Shoes, veils and other important wedding accessories.

Eureka. I have found the perfect wedding shoes. They're ivory (matching my dress), they're tall (4 inches!), and they have a comfy platform. The ankle strap is removable in the event that the dancing gets out of hand and the strap becomes bothersome. The closed back prevents my dress from getting caught in the shoes. And most importantly, they're peep-toe and have an insanely cute bow. I ordered these beauts, officially named the Nina Electra, from Zappos.com because of their 365 day return policy and free shipping.

In other wedding news, my fiance's mom is going to get me the matching veil to my beautiful dress. My entire wedding outfit is basically complete before we've even booked a ceremony or reception site. Priorities, people.

A Bunch of Twenty-Somethings Go Sledding. Hilarity Ensues.

Friday afternoon brought a pile of fluffy, perfect snow to Northwest Arkansas. So, naturally, we decided to find a nice hill to go sledding upon. Since Arkansas isn't Minnesota, Walmart, Toys R Us, and every other retail store in Arkansas don't believe in carrying sleds, but luckily one of Evan's nice customers let us borrow one. Jen & Josh brought a blow-up mattress, and Evan's friends brought a knee board. We were the oldest people there without children. We're just that awesome.

Apparently, the smaller/lighter you are (ie, me), the faster you go on a sled. Especially when two grown men are pushing you with all of their might. I soared down the hill like a freaking rocket. Unfortunately, I always scream when these things happen. I scream on roller coasters. And there's absolutely no way to stifle it.

Anyway, the best part came when my sweet, caring fiance pushed me straight toward the huge snow ramp they fashioned. Right before I hit it I thought, "This can't end well." I hit the ramp, the knee board leaping into the air. I literally flew off the board, landed back on it, and then biffed it on concrete. My hat was thrown from my head, my wrist was scraped, and I lay flat on my stomach in the snow. It was amazing. Not just normal amazing, but Youtube amazing.

I know what you're thinking, and yes: I am now considering a career in bobsledding.

Election Day Drama

After more than a year of campaigning, the day that we’ve all been waiting for has arrived: November 4th, AKA Election Day 2008.

Tonight most of America will be glued to their televisions to see who the next president will be. It’s too close to call at this point. One thing that is for sure is the fact that whoever is elected will have a lot on their plate, the economy and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq being just a couple of concerns they will have to face.

Another thing we can be sure of is that this will be an election to remember. As we watch the election results unfold throughout the night, we will also be witnessing history. If elected, Obama would be the first black president, while Sarah Palin would be the first female vice president if McCain is elected.

I’m impressed by the passion that this election is evoking. Young people are truly interested in politics. You can tell by simply logging on to the ever-present Facebook, where people have donated their statuses to telling their friends to get out and vote for (insert desired candidate here.) But it’s not just young people who are interested. Record poll numbers across the country have been reported today, along with record early voter turnout.

While many will be glad when the election is over, I will be a little sad. It’s almost like the day after Christmas.

Whatever the outcome, this election will be one for the history books.

The Campaign Catwalk

There’s no question that this election has gotten out of hand. In past elections, candidates’ experience, education and stances on issues have been analyzed, scrutinized and overblown.

In this election, it’s dress to impress.

Thanks to vast media coverage of the presidential election, the candidates are constantly under pressure to not only sound good but to also look good. In my opinion, it is a good thing to look presentable at all times. But it seems like the candidates are being judged based on their fashion sense.

Governor Sarah Palin’s $150,000 wardrobe was under fire last week. The Democrats, as they are frequently known for their ability to make a fuss over nothing, had a field day with this. Palin confirmed that the clothes were not hers and were auctioned off after she wore them. What’s more, the wardrobe was financed by the Republic Party, not the American people. What’s the big deal? I’m sure Obama doesn’t buy his suits from Wal-Mart.

Before her expensive wardrobe was purchased, Palin was criticized for wearing “plain” and “dull” outfits. Now that she has more fashionable clothes to wear on the campaign trail, she is criticized for wearing clothes that are too expensive. I think Sarah Palin is a beautiful woman who looks excellent not only for her age but also considering that she’s had five kids, including Trig who was just born in April.

Not to mention Palin’s outfits blow Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits out of the water. This slideshow from Newsweek details Palin’s looks and guesses how much the various pieces cost: http://www.newsweek.com/id/165227

Even the men are being criticized when it comes to wardrobe choices. Or, in some cases, their choice of neckwear. An article from Newsweek analyzes the candidates’ ties, saying that the knots they choose tell a lot about who they are. McCain’s Windsor knot, according to the article, conveys an elite image. Obama’s four-in-hand knot is more common, therefore sending a message that he is the quintessential “every man.” (Here is a link to the Newsweek article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/163334)

Yet another feature from Newsweek has fashion guru Tim Gunn of Project Runway fame criticizing the candidates’ looks. Not surprisingly, he seems to favor the Democrat’s looks over the GOP’s. Imagine that. He calls Palin’s outfits “schizophrenic” and isn’t a fan of McCain’s distinguished sweater with a crisp dress shirt underneath. And he completely ignores Cindy McCain’s adorable pink tweed skirt and blazer. But he likes Nancy Pelosi’s look, calling her the “most fashionable woman in all of Washington.” Please. I’m not a fashion expert (who can compete with a fashionable gay man?) but Tim seems to have a bit of a Democratic crush. Of course, Obama and Biden get kudos for their clothing as well as Michelle Obama, who I admit is a very fashionable woman.
(Here’s a link to Tim’s Democratic Love-Fest. Just kidding. Or not. http://www.newsweek.com/id/166200)

In fact, I really think that all of the candidates are stylish. And they should be, as I’m sure they have plenty of campaign advisors telling them what (and what not) to wear. I guess what bothers me about fashion and the campaign trail is that it turns it into a sort of red carpet gala instead of a serious turning point for our country. Okay, I admit it’s fun to see what they wear and it’s important to look good. But you shouldn’t decide on a candidate because of what they wear, and there are more important issues to focus on.

