Into...the ocean?

Despite being on a blogging hiatus I could not help but talk about an interesting story I heard about. An Italian adventurer, Alex Bellini was just rescued after 10 months at sea. Bellini planned on crossing the Pacific ocean in a row boat. Yes, a row boat. He started off in Peru and began rowing to Australia. Bellini travelled more than 9, 500 nautical miles, but was caught in strong winds within 65 nautical miles of his goal. He was to exhausted to continue and called his wife for via satellite phone and asked for help. Bellini was at sea for a total of 10 months! He survived on dried foods and desalinated ocean water. He communicated with is family via satellite phone. Bellini said the the most difficult of his journey was the solitude and missed his wife terribly. His motive for his trip was not to set records but, to do it, and that "the other reason of my trip was making a trip inward. So it was discovering something of myself." 

I couldn't help but think of Into the Wild and thinking of Chris McCandless and all the other adventurers mentioned in chapters 6-9. He too pursued an outdoor adventure in order to find something out about himself, but was more prepared and capable of accessing others via satellite phone. Unlike McCandless, Bellini had experience, he had also rowed across the Mediterranean and Atlantic seas. This is just another example of how remote natural settings appeal to those who are searching for themselves. 

"Native Vision Gives Hope for Future"

While flipping through Lacrosse Magazine an article grabbed my attention. It was titled "Native Vision Gives Hope to Future". It opened with a powerful image, "In a 30 minute jog, I weaved through a labyrinth of shattered liquor bottles and empty cardboard beer cases on the shoulder of a 55-mph highway" the author then said, "Life on the Ft. Apache Indian Reservation, I quickly realized was not for the feint of heart ... or slow of foot".  The author along with 6 other US Lacrosse staff members went to teach lacrosse to 130 middle-school children. He goes on to explain the children's willingness to learn and practice.  He says, "Nothing happens quickly, however. And, it's hard to teach an 8 year old to envision a path that leads beyond his immediate horizon, especially one that could, ultimately, pull him away from home." 

I hardly expected to find a connection to American Studies while reading Lacrosse magazine, but I was surprised. This is an example of how Westward Expansion has forever changed the lives of generations of Native Americans. In the Fort Apache Indian Reservation more than half of the population lives below the poverty line. Much like the Spokane Indian Reservation, in Reservation Blues, alcoholism, substance abuse, and obesity are prevalent issues. The failed treaties and unfilled promises that took place during Westward Expansion forced these conditions on Native Americans, forever changing the lives of their people. Previous to Westward Expansion Native Americans were free to live where they wanted. Through failed treaties, war, disease, and land swindling they were left with nothing but the small areas designated to them by the Government, often wastelands invaluable for farming or other business.  People who once had all the land now must find ways to leave their home if they wish to be successful. I think it is great that US Lacrosse members are teaching kids the game of lacrosse. However,  the fact that the children live in an area that makes them dream of  athletic success not because they love the sport, but because it is an opportunity to leave their homes behind. We tend to view Westward Expansion as brave Americans venturing out into unknown territory to fulfill their destiny, we rarely remember the cost at which this expansion came at, but I'm sure the White Mountain Apache Tribe, and other tribes will never forget how it changed their lives. 

Walmart Rush

While watching the land race in Far and Away I was reminded of a tragic story I heard. On Black Friday a Walmart employee was trampled by a crowd of shoppers. The crowd was over-eager to get "big savings" on their holiday gifts. They broke down the electric doors and stormed the store. In the stampede towards the items, a Walmart employee was knocked over and then trampled to death. I find it appalling that people could be so blinded by a sale that they could not realize they were stepping on a person. The employee, Jdimytai Damour had no experience in crowd control, but was chosen for his size, he was 6-5 and weighed 270 pounds. My prayers go out to his family, the loss of his life could certainly been prevented. 

