More Tax Cuts = More Economic Suffering for America

So much is currently happening in this country I hardly know where to begin.

I guess I could try to broach the Debt Deal... though I am completely aware that I do not understand all of the technicalities of the US economy I do not understand how taking money out of the economy will improve our situation. I was under the impression that the government was encouraging Americans to spend more and promote US businesses and employment opportunities in America. If we take money out of the economy are we not also rising unemployment rates?
Secondly, I sincerely do not understand why the wealthy are so resistant to a mere 6% tax increase. They are able to contribute more to their country, and if they were willing to pay a slightly higher income tax, I believe the nation could be in a different place. The wealthy are paying less than they have in a long time and important programs driving this nation are having their funding cut as a result of it. I don't believe this is a fair trade-off. It seems as if the country as a whole is going to suffer so a small percentage of the population can enjoy a tax break.

I am scared for the economic times to come. I am not upset with Obama, simply overwhelmed with the Tea Party's willingness to hold the White House to ransom.
If this first debt-ceiling request was granted, how long will more spending cuts be made?

I found The Atlantic's 'Five Ways the Debt Crisis Changed America' simply frightening.

Sexual Objectification in Advertising

For my final paper, I wrote about the objectification of women over the course of America's history. When looking through modern advertisements I was blown away by how often women are exploited in ads. Here are some shocking examples of advertisements all from one organization alone, PeTA, the largest animal rights organization in the world. It obviously will go to great (and shamelessly sexist) lengths to send it's message. Here are some examples where women are sexually exploited or objectified (turned into sexual objects) in order to promote PeTA's message.

On PeTA's official website they explain  Why PeTA uses nudity in their campaigns.
Is the fact that PeTA must "rely on getting free "advertising" through media coverage" an excuse for their constant exploitation of women? Do their good intentions eliminate the harmful messages they are sending Americans?

Looking Back: Second Semester Blogging

I am absolutely shocked that this school year is literally days from being over and that I have been blogging for such a length of time. In less than 10 months I have recieved about 2,500 views from six continents (including Russia, Thailand, Argentina, Slovenia, South Korea and Australia).
Over the year, and semester, my posts have really covered a large range of topics. Some posts, such as Token Tiana and Donald Trump on Citizen Kane were directly inspired by class discussions while others were events/ideas I was personally passionate about or that were prevalent in the news.
I now see possible blog topics nearly everywhere. I have about 20 drafts sitting in a folder in my Blogger account. Most of these were never completed because I have a tendency to start writing a new post without completing the previous one in fear I'd forget what I was going to write about. But the posts I actually manage to publish follow a formula I've been using all year long.
In my last Meta-post I commented on the fact that each of my blogs have three main parts 1. an image 2. a link to an article or website and 3. the actual blog, usually containing a question I have regarding the topic of the post.  This past semester I experimented with inserting YouTube clips and using personal experiences in my posts. I feel like I've grown a lot as a blogger over the course of this year and it has been an extremely rewarding experience!

*** It was extremely difficult for me to choose a post to be graded for this quarter but have chosen "There's always been a little green behind the Red, White and Blue..." as my post to be graded. (Please excuse the weird formating/discoloration that I've been having trouble with)

Quadroon and Octaroon

Race has been a huge theme throughout American Studies. Even though strides seem to have been made toward equalizing races, race is still used as an identifier for many official and federal documents. For example, we are asked to identify our race when taking the ACT and when applying to colleges. However, it is becoming more and more difficult to find people of solely one race. (Hence the 'Melting Pot' of the USA). One article, titled "Black? White? Asian? More Young Americans Choose All of the Above" can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/us/30mixed.html- this article speaks directly to how racial identification is becoming more difficult as our nation matures and more Americans are trans-racial. Mixed races have additionally been recognized since the 2000 census, in which one could report being multiple races. The author of this article, Susan Saulny reports, "Optimists say the blending of the races is a step toward transcending race." If this is true, there are high hopes for racial equality in America.

However, the different multiracial identities may be a new way to distinguish yourself as well. This article and class led me to wonder whether race will ever cease to matter. Some people choose to proudly identify themselves as black, Indian, Asian, Asian-Hispanic, Asian-black, Quadroon, mulatto or even just plain white. Others would like simply to be identified by their traits and achievements. Is it possible to be considered simply "American?"

A Day to Remember

For some Memorial Day is simply a day off school or work, in reality it is so much more. It is a day to stop, think, pray for and remember all of the brave military personnel who gave their lives while serving in the US military.
Each and every one of us has been effected by war veterans, and America would truly not be the country it is without their service. It is important we share our memories of these heroes, particularly on a day like Memorial day.
One heartbreaking story here.

