The wall is white and dusty. Block. Block. Block. It has shade, light, texture. It stands, unchanged, for all its life. When people talk to it, like a gentlemen, it listens. Things hang upon it, and it does not mind, nor complain. Just as we see how it holds us up, we tear it down.
The gentlemen in their rare, and now rather antique cars, travel down to the market for their groceries. They chaffier their wives or their dogs in their old trucks; the woman rides in the back, the dog in the front passenger seat. Or if she gets lucky, the wife may get to ride underneath the old hound dog, spit slinging into her hair. But, it is not her fault. Don’t blame her. She has a mental problem. The husband loves her for what she is. She loves the husband like a brother. Day after day he drives her to the store so she can hang her head out the window, gaping at the same trees and fields, cows and birds.
Of course, you know, the husband is no bad man either. He lets his wife/sister have what she wants, and he only asks for a little. Companionship. The old man was a loner, a traveler with no home. But, he fell in love with her. Though, may it be odd or not, he does love her. He even lets her ride in the back of the pickup truck sometimes. She loves it. She loves him, but only for a short time. When they get to the grocery, she feels like they all look at her. All those walls are staring at her. Are they judging her?
The husband stares at the walls as they round each aisle. He is protecting her, so she feels a little better. Then he looks back at her, asking if they need any more toilet paper. Toilet paper. It is white. Pure. But, not as white and immense as those walls. She quivers. He gets an extra pack just in case.
They get home. He packs the groceries in. She goes directly to her room. He wonders at himself, at her, and at the spoiled milk in the refrigerator. He forgot the milk. Later that night he sits at the table, drinking his coffee, staring at the wall. White and immense, it holds the husband together. He leans on it. If he only knew that in the next room, his love was building her strength up. It would be tonight. She would attack.
At midnight, when all was quiet, and her husband slept calmly, she slipped out to look at that wall. It was asleep, so it seemed. So, she gathered her homemade dynamite. Shotgun shells add up with gunpowder, plus the television can teach anyone anything. She placed those sticks at its feet. Now was the time. She didn’t hear her husband come to the door. She lit the sticks and looked in awe as the boom echoed through the fields. And the cows and birds stirred in their sleep, but did not awake.
The husband, still trapped under the rubble of the giant wall, clung desperately to life. How could the wall kill him? He loved the wall for what it was. He saw it as an immense ocean of faith, the blocks that held him up. Just as we see how the wall holds us up, we tear it down.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
The Literacy Revolution
Here is my English 105 paper. Please comment on what you like/dislike about it.
Friday, September 25, 2009
At First To Now
When at first I was scared, you said not to fear. As, I found that the fear could be moved other fears came into the picture, but, again, you said not to worry. When at last I conquered my preconceived fears, another was brought in, and once more, you told me that it was nothing. Now I see how true your words were. Throughout my career as a blogger typist, I feared that I would inhumanely exhibit some form of writing, or unjustly use the internet as something of an embarrassment to myself. Yet, as I found, through the writing of these blog posts, I could not hinder the ways in which writing have been formed. Writing, as a whole, continues to be unchanged. So why did I worry?
It is not so hard to identify with each of my classmates as intellectuals, but it was interesting to see how anti-internet some people were. I had held that notion for many years, but it was one of my beliefs, stereotypes you might say, that I was a “madman” when it came to my intellectual views upon the internet. However, when I furthered my understanding of exactly how the internet has influenced our daily life, on the basis of writing, I was surprised to find that I had changed on my viewpoints toward the internet. At the very first, I would have claimed that the internet and “texting” had changed the structure of our everyday life for the worse. Now, I whole-heartedly believe that the internet has helped spread writing into all the walks of life, and, therefore, has helped us reach further into the realm of academia.
Further, I feel as if this class has helped me see that there is always another side to matters. In each of our readings, and assignments related to those readings, the way I saw each person’s viewpoints, tended to be through how they were written. Thus, I grew as an intellectual, and as a person, in that I saw the implications being made by each author, and was able to understand/relate to each author better. Though, I am sure, some of my posts (one in particular) may not have reached the intellectual goal I have set for myself with the enrollment of this class, I do, however, feel that with each post, I learned something, thus growing more intellectually.
Therefore, I can conclude that with this class, and nine blog posts under my belt, I have nothing else to do, but thank the person who told me not to fear. Thank you for encouraging me.
