Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Pope's Visit
The Pope started out his visit in Washington D.C. where he was welcomed at the White House by President Bush. Next on his agenda was an address to U.S. bishops at the National Shrine. He made an address blessing youths with disabilitites, followed by a mass at RFK Stadium. He then travelled to NewYork City where he addressed the United Nations, took a visit to Ground Zero, and held mass at Yankee Stadium. Some of the other purposes of his visit were to discuss the situations of child abuse by priests, connect with younger Catholics, and to call for peace. He visisted several prominent Catholic churches and cathedrals in both Washington D.C. and New York City.
NYT Editorial on Torture
I feel that in certain situations, where lives and national security is at risk, certain unconventional tactics may be necessary. While it does create an uncomfortable situation, it is a reality that we must deal with in today's society. We are fighting a new and unconventional war, where the enemy could be anyone and anywhere. Long gone are the days of regiments lining up and marching toward eachother, where you knew exactly who the enemy was and where they were. We need to do everything we can to try and stay one step ahead of potential terrorists, and if we need to use methods that some people are uneasy with, that is the reality we live in. Wake up and smell the smoke, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to keep people safe.
Media Consumption
Thursday-
Internet- 3 hours
T.V.- 2 hours
Music- 2 hours
Movie- 0
Friday
Internet- 2 hours
T.V.- 2 hours
music- 2 hours
Movie 2 hours
Saturday-
Internet- 2 hours
T.V.- .5 hours
music- 4 hours
Movie- 0 hours
Sunday
Internet- 3 hours
T.V.- 3 hours
music- 2 hour
movie- 2.5 hours
Internet- 3 hours
T.V.- 2 hours
Music- 2 hours
Movie- 0
Friday
Internet- 2 hours
T.V.- 2 hours
music- 2 hours
Movie 2 hours
Saturday-
Internet- 2 hours
T.V.- .5 hours
music- 4 hours
Movie- 0 hours
Sunday
Internet- 3 hours
T.V.- 3 hours
music- 2 hour
movie- 2.5 hours
Reflective Questions- April 7
1. Prime Rate- The prime rate is a term applied in many countries to a reference interest rate used by banks. The term originally indicated the rate of interest at which banks lent to favored customers, though this is no longer always the case. Some variable interest rates may be expressed as a percentage above or below prime rate. This applies to me because if I ever want to take out a loan from a bank, I will need to know what the prime rate is.
2. Tibet- Tibet is a country in Asia that is currently ruled by the Chinese. They have long desired to become an independent nation, and there has been widespread riots and protests in recent months due to the alleged human rights violations by the Chinese. Many pro-Tibet protestors are calling for a boycott of the Summer Olympics that will be held this summer in China.
3. Colombia Trade Agreement- The Columbia Trade agreement was an agreement put forth by president Bush in order to help bolster American jobs and contribute to security in the region. Colombian imports already enter our nation tariff free, but U.S. exports to Colombia face major tariffs. The agreement would simply level the playing field for U.S. producers by opening the Colombian market to our goods and services. The Agreement was recently killed by the Democratic controlled Congress. I think this is an important agreement, because in recent years Americans have been losing jobs to outsourcing.
4. Iraqi military, militia, U.S. military -- who's who in the Green Zone?
The Iraqi military is, obviously, the military of Iraq and our allies that we are helping to secure the country and fight the insurgents. The militia I believe is referring to the insurgents, the anti-American forces that are keeping the country in turmoil. The Green Zone refers to a four square mile area in Central Baghdad where the International Forces are all located. This has relevance to me because with the upcoming elections, I am concerned with what will happen in Iraq in the coming year. I feel that we cannot simply leave and not finish what we started, if so we would leave the country in turmoil.
5. Benedict XVI- born Joseph Alois Ratzinger in 1927, he is the 265th and reigning Pope, Bishop of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church. He succeeded Pope John Paul II. This is not entirely relevant to me as I am not Catholic, but I do think it is interesting how he is the 265th person to hold the title, and how storied a tradition it is.
