vous exagerez. Je commence seulment. Carly: J’ai note. Bob: Comment est-ce qu’on ecrit volontiers? Carly: Volontiers s’ecrit v-o-l-o-n-t-i-e-r-s. Au fait je suis un peu malade. Bob: Voluez-vous boire quelque chose? Carly: Je veux bien. Bob: Comment allez-vous? Carly: Ca ne va pas mal plus. Bob: Avez vous des freres ou des soeurs? Carly: J’ai un frere at une soeur. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest IDrinkRatsMilk Report post Posted February 5, 2003 then barron came back from the dead and I did this to him: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted February 5, 2003 Bob Barron Fair Lead Copy At the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, hustle and bustle is the name of the game. People walk by at the speed of light gazing at different salespeople trying to make an honest buck. A man is selling musical spoons, another hawk a product that grates cheese very quickly. It seems to catch people’s eyes for a moment but then as they walk towards the back something always catches their eye: the cows and the bulls. A crowd of people sit in the bleachers watching attentively as a man walks around looking at Herefords who are held in place by their handlers as they are poked and prodded. While every judge judges differently, judges are usually on the lookout for the most masculine bull. The bulls that win today truly fit the mould as they weigh more than a metric ton but look fit and muscular and are always well behaved. When the judge announces a winner, a big roar erupts from the crowd. The judge then explains why he picked the way he picked and according to him, the Herefords that finished in third and fourth didn’t have enough muscle to win this competition. The Hereford that won this round now suddenly has become stubborn as they try to get him to take a picture. The crowd in the bleachers eats this all up as they intently watch every movement the Herefords make. A copy next Bob Barron Fair A Copy Elma Gardner is one of many in the crowd who came to the Royal Winter fair just to see them judge the bulls. She explains the whole process of the bull judging as her eyes widen with delight and she has trouble hiding her big smile. When the judge walks over to each bull and studies it carefully, her eyes stay locked on the judge and the Hereford, as if everything else in the world doesn’t exist. “My parents were farmers so I grew up on a farm as a child. My brother currently breeds cattle in Scotland so to me there’s nothing more interesting then this. I bet some of these farmers feel the same way- and would probably do this for free even if there wasn’t a cash prize involved.” The judging of the bulls is not the only place where the cows are on exhibition. A little ways from the judging is an exhibit where cows are on display and are currently being milked by a group of young farmers as people look on and ooo and ahh. Above each milking cow is a little information above them. One cow being milked is 3 years old and had a calf last March. Another cow is already four years old and recently calved last June. The farmers talk amongst themselves as they determine which cows to milk as the cows stand there taking it all in. The cows are the stars of the 2002 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair as they seem to be everywhere. In the centre of the fair, big tall cows are on display as patrons go up and pet them. These cows are gentle despite the fact that they maybe looking at the person who will digest them one day. B copy next Bob Barron Fair B Copy When the cows are not directly on display they are being discussed and debated about in other parts of the fair. Booths are set up where people talk about the pros of veal and beef and why the cattle industry is good for the country of Canada and how they generate a lot of money to help the economy. They also talked about how they treat the cattle when they lead them to their slaughter and how they to make things as pleasant possible. Even though none of the cows would comment on their situation they seemed to be enjoying themselves and they looked to enjoy all of the attention they are getting. -30- Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest IDrinkRatsMilk Report post Posted February 5, 2003 then I spit green fire on barron's corpse and burned him up: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted February 5, 2003 Today during journalism class, Rob Granatstein, who graduated Ryerson in 1997 and now works for the Toronto Sun as a general assignment reporter came to talk to our class about what life is like as a reporter in order to prepare us better for the future. One of Granatstein’s tips which he mentioned frequently was to get as much experience as possible. Granatstein himself worked for the Eye Opener as news editor in third and fourth year and later became the editor in chief of the Eye Opener. He was also the managing editor at the other campus newspaper, the Ryersonian. “You will make mistakes. Learn from them,” was one of the many words of advice Granatstein offered to us aspiring journalists. One of the reasons students should try to write as much as possible is because of the need to improve oneself and the importance of learning how to work with an editor. Before catching a job with the Toronto Sun, he did nothing his first year at Ryerson. He got offered the job when on a tour of the Sun and at first began writing ‘fluff’ stories for them. Granatstein went into great detail about what his life as a report was like. His official title is of General Assignment