Yesterday, May 28, 2011, Chicago celebrated Memorial Day with an annual parade to be thankful that we live in a country where freedom, justice and democracy are proudly defended.
A ceremony took place early in the morning, when the names of Illinoisans who have in active duty this past year (23 in total) were read.  Odierno, commander in chief of the U.S. Joint Forces Command was the Grand Marshal of this years parade and joined in commemoration of fallen soldiers, as well as their family members saying,  "Today, as we honor the memory of your family members, who sacrificed so much, we also honor and thank you.”
So this Memorial Day, before enjoying the sunshine, burgers and brats, take the time to remember those who died in service of this country, and those whose lives will never be the same without them.
-Chicago Tribune coverage of the parade.

"There's always been a little green behind the Red, White and Blue...''

As I mentioned in my previous Ireland series of posts, Obama  planned, and now has visited Ireland in his tour of Europe. When I was visiting there, months in advance to his visit, many Irish were very excited for his visit, declaring he has Irish roots. He visited May 23rd and was welcomed with open arms. During his visit, Obama traced his roots and discovered that his grandfather's grandfather originated in Moneygall, Ireland. After enjoying a pint of Guinness there, Obama made his way to Dublin to give a speech.

His speech was very positive and focused on the American Dream- which we discussed in great depth today in class. He recognized that a large perecentage of Americans have Irish ancestry, which can be credited to the inspiration the American Dream provided for Irish (as well as other) immigrants to migrate to the US.  

For a visual recording of the speech go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngwyKsUg9Ms

Obama defined the American Dream in a variety of ways saying immigrants left "behind all they knew in hopes that something better lay over the horizon" they had, "...faith in America" which was seen as "a place where you could be prosperous, you could be free, to think, and talk, and worship as you pleased, a place where you could make it if you tried." I think his definition agrees with much of what we were saying in class. This dream extends beyond material wealth to social freedoms and ultimately happiness.

 

A summary article quotes Irish Taoiseach, or prime minister, Edna Kenny. "Today, the 44th president comes home," he said "He doesn't just speak the American dream. He is the American dream."

The idea of one person representing the American Dream also relates to class discussions. Is it possible for Obama to represent the American Dream even though he grew up with wealth and did not follow the "rags to riches" trend we've highlighted in class?

P.S. If you listen to the whole speech, you'll even catch a pretty interesting Freddy D. reference!

The World is Over...Why is Everyone still Here?

Yes. We made it. We are alive...
Despite the Rapture becoming a relatively large topic of discussion this past week, the world remains pretty much as we know it (despite the news Arnold Schwarzenegger has fathered multiple love-children). Though there has been considerable hype about this event, a lot of people don't really know what it is. In fact, I heard someone call it the "Rupture" today.
Most people recognize the Rapture, May 21st, 2011- as the day the "world will end" or the day all non-Christians will die, or go to hell. Yep, admittedly some heavy stuff. All of this absurd ruckus began when Harold Camping, an admittedly adorable old man, decided to alert the world of the Rapture.
I'm just confused as to why anyone believe Camping such as one man, Steve, who believed Camping's 1994 doomsday prediction as well.

In his book "Time Has an End," Camping explains many questions I had about this day.
1. How did he determine the exact date? "The year 391 B.C. is the year when the Old Testament was finished, and 2,011 + 391 - 1 = 2,401, or 7 x 7 x 7 x 7"(Camping)
2. Why would God kill so many people? Camping says God will punish America and the rest of the world for Gay Pride and same-sex marriages.
3. Who will God save? It seems that Camping believed Jesus would descend to earth and select about 2 to 3% of the population to be raptured (yes, it is a verb as well) and the other 98% or so would be left on Earth to be crushed in an earthquake on October 21st.
For more Q&A: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/hottopics/detail?entry_id=89183#ixzz1NCaBmM00

All I can think of throughout any of this is that the media is desperate to grab onto this ridiculous claim. Or, that there were people out there willing to believe it.

