This is one of my favorite articles so far about the world's reaction to the new President-elect Barack Obama.
Obama victory sparks cheers around the globe
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Have you exercised your democratic right today?
Okay, so technically, we in the U.S. live in a republic. This year's presidential race has been a historic campaign that has impassioned many, and reawakened the desire to vote in many Americans. It has even been a hot topic for those who live outside the U.S. For the first time, many voters feel as if they have a choice; they are not just voting for the lesser of two evils. For me, this is the first time in my life that I can actually remember wanting someone to win, not just hoping the other guy doesn't get in. Did you exercise your right to vote today? If you do not live in the U.S., do you have an opinion about whom you would like to see in office?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
The importance of body language and inner poise
How importance are charisma and confidence? How about body language and inner strength?
I noticed during the presidential debate that there was a great difference in the way the two candidates presented themselves. Particularly, I perceived a great variation in the body language of each. One stood tall, with arms wide, shoulders high. He seemed at ease. He looked directly at his opponent when the opponent spoke, and even addressed him directly at times. He smiled, but not too widely, he looked serious at times, but never did he appear cross or upset. He seemed relaxed and confident when answering questions. In other words, he kept his composure - inner poise.
The other candidate's body language was quite different. He did not look at his opponent when the opponent spoke; he mostly looked either down or straight ahead. To me, this projected either a lack of confidence or a lack of respect toward the opponent. Thinking about this person meeting with foreign leaders, one wonders if he would have a problem making eye contact with them if he disagreed with their policies. This candidate did not turn his body toward his opponent at any time. He frequently made reference to his opponent in the third person, as if he was not in the same room. It seemed a bit odd to me. This candidate's body language was more "closed," that is, his posture seemed more rigid and his facial expressions indicated a bit of tension.
Perhaps some would say that body language and poise are not important when choosing a candidate for president, nor important in any respect for that matter. However, I completely disagree. For example, what is the point of a job interview, if not to judge you by your body language and composure? The potential employer already has your resume and list of qualifications.
As a former student of Psychology and Sociology, I definitely feel that body language plays an important role in the way that we judge others. In addition, a person's body language can put us at ease or make us feel uncomfortable; it is that powerful.
Body language and poise go beyond an election. It affects the way others see us each day, and the way we view others as well, especially upon a first meeting. How important do you believe body language is in making an impression? Do you feel that it has an effect on the way others see you, or on how you perceive others?
I noticed during the presidential debate that there was a great difference in the way the two candidates presented themselves. Particularly, I perceived a great variation in the body language of each. One stood tall, with arms wide, shoulders high. He seemed at ease. He looked directly at his opponent when the opponent spoke, and even addressed him directly at times. He smiled, but not too widely, he looked serious at times, but never did he appear cross or upset. He seemed relaxed and confident when answering questions. In other words, he kept his composure - inner poise.
The other candidate's body language was quite different. He did not look at his opponent when the opponent spoke; he mostly looked either down or straight ahead. To me, this projected either a lack of confidence or a lack of respect toward the opponent. Thinking about this person meeting with foreign leaders, one wonders if he would have a problem making eye contact with them if he disagreed with their policies. This candidate did not turn his body toward his opponent at any time. He frequently made reference to his opponent in the third person, as if he was not in the same room. It seemed a bit odd to me. This candidate's body language was more "closed," that is, his posture seemed more rigid and his facial expressions indicated a bit of tension.
Perhaps some would say that body language and poise are not important when choosing a candidate for president, nor important in any respect for that matter. However, I completely disagree. For example, what is the point of a job interview, if not to judge you by your body language and composure? The potential employer already has your resume and list of qualifications.
As a former student of Psychology and Sociology, I definitely feel that body language plays an important role in the way that we judge others. In addition, a person's body language can put us at ease or make us feel uncomfortable; it is that powerful.
Body language and poise go beyond an election. It affects the way others see us each day, and the way we view others as well, especially upon a first meeting. How important do you believe body language is in making an impression? Do you feel that it has an effect on the way others see you, or on how you perceive others?
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Yucca Mountain Discussion: Background Information
Yucca Mountain is the planned site of a massive nuclear waste dump. It is located in Nevada, approximately 100 miles Northwest of Las Vegas. Though you may not often hear about it in the news (especially if you live outside of Nevada), Yucca Mountain has been a hot topic in Congress for twenty-six years. The Las Vegas Review Journal provides excellent updated coverage of the Yucca Mountain Project. It is a very involved situation, but basically, the U.S. Department of Energy plans to use the site to bury at least seventy-seven thousand tons of radioactive waste. According to the LVRJ, the road to Yucca began in 1982 with the passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, which called for the construction of a national nuclear waste storage facility. In 1987, it was decided that Yucca Mountain would be the site of this facility. (You can see a timeline of milestones here.)
