They Found Us!

So, social media has become our main outlet of communication. It is our source to brag, communicate, or establish relationships with distant friends, family, or strangers. PBS News Hour tweeted that there was a project initiated where the researcher collect over 1.2 billion photos from facebook profiles around the world. It is an interesting project that brings to light the world we live in today, the dependency that we have on our social media sites. I am guilty of over sharing myself. I love showing off my son on my private facebook profile, but it is private. The project gives people from around the world who would never have crossed paths a way to see the profile picture and information (public profiles) on the website. Check out the link provided:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/09/artist-collects-12-billion-photos-of-faces-from-facebook.html

What do you think about the project? How do you interpret the project? Does it represent society today? It seems like just a bunch of photos, but it is something remarkable because it took the unknowing participation of billions of people for her to create a project like this.

Obamacare: Blessing or Curse?

It is Obama versus the House and the people these days. According to FoxNews.com many people are calling him out for his lies concerning the true cost of Obamacare. The article dealt primarily on showing the hardships that people, from around the country, are going to be facing and are already facing, in some situations. This article succeeds in its attempt to put Obama in a bad light. It tells of people being laid off due to cost increases, being fined for refusing Obamacare, losing doctors due to cost increases, and many more things that reflect negatively on the President. The main purpose of the article is to call him out for lying to the public of the effects of Obamacare. My husband and I have been dealing with the effects in some light when concerning the company he works for. Thankfully, so far these changes do seem too drastic, but a small business owner in our community says that they will be unable to remain open if the ACA goes into effect. Apparently, the cost and fines are more than the small business can sustain. I have remained out of the issue for most of its debate because I have not read it, and most people only know what they are told by their preferred media coverage, but if these things are true and American businesses will have to shut down, then I say that it is a shame that a President would allow something to pass that would squish the American dream. People come here for freedom, life, and the ‘pursuit of happiness.’ This country was built on the American dream. It is the only country in the world that someone can come from the lowest of lows and in the end become a billionaire.  A poor person can get an education and turn their life around. People are paid decent wages so they can afford a life for their families. This country is supposed to raise of the people, not tear them down.

So, I ask you this, what do you think of the article?

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/09/27/president-obama-lied-to-us-told-america-some-real-whoppers-about-obamacare/

I would also like to know what you think of the ACA situation. Has there been any changes surrounding you that would make you for it or against it? Are your premiums higher or lower? Have you been laid off because of it? How will it effect you?

Defunding Government??

The House of Representatives have passed a bill, against the wishes of the the Senate and the President, that will shut down, according to the Huffington Post, the government unless ‘Democrats agree to defund Obamacare.’ This measure is known as a stop gap bill, which means that it is being passed to stop the Health Care Law. The hope is that by stopping the Affordable Care Act, the government will save the middle class from devastation due to the increase in taxes that it will place on those who fall under the bracket.

The House Republicans maintain that by stopping Obamacare, they are protecting the American population, not shutting down the government. I feel that the Huffington Post’s wording is being used more as an influential tool, rather than an informative report on the matter at hand. Our media is constantly trying to influence our emotions one-way or the other. The important thing to remember is that the media is a source to gain information. It should not be used to gain ideologies.

Here is the Link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/20/government-shutdown-vote_n_3961908.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk1%26pLid%3D378658

Feel free to explain your point of view. How do you feel the Huffington Post is presenting this information? Are they being ‘real’ or simply dramatic?

Distress in the family

The Cheneys are at each other’s throats concerning the standing of one another on gay marriage.  Same sex marriage is a hot topic in the media these days. Opinions concerning who should be allowed and who should not be allowed to marry get the blood of so many individuals boiling. The story explains how one daughter of the Cheney family believes that the rights of gay Americans to wed should be decided on a state to state basis. It is her belief that judges and legislators should remain outside of the decision all together. The other sister, an openly gay and married individual, used her facebook page to take a stand against her sister. She believes that a right to marry the one you love should not be decided based off of what the people, or majority, may want.

Here is the link: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/01/elizabeth-cheney-blasted-by-older-sister-over-gay-marriage-stance

So, what do you think? I do not wish to start an argument among my peers, but I would like to know how you feel as individuals. I, personally, do not discuss the subject with anyone but my husband. I find myself uncomfortable with discussing the idea openly because I was raised in church, and I know I am supposed to believe one way, but I find myself hoping that a solution can be found for this argument. For me, marriage is a symbol of the church. It says it in my bible. For some, marriage is simply a technicality separate from the church because it is a union that is recognized under the law of man. Should the government have say over who weds and who does not? Is there a compromise? Could there be a way for gays to wed that would not offend the church, a ceremony that takes place under the law of the land? So, tell me what you feel would bring about a solution? Feel free to express yourself openly, but do remember to be respectful of each other’s opinions because we are all people, and all we need is love for one another.