Refections on Times Square Bombing

Saturday nights' attempted terrorist attack in New York's Times Sqaure, brought me right back to the day of 9-11. Once again my home is front and center of the discussion about national security, terrorism and possible connections to Islamic radicalism. Could it be that almost ten years later, New York could be no safer than before. I guess the fact that it was an "attempted" attack should count for something, but with last Christmas' attack also looming in my mind, I feel like this is just a game of Russian roulette. And New York has no choice but to play. All politics aside, my reaction comes down to a very unavoidable fear. Unavoidable not in the sense that its innate, but in the sense that no one is offering me an alternative way to feel. Pundits have no answers, neither do law enforcement or politicians. The fact is that either you feel fear and push incidents like this so far in the back of your mind, that you can continue to think about the "normal" things. But its a catch 22, because people say that if you feel fear, then you let "them" win. But if you dont feel fear than you've missed the point and there's nothing to worry about.

What my fear tells me is that there is a threat in the world that is out of my control to stop or to solve. So what is there to do? New York is my home and it is to millions of others as well. So how am I to feel? I go home in a couple of weeks by a bus that drops me off directly in the middle of Times Square. Normally I hang around to enjoy the noise and the smells. This time I think I'll just hurry home.

Why I Am Passionate about the AIDS Fight

I know that this video is probably from before the election, but I just thought it was important to post in light of South Africa's recent efforts to fight against the AIDS epidemic. I have been thinking about the AIDS fight in general recently. Every year I do the New York AIDS walk, not because I think that raising my little $2oo dollars will make any real difference but for purely selfish reasons. I need to be reminded that this is something that affects every community, not just LGBT or African people. And I also need to feel empowered that I can do something about it. Seeing all those people walking with so much energy and resolve is inspiring. I wish I could articulate why I feel so passionate about this issue. No one close to me has been affected by AIDS, but how often is there a negative force in the world that affects so many people, yet is completely preventable and treatable. Its not cancer. We can stop it. Its not some genetic disease. We can do something about this.

A Double Feature: Jessica Simpson in Morroco

Jessica Simpson's has a new reality show where she goes to different countries and tries to understand what their definition of beauty is. I saw this episode and thought it symbolized so much. There are so many assumptions behind the very idea of a show like this. Who is to say that you can ever understand another culture? They are not static things with unchanging definitions. How do you define an Indian type of beauty versus an American one, when both dont technically exist, when people would contest with either definition. And Simpson's attempt at cultural sensitivity and immersion is recognized for what it by the woman in this video. It's a shallow attempt at understanding in order to reinforce your own "correctness" (for lack of a better word). What do you think? Do you see something else happening in this video? I'm only interested in the first two minutes of it. But maybe you see more.

This Week's Video: Islam's "The View"

Check this out. Barbara Walters' "The View" has an Arabic counterpart on MBC. I came across this PBS video featuring four Islamic women who talk about all kinds of issues from an Arabic/Middle Easter prospective. They represent different nationalities, ages and ethnicities and they talk about tough issues such as homosexuality and women's rights.

It made me think about how Americans talk about the Islamic world as if it's so static, as if nothing will ever change. But so much has changed already and will continue to even as we debate about it. And even as I am writing this blog, I become more aware of my own stereotypes about Islam especially as it pertains to women. You learn a lot just listening to people talk about themselves. I wonder what these women would think if they watched the American "The View."


WIDE ANGLE | Dishing Democracy | Excerpt | PBS
Uploaded by pbs_usa. - News videos from around the world.

Creativity Needed in Immigration Debate

This was in the Huffington Post today. Originally reported by the LA Times, it talks about the new immigration law that just passed in Arizona, allowing cops to check anyone's immigration status if there's "reasonable suspicion." The ACLU is outraged calling it a warrant for racial profiling while supporters of the bill (mostly Republicans) argue that "Illegal immigration brings crime, kidnapping, drugs and drains our government services." I must say that I hate bills like this. Not only are they slippery slopes for all kinds of civil rights violations, but they are just not creative. Legislators keeps trying to use the same approach for an old issue. The reality is that this kind of aggressive, warrantless lawmaking doesn't accomplish anything. It doesn't deter illegal immigration, it doesn't decrease crime and it certainly doesn't foster community support. What is "reasonable suspicion" when it comes to determining if someone is an illegal immigrant? What does an illegal alien look like? In Arizona, I imagine that they look similar to a Mexican American? Or are illegal Canadian immigrants just as much of a threat? Let's not make the mistake of not seeing the subtext of this law. Law makers are desperate. They dont know what to do anymore when it comes to this issue. Arizona is a central point for crossing the border illegally into this country and it is a legitimate interest for the State to figure out what to do. But this is just stupid and lacking in any type of creative analysis of the real problem.