The Voting Virgin

Today I lost my virginity.

No, not that virginity.

I’m talking about my virginity when it comes to voting. For the first time ever, I voted for the President of the United States of America. It felt amazing to cast my ballot and take part in something bigger than myself. More importantly, I felt good about my decision. For me, it was a no-brainer to vote for who I voted for. I voted for someone who has fought for me to keep the freedoms I have and the right I have to even vote at all.

The democratic process of voting is something that people have fought for since the birth of America. I can’t imagine not being able to vote simply because I am a woman. And today’s voting is getting hi-tech; I voted via touch screen, which was pretty cool. That’s right Florida, no more hanging chads.

The most patriotic thing a person can do is to get out and vote on Tuesday. You have the right to choose, so choose wisely. Do your research. Don’t vote for someone just because everyone else is. Stand out, make a stand, have a voice, yaddah yaddah.

In the 2004 election, I was too young to vote. My birthday was only a week or so after the election, and I was pretty bummed. Looking back, I really had no clue who I would have voted for. I wasn’t passionate about George Bush or John Kerry. It was like the lesser of two evils. Today, I knew who I wanted to vote for. I want the fate of our country to be left in the hands of someone who has fought and nearly died for it.

I voted for John McCain. Who will you vote for?

It's a bird! It's a plane! Wait...it's just Obama.

If you've watched any of the election coverage on television, you know that the media is biased toward one of the candidates. I'm willing to bet that you can tell me which one it is, too.

Barack Hussein Obama. You've undoubtedly heard this name hundreds and hundreds of times since he announced his presidential campaign. I remember hearing the name even before his candidacy. And chances are, you've heard a positive message along with Obama's name most of the time.

John Sidney McCain. The chances that you've heard his full name are lower. Because of the media bias that envelopes the news waves, you've probably heard words like "old" and "Bush" along with the name McCain.

Obama has mystified the United States, and apparently the media as well. He's become the golden child of the left, the messiah for the masses of people that believe he will bring about change. He's a downright media darling next to John McCain.

But Obama has received some bad press; he has been accused of hanging out with terrorists. That wording sounds harsh, but William Ayers is described as a domestic terrorist. He participated in the bombings of the New York City Police Headquarters, the United States Capitol building and The Pentagon. But none of Obama’s supporters seem to care. A few months ago, Obama was also under attack for his ties with his radical pastor Jeremiah Wright. Again, liberals brushed it off as nothing. Perhaps it is not fair to link Obama with a man who participated in radical terrorist activities almost 40 years ago or a pastor whose radical sermons didn't exactly concern Obama. But it bothers me that no one is stopping to investigate this, or at the very least consider the fact that Obama may not be all he’s cracked up to be. The company you keep says a lot about who you are.

It seems like Obama can do no wrong in some eyes and the media propagates that daily. Fox News is the only exception I have seen, clearly advertising for McCain. But they are also in the wrong; news should be objective. Voters should decide for themselves. After researching the candidate, of course.

Journalism today is definitely biased. Networks lean either left or right, making no effort to cover it up. Voters are looking to be informed when they tune into the news; instead, they are being smacked with an agenda. And from what I have seen, most of the time that agenda starts with an O.

The Media & Me

My life is consumed by media.

It doesn't help that I'm obsessed with watching the news (usually Fox News, as they keep it pretty un-liberal. But we'll get into that later.) Even as I'm writing this, I have the news on. If I hear an anchor's name before they're shown on the screen, I know who they are. I can even identify their voice. Kind of sad, I know. But hey - at least I'm keeping up with current events and I know what's going on in the world.

As I said before, my days are full of interaction with the media. As soon as I wake up, I turn on the news. I watch Fox & Friends every morning that I'm up early. I watch The View every chance I get. I'm not sure if you can categorize The View as actual "news," but it has become a source of information for many people as well as a hot topic itself in the media. I love watching Elisabeth Hasselbeck defend her conservative views against her liberal co-hosts. As I'm driving to class, I turn on the radio. I listen to the morning shows on the various stations. In my photojournalism class we rely heavily on computers; in fact, we submit all of our assignments online. My teachers expect us to check our email for important messages from them. At the U of A, we even sign up for classes completely online. Basically, if you're out of the technology loop, you're up the creek without a paddle.

When I'm not busy at work, I surf the Internet, usually visiting MSNBC.com at least 10 times during my workday (which is only about 4 hours long, mind you.) But my obsession with MSNBC.com can only be thwarted by one other website: Facebook.

Facebook is like a drug for many young people. For some, it borders on unhealthy. If you think I'm being facetious, you're either a) Amish or b) old. As we speak, I have the social networking site minimized on my toolbar, and I've been checking it every few minutes. Thanks to today's smart phones, I can get on the website anywhere, anytime. It's really, really sad how often I check Facebook. But one of the coolest things about Facebook is the fact that I can keep up with friends who have moved away or childhood friends I haven't seen in years. I can see what they're majoring in, if they have a girlfriend/boyfriend and what they did over the weekend. If someone gets engaged, it's updated on the news feed. In case you didn't see the news feed, they can update their status to read: I'M ENGAGED!!! or something to that effect. It will literally look like this: Tara is ENGAGED!!! (3 seconds ago.) Facebook is revolutionizing the way young people communicate, in my opinion. Whether it's for the better or worse, I have yet to decide.

Think about your own day. How many times a day do you interact with the media? It's surprising, isn't it?