I just received this e-mail from my professor in my International Relations class. It's a list of commonly-though to be American past times & goods that have become globalized, or were never American in the first place. I found it kind of interesting because I think we take so many things for granted to be "American" without thinking of things on a global scale.
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/07/02/surprise-american-icons-that-arent-american/
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Big Brother's Tracking Your Ford..
So I just recently saw this on the news. Apparently a 20 year old student attending college in Santa Clara, CA took his car for an oil change when he discovered a GPS tracking device and battery pack attached the rear of his vehicle. He and his friends posted pictures of the device online to see if it was real or not. Turns out it was. That was after a dozen FBI agents came to his home demanding the device back.
It seems very strange to target such a young kid but here's the kicker-- the reason it was done is because his father is Egyptian. And he's Arab. Even though his an American citizen, born in the United States he is not safe from suspicion. I think this ties in pretty well the ideas of stereotyping we've been discussing.
Here's the link if you'd like to read more.
It seems very strange to target such a young kid but here's the kicker-- the reason it was done is because his father is Egyptian. And he's Arab. Even though his an American citizen, born in the United States he is not safe from suspicion. I think this ties in pretty well the ideas of stereotyping we've been discussing.
Here's the link if you'd like to read more.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Media-Induced Weddings..
We started discussing the idea of lavish American weddings in my anthropology class, and I really find the idea interesting. I mean, there are countless shows about the "ideal" type of wedding everyone in America should have. Everyone knows what I mean: at a castle, mansion or a beach; an engagement ring with a massive rock; an intricate expensive wedding gown; hundreds of guests; beautiful flowers, catering, live music, professional photographers, and a huge ornate cake at the center of the room... the list goes on and on..
But why is that? This is not tradition as everyone may think. Before the 80's, weddings generally took place in a church or chapel, and the reception took place at home with a small gathering of family and friends who brought homemade food with them.
A defining factor of this phenomenon is Princess Diana's wedding, and the media coverage it was granted. It was broadcast around the world, and it showed a wedding as people had never seen it before: a lavish event, at a castle, with hundreds of people, where the bride was married and became a princess.. it was like a dream. A dream woman since then have tried to replicate.
But the fact is ladies, most of us are not going to become princesses when we get married. We don't live in castles. We really can't afford a 10 thousand dollar dress, or a thirty thousand dollar diamond ring for that matter. It's nothing but an allusion that lasts about 12 hours, and puts us into more debt than we can afford.
The worst thing is that even though most women (and men) know this, the media has created an image of a wedding that we feel we must compete for. That if we deliver anything less at our own weddings we have failed in someway-- that we have not lived up to expectations, and maybe further still, we have "set the tone" for the rest of our marriages. I find this ridiculous.
(This is a clip from Bridezilla. It is hilarious. In every way it shows how ludicrous the entire wedding industry has become)
I would like to think that I am not going to fall into what has become the norm. As of right now I have no desire for a dress that costs thousands, or a huge reception, or a ring that weighs my hand down. Maybe it's because I'm young (and, let's face it, poor) but I'd like to think not. I know I'm in the minority on this issue for the most part-- even my boyfriend has fallen victim to it. He believes that we need to wait to get married until we can afford the "perfect ceremony" and the "perfect cake" and the "perfect ring".
I think most of us need to come to terms with reality. It's not a bad thing!
[sigh]
I guess for now I'll be satisfied being "pre-engaged" (as my boyfriend and I call it. I wear a diamond promise ring...) Until we can afford the "perfect" day...
But why is that? This is not tradition as everyone may think. Before the 80's, weddings generally took place in a church or chapel, and the reception took place at home with a small gathering of family and friends who brought homemade food with them.
A defining factor of this phenomenon is Princess Diana's wedding, and the media coverage it was granted. It was broadcast around the world, and it showed a wedding as people had never seen it before: a lavish event, at a castle, with hundreds of people, where the bride was married and became a princess.. it was like a dream. A dream woman since then have tried to replicate.
But the fact is ladies, most of us are not going to become princesses when we get married. We don't live in castles. We really can't afford a 10 thousand dollar dress, or a thirty thousand dollar diamond ring for that matter. It's nothing but an allusion that lasts about 12 hours, and puts us into more debt than we can afford.
The worst thing is that even though most women (and men) know this, the media has created an image of a wedding that we feel we must compete for. That if we deliver anything less at our own weddings we have failed in someway-- that we have not lived up to expectations, and maybe further still, we have "set the tone" for the rest of our marriages. I find this ridiculous.
