Transcript – In the Eyes of Another (2.2)

Transcription by Cleve Wiese

The Journal for Undergraduate Multimedia Projects.
March 24, 2011.
Project: “Through the Eyes of Another” by (First Name?) Martinez
Transcription by Cleve Wiese
Original Link to the project:
http://www.wix.com/sfmartinez/culture-and-media

Homepage:

Left Column:

On the far left side of the screen, three hyperlinked photographs in separate boxes arranged in a vertical column are superimposed on an underlying white space. Beneath the uppermost image is text with the title of the project: “In the Eyes of Another.”

From top to bottom:
Image Box #1: displays the face of bearded man in a fur-lined cap.
Image Box #2: displays the dark eyes of a woman whose face is covered by a red veil.
Image Box #3: displays the bust of sharply dressed white man. His hair is gelled, and he wears a dark blue suit and tie. Over his left shoulder, a modern, sunlit interior is visible.

Right Column:

The right two-thirds of the page feature a photo slideshow.
Picture #1: displays a wide-open, wind-swept mountain landscape. Sand dunes are in foreground, and a green-flecked valley flaked by a receding ridge is visible in the background.
Picture #2: displays the deck of a tourist boat in an urban harbor. The tourists are dressed for cold, wet weather. They look at the tall skyscrapers that surround the boat.
Picture #3: displays a rough, earthen shack on a sandy patch of ground. The roof is covered with sacks and wooden poles. An African woman stands at the corner of the structure looking towards the camera.
Picture #4: displays an open, mountain landscape with a green value and stream in the foreground and a receding ridge in the background.
Picture #5: displays a tastefully lit, outdoor boardwalk in the middle of an urban, nighttime cityscape. A row of tall buildings is visible in the background.
Picture #6: displays three women in colorful dresses and head coverings filling plastic demijohns at a row of crude water taps. A line of brush is visible in the background.
Picture #7: displays a nighttime cityscape. Several tall buildings rise behind a low, neoclassical structure – perhaps a bank or library.
Picture #8: displays a dramatic mountain landscape. In the foreground three figures with backpacks stand on a grassy expanse. In the background is a glacial valley flanked by towering, snow-covered peaks.

The three photographs in boxes on the left side of the page function as hyperlinks.

Image Box One: link to a page with the same three image boxes, but in place of the photo slide show is white space. At the top of the screen, just to the left of the image box is the following text: “Tsakhia Elbegdorj, MONGOLIA.” Further down the page is a hyperlink that says, “MEET TSAKHIA.”

Image Box Two: link to similar page but with the following text next to the second image box: “Amina Ali, SOMALIA.” Further down the page is a hyperlink that says, “MEET AMINA.”

Image Box Three: link to another similar page but with the following text next to the third image box: Ryan Jones, CHICAGO. Further down the page is a hyperlink that says, “MEET RYAN.”

Hyperlink, “MEET TASKHIA”:

Page has black background with the image of the face in fur-lined cap from the home page on the top left side. The right two-thirds of the page are composed of the following text:

“My name is Tsakhia Elbegdorj. I was born in 1957 in Tsaatan in the province of Khövsgöl, Mongolia. My village is nice, with warm weather in the summer, but extremely cold weather during the winter. My favorite thing about the Tsaatan is our famous cloudless sky. My most vivid memories of my childhood are playing under those skies, that and trying to stuff enough firewood in the furnace to keep warm. The weather here seems to be getting colder every year. We’ve especially suffered this year, as the cold has killed much livestock.

The year I was born, the Sino-Soviet split had just begun, and Mongolia was beginning to align itself with the Soviet Union. By the time I was ten years old I saw Soviet troops based in my town. Then, the democratic revolution started. We received updates from informed travelers, and everyone in our village soon knew that our country was moving towards a market economy. Since Mongolia is the second largest land-locked country in the world and most of our land is arid, I was optimistic about envisioned economic change for our country, but I also wondered if it would really affect me. When I was twenty-five, I married a nice woman from my same village. She became pregnant with our first son a year later. Things were going well for me and my new family.

Most of the people in my village are farmers, but I’ve worked with my father as a traditional felt-maker since I was in my teens. I earn a decent income, about U.S. $1.25 a day, which is enough to provide for my family. I’ve lived a very comfortable life, except for about 20 years ago, when Mongolia began to experience hard economic times. During this time our country suffered from high inflation, and it was hard for me to provide food for my family as a result of food shortages across the country.

But changes came again, and in 1993 and then 1996 the first non-communist election wins took place, providing my family with the freedom to purchase necessities and a few toys again. I classify myself as a member of the Democratic Party of Mongolia because I believe they will lead our country to success, but unfortunately the Mongolian People’s Republic Party won the last election. This has led to protest throughout the country. Things could be better, but right now we just hope to make it through the winter.

I hope you like Mongolia, welcome to my home.”

The following phrases from the previous text are hyperlinked:
“famous cloudless sky”
“cold has killed much livestock”
“Sino-Soviet split”
“Democratic Revolution”
“felt-maker”
“protests”
“home”

Each hyperlink leads to a separate page:

“famous cloudless sky” links to a page with a rotating photo-slideshow set against a black background:
Picture #1: displays a round, Yurt-like dwelling beneath a star-filled, night sky.
Picture #2: displays a wide-open, wind-swept mountain landscape. Sand dunes are in foreground, and a green-flecked valley flaked by a receding ridge is visible in the background.
Picture #3: displays a mountain landscape with green valley in the foreground and a ridgeline in the background. In the middle of the image, a village is visible.
Picture #4: displays a desert landscape with a lone camel in the middle ground and a ridgeline in the background.
Picture #5: displays a snow-dusted landscape with several people congregating around three trucks in the middle of the image. Snowy hills are in the background.
Picture #6: displays two round, Yurt-like dwellings encircled by a wooden fence. Outside the fence is a two-wheeled wagon.
Picture #7: displays an open, mountain landscape with a green value and stream in the foreground and a receding ridge in the background.

