Gay/Lesbian/Transgender Rights

Human Rights Campaign is a website devoted to obtaining civil rights for the minority group better known as g/l/t. Yes, even though under the consitition we are all seen as equal, this group still has many barriers to overcome before the reach the level of the white class middle-class man. This website looks at the acts trying to be passed to ensure equality for this group. In additon, the website informs the viwer of all sides of the matter whether it be dealing with marriage, religion, schooling...whatever. It's excellent to see healthy activism. Websites such as this one give good insight, a look through the minorites eyes if you will. It's worth checking out.

http://www.hrc.org/

Website for the Blind

I found this website for the blind: http://www.hsbp.co.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=91001
What grabbed my attention was the stong graphic that showed a girl with her hand covering her eyes and the caption said "Imagine more..." I though this was a very powerful statement and was a postitive way to represent the blind. Instead of showing it as a disability, the website represents being blind as another way to look at life, by imagining the things that they can't see, which is a positive outlook. This website gives the blind a place to go to look for job opportunites, learn the latest updates and news, and also view upcoming events for them.

Little People

First I want to say I'm really sure what PC term Little People like to be called but since the website is called little people of american, I figured that was the correct term. I was really interested what sites they had for people with disablities or limitations. In my search i changed my mind from seeing if those who used wheelchairs had a group or site and decided it would be interesting to see what kinds of sites where greated for people who were little people. Most of the sites were informational, but this site has a blog and news postings on all different types of things. They tell when there are going to be activities and events, and allow people to form connections and groups. Like all the other sites, this is another example how global communication and the internet allow people to find others that are similiar, people with a common issue, that they can bond with and become friends. The site was pretty interesting, not too fantatstic visually but has a lot of interesting parts that allow people to get in touch with others.
http://www.lpaonline.org/

Jewish

I found a website all about the Jewish religion featuring news, different forms of culture, and even news from Israel. I was raised catholic, so I am not too familar with the Jewish culture, but I was curious to see what sites they have out there for the Jewish community. This particular site also has a link for Jewish bloggers, which allows anyone to share their thoughts with the Jewish community. I also like the how there is a section in the site called "Ask A Rabbi," where people have questions regarding Jewish subjects that are answered by different Rabbi's.


www.jewish.com

Identity Website

So I decided to take a different route than race or ethnicity when it came to the website. I chose to look into a site featuring transgenders and transvesties. It's interesting to see that they seem to have a theology of their own, or should I say sorority or frat. You decided. They hold meetings and charity events to raise money for the community. In addition, support groups are made to make members feel more easy with their lifestyle. It's a whole other identity most people don't even contemplate on. This identity truly is original and holds nothing true to the stereotypes that are attached.

http://www.transgender.org

A website for women

I found a website just for women that includes everything from pregnancy, horoscopes, celebrity gossip, beauty and sex, home and food ideas, and women's health. Even though they have so many subjects on the website, I think they do not target to all women. It's mostly the stereotypical things that people think women are most interested and are usually found in popular women's magazines. A lot of women are interested in sports? Where are the sports? I did enjoy how there were so many chocolate recipes. Women do love chocolate. Even so, I thought the website was well put together and did supply a lot of information that the average woman would want to see.

http://www.ivillage.com/

American Indian culture

I found some really great web sites about the American Indian heritage. http://www.indians.org/ is a great engine for other web sites that tell about the American Indian. It has the option of searching for your ancestry to see how far back it goes and where the first people of your family came from. You can buy jewelry made by American Indians and that represents the culture. They have different programs that can help people get scholarships for school, one guideline is that you have to be a certain percentage of Indian and you have to be able to prove it.

