It is currently 3:33 p.m. Central time. The weather is Zearing, IA is beautiful with the mercury registering a near perfect 82 degrees fahrenheit (courtesy of weather.com). The humidity has boosted that number up to 85 degrees, and with winds blowing from SSE at 9 m.p.h. I was strongly considering a dip in the pool (which lies 20 ft. away from where I am typing.) However, swimming after eating is taboo. I just brushed my teeth, went through the chewing motions, and may have swallowed a bit of paste. I don’t want to press my luck, and have thus decided to allocate this break to filling you in on what’s occurred since my last post.
As I stated, the weather has been pretty nice as of late, minus a strong storm last week. This pattern has made it hard to believe that it is once again time for county fairs to take place across the Iowan countryside. Typically these functions start with heat indexes in triple digits. One other group of people is likely enjoying this weather: the bicyclists on RAGBRAI. RAGBRAI, for those of you that don’t know, is the “Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.” 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was present for a leg of the ride last year, and this year is riding the entire distance to promote cancer awareness and his foundation. According to local news sources, Lance has already pledged to make the trip again next year. There you have it. This blog is supposed to be focused on politics, and with a national figure like Lance Armstrong riding across the state, “to talk to the people,” it may just be time that stands between Lance riding in Iowa and Lance riding into office somewhere.
Las week I had the good fortune to do a lot of riding around Iowa myself. However, with all due respect to RAGBRAIers, I was not on a bike. Myself and three other FIN students (namely: Justin, Eric, and Taylor) participated in the “Divided We Fail” campaign. The program, in a nutshell, is a grassroots effort to communicate what citizens feel should be done to improve healthcare in the United States.* Our role in the program was to mediate small discussions and/or record what was said. We presented three different approaches to those who attended the meetings: the government should be responsible for healthcare, healthcare should be privatized, and healthcare should be a shared responsibility of government, businesses, and individuals. A lot of ground was covered in these conversations, and it quickly became clear how healthcare affects all aspects of our lives. Regardless of age and income, there were very few individuals who claimed they were content with healthcare as it stands. Common suggestions included: preventative measures must be taken by all to ensure better health, better financial education for the youth, improved communication outlets for healthcare organizations (people versus touchtone), and many other ideas. I would like to say more here, but I’m not sure what I’m at liberty to disclose. Therefore, I will end this portion of the blog, and encourage you to visit the official website at the end of this post.
In regard to the presidential campaign, I do not have a lot of comments to make at this time. Once again, I was traveling all over Iowa last week, and although I was still following the news, anything I post now would just be a “he said, she said” of what’s already been stated. However, this week I am looking forward to visiting FIN students Heidi and Emily who are interning in Washington D.C. Liz and Justin will be going as well, and I’m sure I’ll have something to write about upon my return. If you took the time to set your Harry Potter book down for ten seconds and read this blog, Thank You. I look forward to writing about D.C. relatively soon. :-)
*For more information, or to participate in the program, visit: http://www.dividedwefail.org
Monday, July 23, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Home James.
After a week in New Hampshire it's great to be back home. Goodbye trees, goodbye mountains; hello cornfields and smalltown life. I'm having troubles getting this message going, so I'll start by taking small details and mashing them together in the hope that they snowball into something fantastic.
For starters, I would like to advise everyone who has a connection faster than 56k to call his or her local internet provider and tell the company's representative just how much you appreciate the service, because whether you acknowledge it or not, you do appreciate "high-speed" internet. I cannot explain how much fun it was for me to return home to realize, once again, that it was no longer my discretion that would dictate whether or not I was to get online today. No, today my computer would make that decision. Alas, I have gotten a connection to hold, maybe a bit shaky, but I'm online to share my thoughts with you. A big thank you to the local telephone company.
