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Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Election Reflection
Wow, the election felt so far away for the longest time, but now it is over. Barak Obama will now lead our country, and hopefully make positive changes. Throughout the election, many aspects have influenced and definitely impacted the election. First of all there is technology. This election is unique from the previous elections because of the impact technology had on it. Although many adults were influenced by technology, the youth was more susceptible to being influenced by technology because we have yet to be directly involved in the process, and therefore we are trying to determine where we stand in politics, and the influence of television, internet, and the radio is definitely effective. After listening to the NPR interview about the impact of technology on the youth vote made me realize how much we are influenced by what we see and hear. The NPR interview discusses how the youth is so enthusiastic toward the election because for many it is their first time voting. Also, they said that technology is like a phenomenon, and the campaign issues are surfacing everywhere, and the youth is formulating opinions towards the presidential candidates. They described the graph of Obama’s supporters as a hockey stick he started out slow, and then the youth got involved and his supporters spiked up. They also mention that the youth vote is really the vote of the state especially in Ohio and Texas because of all the colleges. The students tend to influence one another, and their vote swings the vote of their entire state. That is really significant! Finally, NPR suggested that the Democratic Party is more galvanized, and therefore was able to gain the youth vote. The other key influential technology during this election was SNL. SNL and moreover Tina Fey proved to be extremely influential said a FirstView Study. Researcher Mike Dabadie ran the study on the impact of the SNL skits. This study showed that ten percent of voters were directly influenced by the skits! Also, the study revealed that voters were interested in restoring trust in government more so than the economy. The skits captured the essence of the politicians while using their weaknesses to prove points. I personally thought the SNL skits were hilarious, and they really make you rethink who should be in charge of running the country.
The MSNBC discussion of the Civil Rights Movement was very moving. The Congressman described the suffering and past pain was so worth it. He says that it is a victory for America because it is finally a union. He brings up Martin Luther King Jr, and his dream. The election of Obama as president really made Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream come true. African Americans worked so hard for so many years to become one with the white Americans, and it finally happened. America finally left discrimination and segregation in the past to come together as one to make a better future. It is truly a historic election, and it is a huge triumph throughout the world. We made history by finally coming together to elect a president based on the issues and not the color of their skin.
I was following the Election Geek blog for my political blog. After the election, the blog had tons of posts. This was a neutral blog that was neither republican nor democratic so the posts were pretty receptive of Obama’s victory, but some posts were of disappointment. There is also an interesting post about the stock market taking the largest post election dive. It links you to an article about this drop in the market. The most interesting post was the one that compared the vote of the youth US News said the youth had a large impact, but MSNBC said that the youth was not influential. These articles were both very good arguments, but I agree that the youth vote definitely had an impact.
The MSNBC discussion of the Civil Rights Movement was very moving. The Congressman described the suffering and past pain was so worth it. He says that it is a victory for America because it is finally a union. He brings up Martin Luther King Jr, and his dream. The election of Obama as president really made Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream come true. African Americans worked so hard for so many years to become one with the white Americans, and it finally happened. America finally left discrimination and segregation in the past to come together as one to make a better future. It is truly a historic election, and it is a huge triumph throughout the world. We made history by finally coming together to elect a president based on the issues and not the color of their skin.
I was following the Election Geek blog for my political blog. After the election, the blog had tons of posts. This was a neutral blog that was neither republican nor democratic so the posts were pretty receptive of Obama’s victory, but some posts were of disappointment. There is also an interesting post about the stock market taking the largest post election dive. It links you to an article about this drop in the market. The most interesting post was the one that compared the vote of the youth US News said the youth had a large impact, but MSNBC said that the youth was not influential. These articles were both very good arguments, but I agree that the youth vote definitely had an impact.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Political Blog Post 2
My original blog dealing with Al Gore was not updated so I have chosen a new blog to follow. The new blog is called Election Geek. This blog has all sorts of news, perspectives, polls, articles, and everything else dealing with the 2008 election. It is a very informative news blog, but it is also very interesting. Each post focuses on a single problem or issue. I liked this method because it is easier to understand and get a hold on that topic. When the blog talks about a whole debate, it is hard to pinpoint what each candidate’s exact response was to an issue.