“cold has killed much livestock” links to a page with an embedded video on the left and a still image on the right.

The still image: displays the frozen carcass of an animal – possibly a pony – on a bed of snow and ice. In the background are two people in heavy, full-length woolen garments and stocking caps.

The embedded video is BBC news footage. In the following transcription, visual transcription is in brackets:

[The video opens with a news anchor sitting in a TV studio with an image of a frozen landscape over his left shoulder.]
Now far from the United States, in fact about as far as it’s possible to get. We have a story tonight of a fight for economic survival. Extreme weather is devastating Mongolia’s nomadic communities and the livestock they rely on. Thousands of families have lost everything, and aid agencies are now appealing for help in the face of the unfolding disaster.

[Cut to a map of Mongolia, then to a snowy landscape where a heavily bundled rider herds cattle.]
The BBC’s Chris Hulk travelled to the worst affected part of the country called Uvurkhangai, where almost a million animals have died.

[New voice. Cuts to several shots of a snowy, barren, frozen mountain landscapes. ] It’s supposed to be spring in Mongolia, but you wouldn’t know it. A winter more severe than many herders can remember shows no sign of abating. Mongolians call this an Azud – a prolonged freeze after a drought that destroys the grazing areas. The locals say, it’s just as accurate to call it a disaster.

[Cuts to a woman feeding sheep.]
Chumedsirin Tumur struggles to find enough fodder to keep her animals alive. They’re weak now, after months without enough to eat. This family’s lost 800 livestock. They’ve just a hundred left. They fear they could lose them all before the winter’s over.

[This cuts to a close-up, interview shot of the woman, whose voice we now hear in translation.]
Every night we have the same fear: How many have died overnight? We’re frightened to check. If we lose all our animals, we have lost everything.

[This cuts to more shots of sheep herders tending their flocks.]
Across Mongolia, thousands of nomads whose herds have been wiped out face financial ruin. More than four and a half million animals have died so far.

[This cuts to a close up of a western journalist standing in a sheet pen. He speaks.]
In this country, your cows, your sheep, your goats – they’re your cash. You use them to pay for everything, from food to schooling. So when you’ve lost as many as this family has lost, it’s a real struggle to go on.

[This cuts to an approaching truck.]
The local governor arrives. He’s come to offer his support. Keep going, don’t give up is his message to the herders.

[Cuts to an interior with people cooking.]
But he has few resources and much demand for them. Some foreign aid – food for families, fodder for their animals – has started to arrive. A lot more is needed.

[Cuts to an interview with the local governor inside a home. He speaks through a translator.]
When I visit, often the children are crying, the women are crying; they say there’s no way we can live like this. Some of them even want to take their own lives. I say you shouldn’t. There’s a lot more to live for.

[Cuts to a shot of several nursing, baby lambs. The journalist speaks in a voiceover.]
Right now, each new life here is more precious than ever.

[Cuts to shots of trucks on a snowy, frozen landscape.]
As this freeze continues, the battle to deliver fresh help is getting tougher than ever. And with little left of their own to live own, the herders fear the next few weeks could be the toughest yet. Chris Hulk, BBC News.

“Sino-Soviet split” links to an embedded video.

The embedded video is a vintage, black-and-white Russian newsreel. In the following transcription, visual transcription is in brackets and subtitles are in quotes.

[Opens with writing in Russian. This cuts to close up shots of rapt faces alternating with crowd shots of people in a packed theater. They give a standing ovation applaud. They quiet down and the shot cuts to a close up a speaker at a lectern.]
“You can rest assured that comrade Stalin will fulfill his duty by the people, by the peasantry, by the working class, and by the intelligentsia.
[The people give another standing ovation.]

“Democratic Revolution” links to a page with two embedded videos.

The embedded video on the left shows more shots from vintage newsreels, but of later dates. Visual transcription is in brackets.

[The video opens with a line of men in military uniforms blowing long, brass horns with flags trailing from them. The camera cuts to a panning close ups of men in military formation. This cuts to a broader shot of an army formation. This cuts to military drummers. This cuts to several shots of men marching in military formation. Trucks with missiles join the procession. This cuts to a close-up shot of approaching tanks – also part of the parade. Then armored troop transport vehicles.]

The embedded video on the right is a photo slideshow. Visual transcription is in brackets.

[The slideshow opens with a vintage Soviet-Style graphic depicting workers in the clothing of their respective professions; this cuts to a series of photographs of Soviet monuments as the text “Days of Communism” appears at the bottom of the screen. This cuts to a series of black and white photographs – first close-ups of political leaders, then crowd shots of a massive demonstration – as the text “1990” appears at the bottom of the screen then fades away. This cuts to a color image of a man holding a guitar, then to a number of images of crowds at a large indoor meeting. The next images are color photographs of a parade with riders in colorful, traditional Mongolian garb holding ceremonial standards, then a shot of traditional wrestlers, then images of the Dalai Lama. This cuts to more military photographs, then color images of musicians, soldiers, and people in traditional clothing.]

“felt-maker” links to an embedded video.

Visual transcription is in brackets.

[Video opens with a scene showing Mongolian shepherds in traditional clothing chase sheep around a grassy expanse. One sheep in trapped, and the camera cuts to a close up of a shepherd holding the sheep to the ground. The shepherd begins to shear the sheep with a pair of scissors. He removes the wool, and the camera cuts to a large pile of stacked wool. The next shot shows a number of Mongolian women threshing a long line of wool with wooden rods, one for each hand. This cuts to a shot of two men sprinkling water on the piled wool. The next shot shows several people helping to roll the wool into a massive spool, which is lashed to the back of a horse and dragged across a field. After several shots of a rider pulling this roll of wool, the camera cuts to a scene at a camp location where men construct a round tent-structure using the rolled wool (now felt). ]

“protests” links to a page with two embedded videos.

