Update

Well, I haven't been very adamant about keeping up appearances on here, but I feel a change coming (hopefully). This blog is going to be rerouted a bit, with talk of popular issues and all that serious stuff every now and then, but I've decided I want it to retain a more personable setting. I keep thinking about this quote "the personal is political!" and how I suppose that makes sense. Isn't politics a reflection of personal stances, issues, decisions, ideals, goals, etc. So why not take some personal anecdotes to spice up the so easily humdrum policy discussion. What I'm really saying is, I am diverging from a more structured format of addressing pressing issues, and really want to approach them from a more personal standpoint. It seems much more approachable and definitely a bit more entertaining for casual reading. I do want to emphasize that this blog isn't purely political, or even newsworthy. I really just want it to be an outlet for my thoughts about life and news and events that don't get much precedence on my silly livejournal...

I wrote a few months ago in said livejournal that I wanted to start a series of personal essays on important but sometimes abstract topics. Abstract in that it might not have to do anything in the slightest with current news events, but they're important enough to my brain to address in blog form. A few of these topics swirling in my head include much about language, since I'm an avid fan and user of it, specifically "grammar nazis" and the fun exercise "what's the worst thing you can call a girl/guy?" I also want to point out that I'm embracing my feminism more these days, as I learn more about what that means to me, and I'm looking forward to sharing a lot of my own girl stories and how they relate to the concept of feminism. That said, please don't be averted from reading by the idea that this is going to be all nail painting and gossip sessions, nor will it be male-bashing and bra burning hype. Yeah, I'm not like that.

So here's to the hope that I will keep up more consistently with this! My mind is constantly abuzz, let's hope that translates in some fashion to this blog...

Hello world!

Hello America, Hello World! I’m with you and for you!

That honest silliness aside: To introduce myself, I am a 22 year old student at UNLV, majoring in Anthropology, and becoming increasingly passionate about the state of our social world. But more specifically, I started this blog because my brain was getting too fried from the insanity known as the 2008 presidential election season.

My anthropological training has given me a different outlook on the process, and I have been trying to do my best at participant observation within this experience. I’m immersed in this event, yet at the same time I care deeply about understanding the mechanics and effects of it. Trying to be objective not only for political reasons, but for cultural/social-behavioral reasons. Lately I’m concerned with the idea of access to information, and how the knowledge one has access to constructs their perceptions. I promise I won’t get Durkheimian or anything in here (but maybe just a tad Weberian)! But those fundamentals lead me to a big reason of why I wish to blog…

I was asked (more or less) about why I care so much about analyzing these people, their words, and their philosophies when I’ve already made up my mind about who I’m voting for. I think that my decision aside, it’s overwhelmingly important to look at the people that, in one aspect, determine our American lives. But what’s more important is to ensure that the correct information is getting out to the rest of American society. While I’ve already made my decision, I’m still concerned with what both main candidates are saying to the American public. The public that supports or opposes them, and the public that has yet to decide. I’m growing so weary that many people in America are getting a skewed perception of the candidates (though it’s often times inevitable) because of the words being flouted by many participants in this election process. The truth (or the nearest we can get to it) needs to be provided to people, so they can make the most sound judgment. Without access to accurate information, how are we supposed to make an accurate decision, especially one as important about who represents us not only in our American lives, but is a representative for all of us to the rest of the world.

While we try hard to gain the truth about these candidates and their views, we have to come to terms with the fact that we are not going to agree with everything! And that’s all right! The importance in evaluating these people that will be running the United States is not debasing a ticket simply because of one issue. Instead, there really needs to be a focus on the whole. A great wish of mine is to try and expose people to all concerns that arise from certain candidates, not just one situational issue. American society will never reach perfection, we are constantly changing and facing troubles; but speaking for my generation, I feel we are at a critical point in our existence and the two major campaigns really do present drastic differences of where our country has the possibility of going.

And just a little note to show my appreciation and consideration for the rest of the world, here’s an article that gives worldwide polling results on American presidency preference:

Obama win preferred in world poll

GO WORLD!