My goals for this blog...

When I started this blog for my Secondary education class I thought it would just be a cool thing to try. I certainly hoped it could lead somewhere for me. I think, eventually, it could look good to create a portfolio to add into a resume if I ever want to pursue a job in the field of journalism or publication. I also wanted to learn how to write without worrying about what others think. I will leave it open to the public but I do not plan on posting the link anywhere public. If someone happens to stumble upon it, then so be it. I am not trying to make money off of this venture, or to get my name 'out there.' I am doing this for myself, sort of as a way to vent as well. There are many issues in this society and culture I am passionate about and its nice to get them off my chest in a way that is helpful and beneficial to my future career in the field of English education.

The works I have submitted and will continue to submit are mostly political. I really am concerned with many currents events issues and I try to focus on those. I tend to focus on issues that are covered by media outlets that I read daily, such as: The Atlantic Monthly Journal, The New York Times, The New Yorker, ESPN, Deadspin, CNN, The Socialist Worker, The New Republic, National Public Radio, The Economist, Digg, and the Missouri Review. I also take class discussions from my English and Education classes, especially those relevant to current events and pop culture. Local issues are important to me, obviously because Chicago is a large, influential metropolitan area. I wrote for my high school's newspaper in high school and also for the Independent my freshman year of college at Northeastern Illinois University. I really try to take a stance on every issue, and I obviously write with a bit of a tone of persuasion, because I truly think that my opinion on these matters is the right one, otherwise it wouldn't be my opinion, eh? I think eventually I will post my blog address in a public forum or on a social networking site, but I really want to polish my work and check for accuracy of all facts mentioned and make certain I cite any references, although most of what I have written so far is either general common knowledge or things I have learned in the past and have become engrained in me. I really think online media outlets are an easy and great way to learn about current events, but one must truly try to get both sides of every story before making any judgments or opinions, and this is what I certainly strive to achieve.

I also want to add, that although I am very opiniated, I like to keep an open mind about everything. I like to exercise pragmatic values and realpolitik, but sometimes I feel my moral values and judgment get in the way, necessarily, in my posts. Ideological notions are necessary sometimes as well, but certainly not always practical, and in this sense one must certainly exercise some realpolitik in their writing. A fine balance of all of these is the best, most efficient way of getting one's point across.