2. Tibet- Tibet is a country in Asia that is currently ruled by the Chinese. They have long desired to become an independent nation, and there has been widespread riots and protests in recent months due to the alleged human rights violations by the Chinese. Many pro-Tibet protestors are calling for a boycott of the Summer Olympics that will be held this summer in China.
3. Colombia Trade Agreement- The Columbia Trade agreement was an agreement put forth by president Bush in order to help bolster American jobs and contribute to security in the region. Colombian imports already enter our nation tariff free, but U.S. exports to Colombia face major tariffs. The agreement would simply level the playing field for U.S. producers by opening the Colombian market to our goods and services. The Agreement was recently killed by the Democratic controlled Congress. I think this is an important agreement, because in recent years Americans have been losing jobs to outsourcing.
4. Iraqi military, militia, U.S. military -- who's who in the Green Zone?
The Iraqi military is, obviously, the military of Iraq and our allies that we are helping to secure the country and fight the insurgents. The militia I believe is referring to the insurgents, the anti-American forces that are keeping the country in turmoil. The Green Zone refers to a four square mile area in Central Baghdad where the International Forces are all located. This has relevance to me because with the upcoming elections, I am concerned with what will happen in Iraq in the coming year. I feel that we cannot simply leave and not finish what we started, if so we would leave the country in turmoil.
5. Benedict XVI- born Joseph Alois Ratzinger in 1927, he is the 265th and reigning Pope, Bishop of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church. He succeeded Pope John Paul II. This is not entirely relevant to me as I am not Catholic, but I do think it is interesting how he is the 265th person to hold the title, and how storied a tradition it is.
Week 4 Stories
From CNN
1. One stroy they talked about was how Obama must convince superdelegates that he is still a winner in order to get them to still get behind him after the loss in Pennsylvania.
2. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said once again that she would not consider it a good idea for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to join tickets to run against John McCain in November, and that it would be important for them to choose their own VP candidates.
3. Senator John McCain blasted the Bush adminitration and all levels of government for the poor response following Hurricane Katrina, and promised that as President there will never be another mismanaged natural disaster.
4. In Jeremiah Wright's first television interview since clips of his controversial sermons circulated the Internet, Barack Obama's former pastor says his words were unfairly taken out of context for 'devious' reasons.'
5. A new Pew Research Center poll showed that many voters feel that the Presidential Primary race has become "too long," "too negative," or in some instances, "dull."
6. CNN's Wolf Blitzer reported that as primary season is beginning to wind down, and with the Conventions looming, it is becoming crunch time for Democratic superdelegates to get their vote behind a candidate.
7. President Bush and his wife Laura have endorsed John McCain for his presidential bid, but daughter Laura is not so sure. Admitting that she has been so busy studying that she hasn't had much time to pay attention to the race so far, she said she is not 100% sure who she wants to vote for yet.
8. Oregon Rep. David Wu said Thursday he will cast his superdelegate vote for Barack Obama. Wu, a five term congressman, is one of the party's nearly 800 superdelegates who will ultimately decide who gets the Democratic presidential nomination.
9. Sen. Hillary Clinton is arguing that she is ahead of rival Sen. Barack Obama when it comes to the popular vote. "I'm very proud that as of today, I have received more votes by the people who have voted than anyone else," Clinton said Wednesday, one day after her decisive win in Pennsylvania.
10. After weeks of verbal brawling, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and James Carville spoke for the first time on CNN’s Larry King Live Wednesday night. Richardson – now a supporter of Barack Obama – called Hillary Clinton backers like Carville ‘a dynasty’ that is ‘clinging to the throne.’ The CNN contributor defended calling Richardson a ‘Judas’ in a New York Times interview after the governor announced his endorsement of Obama.
1. One stroy they talked about was how Obama must convince superdelegates that he is still a winner in order to get them to still get behind him after the loss in Pennsylvania.
2. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said once again that she would not consider it a good idea for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to join tickets to run against John McCain in November, and that it would be important for them to choose their own VP candidates.