There is one line of communication that is usually reliable, however, and, in my generosity, I've decided to dedicate this paragraph (maybe two) to it. Newspapers are great. We returned from New Hampshire Friday night, and I wasn't entirely content until I woke up and read the Sunday edition of the Des Moines Register. I got the important information, namely the Comics, and then moved on to the other articles. Politically, the focus of the Sunday paper was on the GOP debate (from which Giuliani and McCain were absent). The authors, as many writers linked articles to the debate, noted that the highlight of the debate was the lesser knowns taking shots at Romney. Surprise, these blows were delivered with a left from abortion and a hard right hit concerning his Mormon faith. This was the news, or what I could piece together after church in the morning.
As an Iowan, I feel it my obligation to post a plug for the Des Moines Register (2nd mention this post). It's a good read. Nationally, people don't seem to give a rip, but every four years they examine it more closely and see how the Register interprets the voice of the Iowan populace. Also, please note that the FIN scholars were granted an opportunity to hear panelists from WHO radio, WHO TV, and the Register's own David Yepsen. The panel discussion was very informative and greatly appreciated. Therefore, if you are not a Des Moines local, and you're reading this blog, check out the Register's website. You might find it worthwhile. Advertisement stops here.
Monday-July 2nd
It was Monday. I went to work. I was self-absorbed, caught the five o'clock news. Slept until Tuesday.
Tuesday-July 3rd
I went to work, ran some personal errands, and wished my Grandpa a happy 81st birthday.
July 4th, 2007-The United States turns 231 years old. (My Grandpa is just a young pup in comparison to our fair nation.)
My family, minus my mom who was unable to join us due to the heat, humidity, and other elements of nature, went to see the Independence Day celebration in Des Moines. This was held July 3rd, but for our purposes, we'll link it to the big day. The Des Moines Symphony played a variety of music, and the night was capped off with spectacular fireworks.
Not surprisingly, parades were a big hit with politicians. Presidential candidates were present in parades all across Iowa, including: Pella, Urbandale, and Clear Lake. Bill and Hillary have had their own parade going across Iowa and I apologize for not having more details on this (Google it?). This is the first time the couple has campaigned together, and they have had great success in drawing large numbers. Obama was campaigning and celebrating his daughter's birthday (which was sometime this week, I'm not sure if it was the fourth or not). Anyway, that is all I have at this time. FIN scholars will soon be mediating sessions across Iowa for a program entiteld "Divided We Fail." Please stay tuned for details.
For starters, I would like to advise everyone who has a connection faster than 56k to call his or her local internet provider and tell the company's representative just how much you appreciate the service, because whether you acknowledge it or not, you do appreciate "high-speed" internet. I cannot explain how much fun it was for me to return home to realize, once again, that it was no longer my discretion that would dictate whether or not I was to get online today. No, today my computer would make that decision. Alas, I have gotten a connection to hold, maybe a bit shaky, but I'm online to share my thoughts with you. A big thank you to the local telephone company.
There is one line of communication that is usually reliable, however, and, in my generosity, I've decided to dedicate this paragraph (maybe two) to it. Newspapers are great. We returned from New Hampshire Friday night, and I wasn't entirely content until I woke up and read the Sunday edition of the Des Moines Register. I got the important information, namely the Comics, and then moved on to the other articles. Politically, the focus of the Sunday paper was on the GOP debate (from which Giuliani and McCain were absent). The authors, as many writers linked articles to the debate, noted that the highlight of the debate was the lesser knowns taking shots at Romney. Surprise, these blows were delivered with a left from abortion and a hard right hit concerning his Mormon faith. This was the news, or what I could piece together after church in the morning.
As an Iowan, I feel it my obligation to post a plug for the Des Moines Register (2nd mention this post). It's a good read. Nationally, people don't seem to give a rip, but every four years they examine it more closely and see how the Register interprets the voice of the Iowan populace. Also, please note that the FIN scholars were granted an opportunity to hear panelists from WHO radio, WHO TV, and the Register's own David Yepsen. The panel discussion was very informative and greatly appreciated. Therefore, if you are not a Des Moines local, and you're reading this blog, check out the Register's website. You might find it worthwhile. Advertisement stops here.
