Fast forward a year later. I have taken a course on current web design practices (the final project I designed for that course is here) and have been able to successfully revitalize the site.

A summary of changes:

• Pretty new logo! Clicking the logo leads to the home page.
• Content has largely remained the same, although things have been shuffled around to limit primary links.
• The breadcrumb system is now built into the navigation bar, which loads sub-navigation when needed.
• Events are now placed on the home page.
• Table lists (programs, repertoire) are now SORTABLE! Click the table headings and it will sort in alpha order #-Z or Z-#. Personally, I feel updating this made everything worth it.
• Stationary header and footer (most painful update to figure out). May not work in ancient browsers, but that’s just too darn bad. Tested in modern Firefox/IE/Chrome.
• Search option removed since it was irrelevant and did not search PDFs as I had originally hoped. Google does that for us.
• A new “administration” section has been added, since I have been largely involved in arts administration over the last few years.
• Videos have been added, but not embedded due to glitches with the stationary header and footer. Photos are still pending. Audio clips are a-okay!
• Code has been largely cleaned up, especially with AP DIV tags. However, there are plenty of remnants I will be cleaning up over the next few weeks (still a lot of attributes to move to the CSS). Regardless, everything under the hood is running much better than before.
• Updated WordPress links to reflect these changes.
• 9/4: New nifty icon in the address bar/favorites list
• 9/4: Code appears consistent between pages. Unnecessary attributes removed or moved to CSS when possible. Nav bar table now centered.
• 9/4: Meta tags updated to reflect individual pages.
• 9/4: All pages (not including the blog) are now printer-friendly. The header and footer will be hidden when printing, and all text will appear black. Links will appear underlined.
• 9/4: Social networking quick link icons added to lower right side of footer.

Please leave any comments, questions, or concerns you may have about the new design and site! I am aware there are next to no graphics up right now. I felt most of the older photos were unprofessional, and I am currently seeking someone to take professional photos.

This is yet another example of keeping tradition versus facing the reality of our changing world. I completely understand that every state, every city, and every community has different societal norms. However, that does not change the fact that there are more distractions available to more students than ever which continue to make older, and non-student centered, methods of teaching less and less acceptable.

UPDATE 8/6/2010:

I have to say, I am surprised at the results of this unscientific poll from CNN’s website regarding whether or not corporal punishment in schools should be forbidden by law. Perhaps it’s simply the fact I never received it as a child, and feel I would have not grown in maturity any more or less with it. Thoughts?

I was discussing with my friends this past week how I was considering voting Republican in this next election. My reasoning behind this was that perhaps, if Republicans were in control of the house, more would get done and there would have to a level of negotiation we have not seen since the 1990s. However, I have concluded I simply cannot vote for the Republican party with a clear conscience.  The Republican party is not what it used to be, and instead has degenerated into an “entity” I cannot even begin to describe without being particularly offensive. Tea Party or not, the right appears to remain unified against common sense. Democrats, while they have barely shown a spine in standing up to such behavior while in control, have at least appeared to vote for what they individually believe.

Just last week we saw the failure of H.R. 491, a bill that was expected to pass easily in order to provide health care benefits for 9/11 rescue workers. Some Republicans were opposed because the bill would be PAID FOR…by closing a tax loophole on foreign companies with U.S. subsidiaries. In addition, instead of passing the bill as it was, Republicans planned to add a completely unnecessary amendment relating to illegal immigration. Because surely illegal immigrants that risked their lives to save others don’t deserve anything. Therefore, Democrats proceeded to go with a 2/3 majority vote in order to prevent such ridiculous amendments. The results of the vote, broken down by your State’s representatives, are here. This was the last straw for me in a series of events where I have witnessed right-wing individuals undertake actions that defy any sense of reason or morality, despite insisting they act on America’s “founding ideals” and “values.”

I was reminded of the Al Franken amendment brought to a Senate vote last year that was dubbed the “Anti-Rape Amendment”, following the incident involving Jamie Leigh Jones and KBR/Halliburton. While it passed with bi-partisan support, an amazing 30 Republican senators actually voted against this amendment. It sparked such outrage that a satirical website, Republicans for Rape, was launched.

The break down of American politics may have to do with the increased use and reliance on the internet for information. It has provided an exceptional forum for individuals to speak their minds and find like-minded people. However, this unfortunately has come with an enormous cost where those with radical notions that are largely based on little to no evidence are embraced and end up influencing the way politics work.

People ask whether or not I am a fan of Glenn Beck, Rachel Maddow, Rush Limbaugh, Keith Olbermann, etc. Despite often restricting myself, I clearly have left-oriented viewpoints. However, I despise all of these commentators. Rather than having real discussion on issues, they have been broken down into talking points on television which many people simply repeat in arguments as if they were zombies. Internet forums and blogs simply reinforce these opinions, and it generates a cycle. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, if it is popular among the people that support me, then it must be true.

The discussion by “birthers” of Obama’s birth certificate has been one of the most fringe movements I have witnessed in my lifetime. The pure unwillingness of individuals to do real research, rather than go with their ‘gut’ as evidence, is unfathomable. Despite me calling out a birthing claim with largely bi-partisan sources as opposed to almost exclusively right-wing and second-hand oriented blogs and news media, one sentence stood out in the whole discussion:

The only evidence I could ever have is the evidence he is hiding.

This isn’t really evidence. However, evidence be damned, especially in the case of global climate change. In a similar vein, the overwhelming facts and science behind what is a very real issue continue to be dismissed in favor of select sources that satisfy what these individuals want to hear. We have yet to get a serious climate bill passed through Congress, and unsurprisingly, it is due to unanimous Republican party opposition.