This week, one of the posts discussed Obama’s side of the debate last night, and the other talked about the voter discrepancies in Ohio. Both were very interesting posts. The debate post talked about all of Obama’s key issues that he was going to discuss throughout the debate. It kind of inferred that Obama knew that John McCain was going to try to attack him. In doing this, McCain would seem like the stronger candidate and therefore, could possible win back some of his lost votes. Although, after seeing the debate last night, McCain did indeed attack Obama, Obama’s plan for Main Street and the economy of our nation was still much stronger than McCain’s. Obama plans to setup a four part plan of attack for the strengthening of the economy and the middle class. Obama's Economic Relief Video details the whole plan, and it is adressed by Obama himself.First, he plans to stabilize our financial system. Secondly, he wants to provide relief to communities everywhere. He also wants to provide relief to families, and help the struggling homeowners. I think Obama seems to have a better grasp on the whole situation. The blog also said how confused McCain has been since the whole crisis began. I feel that after the debate, Obama won.
The most recent blog dealt with the voters in Ohio. It is an article from the Associated Press. It talks about how one out of every three new voters will be questioned about their voter registration. So far, 200,000 people have been but on a court list because their voter information does not match their social security or motor-vehicle information. I think that this is very interesting, and I cannot wait to hear more information about this problem.
Fianlly, this Poll Tracker, allows you to see the percentages of votes between Obama and McCain.
This week, one of the posts discussed Obama’s side of the debate last night, and the other talked about the voter discrepancies in Ohio. Both were very interesting posts. The debate post talked about all of Obama’s key issues that he was going to discuss throughout the debate. It kind of inferred that Obama knew that John McCain was going to try to attack him. In doing this, McCain would seem like the stronger candidate and therefore, could possible win back some of his lost votes. Although, after seeing the debate last night, McCain did indeed attack Obama, Obama’s plan for Main Street and the economy of our nation was still much stronger than McCain’s. Obama plans to setup a four part plan of attack for the strengthening of the economy and the middle class. Obama's Economic Relief Video details the whole plan, and it is adressed by Obama himself.First, he plans to stabilize our financial system. Secondly, he wants to provide relief to communities everywhere. He also wants to provide relief to families, and help the struggling homeowners. I think Obama seems to have a better grasp on the whole situation. The blog also said how confused McCain has been since the whole crisis began. I feel that after the debate, Obama won.
The most recent blog dealt with the voters in Ohio. It is an article from the Associated Press. It talks about how one out of every three new voters will be questioned about their voter registration. So far, 200,000 people have been but on a court list because their voter information does not match their social security or motor-vehicle information. I think that this is very interesting, and I cannot wait to hear more information about this problem.
Fianlly, this Poll Tracker, allows you to see the percentages of votes between Obama and McCain.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Palin vs. Biden
The debate between Biden and Palin proved to be much better than Americans expected. The debate was predicted to be full of drama and mistakes, but surprisingly, neither Palin nor Biden made any noticeably large mistakes.
The first key issue discussed was the financial crisis occurring in the United States right now. Palin was asked the question and responded that it was the people on Wall Street’s fault. She said the bankers were just being greedy. She also said that is was partly Congress's fault because they ignore the loans that are given to people who cannot pay it back. Biden responded by saying that the whole crisis was no doubt due to George Bush. He was very adamant that Bush's weak presidency was the cause. He then went on to say that McCain supports the politics that regulate the economy, and the country cannot have four more years of Bush. Another key issue addressed was the drilling of oil in Alaska. Palin stood by her statement that there should be oil drilling in Alaska. I thought it was funny how she said that it would be "environmentally safe" drilling. Honestly, if you are drilling a state for oil, that is never environmentally friendly. Biden was against the drilling, and proposed alternative ways of energy like wind power or solar power. Finally, the third major issue discussed was Iraq and Afghanistan. Palin wanted the government spending to pay for more military troops in Afghanistan. Biden on the other hand said that the government should use the money to rebuild. Then, Palin attacked Obama's plan to meet with Iran's president who I will not even attempt to spell his name. She said that this was a dangerous move for our country. Biden's only response was that Obama never said that. This response was fairly weak.
