No Money, No Music.

Though I am having an incredible time working as an Intern, learning about America in a way I never thought I would, and having some wonderful experiences along the way, I am sadly doing it for free. It's the way things are here; you want to get into a career, you start off at the bottom, as an unpaid intern. It's a privilege just to be in the position I am in, but that still doesn't stop me from wishing I could earn some money. My visa won't let me get a part time job on State Street so I am stuck, living like a true student still, with no income. Nada. Zilch.

Currently, this doesn't mean re-wearing clothes to skimp on laundry, or folding and folding and folding over toilet paper to make it last longer.  However it does mean foregoing on life's little luxuries: not much eating out, or going out, unless its for something free;  no more going to the cinema; none of this expensive organic stuff at the supermarket- cheap as you can get is what's on our list. And worst of all, no music.

Oh how I used to love walking down to the local record shop after one class in college on a Monday morning to buy the new releases. £30 a week was probably about the average I spent on new cds. Then I started buying vinyl too. Now though, I can't buy any more cds, or even iTunes downloads, for I am poor. I have a nice pile of un-listened to music stocked up, but when that runs out, I don't know what I am going to do. No more splurging online, no more wandering the racks in the 2 local record stores here. I suppose I'll just have to try and steal as much music from my friends as I can. Maybe I should unsubscribe to those annoying Amazon and iTunes emails, which tell me every week about all the great new music I am missing out on.

No money, no music also means no gigs. Despite it's relative obscurity, Madison attracts a large number of great bands every year. I already chose not to spend half of the weekly shopping budget on a ticket for the Gaslight Anthem. In the future, I plan to miss The National, Goo Goo Dolls/Spill Canvas, Stars, Guster, Ingrid Michaelson, Josh Ritter, The Boxer Rebellion, and maybe more. We are going to see Justin Nozuka though, so we can write a review for the Badger Herald. Shame the newspaper is poor too and won't pay for our tickets.

Don't feel sorry for me though. It's a small price to pay for being where I want to be right now.  I'll just look forward to the day when I am rich and famous and can walk into a record store and ask for one of everything they have. Heaven?

We Have Nothing to Fear, But Fear Itself

The Status of American Politics

As I have alluded to in some of my previous posts, 2010 is no ordinary year for America. Still in the throws of the recession, much like the rest of the world, many Americans appeal to be feeling a crisis of confidence... in their politicians, in their government, in their nation, and in themselves. The upcoming midterm elections promise to be nail-biting, as old heads are thrown out, party politics flipped on its head, and ideologies debated.

Disheartened is certainly how most voters are feeling. Politics as usual; the general impression they all have in their minds. Yet politics is conducted in much the same way year in, year out, so what has changed? Well, it's the economy stupid. With the entire country feeling the pinch, voters want answers and action, not the same old talk. But instead of agreeing on further proposals to strengthen the economy and create more jobs, politicians across the US have simply engaged in argument and blame games. "Its the Republican's fault we got into this mess, and still they are blocking new measures.' Or "The Democrats have done nothing to get us out of this position, the stimulus failed, the healthcare reforms are useless, and we're still where we were." As the races for governorships, state legislatures and Congress grow ever narrower, candidates on both sides have already begun to engage in negative campaigns: attack ads from both the politicians and third parties are shown every day on TV; newspaper stories print scandal after scandal, uncovering lies and sneaky actions. Politics remains as dirty as ever.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYzDwoDQhUw]        [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x673x5ropIs]

These are just two from Wisconsin... there are much nastier ones out there.

All this serves to do however, is turn voters off even more. The closeness of the upcoming election means that every vote counts. Because of the current climate, I think turnout should be high, as voters will cast their ballots for those who they hope can begin to change their economic situation for the better. But the continual attacking of each other will simply result in voters turning their attention to a candidate who can distance themselves from that, start anew, a fresh face, who doesn't belong to the political establishment.

And so, like a phoenix from the flames, the Tea Party has risen out of the ruins the Republican party has disintegrated into since the 2008 elections. Beaten, cast aside, post-Bush, the mainstream Republican party has come under criticism from the right for accepting defeat so easily, giving in to Obama's reforms, and generally moving to the centre. Of course, that's where the votes are, but that's not where many grassroot Republicans want to be. What's remarkable about the Tea Party movement is that it largely remains a local phenomenon. Movements exist in almost every city across the country, without some great unified central leadership. Yet they share the same right-wing values, and pose a real threat to Democrats. They have already beaten Republican leadership backed candidates, and with more Republicans turning out than Democrats, have a real chance at winning seats in Congress and holding the balance of power. That said, in Delaware for example, Republicans were on to win healthily in Joe Biden's old seat, with their candidate, long time Congressman Mike Castle. However, Tea Party Candidate Christine O'Donnell beat Castle in the primaries, putting the seat back into play for Democrats. It could just save them the Senate, if they can convince enough moderate Republicans to shy away from the Tea Party.

