Alas, as you may have noticed, be(enlightened) hasn’t quite developed into what I had envisioned. But it was a big dream, and life is chaotic and so it goes.
However, be sure to check out more from at ellenbroudy.wordpress.com where you’ll get hear about every single thing I have to say 
Ahh… choices… And no, for once I am not discussing the issue of choice in terms of abortion. I am, however, discussing choice in terms of breakfast cereal (Cocoa Puffs is always the beginning of a great day). Are you confused? I am already, so let me explain…
Below you’ll find an info-graphic by the Frugal Dad about the Illusion of Choice in the media. He includes television, news, radio, and movies. The argument is this – the presence of choices in our everyday lives is diminishing. Due to media consolidation and monopolization, we have a 70% chance of watching a TV program from one of six major companies. If we land within that other 30%, we could be watching a program from any one of over 3,700 companies. This is particularly vital in our society where so much of what people know comes directly from various media sources. Children learn about culture and society through movies and TV. Adults get political opinions and develop their own views based on news reporting. How many American citizens go out and do factual independent research (such as voting history, ballot measures, fundraiser and lobbyist data, etc…) about campaigning politicians? I apologize in advance if this is a stretch, but I would say the greater majority of Americans make election decisions based on media campaigns (speeches, negative advertisements, “expert opinions,” etc…).
This brings me back to cereal. Have you ever been down the cereal isle in a grocery store?! The selections! How are you ever going to decide?! Every person in a household wants two unique varieties. You’re an American, you have the freedom of choice, it’s demonstrated right in front of you as you try to decide which cereal to purchase. Would you like something healthy, with fiber perhaps? Or do you need a sweet kick-start to your morning? You might even be one of those daring late-night cereal snackers. But sadly, your choices are not as infinite as they may seem. After all, the only choices you have are the ones presented in front of you. And then really, how many of those options are run by the same company? But my point mainly is, you may be able to sit at home dreaming of your perfect bowl of cereal, run to the store, and find it right there waiting for you. However, the various options your mind may dream up will likely exceed the number of varieties available in the store. One might feel that they have unlimited choices, but it is limited by the choices available.
Back to politics, I am just as guilty as anyone of following the media’s lead. I do not have the time to go do historical research on each candidate, as fun as that sounds. I watch CNN, I read blogs and newspapers online, I chat with my friends. I watch the Colbert Report. And if anyone dares to say that these are unbiased, factual news sources, then I encourage you to please close your browser immediately. I make these decisions knowing that I am hearing biased opinions. Yes, Mitt Romney’s attack ad on Barack Obama is going to sound bad, it is supposed to sound bad. So our choices are limited, we cannot complete every task independently and unbiasedly. Is this Media Consolidation, this Illusion of Choice, really all that bad then? If we are making decisions knowingly? I know that when I turn on Fox News, I am generally going to get the perspective and opinions from the right. By becoming aware of our limited choices, and the effects of these choices, we can think intelligently about what we are hearing and balance out from various biases and our own personal opinions.
If we truly had unlimited choices, how long would it take you to pick out what cereal to have tomorrow morning?
Source: Frugal dad
by Patrick Malloy
I’m a big sports fan. Something about the spirit of competition and the excitement of fandom draws me year after year. I enjoy watching games, especially at the stadium, and I’m intensely loyal to my teams. However, one of the aspects of sports that I have consistently been unwilling to espouse has been the blind hatred of the other side. Don’t get me wrong, I love my team. Would defend them with the utmost honor. But when I hear cheers like the following in the arena, “Hey [Insert Arbitrary Team Name Here] fans, YOU SUCK,” I refrain from participation. I look around at the frenzied faces around me and think, “What’s the point?” Aside from the color of the guy’s jersey in front of me, what makes him so different from me. If he was truly an asshole, then I would have grounds to dislike him. But he, along with his wife who now cowers sheepishly from all the unwanted attention beside him, have done nothing to wrong me. Why should I hate and trash them?
Partisan politics are the same for me. I feel like more often than not, people turn a deaf ear on valid points simply because the proprietors of those points fall under an the banner of opposite affiliation. We are divided so rigidly by left and right, liberal and conservative. As if the division were not ridiculous enough, the mascots of these political camps are a donkey and an elephant, respectively. If that is not parody, in of itself, I don’t know what is.
Most of the political ads I’ve seen lately have begun to reflect this darker side of partisan division. Rather than focusing on their own ideas on how to improve our current economic and cultural crisis, campaigns now focus on the deleterious aspects of the opponent. How he used to be a bully in prep school or how he used to be a pothead in college. Things of the past that are now vastly irrelevant to the present situation are used as talking points. And for what? Admissible character evidence? All I can say is, if I ever run for President, let it be known that I was in a car accident at the age of 16. I wasn’t drinking, I’ve done a LOT of driving since then, and I’m pretty sure it holds no bearing on my ability to govern a country.
Personally, I don’t side with either team. I feel that as long as we are mired in this volatile bipartisan political climate, nothing of great worth or scope will be accomplished. Just look at all the opposition our current President has encountered from a House in which his party is now the minority. Ridiculous is a word that comes to mind. Childish and petty are two others.
But when I think of America, the following words come to mind: Badass, Motherfucking Best. Who cares if you vote red or blue, we’re all Red, White, AND Blue. America: Fuck Yeah.
by Ellen Broudy
I had dreams as a child, lots of them. Don’t get me wrong, I still have dreams plenty now, but not in the same way. I remember writing for a personal profile in 2nd grade that I wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I grew up. But when I started being more sensible about it, I started dreaming about college degrees and helping others and how I was going to get there. I attended high school from 2003-2007 and I had every indication that if I worked hard, got good grades, I could get into a good college. From there, no matter what I majored in, I’d get some sort of job that would pay me a livable wage. My dreams were not to be 22, fresh out of college, making $100,000 a year.
What our generation has gotten is far from even our most basic dreams. Yes, there are successes out there, but I came from a graduating high school class where 90% of us went on to a 4-year university and maybe 10% of us have been able to avoid moving back in with our parents post-Bachelor’s degree. It saddens me to see my classmates and friends struggling, often stuck working a minimum wage job alongside 16 year old high school students, making smoothies and folding clothes. With a degree in our pocket, I think we dreamt of something a little more, I know I did.
The economy has fallen on hard times, it is more difficult now than it was 10 years ago for most of the national population. But what are we to do about it now? How can we see our dreams falling away because political and economic instability, and not do anything about it? This website is for you, our generation. Those who are struggling to find their places in society. Feeling like adults, being perceived as adults, but living with parents or working menial jobs. To be in your twenties right now is not the highlight of life that it once was, we are struggling with the economy, with inexperience, with social pressures such as feminism and misogyny, with being submerged in student loan debt.
You will get to know our weekly contributors, hear their experiences, and reflect on some of your own. Conversation, debate, anger, joy, emotions, thoughts, and questions in general, are all encouraged. To feel passion about something, to gain interest, is the starting point to getting rid of frustration.
You won’t allow me to go to school.
I won’t become a doctor.
Remember this:
One day you will be sick.
credit: Lima, age 15, in Afghanistan, addressed to the Taliban
source: Eliza Griswold, NY Times