 The event reminded me of the land rush in Far and Away. The director of Far and Away clearly glorified the land race. The scene was exciting, jaunty music played in the background, it was a beautiful day, and opportunity was in the air. It barely portrayed the Native Americans who were losing their land or the people's greed in general. Like the people of Far and Away the crowd at Walmart allowed themselves to get caught up in the frenzy of ownership. The Walmart case shows how American materialism has progressed further. The people were so desperate to get items on sale that a man's life was lost. Although the current economic situation has made the holidays harder for some families, a recession is no reason to value a sale over a man's life. 

Great= Misunderstood

  Emerson once said, "To be great is to be misunderstood."  This statement applies to Upton 

Sinclair, the author of my junior theme book, The Jungle. Sinclair wrote the novel in hopes of exposing the corruption of the Chicago Meat-packing district and capitalism. He hoped that through his description of life for a family of Lithuanian immigrants, Americans would recognize the destructiveness of capitalism and pursue a more socialist way of life. Instead, the most enduring legacy of his novel was the creation of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act. Although the government's inspection of meat factories was progress, Sinclair was disappointed because they focused more on cleanliness, not on improving the brutal working conditions. Sinclair felt misunderstood, his most famous words are " I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident hit it in the stomach." 

When I read Emerson's quote I immediately thought of Sinclair. I thought it was interesting how the two books I was reading for American Studies could relate so well. Although both author's books were on the surface very different, they both hoped their works would cause social reform. Emerson is regarded to be one of the greatest contributors to American literature, Sinclair forever changed the good industry. Sinclair really is an example of "To be great is to be misunderstood." 

Presidency=No more BlackBerry

When Barack Obama takes office he will do so without one of his most prized possesions: his BlackBerry. Throughout his campaign Obama's BlackBerry has never been far from his side, in fact normally it was attached to it (by his belt). But that will change when he assumes his role as President. An article in the New York Times describes Obama's use of his BlackBerry and e-mail. He must give up his BlackBerry for security reasons and also because of the Presidential Records Act. The Presidential Records Act puts the president's correspondence in the official record and in public review. Throughout the campaign Obama relied on his BlackBerry to stay in touch with friends and keep informed on current events. His briefing books were sent to his Blackberry, or if too long, to his laptop. According to friends, his messages were crisp, properly spelled and free of emoticons. Obama will no longer be allowed to e-mail once he becomes President. Obama is not the first president that will deal with the loss of this important technological advancement; three days before inauguration President Bush sent this message," Since I do not want my private conversations looked at by those out to embarrass, the only course of action is not to correspond in cyber space. This saddens me. I have enjoyed conversing with all of you." During meetings in which BlackBerrys had to be placed in the center of the table Obama could be caught sneaking glances at his. 

Last week in class we talked about how our society has become increasingly dependent on technological devices, even the future President has developed a BlackBerry addiction.  I was surprised to learn that the President was not allowed to send e-mails, although this makes sense from a security standpoint,  it is very inconvenient. I also found it interesting that Obama would get distracted by his BlackBerry in meetings, just like many people are distracted by their phones in class or while talking in a group. It is sad that he must give up something that has been so useful to him, but it is a small sacrifice for being the leader of our nation. 

"The Enemy Within"- A new Perilous Times artifact?

While reading this Saturday's Chicago Tribune I noticed a big picture that said Witch Hunt, intrigued I began to read the article. It was a book review about an author we have read in class, John Demos. Demos has written a new book "The Enemy Within: 2,000 years of Witch-Hunting in the Western World", which also relates to our Perilous Times unit. Demos contradicts the beliefs that science has eliminated the belief in witch craft by mentioning that day-care child abuse and sex-ring scares that occurred in the 1980's and 1990's. In Bakersfield California, four people were convicted of Satanism based on the claims of ritual killing of infants and animals. Also in California, there was the McMartin preschool case in which children were intensely questioned, resulting in tales of sex acts and Satanic rituals. This questioning led to 63 spin-off investigations, which resulted in no convictions. Demos believes that similar cases developed in Minnesota, Texas, New York, Tennessee, and Massachusetts (also home to the original Salem Witch Trials). Demos states that "Witch-hunting was, and is, a cross-cultural, transhistorical phenomenon". He also says, " always and everywhere, charges of witchcraft were grounded in a web local, immensely personal relations." The article also mentions "The Crucible" as another artifact that connects with-hunting to a modern day event. 