Monday-July 2nd
It was Monday. I went to work. I was self-absorbed, caught the five o'clock news. Slept until Tuesday.
Tuesday-July 3rd
I went to work, ran some personal errands, and wished my Grandpa a happy 81st birthday.
July 4th, 2007-The United States turns 231 years old. (My Grandpa is just a young pup in comparison to our fair nation.)
My family, minus my mom who was unable to join us due to the heat, humidity, and other elements of nature, went to see the Independence Day celebration in Des Moines. This was held July 3rd, but for our purposes, we'll link it to the big day. The Des Moines Symphony played a variety of music, and the night was capped off with spectacular fireworks.
Not surprisingly, parades were a big hit with politicians. Presidential candidates were present in parades all across Iowa, including: Pella, Urbandale, and Clear Lake. Bill and Hillary have had their own parade going across Iowa and I apologize for not having more details on this (Google it?). This is the first time the couple has campaigned together, and they have had great success in drawing large numbers. Obama was campaigning and celebrating his daughter's birthday (which was sometime this week, I'm not sure if it was the fourth or not). Anyway, that is all I have at this time. FIN scholars will soon be mediating sessions across Iowa for a program entiteld "Divided We Fail." Please stay tuned for details.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
First Blog from Rindge, NH
Well, I’ve traded in my overalls for a more subtle look consisting of shirt, tie, and dress pants. In all seriousness, I think we’ve made some progress in debunking myths about Iowa (here in New Hampshire). A mutual respect has developed amongst the FIN scholars. Allow me to elaborate…
I, along with seven other students from Wartburg College (and our professor), are participating in a election project, in collaboration with students from Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH. Dubbed “First in the Nation” (FIN), our project began two weeks ago at our respective colleges. Wartburg students met with various faculty members to discuss political issues pertaining to his or her area of expertise. Sessions included discussions on the economy, polling, media techniques, religious issues, and many others.
One of our night sessions was particularly interesting. A panel met in the McCaskey Lyceum to discuss religion and the role it plays in politics. The members that were present represented four different faiths, and held very different views. It was interesting to see how they stacked up against one another. The most interesting consensus drawn by the panelists was that their religious views, although a factor in what they consider right and wrong, would not keep them from voting for a candidate if the candidates views differed from their own and were in the best interest of the country.
Meanwhile, I can only assume similar events were taking place at FPC during this time. This past week, the FIN scholars (from FPC) came to Iowa to tour local attractions like the Mississippi River Muesum in Dubuque and the "Field of Dreams" in nearby Dyersville. Panels and other events took place as well, with a tour of various campaign headquarters topping off the week.
Switching gears, we have participated in numerous activities while being here in New Hampshire. Our first day in the state we arrived after serving hours at the FPU cafeteria. I tend to get airsick, and hadn't eaten all day. Therefore, once we called for a pizza delivery, found out that wasn't going to happen, sent Benson (our fearless leader *cough) ;-) on a wild goose chase, and finally got some food, I became convinced that New Hampshire knows how to do up a pizza right. Perhaps my hunger biased me. Also, a huge thank you was verbally expressed to Sean Doyle for providing the Iowans, including myself, with breakfast nearly every day. Food aside, conversation between the scholars has been great, and other fun activities fueled us to continue our learning.
We climbed Mt. Monadnock (forgive my spelling), kayaked on the pond near Franklin Pierce College (FPC), and cheered on the local Quarry Hogs (a baseball team in Concord).
Business, on the other hand, continued as usual. Yesterday we visited the Capitol and heard Governor John Lynch speak, as well as, Secretary of State William Gardner. The speeches were pretty interesting. The privilege of being first in the nation" was defended by both gentleman. The main argument being, "because we care." New Hampshire and Iowa view this privilege as a great responsibility and take it upon themselves to live up to expecations.