Another site I found is http://nativetelecom.org/ which is a telecommunications website that tells the culture of Native Americans this website also works off of donations like the one above. There are different programs and traditions that are taught to educate people on the Native American way of life.

http://nativetelecom.org/
http://www.indians.org/

Coca-Cola US and Israel

After reading about Pepsi, I decided I would chose Coca-Cola, which I knew would have a lot of sites to look through as well. I was able to chose the region of my choice, where I chose Africa first, but not a lot of the listed countries websites were able to show on my computer. Next, I chose Europe, but each site was exactly the same as the U.S. except for the language so, I chose the Middle East, which the only option was Israel. The Israeli site shows a Coca-Cola format that doesn't look half as updated as ours in the U.S. I searched through some of the other sites to find a similar match to the Israel site, but couldn't find any. The site itself is in what I believe to be the Hebrew language, so naturally I couldn't decipher what it was saying, but I did, however, click through the site to come across a page that was actually hacked into by someone, which states a poem, in English called "Istiklal Marsi," which I am curious about why someone would actually hack into a Coca-Cola website, although I did think that it was interesting enough to mention.

http://coca-cola.com/home.htm?lang=en_US
http://cocacola.co.il/

BMW Websites

Seeing as my first pick had already been chosen, i decided to pick something that i knew would have an international website. The interesting thing about BMW is that it's site is the same for the United States and other countries. All you have to do is pick the language and the site becomes user friendly. I thought this was very interesting and the fact that you could chose between a compact version (less video graphic content) and a media load page. I was not able to access the other websites for some odd reason. Every time i went to pull down the menu the site went weird and would not give me a list of ideas. I really wanted to see what the other sites were and how they compared to each other in the way they aim their sites to the different cultures. I think for cars it is a little easier to make the sites the same and focus on the same features of the cars. I'm just really disappointed I couldn't see the other sites and will try again the future, however the international site is a good idea that allows the company to attract multiple cultures at one time.
http://www.bmw.com/

So I decided to take a look at a marketing and advertising giant in the United States. No doubt, everyone knows Pepsi and so does the whole world. The US version is so different than that of the Saudi Arabian one. Some graphics are the same, they music is different, and yes, I have no idea what Pepsi talks about on the Saudi website. The largest difference is the celebrity and sports endorsements on the American website. No clue as to all the people on the other website are. It's cool to see the differences and similarties for the counrties on the same brand.




http://www.pepsiarabia.com/site_2004/start_1024_ar.asp?country=others
http://www.pepsi.com/home.php

Nike.com US vs Italy

I looked at the Nike website for the United States and the one for Italy. The websites are set up the same but the introductions are way different the United States web site for Nike is very generic with infuses on Valentines Day, there is no music or talking. On the Italy website there is a huge infuses on soccer (football in Italy) and they have a music video on the home page with one of the soccer players who play for Italy. I really like the Italian version of the web site a lot better than the American one, its more cultural, you can tell that Italy has a lot of pride the sport.


http://www.nike.com/g1/eu/index.jhtml?lang=1,5
http://www.nike.com/index.jhtml

Adidas: U.S vs Greece

I looked up the adidas webpage in the U.S and in Greece and found huge differences. The layout was the same but each page had a different sport represented and model. The U.S page showed a basketball team and a male model with skateboard shoes, while the Greek page showed soccer cleats and a metro-looking male wearing metro looking adidas clothes, very different than the skateboard look that the U.S page showed. Soccer is not as popular in the U.S as it is in Greece, also Greek's clothing style is different than ours. I found this very interesting and funny how the two pages layouts were so similar yet the pictures were very different.

http://www.adidas.com/us/shared/brandselector.asp
http://www.adidas.com/gr/shared/brandselector.asp

Etiquette in China

The country I chose to research about the culture is China. I chose China because I believe that there culture is very interesting and conservative. The culture of the Chinese is very self oriented and polite. Women ware subtle clothes and frown on women who display too much, revealing clothing is considered offensive to the Chinese. As for Behaviors they consider pointing when speaking rude they prefer to use and open palm other than an index finger. It’s amazing how delicate of an issue gift giving is to the culture of China. The most common difference that the Chinese have is they’re greeting, they bow or nod to show respect the deeper the bow or the nod the more respect you are showing to that person you are greeting. This culture is very interesting when it comes to the customs that it has, there are a lot of differences that one would have to consider if they were to enter the Chinese culture.

http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/china.htm

Russian Etiquette

(This is Erin's post but she was having new blogger issues).
The Russian Family

• The Russian family is dependent upon all its members.
• Most families live in small apartments, often with 2 or 3 generations sharing little space.
• Most families are small, often with only one child because most women must also work outside of the house in addition to bearing sole responsibility for household and childrearing chores.