Wikileaks VIdeo Is Disheartening.

So I promised that I would follow Youtube for this semester. So this week's feature is of course the Collateral Murder Wikileaks video (below). At first I didn't fully understand the implications of this video and I'm not sure even now that I do. But I feel as if this video may be showing us what the true cost of war is. We civilians don't see it too often, but this is the answer. To ask someone, man or women, to kill someone else on command, is an inherently dehumanizing act, one that I can only imagine is deadening to one's soul. This is the only possible reason I can imagine for the horror and plain cruelty shown in the Wikileaks video. Where is there to go from here if this is the result of war? What noble prize is at the end of this treacherous path? I think about Obama's acceptance speech at the Nobel Peace Award ceremony. He basically said that violence in some situations has to be used in order to achieve better ends. But I dont think I believe that anymore. I dont see what good can come from this. I dont see where such dreadful means lead to bountiful ends. I dont have the answer, but I feel further away from it than I did before seeing this.



By the way, in the past week this video reached #6 on the top viral video chart with over 6 million views.

Drag Show Comes to Trinity!

Two of my best friends are planning a drag show to be held at Vernon Social Center next Friday, April 16. Day by day, I see them working out the details and honestly I have never been more exited about any event on campus. It is EROS' biggest event of the year and for once, Trinity will get to see the Hartford that I get to see every weekend. Few students realize how large of a gay community there is in Hartford and the club scene is full of fun times placing one dollar bills in the "hands" of beautiful drag queens. But seriously, this event is about more than just divas doing their best Gaga impression (although that will be part of the night as well). Its about bringing the community together in support of a group that too often feels unwelcome and unsupported. This night is about awareness, inclusiveness and singing Bad romance at the top of your lungs.

So come out and support EROS! And dont forget your 1 dollar bills. The theme is Divas/Ladies Night. Beyonce doesnt stand a chance. ; )

Africa, Abortion and the Globalizing of Ideas

So I decided to trash the idea about posting all of the free writes from my trip to Miami with Habitat. Even I dont care about what I did on Wednesday at 3pm. I learned a lot and it was a rewarding experience. The END.

But I was reading All Africa as I do every week, when I came across this opinions piece on abortion. It is a pretty liberal view about Kenyans not mixing the issues of abortion with the issues of religion. It was surprising to me because I have this idea of Africa (with the exception of a few countries)as being stuck in this conservative state where religion, politics and ethincity are so closely intertwined that ideas such as the ones stated in this article are chocked out. But I was wrong and pleasantly surprised. Whether or not you agree with the author, the fact that this discourse is happening is a sign of global progress. These ideas about life-saving abortions are ones that orginated somewhere else and yet are influencing poltics in countries once dismissed as being archaic. Hence when we talk about globalization, lets not just talk about commodities and corporations. Lets talk globalization and activism as well.

Day One. Religion and Community Service

Okay so its not actually day one. But it was our first day on the construction site. Yesterday was a day of tanning and frivolous fun at Miami's tourist-filled South Beach. But today, we got to see the beginnings of a little community, thirty or so single family homes all lined up, painted in soft pastel colors with gray roofs. It was so cute, but far from complete. To think this is how communities are built. There is no magic "suburb" machine that just spits them out. They are built, brick by brick, hand over hand.

