Social Chat

So this week is the last post for the semester.  Hope you’ve enjoyed the topics this semester.

Today is my traditional last post of the semester-here are my questions:

1. Currently, what are the top 5 most played songs on your Ipod (or other mp3 player)?

2. What is one of your favorit movies this year?

3. What is one of your favorite books this year?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pEfZ9SeAVA&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULdZ0p8ZxeM&feature=related[/youtube]

Just flew in this morning from TX.  What a world wind of a weekend (I think I spent more time in airports and train stations than out).  I did get to celebrate with family so it’s all worth it.  Anyway I read this article while on the Metra Train from Chicago and thought it might spark some lively discussion.

Actor (and social activist) Danny Glover was arrested recently for trespassing while demonstrating against the global company Sodexo due to unfair business practices.  You can watch some of the comments from the demonstrators as well as their eventual arrests in the videos above.

So I’ve got to “come clean” and say that I’ve never been arrested-does that make me a bad sociologist? I mean part of sociology is working to make the world a better place for marginalized people and groups, right? Moreover, demonstrations are definitely a method to shed light on injustice.  It was Martin Luther King who said “An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.” So I wonder, as my train passes the nice and posh city of Barrington, IL, “Am I a bit of a hypocrite if I haven’t went to the clink for those individuals/groups who don’t have a voice (or their voice isn’t loud enough to be heard)?

Anyone know who this is? She recently had this “plain jane” picture taken, which will be published in a entertainment magazine.  Any ideas? Click HERE to find out.

My question this week is which look do you like more? The dressed up or plain jane one? Both seem pretty nice to me.  Does our society really need all the cosmetic makeup, hair extensions, and coloring stuff? Thoughts?

This week’s blog focuses on an event that the Sociology Anthropology Student Association (SASA) is sponsoring on the UWW campus.  On Thursday (4/8), we are going barefoot for One Day Without Shoes. It might be cold, it’ll probably be uncomfortable, and our feet will certainly get dirty, but by doing so, we’ll help raise awareness of the impact a simple pair of shoes can bring to a child’s life.

One Day Without Shoes is an annual event hosted by TOMS Shoes in which students, friends, parents, strangers, and co-workers host or join barefoot events. Some go barefoot for an hour, some for the whole day, but all become a part of a greater movement toward change. Your involvement will captivate and educate UWW, and impact the lives of children around the world. 

I’d love you to join me at 12:30pm on 4/8 at the UC to participate.  Hope to see you there!