Beneath the video on the left is the text “On the news.” Beneath the video on the right is the text “and in the streets of Ulaan Bator.”

Transcription of the “On the news” video (visual transcription in brackets).

[An angry crowd of people, many bearing flags, storm a building. Close up shots of protesters, some bloodied.]
The final tally from Monday’s election in Mongolia isn’t even out yet, but anger has erupted on the streets of the capital. Supporters of the opposition party have stormed the headquarters of the ruling party that is expected to win. And the police have tried to get the crowd under control – in vain.

[Cut to a map of Mongolia, with the text “Irja Halasz, Journalist” on the bottom of the screen.]
I haven’t seen anything like this in all the time that I’ve been here. People have been informed through the media about the estimates of the number of seats the ruling party would get, and there’s a widely spread feeling that there has been fraud.

[Cut back to a series of shots of protestors and soldiers.]
International observers say that the election was free and fair, but that the system has changed and that the new system has made the tally more confusing – an unwelcome verdict for the people here. And should the ruling party be reelected, that would give it a clear majority that could see it in power for another four years. This is why opposition supporters have stormed through every barrier to make their voices heard.

[Cut to a series of rural and urban landscapes.]
The stakes are high in this election. The blueprint for how to make life better for people in this landlocked and impoverished country is at hand.

[Cut to an interview with a man in a white tee-shirt.]
My life is ok, but prices are rising. In many cases, two peoples’ salaries are not enough to make ends meet.

[Cut to street scenes.]
Both parties campaign on economic policies to improve the lives of citizens…

[Cut to scene of mining activity.]
…and on how they’d reinvest profits from Mongolia’s lucrative mining contracts for the good of all.

[More scenes of rioting and protest.]
But their plans with have to be put on hold until peace returns to the streets of the capital.

Transcription of “and in the streets of Ulaan Bator” video. Visual transcription in brackets.

[Video and still images of rioting and protest are interspersed. Cuts to an arial shot of proteters running across a city square and crashing with police. This cuts to close up video and still images of people throwing rocks and setting a building on fire.]

“home” links to a page with two still images.

The larger image on the left shows the interior of a round, Mongolian dwelling: Two beds, a table, a sideboard, all covered in colorful red, green, blue, and yellow designs. Hyperlinked images of a radio and a television are embedded in this scene; they become larger when moused over.

The image on the right shows the exteriors of three of these round dwellings.

When the hyperlinked radio in the left image is clicked, the following text appears on the right side of the screen:

“Our radio provides us with entertainment. Periodically every week we have the chance to tune in to a station playing music. This is a real treat, as it’s nice to hear music in such a vast and barren landscape.

Our radio is also our source for news. It is broadcast all over Mongolia, so we’re sure to know what’s going on in our country. But a persistent problem is that often it is hard to get reception, so instead of relying on our radio, most of the time we rely on passing travelers to tell us the news.

Regardless, the only news that could cheer us right now would be that a change in the weather is coming, and we don’t need a news station to tell us that.”

When the hyperlinked television is clicked, the following text appears in the same place:

“Our television was a real treat when we first got it. Unfortunately though it is now broken, and as a felt-maker earning just decent wages it is hard to find the money to fix it. Our children sometimes wish they could watch TV, but most of the time there is no need for it. We didn’t have one before, we don’t need one now. Our children play outside under the skies, just as I used to when I was growing up.”

Three red, hyperlinked buttons appear on the bottom left-hand side of the screen with the following text: “MAIN,” “BACK,” and “CONNECTION.” The first two buttons lead to the home page and the “Meet Tsakhia” page respectively.

The “CONNECTION” button links to a new page with two columns of text beneath a red line that runs across the top of the screen. Above this line are heading for each column of text: “COMMUNITY” on the left, “MEDIA” on the right.

The following text appears in the “COMMUNITY” column:

“My village is a cultural community, or a community where the members are united in terms of our allegiance to a common culture. We have lived together for many generations to the point that we now know each other’s preferences, follow the same beliefs, and share common values.

Cultural plurality or multiculturalism is not necessary here. Visitors come and visitors go, but the residents stay the same. We maintain this close culture by limiting the amount of media our children are exposed to. Some of the families have televisions, but most just own a radio.”

The following text appears in the “MEDIA” column:

“Our relationship with our media is an immediate one because we view the radio as a direct transmitter of information and entertainer. News or entertainment comes directly from the radio to our homes. We never have to surf through channels, choose from a plethora of options provided on the internet, or be distracted by commercials and advertisements.

The radio in our villiage caters to traditional rural Mongolian families, so advertisements are often left out for practical reasons–it is futile to direct these elements towards an uninterested audience.

In this environment, our radio becomes a part of everyday life, something we never think about yet use every day.

We trust our selection of media, just as well as we trust and understand members of our community.

Hyperlink, “MEET AMINA”

Page has black background with the image of the face behind a red veil from the home page on the top left side. The right two-thirds of the page are composed of the following text:

“My name is Amina Ali. I was born in Bosasu, Somalia in 1979. As a female Muslim living in a country torn by civil unrest and violence, I have experienced and seen a lot growing up.

My most vivid memories are from the year 1991, when the Somali Civil War broke out. I remember a year before it happened, there was an order in place mandating that people walk in groups of no more than 3 or 4 for securıty reasons. My family could no longer walk with friends to the market. Inflation and fuel shortages occurred, two inconveniences that were a constant source of frustration for my father. I remember picking up coins I found in the street one time and handing them to my father, excited for his approval, only to have him dismiss me and my coins as worthless.