Later in the afternoon, we attended a panel discussion on campaign rhetoric. Panelists in attendance included: James Pindell, political reporter (for the Boston Globe), Scott Spradling, political reporter (for WMUR-TV), Tom Rath, Romney for President Campaign, and Jim Demers, Obama for President campaign. This discussion was, in my opinion, one of the best thus far. The conversation began with a discussion about campaign financing and how different candidates have raised money in different ways. While one candidate can rely on large donations, there are others that remain focused on small donations via the internet.
I apologize if this message doesn't flow very well. I admit that it took me multiple times at a computer to finish it. The first half began in New Hampshire and the ending in Iowa. In the future I plan to write these in one sitting. However, we'll see if this happens. I believe all of the First in the Nation Scholars (FINS) would back me in saying, after these past two weeks, "Sometimes you just have to go with the flow."
I, along with seven other students from Wartburg College (and our professor), are participating in a election project, in collaboration with students from Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH. Dubbed “First in the Nation” (FIN), our project began two weeks ago at our respective colleges. Wartburg students met with various faculty members to discuss political issues pertaining to his or her area of expertise. Sessions included discussions on the economy, polling, media techniques, religious issues, and many others.
One of our night sessions was particularly interesting. A panel met in the McCaskey Lyceum to discuss religion and the role it plays in politics. The members that were present represented four different faiths, and held very different views. It was interesting to see how they stacked up against one another. The most interesting consensus drawn by the panelists was that their religious views, although a factor in what they consider right and wrong, would not keep them from voting for a candidate if the candidates views differed from their own and were in the best interest of the country.
Meanwhile, I can only assume similar events were taking place at FPC during this time. This past week, the FIN scholars (from FPC) came to Iowa to tour local attractions like the Mississippi River Muesum in Dubuque and the "Field of Dreams" in nearby Dyersville. Panels and other events took place as well, with a tour of various campaign headquarters topping off the week.
Switching gears, we have participated in numerous activities while being here in New Hampshire. Our first day in the state we arrived after serving hours at the FPU cafeteria. I tend to get airsick, and hadn't eaten all day. Therefore, once we called for a pizza delivery, found out that wasn't going to happen, sent Benson (our fearless leader *cough) ;-) on a wild goose chase, and finally got some food, I became convinced that New Hampshire knows how to do up a pizza right. Perhaps my hunger biased me. Also, a huge thank you was verbally expressed to Sean Doyle for providing the Iowans, including myself, with breakfast nearly every day. Food aside, conversation between the scholars has been great, and other fun activities fueled us to continue our learning.
We climbed Mt. Monadnock (forgive my spelling), kayaked on the pond near Franklin Pierce College (FPC), and cheered on the local Quarry Hogs (a baseball team in Concord).
Business, on the other hand, continued as usual. Yesterday we visited the Capitol and heard Governor John Lynch speak, as well as, Secretary of State William Gardner. The speeches were pretty interesting. The privilege of being first in the nation" was defended by both gentleman. The main argument being, "because we care." New Hampshire and Iowa view this privilege as a great responsibility and take it upon themselves to live up to expecations.
Later in the afternoon, we attended a panel discussion on campaign rhetoric. Panelists in attendance included: James Pindell, political reporter (for the Boston Globe), Scott Spradling, political reporter (for WMUR-TV), Tom Rath, Romney for President Campaign, and Jim Demers, Obama for President campaign. This discussion was, in my opinion, one of the best thus far. The conversation began with a discussion about campaign financing and how different candidates have raised money in different ways. While one candidate can rely on large donations, there are others that remain focused on small donations via the internet.
I apologize if this message doesn't flow very well. I admit that it took me multiple times at a computer to finish it. The first half began in New Hampshire and the ending in Iowa. In the future I plan to write these in one sitting. However, we'll see if this happens. I believe all of the First in the Nation Scholars (FINS) would back me in saying, after these past two weeks, "Sometimes you just have to go with the flow."
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