Obama, Reverand Wright, and America

The major question regarding the upcoming election, is whether Obama's pastor's words will hurt his campaign. My mom and I have been arguing this issue for quite some time now and I wanted to blog about it and see what you guys thought. I personally believe that what Reverend Wright said and what he will say in the future, should not affect Obama in any way. Obama has clearly stated that he doesnt believe what the Reverend said about "God damn America" and all the rest of his speech. I quite frankly don't understand how anyone could put the Reverend's words into Obama's mouth, and how the Media continues to say that Obama's support is going down because of his comments. How would this one man's words and opinions affect how America is run? How we are going to pull out of Iraq? How we are going to stop global warming? They don't!! What is the big issue here? Black or white, that is not fair, and the media should stop addressing it as a problem.

Media coverage being stupid??

I know that we are supposed to be blogging only on our Junior Theme topics, but something on the news caught my eye the other day that I really wanted to write about. On CNN Headline News, a national news channel that people anywhere in the world can watch, there was a story about Vice President Dick Cheney, and a picture that was taken of him on a recent fishing trip. In the picture, Cheney has his glasses on and is looking off into the distance, smiling. The reporter claimed that the reflection in his glasses, was that of a naked woman. Now tell me, do you actually think that was worth nation attention?? I am in no way a Bush or Cheney fan, and I am not trying to defend them, but come on! are they joking? It obviously could not have been a naked woman, or the reporter probebley might have seen her. And secondly is that what is important on national news? That the vice president had a reflection in his glasses of a fishing pole that slightly resembled the outline of a woman? Of all the things going on on the world, that is actually worth national news? I think its incredibly pathetic.

Government and Conservation

For my Junior theme, I have finally come up with 2 related books and a "why" question. My theme is based around the idea of Wildlife conservation and what laws the bush administration has changed in the past 8 years in office, and why they have chosen to do so. The book I chose, "Hawks Rest" focuses on the first wildlife preserves, and laws made by Theodore Roosevelt, and how current national park are affected by these laws. My only problem is pulling all my information together to write this paper. I have no idea who I am going to interview, and there is so much information in this topic, its going to be difficult to read everything and come up with a strong thesis.

Posible Junior Theme Topic?

So today in the library, I found it really helpful to look on the class links website to search for and choose a possible JT topic. One of my favorite topics was the Environmental/ Wildlife conservation topic. I Soon discovered that even in that topic, there are hundreds of ways Icould branch off and write my paper. Im having trouble thinking about how to address my problem. When I talked to Bolos, he gave me the idea that branching off into more of a political aspect, and talking about how presidents in the past, and present have delt with conservation issues. I think that would really give me a solid idea to write about and there is a lot of information on the internet. My only problem is finding a novel that addresses that topic. Any suggestions?

Are we allowing killers to become heroes?

Virgina Tech. We all remember the tragedy of when 33 students and faculty members died in a school massacre. Northern Illinois University. We again remember the shootings so very recently where a gunman walked into a class and fired at will. Columbine High School. Yet another tragedy of two boys walking into a high school and killing 12 people. These were all horrible incidents that were horrific in every way, shape, and form. The other day, while watching a news report on how NIU was planning on building a memorial for the students that died, it occurred to me that the real tragedy of all these shootings, is the way the media has a way of glorifying the killers. Every time I flipped a channel during the week after the NIU shootings, all I saw was the murderer's face. I hate seeing it. Its like staring hate and evil in the eyes. But no matter what channel I was on, they had his face front and center, like a movie star. What is wrong with this picture? Can we be any more of a sick society? Those people are sick, cold blooded killers, not rock stars that deserve so much news coverage. I don't want to see their ex-girlfriends, I don't want to hear from their families, I really don't care. What does that say to the rest of the sick people of the world? You kill...you become a hero.

