Today I thought I would examine a popular news source in terms of its layout, and the wording of its articles. I am currently looking at drudgereport.com (accessed April 29, 2008 at 5:30 p.m., http://www.drudgereport.com/) and I immediately notice two major headlines. At the top of the page, in a massive print size, the headline is "Obama Outraged by Former Pastor's Comments." In a column below, in far smaller type, is an announcement that Hillary Clinton will "appear for first time ever on FOX NEWS' 'The O'Reilly Factor' Wednesday night . . ." (drudgereport.com accessed April 29, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.). Personally, I find the second headline far more intriguing because it is something new (link to "The O'Reilly Factor" website: http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/).
Everyone I have spoken to (in an area densely populated by democrats) seems to be getting sick of the Obama/Reverend Wright saga. It seems fitting that Wright's sensational comments have been picked up by a sensationalist media, which ends up hurting Obama politically; however, the relationship between the two individuals has been so thoroughly addressed that it seems like the media has some kind of agenda in focusing on a story of someone who is portrayed (I have not seen his entire sermons, so I cannot be sure) as a religious and racial radical. The status quo is maintained through this portrayal by putting down Reverend Wright, even though some of his comments are truly ridiculous.
It's intriguing to me that it is more of a side story that something so monumental as Hillary Clinton agreeing to be on the controversial "O'Reilly Factor" Fox program. As a Republican, I will definitely be watching this programming, especially since Hillary Clinton is an individual that Bill O'Reilly would love to rip into. I will be curious to see how both individuals conduct themselves within the program. Furthermore, I question the intentions of Matt Drudge as well as other media sources that put a story in the headline that hurts Obama instead of letting people know about an incredible media event regarding Hillary Clinton and a stalwart conservative member of the media.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
The Persuaders
Today in media studies class, we watched the beginning half of a PBS special entitled "The Persuaders" (link to documentary website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/). I found this to be a rather thought-provoking documentary in that it gives an advertiser's perspective towards the different advertisements that bombard us everyday.
Specifically, I thought the example presented within the documentary of Song Airlines to be quite intriguing because of its advertising strategy. It was explained that Song was the result of Delta's idea to create a company that is removed from the (unpopular) Delta name. However, according to the documentary, the focus of the Song Airlines ad campaign is designed by an individual named Andy Spade. Now, Mr. Spade has some interesting ideas on how to engineer Song Airlines' ad campaign; he is busy creating a lifestyle that would appeal to customers (especially women) that would set Song Airlines apart from its competitors. I personally can attest that one of Song's competitors, Jet Blue, seems to be more of a "cool" company, with flat screen TVs in their terminals (at Boston Logan) and other gimmicks that are pleasing to the consumer's eye. Naturally, it seems that Song is trying to imitate this concept, except that, as was presented in the documentary, Song is pushing it to the next level by portraying the company itself as an easy-going lifestyle choice instead of a corporation.
I feel that while this advertising strategy is interesting, I predict it will fail. The documentary made an explicit point that fares and airplanes are not even mentioned in the television-based advertisements. Images of hip people in front of visually stunning backdrops seem to be the way Song has decided to go. However, people in the documentary did not know that Song was even an airline. I understand in the corporate world it is important to break away from competitors, and one of the methods of doing so is by selling an image. Apple does this among other companies. Furthermore, I do not feel that the commercial travel industry has this cultural potential, simply because of what it is: travel. Frankly, sitting on a plane for several hours is boring no matter how kaleidoscopic the colors of the headrests are. A corporation needs advertising to promote its message to the people; however, I feel Song Airlines specifically will face a conundrum in that, to the passengers sitting on the plane, its just another boring plane ride.
Specifically, I thought the example presented within the documentary of Song Airlines to be quite intriguing because of its advertising strategy. It was explained that Song was the result of Delta's idea to create a company that is removed from the (unpopular) Delta name. However, according to the documentary, the focus of the Song Airlines ad campaign is designed by an individual named Andy Spade. Now, Mr. Spade has some interesting ideas on how to engineer Song Airlines' ad campaign; he is busy creating a lifestyle that would appeal to customers (especially women) that would set Song Airlines apart from its competitors. I personally can attest that one of Song's competitors, Jet Blue, seems to be more of a "cool" company, with flat screen TVs in their terminals (at Boston Logan) and other gimmicks that are pleasing to the consumer's eye. Naturally, it seems that Song is trying to imitate this concept, except that, as was presented in the documentary, Song is pushing it to the next level by portraying the company itself as an easy-going lifestyle choice instead of a corporation.
I feel that while this advertising strategy is interesting, I predict it will fail. The documentary made an explicit point that fares and airplanes are not even mentioned in the television-based advertisements. Images of hip people in front of visually stunning backdrops seem to be the way Song has decided to go. However, people in the documentary did not know that Song was even an airline. I understand in the corporate world it is important to break away from competitors, and one of the methods of doing so is by selling an image. Apple does this among other companies. Furthermore, I do not feel that the commercial travel industry has this cultural potential, simply because of what it is: travel. Frankly, sitting on a plane for several hours is boring no matter how kaleidoscopic the colors of the headrests are. A corporation needs advertising to promote its message to the people; however, I feel Song Airlines specifically will face a conundrum in that, to the passengers sitting on the plane, its just another boring plane ride.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Internet Identity
Yesterday I was reading an article in the May 2008 issue of Esquire Magazine when I stumbled across an articled "MySpace.com/Doppelganger" by Chuck Klosterman. In this article, Mr. Klosterman discusses the creation of identities online, via MySpace or Facebook.
The most profound point that Mr. Klosterman made was "The self-portrait you upload on Facebook is what you look like...It does not matter if you've honestly enjoyed the movies you list as favorites or read the books you claim to love...Who is going to disagree?" (Klosterman 66). I feel that this statement blurs the line between what is reality and what isn't. Who is to say that a person's biography on their home page on a social networking site is not the actual person themselves? Internet link to article: http://www.esquire.com/features/chuck-klostermans-america/hannah-montana-0508.