It will still be a close race however, as the Tea Party is gaining more and more support, with angry voters joining their ranks; they are threatening to overhaul the entire Republican party, which may be no bad thing for them. There is talk of a huge turnover within the party, out with old and in with the new, as happened in the post Goldwater era. After 1964, Republicans were able to maintain a stronghold on political offices across the country (barring the occasional off year) for 40 years. The Tea Party is hoping to achieve this reform within the Republican party, as candidates  harness the anger within voters at incumbant, career politicians, and their frustration at the continued economic situation, with their large-scale rallies and protests.

Why voters are against incumbent, career politicians, I am not quite sure. I think it's a little irrational; if I had a plumber over to my house, I would want an experienced one who knew what he was doing; if I was having brain surgery, I don't want some part-timer who just decided to give this a shot, but would rather go back to his day job. I want someone who knows what they are doing, and knows how to run the country. But, anger at politicians is strong amongst US voters, and it is that which is the strongest factor at play here.

On my travels, I was talking to a gentleman who offered a wonderful perspective on why voters are feeling what they are feeling. The short answer: they are afraid. Anger is the easiest emotion to portray when you are afraid, and thus it is the reason why so many voters are feeling like they do. They are fearful of where the economy is going to go next; they fear losing their jobs, their homes. They are afraid of how they might survive in the future. And they have every right to be scared.

But it is this fear which we must be afraid of. For while it serves to energise voters, and force politicians to be answerable and provide honest policies for the future, it also makes us irrational. Voters don't like the current situation, and are afraid of what might come next, so they run to the furthest thing from the present. Change is not always good. The future is scary, but it will be even scarier if we don't face our fears, but instead turn to the people who are making the most noise, and vote in extreme, untested candidates. Should the right wing radical Tea Party candidates hold the balance of power in political institutions across the country, then compromise will be dead. They have strong ideologies, and will not negate on their beliefs. While this is admirable, it means that Democrats and Republicans won't be able to work together, and our worst fears about the current climate could be realised. No new measures, no help, nowhere to go.



Fear is good. It makes us more aware, more cautious, more critical. That is good for politics. Too much fear however, can drive us into the arms of extremists. Personally, I think the current economic climate is good for my generation, for youths across the developed world. We have come of age in a consumer society based on the abundance of commodities, excess credit, and debt. Up until last year, this was perfectly acceptable. I have grown up in a time when technology was advancing every day, and it was easy to go out and buy the latest iphone or ipad. Now, my generation has the chance to learn from others mistakes, and see what this consumerism has done to society. We can take note of what debt does to people, and hopefully avoid it in the future. Fear can teach us to be concious of our finances and how to make society better for our descendants. Fear will make us better.

The City That Should Forget, But Insists On Remembering

Berlin- Home to the worst dictator the world has ever seen. A city of such incredible history, for the 19th Century and the rise of the Kaisers, to 1989 and the fall of the Berlin Wall. A city filled with such awful memories, a city which breathes the past, yet a city which is just as modern and vibrant as any other European city. German history is terribly shocking, and the German people know that; they refuse to shy away from their past, instead insisting on shouting the past atrocities from the rooftops. Deservedly so.. they want to make sure history never, ever repeats itself. Never Forget, is the motto which is reverberates throughout the city. As a historian, Berlin was an incredible place to visit. Picture from our brief trip there, are up now on Facebook.

Brandenberg Gate, which the Berlin Wall divided (left)

Holocaust Memorial..incredibly moving memorial, very very powerful(right) In the Tiergarten..destroyed by bombs

Museum Island(left)

TV Tower-A symbol of the East(right) The Berlin Cathedral

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=226909&id=511178313&l=ff426fbce0 Part 1

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=227013&id=511178313&l=b07ffa41d5 Part 2

News Cycles

I want to use this blog post to talk about some of the stories which are reasonably prominent articles on a variety of current affairs websites, yet somehow seem to get lost in the news cycles, or do not receive the full attention which they deserve, because other stories drown them out, or they got lost amongst the shuffle.