Another surprising note! I didnt know that Habitat was a christian based organization and I didnt realize how international it is. I suppose it doesnt matter that it has a big religious following but something about it made think. Like today, when a pastor gave the daily devotional by reading a few words from the Bible and one of the groups from another school walked away before he had a chance to even ask us to bow our heads. I assumed they were jewish since the older man they were with wore a yomaka. I realized then that religion can be just as alienating as it can be uniting. But at the same time, I felt that it was rude of them to walk away during the pastor's speech. He was speaking to a group of over 100 volunteers, all united by a common cause and a call to labor for the betterment of the community. Maybe that should be more important than religious affiliation. And yet, I still wondered how religion and community service intersect. What would one be without the other? Habitat has been around for over 50 years and is an international force among the NGOs of its kind. But what would it look like if it didn't have that christian foundation?

I'm BACK from Miami with Habitat!

So for Spring Break, I decided to go with Habitat for Humanity to Miami. While I had an amazing time, the place where we stayed was way below par to say the least and needless to say I didn't have internet access so I couldnt blog. But as english297 suggested, I did do some free writing over break and was surprised by how my own reflections on each day spiraled into so many other topics. So I will post my ruminations, if only to share with the public sphere the journal of my "alternative spring break." Also I hope it will serve as a kind of therapy. I never thought that helping to build a house for someone else would be so rewarding. I was with my friends. I was working with my hands and learning in way that college students rarely get a chance to. I loved it and hopefully rereading my thoughts will inspire me to write our next opinions essay.

Sanchez, Poetry and Power

Okay so I never got to talk about my dinner with the AMAZING poet Sonia Sanchez. First, I must say that it was an honor and second, wow, she is so small in person:)But anyway the reading was amazing. I have been to poetry readings before, but Sonia Sanchez brings a whole different kind of energy when she reads.

Sometimes I think about how poetry has changed. In New York, Spoken Word is the newest thing among youth and its so powerfully performed that slams are attended by people from all walks of life. I fell in love with it when I was eleven watching Russel Simmon's Def Poetry on HBO. Artist like Sanchez inspired a whole generation of young poets, like myself, and activism is alive and well in their work. I'm so amazed by this thing called poetry and how it passes along certain traditions especially among urban youth. Where is their place in the public sphere? Where do they have power and access? And is the world willing to listen?

Mckee Misses Mark

I'm not sure what Mckee is arguing in his chapter entitled, "Spectacle." It seems like such an obvious argument that cultural difference should be accepted and visible in the public sphere. And last time I checked, they already were. At least in America, rap is no longer just a Black art form. Sure, predominantly Black people are the main rap artists, but the music is enjoyed by all races and ethnicities (and should I mention all parts of the globe). So who is Mckee arguing against?

His second point about rap being a form of political communication is a little outdated. Sure rap may have originally been a political medium, but anyone can see that it has evolved since then. Some types of rap have no political content and unfortunately that is what tends to be most popular in the public sphere today (just in America though). But Mckee seems to confuse art/music with serious discussion and communication. Its unfair to assume based on a historical context that Blacks prefers oral and performative traditions when it comes to talking rationally. Its music! It was never meant to be taken for true discourse. Its a form of expression. So why are we even justifying labeling it as spectacle.

Commercialization...Not Quite Buying It

This is a strange book. At first glance, the idea of commercialization is interesting. But the concept is so statist. There's too much of a top-down model analysis as if people have no say as to how they are portrayed, as if they have no choice in what they watch. Mass Media is not some omniscient untouchable thing. We created it and we define to some extent what it is and what it portrays. Now I do believe that there are people in more of a position to influence what we consume,but like so many institutions, media is hierarchal and that is where the problem is most apparent. If everyone can consume it but not everyone can produce it, then those at the bottom are portrayed through the lens of those at the top. And so the stereotypes of the working class and other cultural groups are reproduced.

ConnPIRG is Awesome!

I just wanted to give a shout out to ConnPIRG. I just saw a report on the news about how students from Connecticut College are doing a really creative advocacy campaign to support the bill for High Speed Rail. Five students are biking from train station to station and reporting their travels via Facebook and Twitter. How cool is it that college students are out there proving that we still have the political voice and activist mindset of our mother's generation. I just thought it was something cool and positive to report.