The reason I find this so interesting is because it is individual people who create their Internet identity. People on social sites only see what other people want them to see. These social networking site pages are manifestations of different people's self-perceptions. They choose only the aspects of their personality or interests that may appeal to people or appeal to their own personal self-view. Mr. Klosterman takes this idea a step further by asking us not if people only project their best self-image, with the understanding that the image has a basis in reality. One cannot accurately try to conform to a specific group if they do not share the behavior of that group's members, i.e. (though I realize this is a stereotype) if one wants to be categorized as a metal music lover, there tends to be a series of bands to which most of the mainstream metal world listens (Metallica, Iron Maiden, etc.). Klosterman questions the validity of these online declarations of self, in essence saying that just because it's there, it's not true.
This leads into another topic. Why would people want to put false information about themselves on a social networking site. Personally, I believe that people will often try to self-categorize in order to fit into a specific group that they feel may be better than other groups. This sentiment of group egoism is ironic because, as Klosterman points out, some individuals may not belong to the groups to whom they claim allegiance.
Source: Klosterman, Chuck. "MySpace.com/Doppelganger." Esquire May 2008: 65-66
Thank you for Reading
The most profound point that Mr. Klosterman made was "The self-portrait you upload on Facebook is what you look like...It does not matter if you've honestly enjoyed the movies you list as favorites or read the books you claim to love...Who is going to disagree?" (Klosterman 66). I feel that this statement blurs the line between what is reality and what isn't. Who is to say that a person's biography on their home page on a social networking site is not the actual person themselves? Internet link to article: http://www.esquire.com/features/chuck-klostermans-america/hannah-montana-0508.
The reason I find this so interesting is because it is individual people who create their Internet identity. People on social sites only see what other people want them to see. These social networking site pages are manifestations of different people's self-perceptions. They choose only the aspects of their personality or interests that may appeal to people or appeal to their own personal self-view. Mr. Klosterman takes this idea a step further by asking us not if people only project their best self-image, with the understanding that the image has a basis in reality. One cannot accurately try to conform to a specific group if they do not share the behavior of that group's members, i.e. (though I realize this is a stereotype) if one wants to be categorized as a metal music lover, there tends to be a series of bands to which most of the mainstream metal world listens (Metallica, Iron Maiden, etc.). Klosterman questions the validity of these online declarations of self, in essence saying that just because it's there, it's not true.
This leads into another topic. Why would people want to put false information about themselves on a social networking site. Personally, I believe that people will often try to self-categorize in order to fit into a specific group that they feel may be better than other groups. This sentiment of group egoism is ironic because, as Klosterman points out, some individuals may not belong to the groups to whom they claim allegiance.
Source: Klosterman, Chuck. "MySpace.com/Doppelganger." Esquire May 2008: 65-66
Thank you for Reading
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Applications...Again
I just completed an application and an interview. No, not the ones of the college variety that have been plaguing my fellow classmates and me for the past several months, these are for a summer job.
I just applied to work in Washington D.C. again. I officially have what my former internship coordinator called the "Potomac Fever," a term he used to describe the allure that Washington D.C. has over the individuals that visit or work in that city. I say that I have this "affliction" because, if I get the job for which I just completed an interview, I will have worked in Washington D.C. for the past three summers.
My friends can't understand why I would want to return to a job that I have done already for two summers that I previously did without pay. However, to me at least, there are several conditions that make this time around very different to those previous. First, I used a third party organization in order to find the positions in Washington D.C. This organization has proved instrumental in the development of my interest in the U.S. government and public policy. This time is different in that I am applying for a job independently of any job-finding organization. Secondly, this year has meant much for me in terms of the development of my political and ideological beliefs. Now that I have been going out of the way to read exploratory non-fiction books along with scholarly articles, I am much more acutely aware of world events and their causes/potential impacts. I have consumed this kind of media voraciously, and as a result, I have developed a new perspective on government. Furthermore, I believe that the kind of job a person has in the government or politics is a reflection of the beliefs and perceptions of the individual in that job. Some people can take their personal beliefs into their work and use them to make their work more enjoyable or worthwhile. In this way, though I may have a similar position that I have in the past two summers, it is a completely different kind of job, a job that fascinates me.
I just applied to work in Washington D.C. again. I officially have what my former internship coordinator called the "Potomac Fever," a term he used to describe the allure that Washington D.C. has over the individuals that visit or work in that city. I say that I have this "affliction" because, if I get the job for which I just completed an interview, I will have worked in Washington D.C. for the past three summers.
My friends can't understand why I would want to return to a job that I have done already for two summers that I previously did without pay. However, to me at least, there are several conditions that make this time around very different to those previous. First, I used a third party organization in order to find the positions in Washington D.C. This organization has proved instrumental in the development of my interest in the U.S. government and public policy. This time is different in that I am applying for a job independently of any job-finding organization. Secondly, this year has meant much for me in terms of the development of my political and ideological beliefs. Now that I have been going out of the way to read exploratory non-fiction books along with scholarly articles, I am much more acutely aware of world events and their causes/potential impacts. I have consumed this kind of media voraciously, and as a result, I have developed a new perspective on government. Furthermore, I believe that the kind of job a person has in the government or politics is a reflection of the beliefs and perceptions of the individual in that job. Some people can take their personal beliefs into their work and use them to make their work more enjoyable or worthwhile. In this way, though I may have a similar position that I have in the past two summers, it is a completely different kind of job, a job that fascinates me.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Gotta Catch 'Em All!
I was browsing through my memory banks, thinking for some kind of impact that media has had on my life and society. And them, WHOOM! It hits me with all the subtlety of a cudgel in the face. My life has been forever shaped by the international phenomenon known as Pokemon. (Link to Pokemon website: http://www.pokemon.com/).