When the war broke out our country saw the collapse of civil government. Although I was only twelve, I noticed that after the collapse my family’s living conditions improved some. My father spoke of educational institutions being built and of better healthcare being provided. I asked my mother what these words meant, but she told me it was none of my concern, and I never questioned her. When I turned thirteen I married a cousin who had been chosen by my family to be my husband. He was an honorable man and I respected him.

By the time I was twenty I couldn’t help but notice the civil unrest that was occurring around me. It would keep my new family awake at night as people screamed and were killed right outside our front door. My husband told me to never go outside. I worried that one day he, or my son that is now two years old would get hurt. My husband works with livestock, although I’ve seen men in official-looking uniforms coming in and out of our house sometimes.
The civil war continued, and many of my friends left the country and applied for asylum. Matters got worse every year, as more and more civilians and government officials were being killed in the streets. Then there was the 2004 Indian Tsunami, smashing Somalia’s east coast, displacing families, devastating the fishing industry and dumping toxic waste on our land. The rate of piracy incidents in the Gulf of Aden increased, and as a result, politicians and security personnel made this their priority. I pray the violence here in Bosaso will decrease, and I’m thankful my family wasn’t one of the ones more severely devastated by the hurricane.

Last year alone an estimated 132,000 people fled my country, while 300,000 were displaced internally. I can only pray my family remains safe.

I welcome you as a guest in our home.”

The following phrases from the previous text are hyperlinked:
Somali Civil War
collapse of civil government
I married
killed
left the country
2004 Indian Tsunami
piracy incidents
home

Each hyperlink leads to a separate page:

“Somali Civil War” links to a photo-slideshow.

Picture #1: displays about ten dead bodies. In the background on the left a tank is visible. In the background on the right some people are loading a body into a Winnebago-like vehicle.
Picture #2: displays two young boys armed with machine guns. One leans around the corner of a building and fires at a figure in the background.
Picture #3: displays a young boy leaning over a dead body lying on the sidewalk of an urban street.
Picture #4: displays a close-up photograph of a young boy in a red, cloth head-covering. He holds a submachine gun across his shoulders, and an ammo belt is draped around his neck.
Picture #5: displays a large crowd of people sitting in a field dotted with white sacks (presumably of grain) with yellow demijohns (presumably of water) stacked on top of them.

“collapse of civil government” links to an embedded video. In the following transcription, visual transcription is in brackets.

[A quick succession of desert scenes.]
Ironically, Harfoun could be better off in time.
[Cuts to a scene of a latrine.]
Before there were none; now, there are 30 new latrines in the village,
[Cuts to the interior of a medical clinic.]
and new health care facilities have brought mother eagerly flocking to chart their children’s health. In a country in civil war for more than a decade and with one of the highest child mortality rates in the world, there is still a long way to go.
[Cuts to boats]
Even in the port city of Bousassou, some eighteen hours away by road, families struggle with regular assaults on their survival.
[Cuts to images of urban poverty.]
The tsunami is being seen by humanitarian organizations now as an opportunity to bring the worlds attention back to the chronic emergencies in Somalia and Africa as a whole. For Somali children, the chances of surviving until adulthood are among the lowest in the world, and 20 percent of under-fives here are malnourished.

“I married” links to an embedded video with the following text underneath it: I was lucky enough to have a lavish wedding reception in the city. My husband’s family had saved up for years for such a wedding.

Visual transcription in brackets.

[A crowd of people dances in a shuffling, syncopated rhythm. Most of the men are in suits; the women wear colorful dressed with head coverings and scarves.]

“killed” links to a page with an embedded video on the left side and an still photograph on the right

The photograph displays the feet of two people on the top and bottom right corners. The barrel of a machine gun enters the frame from the top right corner. A body lies on the ground in the bottom left corner of the image.

In the following transcription of the video on the left, visual transcription in in brackets.
[Note: This video won’t play.]

“left the country” links to a page with two embedded videos. The text, “Somalian refugees in Greece” is beneath the left video.

Video on the left (visual transcription in brackets):

[A succession of still images of Greek police in helmets confronting African immigrants. Cuts to an image of police in a busy market filled with African people. Cuts to a man lying on the ground. Cuts to images of police in gas masks. Cuts to image of young men sitting on the street, flanked by police, then to images of young men being arrested.]

Video on the right (visual transcription in brackets).

[The text “Greek Asylum Seekers” appears in the middle of a black screen. Cuts to sweeping landscape shots.]
On one side Turkey; on the other Greece. And separating them, the river Everos.

[Cuts to images of a river.]
This kilometer of river is the unofficial gateway to Europe for thousands of migrants and refugees.

[Cuts to a closeup of a boat dragging a body, then of people pulling the body out of the river. ]
This day, Greek police have recovered the bodies of three young African migrants from their wet graves, their dreams of a better life lost forever. So far this year nearly 10,000 migrants and asylum-seekers have tried crossing the river, more than four times more than a year ago. Greece’s economic crisis has left authorities struggling to handle the influx.

[Cuts to an interview with a police officer, with the text “Georgos Salamangas, Police Director in Orestiada Greece”]
Recently our country receives a very big wave of illegal migration. These people are being smuggled in by Turkish smugglers in plastic boats. They do not hesistate to put on board small children and women. And this is the result, as you have witnessed. Today, three young people lost their lives.

[Cuts to images of many people in jail cells.]
Hundreds of Afghans, Iraqis, Georgians, Somalis, and Eritreans come, despite the dangers.

[Cuts to an interview of prisoner through cell bars.]
It was very very difficult to move when we got on the river. Those of us who know how to swim avoided death. We saw death close by. If we hadn’t been able to swim, we would have died. Those who could not swim, died. They drowned.

