It appears that there has been quite the fanfare for Obama's current trip abroad. He is spending time in the Middle East (including Iraq and Afghanistan) and Europe. As proof of how much stir his trip has caused, all three major American newscasters (Couric, Charlie Gibson, and Brian Williams) have gone abroad to follow Obama on his trip which means that they will broadcast from his location for the duration of the trip. McCain has not been met by any such brigade of prominent newscasters during his trips abroad.
I think this excitement surrounding Obama's trip abroad is a strong signifier that Obama will be popular internationally as president. His global appeal will be a huge asset to his presidency and should be pushed as a strong argument as to why Americans should support him. I believe that Americans tend to underrate the importance of a potential president's global appeal -- in today's ever increasingly global world, it is more important than ever for the American Head of State to be someone well-liked and well-respected (didn't we learn this harsh reality durin the Bush years???). One of the best classes I have taken here at UCLA was a seminar on foreign impressions of America during which we would host a speaker from a different country every week. The speakers often discussed how people from their home countries viewed Americans and our leaders -- a lot of which was negative, but not hopeless. These speakers made me realize how interconnected our world was by how easily they spoke of academic, social, and political situations in areas in all corners of the world. Unfortunately, they also reinforced how little my fellow students and I knew about the world outside our own country and about important it is to have positive dynamics between countries. With what I learned from this class in mind, I placed one's global appeal as a top characteristic priority of whichever candidate I would support. I believe Obama has the potentional to improve our relationships with other nations and command a higher level of respect in the international community, which is necessary in our world of globalization.
As an example of Obama's global appeal, a poll from England showed that Obama is five times as popular as McCain in England. FIVE TIMES!
More about the European mania over Obama http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/german-press-agog-over-obama/index.html?nl=pol&emc=pola1
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Award for worst quote ever goes to...
"You know what? I am actually not that much into voting. I think it’s kinda crazy that a woman is running, because I think that women deal with a lot of emotions and menopause and PMS and stuff. Like, I’m so moody all the time, I know I couldn’t be able to run a country, ‘cause I’d be crying one day and yelling at people the next day, ya know?"
- Brooke Hogan
Now, normally, I would never give Brooke Hogan's opinions a second thought, but this quote from her shook me too much to let it slide. I feel lucky enough to have grown up in a time period where I feel few limitations placed on me as a woman, but when I see someone say something so ignorant as what she said, I realize that we still have a ways to go.
First of all, how could you not be into voting? Does she know how rare it is to have a society in which everyone is free to vote and a society in which one's vote is counted in a (fairly) just electoral system? Someone please take her to Zimbabwe or Ukraine -- show her the riots in Zimbabwe over rigged elections or the Ukranian (and opposition party member) politician poisoned... it honestly irks me to an endless extent when people do not realize how revolutionary it is to have the right and the ability to vote.
Second of all, how dare she say that a woman would be an inadequate president! Does she realize that we live in 2008 and not 1950? I honestly believe that if more women were in positions of leadership we would have a more peaceful and progressive world and I would absolutely love it if the United States would get in line with the times and promote more females to such positions of power. I did not believe that Hillary Clinton was the right person for the job this election, but the fact that a female was a serious contender in the presidential race makes me feel elated. Not only did this idiot of a girl say that she thought it was crazy for a woman to be running for president, but she said that it would be strange for a woman to be president because of her moodiness. I do not know a single male who is not also moody -- it's a part of human nature and not related to whether or not you happen to be born a female. It is absurd, embarrassing, and offensive that Brooke Hogan would believe that a woman would be an inferior president because of PMS. I cannot believe that a female would impose that horrible stereotype on someone of her own sex! It is bad enough that mysoginistic (sp?) men propel the rumor that woman are incapable of being in in an authoritative position because they are too emotional or moody but now a rich, priveleged, young woman is saying the same thing... simply infuriating. It just makes me want to work that much harder to prove her and all those as ignorant as her sorely wrong.
- Brooke Hogan
Now, normally, I would never give Brooke Hogan's opinions a second thought, but this quote from her shook me too much to let it slide. I feel lucky enough to have grown up in a time period where I feel few limitations placed on me as a woman, but when I see someone say something so ignorant as what she said, I realize that we still have a ways to go.
