Dress for Success

On Wednesday during class we were told to look out for a few things in Obama's State of the Union address, one of which was the way people dressed. I noticed many of the women in really bright clothes, but I didn't notice if they corresponded with party colors in anyway.
However, Obama was wearing a red tie. Coincidence? I think not. For much of his speech he talked about the division between the parties and how he really wanted to try to bring them back together. In his speech he says, "They're tired of the partisanship and the shouting and the pettiness." They're being the American people. Obama is telling the politicians enough with the childish fighting because we need to work together as one to get the job done. Obama also talks about how he wants to have talks with both parties, and makes a joke after it. These jokes which got even some of the Republicans to laugh, like an "inside joke" in Washington to loosen them up.
In class we talk about choices, and although one could also argue that he was just wearing the color to look patriotic, but blue would have also been patriotic. I think that this color choice was to show that he, a Democrat, was wearing red making a point that they can work together. Showing that there doesn't have to be this line between red and blue.

...than he'll want a glass of milk...

A story I liked as a child was, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. To refresh your memory, this is about a little boy who is eating a cookie and sees a little mouse, and wonders what would happen if he gave the mouse the cookie. There are some lessons that you wouldn't really get as a child because they are either too confusing for a young child or the child is simply distracted by the cute mouse. One lesson is the effect of your actions, and predicting what those effects are. The boy predicts that when you give the mouse a cookie, he'll need a glass of milk. But to drink the glass of milk he'll need a straw and to wipe his mouth he'll need a napkin and so on and so forth. This is an appealing way for kids to learn cause and effect, whether they actually catch on to that is another thing.

An implicit message, which would really ruin this innocent, childhood story, would be to think about how the mouse is never satisfied and always needs something else. Not exactly the same but similar to what some people said in class how advertisements teach kids that there's always something to buy. Once you get a toy you get bored or a newer, cooler version comes out. When you get older there's a certain style you try to imitate, but once that fashion is out of style you always need something new to keep up. Not only are they selling a product but a lifestyle with the children and teens used in the adds. There are rarely unattractive kids in commercials, especially clothing commercials, and kids or teens might see it as they should look like the person in the commercial as well as have the product.

But it'd be nice to think that the little boy is simply thinking about the mouse..

Ringing in the New Year

To start the new year, the government as implemented new laws. I watched this short clip about that, and certain laws are specific to certain states. In Illinois, no texting while driving, and you cannot talk on your cell phone in a school zone. Other states have rules on tanning, gay marriage, and even the amount of trans fat in your foods. I wondered how they came up with these laws. Was it based on statistics? Why wouldn't every state want to pass a no texting law? In our own district talking on your cell phone or texting was only enforced in Winnetka, why didn't the other neigboring community enforce this as well? However, when I thought about the gay rights laws I wondered if something more controversial was based on the views of the state officials. Because that has more to do with believes, while texting and driving is an obvious safety hazard.

We talked in class a few months ago or so about state vs federal laws. Some of these laws do not seem as critical or important, but what makes a law worthy or crucial enough to be recognized throughout the country?