[Cuts to maritime images on a Greek Coast Guard boat.]
On the Aegean Sea the Greek Coast Guard has seen a drop in the number of boat people coming across from Turkey, but still they arrive.

[Cuts to images several rafts filled with boat people.]
To avoid being pushed to the Turkish side, smugglers encourage people to leap into the sea, or puncture their boats giving the coast guard no other option but to rescue them.

“2004 Indian Tsunami” links to a page with two embedded videos on the far left and far right of the screen, and a photo slideshow in the middle.

Photo slideshow:
Picture #1: displays a coast line littered with shards of wood and debris. A collapsing building is visible in the background.
Picture #2: displays a rocky hillside with two stone shacks and assorted debris strewn across the foreground.
Picture #3: displays two panicked women running past a pile of debris with their hands on the their heads.
Picture #4: displays a man surveying a hundreds of dead bodies in plastic wrapping.
Picture #5: displays a man standing in the middle of an expanse of wooden shards and debris. The remains of some homes are visible in the background.

Video on the left (visual transcription in brackets)

[Dan Rather in a news studio]
No one saw it coming until it was too late, and there were no warning systems in place in any of the places that were struck. So how does a tsunami happen? What could be done to warn people in time, and could it happen here? CBS’s Jerry Brown gives you the inside story.
[Cut to images of people loading debris into the back of a pickup truck.]
Sundays devastation and the rising death toll are the end result of what experts are calling the perfect Tsunami…

[Cut to an animation of the ocean floor and continental shelf, then of a massive wave moving toward shore.]
the 9.0 earthquake that cause a nearly 300,000 mile stretch of seabed to shift 50 feet. This caused a massive wall of water moving at the speed of a jet liner through the deep oceans, undetectable on the surface until it reached the shallow coastal areas and welled up into a twenty-foot monster that just kept rushing inland.

[Cut to a map of Indian Ocean]
First, in Sumatra, the island closest to the epicenter, that was moved 100 feet to the Southwest – an entire island moved by the force of the quake. And then to the east and west, sweeping across the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. Eight hours and 3,000 miles later, still moving at the speed of 375 miles per hour, it slammed into Africa, inundating the coast of Somalia. The finale of a seismic event so powerful it even disturbed the Earth’s rotation.

[Cut to a close-up interview, with the text “Kate Hutton, California Institute of Technology”]
The actual motion of the rock, it changes the mass distribution of the Earth slightly.

[Cut to images of heavy surf.]
Sunday’s quake and Tsunami are the most powerful since the 1964 Alaska earthquake that caused the deaths of 132 peoples, most of those the victims of the tsunami that followed.

[Cut to image of sirens, then to the interior of a technology lab.]
That led to the creation of the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, joining the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center that was established after a 1946 tsunami claimed 159 lives in Hawaii. The stations monitor sensors around the Pacific, and provide early warning Sunday’s victims never got.

[Cut to an interview, with the text “Charles McCreery, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center”]
We can detect any large earthquake in the Pacific, usually within two to three minutes of the earthquake.

[Cut to journalist standing on a beach, with the text “Jerry Bowen, Los Angeles”]

The centers can warn of approaching Tsunamis, but they can’t halt them, of course, and there are several regions in the Pacific Region that are vulnerable: Hawaii, Alaska, and the Pacific North Coast.

[Cut back to interview with Kate Hutton]
If any of those had a very large earthquake, than a Tsunami would affect those parts of California that face west, like Northern and Central California.

[Cut back to images of people loading debris onto trucks]
Advance warning and improved evacuation systems would lower the human toll here and might have lowered the number of Sunday’s deaths by thousands, especially in those area that had hours to flee the disaster they had no idea was coming. Jerry Bowen, CBS News, Los Angeles.

[Cut back to Dan Rather in a news studio.]
Climate experts warn that tsunamis could become more common around the world, and more dangerous. They cite a number of factors, including a creeping rise in sea levels believed to come from global warming and growing populations along coastal areas.

Video on the right (visual transcription in brackets)
[Animation shows a map of the globe, with rings representing the tsunami spreading across the Pacific.]

“piracy incidents” links to an embedded video (visual transcription in brackets).

[Close-up images of masked faces and machine guns. ]
Somali pirates are the best ones in the world. Somali pirates are doing a great job of hiding big boats who are robbing and poisoning us. When someone has not protection and no government, no peace and no one to turn to, they are ready to die.

They wield AK-47s and grenade launchers and fly across the ocean in open skiffs. Keeping the world’s most powerful naives at bay.

[Cut to images of international navies.]
An armada of the advance military ships from the US, NATO, Russia, and India, locked in a stalemate against a small band of pirates.

[Cuts to image of journalist on a wooden dock.]
So who are these outlaws, and how do they do it? Well, practically nothing is known about Somalia’s pirates because their homeland is a lawless state filled with war and famine. Any westerner entering Somalia is risking his life.

[Cut to a nighttime images shot from inside a moving car.]
From Finland, Kakas Arimaki took that dangerous journey deep into the heart of the pirates’ stronghold.

[Cuts to interview in a TV studio.]
How dangerous is it for a Western journalist in Somalia?

I would say very dangerous. I would say you have to have proper security. Otherwise, you will be in the back of a truck quite fast.

[Images of cars moving through desert landscapes, checkpoints, etc.]
Random gunshots echo nearby, checkpoints are a gamble, no one can be trusted. The guards could easily sell them to bandits or let them pass.

[Closeup interview with journalist.]
Behind me, you see, are military men. There are five guys packed with AK-47s. In front of there are five guys, a gallery of guys with AK-47s. You see what it is like: Always action going on; always you have to be dodging bullets.