Russian Pride

• Russians are proud of their country.
• Patriotic songs and poems extol the virtues of their homeland.
• They accept that their lives are difficult and pride themselves on being able to flourish in conditions that others could not.
• They take great pride in their cultural heritage and expect the rest of the world to admire it.
Communal Mentality

• For generations until the 1930’s, Russian life centred on the agricultural village commune, where the land was held in common and decision-making was the province of an assembly of the heads of households.
• This affinity for the group and the collective spirit remains today. It is seen in everyday life, for example most Russians will join a table of strangers rather than eat alone in a restaurant.
• Everybody’s business is also everyone else’s, so strangers will stop and tell someone that they are breaking the rules.
• The typical greeting is a firm, almost bone-crushing handshake while maintaining direct eye contact and giving the appropriate greeting for the time of day.
• When men shake hands with women, the handshake is less firm.
• When female friends meet, they kiss on the cheek three times, starting with the left and then alternating.
• When close male friends meet, they may pat each other on the back
Gift Giving Etiquette

Gift giving using takes place between family and close friends on birthdays, New Year, and Orthodox Christmas.
• If you are invited to a Russian home for a meal, bring a small gift.
• Male guests are expected to bring flowers.
• Do not give yellow flowers.
• Do not give a baby gift until after the baby is born. It is bad luck to do so sooner.
• Russians often protest when they are offered a gift. Reply that it is a little something and offer the gift again and it will generally be accepted.

Dining Etiquette

If you are invited to a Russian’s house:
• Arrive on time or no more than 15 minutes later than invited.
• Remove your outdoor shoes. You may be given slippers to wear.
• Dress in clothes you might wear to the office. Dressing well shows respect for your hosts.
• Expect to be treated with honour and respect.
• Offer to help the hostess with the preparation or clearing up after a meal is served. This may be turned down out of politeness. Asking 'are you sure?' allows the hostess to accept your offer.

Table manners are generally casual.

• Table manners are Continental -- the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating.
• The oldest or most honoured guest is served first.
• Do not begin eating until the host invites you to start.
• Do not rest your elbows on the table, although your hands should be visible at all times.
• You will often be urged to take second helpings.
• It is polite to use bread to soak up gravy or sauce.
• Men pour drinks for women seated next to them.
• Leaving a small amount of food on your plate indicates that your hosts have provided ample hospitality.
• Do not get up until you are invited to leave the table. At formal dinners, the guest of honor is the first to get up from the table.

the site where i found this had so much information about different cultures and their etiquette.
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/russia-country-profile.html
its a good site for this kind of information

Norwegian Cultural etiquette

When looking for a particular country of cultural etiquette, I came across a website that supplies information for many countries cultural standards. This site is ediplomat.com, which list cultural etiquettes around the world and allows you to learn about many cultural aspects such as: the people and how they greet eachother, their corporate culture, and even their body languages. I chose Norway, whereas, I am unfamilar with their culture and values as compared to the U.S. Some of the differences in the Norwegian culture when meeting someone, would not have the terms "pleased to meet you," or any such greeting, because they find these to have no real meaning. Their body language is much different compared to ours, where touching between close friends or relatives is allowed, but not so much between aquaintances. It is very unlikely to make personal contact with a non-family member. Norwegian culture seems to be family oriented and a lot more proper than the U.S, where politeness is highly valued.

http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_no.htm

This is a comment to Jean Marie's Austria post. Blogger would not allow me to comment. Peter could you help me with this?