I was in the fourth grade when I first came across those adorable little pocket monsters. I was a little behind the curve when it came to acquiring the hottest game around, as I lacked a nintendo gameboy on which to play it. However, when I popped the cartridge into the gameboy and turned on the screen to see a cute little "charmander" staring me in the face (http://guidesmedia.ign.com/guides/9846/images/charmander.gif). I knew I was in love. I could not stop playing this game. It was frighteningly addictive; it was a physical impossibility to put the gameboy down.
Though I was young at the time, I realize in retrospect how much the Pokemon craze had completely immersed American pop culture. The images of Pikachu (http://anthropoasis.free.fr/IMG/gif/Pikachu.gif) and other cute little critters were on television shows, clothing, spring-off video games, and the Internet. It's incredible to me that a foreign-made video game was able to completely take over the youth of a country. To me, this popularity wave, supported by marketing groups looking to exploit the pokemon frenzy, is part of a market that exploits the impressionability of kids who are looking for entertainment. This makes sense to me, in that children are a class of individuals who demand market consumption from their parents. However, this market deluge changed kids lives. It's kind of sad that when I think of my childhood, I think of the different video games I've played. People have many different kind of influences on their lives, but I am a product of an age where targeted marketing campaigns have drastically changed the culture of my youth.
I was in the fourth grade when I first came across those adorable little pocket monsters. I was a little behind the curve when it came to acquiring the hottest game around, as I lacked a nintendo gameboy on which to play it. However, when I popped the cartridge into the gameboy and turned on the screen to see a cute little "charmander" staring me in the face (http://guidesmedia.ign.com/guides/9846/images/charmander.gif). I knew I was in love. I could not stop playing this game. It was frighteningly addictive; it was a physical impossibility to put the gameboy down.
Though I was young at the time, I realize in retrospect how much the Pokemon craze had completely immersed American pop culture. The images of Pikachu (http://anthropoasis.free.fr/IMG/gif/Pikachu.gif) and other cute little critters were on television shows, clothing, spring-off video games, and the Internet. It's incredible to me that a foreign-made video game was able to completely take over the youth of a country. To me, this popularity wave, supported by marketing groups looking to exploit the pokemon frenzy, is part of a market that exploits the impressionability of kids who are looking for entertainment. This makes sense to me, in that children are a class of individuals who demand market consumption from their parents. However, this market deluge changed kids lives. It's kind of sad that when I think of my childhood, I think of the different video games I've played. People have many different kind of influences on their lives, but I am a product of an age where targeted marketing campaigns have drastically changed the culture of my youth.
Monday, April 21, 2008
The Little Freedoms
I go to a school that had many strict rules that often seem gratuitous to the students. I have to obey rules such as asking a faculty member if I can be ride in our friend's car, even though I am technically an adult. I have to ask someone who is apparently more of an "adult" than I am if I can take my girlfriend of roughly two years up to my room (these supervisors are hardly ever in the dorm). Now, today my school received an email from our Dean of Students that was met with much wailing and much gnashing of teeth, as it introduced a new policy that covered a topic that most students considered a save haven: permission to go to a friend's house that is within walking distance.
According to the new policy, one must obtain permission from one's house counselors or cluster dean as well as have the friend's parent call to confirm that they will be present in order to make the five minute journey to visit that house. In my personal experience, when I go to a friend's house downtown, I am just visiting to say hello and to say hello to the parents of my friend. It is a different dynamic when you visit a friend at their home, and you interact with your friend's parents. These little visits build someone's relationship with his or her friend as well as her parents. These trips are also safe havens from the oppressive bubble that is my school.
I can understand that my school wants to protect itself from any potential litigation actions that a student's parents may take against the school because the student somehow got hurt or drank themselves into a stupor at the friend's house. It's understandable that my school as an institution wants to protect itself from these kinds of legal risks, but come on. I already have so many little aspects of my life that is managed and controlled that my school, though it professes as its mission to broaden the minds of its students, has limited my experiences. As a result, I feel I have not been as fully "educated" or experienced as many things as I could because I have nit-picking rules that hold me back. One may say, if the rules are so trifling, why don't you just take care of them? I'd love to. However, I as a person hate having my individual liberties being restricted by a bunch of individuals for reasons I think are stupid. Yeah, the school has to look after itself, so what if my parents (I think they would) wrote a letter that said "my technically adult son has the right to ride in whichever car he wants, and can go wherever he wants, whenever he wants."
Education is in the classroom and in life experiences. My school covers the first point, but tries to control the other. With such pedantic restrictions and almost petty threats of petty punishment, it is hard to be educated from the second source.
According to the new policy, one must obtain permission from one's house counselors or cluster dean as well as have the friend's parent call to confirm that they will be present in order to make the five minute journey to visit that house. In my personal experience, when I go to a friend's house downtown, I am just visiting to say hello and to say hello to the parents of my friend. It is a different dynamic when you visit a friend at their home, and you interact with your friend's parents. These little visits build someone's relationship with his or her friend as well as her parents. These trips are also safe havens from the oppressive bubble that is my school.
I can understand that my school wants to protect itself from any potential litigation actions that a student's parents may take against the school because the student somehow got hurt or drank themselves into a stupor at the friend's house. It's understandable that my school as an institution wants to protect itself from these kinds of legal risks, but come on. I already have so many little aspects of my life that is managed and controlled that my school, though it professes as its mission to broaden the minds of its students, has limited my experiences. As a result, I feel I have not been as fully "educated" or experienced as many things as I could because I have nit-picking rules that hold me back. One may say, if the rules are so trifling, why don't you just take care of them? I'd love to. However, I as a person hate having my individual liberties being restricted by a bunch of individuals for reasons I think are stupid. Yeah, the school has to look after itself, so what if my parents (I think they would) wrote a letter that said "my technically adult son has the right to ride in whichever car he wants, and can go wherever he wants, whenever he wants."
