Goodbye All!

    We finally made it. There have been times I have been frustrated and angry, but we are here at the finish. We typed a ton, and read quite a bit. In the end I actually think that my writing skills have gotten better. I remember the timed essay, I was nervous when I first clicked that link to see the question, but as soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what I was going to write about. I had a plan, and executed it.
    I never remember a time where I could just do something like that. I would usually look at a question and stare at it a few moments, then go about writing my answer, I had never just started writing immediately before. I have found that this class has enabled me to sort out the ideas I have in better ways so that when it comes to crunch time, I know exactly what I want to write. This skill I believe will be extremely improtant not just now, but in the future as well.
    I have also learned to filter my thoughts better. I stick to the topic better then I have, paid attention to paragraph transitions and tried to the best of my ability to make my papers flow logically, and keep my transition from point to point as smooth as possible. I have tried to write as if I am taking you on a journey through facts, instead of just throwing them at you. I believe this will help make any papers I write in the future more interesting and hopefully will net me better grades.
    Working with you all has been fun, I have been able to explore other people's writing  in add parts of their styles to mine, I have also learned to expand upon other things I see people doing right to help make my writing better. Sharing the experience taught me a lot, and though many of you might roll your eyes at this statement, there were quite a few good papers I read along the way. I never found a paper boring, I always found the papers I read to be interesting. Thanks to all of those people that were in my groups that were there for the group projects. some of those were pretty tough and for the most part, everyone did their part.
    So now I bid everyone in English 103 goodbye. I will probably walk past you on campus, and even though we talked so much on this site and the class forums, you may never know it is me that is walking past. I too, will be guilty of this offense. If you ever see me around, don't be afraid to say hi, I always have an open ear for anyone that can return the favor. The class was fun, and although I think this will be my final foray into English, I think that it has granted me skills I could not replace. Part of that was been because of how much writing there has been, so thanks Jennifer for making us write blocks of text again and again all week, every week, so that we can find in ourselves our voice through our fingers. Now, I am going to give my fingers a break before I get carpel tunnel. Later All!

Nobokov's Strange World Collides With the Real One.

            This paper has definitely been tedious. The book I chose to read is “Invitation to a Beheading” by Vladimir Nabokov, and let me tell you that just getting through this book can be a process. The book itself is actually good but there are several issues you will come across while reading it. At first, the book makes little sense; you don’t understand exactly what is happening, because the events that take place are so surreal considering his actual environment. As you read on, the books odd situations become normal and you accept them as how the protagonist’s world is.

            The tedium does not end there though. Being that the book was written in Russian, and then translated to English, I have found that some of the grammatical translations are difficult to decipher. There have been a few times I had to reread passages in order to fully comprehend the message that passage was trying to share.

            Tying these 2 books together is extremely difficult, because of the extreme difference between the two novels. Though we do follow the lives of characters in both books, comparing the realism of Nafisi’s world to the surreal world of Nobokov’s protagonist has been difficult. The parallels need to be found in abstract ways in some instances, and finding the parallels between Nobokov’s vision and the Republic of Iran seems to be just as difficult.  

            Finding my outside sources has at least gone smoothly. I have always though that finding information is the easy part, finding ways in which to work those findings into your final product is where things get difficult. Trying to tie together the imaginary with the real, finding imaginary facts and real ones, then tying them together is a strange experience. I have always considered research to be a comparison between two real or two imaginary worlds, rarely have I considered tying the real with the imaginary. This practice has always been something that I have lacked experience in, and because of this I find that this paper is one of the most difficult I have had to write. It’s not just some research project with a bunch of information, but instead a journey through two completely different worlds, searching for any parallels you can find. It is definitely a strange experience.

            The slight difficulties with making it through Nobokov’s novel just add to the difficulty of finding these parallels. Add to that the finding of the parallels between Nobokov’s protagonist and the girls from Nafisi’s novel, and you have quite the task ahead of you. I have been tackling this task for the last two weeks, and while my writing has gone by slowly, I find that I spend more time searching for the miscellaneous parallels rather then writing them down. I believe this shows that this paper is truly a research project, because I still look back to the novels to find the key similarities then use my other references to bolster my claims of the parallels. All I can do is keep at it and finish my first draft by Sunday!

Talking Online is Tricky!

            When I speak online, either through Instant Messaging or through a forum, I usually keep my replies quick and to the point. I don’t drag things on, and I try to say what I want to say and get out. There are a few exceptions though, this class being one of them. I have never wrote so much online before, I have probably written more words online in this class, then I previously ever did online.

            When I join forums and such, I find that I am usually the silent type, I don’t just go out and start posting. I never post unless whatever being discussed is somehow important to me. I believe that this makes me look more calm and collected, at least I would like to, because I do not just throw words out without thinking about how they could be interpreted. When I type, I try to sound as intelligent as possible so that my words are actually listened to, and not just tossed aside. With the plethora of information that is online, I want what I type to stand out and be heard.