First of all, how could you not be into voting? Does she know how rare it is to have a society in which everyone is free to vote and a society in which one's vote is counted in a (fairly) just electoral system? Someone please take her to Zimbabwe or Ukraine -- show her the riots in Zimbabwe over rigged elections or the Ukranian (and opposition party member) politician poisoned... it honestly irks me to an endless extent when people do not realize how revolutionary it is to have the right and the ability to vote.
Second of all, how dare she say that a woman would be an inadequate president! Does she realize that we live in 2008 and not 1950? I honestly believe that if more women were in positions of leadership we would have a more peaceful and progressive world and I would absolutely love it if the United States would get in line with the times and promote more females to such positions of power. I did not believe that Hillary Clinton was the right person for the job this election, but the fact that a female was a serious contender in the presidential race makes me feel elated. Not only did this idiot of a girl say that she thought it was crazy for a woman to be running for president, but she said that it would be strange for a woman to be president because of her moodiness. I do not know a single male who is not also moody -- it's a part of human nature and not related to whether or not you happen to be born a female. It is absurd, embarrassing, and offensive that Brooke Hogan would believe that a woman would be an inferior president because of PMS. I cannot believe that a female would impose that horrible stereotype on someone of her own sex! It is bad enough that mysoginistic (sp?) men propel the rumor that woman are incapable of being in in an authoritative position because they are too emotional or moody but now a rich, priveleged, young woman is saying the same thing... simply infuriating. It just makes me want to work that much harder to prove her and all those as ignorant as her sorely wrong.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Art.
While I was home at the beginning of summer, I took a trip to the Legion of Honor where they were showcasing a glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly as an advertisement for his exhibit at the de Young. I was there to a Women's Impressionist exhibit which was interesting, but it was the Chihuly piece that stuck in my mind. I posted photos of the piece above. It's called "Sun," which I believe is a fitting name. The piece was amazing -- each branch of glass had a different texture to it. It was intricate, complex, and yet I feel it was very delicate and graceful. I recommend checking out this guy's pieces, I'd love to see a whole exhibit of them...
Those crazy Frenchies
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GsmzNB_eXek
This is a video for a Justice song. I think it's incredibly powerful and hard to watch it's so raw.
What do you think?
This is a video for a Justice song. I think it's incredibly powerful and hard to watch it's so raw.
What do you think?
City of Lights
It's really hitting me that I am leaving for my home of four months in a little less than a month. My brother took these pictures on his recent trip to Europe during his stop in Paris.
Going to study abroad has always been a part of the list of things I want to do in life and it is surreal that this desire is going to become a reality in a matter of weeks. I am more than excited, I'm anxious. I cannot wait to see what living in a real city is like and on top of that -- a European one! How exotic... I cannot wait to meet people who don't know what it is to wear sandals year-round and who have not spent their whole lives inside the (gorgeous, but limited) confines of California. I'm excited to be challenged, rewarded, and even gracefully disappointed.
Kudos to my brother for these amazing photos of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. Can't wait to be there
Every time I get nervous or possibly experience a tinge of regret, I'm going to look at these pictures so that I can remember how lucky I am to be going and how much although I will miss everyone here, it is so necessary to my spiritual, intellectual, and emotional growth to be on my way to the City of Lights.
Going to study abroad has always been a part of the list of things I want to do in life and it is surreal that this desire is going to become a reality in a matter of weeks. I am more than excited, I'm anxious. I cannot wait to see what living in a real city is like and on top of that -- a European one! How exotic... I cannot wait to meet people who don't know what it is to wear sandals year-round and who have not spent their whole lives inside the (gorgeous, but limited) confines of California. I'm excited to be challenged, rewarded, and even gracefully disappointed.
Kudos to my brother for these amazing photos of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. Can't wait to be there
Every time I get nervous or possibly experience a tinge of regret, I'm going to look at these pictures so that I can remember how lucky I am to be going and how much although I will miss everyone here, it is so necessary to my spiritual, intellectual, and emotional growth to be on my way to the City of Lights.
Art at it's best
The new girl talk album is fantastic and even better -- you can download it & name your price for it.
http://74.124.198.47/illegal-art.net/__girl__talk___feed__the__anima.ls___/
I suggest you download it immediately and put it on repeat on your iPod, it doesn't get old.
http://74.124.198.47/illegal-art.net/__girl__talk___feed__the__anima.ls___/
I suggest you download it immediately and put it on repeat on your iPod, it doesn't get old.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Words of Wisdom
"We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that has to change."
-- Al Gore
-- Al Gore
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