Education is in the classroom and in life experiences. My school covers the first point, but tries to control the other. With such pedantic restrictions and almost petty threats of petty punishment, it is hard to be educated from the second source.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Long Weekend Alone
It's the time of the long weekend. All of the local boarders and day students are nowhere to be found throughout campus. What's worse is that it is also college visiting weekend. Because of this, even kids who live far away will leave campus to go visit the college of their choice. This is great for these students; I earnestly hope that these people find an institution of higher learning that suits their needs and wants.
I, however, was accepted by a binding early decision. This means that I am legally obligated to go to the one school tho which I was accepted. Now, I am completely fine with these terms, but as I am definitely going to this particular school, there is no real reason for me to go and revisit the school. As a result, I will stay by my lonesome on campus, with the few individuals who remain to keep me company.
This is not entirely bad though. In my experience of being left alone on campus, there are plenty of small victories to be won through the exploration of the campus or local town along with finding random adventures. One may find an interesting little store downtown that was previously overlooked, explore the forest nearby, or settle down to read a good book. The fact that I am left to myself (I believe) is a blessing in disguise, that I have the opportunity to do certain things that I would not be able to do if others were here to distract me. For example, I may now be able to spend quality time with an individual with whom I do not usually interact. Being able to do things outside of the norm aides people in becoming a more complete, cultured individual, and I hope I may be able to expand myself in this way.
I, however, was accepted by a binding early decision. This means that I am legally obligated to go to the one school tho which I was accepted. Now, I am completely fine with these terms, but as I am definitely going to this particular school, there is no real reason for me to go and revisit the school. As a result, I will stay by my lonesome on campus, with the few individuals who remain to keep me company.
This is not entirely bad though. In my experience of being left alone on campus, there are plenty of small victories to be won through the exploration of the campus or local town along with finding random adventures. One may find an interesting little store downtown that was previously overlooked, explore the forest nearby, or settle down to read a good book. The fact that I am left to myself (I believe) is a blessing in disguise, that I have the opportunity to do certain things that I would not be able to do if others were here to distract me. For example, I may now be able to spend quality time with an individual with whom I do not usually interact. Being able to do things outside of the norm aides people in becoming a more complete, cultured individual, and I hope I may be able to expand myself in this way.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
A Quick Look at Music
On my school's campus, there are many different kinds of music playing. The people on the lawn playing frisbee may have an apple laptop open, playing Jack Johnson; or the people who are relaxing in the sun may be listening to Justin Timberlake. In short, there is a lot of popular, mainstream music being played around me. Furthermore, I listen to many kinds of music, but my favorite kind is metal. Although this is the case, I do not hear metal anywhere on my campus outside of my room. Furthermore, when I try to talk about a metal band, people often look at me like I'm some kind of freak or a somehow dangerous individual.
In my love for metal music, I'm not some crazy person who worships the devil. I just enjoy the cathartic feeling that I, and many other people alongside me, believe is very relaxing. It sooths some people to find a release to the anger and other pent-up emotions in a way that is healthy. This music is often pushed to the background by most pop music, so I just wanted to bring a sample of the music that I enjoy.
First: Killswitch Engage: Amazing Band. Crunching Riffs and screaming vocals that can be subsituted for a more melodic style (http://www.killswitchengage.com/). My favorite video is of a song called "The End of Heartache," which can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqgoVhnI2c0 (accessed April 17, 2008).
Second: Mudavyne; I had the opportunity to see this band live and left with a black eye and a chipped tooth (http://www.mudvayne.com/). However, their more recent material seems to be more focused, as opposed to open anger that was originally conveyed through their material. A fantastic music video by this group would be the video for "Happy?" This video could be percieved as a more mainstream version of Mudvayne, as the band members used to perform with face paint. The video itself can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5ZbdDDNz3c&feature=related (accessed April 17, 2008).
Thank you for reading
In my love for metal music, I'm not some crazy person who worships the devil. I just enjoy the cathartic feeling that I, and many other people alongside me, believe is very relaxing. It sooths some people to find a release to the anger and other pent-up emotions in a way that is healthy. This music is often pushed to the background by most pop music, so I just wanted to bring a sample of the music that I enjoy.
First: Killswitch Engage: Amazing Band. Crunching Riffs and screaming vocals that can be subsituted for a more melodic style (http://www.killswitchengage.com/). My favorite video is of a song called "The End of Heartache," which can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqgoVhnI2c0 (accessed April 17, 2008).
Second: Mudavyne; I had the opportunity to see this band live and left with a black eye and a chipped tooth (http://www.mudvayne.com/). However, their more recent material seems to be more focused, as opposed to open anger that was originally conveyed through their material. A fantastic music video by this group would be the video for "Happy?" This video could be percieved as a more mainstream version of Mudvayne, as the band members used to perform with face paint. The video itself can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5ZbdDDNz3c&feature=related (accessed April 17, 2008).
Thank you for reading
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A Religious Manifesto
This evening I got into an argument with a very good friend of mine. She did not understand my perspective on my affiliation with the Catholic Church. Now, I consider myself a Catholic, someone who falls under the teachings of the Catholic Church; but I consider myself more a Christian than a Catholic. Anyways, the basic gist of the argument was that my friend did not understand why I associate myself with the specific Catholic branch of the Christian faith while I harbor specific beliefs that come in conflict with the Catholic institution.