Women's portrayal in today's music

Every morning, I wake up to my radio alarm at 6:45 am. It is always set to 103.5 Kiss FM, and artists always sing their songs to get me out of bed. But recently, I started really listening and comprehending the lyrics of some of my favorite songs, and I realized that a lot of the songs are incredibly sexist and contain lots of derogatory comments. Some of today's hottest hip-hop and rap songs are filled with women being portrayed as strippers, prostitutes, and "things". The song Low, for example is a very popular song that is played on all the hot stations on the radio. The lyrics go like this: "Work the pole, I got the bank roll, Imma say that I prefer them no clothes, I'm into that I love women exposed, She threw it back at me, I gave her more, Cash ain't a problem, I know where it goes" Here, the entire verse is describing how women are somehow just objects, and not respected as equals. This song refers multiple times to women's sexuality and how they look better without clothes. Another song that became really popular is the song Smack That by Akon. This song is entirely about how they want to meet a woman at a club and bring her home and smack her around. In one line of the song, it reads "Money? No problem. Pocket full of that now..." and "Every gal is game". Once again, women are portrayed as something men can just, and every woman could just be bought. So what are the messages being sent out to today's teens and young adults? Or do most people just read over the messages? whatever happened to songs that actually have true meaning behind them??

AIM

AOL instant messanger. Along with millions of Americans, AIM is my secret obsession. I can't get enough of it. It is instinct to log on to AIM everytime I get on the computer. I love being able to talk with 4 or 5 friends at once and still listen to music, check facebook, and do my homework. In class today, we had a conversation about the effects of technology on our youth today and it made me think about how much AIM restricts personal conversation, emotion, and comunication skills. It kinda scares me how much I am sounding like my mother, but seriouslsy, think about it, so you actually laugh out loud when you lol? Do you use emotion or think about the tone of your voice when you type on the keyboard? Not really.... Kids in the next generation are going to be less and less able to communicate well with others and are going to show lack of skills that we have today, such as grammer, real emotion, and the ability to hold a conversation.

I found a really interesting youtube video that I included below, where someone interviewed a bunch of English kids and aked them some questions about what they thought about the internet, and what they believed their lives would be like without computers. The answers may shock you.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anOqGXEOEDw&eurl=http://digital-lifestyles.info/2007/06/29/children-risk-becoming-social-outcasts-with-internet-access-report/

Oscars and Politics

"And the Oscar goes to......" these are words I look forward to hearing on the same night every year. The Academy Awards are a prestigious award ceremony for the top actors, actresses and directors in the world. Everyone who is anyone comes to his great event in LA, dressed to perfection, with millions of viewers watching their every step. What I always have wondered, is what makes these people so incredibly interesting, that their actions influence our culture and society? Some people may beg to differ with me, but Hollywood has one of the biggest influences on people's dress, actions, and decisions today. Magazines tell us to worship celebs, and strive to be like them, and have their bodies and their boobs and noses. But what really gets me, is what effect they have on politics. What happens if someone, lets say Johnny Depp, accepts an Oscar, and during his speech says, Vote for Obama! What will be the impact of the viewers that love him (like I do). Would It change opinions on who to vote for? Could movie stars actually have an impact on who becomes president in 2008?

Womens role in today's society

Lets face it, women are viewed very today differently than they were 30, or even 10 years ago. I think that is a wonderful thing and I am very proud of the fact that in today's society, women and men are considered equal and are given equal oppertunities in jobs, education, and rights. Yet, I still hesitate to agree that women are treated as equals today. Think about it, when was the last time a woman coached a major NFL team? Don't lie, everyone sniggers when they hear that idea. Its a mans sport, right? Or how about a coorperate CPO job? In an article I read on CNN about the top 10 highest paying jobs (which were all awarded to men) a woman commented, "Women are not only less likely to work continuously during their lives, but responsibilities at home also influence their choice of job and type of employer". What responcibilites at home? Don't men have responcibilites at home? When are we going to get away from the idea that only women should work at home, cook, and take care of the kids? And although we are told that women today are not directed to be the "femine" and "delicate" women of, lets say, 1930, I believe that society has managed to make a cookie cutter female, that makes females believe they have to follow. If you go to any magazine in a news stand, what do you see? Usually (there will always be excptions) a beautiful, long haired white girl poses in a tight, low cutting dress with captions all around saying "how to get a better figure", "Make him fall in love with", "Clothes that every girl should have in their closet". And these magazines are the bible for thousands and thousands of women in America. So whats so wrong with that?? I read those magazines all the time, I love them. Yet, it makes me wonder if there is a standard for todays women. And what happens when they don't meet the mark?

