The Ultimate Way to Simplify Your Life

Have you ever wanted to simplify your life? and I mean beyond doing away with meaningless stresses, but also eliminating cell phones, computers, fights, clothes, gossip, etc etc. If you are really committed to making your life as simple as possible, you may want to consider following the footsteps of A.J. Jacobson, who lived according to every Biblical rule for one year as a Journalist in Manhattan. He wrote about his year in his book 'The Year of Living Biblically'. To get an idea of what he experienced, here are some of his 700 rules. From 'no gossip' to 'giving thanks', from 'No clothes made of two kind of stuff' to 'do not trim the sides of your beard', Jacobs attempted to follow every rule he could find in the Bible. Because the Bible is such an ancient text, it goes without saying that following it exactly will be no easy task, but if ancient times were so much simpler, wont following it make our life easier? and if so, if Thoreau wanted to simplify his life, why didnt he just resort to the Bible's rules? According to his website (I did not read the book), Jacob's year had several effects. In some ways it made him appreciate life more and to give thanks to things we all take for granted. But in other ways, it presented him with a new kind of stress of following God's law. Simple things such as finding a seat or buying clothes became stressful chores. So in some ways, life was simpler under the Bible, but in other ways it stressed his life to a new level. If someone had attempted this in Thoreau's time, however, the stress may have been a little toned down compared to today. Most clothes were one material, and certainly there would have been less peer pressure about shaving your beard. I would like to have seen Thoreau attempt this feat of such strict living, but from the sounds of it, it seems as if he achieved the same while living in the woods as Jacobs did after living a year Biblically. I get the impression from the authors' conclusions that they both appreciated the little things in life more and had a new sense of gratitude for a simple life. Perhaps living in solitude in the woods brought Thoreau as close to the Diving Spirit as Living Biblically brought Jacob's to God.

The Race for Stuff

While watching the clip from 'Far and Away' when the settlers are running and fighting for plots of land, I was reminded of the Wal-Mart employee in New York that was trampled to death among shoppers racing through the doors to get to sale items. The shoppers broke the doors off their hinges in the early morning hours of Friday to get inside the store to begin their blitz for on sale items. Everything from the race to claim property to the disorganization and the onslaught of people is the same. The only difference that stood out for me was the glorifying music playing in the background of 'far and away' as opposed to the chaos of the Wal-mart videos. But 'Far and Away' was a movie meant to glorify the 'American Destiny', and it is very likely that the actual land rush was very similar to the Wal-mart on Friday. The reason these two events so far apart in time are so similar may be that property and land have become something necessary to acquire in order to achieve happiness or success. In the 1800s land and the frontier was associated with a new start to life and, as shown in the Oklahoma land rush and 'Far and Away', everyone was competing and racing for their own plot of land. This race for stuff was repeated last Friday, demonstrating that the idea of moving west has translated into getting the latest and greatest thing. Even if it means trampling and killing a man to get to a set of shoes on sale.

Progress to Some, a Hurdle for Others

While on surfing the Internet community on Facebook, I got a little sidetracked and came upon a link titled something along the lines of 'anti-pro-ana' to a group that attempted to spread the word about eating disorder groups. I searched for news stories and found one on newsweek that detailed about how these and groups of the other side are actually very numerous. Many have touted Facebook and other social networking sites as places where people can find others with similar interests as them, as well as keep in touch and keep up with friends. And with the sites growing at incredibly fast rates, there are more chances for people to find similar interest groups. Its usually said that this growing community of people and shared idea is a good thing. But, as we usually do in American Studies, we should put a question mark after saying that this is progress, and my discovery on Facebook today prompted that. With the Facebook population growing, people have created support groups for people with eating disorders. This isnt a support group to help teens get out of their disorder, but one that encourages girls to go on extreme diets to lose extreme amounts of weight. some even have places where members can post pictures of themselves and other users can comment on "problem areas". Like one former member said "I was encouraged to stop eating when I saw how many people were doing it". While the progress in many areas because of these sites is undeniable, there are other topics where these websites have caused damage, this being one of them. But to go even further and put a question on our question mark, there are some good sides to the groups that can be called progress. Marcia Herrin, a Dartmouth professor, is glad to see that teens are comfortable talking about eating disorders and arent as afraid to share and admit that they have a disorder. So while these networking sites are a progress in social communities and the spreading of ideas there always must be a question mark, because things dont always seem as they are. Then again though, you should look for yet another question mark; one that reveals a silver lining to a situation. When it comes to these groups, people have to decide if the progress the group presents is greater than the harm it causes, because every situation of progress has a question mark and a drawback.