I decided that this would be a good time to try to explain as well as I can what I feel to be the outline of my own personal faith. I am a Christian who believes in the central tenants of the teachings of Jesus Christ (which, in a basic form, include, love, peace, acceptance). I as a person want to connect myself with the message and the identity of Jesus and of my belief of the Christian perception of God. Now, as to what is apparently the contradiction between my personal religious beliefs and the religious teachings prescribed to me by the Catholic Church, I feel it necessary to reflect that, in my opinion, the Catholic church is a mortal institution that is dominated by mortal men. To Christians, the Word of God is supposed to be perfect truth, right? However, people are not perfect; they are affected by their experiences and their personal prejudices. I think people need to take the preaching of ministers and priests (admittedly of all religions) with a grain of salt because it will always reflect the ideas of the human (and thus inherently imperfect) preaching. For example, the Catholic Church declares that homosexuality is a sin. I don’t think so. I believe in Jesus’s message of acceptance of all people, of the Samaritan woman at the well. The Catholic Church may say one thing, but I can believe another in accordance with the teachings of Jesus. For this reason, I feel that specific denominations of Christianity, though having important differences in terms of ritual, should be vehicles to the message of Christ that cater to s specific style of worship. Though I disagree with some of its differentiating tenants, the Catholic Church’s style of mass is the style of worship I feel most comfortable with. This is why I am a Christian who belongs to the specific Catholic branch of Christianity.
Thank you for reading
I decided that this would be a good time to try to explain as well as I can what I feel to be the outline of my own personal faith. I am a Christian who believes in the central tenants of the teachings of Jesus Christ (which, in a basic form, include, love, peace, acceptance). I as a person want to connect myself with the message and the identity of Jesus and of my belief of the Christian perception of God. Now, as to what is apparently the contradiction between my personal religious beliefs and the religious teachings prescribed to me by the Catholic Church, I feel it necessary to reflect that, in my opinion, the Catholic church is a mortal institution that is dominated by mortal men. To Christians, the Word of God is supposed to be perfect truth, right? However, people are not perfect; they are affected by their experiences and their personal prejudices. I think people need to take the preaching of ministers and priests (admittedly of all religions) with a grain of salt because it will always reflect the ideas of the human (and thus inherently imperfect) preaching. For example, the Catholic Church declares that homosexuality is a sin. I don’t think so. I believe in Jesus’s message of acceptance of all people, of the Samaritan woman at the well. The Catholic Church may say one thing, but I can believe another in accordance with the teachings of Jesus. For this reason, I feel that specific denominations of Christianity, though having important differences in terms of ritual, should be vehicles to the message of Christ that cater to s specific style of worship. Though I disagree with some of its differentiating tenants, the Catholic Church’s style of mass is the style of worship I feel most comfortable with. This is why I am a Christian who belongs to the specific Catholic branch of Christianity.
Thank you for reading
Monday, April 14, 2008
Free Write
Today in English class, all of the students were instructed to do a freewrite. Apparently, this means that you must never pause when you are writing, and you must write everything down that comes to mind. This is exactly what I am doing right now. Please take this as some kind of disclaimer, should this exercise prove to be a failure.
Last term, my Spanish teacher recommended that I watch a PBS documentary named "Commanding Heights." I managed to find the entire program on the PBS website (which can be found at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/hi/index.html accessed April 14, 2008). I am now on a chapter within the first of three subdivisions, entitled "Chicago Against the Tide." So far, the documentary is discussing the intellectual battle between Kenyesian state-centralized economic planning versus Hayek's idea of the freedom and flexibility of the markets. I did not know that after World War 2, one-third of the population of the world lived under socialist governments, including notable countries such as China, Russia, Britain, and (to a degree) the United States of America. This socialist planning was endorsed by an economist named John Keynes, who the documentary explains as perceiving the economy as a "machine" that could be regulated instead of a financial circumstance as a result of the push of market "forces."
However, because I am someone who is looking into the past from the 21st century, I have the immutable advantage of watching the economic trend of history. The central planning of Soviet Russia has failed, the United States is beginning to feel the weight of an aging baby boom population that will (I think) cause for an eventual, drastic cut back on the medicare system, and along with many, many other examples that I can't look up enough specifics to post online because that would ruin the point of this free write, how could anyone ever sponsor socialism? In my mind, great, I guess they didn't get the message. I am not ignorant that poverty and maldistribution of wealth exists; trust me, I want to eliminate poverty and be as economically fair as much as the next person, but I feel that free market forces and economic growth (labor-intensive or capital-intensive, it doesn't matter because either way I think it will end up being put into the economy to generate more growth) can pull people out of poverty better than inefficient government planning. I worked as an intern on capital hill this summer. I had to go to many defense briefings explaining the defense department's spending. Isn't it a wonder that our government is so bloated with bureaucracy that, as a nation in war, we need to contract out a majority of our construction and security tasks because our government is simply so wasteful and slow? This is awesome. I'm being completely sarcastic. It sucks. I have a lot more that I would enjoy ranting about, but this seems to be a good place to end my freewrite.
Thank you for reading.
Last term, my Spanish teacher recommended that I watch a PBS documentary named "Commanding Heights." I managed to find the entire program on the PBS website (which can be found at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/hi/index.html accessed April 14, 2008). I am now on a chapter within the first of three subdivisions, entitled "Chicago Against the Tide." So far, the documentary is discussing the intellectual battle between Kenyesian state-centralized economic planning versus Hayek's idea of the freedom and flexibility of the markets. I did not know that after World War 2, one-third of the population of the world lived under socialist governments, including notable countries such as China, Russia, Britain, and (to a degree) the United States of America. This socialist planning was endorsed by an economist named John Keynes, who the documentary explains as perceiving the economy as a "machine" that could be regulated instead of a financial circumstance as a result of the push of market "forces."
However, because I am someone who is looking into the past from the 21st century, I have the immutable advantage of watching the economic trend of history. The central planning of Soviet Russia has failed, the United States is beginning to feel the weight of an aging baby boom population that will (I think) cause for an eventual, drastic cut back on the medicare system, and along with many, many other examples that I can't look up enough specifics to post online because that would ruin the point of this free write, how could anyone ever sponsor socialism? In my mind, great, I guess they didn't get the message. I am not ignorant that poverty and maldistribution of wealth exists; trust me, I want to eliminate poverty and be as economically fair as much as the next person, but I feel that free market forces and economic growth (labor-intensive or capital-intensive, it doesn't matter because either way I think it will end up being put into the economy to generate more growth) can pull people out of poverty better than inefficient government planning. I worked as an intern on capital hill this summer. I had to go to many defense briefings explaining the defense department's spending. Isn't it a wonder that our government is so bloated with bureaucracy that, as a nation in war, we need to contract out a majority of our construction and security tasks because our government is simply so wasteful and slow? This is awesome. I'm being completely sarcastic. It sucks. I have a lot more that I would enjoy ranting about, but this seems to be a good place to end my freewrite.