In 2002, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham recommended Yucca as the disposal site for "the nation's most lethal nuclear waste." President Bush promptly approved the recommendation. Originally the repository was due to be complete by 1998, but forseeing an inability to meet that dealine, the government moved the completion date to 2010. Recently, even the 2010 deadline has been deemed unlikely to happen, as the license to build the facility has not been approved yet. At this point, the Energy Department has just submitted their application for a license to physically build the Yucca facility.
Prior to 2001, the Dept. of Energy had to prove that Yucca Mountain itself could safely contain radioactive waste; in 2001, they were given permission to use storage containers to contain the waste. There has been additional controversy over the issue of the containers themselves, such as their durability and how likely they are to corrode, what might happen in the event of an earthquake, etc. Needless to say, severe doubt has been cast upon the adequacy of these containers to prevent radioactive leakage. (The very idea that at any point, the government was going to consider storing the waste directly in the mountain without the use of sealed containers seems absurd to me.)
If the waste is not stored properly, there could be serious environmental implications and negative impacts on the people who live in the surrounding area. There are additional implications with regard to the transport of this waste to the site, and the risks posed to anyone within a certain distance of the transportation routes, which would run throughout the entire U.S. (I will be following up on the potential environmental and health effects as well as the transport issue in a later post.)
What is your position on Yucca; is this an issue of which you were previously aware?
In 2002, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham recommended Yucca as the disposal site for "the nation's most lethal nuclear waste." President Bush promptly approved the recommendation. Originally the repository was due to be complete by 1998, but forseeing an inability to meet that dealine, the government moved the completion date to 2010. Recently, even the 2010 deadline has been deemed unlikely to happen, as the license to build the facility has not been approved yet. At this point, the Energy Department has just submitted their application for a license to physically build the Yucca facility.
Prior to 2001, the Dept. of Energy had to prove that Yucca Mountain itself could safely contain radioactive waste; in 2001, they were given permission to use storage containers to contain the waste. There has been additional controversy over the issue of the containers themselves, such as their durability and how likely they are to corrode, what might happen in the event of an earthquake, etc. Needless to say, severe doubt has been cast upon the adequacy of these containers to prevent radioactive leakage. (The very idea that at any point, the government was going to consider storing the waste directly in the mountain without the use of sealed containers seems absurd to me.)
If the waste is not stored properly, there could be serious environmental implications and negative impacts on the people who live in the surrounding area. There are additional implications with regard to the transport of this waste to the site, and the risks posed to anyone within a certain distance of the transportation routes, which would run throughout the entire U.S. (I will be following up on the potential environmental and health effects as well as the transport issue in a later post.)
What is your position on Yucca; is this an issue of which you were previously aware?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Acknowledgment for a candidate, endorsements and voting aside...
With so much attention focused on Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama, it is sometimes diffcult to remember that there is a Republican in the race, i.e. John McCain. The focus has mainly been on the battle between Obama and Clinton, both hotly competing for the Democratic Nomination.
Whether you support Hillary Clinton or not, I think she is owed a credit for doing something few women before her have done [see link: Center for American Women & Politics]. While technically, women have equal rights in the United States, I think most women, particularly those who have ever lived in the South, can tell you that sexism is still very much alive. I have been living in the Tampa area of Florida for the past two years, and have experienced it firsthand, especially in the workplace. It is often not as blatant and obvious as someone saying, "woman, get me some coffee." That would be too easy. But it is subtle, and its ugly overtures are present everyday. I will not go into detail, but trust me, it is there. I can tell from insinuations that have been made that the idea of having a woman as president would be laughable to many of my male co-workers.
This is why I applaud Hillary Clinton. I may not agree with her completely nor support all of her policies. But whether you plan to vote for her or not, I think she deserves some recognition for her efforts. It is difficult to take on great challenges when the quiet voices of many are telling you that you are still the fairer sex.
Whether you support Hillary Clinton or not, I think she is owed a credit for doing something few women before her have done [see link: Center for American Women & Politics]. While technically, women have equal rights in the United States, I think most women, particularly those who have ever lived in the South, can tell you that sexism is still very much alive. I have been living in the Tampa area of Florida for the past two years, and have experienced it firsthand, especially in the workplace. It is often not as blatant and obvious as someone saying, "woman, get me some coffee." That would be too easy. But it is subtle, and its ugly overtures are present everyday. I will not go into detail, but trust me, it is there. I can tell from insinuations that have been made that the idea of having a woman as president would be laughable to many of my male co-workers.
This is why I applaud Hillary Clinton. I may not agree with her completely nor support all of her policies. But whether you plan to vote for her or not, I think she deserves some recognition for her efforts. It is difficult to take on great challenges when the quiet voices of many are telling you that you are still the fairer sex.
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