[Move images of moving cars.]
After a two-day journey to a lawless pirate village, Kakas meet veteran hijacker Ali Isman.

[Close up interview with pirate.]
He keeps his face hidden because he’s wanted for piracy on the high seas.

The first ship we hijacked was Iranian. That was my first night at sea as a pirate. It was like going into the unknown and it was one of the most dangerous nights, but after that it seemed normal. I feel like a trained soldier.

And all Somali pirates follow a strict code of conduct.

When we started we had three major rules: First, we hijacked boats without harming anybody. Second, never get in a situation where you could harm yourself. Third, a hijacked boat cannot be hijacked again.

[Images of young men in boats and running through the streets with guns.]
But the lure of easy, big money increasingly draws young men into the ranks of Somali pirates. Kids, often high on Khat, a cocaine-like stimulant. All of the hijackers involved in the recent attack on the Murst-Alabama were teenagers: This young pirate was the only survivor.

When I look back, I think we have more problems than money. Because around here, everyone has a gun. Because there’s always someone hunting you.

The hunters on the sea have become the hunted – in their own homeland.

When everybody gets greedy, it leads to a situation where we lose more lives.

“home” links to a page with two still images.

The larger image on the left shows the interior of a dwelling, with a bed a framed tribal image on the wall, a bookshelf, and an open window. Hyperlinked images of a newspaper, a cell phone, and a television are embedded in this scene; they become larger when moused over.

The image on the right shows the exteriors of a dwelling. Two open doors flank a plastic statue of the Virgin Mary.

When the hyperlinked newspaper in the left image is clicked, the following text appears on the right side of the screen:

We used be able to go into town and buy a newspaper. That’s how I kept informed about how our country’s perils or progress. Now since we have no government, the newspapers are either biased or simply not available.

I don’t recieve much news anymore, but my concerns have shifted to the safety of my family and simply staying alive.”

When the hyperlinked cell phone in the left image is clicked, the following text appears on the right side of the screen:

My cell phone is my most treasured technological device. It allows me to call my husband when I’m worried, contact my family to make sure everyone is safe, and it gives me a feeling of security when there’s violence outside my home.

Since people are not allowed to walk in groups in the streets anymore, it has replaced face-to-face conversations as a way to keep in contact with close family friends.

As more and more of my close friends and family members leave the country, my cell phone is my only source of contact with them and the “outside world.”

When the hyperlinked television in the left image is clicked, the following text appears on the right side of the screen:

Our television doesn’t work anymore. We had our prior one stolen, and my husband brought this one home hoping he could fix it. Unfortunately he couldn’t.

It would be a luxury to have a working television. All I think about is the safety of my family and myself, so it would be nice to take my mind off the hardships around me and watch something besides constant violence.

The following text appears in the “COMMUNITY” column:

My city would be described as monocultural, or a community that shares distinct common interests and values, but one in which subcultures exist. Our larger interest that brings us together as one community is safety. We look out for each other and wish well upon fellow Somalians.

The members of our community understand each other’s values, social relations, actions and traditions. However, there are those who become members of secret organizations for the benefit of solely themselves and/or their families. These people’s values differ and often contradict those of the mainstream.

While we all share a similar history, it is becoming increasingly harder to trust anyone as our future remains uncertain.

The following text appears in the “Media” column:

My relationship with media is an extremely hypermediated one. Even though my cellphone is my most used technological device, the service here is often lacking and it is very hard to hear the person speaking on the other line. Therefore rather than having a clear conversation with someone, I often have to repeat myself or strain to hear through the static or crossed phone lines.

The newspaper too is hypermediated because while I can easily read the text on the page, it’s obvious that everything has been edited in favor of the leading political party or coalition. This makes reading for pleasure or knowledge almost impossible.

When we have a working television, the politicization of media is astounding, not to mention the biased advertisements that are frequently featured.

Just as in our monocultural community, it is becoming harder to depend on any forms of media. One must struggle to look through the facade if they wish to experience un-doctored or unbiased media.

Hyperlink, “MEET RYAN”:

Page has black background with the image of the man in suit from the home page on the top left side. The right two-thirds of the page are composed of the following text:

Hi my name is Ryan Jones, and I was born in the windy city of Chicago, Illinois in 1981. Jimmy Carter was the president the year I was born, the Lebanon War broke out a year later and soon all I would see on the news would be U.S. soldiers fighting in the desert, a conflict I later oriented as the First and Second Intifadas and the beginnings of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. My parents talked about world economic problems and people struggling to survive. I was only 8 years old so I didn’t understand what they were talking about. I wasn’t hungry, nor did I see people suffering around me. But soon I would figure out that these were the perils of developing countries, many that had been devastated from the collapse of the Soviet Union, and that I was lucky to live in the U.S.

While significant changes were taking place in the world, the only thing I have a distinct memory of from my childhood is blasting the hit The Power by Snap with my friends after school. The problems of the third world seemed archaic and unreal to me.

Only in high school would I recognize the implications of American foreign policy of the Bosnian or Kosovo War for instance, but I still didn’t feel particularly affected by it. Then, the Oklahoma City Bombings happened in 1995, and I was rudely awakened to the fact that I too could face grave dangers like those I heard about on the news. If it could happen in Oklahoma City, it could happen in Chicago.

Time passed however, and the most terrifying experience I had was riding the Rip Ride Rocket Coaster in Hollywood.

In 1999 I left for college. The most anxiously-awaited event of that year would be New Years Eve, or Y2K, when all the world’s technology was predicted to be reprogrammed. I bought a couple of cases of water just in case the world ended, but my priorities were set on where I would get reservations for partying New Years Eve with my fake drivers license.