By the way, I checked for the group again today but it turns out facebook deletes the groups when the find them because they violate the terms of agreement by "promoting self harm or Harm to others".

Undeniable Progress

It would be very difficult for a person to claim we are not progressing as a nation after such an historic election. This cartoon shows just how monumental the election of Barack Obama really is. For forty three presidents and over 200 years, the appearance of the man in charge of this nation has not changed much at all; all white males, maybe a little older, and with some white hairs. But now that image has undeniably changed dramatically. The election of an African American to the highest office in the land was unthinkable even 30 years ago. That has all changed now, and Americans have proven that we can see past a person's skin color. But to add a question mark to progress in this sense, is it really as monumental of progress as people say? sure it is, but President-elect Obama is one man and just one case in the fight against racism. Racism will still exist in America for a long time. So although the election is definitely a monumental step in American politics and social life, it cannot be said that this Progress has lifted America above racism, although it is a huge step towards it.

A Slap to the idea of an Idealist Future

In Election Expectations, Wray Herbert takes to a pragmatic way of journalism that has been such a rarity this election season that attempts to lower the bar of expectations of our new president elect. For the past year or so, journalists and media have been preaching of a new, idealistic future, whoever the winner may be. Now that this grueling election has concluded with a sudden and for some unexpected one day finale, people have started to look towards the future. Many Americans feel optimistic about the future and have not put the possibility of an idealistic future out of the picture, nor have they considered the possibility of just an average next four years. Herbert attempts to explain why people do not plan for future disappointment in a series of fancy and sometimes unclear scientific facts. One could even go so far as to say Herbert is being a pessimistic fool. But what he is really trying to do is lay some cushions down so that if people are disappointed, they will land with a little less pain. Through Scientific terms and explanations, Herbert attempts to prove that humans are bound to be unprepared for disappointment and failure. In many ways he succeeds, but I think his main reason for writing the article is to just put a warning out there for the thousands of new idealistic Americans. I applaud his efforts to plan for failure, because without people like him we would fall hard and struggle to get back up on our feet after our idealistic goals fail.

"Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono" - Revising an Island's Constitution

Should Hawaii Re-write it's constitution? Again?

As election day approaches, few people are focused on what else is on the ballot besides the two major presidential nominees.  In three states (Illinois, Connecticut, and Hawaii) there is a box to vote for a Constitutional Convention. The conventions, if they are held, may go unnoticed in Illinois and Connecticut, but Hawaii is a different story. As we have talked in class about how state constitution's play a larger role in daily life than the US constitution I began to try and think of examples of when the Illinois constitution made my life different than someone living in Wisconsin or Indiana. I failed to think of an example and my notion that the Illinois Constitution made little difference in my life continued. Overall, the 48state's Constitutions do not vary greatly from each other and seem to be trivial things that are left to be argued about in Springfield or some place of equal importance. When I read an article detailing the effects of Hawaii's constitution, I was surprised to learn that hawaians may see the effects of their constitution on their live's daily. Hawaii has changed its constitution twice since statehood, and thats a lot considering it is a young 49 years old. Each of these revisions  have had far reaching effects on the island chain's small population (just above 1 million). The last convention, or ConCon as the locals call it, added 1,000 changes, and included the hawaiian saying in this title in the preamble, for example. The changes also made Hawaiian an official language, granted natives equality, and dramatically changed Hawaiian society "many of the changes to the constitution crystalized the renaissance in Hawaiian culture that included the resurgence of hula dancing, navigating ocean canoes, and brought back the traditional Hawaiian culture" With the uniqueness of the constitution, comes the noticeable actions of state government. Perhaps because the state has such a unique culture, or that it is free of state borders is their constitution and local government such a big deal for Hawaiians. Whatever the reason, I consider Hawaiian locals lucky to be able to notice the efforts, successes, and even failures of their state government in daily life. Maybe if I lived in Hawaii I would give a little thought about what goes on behind closed doors in Honolulu. Hawaii could be viewed in a way as an example of how things would have turned out if the Articles of Confederation actually worked and persisted to this day. So this Tuesday Hawaiians will vote on something that may affect their lives as equally as the new president. As for me, I will go on living my life paying close attention to the federal government and who will be our next president and meanwhile giving little thought to what goes on in a little city called Springfield. 

