Satire

My loose definition of satire is "a work of literature that mocks social conventions." You might be familiar with satirical examples from popular culture such as The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, and the Colbert Report even if you didn't know that is what they are called. While one of their purposes is humor, their underlying goal is to criticize various elements of society such as politics, religion, and family life. So, even though you may enjoy a few laughs while watching Colbert interrupt his guests and make outrageous statements, he is actually ridiculing the actions of public figures who often do the same things to a lesser degree.

Please read this article from the online satirical newspaper The Onion. It is an example of satire because it is humorous, but also because it criticizes common perceptions about reading in our society. Do you agree that reading is sometimes viewed as a strange hobby? Why is that? Remember that some of your were quick to emphasize (in the comments on the Lazy Days post) that you did not read over Christmas break! Why do many of you read only when it is required for class? Why do some of you rush to finish your assignments so you can continue your SSR book? How could teachers improve your opinions of reading?

Political Issues

As we are nearing the Tennessee Primary, political issues are at the forefront of many people's minds. I know only a few of you will be able to vote in this election, but it is important to start deciding which issues are most important to you. Unless you come from a family that talks politics regularly, you probably aren't even aware of many of the poignant issues in this Presidential campaign. It will take time, energy, thought, and research to learn about the issues and to make decisions about where you stand.

Over the last week I have been reading Melissa Fay Greene's There Is No Me Without You, a nonfiction book about a courageous woman who runs an orphanage in Ethiopia. After the death of her husband and daughter Haregewoin Teferra agreed to take in one child who was orphaned after his parents died of AIDS. She unwittingly ended up caring for forty to fifty children in her home at a given time. Greene makes a point to state that Teferra is no saint; "calling a good person a saint is just another way to try to explain extraordinary behavior...which means we are off the hook...[and] no one will expect us to intervene" (Greene 28). Along with the narrative of Teferra's life, Greene also discusses the facts surrounding the AIDS pandemic such as how it began, how it has affected innumerable children's lives, and how our country has helped and even hindered the victims of the relentless disease.

Here are some of the facts.

• 4.7 million people in Africa are in immediate need of the lifesaving AIDS drugs and only 500,000 have access to them.
• 6,600 Africans die every day of AIDS.
• The U.S. gave 0.1575% of its Gross National Product to foreign aid between 2002 and 2005. That equals $75,853,000.
• While the U.S. gave the most in dollar amount, it was least in percentage with countries like Norway giving up to .93% in 2005.
• In 2005, Ethiopia had 1,563,000 AIDS orphans, the second highest concentration of such children in the world. (There were 4,414,000 total orphans in Ethiopia including those from other causes.)
• People in America are treated for AIDS with HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy), a combination of three or more anti-HIV drugs, that helps them lead healthy lives for many years after their diagnosis.
• People in Ethiopia (and many other developing countries) die of AIDS because the drugs cost about $200-300 a year per patient.
• They obviously cannot afford the drugs because Ethiopia's Gross National Income per capita is $180.
• Within two months after starting treatment dying people regain their health and can return to work.

There are many reasons and excuses for the lack of adequate treatment for the millions of people dying of AIDS, but ultimately we are people and they are people. Are things like intellectual property rights, patents, and profits worth the lives of millions of people? While I understand the important of the right to patent as determined by the writers of our Constitution, I agree with Martin Luther King, Jr. who wrote in "Letter from Birmingham Jail" that "there are just and unjust laws...An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law." He is not advocating defying the law as that would lead to anarchy. Instead, "one who breaks an unjust law must do it openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty." So far, American leaders are not willing to accept the penalty of relinquishing the patent on AIDS medicine in order to create cheaper, generic versions that would be accessible to the millions of people dying of a treatable disease. I believe our future generations will be baffled about the AIDS crisis much like our generation feels about the Holocaust.

Obviously you can see this is an issue I am passionate about. Now, I want to hear the things you all care about. Assuming you were able to vote this year, what issues would you be focusing on? Why are they important to you? (Please focus on the issues, not the candidates!)

Lazy Days

This break was even more wonderful than I imagined it would be. Normally I'm the kind of person that makes a lengthy to do list for my days off, but this time I decided to spend time doing the things I love that I normally don't have time to do. So, obviously, I read - A LOT! I read Pat Conroy's Beach Music, and Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Joy in the Morning. I cried and laughed throughout each book and would recommend all of them. After I spent several days reading on the couch, I couldn't handle being lazy any more, so I went about some of my other hobbies.

After receiving five new cookbooks for Christmas, I decided to try out some of the recipes(almond shortbread cookies, the best oatmeal cookies, individual cappuccino cheesecakes, double chocolate caramel brownies, and orange cranberry muffins). Consequently, I started training for the Knoxville half marathon. Those treats were irresistable! My new favorite thing about running is that I now have an iPod. I've actually had it for about six months but never sat down to figure it out. It has completely changed the way I think while I am running, and I will definitely need it to make it 13.2 miles!

I spent a lot of time creating videos on iMovie with the pictures I took throughout 2007. Though I have a box of scrapbook materials in my closet and hundreds of pictures on the computer, I found that I never did anything with them. This is the perfect solution! I even figured out how to upload them to youtube. With this whole blog thing, the iPod, iMovie, and youtube, I am feeling pretty tech savvy these days! I guess I am just a little behind the trend!

So, my front door didn't get painted, the siding wasn't scrubbed, and the car was left dirty, but this was one of my favorite breaks because I just did what I wanted. To students past and present, how did you fill your two weeks off?