Thank you for reading.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Potomac Fever
I have been afflicted with the "Potomac Fever"- the desire by an individual to return back to Washington DC, where I have worked the past two summers. Frankly, how could I not want to return? Washington DC is an incredibly unique city in many ways. The history of our young nation is scattered throughout the city in picturesque memorials, VIPs can be seen casually walking down the street, and there is a very peculiar atmosphere of a passive importance. However, I had an opportunity to explore the government in a way that not many people my age are able.
My first job on the Hill was working for Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney; this job was made all the more interesting because the week before the Congresswoman had gotten into a widely publicized scuffle with a member of the capital police. I was told that according to the news, she had become frustrated with the policeman because he asked for ID. In a meeting with her interns, Ms. McKinney explained that though people were focusing on this one event, she had been harassed by the capital police many times in the past, and this event was the boiling point for these kinds of confrontations. This was my first lesson in politics and Capital Hill: there are many sides to a story, and the most arousing perspective of the story is the one most often told.
To see two very different portrayals of Ms. McKinney look at http://static.flickr.com/73/193304042_282dcaa4af_o.jpg and http://www.tonyrogers.com/humor/images/cynthia_mckinney.jpg (accessed April 12th, 2008).
My second job was with the Office of the State of Nevada, a branch of the Nevada executive arm of the government under Governor Jim Gibbons. Our job was to collaborate with Nevada's members of Congress as well as other state offices ( we found ourselves working most often with North Carolina and California) in order to lobby for specific bills that were under scrutiny by Congress. One of the hot topics of debate at the time was the FY 2007 budget, which had shattered records in terms of the amount of money tucked away into different earmarks (pork), causing Republicans to filibuster the bill. I also found myself writing letters to various congressmen and women (most often Harry Reid D-NV and Senator John Warner R-VA). I attended hearings on different issues, including the affect of the Clean Water Act on Midwestern farmers, with the Governor of Montana (or as my co-worker often called it, "Montucky").
Though I did many things in my second job such as write letters, explore capital hill, and get yelled at by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) for being too close to the members-only elevator, I think my best experience was being able to write a speech for Governor Gibbons for an education conference. I gave being a politician a try for a day, and co-produced a speech that was delivered without any edits from the governor's speechwriter.
In the end, I have loved and learned from my experiences on Capital Hill. With my affliction of the Potomac Fever, I can only hope to return at some point and do my own little part to help our great mechanism of democracy operate as well as it can.
Thank you for reading.
My first job on the Hill was working for Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney; this job was made all the more interesting because the week before the Congresswoman had gotten into a widely publicized scuffle with a member of the capital police. I was told that according to the news, she had become frustrated with the policeman because he asked for ID. In a meeting with her interns, Ms. McKinney explained that though people were focusing on this one event, she had been harassed by the capital police many times in the past, and this event was the boiling point for these kinds of confrontations. This was my first lesson in politics and Capital Hill: there are many sides to a story, and the most arousing perspective of the story is the one most often told.
To see two very different portrayals of Ms. McKinney look at http://static.flickr.com/73/193304042_282dcaa4af_o.jpg and http://www.tonyrogers.com/humor/images/cynthia_mckinney.jpg (accessed April 12th, 2008).
My second job was with the Office of the State of Nevada, a branch of the Nevada executive arm of the government under Governor Jim Gibbons. Our job was to collaborate with Nevada's members of Congress as well as other state offices ( we found ourselves working most often with North Carolina and California) in order to lobby for specific bills that were under scrutiny by Congress. One of the hot topics of debate at the time was the FY 2007 budget, which had shattered records in terms of the amount of money tucked away into different earmarks (pork), causing Republicans to filibuster the bill. I also found myself writing letters to various congressmen and women (most often Harry Reid D-NV and Senator John Warner R-VA). I attended hearings on different issues, including the affect of the Clean Water Act on Midwestern farmers, with the Governor of Montana (or as my co-worker often called it, "Montucky").
Though I did many things in my second job such as write letters, explore capital hill, and get yelled at by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) for being too close to the members-only elevator, I think my best experience was being able to write a speech for Governor Gibbons for an education conference. I gave being a politician a try for a day, and co-produced a speech that was delivered without any edits from the governor's speechwriter.
In the end, I have loved and learned from my experiences on Capital Hill. With my affliction of the Potomac Fever, I can only hope to return at some point and do my own little part to help our great mechanism of democracy operate as well as it can.
Thank you for reading.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Spring Dreamin'
I feel like a bear that has emerged from his cave at the end of winter, yawning and blinking the sunlight out of its eyes. The birds have begun to chirp outside the window of my bedroom, the ice on the lawn has started to melt, and thick winter jackets are giving way to cut-offs and short sleeves. It is truly a time of rebirth and revival, and, like the warm sun in the cloudless sky, I find myself rising to meet the new world. It is a time to try new things.
With this sentiment in mind, I will be trying a new activity tomorrow. Never before have I organized the staple activity of springtime bumminess: the barbeque. I will be assuming the time-honored roll of "grill master," complete with large, threatening tongs and an obnoxious "kiss the cook" apron. The excuse I am using to grill is the home opener for the local baseball team, for which many of my friends play. I am excited because, frankly, I have only benefited from instead of contributed to the noble pastime of cooking raw meat in totally random places.