I believe that excerpts from Demos' book could be really beneficial to the Perilous Times unit. With the exception of the Red Scare, we didn't really examine any more recent "Witch-hunts".  It could be an interesting addition to the Perilous Times artifacts. 

If you are interested in reading the article here is the link: "The Enemy Within: 2,000 Years of Witch-hunting in the Western World" by John Demos -- chicagotribune.com 

(picture from www.amazon.com) 

Just Google your chance of getting the flu!

Sounds ridiculous right? Well, in preparation for flu season Google has teamed up with the US government's Center for Disease Control and Preventions. Here's how it works: Google has invented a way to monitor flu outbreak's by tracking users' illness related searches. What is the benefit to this new system? It is much faster than traditional flu surveillance programs and also provides maps and graphs that show the intensity of flu outbreaks in the United States. Google believes there is a correlation between how many people google flu symptoms and the amount of people that are actually sick.  Google hopes to give people advance warning of flu outbreaks and help America stay healthy. 

I found this to be very interesting, but one has to question the accuracy of this survey. Could someone just be interested in the flu symptoms, while not actually having any of them? The answer is yes, so it may cause the intensity of the flu to be inflated. Despite this flaw it still could be very helpful if you are curious to know the amount of people that have the flu in a certain state. Also, it is easier to update than traditional flu surveys, which could offset its inaccuracy in the searches. Google also provides a flu shot locator, making it easier to find a convenient location to get vaccinated. I believe that this is an interesting and helpful resource in flu trends (in case you are wondering Illinois flu activity is low). 

 

The Popularity of Voting

It seems that every minute of the day the upcoming election is present. Whether its a conversation in class, the news, the radio, a tee-shirt, or at the lunch table people are constantly involved with the election and everyone has an opinion. I find it interesting that this wouldn't have been the case 200 years ago.  When the Constitution was first created the only people allowed to vote were the members of the Electoral College. Members of the Electoral College were typically wealthy white land owners. The Constitutions creators did not trust the ordinary citizen to be capable of making the decision of who our President should be. 

I wonder how the Presidential Election of 2008 would differ from our countries first elections?   Today any US citizen over the age of 18 can vote, regardless of their gender, race, occupation or social status.  If our election process hadn't changed, I doubt the Candidates would be paying for 30 minute advertisements on major networks or that the media would be as involved in all aspects of the campaigns. However, the ultimate decision remains in the control of the Electoral College, a fact I often forget due to the constant bombardment of media that tells voters how important their decision is. I do believe that the Electoral College is an important institution because many voters will vote on the candidate based on how he appears in the media, their vote will not be based on the candidates qualifications or policies. The Electoral College continues to ensure that the President  will ultimately be put into power by people who are well educated on the current issues and how each candidate plans to address them. 

Dreams and Realities: Beijing Olympics 2008

The Olympics has always been a place where dreams come true. Whether it is an athlete who has been training for this moment their whole lives, a parent anxiously waiting to see the result of their child's dedication, or a spectator who wants to see their country win the gold. With these dreams comes controversy; this year it was centered around the Chinese gymnastic team. The Chinese Olympic team had all the talent and dedication required to compete in the olympics, but had they met the age requirement? While watching I was surprised with how young some of the gymnasts appeared to be. I clearly was not the only person to feel this way, the gymnasts' ages were questioned in reports by The New York Times and Associated Press. Athletes must meet an age requirement of 16. The Chinese gymnasts He Kexin, Jiang Yuyuan, and Yang Yilin definitely appear to be younger than 16. Their ages continue to be under investigation. 

