Was going to write a blog about this but instead decided to do a Seesmic. :)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Lately
It just feels like I can't win. I'm not sure why. Its 3:15 in the morning, can't sleep, I have a lot on my mind.
I fell down my stairs today. Hard. It was pretty bad lol my dog like FREAKED out. I'm okay, cracked my head a lil. I know I'm gonna be sore tomorrow because I can already feel it right now. Not looking forward to that.
Contemplating a pretty big, life changing, possibly relationship changing thing. I can't say exactly what it is but its definitely something I'm unfamiliar with and am nervous about. But its not necessarily a bad thing.
I'm tired of a lot of stuff right now. I'm tired of having trust issues and being paranoid. I'm tired of feeling lonely, which seems to be more my own problem than anyone else's. And I am SO tired of feeling guilty. I feel it all the time. And I still, to this day, feel like I'm just not good enough. I know there is something that I'm missing.
Real uplifting blog, I know. On a more positive note, the phone site is coming along. I've got a lot of work to do on it, but I'll keep you updated.
<3
Thursday, December 18, 2008
3 AM Photoshopping
It isn't quite done yet but here is as far as I'm gonna get tonight:
And for the record I AM NOT TOPLESS. I am wearing a tube top.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
War
After having a conversation with my oh-so-intelligent significant other, I decided I wanted to write a blog about war, soldiers, and the ways that the media has shaped the public's reaction to both.
Before I go further, I want to make very clear that I support every one of our troops who are stationed here and abroad. This commentary is no reflection on them and their abilities in any way.
In World War II, the solders who returned came home to parades and celebrations fit for heroes. However, when Vietnam and now Iraq war veterans return home, they received a much different, more negative response. Why such a drastic change?
Public opinion of the wars before and during have a lot to do with the way soldiers returning home are received. Vietnam divided this country, and those wounds have yet to be healed. Veterans are forgotten, blamed for their part in a war that they really had no control over. What people need to remember is that soldiers are there to follow orders. They did not sign the declaration of war themselves.
War has always been ugly. Some would say it is a necessity because of the harsh world we now live in. But war has always been harsh, always been cruel. Innocents have always died, even at the hands of their own "liberators". But I find the difference in the public's reaction to war to be much in the hands of today's media outlets.
During World War II, movie audiences could see war-related "news stories", showing the heroes of the war, fighting the good fight. We can now look back on much of this as war propaganda to positively influence the audiences into supporting the war and the soldiers. Look at the heroes as they fight evil! Saving lives! etc, etc.
The difference in coverage today is almost a complete 180 turn from the war propaganda of the past. Nowadays, reporters are in the war zones, reporting live. Video footage of the tumbling of the statue of Saddam in Iraq doesn't give the warm feelings that the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima might have inspired in the audience. I believe the reason is because now, the American people have too much information. Don't get me wrong, because I don't see this as a bad thing. i don't believe that lying to Americans, much less world citizens, is the right way to cover a war. However, the intense amount of information and coverage, especially because of the internet, has allowed people to see the Iraq war for what it really is.
In March, 2003, 75% of American citizens believed that going to war with Iraq was the right thing to do. Fast forward to 2007: 61% of citizens in the U.S. believe we should have stayed OUT of Iraq. Why such a drastic change in public opinion?
I have a few theories. First of all, like I mentioned before, the coverage of this war is unlike any in the past. Up to the minute reporting has allowed people to see more of the war than ever before, and it is not a glorious sight to see. Most of the coverage revolves around suicide bombings, troops being wounded or killed, etc. Couple that with the fact that no weapons of mass destruction (WMD's) were ever found, and you have a situation where the public becomes less and less supportive.
I, for one, am glad that the war has been covered so extensively. It would be nice if the United States would learn from the epic mistakes made by the Bush administration in terms of the Afghanistan and iraq wars. Incidents like Abu'Ghraib prisoner torture and the Blackwater scandals are clear red flags that war should be approached with caution and careful planning. Our soldiers are under-geared, underprepared, and unfortunately often outnumbered against an almost invisible enemy. There are no Red Coats. There are no clearly defined lines between friend and enemy in Iraq. Suicide bombers are now also female. The enemies are changing their guerilla tactics more quickly than the U.S. can react. The "mission accomplished" photo op was far too premature, and again shows the Bush administration to be lacking in its hold on reality.
The most positive aspect of the new information age of the internet is the ability for the American public to question and evaluate the choices and decisions made by the political administration. The information superhighway is now a two way street, no longer one way with a producer of information and an audience. The former audience members now know how to find their own information and make decisions based on a multitude of sources.
The catch 22 of this is that the Internet breeds excessive speculation and misinformation at times. Even news sources get it wrong once in a while. Bt gain, the more informed the public is, the greater their ability to question, the more likely it is that eventually the truth will surface. During World War II, a story like Abu'Ghraib would never have been released to the public as it would have been too damaging to public opinion of the war. The murders in Iraq at the hands of Blackwater employees would have been handled internally, never to be heard by the public. But the internet, the digital age, holds these people accountable. It allows the public to feel outraged at such blatant disregard for humanity.
And maybe, just maybe, the next time a President is on a mission from God to free an oppressed people, the American public will think twice before blindly following behind their leader. Putting a flag on your car doesn't make you an American: questioning and challenging the leaders of this country to do what is RIGHT is the most American thing you can do. Because being dedicated to the greatness of this nation is what being patriotic is all about. Allowing one person, or an administration, to circumvent the Constitution, to fear monger the American people, and to destroy our reputation with other countries in the world is absolutely unacceptable.
This doesn't really complete my thoughts on the subject, especially seeing as it is almost 2 in the morning. However, this is the jist of what we spoke about. We talked about the huge differences between the public's perceptions of the wars. Nowadays, you would be hard pressed to find people who would ration food, tires, gasoline, etc for the war. But back in World War I and II, people made sacrifices in order for the soldiers and for the war to be successful. In an age of excess and credit card debt, America is a very different place.
And I'll tell you one thing: I'm not looking forward to paying for the Bush administration's f*ck ups in my taxes down the line.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
ZOMG UPDATE
Hey :) I'm sitting in class right now, decide to update the blog as I'm sitting in my last class of the week. SO here's some pictures to do a minor update before i do the HUGE EPIC UPDATE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS.
Epically yours,
Lexi
NEW HAIR!
ZE PUPPY
Monday, November 17, 2008
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