Although Palin was a lot more camera friendly than Biden, who continued to address the orator Gwen, I think Biden won the debate. Palin's earlier interviews left McCain's campaign scarred. So, she practiced a great deal for this debate which paid off because she was able to stitch up the scar. Despite the stitches, she is now back to where she was before the previous interviews. She needs to start healing the scar in order to win the presidency. Biden was very to-the-point and straightforward. Unlike Palin, he answered the orator’s questions when asked. Palin was asked questions or a rebuttal and immediately changed the topic to talk about something she practiced. Also, Biden was very careful not to be make big mistakes when quoting McCain. In the previous election, he was caught for plagiarizing, and so I thought it was very good when he said McCain said...and I quote, and then he switched quickly and said something like actually I will paraphrase. This left him free from criticism about mixing up McCain's words. Biden also made very good arguments, and he did a better job promoting Obama then Palin did McCain.
The first key issue discussed was the financial crisis occurring in the United States right now. Palin was asked the question and responded that it was the people on Wall Street’s fault. She said the bankers were just being greedy. She also said that is was partly Congress's fault because they ignore the loans that are given to people who cannot pay it back. Biden responded by saying that the whole crisis was no doubt due to George Bush. He was very adamant that Bush's weak presidency was the cause. He then went on to say that McCain supports the politics that regulate the economy, and the country cannot have four more years of Bush. Another key issue addressed was the drilling of oil in Alaska. Palin stood by her statement that there should be oil drilling in Alaska. I thought it was funny how she said that it would be "environmentally safe" drilling. Honestly, if you are drilling a state for oil, that is never environmentally friendly. Biden was against the drilling, and proposed alternative ways of energy like wind power or solar power. Finally, the third major issue discussed was Iraq and Afghanistan. Palin wanted the government spending to pay for more military troops in Afghanistan. Biden on the other hand said that the government should use the money to rebuild. Then, Palin attacked Obama's plan to meet with Iran's president who I will not even attempt to spell his name. She said that this was a dangerous move for our country. Biden's only response was that Obama never said that. This response was fairly weak.
Although Palin was a lot more camera friendly than Biden, who continued to address the orator Gwen, I think Biden won the debate. Palin's earlier interviews left McCain's campaign scarred. So, she practiced a great deal for this debate which paid off because she was able to stitch up the scar. Despite the stitches, she is now back to where she was before the previous interviews. She needs to start healing the scar in order to win the presidency. Biden was very to-the-point and straightforward. Unlike Palin, he answered the orator’s questions when asked. Palin was asked questions or a rebuttal and immediately changed the topic to talk about something she practiced. Also, Biden was very careful not to be make big mistakes when quoting McCain. In the previous election, he was caught for plagiarizing, and so I thought it was very good when he said McCain said...and I quote, and then he switched quickly and said something like actually I will paraphrase. This left him free from criticism about mixing up McCain's words. Biden also made very good arguments, and he did a better job promoting Obama then Palin did McCain.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Al Gore Tells All
1.The blog I read was all about Al Gore's efforts since his lose in the election. The blog, Al's Journal, has many posts that were very interesting. They touch on major issues, but especially, global warming. Gore writes a new entry about once a week. His posts cover all different issues and they deeply analyze the government today. I liked the way he writes because he explains the issues, then he states his opinion, and finally gives research to back his opinion. In a couple of the posts, he wrote plans of action for the citizens as well. His blogs are very personalized and when reading them it is like he is talking to you. It was very nice to have that non-distant feeling like we do with President Bush today.
2. This professional blog was a lot more sophisticated than the other blogs I have viewed so far. It was much more focused, and the issues affect the entire world. Also, the writing style is very professional. Some of the gossip blogs I have read were not correctly punctuated and they used slang. Gore also added a lot of evidence that supported his opinions. Most of the blogs I read were opinions with no evidence supporting it. He also added movies and graphs so that viewers could really see his points visually. Finally, this blog had links to action plans, laws, other politicians, ect. The other blogs were basically just a person's thought about an issue. It really did not give research or links to further learn about the topics.