Did the Chinese Olympic team let their dream of winning the gold get in the way of reality?

Seeing as the Olympics took place in Beijing this year, the "home" team might have been willing to win, at any cost. The Olympics is a world wide competition, each country must uphold the rules made by the Olympic Committee.  It is unfair to all the other gymnasts who competed, and also those who were unable to compete because of the age restriction. The Chinese victory has  been surrounded by controversy; many people do not accept them as the true gold medalists.  I hope that in the future teams do not allow their dream to prevent them from competing fairly. 

What it means to be an American

Our first unit question of American Studies was "What does it mean to be an "American"? Angelina Jolie gave her answer to this question in a recent interview with Hello! magazine. She said "One of the best things about America is that we area melting pot, a mix of many,many different races and nations. Yes, they have their own nationalities and are very proud of them, but that certainly doesn't diminish the fact that they're American. To me, that is what being American is."  For those of you who are not aware Angelina Jolie has 6 children, 3 of them have been adopted and all of the children were born in foreign countries. Her view of America as a melting pot is commonly held, but her family is a very unique American family. 

This question also relates to the presidential elections. During the elections the phrase "American" is constantly used. Each candidate tries to appeal to all Americans, often subtly changing their speeches to appeal to the type of people in their audience or the issue they are speaking on. The diversity of America is something that makes it so unique as a country, and that is why the President must be good at unifying the many types of people that make up our country. 

Woman Attempts Suicide After Facing Eviction From Home

This week, a 90 year-old woman in Ohio shot herself. The shot was not fatal, the reason was that she was facing eviction from her home of 38 years. Addie Polk was found by police in her home with a self inflicted gun shot wound in her shoulder. Deputies have given Polk's eviction notice 30 times before she shot herself. She could not keep up with the mortgage of her modest single family home. The article concluded by saying "Home foreclosure rates are at record highs in the United States, in many cases because buyers adjustable interest rates could not keep up with sharp increases in monthly payments. The foreclosure crisis has sparked wider housing market downturn and is at the heart of the U.S. financial crisis." 

This specific example really made me realize the perilous times we are living in. I have never really understood the stock market, the importance of a lot of what is said on the news about the financial crisis is hard for me to grasp. However, when I saw how the crisis was affecting one person it suddenly became a lot more real. The crisis is going to hit those living on fixed income the hardest. It is much more difficult to them to just "ride it out". Suicide rates in the United States were highest during the Depression, this current economic crisis has already caused at least one attempt at suicide. Lets hope our current  and new leaders find a solution to the current financial crisis.

Article Analysis

The argument my article was trying to make wasn't exactly hidden, it was explicitly expressed in the title " Vote No on con-con question". I found this article in the opinion section of the local newspaper , The Winnetka Talk. The author's name is not given. Every twenty years voters must decide whether a constitutional convention should be held to rewrite the Illinois constitution.  The author says " We have a good constitution that serves the state. That's why there is no hue and cry for a new one." The author disputes the pro con-con argument that says a new constitution is the only way to resolve issues that the leaders are unwilling to fix. They agree that there are pressing issues that need attention, but says " They are political issues to be resolved by the state's elected representatives for a certain time and place, not determined and enshrined for all time in a constitution." Also, they mentions that it may cost up to $80 million dollars to revise, as well as a lot of time. This is a logical appeal, they are saying that the constitution cannot be used as a way to fix issues, that is the job of elected officials. Also, saying "for all time" makes the idea seem impractical. They use the example of Patrick Quinn, a man who made a cutback amendment to the constitution created yet another issue with the constitution, which the pro con-con side wants fixed. The author says " What other supposed constitutional fixes will have similar unintended consequences?" This example appeals to logic again, if amending the constitution didn't work in the past, why would it work now? The author concludes their argument by saying " We have tough issues facing us in Illinois that require political courage and much political skill. But we don't require a new constitution." 

