Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Lab Rats and Housewives
Before I went to go take my American Studies final this morning, my mom suggested I watch this video as way to see the outer stratosphere of subjective truth. Let's give it up for the Housewives. No more boring stereotypes on "normal".
Sunday, January 16, 2011
META-POST II!
Rereading all of my blogs from this quarter has really got me thinking. I have been watching the Golden Globes and like the Golden Globes most of my blog posts fall into different categories.However, I would say the best blog post goes to...(drum roll please)....Tea Parties and Rattlesnakes! Most things I write about are things that have inspired me or caught my eye in my everyday life---which is one of the reasons why I love this post. Looking out the car window on the way to school I noticed our neighbors flag. The iphone is the camera I always have with me. I really enjoy images because it allows the viewer to formulate their own opinions. My main goal is to be truthful and to get people to think.I also enjoy making different connections between different eras and finding parallels in the echos of symbols. The American Studies course directs me to more political topics along with the fact that our dinner table is full of political discussions and opinions. I think next quarter I will try and changed it up a bit and explore other topics than just political ones.
I love the feeling of accomplishment when I get to press the "Publish Post" button. There is something powerful about sending it out there kind of like finishing a rigorous, athletic workout. I also enjoy having the ability to channel what I am thinking and wondering through an aperture. I hope this is evident in my post. Although it is nice to have our blogs read and commented on, for me it is not about the number of followers, but about having a place of my own where I can do whatever my heart desires...with minor exceptions. It is pretty safe and soothing like "journalling". Though, it is public and creative too. These are some of the realizations I have come to after a semester of blogging. I encourage people to experiment and discover the positives of blogging.
I love the feeling of accomplishment when I get to press the "Publish Post" button. There is something powerful about sending it out there kind of like finishing a rigorous, athletic workout. I also enjoy having the ability to channel what I am thinking and wondering through an aperture. I hope this is evident in my post. Although it is nice to have our blogs read and commented on, for me it is not about the number of followers, but about having a place of my own where I can do whatever my heart desires...with minor exceptions. It is pretty safe and soothing like "journalling". Though, it is public and creative too. These are some of the realizations I have come to after a semester of blogging. I encourage people to experiment and discover the positives of blogging.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Take Out Your Pencils, Class….
Last blog I wrote about various verifiable facts on the 112th Congress. Ironically, last Sunday the NY Times had a quiz in their Education Life Section on the 112th. Add this test to your schedule. Think of it as a break from studying for finals. Here is the quiz:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/01/09/education/edlife/20110109-edlife-quiz.html?ref=edlife
Because we have clearly established it is politically incorrect and socially unattractive to worry about grades I won’t ask how you did! You will know how well you did because it is a multiple choice test and you can calculate your score. As we examine the very interesting and important esoteric questions of truth and fiction, we will be present our views through our individual prisms and we will be evaluated based on the prisms of another. Unfortunately, the world outside AS is not as patient and does not always have the time to assess and categorize our multiple intelligences on multiple factors. Most colleges want the score card. Will we know the facts as presented in the quiz above? Our junior year is a battery of ACTs, SATs, SAT Subjects, APs and Prairie States. How well will we know the facts and chronologies that make up the history of the United States? It does matter. Particularly today, facts are needed when news agencies and politicians spin history to suit their goals. Michael Steele (RNC ex-chairman) said his favorite book was War and Peace and then quoted the first line as, "These were the best of times, these were the worst of times..." John Boehner (House speaker) said he was quoting the constitution when he said,"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights including life liberty and the pursuit of happiness." They both have their facts wrong. Will you know your facts by the end of junior year? When will you have the time to learn them?
Good luck on your weighted GPAs next week.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/01/09/education/edlife/20110109-edlife-quiz.html?ref=edlife
Because we have clearly established it is politically incorrect and socially unattractive to worry about grades I won’t ask how you did! You will know how well you did because it is a multiple choice test and you can calculate your score. As we examine the very interesting and important esoteric questions of truth and fiction, we will be present our views through our individual prisms and we will be evaluated based on the prisms of another. Unfortunately, the world outside AS is not as patient and does not always have the time to assess and categorize our multiple intelligences on multiple factors. Most colleges want the score card. Will we know the facts as presented in the quiz above? Our junior year is a battery of ACTs, SATs, SAT Subjects, APs and Prairie States. How well will we know the facts and chronologies that make up the history of the United States? It does matter. Particularly today, facts are needed when news agencies and politicians spin history to suit their goals. Michael Steele (RNC ex-chairman) said his favorite book was War and Peace and then quoted the first line as, "These were the best of times, these were the worst of times..." John Boehner (House speaker) said he was quoting the constitution when he said,"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights including life liberty and the pursuit of happiness." They both have their facts wrong. Will you know your facts by the end of junior year? When will you have the time to learn them?
Good luck on your weighted GPAs next week.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year from the 112th Congress!
The 112th Congress is set to begin on Monday, January 3. Their vacation ends when ours does--- though they have voted to give themselves a couple of days to get organized before starting sessions on Wednesday the 5th (we don’t have that luxury!). Just as a reminder the Democrats still have the Senate majority with 53 seats (two of which are independents that caucus with Democrats) and 47 Republicans---for a total of 100 members. Joe Biden is the President of the Senate and Daniel Inouye of Hawaii is the next in line as the leader of the Senate behind the Vice President since he is the senior. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) will continue as the Majority leader and Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) as the Minority leader. There will be 13 new senators. Over in the House of Representatives there are 435 representatives with 6 non-voting members. There will be 242 Republican member and 193 Democratic members. John Boehner of Ohio will take over the job of Speaker from Nancy Pelosi of California. There will be 93 new representatives. Michele Bachman’s (R- Minnesota) Tea Party Caucus had 52 members in the House when it was formed last summer. It is unclear if the new freshman will join her group or form their own. New Tea Party Republicans in the Senate include: Lee(Utah), Paul(Kentucky), Rubio (Florida), Johnson (Wisconsin) and Toomey (Pennsylvania).
I just wanted to give our class a reminder of the change of control Congress will go through next week. It should make for some very interesting new dynamics in the nature of debates and priorities to say the least!
I just wanted to give our class a reminder of the change of control Congress will go through next week. It should make for some very interesting new dynamics in the nature of debates and priorities to say the least!
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