New Kind of Recruiting

Yesterday, I recieved my monthly issue of Seventeen magazine. I began flipping through the pages and I came across an add for the National Guard. I was very confused and surprised to see this in my fashion magazine. The add displays a young looking girl, obviously a teenager, smiling at the reader, and next to her, another picture is displayed of the same girl in her uniform handing bottles of water to a young boy and his family. In big letters in the middle, it says, "When disaster strikes, we're there to help." The message seems to be different than the one we saw in the commercial in class. It is much softer and "cute". The commercial we watched mostly showed young men (with the football), and the music was hard core, there was guns and shooting, and although it portrayed one woman, it seemed to be aimed at men. This add was obviously meant for women, and it has been changed to fit a woman stereotype: soft, non violent, sympathetic for young children, blah blah blah. First of all, how desperate is it to advertise the National Guard in seventeen magazine? I have never seen anything like this in a fashion magazine before. Second, I feel like this add and the one we watched in class were for two different organizations. The 3 Doors Down video showed fighting and collapsed houses and intense scenes. Yet, the magazine add shows women holding children like mothers, and being soft and loving. There is NOTHING violent or intense about the add. What is wrong with this picture? How dare the guard advertise in a popular magazine, and portray women as weak, motherly figures? You guys may think I'm over analyzing, but what the hell? If the guard is all about "Firing the shot that started a nation", then why do they feel the need to downplay that philosophy in a female aimed magazine? Two words, false advertisement.

Too much information??

The other day, I logged on to my computer and decided to check my facebook. When I got on to my home screen, something caught my attention that I had never seen before. In a large box on the screen, big bold letters wrote, "Welcome Stephanie! Would you like to show these on your profile?" Below it was a list of about ten movies that I had rented from blockbuster in the last month, including the list I had on blockbuster.com that were going to be sent to me in the upcoming weeks. I took a double take when I first saw this. It was exactly like our class discussion the other week on big brother. How could this information possibly be submitted to facebook, and why would I want this posted? I find this incredibly disturbing and invasive. What movies I rent is my personal choice, and I would rather not have it shown to anyone who can access the world wide web. Not that I have anything to hide with the movies I rent, but what satisfaction does it give anyone to know that the last three movies I rented were Harry Potter, Transformers, and The Holiday? Does that really do anything other than feed our already extremely stalker friendly Internet sites? I think it a serious invasion of privacy. If its my movies now, what else could facebook find to post? My online store purchases or what websites I visited that day? The Internet is still fairly new and will continue to grow and advance. If we don't watch or be careful of what is happening, then soon, anyone and everyone can have others personal information and then, no one will have any privacy.

Difference in American Values

What are the top ten true American values? If there really is such a thing, who chooses them for us? Today in class we discussed values of society in todays world. One point that struck me was the idea of youthfulness. When I watch TV, I can't even count the number of times I see Loreal or Maybelline face lift adds, that avertise the ability to look younger and have younger tighter skin. What is so wrong with aging? Why are the only top stories in the magazines about models and actresses going under the knife and getting plastic surgery? Even our shows like 10 Years Younger, What Not To Wear, and Dr. 90210 only show people with needs to look younger and "better". Below, I have included a few links of comercials advertising our American obsession with youthfulness.

Loreal Comercial:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qn53hR9zl7w

My Political Spectrum

Above is my official Political Spectrum. I was incredibly surprised with these results. It said I was closer to Ghandi with my views than someone like Obama. I definently agree that I am a strong Liberal, and I believe in posotive change within the government. But what I don't agree on is the result of my Libertarian views. I am a full believer in a cenral government and a strong authority leader, not a small government and someone like Ghandi in power. I wonder how acurate these tests really are.