I believe that this was a very successful argument. The author doesn't try to disguise their opinion as fact, instead they blatantly state "Vote No". The article appeals to logic by using the Patrick Quinn example and providing a lot of fact. The author doesn't deny the issues that face Illinois, he just states another more effective way of dealing with them. The cost of the revision made me really doubt whether it is necessary. This is both a logical and emotional appeal, because it seems like a large amount of money in an economically perilous time. The author constantly refers to other sides beliefs, and uses evidence to prove why they are wrong. Obviously there is bias, but the evidence given makes the author's opinion more credible. It is clearly written by someone who not only has passion, but knowledge of the subject. Although I cannot vote, I still connect with the author because the issues they mentioned effect my everyday life. I thought the argument was a very logical approach to the issue and was persuaded by the evidence put forth by the author. The ending quote was particularly powerful, it called for courage and skill, which I think our leaders need to have more of. The article succeeded in persuading me, and I'm sure it did for other readers. If I could vote, I would definitely vote no on the con-con issue.

Magic on the Field Turns Deadly

            This Sunday 13 people were killed at a soccer match in eastern Congo in a riot that broke out after one of the players was accused of using witchcraft. The majority of the victims were between the ages of 11-16. They were suffocated as the crowds hurried out of the stadium. I had often thought that witchcraft was something of the past. When I think of witchcraft I think of the Salem Witch Trials and Puritan prosecutions. It was interesting to me to find out that many people in Africa still believe in witchcraft. Many African people have suffered, whether it has been civil war, genocide, or starvation. Witchcraft is one thing that the people may turn to during these "Perilous Times". One of our country's earliest perilous time was the Salem Witchcraft Trials. 

The majority of Western society views witchcraft to be devil worship or something from the past. It is normally frowned upon or thought as strange. We fail to remember that in other countries they rely on witchcraft or magic to get them through difficult times. Many people think it to be "hocus pocus" due to stereotypes. At the end of the article there were comments that were rude about the spectator's belief in witchcraft, but i think it is important to respect other people's ways of coping with hard times. In Africa they have believed in witchcraft for thousands of years, long before other established religions were brought over by missionaries, which is probably why they still believe in it. Western society may find this is strange, but I think it is wrong to discredit their beliefs especially after such a tragic event. Here is the article if you are interested in reading it. 

Pocahontas

This weekend while babysitting I watched the classic Disney movie Pocahontas. Disney accurately portrayed the ideas of the settlers in the song "The Virginia Company", the men went over to "The New World" searching for gold and glory. Unlike the usual stories that make the settlers out as heroes, Disney accurately portrays them as greedy and prejudice against any natives they might meet. The song "Savages" is a very honest account of the views that many Europeans had about the Native Americans. The kids I were babysitting were surprised to find out that the white settlers were "mean" to the Indians. The Powhatan tribe was featured in the film, Disney played close attention to details and were very accurate in their description of this tribe.
However, Disney did not end the story truthfully. When John Smith and Pocahontas meet, Pocahontas magically learns to speak English. Pocahontas is one of the only Disney films to feature inter-racial marriage, however their is no historical evidence that this romance ever occurred. The film ends with the English settlers and Powhatan tribe going to war. In the movie the leader of the English, Governor Ratcliffe tries to shoot the chief, but John Smith valiantly jumps in front of him, and takes the bullet. Disney failed to represent the true story of what happened in order to have a more romantic and child-friendly ending. This is unfortunate because it prevents children from learning what really happened when the first settlers came to North America and from understanding more about Native American culture. Kids are left with the impression that the settlers were all heroes like John Smith, and that greedy governors were punished for their actions. I believe that the earlier children learn the true history of the Native American people they have a better chance of understanding how it affected American history. Disney never claimed Pocahontas to be a "real" story, but many kids accept it as true. I think that this will prevent them from fully learning the truth about how our country became the way it is today.

First Post

This is my first post!