3. The major issue presented in almost every month was global warming. Gore describes this from different perspectives which I thought was very well done. He describes the climate change through different people in different location's eyes. He also presented a series of graphs. On one of his more recent posts from September 8, 2008, he describes how Los Angles is beginning to have massive mud slides. He provides links to articles in the Wall Street Journal to give readers a better feel for the topic. Gore thinks that the climate is changing significantly, and it needs to be stopped. On September 16, 2008, Gore explains his new "Hockey Stick" graph. This graph shows how the temperatures remained the same for 1,000 years until the Industrial Revolution took place. After this, the temperatures increased and they have been on the rise since then. I think that global warming is slowly destroying the world. Species of plants and animals can not live, workers are losing jobs, farmers cannot control their crops because of the increasing temperatures, and the Artic Ice is melting. I think that this is a very important issue, and I am glad to see a politician taking it upon himself to do something about it.
2. This professional blog was a lot more sophisticated than the other blogs I have viewed so far. It was much more focused, and the issues affect the entire world. Also, the writing style is very professional. Some of the gossip blogs I have read were not correctly punctuated and they used slang. Gore also added a lot of evidence that supported his opinions. Most of the blogs I read were opinions with no evidence supporting it. He also added movies and graphs so that viewers could really see his points visually. Finally, this blog had links to action plans, laws, other politicians, ect. The other blogs were basically just a person's thought about an issue. It really did not give research or links to further learn about the topics.
3. The major issue presented in almost every month was global warming. Gore describes this from different perspectives which I thought was very well done. He describes the climate change through different people in different location's eyes. He also presented a series of graphs. On one of his more recent posts from September 8, 2008, he describes how Los Angles is beginning to have massive mud slides. He provides links to articles in the Wall Street Journal to give readers a better feel for the topic. Gore thinks that the climate is changing significantly, and it needs to be stopped. On September 16, 2008, Gore explains his new "Hockey Stick" graph. This graph shows how the temperatures remained the same for 1,000 years until the Industrial Revolution took place. After this, the temperatures increased and they have been on the rise since then. I think that global warming is slowly destroying the world. Species of plants and animals can not live, workers are losing jobs, farmers cannot control their crops because of the increasing temperatures, and the Artic Ice is melting. I think that this is a very important issue, and I am glad to see a politician taking it upon himself to do something about it.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
2 Interests
1. Project Runway
This blog gives all the details of the show, and gives you a glimpse of life behind the scenes. I love Project Runway, so it was really interesting to read about the show. On the blog, you can also click on any of the designers from this season or seasons past and it will connect you to their own personal blog. It tells you where they are now and what impact the show had on their life.
2. Photography
This blog is very helpful if you are interested in buying or learning about cameras. I am obsessed with photography so this blog was very interesting to me. It gives reviews and ratings on the cameras. It also has a discussion forum that you can post questions or comments to.
This blog gives all the details of the show, and gives you a glimpse of life behind the scenes. I love Project Runway, so it was really interesting to read about the show. On the blog, you can also click on any of the designers from this season or seasons past and it will connect you to their own personal blog. It tells you where they are now and what impact the show had on their life.
2. Photography
This blog is very helpful if you are interested in buying or learning about cameras. I am obsessed with photography so this blog was very interesting to me. It gives reviews and ratings on the cameras. It also has a discussion forum that you can post questions or comments to.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The Dumbest Generation?
Seriously, "the Dumbest Generation"? So when people started adapting to the use of the post office were they dumb because they did not know how to use the pony mail express? Or, when the typewriter came out was that generation "dumb" because they did not have to hand write? These are just a few examples of why we are not the dumbest generation. Both articles presented had valid points, but i can not fully endorse the label of the dumbest generation.