However, this BBQ means much more to me than a (very) delicious meal. To me, it is the pistol shot that signifies the beginning of spring. I am a very weather-sensitive person; I have a sneaking suspicion that I have some form of seasonal depression. For the coming of the spring the barbaques, the relaxed atmosphere, and the loose clothing all signifies a turn of the page within my mind. I am no longer a person under a dark, oppressive veil of clouds that squashes all kinds of happiness. Now I am back to the person I was before I moved to the cold climate in which I now reside. This transition to spring reminds me of my younger years spent in a warm climate, happy. The warmth of the social and literal atmosphere around me represents a regression into ignorant happiness, a place of perfect content. With this, this barbeque is much more than me trying out something new; I am taking the initiative to become the happy individual that has been missing all winter.
With this sentiment in mind, I will be trying a new activity tomorrow. Never before have I organized the staple activity of springtime bumminess: the barbeque. I will be assuming the time-honored roll of "grill master," complete with large, threatening tongs and an obnoxious "kiss the cook" apron. The excuse I am using to grill is the home opener for the local baseball team, for which many of my friends play. I am excited because, frankly, I have only benefited from instead of contributed to the noble pastime of cooking raw meat in totally random places.
However, this BBQ means much more to me than a (very) delicious meal. To me, it is the pistol shot that signifies the beginning of spring. I am a very weather-sensitive person; I have a sneaking suspicion that I have some form of seasonal depression. For the coming of the spring the barbaques, the relaxed atmosphere, and the loose clothing all signifies a turn of the page within my mind. I am no longer a person under a dark, oppressive veil of clouds that squashes all kinds of happiness. Now I am back to the person I was before I moved to the cold climate in which I now reside. This transition to spring reminds me of my younger years spent in a warm climate, happy. The warmth of the social and literal atmosphere around me represents a regression into ignorant happiness, a place of perfect content. With this, this barbeque is much more than me trying out something new; I am taking the initiative to become the happy individual that has been missing all winter.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Scholastic Schism
I was once in the company of some friends while walking back to my dormitory when the topic of conversation turned to whether we would donate money to our school when we were older. One of my friends declared that he would donate to the school as long as none of the money went to the athletic department. Now, I have nothing wrong with my friend's opinion because one should be able to use their money however one wishes. However, I was mildly irritated at my friend when he explained his reason for excluding the athletic department. According to my friend, a school is first and foremost an academic institution; athletics give some individuals academic opportunities that their intellectual facilities did not merit. Furthermore, my friend explained, athletics are a financial drain upon a school that could use the money spent on sports for academic purposes.
This opinion irked me. From my perspective as a student-athlete, I found this statement ironically narrow-minded. Academics are incredibly important aspects to an individual's intellectual development, and I feel that a school should wholeheartedly commit itself to the education of its students. That said, an individual's education should be much more than what is read from a book. Knowledge is incredibly important and its pursuit is a noble undertaking, but the experience of playing sports provides a mental, emotional, and physical stimulation that is unattainable through classroom learning.
I am a football player. Football is a sport that consists of two eleven-man units competing against each other. The unit must be elevated above the individual in order for a team to be successful. Every football practice I am taught a lesson in humility and comradierie; moreover, I feel that it is important for any individual to learn how to work in a group. As if this was not an important enough lesson, sports also help people build close relationships with others. From my perspective, my coach becomes a father figure, my teammates become brothers, and the school I represent becomes my home. While students in the academic arena build relationships with their peers and their teachers, in my experience as a student-athlete I have found the bonds forged in the athletic arena are far more intimate due to the competitive nature of sports. My most memorable experiences have been with my teammates while competiting in the sport that we love. Finally, while I respect my friend, I feel that he needs to re-examine his perception of the "jock" steriotype. Finally, I am not asking for donations to the athletic department; I am simply asking for a little bit of open-mindedness.
Thank you for reading
This opinion irked me. From my perspective as a student-athlete, I found this statement ironically narrow-minded. Academics are incredibly important aspects to an individual's intellectual development, and I feel that a school should wholeheartedly commit itself to the education of its students. That said, an individual's education should be much more than what is read from a book. Knowledge is incredibly important and its pursuit is a noble undertaking, but the experience of playing sports provides a mental, emotional, and physical stimulation that is unattainable through classroom learning.
I am a football player. Football is a sport that consists of two eleven-man units competing against each other. The unit must be elevated above the individual in order for a team to be successful. Every football practice I am taught a lesson in humility and comradierie; moreover, I feel that it is important for any individual to learn how to work in a group. As if this was not an important enough lesson, sports also help people build close relationships with others. From my perspective, my coach becomes a father figure, my teammates become brothers, and the school I represent becomes my home. While students in the academic arena build relationships with their peers and their teachers, in my experience as a student-athlete I have found the bonds forged in the athletic arena are far more intimate due to the competitive nature of sports. My most memorable experiences have been with my teammates while competiting in the sport that we love. Finally, while I respect my friend, I feel that he needs to re-examine his perception of the "jock" steriotype. Finally, I am not asking for donations to the athletic department; I am simply asking for a little bit of open-mindedness.
Thank you for reading
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Addiction
My chest heaves as I throw the weight to the floor. The impact makes the floor shake, a tremor felt even by the freshman girls who are doing crunches in the padded corner of the gym. Everyone in the entire room is staring at me, that is, everyone but the men at my side who grunt and strain with their loads, beads of sweat creeping down their faces. We are strong. We are fit. We are constructing ourselves into the perfect male archetype, the physically powerful and dominant figure that controls a male-dominated world. It is an unfair world, and I and the men around me work to grab it, force it into a headlock, and throw it down to our feet. We strive to be gods above mere mortals. We are addicted to the feeling, pain, chemicals, and society's steadfast approval of people who fit into its assigned physical profile. It is an addiction that has changed the course of our lives.
However, is the addiction to fitness a negative impact on people's lives? Exercise relieves stress, conditions the body, and prevents many bone and heart diseases. Without question, exercise is good for your health. Which are more important though, the results or the factors that motivate one to achieve those results?