            This rings true no matter what situation I find myself in. When I type in any forum, public or private, I always use the same manner and follow the same practices. I don’t want to act one way in one place and completely different in another. If someone reads some of my information then finds I said something or acted completely different on another forum, my words will become meaningless, and my reputation tarnished. I find that just like in life, you have an internet reputation. Those with good rep get listened too, and those with bad rep get ignored.

            I can only hope that my words actually do portray me as an intelligent human being. Though I know there are times when my words are completely misinterpreted. Without the use of my voice, I find that word choice matters a whole lot more. I don’t want to write something that is offensive, though I am not afraid to disagree. Hopefully following the actions I stated above makes me seem like an honest, likable, intelligent human being.

            It is hard to look at my writing and try to interpret how outsiders view what I say. When writing online, you leave your words out there for anyone to view, and because of that, there are so many things people can think that I don’t even know where to start. There may be some that think I am intelligent, honest, and likable, but that is definitely not what everyone thinks. Some might think I am a try-hard because I try to sound intelligent. Some may even say I sound stuck up because of my language. There may even be those who don’t even understand what I am writing at all. All I know is that when online, it is important to remember that the words you speak can be out there for all to see for quite a long time. Anonymity will only protect you for so long, and we must remember that when sharing our words online

I Hate This Cartoon....

            Reading this last chapter, I went looking at some of the various cartoons that were lying around the internet. During my surfing I did come across one that offended me. The cartoon I am discussing was illustrated during the Obama-McCain election years. The cartoon on the left side reads “Juan McCain” and on the right reads “Obamanation.” Underneath “Juan McCain” the cartoon says “Captain Amnesty-Jew Puppet,” and under “Obamanation” it states “Mongrel Fool – Jewish Tool.” I am appalled by the statements made here, especially the obvious dislike of the Jews. Now I understand the stereotypes that this cartoon is playing upon, namely the stereotype that Jews are rich and they control politics through wealth, and the economy through the same means. My issue is, this is the same kind of speech that was thrown around during the time of Hitler, where Hitler claimed that the Jewish controlled all of the money to the detriment of the German people. This speech ultimately led to one of the darkest times in human history, the Holocaust.

            The obvious Jew bashing is not where my list of offenses end. On the right side of the cartoon, under Obamanation, there is a man holding a sign that states “You ease my white guilt.” Of the many things that I find in the cartoon that are offensive, this is probably the one that hit’s closest to home. I vote, and I am not afraid to state the I did indeed vote for Obama. I didn’t vote for him because of some insecurity I had, thinking that voting for him would reassure me of my lack of racist beliefs, but I honestly related to him better than his rival McCain. Why is it that during this election, whenever a white individual said he was going to vote for Obama, was he immediately branded with the idea that the only reason he was voting for the black candidate was to give a pity vote? It’s as if all of these people that said this believe that we walk into the polls and go “I really hate Obama, but let’s try to reverse the horrors committed against the African American families in this country over decades by voting for the black president.” I have also heard reporters and even other people state that white people voted for a black president to “Shut the black people up” about racism. I hate the message that was sent and what it means, and I find it appalling that someone would call any vote brainless; I put thought into it and researched my candidates, then sided with who I felt lied closer to my beliefs.

            I know this cartoon is in the past, but I would also assume that the labels under the McCain heading would offend those that voted for McCain. In our society, it is our right to vote. Each citizen has the right to vote for whichever individual they choose. Whether that be one of the main candidates, or a third party candidate, that individual has the right to vote for whomever they choose without being labeled for their choice. I only hope that these statements stay in cartoons, rather then be allowed to work into our daily lives.  

Arrgh, More Writing

            I entered into English 103 not knowing what to expect. I knew that my entry would lead to a lot of writing and reading, but had never taken an online course before. I find that as I have continued my path through this class, there have been a few changes in how I view my research and writing, and I would like to share a couple of changes that have happened over these last eleven weeks.

            First, when doing research, I always read my book, took notes, noted the page number and continued on. Since I have begun this class though, I tend to not accept any facts unless I can find the same statements from multiple sources. In other words, if I find a statement, I usually hop on the internet to see if I can find 2 or 3 more sources that state the same thing. If I can, then I will finally accept the original statement, and include it into my works.

            As far as my technical aspect of my writing, I find it hard to want to improve more. I believe I have a decent grasp of writing, and I can get my point across when I need to. I have never wanted to be so adept that I can seize someone’s emotions with my writing; I have always relied on my words for that. I have always been more of a mathematical brain and because of that I find it extremely tedious and boring to try to write a paper. I solve issues with a preordained formula, or work through abstract formulas by following a stringent set of mathematical rules; I am not used to, or think in a way that allows me to pursue abstract writing.

            I have never, and still do not, find writing fun. I like to search for facts, but find when I write a paper I stick too much to writing the facts, and not enough time addressing the audience. I know my facts are correct, but I have a difficult time weaving those facts into a fabric that grabs hold of the reader’s eye and attention in a way I have seen others. Though I have tried in this course, I find that this is the one area in which I find my writing lacking.