To read more about Camping's reaction on the 22nd please go here, he seems legitimately confused: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/under-god/post/harold-camping-speaks-after-rapture-fails-to-begin-on-may-21/2011/05/23/AFxMIp9G_blog.html
For other believer's reactions: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/22/may-21-judgment-day-may-22_n_865298.html

Donald Trump on Citizen Kane

After we finished the classic movie, "Citizen Kane" in class today, I couldn't help but compare Kane to the wealthy  and influential men of today. Personally, when I think of rich men, I think of Bill Gates, professional sports players and Donald Trump. I found 'The Donald' to be most similar to Kane. He is currently the 278th richest man in the world, has his own TV show, is funding the construction of huge buildings across the country and now may be running for president. Kane was one of the most wealthy men in the world, had his own newspaper, built an opera house along with other mammoth buildings and, at one point, it seemed that he would inevitably become president. Both had immense public influence. What we don't know, is whether Trump suffers from the same hardships that Kane did.
Curiously enough, I found a clip of Trump talking about what  Citizen Kane meant to him. You can view it below:

In this expose Trump acknowledges that he can relate to Kane. He notes that Kane, "had the wealth, but he didn't have the happiness" and that he believes (most likely from personal experience) that "wealth does isolate you from other people. It's a protective mechanism..." He can relate to the way wealth can separate one from others. However, before getting too personal the interview ends.
He fails to hold Kane responsible for his selfishness or loneliness, instead he blames it on his wife, ending with advising Kane to, "Get yourself a different woman."
By blaming his unhappiness on anyone but himself gives one insight on Trump's self-righteousness and superiority complex (that I believe is similar to that of Kane).

***In the clip check out the framing of Trump and his facial expressions...at points eerily similar to Kane's.

Carl Smith

Tonight we had the opening performance for American Studies Day 2011.
Professor Carl Smith from Northwestern University spoke to a sizable crowd about the power of place, while focusing on Chicago.

For those of you who were unable to attend here are some highlights that I thought connected to our class discussions:
- Smith talked a lot about trains, and the placement of the tracks. For example, the railroads were arranged so freight traffic wouldn't go through the city (for aesthetic purposes)
- He also spent a lot of time on the "Chicago Plan" of 1921, I believe it was called. Apparently architects had hopes of Chicago developing into a new Athens or Paris... it seems these plans were not fulfilled.
- Chicago underwent something called the "City Beautiful Movement." This movement emphasized a common theme in Smith's lecture- that appearance/aesthetics was vital in the creation of Chicago, and in nearly all places
- One ideology, "a good place to live is a good place to work" relates to our investigation of the Western suburbs. One suburb, Winnetka does not seem to follow this ideology.  Winnetka seems to be primarily a residential community, and most residents travel away from their homes to go to work. Instead, this ideology seems to support the lifestyle that many people in Bellwood follow.
- An opposing ideology was, "a great place makes for a great people." This belief focuses more on the appearance and structure of a community, rather than on it's purpose as, like in Bellwood a logistic center.
-Lastly, Smith spoke about the 1921 Winnetka Plan. Evidently, this plan seemed to focus on zoning (like we spoke of in class today) as well as depressing the train tracks. This depression can be related to the "Big Ditch" completed in 1943.

Overall the presentation was extremely enlightening and really leaves one to wonder about the thought process that must be undergone when constructing a city or community such as Chicago or Winnetka. Where do you place everything? What's more important purpose or presence? It seems nearly everything was considered to create the Chicago we know and love today.

Prom on the Northshore

Yesterday was Prom for New Trier High School. Nearly everywhere I looked I was reminded of the ridiculous amount of money that was lavishly spent on this one night. Prom is a dance that takes place in all classes and communities however, the different aspects of prom is certainly indicate class.

1.  nearly all groups of 16, 17, and 18 year-olds arrived in limos, or at least party buses. Some of these limos were large enough to fit 50 people.

2. The prom was held at the Rosemont Center, where chandeliers line every ceiling.

3. Dinner was, let's just say, surprisingly extensive. There were chefs with huge roast turkeys, slabs of beef, ham, salad bars, fruit, cheeses, pasta, burgers and (to show how culturally diverse we are) kabobs and spanikopita.

3. The dance was elegantly decorated, and  we were trusted with real glass plates, metal silverware and clothe napkins.

4. There were large TV screens on the dance floor showing both music videos and live footage of the dance.

5. A professional photographer was distributing printed photos in folders for anyone who so desired.

6. Many girls were clad in designer dress, shoes and glitzy jewelry- correspondingly guys all had on nice tuxes, complete with cuff links and shiny shoes.
7. Probably a quarter of girls got their hair professionally styled.
8. At my after party, Arnold Palmers were served.

The indicators continued into the night, but my main point I guess is simply that there are indicators of class EVERYWHERE! Regardless of the fact that prom is a lavish occasion regardless of social class, the details of every prom can indicate what class the school falls into.

Obama, Credited for Death of Osama?

Osama Bin Laden is dead. As Obama stated, his death marks that "Justice has been done." Although the execution of one of the most-wanted terrorists in the world is an incredible achievement highlighting America's capabilities, terrorism is still a prevalent if not probable reality.

