Different American Nations

The United States is a large country, but we are all American. So, how are there different American nations? According to Reid Wilson's article on the Washington Post website, Colin Woodward breaks it down in his new book, “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.” Here is a look at the map of the different nations:

Source

In the article, the 11 different nations are described. He uses culture, language, political views, and other criteria to determine which parts of the country go together. They are all grouped together generally. I think, for the most part, it is true. However I think it is dangerous to group such larges sections together. There are so many different things going on all over! I thought it was fascinating the role history took in the groupings.

Here is the link to the article which has the definition of each section. What are your thoughts on how they are all grouped together? What was the most interesting reason for a group?

Don't Tell Me What to do Facebook

Some of you may have noticed that on Tuesday there was a banner at the top of your Facebook timeline urging you to vote, and show others you had done so. Then when scrolling through your timeline, there were posts from many people stating they had in fact voted. A few days later, a new banner appeared at the top urging you to donate to help fight Ebola. These banners might help get people to vote or donate to the cause, but should Facebook try to influence its users?

As Caitlin Dewey stated in her article on the Washington Post, if people don't want the government to interfere with every day life, how do they feel about Facebook doing so? People were angry when larger sodas were banned in New York, so what does that mean for the reception of these Facebook banners?

I do think Facebook put the banners up with good intentions. I believe that people should vote and let their voices be heard. I also believe that you should donate to a cause, but I think people should choose that cause for themselves. I think people should invest their money, and time, in causes they are passionate about!

Do you think Facebook should continue to post banners like these? Did you even notice the banners on your Facebook timeline?

Election Day

If you are registered, make sure you go vote today! Be an informed voter.

What Do Democrats and Republicans 'Like'?

Not everything we do is political. Around election time it seems that everyone has an opinion on every candidate and the other party. The comments people post on social media, and the things they say, make it sometimes seem that Democrats and Republicans have nothing in common. However, there are other things in life than politics! An article on BuzzFeed looked at what Democrats and Republicans 'like' on Facebook.

The article looked at non-political things such as books, music, and TV shows. It shows what they 'liked' that is different from each other, but also what is common on both sides. There are some categories where the two parties have more in common such as TV shows.

Looking at the previous information, as well as the smaller graphs in the article, what is the most surprising to you?