Modern day law suspention??

In class, we are reviewing civil liberties and perilous times. I
have begun to wonder if I am the only person who believes it is not ever ok for a president or a government to suspend laws. We learned from the Civil war group that when Lincoln was president, he suspended the Habeas Corpus law, meaning that the government could basically throw anyone in jail without reasonable proof or reason, just because the people of that time were scared. I don't think that he was justified doing this and for anyone who does believe that, what does that say to our leaders of today? If Bush suddenly decided to cut Habeas Corpus, what would happen to America as we know it? Anyone for any reason could be thrown in jail. When is it ever ok for a president or official to take away our birth given constitutional rights?

How has Hollywood changed our view on history?

When you hear the word Indian or pirate, what first comes to mind? For me, when I hear Indian, I automatically think of Pocahontas, and Dances With Wolves. I think about feather headdresses and arrow-heads. I think of long black braided hair and people dancing around a fire somewhere in the Forrest. When I think of Pirate, I see Johnny Depp and Kiera Knightly and how beautiful and glamorous all pirates lives must have been, and how incredibly cool it would have been to be there and watch a real ship being attacked. Recently in class, we had a discussion about how two statues in downtown Chicago were of Sioux Indians, aiming a bow and an arrow at each other. The Indians both have feather crown headdresses on, like the ones we see in the movies and on TV. But in reality, the Sioux Indians never, ever wore headdresses like that. This really made me think about what we actually know about the past, and what we imagine about the past. I believe Hollywood has romanticized all of the things we watch and has changed perceptions on many people. In reality, Pirates were nothing more than savage killers who didn't care who they killed, as long as they got what they wanted. They raped and killed sailors and their families, yet all we think about is people walking the plank and awesome heroic sword fights. And Indians probably did not all talk to raccoons and hummingbirds. They also did not converse with talking willow trees and sing and fall in love with English settlers. They fought for their land and struggled to survive everyday by living off the land and animals. If you were to think about the Titanic right now, what would come into your mind? Let me guess, Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet? A love story that will become a classic for years to come? I'm betting that you didn't think of the 1500 people that died that night and how incredibly horrific that tragedy was for America? What do we really know about the past and historic events that hasn't been romanticised and changed to make a better story?

Bong Hits For Jesus

Today, we talked about the kid who made the sign and held it up before the Olympic parade that read, "Bong Hits For Jesus". Although I agree with the school giving him a suspension for displaying references to drugs (which was a school policy), I am slightly confused at where the supreme court decides where student free speech ends. In a CNN article I read, one of the lawyers added, "...While the court has limited student free speech rights in the past, young people do not give up all their First Amendment rights when they enter a school." I think that this is just one case, but where does free speech really end and begin? This really made me think about what we are truly allowed to say and display at our schools. In freshman year, my advisory was going to make sweatshirts with my advisor, Ms. Hayes, and it was going to say Purple Hayes (like the song). But the idea was turned down by the principle. But if we had made those shirts...what would that lead to? If that kid can't make drug references, can we even joke about it? where is the line, and should it even be drawn?

Puritans using belief for control?

In one of our discussions about puritan life after they left England, I started to question the puritan beliefs in God vs. the Devil and who was going to heaven or hell once they died. After hearing the puritan views on life and, I began to wonder what the intention of all of their rules really was. We talked in class about how a few of the puritans were excommunicated from the village because of their thoughts and ideas, and were sent away to Rhode Island. One of those people was Anne Hutchinson. A few years after she was banished from the town, she was murdered by Indians in the woods. The puritan priest found out and told his people that it was "The lord's doing...and isn't it great?" This statement really made me think, what is the priest trying to tell his people. Was he saying that they should be afraid of the world, and should not speak their mind or else they will suffer a death like she did? I think that is exactly what he was trying to tell them. In the movie The Village, a small town is hidden away in the forest, far away from modern human civilization. The people are told that they can not leave the village, for if they do, they will be killed by monsters. A couple times throughout the movie, we see the monsters come out, but in the end, we find that they are really older towns people dressed up in costumes to scare their people from venturing out of the village. This, I believe, is a parallel between the puritans and the movie, The Village. Just like they dressed up in monster costumes to scare people to not wonder off, the puritans were told that if they leave their village of "God" or are not told they are going to heaven, they will end up going to hell or dying, like Hutchinson did when she was banished to Rhode Island.