Ever since Osama was killed in a raid, the country has been on high-alert. Extra precautions are being taken everywhere, particularly in airports were soldiers are present, and specialists are sitting analyzing behaviors of all passengers. (details here).

It seems a new paranoia has set-in.
The globe seems to be holding its breathe for reprisal attacks by al Qaeda. In fact, many friends of mine seem positive of an attack on 9/11/11. Obama seems to be at particular risk. He will shortly depart for Ireland (in about 3 weeks), and extreme measures must be taken to ensure Obama's safety. The security in Ireland (as I experienced) is not as thorough as that in the US, and the possibility that an al Qaeda sympathizer travels to Ireland in order to find Obama there is relatively high.

That being said. Will Obama be credited for the death of Osama? Democrats are often criticized for being weak on defense. However, I believe that the fact that Osama was tracked down and executed under a democratic president definitely combats these aggressive and radical claims. I am hopeful that Obama will be given full credit, and hope that those critical of what "little process" he has made in his presidency are able to recognize the significance of this accomplishment...for the US and for the world.

Lastly and most importantly, I hope this news gives the people who's lives were directly affected by 9/11 a small sense of peace. My heart and prayers always go out to you.

***Also, anyone who has ever uttered the words "Barrack Osama" please, just think before you speak.

Ireland: "the US is just good entertainment"...

I am always interested to hear what other countries think of the US. In Ireland, people had relatively strong opinions/feelings about the US.
Long story short, the clutch went out on our rental car and we got stuck in the middle of the road in the middle of nowhere- somewhere near Ballydesmond. So we needed to call AA (no not triple A, double A). After waiting a lot longer than an Irish 5 minutes AA arrived and I ended up next to him in his truck to get to the Shannon Airport.
Once he found out I was American he starting ruffling around in his side compartment, until he pulled out a large container full of CD's. After putting in ACDC, The Dropkick Murphy's, and Kid Cudi, he found the CD he was looking for-it was recordings of talk shows criticizing Bush, Tiger Woods, Paris Hilton, and other American icons. He laughed heartily, and I must admit that I thought it was pretty good stuff. He asked me about my opinions of former President Bush (who is apparently hated by nearly all Irish, and particularly by this man) and Obama (who the Irish were generally in favor of, mostly because he was going to visit Offaly county in May).

I, in turn, asked him about his opinion of President Kennedy, who all Irish seemed to love, to the point a main square/park in the large city of Galway was named after him after he visited for less than 24 hours.
The AA man seemed to have steadfast opinions on many American presidents and celebrities. However, as he said, to the Irish "the US is just good entertainment for us here overseas, just f***ing funny stuff."

Overall, this instance and the trip in general reminded me of how brightly the global spotlight shines on America. There are many stereotypes about American politics, tourists and general ways of life.
One article further highlights what the Irish and other Europeans think of us Americans. Is there a way to improve how we are thought of by the rest of the world?

The View from the Top

I can't believe it. It's over.

At 2:16 today we turned in our junior themes....CONGRATS EVERYONE!!!!
I just had to take a post to acknowledge everyone's hard work, some sleepless nights, great teamwork and class bonding (through peer editing, interviews and late night Skype sessions). We did it, and I hope everyone's relieved, proud and finally taking some time to celebrate Passover and Easter.

(and no worries Doc Oc and Bolos, I'll write a legit post shortly!)

Ireland: Simplicity

(A continuation of my trip to Ireland...please note that this was my personal perception of the 'state of things' and is not fact or applicable to the country as a whole!)

Within a half hour of landing in Shannon, Ireland I realized that the Irish sense of time is somewhat skewed. An airport security guard warned my family and I of a "Irish 5 minutes". In reality their 5 minutes is a half and hour in reality.

Throughout the trip the "Irish 5 minutes" was applicable across the country (from Galway to Glendalough). The Irish seemed to have a much laid back attitude about life in general. My high-strung family, used to rushing around, stressed out about work, school and time was somewhat confused by the degree of relaxation that the Irish generally seemed to incorporate in their everyday life.
My sister attends the National University of Ireland in Galway. She has noted, as a very high-achieving and self-motivated student, that Irish students take school less seriously than students in America... one could definitely say they're more laid back and take time to enjoy themselves even more so than students at certain so-dubbed "party" schools in the US.
It seemed to me that the Irish follow a different lifestyle with different priorities and a different mindset.

I think that America, or at least the Northshore, could take a lesson from the Irish. We should all take a 20 minute break from our day to sit down with a cup of tea, and heck maybe even a scone!

(In major cities there were advertisements for therapy and yoga and such in many places. In fact Ireland has it's own Stress Management Institute... check it out!