I completely support the idea that everyone should get plenty of exercise, not only for physical health benefits, but also for the psychological benefits to exercise, such as an improved self-image. I have also looked at people who are incredibly fit, the real head-turners, as examples of what people can achieve if they have the proper drive to work for it. I considered these individuals as near-flawless examples of the personal improvement of the individual. However, now I am not so sure.
The most prominent idea against the emphasis on over-working one's self is how pop culture affects a female's self-image. "Starve yourself, you can be pretty someday," is the recurring message. As a result of the combination of a figure-focused society and a fitness-oriented society, many female teens have turned to exercise bulimia to try to achieve the impossible form that is cast at them through popular media. This phenomenon is not limited to females, however. Pop culture has a deep impact on what is "male," especially in regards to physical strength and body image. Everywhere I look, I see images of large, "jacked" (muscular and lean) men who are portrayed in positions of wealth, power, and sexual prowess. In magazines such as Esquire and Men's Health, fit men wearing thousand-dollar suits are in exotic locals with stunning women by their side. These magazines seem to scream "work out, tan and buy expensive clothing; all of this can be yours."When these are people's motives to hit the gym and get the exercise they need, it becomes hard to argue that working out is entirely positive. It can sometimes be a medium through which people can hurt themselves. Females may begin to slip into an eating disorder, and men face the temptation of using steroids to achieve results faster in exchange for their health. At this point, the quest for fitness has become perverted because exercise should be used to make one more healthy, not less healthy.
pictures from http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~power/franco.jpg
Exercise should be a tool to become healthy and happy, not a medium for self-destruction. My message is yes, you should go and work out, but think about why you are working out. Is it because some magazine told you that you aren't skinny enough, or "jacked" enough? It's your body; love it and nourish however you want.
Use fitness for fun things, like these guys (accessed April 5th, 2008): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEeqHj3Nj2c posted by youtube user sauloca.
Thank you for reading
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
One Chapter Ends, Another Chapter Begins
This is the beginning of the end. However, I do not mean in the common thought of the biblical notion of the apocalypse; I am reffering simply to the end of my high school education and the beginning of my college years.
Any teenager can tell you that the situation into which I find myself thrown can be a time of self-discovery and relaxation, a quick breather in the race of of life. It is High School Senior Spring. I find myself a person who is caught in an unusual zone where I no longer tackle five hours of homework a night to keep abreast of my academic pursuits. I am now doing the things I want to do, whether it is hanging out with friends, looking interesting videos up on youtube, or reading books that have collected dust on the bottom shelf of my bookcase. A new term has been introduced into my lexicon: "senioritis." A good definition of "senioritis" would be the nascent laziness of a college-bound senior This sickening disease of senioritis has taken hold, or at least that is what everyone keeps trying to convince me.
Frankly, I am not so sure. Is the behavior I am exhibiting really senioritis? For example, I am hanging out with my friends. Well, according to dictionary.com, the definition of an education is "the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills." I gain pieces of knowledge and nuggets of wisdom that I would have never come across without the pooled knowledge provided by my friend base wxposed to me through basic social interaction. I also enjoy reading books that are not included in the sillabi of my various classes. Now, I learn many things from my school classes; however, my perception of the world and the people in it are greatly influenced when I supplement my institutional learning with an auxilary source of knowledge. These are simply two examples of behaviors that teachers or administrators would consider the outward signs of seniors who simply don't care about their classes anymore.
I would strongly disagree with this popular notion of the "lazy" senior. Senoritis should not be a term used to describe high school seniors who are plagued by some "disease" of idleness. It is just an individual's re-evaluation of his or her own education. Slaving over homework and sitting through class are just two ways to learn; socializing and persuing independent interests are simply other methods of education that help one define him or herself. I hope that popular culture at some point can stop focusing on this aspect of our education and focus on the students' development as individuals.
On a side note, some blogs that I found interesting:
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/blogspotting/
http://www.buzzmachine.com/
http://michaelgracie.com/
http://www.blogherald.com/
Thank you for reading.
Any teenager can tell you that the situation into which I find myself thrown can be a time of self-discovery and relaxation, a quick breather in the race of of life. It is High School Senior Spring. I find myself a person who is caught in an unusual zone where I no longer tackle five hours of homework a night to keep abreast of my academic pursuits. I am now doing the things I want to do, whether it is hanging out with friends, looking interesting videos up on youtube, or reading books that have collected dust on the bottom shelf of my bookcase. A new term has been introduced into my lexicon: "senioritis." A good definition of "senioritis" would be the nascent laziness of a college-bound senior This sickening disease of senioritis has taken hold, or at least that is what everyone keeps trying to convince me.
Frankly, I am not so sure. Is the behavior I am exhibiting really senioritis? For example, I am hanging out with my friends. Well, according to dictionary.com, the definition of an education is "the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills." I gain pieces of knowledge and nuggets of wisdom that I would have never come across without the pooled knowledge provided by my friend base wxposed to me through basic social interaction. I also enjoy reading books that are not included in the sillabi of my various classes. Now, I learn many things from my school classes; however, my perception of the world and the people in it are greatly influenced when I supplement my institutional learning with an auxilary source of knowledge. These are simply two examples of behaviors that teachers or administrators would consider the outward signs of seniors who simply don't care about their classes anymore.
I would strongly disagree with this popular notion of the "lazy" senior. Senoritis should not be a term used to describe high school seniors who are plagued by some "disease" of idleness. It is just an individual's re-evaluation of his or her own education. Slaving over homework and sitting through class are just two ways to learn; socializing and persuing independent interests are simply other methods of education that help one define him or herself. I hope that popular culture at some point can stop focusing on this aspect of our education and focus on the students' development as individuals.
On a side note, some blogs that I found interesting:
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/blogspotting/
http://www.buzzmachine.com/
http://michaelgracie.com/
http://www.blogherald.com/
Thank you for reading.
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