Who is the army really advertizing to?

In class, we had a discussion about comercials on TV during certain sports events and other events where the media takes advantage of races and ethnicities to advertize to. One advertizement that really sticks out to me is the "Army of One" comercial trying to recruit people to the army. One thing I have always noticed is that the comercials are always of young people, and promnently young black and hispanic men. Rarely you will see a woman or a white person on the screen. This made me think about what is really being advertized on our army recruitment ads. For one thing, it is a well know judgement that most people who live in the ghetto are black. It is also a common judgement that most black families are from low incomes, and do not aim for college. This, I think, is a main reason that the army comercials on TV, target young African American boys who are in need of extra money to get to college and a career, for that matter. The comericals for An Army of One, are about a young black man who talks with his parents about joining the army. I think this is really wrong . One, I think the army should not target kids from low income families, just becasue they don't have a lot of money. Most kids don't have any idea what they are signing up for in the first place, because the comercials they see are about people running and looking very brave and heroic. They don't see the blood and death and pain that really happens inside the army. Secondly, I think that the army is trying to take advantage of a situation in their favor. They are targeting kids of a single ethnicity becasue of a jugement that African Americans are poor and have nowhere to go, but to the army. So how strong, is army strong?

Erasing Memory: Changing History?

The other day in class, we talked about the idea of a person possibly being able to erase a single memory by just taking a pill. This pill would not necessarily erase the full memory, but would lesson or take away the emotional attachment to that particular memory. I fully and completely object to this idea. Like I said in class, erasing emotion and memories could distroy memories of event in history, such as genocides and the holocust. Without emotion, we have no idea what happened and how badly peopke were effected. Also, someone mentioned about how if someone was suffering from shell shock from a war, wouldn't "The pill" erase the bad memories from the war and help them and their family? And if a woman was raped as a child, wouldn't it be better if she could just swallow the memory away forever? I believe this issue is much deeper than just yes and no. For one thing, if this pill did eventually go onto the market, what would the message be to all the rapeists in the world? "Oh, I can rape whoever I want because they will just take that pill and they won't remember it!" Or what would it say to all the war generals or future presidents? They would just say "We can send everyone to war now! They can swallow the pill and won't remember this later in their lives. They won't remember the pain." The pill would just be an excuse to get rid of other people's pain for personal gain. Another point is that what happens if everyone can get a hold of this pill? What if people abused it to erase little memories they didn't like, such as a break-up, or a bad grade. I think this pill would be easily abused by everyone. And what would happen if we all took this pill? Would we suddenly be in a perfect eutopia? Would everythinmg be perfect with no pain in the world? Would mom's suddenly say to their kids, "Oh sweetheart, did u lose your soccer game? Take this pill, you won't feel sad anymore!" What are we trying to accomplish by doing that? Pain is normal, its human, its natural!!! (Sorry teachers) but shit happens. Its part of our everyday lives. Its what makes us...us!

Why were we attacked?

After our discussion last week about the 9/11 attacks, I have been thinking over and over again about why in the world we were attacked in the first place. Why the twin towers? Why New York? And more importantly, why so much hate? I don't think anyone really knows the exact reason. In class, someone brought up the point that it all depends on viewpoints. According to (most) americans, the people who ordered the attacks were evil human beings with such a hate twoard the USA, that they were willing to kill thousands of innocent humans without a second thought. But according to them, they might be completing some sort of religious deed, and in the name of their God, they are doing good by killing Americans. But that still doesn't make any sense to me. Why would they come here and cause such distruction? Was it jealousy? Were they jealous of our society? Were they mad at our political decisions? Or was it, in fact, just a religous factor? I would love to hear any feedback or ideas from you guys.