Mark Bauerlein, author of The Dumbest Generation, describes eight aspects in which the youth of today is proving to be "dumb". In actuality, our generation is moving the world further technologically, and teens today know so much about technology that it can really benefit us in our later life. In school, each class is structured for the students' benefit. We use a combination of computers and paper to complete work. Having the technology accessible is so beneficial. It allows us to create projects that, in a regular classroom, would never be able to be done. Teachers and adults today can not come to the realization that our generation is just as smart, we just learn in different ways. Bauerlein claims that we cannot spell, but does spelling make you smart? Furthermore, what is his definition of dumb?...books, spelling, age. The only way we can prove ourselves as a generation is to make the world a better place once we graduate. Each teenager will give their part to the world. Also, when our generation enters the workforce, we will bring ideas and programs that can better the company. We should never be called "the dumbest generation" again. It is belittling us and it is unruly.
There are several kinds of intelligences a person can have. Whether they be technological, environmental, or literate, they should all be equally respected. A big claim these days is the hours upon hours we spend on the computer. Although this may be true, there are millions of websites we can utilize to better our work. It is a luxury to be able to go online and find exactly what you need. I know that past generations were not given this luxury, but that does not give them the right to berate us. There will always be advancements in medicine and technology and the different generations will adapt to them rightfully so. The events and inventions of a generation is what makes them special and makes the world we live in diverse. Our parents were in the generation of televisions and typewriters. Our grandparents experienced the radio and the movies. So were they considered "dumb" to their older generations...I do not think so.
The future will always keep advancing, and the best way to live is to jump on the train and accept the changes. Adults need to see the big picture too. How come our generation is able to get into the same universities and colleges that they once did if we are "dumber"? Even though we have the technology at school does not mean that we do not still do things the old fashioned way. Twenty-first century classrooms are as new to us as they are to older generations. We have to learn new concepts that can prove very frustrating for us. The idea of one on one laptops at school is shocking to me. It is amazing how quickly we are able to advance. I wish adults can appreciate our generation for what its worth, and just let us show the world what we can do.
Mark Bauerlein, author of The Dumbest Generation, describes eight aspects in which the youth of today is proving to be "dumb". In actuality, our generation is moving the world further technologically, and teens today know so much about technology that it can really benefit us in our later life. In school, each class is structured for the students' benefit. We use a combination of computers and paper to complete work. Having the technology accessible is so beneficial. It allows us to create projects that, in a regular classroom, would never be able to be done. Teachers and adults today can not come to the realization that our generation is just as smart, we just learn in different ways. Bauerlein claims that we cannot spell, but does spelling make you smart? Furthermore, what is his definition of dumb?...books, spelling, age. The only way we can prove ourselves as a generation is to make the world a better place once we graduate. Each teenager will give their part to the world. Also, when our generation enters the workforce, we will bring ideas and programs that can better the company. We should never be called "the dumbest generation" again. It is belittling us and it is unruly.
There are several kinds of intelligences a person can have. Whether they be technological, environmental, or literate, they should all be equally respected. A big claim these days is the hours upon hours we spend on the computer. Although this may be true, there are millions of websites we can utilize to better our work. It is a luxury to be able to go online and find exactly what you need. I know that past generations were not given this luxury, but that does not give them the right to berate us. There will always be advancements in medicine and technology and the different generations will adapt to them rightfully so. The events and inventions of a generation is what makes them special and makes the world we live in diverse. Our parents were in the generation of televisions and typewriters. Our grandparents experienced the radio and the movies. So were they considered "dumb" to their older generations...I do not think so.
The future will always keep advancing, and the best way to live is to jump on the train and accept the changes. Adults need to see the big picture too. How come our generation is able to get into the same universities and colleges that they once did if we are "dumber"? Even though we have the technology at school does not mean that we do not still do things the old fashioned way. Twenty-first century classrooms are as new to us as they are to older generations. We have to learn new concepts that can prove very frustrating for us. The idea of one on one laptops at school is shocking to me. It is amazing how quickly we are able to advance. I wish adults can appreciate our generation for what its worth, and just let us show the world what we can do.
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