When I was 22 I graduated from University of Chicago with a degree in business finance. Since Chicago is rated as one of the top ten global finance centers, I believe I’m in just the right spot. I’m working for a prominent company right now, but I plan on going back to business school this year to get my MBA. My salary will hopefully increase from U.S. $50,000 to $80,000, enough to support a family. I also got married last year. My wife works in advertising and we’re planning on having children after I finish business school.
So welcome to Chicago, I hope you like my home.

The following phrases from the previous text are hyperlinked:

Chicago, Illinois
I wasn’t hungry
The Power
Oklahoma City Bombings
Rip Ride Rocket Coaster
Y2K
partying New Years Eve
University of Chicago
Home

Each hyperlink leads to a separate page:

“Chicago, Illinois” leads to a rotating photo slideshow:

Picture #1: displays the interiors of four restaurants in the four quadrants of the image. Each interior is colorful and cosmopolitan, with creative lighting fixtures.
Picture #2: displays the Chicago skyline reflected in an undulating, stainless steel or aluminum sculpture.
Picture #3: displays a symphony on stage in an opulent theatre.
Picture #4: displays the Chicago skyline as seen from a boat approaching from the lake.
Picture #5: displays an above ground metro station.

“I wasn’t hungry” links to an embedded video with the text “Thanksgiving with the Jones family” beneath it (visual transcription in brackets).

[A succession of close-up images of food: A turkey, corn, pies and tarts, etc.]
The feast begins with custom waffle and omelet stations. The main course includes roasted ham, turkey, strip steak, roasted duck, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, and vegetables. Assorted desserts will be served.

The Power links to an embedded video. It is the music video of Snap’s song, The Power. Lyrics below:

I’ve got the power hey yeah heh
I’ve got the power
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah
I’ve got the power
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah
Gettin’ kinda heavy

It’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ kinda hectic
It’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ kinda hectic
It’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ kinda hectic
It’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ kinda hectic

Like the crack of the whip I snap attack
Front to back in this thing called rap
Dig it like a shovel rhyme devil
On a heavenly level
Bang the bass turn up the treble
Radical mind day and night all the time
Seven to fourteen wise divine
Maniac brainiac winning the game
I’m the lyrical Jesse James

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah
I’ve got the power
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah
Gettin’ kinda heavy
I’ve got the power

It’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ kinda heavy
It’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ kinda heavy
It’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ kinda heavy
It’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ it’s gettin’ kinda heavy

I’ve got the power
He’s gonna break my heart
He’s gonna break my heart of hearts
He’s gonna break my heart
He’s gonna break my heart of hearts
He’s got the power oh-oh-oh-oh

I’ve got the power
He’s gonna break my heart
He’s gonna break my heart of hearts
He’s gonna break my heart
He’s gonna break my heart of hearts
He’s got the power oh-oh-oh-oh
I’ve got the power

Quality I possess something I’m fresh
When my voice goes through the rest
Of the microphone that I am holdin’
Copywritten lyrics so they can’t be stolen
If they are snap
Don’t need the police to try to save them
Your voice will sink so please stay off my back
Or I will attack and you don’t want that

I’ve got the power
He’s gonna break my heart
He’s gonna break my heart of hearts
He’s gonna break my heart
He’s gonna break my heart of hearts
He’s got the power oh-oh-oh-oh

I’ve got the power

“Oklahoma City Bombings” links to an embedded video. Visual transcription in brackets.

[Black screen with the following text scrolling across it as radio chatter is heard in the background: “On Wednesday, April 19th, 1995, at 9:02am in the heart of the heart land, a bomb exploded killing too many Innocent Men and Women some of which were children.”

Cuts to images of polices and responders helping blood covered survivors, including children. Cuts to a close-up of the seal of the Oklahoma City Fire Dept., then to images of firefighters standing at attention. Cuts to images of monuments to the disaster, then to grief stricken mourners kneeling at gravesides. Cuts more images of memorials and mourners.

Cuts to a black and white image of the bombsite with the following text superimposed on it: It stands as thew worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. A truck packed with explosives demolished a nine story building in the heart of the country killing 168 people, including 19 infants and children. Another 500 people were injured.]

“Rip Ride Rocket Coaster” links to an embedded video animation of a roller coaster plunging through the twists and curves of its course.

“Y2K” links to a page with two embedded videos.

The embedded video on the right (visual transcription in brackets)

[A man in a suit, standing inside a hardward store, addresses the camera.]
So the amount of water you store will depend on the size of your family. And keep in mind: You’ll need some water for cooking and cleaning.

[Cut to a close up interview of a man in a living room.]
Everyone should have 14 gallons of water stored in their living area, and then have a device to treat the water they can find.

[Cut to a graphic with mathematical equations]
Fourteen gallons per person per week: Do the math. 28 Gallons for a husband and wife. Etc. Anyone can do it. The neat thing about it is it’s not expensive, but its so practical and so prudent. To be prepared for. It’s an absolute basic.

[Cut to another man interviewed in a living room.]
Water is essential. All of us need it. 3-5 days without it, and we’re dead. Again, people can store it incrementally. My family started by taking the two liter coke bottles, rinsing them out, refilling them with tap water, putting 2-3 drops of Clorox in them, screwing them tight and putting them in a dark place and stockpiling them incrementally as we went along.

[Cut to a family gathered around a sink in a kitchen. They fill many water bottles, as a voice narrates.]
One of the best ways to store water is to do it a little at a time. Instead of purchasing cans of soda, by your favorite beverage in the two-liter bottles. Clean them thoroughly after use, then fill them with tap water and screw the lid back on tightly. Just about all the tap water in America is highly processed and chlorinated before it gets to your house. But since you don’t know how long the stored water will have to last, adding 2-3 drops of Clorox isn’t a bad idea. Also, fill them right to the top – the less air, the less chance for contamination.
[Cut to image of juice containers in a grocery store.]
And by the way: The gallon juice containers are excellent for storing water. They are, in fact, designed to hold liquids for extended periods of time. The next question, of course, is where do you store it.