Reporter and he usually works from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. even though his schedule is always rotating as sometimes he will end up working weekends and nights. The Toronto Sun, according to Granatstein, is most interested in not what is going on the in the world, but mostly what it is sexy, fun, different etc. He cited today’s paper in which the headlines were about the new Toronto education budget, the incident with Michael Jackson and his child and a boat going down in Spain. Yesterday, his story was on the inquest of the death of a 15 year old autistic girl who was smothered to death via a beanbag chair at the group home she lived at. He spoke of how he and the Star both reported the story. In his article he wrote about how violent, quick and strong the girl was while the Star wrote about how the girl could’ve been cared for better. Granatstein also talked about other experiences he has had at the Sun such as writing about the Washington DC sniper getting arrested and being on the receiving end of a headlock from the wrestler known as Sable. Granatstein went into great detail about his favourite and most memorable story. One day a woman called the Sun and told him that her 12 or 13 year old son was getting love letters from his Laura Schlater, the boys’ teacher that were very sexual in nature. The mother had saved all 64 of the letters and Schlater ended up being charged criminally and also endured a civil trial- all he says “because of one phone call.” He went to go talk to the teacher but she refused but he kept trying. He knocked on the door two more times and then left once he saw Schlater approaching the door with a dog. He ended up getting a picture of her when he came to the door. He wanted to ask her what her motive was in writing such sexual letters. The story was huge and he was even asked to go on the Sally Jessie Raphael talk show but refused. He did concede that he never got to see the boys letters to the teacher but claimed that the teacher had a chance to give her side but refused. He decided to talk parents, teachers and the principal of the school where she worked and each time he was told she was a great teacher who made an error. Now he says if you search for his name on the internet, usually her name comes up in conjunction. Granatstein also talked about the pros and cons of his job as a reporter. Since 1994, the year he started, he feels that people have been more on guard against the media and that more and more is he is shuttled to spokespeople rather then speaking to the actual person he wanted to interview. He also doesn’t enjoy doing one on one interviews where TV crews are around because it’s difficult to get interesting quotes. He talked about how it’s a hard job to do everyday and called reporting ‘a young person’s job’ with lots and lots of stress. Granatstein also talked about the pros of being a reporter. He loves telling stories about people and thinks he has become a better reporter over the past eight years. He enjoys having a cushy job and loves doing interviews where people are having a lot of fun. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest LooseCannon Report post Posted February 5, 2003 OHMYGOD KILL IT!!! JUST KILL IT!!! SOMEONE PLEASE JUST FUCKING KILL IT!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest IDrinkRatsMilk Report post Posted February 5, 2003 barron's burnt corpse got up and tried to kick me but I ripped it's leg off: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted February 5, 2003 Hmm. This thread is stupid. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest IDrinkRatsMilk Report post Posted February 5, 2003 This thread is stupid. No shit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Amazing Rando Report post Posted February 5, 2003 who knew that Bob was such a wacky writer... I wish no one... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted February 5, 2003 I can post more stuff if you want Rando Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Amazing Rando Report post Posted February 5, 2003 Well the thing is Bob.... This Thread Is Dead. Dead. Dead. Gangrene. Floating Down The River. Found Riddled With Bullets. Chopped To Bits In A Basement. Its Dead, Yo... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted February 5, 2003 Okay- but if it picks up- I'M THERE! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest IDrinkRatsMilk Report post Posted February 5, 2003 Yup, it's dead. I called these suave motherfuckers in to hit it with a 187: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Banky Report post Posted February 5, 2003 What has this folder been reduced too? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ravenbomb Report post Posted February 6, 2003 OMG GANGSTERS! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DrTom Report post Posted February 6, 2003 No, no... those are gangstas, not gangsters. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted February 6, 2003 I saw RatsMilk trying to be a hard-ass, and it got me all pissed, so I grabbed my axe... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ravenbomb Report post Posted February 6, 2003 getting in to gross picture posting, are we? Well, Doc Tom was mouthing off, so I took a sawed off Shotgun to his face Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cobainwasmurdered Report post Posted February 6, 2003 oh my god. that's fucking sick Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted February 6, 2003 Yummy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