Reflections of Mckee: Introduction

I tend to agree with Gromm. The issue of fragmentation that Mckee mentions was the most interesting point for me as well. It reminded me a lot of the issues concerning gay rights and the way it is being compared to the African American Civil Rights Movement. There has always been some tension between the two groups over the comparison. One group feeling like the comparison is legitimate and should be a uniting force and the other group feeling the need to distance themselves as much as possible from it. It is interesting which commonalities get pushed to the forefront. I mean which identities people prefer to cling to and which ones get dismissed as being irrelevant or superficial.

Mckee also makes a point of saying that this book is written in a "postmodernist" analytical framework. From my Mass Media and Pop Culture class, I am well aware of the idea, and I thought I liked it until Mckee used it to make the claim that negative words could be "reclaimed." He states that he purposefully uses historically derogatory terms in order to redefine them in a more positive light using the postmodernist prospective. I find this problematic and dangerous. I hope he explains more later. But as of now, I don't buy the claim that the connotation of words can simply be transformed by misuse. I recognize that words are simply signifiers. They only have as much meaning as we give them. But I worry about who is in the driver's seat. Like Marx and Gramsci, I worry that it will always be the people in a position of dominace that will have the power of "reclaiming," or "redefining" these words. Even when Blacks use the term "nigg**" or Gays use the term, queer, the word never truly loses its original meaning. I dont think it ever becomes a positive term. It just takes on a different cultural attitude, one that helps the group deal with the trauma of what the word originally meant.

Is Politics Broken?

It's a fair question, and CNN took it on tonight. Republicans and Democrats have come to a stalemate on so many issues that even politicians are beginning to question the very structure of America's main legislative body. Bill Maher thinks that our system is broken. Indiana Senator Bayh stated simply, "the people's business is not getting done," and the media flocked to his statement like geese.

But he just said what we already know: partisanship has halted all attempts at compromise and actual reform in Washington. Why do we praise politicians for stating the obvious?

But as for the main question of this blog, does this period in American politics indicate the need for a fundamental change in the way that legislation gets passed? I dont think so. The problem isnt the system. It's the parties and the inevitable consequence of groupthink. The alliance of similar views seems to lead to a paradox where even those who agree are divided by refusal to compromise over relatively minute details. So the bigger question is who needs to bear the brunt of failure in this stalemate, the system or the individual. I choose to go with the variable that been in place for over 200 years.

We Are The World 25 For Haiti Video

Conincidently, I was checking the top viral videos for this week and the We Are The World 25 For Haiti Video was number 1 with 1,402,365 views and 1,959 blog posts. WHEWWW! Sak Pase!

"What ifs" - Thoughts on Haiti Relief

I was reading a NY Times article about how the education system in Haiti has been completely devastated due to last month's earthquake. I was glad to see the Times covering a really specific long-term effect of the quake. While most of the U.S. is aware of the international effort to help with the day-to-day needs of Haitians, few realize the long-term consequences of such a disaster. If we consider that higher education is really one of the only ways to achieve any kind of mobility in Haiti, then as a result of the quake an entire generation of aspiring students have another huge obstacle in escaping poverty. It is unfathomable.

But then I started thinking about the "what ifs." What if colleges all around the world could step forward and help with the one thing they know best? What if the rebuilding of Haiti's education system was the priority instead of something to be left by the wayside. What if schools like Trinity, Wesleyan, and Yale (and colleges of equal caliber in other countries) created education programs in Haiti for both its students and for Haitians? Wouldn't that be an amazing way to aid Haiti's recovery. There have been nationwide relief efforts done by college students including Trinity already. But what I have in mind is not just about raising money. I want a long term plan that is not just about recovery, but about the progress of a nation. So that the next time disaster strikes, the government may have more of the means necessary to help its people. But these are just the ramblings of an international studies student too idealistic for her own good.

Sunday Pundits Bore Me

I just finished watching all the Sunday morning pundit shows or as I call them, The Sunday Funnies. You all know their names: This Week, The Chris Matthews Show, Meet the Press...blah, blah, blah. I keep hearing the same names, the same talk, the same advice to the Commander-In Chief. Either it's becoming redundant or I am just tired of listening. Maybe they are right. Maybe even politically conscientious people are just tired of listening, but not just to Obama. But to the news people too. I certainly feel a little impatient. Most days all I can stomach is Jon Stewart. How sad is that.