Take the Chilean Miners for example, trapped underground for weeks, and still a long way off freedom. Sure, there have been a large number of articles about their plight; first the explosion which caved them in; next the news that men had been discovered alive; the discovery of how long they would be trapped; their first hot meal... etc. And yet I still feel that people aren't talking about this as much as they should. Time magazine featured a two page article on it. Only two pages, when this claustrophobic story of survival, endurance, and hope, should really be front cover worthy. For a start, I cannot fathom how these 30 guys are still trapped down there, with all the modern technology and equipment at our disposal. If they survived the cave-in, with a big enough area from 30 of them to walk around in, why can't rescue teams clear a way to the entrance? Instead, they have 3 rescue plans in action, involving drilling a variety of holes. Plan B has reached the miners, but must now be widened. Best estimates at getting the men out will be Mid-November.

Imagine being trapped down in a hole for 3 months. It really is like something out of a horror film. I cannot even begin to process how those guys must be coping, what they must do with their time. What this ordeal must be doing to these guys psychologically is incredible. 24 hours a day, same small, cramped location, same sweaty, smelly work colleagues, who may or may not even like each other.  Thankfully, they have lights now, so they can distinguish between night and day. But again, if they can get lights down there, how come they can't get them out?

Can you imagine the rush of euphoria those guys will feel when they finally make it out of there? Jubilation at escaping alive. Yet I think it will also be a bittersweet, strange, emotional time too; the friendship bonds these men will have made with each other will surely last a lifetime. They will also have to readjust to real life too, having lived in their own unique society, with the rules which they created, for over 3 months. Spare a thought too for the bloke who either volunteers, or is forced in a Lord of the Flies style uprising to remain in the hole till the very last. The last one to be lifted out of there, left on his own for probably a couple of hours. Wow that would be scary, alone in a hole, with only your thoughts for company. Here's hoping everything goes well.

The BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is another news story which I feel has been under-reported, though I think some people may argue with me on this point. My basis for feeling like this is that all told, the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig is the worst offshore disaster in the history of the United States. Worst ever. Yet I cannot help but feel that this fact has not been pressed upon me, when it should have been. The reporting I have seen, over the past 5 months, does not seem to have amounted to what one would expect for the worst oil disaster ever. Previous disasters, where oil tankers ran aground- the Exxon Valdez for example- earned far more coverage about the devastation that occurred. I wasn't even alive when that happened, yet I know all about it. Will children in twenty years time know about Deepwater Horizon? For some reason I think not.

Of course, this may be because we have simply become exceedingly efficient at cleaning up the mess, and reducing the effect on wildlife and the economy. However this is not the case for the Gulf, as millions of barrels of oil have spilled into the ocean, washing up all along the Louisianan, Texan, Georgian and Floridian coastlines. The cost impact on the local economy has been horrendous. Think about that, then imagine the impact on wildlife. Astronomical. Yet again, I feel these facts have not been impressed upon us.

And is it just me, but does the fact that it has taken 2 days shy of 5 months to finally shut off the leak seem absolutely pathetic to you?

In the twenty-four hour media age in which we live, it is only natural that stories are turned over incredible fast, as editors fill continuous deadlines with new and interesting articles. And there is probably a large number of archived articles detailing the effects of these events in greater detail. My point is they should be more prominent. The problem remains of course, as to who defines which news stories are important, and worthy of extra attention. That's a question for Nicole's journalism class. Unless of course you watch Fox News, in which case you already know that the most important news stories are those which cause the most stirs and provoke the most outrages. Ah Fox News and their sensationalist reporting; free press huh!

On a lighter note; Sacha Baron Cohen to play Freddie Mercury in a biopic- genius. If anyone can play Freddie's extravagant ways, he can.

A Quiet Night In

Nothing beats them, getting settled on the sofa, with some good old junk food, and a great film.

Our recliner is currently out of action (very sad), so we made our selves comfy on the 3 seater, and ate our yummy (but unhealthy) tea, consisting of Ian's mac n cheese pizza (craziest yet best pizza ever), bbq pineapple chicken pizza (pineapple for the health kick ;) ), and a burrito. With Nightmare Before Christmas in the laptop, we were all set.

I had never seen Nightmare before, but quite enjoyed it. A really unique story, with a great Disney twist. Entertaining watching.