3. Senator John McCain blasted the Bush adminitration and all levels of government for the poor response following Hurricane Katrina, and promised that as President there will never be another mismanaged natural disaster.
4. In Jeremiah Wright's first television interview since clips of his controversial sermons circulated the Internet, Barack Obama's former pastor says his words were unfairly taken out of context for 'devious' reasons.'
5. A new Pew Research Center poll showed that many voters feel that the Presidential Primary race has become "too long," "too negative," or in some instances, "dull."
6. CNN's Wolf Blitzer reported that as primary season is beginning to wind down, and with the Conventions looming, it is becoming crunch time for Democratic superdelegates to get their vote behind a candidate.
7. President Bush and his wife Laura have endorsed John McCain for his presidential bid, but daughter Laura is not so sure. Admitting that she has been so busy studying that she hasn't had much time to pay attention to the race so far, she said she is not 100% sure who she wants to vote for yet.
8. Oregon Rep. David Wu said Thursday he will cast his superdelegate vote for Barack Obama. Wu, a five term congressman, is one of the party's nearly 800 superdelegates who will ultimately decide who gets the Democratic presidential nomination.
9. Sen. Hillary Clinton is arguing that she is ahead of rival Sen. Barack Obama when it comes to the popular vote. "I'm very proud that as of today, I have received more votes by the people who have voted than anyone else," Clinton said Wednesday, one day after her decisive win in Pennsylvania.
10. After weeks of verbal brawling, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and James Carville spoke for the first time on CNN’s Larry King Live Wednesday night. Richardson – now a supporter of Barack Obama – called Hillary Clinton backers like Carville ‘a dynasty’ that is ‘clinging to the throne.’ The CNN contributor defended calling Richardson a ‘Judas’ in a New York Times interview after the governor announced his endorsement of Obama.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
My Positionality/Diversity Wheel
Religion- I am a Christian. While I do not attend church on a regular basis, I have a close personal relationship with God and consider myself moderatly religious.
Geography- I was born in southern California and lived there until I was 10 years old. I then moved to Yelm, Washington and have been in the state ever since. I think living in a small town such as Yelm definitely shaped who I am today, I met some amazing friends and had a fun childhood that I feel is unique to small town living. I think I will probably live in Washington for many years to come, I think it is a great place to live.
Nationality- I am mostly Irish, but also have German, English, Mexican, Scandinavian, and Native American.
Profession and Status- I am currently a banker at US Bank, and am looking to start my career in the Finance field.
Class- I grew up in a middle or working class family. I always have had everything I need, but money was always tight.
Education- I am currently in my last quarter here at Central, and I am graduating with a degree in Finance and minor in Economics.
Physical Abilities and Intellect- I was very athletic in high school, and while I am not in as great of shape as I was then I still consider myself pretty active, and work out on a pretty regular basis. I also consider myself a fairly intelligent person, I have always gotten pretty good grades.
Race- White
Gender- Male
Age- 21
Cultural Heritage- I identify mostly with my Irish heritage, but have recently become interested in exploring other parts of my heritage.
Sexual Orientation- Straight
Geography- I was born in southern California and lived there until I was 10 years old. I then moved to Yelm, Washington and have been in the state ever since. I think living in a small town such as Yelm definitely shaped who I am today, I met some amazing friends and had a fun childhood that I feel is unique to small town living. I think I will probably live in Washington for many years to come, I think it is a great place to live.
Nationality- I am mostly Irish, but also have German, English, Mexican, Scandinavian, and Native American.
Profession and Status- I am currently a banker at US Bank, and am looking to start my career in the Finance field.
Class- I grew up in a middle or working class family. I always have had everything I need, but money was always tight.
Education- I am currently in my last quarter here at Central, and I am graduating with a degree in Finance and minor in Economics.
Physical Abilities and Intellect- I was very athletic in high school, and while I am not in as great of shape as I was then I still consider myself pretty active, and work out on a pretty regular basis. I also consider myself a fairly intelligent person, I have always gotten pretty good grades.