[Cut to another man interviewed in a living room.]
Well lets go over some practical steps for the average person, in their home. Your home has a number of reservoirs that you don’t even realize you have.

[Cuts to images of sinks, and appliances.]
Bathtubs, water heaters. The average water heater holds 40 gallons of water. If you have a family of four, your water heater now represents 10 days worth of potable drinking water.

[Cuts to images of young boy stashing water around a house]
Finding the space to store water may be easier than you think. Try taking a quick inventory of unused space in your home: The back of closets, underneath the bed, the unused space in your garage, all make excellent storage spaces for water.

[Cut to images of streams.]
One other thing: In some areas, a nearby stream may provide a reliable source of water. But keep in mind, even if your grandmother got all of her water from a stream, your intestinal system has built up different immunities, and quite likely the stream contains different impurities. Keep Clorox, iodine crystals, or water purification systems on hand, and treat all natural water. Because remember: Even boiling may not be a viable option. And remember: Everybody has to drink water.

The Embedded Video on the Right (visual transcription in brackets):

[Image of a computer technician working on a computer motherboard. Then cut to a technician typing. Then cut to a technician shaking a woman’s hand.]

The year 2000 is upon us: Are you Y2K Ok? A surprising number of computers are not Y2K compliant. SO through the end of the year we’re offering a 45-dollar special on our in-home diagnostic. For friendly, reliable, on-site service, count on Mobile Computer Services to trouble shoot all of your Y2K needs.

“partying New Years Eve” links to an embedded video that opens with images of a lounge interior, then cuts to people dancing to DJ music.

“University of Chicago” links to two embedded videos. Beneath the video on the left is the text “A recent commencement.” (Visual transcription in brackets.)

Embedded video on the left:
[News anchor in a studio addresses the camera]
If you want to know what a college is like, you can check out its website or visit its campus. But to get the inside scoop from the people who know best – the students? Well, that’s what the Princeton Review did. And they used what they learned to put together an annual edition of The Best 361 Colleges. The author, Robert Franick, joins us for an exclusive interview on the new college rankins.

[Cuts to an interview with the author]
It’s good to have you here.

Thank you very much.

So how many students were involved in this poll.

Well, we reached out to those 361 schools, and we got a little over 115,000 responses back from those students.

That’s a lot

It is a lot, yeah.

This is not what the students say, but the toughest schools to get into. Now the toughest schools to get into are…

MIT, Princeton, and Harvard. And we looked specifically at the quantitative data provided by those schools themselves.

Ok, so those are the toughest to get into, but – can we have a drum roll – because we’re getting ready to reveal what the students say is the best academically in this country, and it is…

Is it the University of Chicago. It’s a wonderful school, because it takes into account those SAT and ACT scores coming in, but then it says, ok, what is the experience of the student. Are those professors good teachers, are they interesting when they’re in class. And we think, the marriage of the two is best.

Embedded video on the right:

[Images of the University of Chicago Campus. Cut to a graduation ceremony. Cut to a champagne reception.]

“home” links to a page with two still images.

The larger image on the left shows the interior of a sleek, apartment furnished in a modern style: a couch, several modular bookshelves, a table, some black leather chairs. Hyperlinked images of a large screen TV, an iPhone, and a laptop computer are embedded in this scene; they become larger when moused over.

The image on the right shows the exterior of a high-rise apartment building.

When the hyperlinked television in the left image is clicked, the following text appears on the right side of the screen:

My TV is a little small, but all I care about is that it has TIVO so that my wife and I can record our favorite shows when we’re out or at work. I also like that we can watch multiple channels at once, just to make sure we don’t miss a good show.

This is my media by which I receive news about the world. I can choose from multiple news channels to see how the Israeli-Palestinian crisis is going or who’s taking the house this election.

Honestly though, my wife and I enjoy shows like Desparate Housewives or House, shows that have nothing to do with what’s going on in the real world but are pure entertainment. We find watching TV relaxing after a long day at work.

When the hyperlinked iPhone in the left image is clicked, the following text appears on the right side of the screen:

My iphone is my most treasured technological device. It’s like my laptop but better. Not only can I call anyone while driving using voice recognition, but I also have GPS that allows me to find the cheapest gas stations within my proximity. That really comes in handy.

Also I have direct access to the internet, so I can always access facebook and my e-mail to see where the party is at. My wife and I are young, so we like to go out and splurge on the weekends.

When the hyperlinked laptop computer in the left image is clicked, the following text appears on the right side of the screen:

My laptop is one of my favorite technological devices. It allows me to do anything I want from anywhere in the world. Plus, I never have to use the phone anymore for booking, reservations and all that hassle. I can balance my checkbooks, check my account, chat with friends in another country.

Everything in the world is just a click away.

The following text appears in the “COMMUNITY” column:

I live in a multicultural community, which, like that of most American cities is a community comprised of several different cultures. Each culture may have some overlapping views of the world, but we each hold unique conceptions, values, histories, customs and practices of our own.

Americans value this diversity, something which has materialized into a variety of mediums over time.

The following text appears in the “MEDIA” column:

My relationship with media is both an immediate and hypermediated one. I believe this fusion comes from the multicultural aspect of my community. Hypermediacy in the form of interactive web pages and TIVO cater to those who live busy lifestyles, or value variety for instance.

On the other hand I cherish an immediate relationship with movies–something which I highly value. When I watch a movie, I want to feel as if I’m actually there, and American cinema, surround sound and my Blu-Ray television has provided just that.

In a way you could describe my experience with media as multicultural; each medium is a variation of one another, yet each platform has it’s own distinctions.

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