(This is a clip from Bridezilla. It is hilarious. In every way it shows how ludicrous the entire wedding industry has become)
I would like to think that I am not going to fall into what has become the norm. As of right now I have no desire for a dress that costs thousands, or a huge reception, or a ring that weighs my hand down. Maybe it's because I'm young (and, let's face it, poor) but I'd like to think not. I know I'm in the minority on this issue for the most part-- even my boyfriend has fallen victim to it. He believes that we need to wait to get married until we can afford the "perfect ceremony" and the "perfect cake" and the "perfect ring".
I think most of us need to come to terms with reality. It's not a bad thing!
[sigh]
I guess for now I'll be satisfied being "pre-engaged" (as my boyfriend and I call it. I wear a diamond promise ring...) Until we can afford the "perfect" day...
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
How Free Should Speech Be?
Today the Supreme Court will begin to discuss the Constitutional rights of protesters that make protests at funerals.
Here is an excerpt from the CNN coverage on it:
" In 2006, members of the Westboro Baptist Church protested 300 feet from a funeral for Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder in Westminster, Maryland, carrying signs reading 'God hates you' and 'Thank God for dead soldiers.' Among the teachings of the Topeka, Kansas-based fundamentalist church founded by pastor Fred Phelps is the belief that the deaths of U.S. soldiers is God's punishment for 'the sin of homosexuality.' "
The family sued, and was later granted almost $8 Million dollars for compensatory and punitive damages. The "church" involved has done this before, and since the incident with Matthew Snyder, including the funeral of Matthew Shepard who was a victim of anti-gay hate crimes and beatings.
While the Supreme Court will debate this issue for months, the question must be asked: How free should speech be? While it is protected by the Constitution, should it be treated with discretion? Do grieving families deserve the right to grieve privately? Does restricting the freedom of speech to appropriate locations and times infringe upon our Constitutional rights? As a political science major I have also believed that no matter what, freedom of speech and expression should not be staunched. However, it is cases like these that test that belief. How can we allow people who spread not only propaganda, but outright HATE to have the ability to do so?
Freedom of speech is well and good as long as it does not cause physical harm, or death on another individual. Spreading hate and messages like this "church" does is not an expression of opinion-- it is nothing more than just homophobia and hatred.
Here is an excerpt from the CNN coverage on it:
" In 2006, members of the Westboro Baptist Church protested 300 feet from a funeral for Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder in Westminster, Maryland, carrying signs reading 'God hates you' and 'Thank God for dead soldiers.' Among the teachings of the Topeka, Kansas-based fundamentalist church founded by pastor Fred Phelps is the belief that the deaths of U.S. soldiers is God's punishment for 'the sin of homosexuality.' "
The family sued, and was later granted almost $8 Million dollars for compensatory and punitive damages. The "church" involved has done this before, and since the incident with Matthew Snyder, including the funeral of Matthew Shepard who was a victim of anti-gay hate crimes and beatings.
While the Supreme Court will debate this issue for months, the question must be asked: How free should speech be? While it is protected by the Constitution, should it be treated with discretion? Do grieving families deserve the right to grieve privately? Does restricting the freedom of speech to appropriate locations and times infringe upon our Constitutional rights? As a political science major I have also believed that no matter what, freedom of speech and expression should not be staunched. However, it is cases like these that test that belief. How can we allow people who spread not only propaganda, but outright HATE to have the ability to do so?
Freedom of speech is well and good as long as it does not cause physical harm, or death on another individual. Spreading hate and messages like this "church" does is not an expression of opinion-- it is nothing more than just homophobia and hatred.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Sister Wives?
Has anyone else started watching TLC's new show, "Sister Wives"?
If you haven't it is a pretty awesome show, because it is so different. It follows a man with his three wives and their twelve children (with another on the way); and he's now looking to marry a fourth woman (who has three children of her own).
Personally, I am a monogamous person. Always have been, always will. But I think it's pretty fascinating watching people who live in this type of household. The house itself has been designed by a polygamous so there are three complete separate parts of house for all the wives. The dynamic of the family is incredible to watch-- how all the women get along, and work together raising the children, and contributing to the household. And, not going to lie, the husband Cody is like a superhero. He works, takes care of all his children, gives equal amounts of attention and affection to all his wives, AND is dating! (My boyfriend couldn't believe it). It's pretty insane.
I'm currently in an anthropology of women class, and the issue of monogamy and polygamy has been addressed many times. I think this is pretty fascinating because even though all of these women have decided to enter into this type of lifestyle, and they do not seem repressed at all by their husband, there is still a level of jealousy among all of them. There is especially a higher level of jealousy now because their husband has a new girlfriend.
I can't help but being sucked into what TLC shows. Not sure why, but I love getting a glimpse into the lives of other people. And shows like this reinforce the type of life I'm hoping to have in the future!