The party of no, fringe, anti-science, and anti-progress. I have seen the most ridiculous arguments as to why “progress” is not always good, and they rarely make sense or are simply repetitive and without individual contemplation. We cannot afford to NOT make social progress as a country when our technology is evolving at such an enormous rate that we are not adjusting correctly.

We are still teaching kids as if the internet, iPhones, and other distractions do not exist in their daily lives. We still disregard and insult Native Americans with mascots that marginalize their livelihood, then get up-in-arms over suggestions to replace them. We pretend that we are not damaging our planet with our fossil fuel dependence in the wake of one of the worst environmental disasters in history and the continued evidence that global warming is very real. We continue to discuss illegal immigration by considering racist band-aids rather than targeting the source of the problem.

We need to generate an atmosphere where it is okay to break away from the group norm. Perhaps the ability of the internet to allow loners to find homes in “groups”, as fringe-like as they may be, has now transcended into politics. I don’t believe most Republicans or Democrats are bad people as every-day individuals, however it seems they can no longer vote outside of their party lines for fear of political suicide.  Despite the voices of reason and fact, TV and radio commentators are ready to pounce on politicians if they do not adhere to their party expectations, or what has become as bastardization of their party values and beliefs.

I am not sure exactly how we solve this problem. We somehow have to find a way to overcome the fringe and the meaningless and repetitive TV/radio commentator dabble. We need to popularize science and reason, the way Carl Sagan and even Bill Nye had attempted to do. We need to educate our youth so they can be given the tools and resources needed to make their own opinions on issues. We need to grow from this, or I fear our country just may fall apart.

UPDATE (8/4/10):

A disturbing CNN poll reveals (ironically, on President Obama’s birthday) that about 25% of individuals do not believe he was born in the United States, despite all the evidence otherwise. From that poll, 85% of Democrats believe he was, while in contrast only 57% of Republicans have common sense. His birth certificate has been verified multiple times by the Republican governor of Hawaii, and his birth announcement can still be found in print. It’s astounding how pure rumor and groupthink have replaced science and reason.

Examples of Groupthink (YouTube links):

Health Care: No protestors interviewed regarding health care legislation able to cite actual specific reasons they are opposed to it.

Abortion: No protestors interviewed regarding abortion have considered what the punishment for women should be, in the event abortions become illegal.

Sarah Palin: Nobody knows why they support her.

I understand and acknowledge there are problems with these videos, including the likelihood those interviewed were picked selectively and those not showing the desired viewpoint were edited out. However, I believe even just these few clips are disturbing examples of Groupthink and conformity over individual thought and influence.

As for the blog, I have temporarily shut down comments until I can figure out a way to reduce the volume of spam that has plagued my comment moderation box for months. I have been busy completing my fine arts administration certificate and have not had time to write until now. Rest assured there will be more updates as the summer progresses!

In the meantime, as I continue to seek a teaching job, here is a comic that made me laugh (click for full size).

We went to a restauraunt called the “5-8 Club” simply to experience this burger. What makes it special is that the cheese is encased within the meat patty itself, giving you a little surprise when you bite into its deliciousness. I opted for blue cheese, and even that was excellent. Other options were American, Pepperjack, and Swiss.

Little did I know there is actually quite a controversy involving that restaurant and an establishment called “Matt’s Bar”, which claims to have invented the burger first. This debate has been featured on the Food Channel’s “Man vs. Food” show.

I feel somewhat famous now! Regardless of who invented it first, it is certainly delicious!

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Prediction: Precious
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Best Achievement in Directing
Prediction: Lee Daniels for Precious
Winner: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Prediction: Gabourey Sidibe for Precious
Winner: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Prediction: Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker
Winner: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart

Best Achievement in Editing
Prediction: The Hurt Locker
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Prediction: Avatar
Winner: Avatar

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Prediction: Up
Winner: Up

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Prediction: Inglorious Basterds
Winner: Avatar

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Prediction: Avatar
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Prediction: The Hurt Locker
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Prediction: Coco avant Chanel
Winner: The Young Victoria

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Prediction: Avatar
Winner: Avatar

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Prediction: Mo’Nique for Precious
Winner: Mo’Nique for Precious

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Prediction: Up in the Air
Winner: Precious

Best Achievement in Makeup
Prediction: Star Trek
Winner: Star Trek

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Prediction: Inglorious Basterds
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Prediction: Crazy Heart – “The Weary Kind”
Winner: Crazy Heart – “The Weary Kind”

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Prediction: Up
Winner: Up

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Prediction: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
Winner: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds

10 out of 19 I chose from. Meh. At least I predicted the musical ones right! I enjoyed the fact that they performed excerpts from all of the original scores rather than simply performing all the original songs. It was a nice change of pace, and something I hope they decide to continue doing at times in the future.

I suppose the only real shock I experienced was Sandra Bullock winning best actress in a leading role. I was sure that the award would go to either Gabourey Sidibe or Meryl Streep.

I am not disappointed with how well The Hurt Locker had done, however I was really rooting for precious. Maybe it’s just because I saw the DVD last night and it’s still fresh in my memory. However, the story and the performances were incredibly powerful – just as, if not more so, than The Hurt Locker. I felt that Lee Daniels did an incredible job eliciting the emotional performances, especially from Mo’Nique (whose Oscar was incredibly well deserved).

While I was not disappointed, I was confused as to how ‘Avatar’ was eligible for best cinematography. For a film that was essentially created entirely on green screen, it seemed very strange to me that the Academy even nominated the movie in that category. Maybe I am just ignorant, but I feel cinematographers have greater challenges in non-green screen situations. In this regard, I felt Inglorious Basterds should have earned that award.