Rule by the Mob

When the Government of the young United States was being created by the founding fathers, a main case against democracy was that it would result in mob rule. Shay's Rebellion made this potential outcome of democracy far too clear. A safe medium was created between anarchy and monarchy, however, and everyone lived happily ever after, well, sorta. Skip forward 230 years or so years, and the threat of a government run by a mob is once again a potential future, just not to the extent of the threat back then. As the nature of the two presidential campaigns comes into clearer and clearer view, it is easy to tell apart the two different type of crowds. Many of McCain's supporters are republicans who are just along for the ride and prefer his running mate to him, essentially being Palin-McCain supporters. The Obama crowd, on the other hand, are incredibly enthusiastic, and for the leader of the campaign as well. In 'What Have We Created',  Howard Fineman assesses what may become of Obamaniacs if their hero is to win next tuesday. The Obama Campaign owes its existence to volunteers, enthusiastic young voters, and grassroots organizing. As Fineman puts it "The bottom line is 3.1 million contributers, 5 million volunteers, 2.2 million facebook supporters... Obama could end up "knowing" 7 million voters by election day, roughly 1 in 10 of Obama's likely total" these masses of people really expect something from Obama in the ways of governing, but they also expect their participation to continue into the White House. These people are extremely loyal to Obama, but if let down they could start to turn on him. Although Democracy means run by the people, Obama has to find a way to control his followers and not let them get power hungry. If he is able to find a way to still include millions in the oval office while still keeping control, Obama could revolutionize American Democracy and make the founding fathers proud.

What ever happened to America's Best Buds?

An article recently caught my attention simply because its title is the same as that of our class, but i suppose thats what titles are meant to do. The article, titled American Studies: Stars and Gripes, talks about lowering interests in american studies abroad and the dismal view many young Europeans have of the good ol' U S of A. When it comes to evidence, it cites the obvious causes to explain the downturn of opinion. But behind the text is the pragmatic sense that whatever happens someone will dislike America, even former bffs. In an ideal situation, the world would work in harmony and everyone would like each other. But an ideal world is just a dream. The focus of the article is the slump of students applying to study America in Europe. Although few idealists about America, if any, exist in europe, there is a move to save the slumping subject. A few pragmatic individuals who still see the good in America are no longer waiting for America to redeem itself (but the author does mention the election is doing just that) and are taking steps towards rebuilding the reputation by focusing on culture and history rather than politics. Students interested in the programs have started to rebound as a result, although it may just be because of the election. But one thing is certain, the efforts and pro-active actions haven't hurt. In any situation idealists and pragmatists are needed to progress, in this case as with many other cases, the idealists were only dreaming and waiting on the world to change. In the end, the pragmatists had to step in to save the day.

Off the Beaten Path- a Step Forward from Idealistic Hype

I recently came across an article that I didnt think of much when I first read it, but later when I was thinking of what to write about as my blog this came back to mind. The article, admittedly a little long at 15 pages, isnt something that makes national news or comes to many peoples attention but I thought that would make it a good thing to blog about. The article explains in great descriptions one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth and the threats it faces. Borneo is a small island near malaysia about the size of Texas. The Island is rich in resources that make it a prime target for deforestation and pillaging of natural resources. The Island is the source for 86% of the world's palm oil, something that is used in everything from Oreos and dessert to perfumes and soaps. The area is also rich in timber and is a very profitable source of logging. As the author says "Mansions have been built from Madrid to Melbourne and New York to Indonesia from the profits of Borneo".  The future looks bleak for Borneo and it's inhabitants. Mel White, the author, takes a very pragmatic approach in the first half of the article. He explains the failed efforts to save the island and goes into detail about the challenges faced when trying to conserve its resources. White doesnt 'dream big' as many conservationists do, but takes a realistic approach on the situation of the island and how to save it. He knows that the future of the island is in the hands of corporations and governments. When I read the article, I wasnt given a sense much hope for the island through Whites pragmatic approach, and it wasnt a very exciting article to read. White, however, suddenly changes course like he were a new writer by the middle. He points to the small malaysian provence of Sabah which provides a stark contrast to the rest of the island. This glimmer of hope that the island can be saved seems to spark Whites mood towards idealism. The province is able to control, as far as a third world country can, the logging and still has a significant amount of wooded forest. The introduction of this little province changes the whole mood of the article. By the end, White gives off a sense of hopeful pragmatism. He writes that there will have to be a balance between money and conservation. A sense of hope for the forrest is given by the end. As White wrights 'if we want to save the forests of Borneo... We need to find a way that offers the villagers a better future without having to turn their forests into plantations or the sterile pits of strip mines." Its no 14 point battle plan, but it is a step up from idealistic hype in an effort to save an island.