Ireland: Heritage

Clonmacnoise, Ireland                                        March 29th, 2011

"May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be ever at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And the rain fall softly on your fields
And until we meet again, May God hold
you in the hollow of his hand"

~ Traditional Irish Blessing

Ireland: Housing Boom

For my Spring Break this year, I left the US to visit Ireland for 10 days. It was a brilliant trip, and a lovely country. While I was overseas I noticed many cultural and economic differences and figured I could share some of them with you all. (Maybe a series of posts on Ireland...)

Most people are familiar with the Irish potato famine and the hardships the country and people have faced. However, what many do not know is that the economy of Ireland today is in a deep recession, like the US. Ireland fell victim to a housing boom. Contractors constructed a multitude of houses. On my trip I saw clusters of modern houses, all similar in style and size. The majority of the houses/building however were empty. Ireland spent a huge amount of money on this housing project leaving the banks in debt. For more detailed information on Irish finance news please visit http://www.finfacts.ie/irishfinancenews/article_1015142.shtml .

The debt was substantial leaving the Irish government to look for advise from other countries. The US prompted the Irish to bail out the banks, which has now left Ireland in a deep recession.
In my opinion, the US led Ireland astray.

Above is a chart where the increase in buildings constructed corresponds with a net migration (out of the country) likely due to the bad economic times Ireland is under- likely due to the housing boom and bank bail-out.

"We Are One"

Today, April 4, 2011 marks the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. This year a "We Are One" campaign is taking place in honor of MLK's dream of collective bargaining and equal rights. The event is occurring across the country where union members and their supporters are coming together to show their support for unions, the middle class, and workers rights. The decline of unions is curious, and especially prevalent today due to the events that have taken place in Wisconsin. More information about "We Are One" is available here: http://www.aflcio.org/splash_april4_live.cfm?continue=/commonspot/sync/packethandlers/do-packet-steps.cfm

Events, rallies, vigils, speeches and community meeting are taking place in every state. There is so much you can do to show your support for unions, and events are even happening in the New Trier Township. Tonight (April 4th) at 8:00PM in Wilmette at 1324 Gregory Avenue, "Teachers that believe in reducing the structural system/control of tenure (while upholding Union Rights)" are meeting for the  "Teachers of the Burbs" event as part of "We Are One."

Show your support for America's labor movement by signing the pledge to make a difference! Thanks!

HAPPY ST. PATRiCK'S DAY

Regardless of whether you're Irish or not, please take this absolutely gorgeous and warm March 17th to enjoy yourself!
I am from an extremely Irish family, and while we are of course preparing the typical corned beef and cabbage tonight, I am just finishing off a shamrock shake!

Every year I wait in eager anticipation for the return of my number one favorite treat. Now they come topped off with whipped cream and a cherry (hardly necessary but nice for you gourmets). If you've never experienced the delight of these delish minty milkshakes, I would 100% encourage you to pick on up, just for St. Patty's day! These green shakes have been around for a over 40 years, and I thought this brief history of shamrock shakes was pretty neat.

These McDonald's commercials are also pretty interesting...

They are all from the 1980's and all have a pretty different approach, it's interesting to see the difference in these commercials from the McDonald's commercials we see today advertising fancy almost "designer" lattes and frappucinos complete with whipped cream. (Notice any tokenism or advertising techniques?)

*I'll let y'all know if they have shamrock shakes in Ireland in a couple months.

Starting is the Hardest Part

On Monday, our American Studies class began Junior Theme, a research paper that is dreaded and talked about since freshman year.
The first step is picking a current issue/topic with a history in America. Wow. It doesn't seem too difficult, because there are thousands of issues and debates going on in the USA this very moment.

My initial topic list ranged from the emergence of the "Tea Party" to the bottled water industry.
Today, after three days of angst, struggling to choose a single topic, I'm still very much unsure of which direction to go in. At this moment in time, I've settled on the topic of unions. Why have unions declined?

I'm guessing that I will most likely change my topic for the umpteenth time within the next hour, however, unions are present in today's news (particularly in light of the protests in Wisconsin) and have a past. Unions grew in membership in power in the 1950's, they were challenged by many companies and government officials *cough, cough...Reagan* and continue to be part of today's economic structure despite shifts from an economy focusing on manufacturing to a service economy.

I'll keep my blog updated with any rash decisions, and hopefully will be able to report back that my research on unions is going well!

Happy Monday

Happy Monday. (sorry to those of you who regard this as an oxymoron). Regardless of how tired you may be feeling today, keep in mind that Monday's are the start to what could be an awesome week. The day is yours. Do with it what you'd like.

**I hope no one is freaking out about Junior Theme, we have plenty of time to work on it!