            This course has helped me work in a large group better. The fact that my writing is seen by everyone in the class has made me a lot less nervous about the fact that my writing is shared. Just like in a communications class, that first speech can be pretty scary, and even here, having your writing seen by the whole class or open to the whole world like our blogs can be pretty uncomfortable at first. As time has gone on, I find that I care less about individuals reading my writing, but care more about what they think of it.

            All in all this class has tough me that public sharing of my writing is not as scary as it seems, it is actually a pretty rewarding and interesting experience. I have learned to explore the facts I present clearly, even if that means checking up on sources without actually citing them in my work. It has made me more aware of my audience, though I feel I still lack in he area of really grabbing their attention in the way I would like to sometimes. Finally, it has helped me have discussions with some great people and taught me how to get my ideas across even clearer than before.

           

Can a Talk Show Impact Culture?

I think that absolutely these talk shows have an impact on our culture. Look at the time of day they are on, most being on between the 10:00am to 4:00pm time slot. Many of these shows are watched by housewives, and individuals who stay at home and work. These shows do have an argumentative tone, two individuals are having relationship problems, so they search for help from a talk show host who may or may not help them through their situation. Though I also find that many people that watch these shows do so to make their own lives seem as if it is less dysfunctional then they would like to believe.

            There is a major issue I have with how these talk shows teach us how to deal with conflict. When you watch these shows, you usually hear a lot about the story, the two sides, and what the host believes is the correct course of action. The thing is we don’t get to see how it works out. These hosts don’t teach us how to deal with our issues, teach us how to communicate effectively, teach us how to calm a hostile audience, even if that is our significant other. They just teach us a tiny portion of what may or may not be good for building a relationship.

            What does this mean for the public? Those who spend much of their daily time listening or watching these shows as they clean their houses, check their stocks, or do whatever is it they do during the day? I believe that these shows are a detriment. Not only because the show only shows a tiny fraction of the work needed to come out of a conflict in the first place, but we fail to see that the individuals chosen for the show were hand picked. These are extreme cases of a situation, not the norm. Then when we hear the responses of the hosts, we are hearing a response to a situation that would be on the extreme end of its spectrum.

            There is one exception, and that in my opinion is Dr. Phil. I am not saying I agree with all of his methods, but he actually talks to people about the little things they can do in their lives to bolster communication in your relationships. Though even this program can have a detrimental impact because it might make someone think they are like a mini walking psychologist, thinking they know all of the social intricacies that go along in a conversation. They haven’t gone through the schooling involved and they are definitely not an expert.

            These examples are the ones I believe affect our society the most. Individuals that accept the stories portrayed on these shows as the norm are the ones who are negatively impacted by these shows. The other issue is that these shows give people only a partial glimpse of a situation and resolution, without the details one needs to fully understand the topic at hand. They don’t actually help people communicate better, just give then little tiny pieces, spread out over so many areas that one cannot actually piece them all together. Because of this I believe these shows impact our culture in a mixed way, some do better at being a positive influence than others.

Racial Insults in the Media

            Not only are we all exposed to racial and ethnic insults all the time, we become so used to hearing them that we begin to grow accustomed to them. Whether it is in the movies, music, or television I believe that we are constantly exposed to stereotypes that some members of a certain race or ethnicity would find absolutely appalling.

            First, I would like to look at music. If there is any form of media that seems to absolutely be flooded with racial undertones I believe that it is the music industry. We all know why, it all has to do with the famous “N” word. Many arguments have arisen because of it. Why is it ok for an African American to say it but not for a Caucasian? Does the omission of a single letter really matter? Is the use of this word in daily life really a way of trying to reduce the power of the word and change its meaning? I have no clue how life is as an African American growing up, but to me it seems as if I would find much of music nowadays fairly disrespectful to my race as a whole.

            Next we come to Movies. Movies portray many different things, and explore many situations and issues in our world. Of course racism, sexism, and ethnic stereotypes abound in the movies, they always have. Early westerns, one of the most successful genres of movies in the early film industry, centered their whole existence on Cowboys vs. Indians. Of course, these movies were full of images of Indians hooting and hollering, doing strange ritualistic dances around a fire, drinking the blood of animals, and practicing in all sorts of actions that would have been deemed taboo by western society. We all know that there were practices by Native Americans that may seem shocking to some, but many tribes just centered their existence on living off the land. They weren’t a bunch of blood crazed animals looking to kill the next white man that came around.

            Books and television I find hard to classify. Sure there are books that contain racial insults, and we can even find shows that do the same, but I rarely watch TV enough to run into these shows. I watch TV mainly to watch movies or the Science Channel. Books contain the ideas of one author, who can easily be targeted for his words, and as such I believe that authors are much more careful with their words, and it would definitely be hard to find a publisher to print a manuscript that was full of racial insults.

            All of these add to the growth of racial prejudice because of the huge audience these forms of communication reach. It reaches people of little education and higher education, young and old, male and female. Some of these people are easily brought in to the stereotypes and insults portrayed on these mediums, and after being bombarded with these issues become accepting of them. This in itself leads to the spread of these insults, as some people are too willing to accept information without questioning it.