Race- White
Gender- Male
Age- 21
Cultural Heritage- I identify mostly with my Irish heritage, but have recently become interested in exploring other parts of my heritage.
Sexual Orientation- Straight
Week 3 stories
From NEWSWEEK
1. What These Eyes Have Seen
This article was the cover story for the weekly magazine. It began by recapping the Senator's storied life up till this point. It went on to discuss the difficulties he has faced so far on the campaign trail, as well as the ones to come. It talked about McCain's notorious temper, but also his resilience and unwavering commitment to what he believes in.
2. Barack + GOP = 'Obamacans'
This article discussed the endorsement of Barack Obama by former president Eisenhower's granddaughter- a Republican. It talked about the trend of crossover voters, those who do not necessarily denounce their party, they simply vote for the other guy based on a variety of issues.
3. The Gipper Lives On
This article started off by talking about the glorious Reagan years, and the turnaround brought about by the early years of his presidency compared to the previous decade or two. It also discussed how John McCain was a close friend of Reagan's, and the challenges he faces to try and attract the conservative republican vote, people that voted for Reagan and would love another president like him.
4. Twilight of the Baby Boom
This article talked about how the Democratic nomination race is a generational struggle. The unusual thing, it says, is that the two are actually at two very different ends of the same generation. It highlights the main differences between the two candidates and how many of them stem from their genreational differences.
5. When It's Head Versus Heart, the HEart Wins
This article discusses how science shows that when we are deciding which candidate to support, anxiety, enthusiasm and whom we identify with count more than reason or logic. It discusses how the power of emotion is the most important thing in attracting votes.
6. Welcome to the Family
This article talked about how Barack Obama shares many qualities with JFK, as well as endorsements from the former president's political family members. It goes on to say however that Obama lacks an ally such as JFK had in his brother, Robert Kennedy.
7. Diversity Training
This article deals with the current situation where a woman or a black man may become president for the first time. It says that Hollywood has begun to project that possibilty to Americans for years, and how in a way TV has prepared the country for what very possibly could be to come with shows like 24 which has projected both a black man and woman as president.
1. What These Eyes Have Seen
This article was the cover story for the weekly magazine. It began by recapping the Senator's storied life up till this point. It went on to discuss the difficulties he has faced so far on the campaign trail, as well as the ones to come. It talked about McCain's notorious temper, but also his resilience and unwavering commitment to what he believes in.
2. Barack + GOP = 'Obamacans'
This article discussed the endorsement of Barack Obama by former president Eisenhower's granddaughter- a Republican. It talked about the trend of crossover voters, those who do not necessarily denounce their party, they simply vote for the other guy based on a variety of issues.
3. The Gipper Lives On
This article started off by talking about the glorious Reagan years, and the turnaround brought about by the early years of his presidency compared to the previous decade or two. It also discussed how John McCain was a close friend of Reagan's, and the challenges he faces to try and attract the conservative republican vote, people that voted for Reagan and would love another president like him.
4. Twilight of the Baby Boom
This article talked about how the Democratic nomination race is a generational struggle. The unusual thing, it says, is that the two are actually at two very different ends of the same generation. It highlights the main differences between the two candidates and how many of them stem from their genreational differences.
5. When It's Head Versus Heart, the HEart Wins
This article discusses how science shows that when we are deciding which candidate to support, anxiety, enthusiasm and whom we identify with count more than reason or logic. It discusses how the power of emotion is the most important thing in attracting votes.
6. Welcome to the Family
This article talked about how Barack Obama shares many qualities with JFK, as well as endorsements from the former president's political family members. It goes on to say however that Obama lacks an ally such as JFK had in his brother, Robert Kennedy.
7. Diversity Training
This article deals with the current situation where a woman or a black man may become president for the first time. It says that Hollywood has begun to project that possibilty to Americans for years, and how in a way TV has prepared the country for what very possibly could be to come with shows like 24 which has projected both a black man and woman as president.
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