The end of Prosperity?

As the Market continues to unpredictably rise and stumble, it is easy to predict perilous times ahead of us. Some, including Sarah Palin, have said there is a possibility of another depression. But to asses the validity of these possibilities, one has to understand what actually plunged the U.S. into a depression in 1929 and if there are any parallels today. Niall Ferguson of Time magazine attempts to do so by checking the parallels between the two. Ferguson links the drop in prices of stocks to the drop in house prices today. But the similarities do not go much farther than that. Fortunately, the Feds learned from history and are taking action today and as soon as possible unlike the Hoover administration. The most obvious difference is that funds rates have been cut repeatedly from 5.25% to .25%. The Treasury is also much more active today than it was in the great depression. Back then it was believed that the government should balance the budget even if it meant raising taxes, which has been said by many to be the farthest from the right thing to do. Famous economists have said that deficits are good in recessions, and with the Bush administrations huge deficit from prosperous times, it wouldnt be unlikely a larger deficit is in the future. Ferguson says there is still hope to save the U.S. from a depression, and the difference between todays government and that of Hoover administration is like black and white. As Ferguson says of the bailout bill, "If nothing else, it would signal to the world that - unlike in 1930 - the U.S. is doing what it canto avoid financial calamity and sidestep Depression 2.0"

Palin Is Ready? Please.

In this opinion article written by Fareed Zakaria from the October 6, 2008 Newsweek, it is argued that McCains choice of Palin as a running mate goes against his 'country first' policy and that Palin is simply not ready to be a vice president, much less be president. Zakaria uses specific  examples from interviews with Palin to demonstrate her incompetence and inexperience in a wide range of topics, specifically her Russian comments and her knowledge on the current financial status. The writer uses logos to appeal to readers through his critiquing and analysis of Palin's recent speeches and interviews. Zakaria links these exapmles of inexperience to the Mccain's campiagn habit of keeping Palin away from the public. He says 'the more palin talks, the more we realize it may be common sense that's causing the Mccain campiagn to treat her like a time bomb'. Zakaria gives these examples in hopes of raising questions and concerns among readers about sarah palin, and furthermore, Mccains 'country first' slogan. If Mccain had chosen Palin as a campaign strategy instead of as a plan for the country, Mccains validity would be seriously in question.

Pointing the Finger the Other Way

I recently came across a small audio clip from npr about the economy and how the Presidential candidates are dealing with it. During perilous times people have a habit of looking for someone to blame. This is proven in the current situation on Wall Street. Both democrats and republicans are pointing the finger and blaming the other on why the economy is currently so bad. At the same time they are defending themselves from each others attacks. The economic crisis has given either candidate a good opportunity to take the lead by playing off of voters fears and promising something different. Playing the blame game works because people are motivated by fear, and if voters do not trust a candidate it is likely they will not vote for him. Obama is saying McCain does not know the economy and is out of touch, playing the fear that he will not know how to handle the economy. McCain claims that the problem on Wall Street originated with the 'washington culture of lobbying' and says Obama was in the middle of it. Obama comes back and defends himself by saying how could he blame him if McCain has been in washington longer than him. This game of attack and dodge is the two candidates playing off of voters fears in a time of peril by blaming the other for economic woes, a sort of witch hunt. The opportunity has arisen and both candidates have leapt at the chance of playing the other as the one at fault. Only time will tell who will gain the most out of this time of peril.

The Real life Coyote Springs

The previous post I wrote led me to a video of a modern Indian blues band named the 'Plateros'. Personally, I dont think they are too bad, but its not something I would put in along with the rest of my library. The Plateros

Native American Sings national anthem at DNC

I was just cruising what the kids call 'the interweb' during some of my free time. and I came across an article with a single line that made me think. the single line was from the Democrats convention schedule, it simply said that a Rosebud Sioux indian named Robert Moore was scheduled to sing the national anthem. I tried to delve deeper into this bit of news, but after exhausting searches, I couldnt find anything more than one line about it and a few pictures. None of the mainstream media had anything about it, but my searches did yield dozens of Indian websites covering the simple act with lengthy articles and coverage. I found it a bit unfortunate that this interesting bit of information lost the spotlight to Obama and Mccain, just as many other news stories have been made seemingly insignificant by the election race. Dont get me wrong, I love to hear about the two nominees as much as the next guy, but I was just a little disappointed this didnt get more news coverage, as it should be.