(With just myself, my husband and a lack of 13 children).
If you haven't it is a pretty awesome show, because it is so different. It follows a man with his three wives and their twelve children (with another on the way); and he's now looking to marry a fourth woman (who has three children of her own).
Personally, I am a monogamous person. Always have been, always will. But I think it's pretty fascinating watching people who live in this type of household. The house itself has been designed by a polygamous so there are three complete separate parts of house for all the wives. The dynamic of the family is incredible to watch-- how all the women get along, and work together raising the children, and contributing to the household. And, not going to lie, the husband Cody is like a superhero. He works, takes care of all his children, gives equal amounts of attention and affection to all his wives, AND is dating! (My boyfriend couldn't believe it). It's pretty insane.
I'm currently in an anthropology of women class, and the issue of monogamy and polygamy has been addressed many times. I think this is pretty fascinating because even though all of these women have decided to enter into this type of lifestyle, and they do not seem repressed at all by their husband, there is still a level of jealousy among all of them. There is especially a higher level of jealousy now because their husband has a new girlfriend.
I can't help but being sucked into what TLC shows. Not sure why, but I love getting a glimpse into the lives of other people. And shows like this reinforce the type of life I'm hoping to have in the future!
(With just myself, my husband and a lack of 13 children).
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The New Social Network
I am a Facebook junkie. It is almost perpetually open on my computer, or on my phone's browser. I know a lot of people who are like me in that respect; people who cannot go a day with checking it, or a day without seeing what everyone else is doing. It's a cultural phenomenon-- something that started out as an outlet for college students has grown into something near uncontrollable. Not only is it a way to stay connected with friends, or classmates-- but a way to reconnect with old friends, meet new friends, and even (sometimes unfortunately) a way for your family to stay up-to-date with you.
So when I saw that there would be a major-motion picture for it, I was really excited. I think it is a great commentary on the generation we are-- the generation we have helped to create, and the way technology influences the way we do everything. We have become a society dependent on the internet, and not just the internet, but social networking. It's hard to remember what it was like before Facebook...
I'm curious as to what everyone else thinks about this.. Is it a good or bad thing that we have become so dependent on social networking? Is it a little bit of both? We have lost a lot of what used to be "normal" communications with other people. I mean look at the class this is for-- we never once meet in person. Everything is electronically communicated. We have a facebook page dedicated to our class... The president has a facebook fan page-- as does every band, television show, movie, actor, politician, director, etc you can think of...
Is this really a bad thing though? It allows us to keep in touch with dozens (if not hundreds) of people we may never run into often. With family members and friends who have moved away. Facebook kept me in touch with a good friend of mine while he was deployed in Iraq... while another was doing study abroad in Niger, Africa... another in LA. Not to mention, I am still in touch with most of my good friends from high school because of it-- something I know for certain would not have happened without it.
Personally I think we have come too far to regress at all. I am not one to think that there will suddenly be a cultural revolution wherein the internet takes a backseat to actual face-to-face interaction. If anything, the technical revolution has begun to grow faster than we can keep up with. New technologies are out-of-date within six months or less.
We have to be prepared for what the future will potentially bring us.
(this is the trailer for that film which was released yesterday. can't wait to actually see it! I'll post a review once I have)
So when I saw that there would be a major-motion picture for it, I was really excited. I think it is a great commentary on the generation we are-- the generation we have helped to create, and the way technology influences the way we do everything. We have become a society dependent on the internet, and not just the internet, but social networking. It's hard to remember what it was like before Facebook...
I'm curious as to what everyone else thinks about this.. Is it a good or bad thing that we have become so dependent on social networking? Is it a little bit of both? We have lost a lot of what used to be "normal" communications with other people. I mean look at the class this is for-- we never once meet in person. Everything is electronically communicated. We have a facebook page dedicated to our class... The president has a facebook fan page-- as does every band, television show, movie, actor, politician, director, etc you can think of...
Is this really a bad thing though? It allows us to keep in touch with dozens (if not hundreds) of people we may never run into often. With family members and friends who have moved away. Facebook kept me in touch with a good friend of mine while he was deployed in Iraq... while another was doing study abroad in Niger, Africa... another in LA. Not to mention, I am still in touch with most of my good friends from high school because of it-- something I know for certain would not have happened without it.
Personally I think we have come too far to regress at all. I am not one to think that there will suddenly be a cultural revolution wherein the internet takes a backseat to actual face-to-face interaction. If anything, the technical revolution has begun to grow faster than we can keep up with. New technologies are out-of-date within six months or less.
We have to be prepared for what the future will potentially bring us.
(this is the trailer for that film which was released yesterday. can't wait to actually see it! I'll post a review once I have)
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