Behind The Make Up

Obama Reality Television Show, "The District": Dangerous?

Newsweek recently launched reality television show, The District (see below) a spoof on the MTV reality show The City (I'd strongly suggest you watch the first sixty seconds or so of The City to contextualize The District; it makes a big difference).

The City features Whitney Pratt, a young blonde leaving all she knows in California to pursue a fashion career in New York City. The District features Barack Obama, leaving all he knows as a Senator in Illinios to pursue a career in Washington D.C. as the United States President.

Each episode is about three minutes long and provides a bubble gum version of the past weeks politics. Footage is created from a mix of news video clips and uses the celebrated Obama impersonator, Iman Crosson (aka Alphacat) for voiceover.

Simplifying politics into a popular format can be a useful way to engage and inform a wider audience. That said, the using the rhetoric of the reality TV show is problematic as it’s dominated by one perspective, here, Obama’s. Politics are and need to be a multifaceted subject, their foundation should be a forum of discussion; this is the very basis of democracy. The District undermines the importance of political conversation by streamlining very complex issues into a shallow, one sided image of the current days issues. The episodes comes off as objective, not subjective.

The Habit Project: Week One

“A goal is a dream with a deadline”.
 -Keith Ferrazzi, "Never Eat Alone" (A surprisingly motivating book...)

Today is my first check in for the habit project; the habit I am developing is writing a rough draft every morning. Though I officially started Monday and have only been tracking myself for a few days, I’ve learned three lessons when it comes to developing good habits.

1.    Clearly define your goals. Good habits take us closer to our larger goals. In a sense they ground our dreams, forcing us to practice, honor and shape them into ourselves every single day. Identify your goal, write it down, put it in a place you can see it everyday.

2.    Boundaries are tremendously important. Think of your habit as your job, you will be fired if you don’t show up and/or don’t do it.

3 Blogs I Read Everyday... & why the blogosphere is like bad, blind dates

 

The blogosphere sometimes feels like a really popular but kinda cheesy happy hour spot (in San Francisco: think Americano or Circa). Everybody talks and talks about it like it's the best thing since sliced bread, but you often leave wishing you TVO-d last night's The L Word while thinking, yes, people really are that stupid.

Finding useful, well written content in the blogosphere is like shopping for the perfect outfit an hour before the party. When you know what you want and you've got a deadline, you're never going to find it. The blog and shopping Gods just don't work like that.

For example, this past Sunday, I decided I wanted to cook dinner. Cooking dinner means I am not eating cottage cheese while standing in my fridge door or licking big spoonfulls of peanut butter while at my desk. Cooking dinner is a commitment, an activity that requires mental and physical exertion and some serious multitasking. One must study the recipe, turn on ovens and stoves, pull ingredients from cupboards and fridge compartments, use knives, mix things together in different bowels, different pans, under different heats, while setting timers like a mad clock lady, and negotiating verbs like "brown", "broil", and "dice".

3 Surefire Ways To Create and Keep Good Habits

    

Word on the street is that the most successful people are the most habitual people. Habits force you to set boundaries and make choices that honor your goals on a daily basis. Good habits, like eating healthily, practicing your craft, keeping your living space clean, are a form of self-respect.

Forming good habits are hard and require constant self-discipline. Here are three tips that I am using to help me:

1.     Identifying the positive value you gain from the task. This can help remind you why you’re having a turkey sandwich instead of pizza or making the bed even though you really don’t feel like it. A task is much easier to repeat each day when you clearly understand it's benefit. So, make a list of why you’re doing it.

For example, I want to a write a rough draft every morning because it:

• Stimulates my mind and boosts my sense of self.
• Makes for a happier day.
• Sets the tone for a productive day.
• Absolutely ensures that I will practice writing that day. (My goal is to become a better writer).
• Usually means I will write again in the afternoon.

I’ve posted my benefit list over my desk. This reminds me why I am sacrificing sleeping past six, a morning work out, or diving into other projects.

2.    Identify What You Will Sacrifice. Life is filled with enticing options and committing to a habit means we must sacrifice. And sacrificing can be a big downer.  Here’s a few things one must consistently sacrifice to build daily habits:

• Spontaneity. It’s a gorgeous morning but I am not headed to the beach with the pooch or wandering down Fillmore for a coffee. Nope. I am at my desk writing my rough draft.
• Laziness and Procrastination.  Sorry snooze button and Facebook, I will not be checking in this morning.