I think that it is interesting that Austrians do not wear shoes at dinner. I mean yah, I like to be comfortable eating at home and most of the time I do not wear shoes. I'm curious though to know if Austrians wear their shoes when eating dinner at a restaurant? hmm...

This is a comment to Jean Maire's Austria post. Blogger won't allow me to comment. Peter can you help me with this?

I think that it is interesting that Austrians do not wear shoes at dinner. I mean yah, I like to be comfortable eating at home and most of the time I do not wear shoes. I'm curious though to know if Austrians wear their shoes when eating dinner at a restaurant? hmm...

Austria

When in Austria greet people with a firm handshake and solid eye contact. Kisses may me given to women on the cheek or hand, but men never kiss men! German is the official language spoken. Family is everything. Only family and close friends are invited into the house. Pride is taken in both home and wardrobe. Both must be perfect- clean, tidy and well coordinated. At dinner, shoes must be taken off, seats are assigned, cut food with fork and napkin must be placed on your lap. Austrians are extremely conservative and prudent in behavior. Basically, they are the total opposite of Americans!

Chinese Etiquette

It is common to give gifts when the chinese visit their friends and family. The gift wrap should never be white or black because it symbolizes death. Red is the best color for the packaging. It is also common to give two gifts because even numbers are considered good luck. However the number four is not good luck and is avoided as much as possible because it sounds like the chinese word "death." The chinese give the present to the person with both hands. The chinese believe that it is polite to open presents after the person who gave it to you leaves. This is unlike our culture, people usually always open the present when the person gave it to them. I think it is more polite for someone to open the present you gave them while you are around so you can see their reaction and they can thank you. I also found that in the chinese culture people shake hands firmly but shortly. In our culture we do shake hands firmly but longer then one shake. I find it very interesting how cultures can be so different. Something normal in our country can be taboo in another.

http://chineseculture.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=chineseculture&cdn=newsissues&tm=15&gps=58_354_958_551&f=00&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.warriortours.com/essential/getting_acquainted/etiquette.htm

Comment spam

Hi folks, we're getting hit by comment spam, so I'm going to have to restrict comments to members of the blog (sorry cross-posters).

iiV Channel Japan

I found iiV Channel (Internet Interactive TV) from Japan, which I found to be extremely amusing. The site I received this from says that the station's genre is rock music, but naturally I could not understand or read anything on this channels page; however, I did watch it for awhile and clicked on what turned out to be some taped radio show. The singer from the American band Evanescence was being interviewed as the host would speak in Japanese and then translate it into English herself. I tried to pick up some of the Japanese words by listening to the translation, but that didn't happen. The show itself didn't seem like it would be too interesting, but I did happen to catch a couple of strange Japanese commercials in between shows.


http://www.tfmi.co.jp/

Cuba Si TV

I went to the Cuba TV station through WWwitv.com web site. It’s interesting how similar it is to the American TV web sites. Which is funny with Cuba considering how they have limited resources from America due to them being cut off. They have the typical news, sports from what I can tell due to the language barrier, different pictures with familiar faces helped me understand what they were talking about. Its cool and confusing to look at the site and automatically assume that the new is about what is going on in America, it becomes a cultural shock to see the news being done in a different country. The broadcast would be a lot more interesting if I could understand what they were saying. This was an interesting experience and I am fascinated by the different media outlets that other countries have.


http://www.cubasi.cu/

Russia Today

The one thing that I think limits this global communications is the language barrier. Unlike radio, where lots of music is universal, it hard to watch a television show or news broadcast if you do not speak the language. Interesting enough through beelinetv.com there are broadcast from other countries dubbed into English. I chose Russia Today, a Russian news channel that had been dubbed into English. When I first linked on the two older men were discussing who made it to space and the poles first, Russia or the United States of America. I think that it is really interesting that we can watch the news in numerous countries. This allows us to not only see the social culture, but also see these countries point of views on different world events. Instead of seeing a form of news from only one view, we can, just like when we read blogs, actually get to see a different point of view. I think with all of the advances in global technology, I think the amount of worldly knowledge people can obtain has greatly expanded.