Trinity: The Iron Bubble

Recently, I have been thinking about the iron bubble we all live in also known as Trinity College. It is really starting to upset me how students seem to alienate themselves from the Hartford community. Whenever people talk about going to the store or needing to travel off campus, I always sense this weird apprehension as if there is some boogy monster waiting to steal their teddy. It's like they separate Trinity in their mind from Hartford and move it into a world of "otherness." It's insane. Trinity is a part of Hartford and we cant keep avoiding it or worse, fearing it. We spend a ridiculous amount of money on tuition to live in a city for four years and yet so many people seem to want nothing to do with it. Being from New York, I guess I am missing some crucial detail in my understanding. But even students at NYU and Columbia dont shy away from exploring the City just because there's crime, or because it's a new environment. In summary, I am a little disappointed I guess. The Admission department has tricked yet another student into believing its biggest lie: "Trinity has great community relations"....HA!

GOT IT!....Maybe

My previous post got me thinking about Youtube. The "Hitler Responds to Ipad Video" got over 2 millions views and has been posted on hundreds of blogs. This has some interesting implications for the online community and the public sphere at large. I have so many ideas and it's completely painless to blog about them. Perhaps I will follow Youtube for class. Maybe I will just check out what the top videos are each week or each day (viral videos) and analyze them. See where that leads me. What do you all think?

Hilarious Video! Enjoy.

Hitler Responds to the IPad - Watch more funny videos here

I found this hilarious spoof about the Ipad and it reminded me of Dr. Bronner's post a couple of days ago.

Cindy McCain, not quite what I was expecting

I must admit that I didnt think an interview with Cindy McCain would interest me much. I mean during the campaign she just wasn't at the forefront as much as Michelle Obama was. I am sure part of that was due to the media hype surrounding the Obamas at the time. Nevertheless, I must say with details of a multi-million dollar liquor empire, a past addiction to pain killers, a spontaneous adoption in Bangkok and the portrait of the strong, enduring yet caring homemaker--I was sold.

As sternly as I opposed the McCains during the election, this interview didn't necessarily trigger the polarizing feelings usually accompanied with writings about political figures. How did Levy manage such a thing? I wonder if it was the intermingling of intriguing anecdotes and the pieces of the past that nicely strung together to give the reader a more human portrait of Cindy. But parts of this interview confused me. There were times when I honestly couldn't tell whose side Levy was on. Parts of the interview seemed like an attack or perhaps just took on a more condescending tone that disrupted any kind of sympathy that I begun to feel for the typically stoic-looking woman.

But anyway, for my interview I might consider weaving the background/biographical stuff throughout the piece. I liked the way Levy introduced the background information in places that were the most relevant to the present. It was obvious that she was trying to show a different side of Cindy McCain or at least explain the public's common impression of her. I am just not sure it was always successful.

Day One. Just Thoughts...

Welcome to the chaos that is my mind (hahahaha). It is a new semester and I'm excited about taking this blog in a whole different direction for this class. New ideas. New Sources. New Angles. Yeah! Okay that's too much excitement, but you got the idea.

So I started posting a few things that peaked my interest recently but I haven't gotten a chance to really think about them. Lately I have been thinking about the global perspective on American issues. Like how the election of President Obama has affected the rest of the world. Or what the world thinks about the American debate over universal health care. Basically, how are our issues being presented and what kind of reactions are out there.

I'm also interested in the whole Palin thing. She's obviously not going away but I just love how Fox and other media outlets have almost legitimized her name. It's crazy. I want to follow her and I'm sure the rest of the country will be as well. It's not like they have a choice. Honestly I see a presidential run in her future and frankly I'm scarred.

But back to the point, I want to follow some more international, non-American based outlets of news. I'm going abroad next year and I think getting a more non-America centrist perspective would enrich my experience. Not to mention, that CNN is really pissing me off these days. But I digress.Lets talk about how the Haiti relief effort is being covered since it's the biggest and saddest headliner as of recent. Or the recent Massachusetts election and what that means for Obama's health care bill. But all that will come in due time I guess. Stay tuned.