It is not so hard to identify with each of my classmates as intellectuals, but it was interesting to see how anti-internet some people were. I had held that notion for many years, but it was one of my beliefs, stereotypes you might say, that I was a “madman” when it came to my intellectual views upon the internet. However, when I furthered my understanding of exactly how the internet has influenced our daily life, on the basis of writing, I was surprised to find that I had changed on my viewpoints toward the internet. At the very first, I would have claimed that the internet and “texting” had changed the structure of our everyday life for the worse. Now, I whole-heartedly believe that the internet has helped spread writing into all the walks of life, and, therefore, has helped us reach further into the realm of academia.
Further, I feel as if this class has helped me see that there is always another side to matters. In each of our readings, and assignments related to those readings, the way I saw each person’s viewpoints, tended to be through how they were written. Thus, I grew as an intellectual, and as a person, in that I saw the implications being made by each author, and was able to understand/relate to each author better. Though, I am sure, some of my posts (one in particular) may not have reached the intellectual goal I have set for myself with the enrollment of this class, I do, however, feel that with each post, I learned something, thus growing more intellectually.
Therefore, I can conclude that with this class, and nine blog posts under my belt, I have nothing else to do, but thank the person who told me not to fear. Thank you for encouraging me.
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B7i1Meb836wFZjkzZDI4ZTQtOTg2NS00ZDA2LWFiYWYtY2JiYzVjNjcyMjVk&hl=en
Here is a website that explains the definition of literacy a little better. It is an academic journal.
Here is a website that explains the definition of literacy a little better. It is an academic journal.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
For Better or Worse
Death. Destruction. Defeat. Our democracy is dying saeth Chris Hedges. As if we didn’t see what was approaching as we picked up Hedges’ “Bad days for Newsrooms-and Democracy,” he is quick to confirm our preconceived notions of his opinions. Hedges continues to inform us on how the world is drawing itself more and more downward towards the pit of intellectual defeat. Well, at least he is continuing to be optimistic.
On the other hand, we have the inspiring, yet not overbearing, Clive Thompson and his piece, “Clive Thompson on the New Literacy” telling us the complete opposite. While Hedges blabbers on that the internet is continuing to kill our intellectual beings and that it is rapidly destroying the news, Thompson refutes Hedges opinion, saying “technology isn’t killing our ability to write…it’s reviving it.” Thompson, then, drives us back out of the black hole of worrying and enlightens us that technology may very well be helping our intellectual growth, rather than forcing it into submission. Thompson makes an interesting point when he talks of how much writing the average student does out of class: “Those Twitter updates and lists of 25 things about yourself add up.”
While Hedges and Thompson most certainly disagree upon the outcome technology has had on the intellectual parts of our everyday life, both would agree, and obviously so, that the internet and technology have had a radical change on life. Hedges argues that technology has had a negative effect, but Thompson assures us that it changed for the positive. Frankly, I would have to agree with Thompson. As he says, people, young people in particular, write more now than ever before in history.
Thus technology changes our lifestyles, changes our habits, and changes how we view the world. But ask yourself this, was it for the better or worse?
On the other hand, we have the inspiring, yet not overbearing, Clive Thompson and his piece, “Clive Thompson on the New Literacy” telling us the complete opposite. While Hedges blabbers on that the internet is continuing to kill our intellectual beings and that it is rapidly destroying the news, Thompson refutes Hedges opinion, saying “technology isn’t killing our ability to write…it’s reviving it.” Thompson, then, drives us back out of the black hole of worrying and enlightens us that technology may very well be helping our intellectual growth, rather than forcing it into submission. Thompson makes an interesting point when he talks of how much writing the average student does out of class: “Those Twitter updates and lists of 25 things about yourself add up.”
While Hedges and Thompson most certainly disagree upon the outcome technology has had on the intellectual parts of our everyday life, both would agree, and obviously so, that the internet and technology have had a radical change on life. Hedges argues that technology has had a negative effect, but Thompson assures us that it changed for the positive. Frankly, I would have to agree with Thompson. As he says, people, young people in particular, write more now than ever before in history.
Thus technology changes our lifestyles, changes our habits, and changes how we view the world. But ask yourself this, was it for the better or worse?
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Literacy - So What?
Being illiterate is an honorable trait. Honorable in the sense that a person can go through life without the knowledge of how to read. Yet, we say that illiterate people are worthless. Is that not what you said, Hedges? Our society is becoming more and more illiterate. So, what is the purpose of an illiterate human? Are they worthless? Are they perpetually shunned to “punch in orders on cash registers?”
I wonder at your meaning, Hedges. It is as if you are saying that those who are illiterate cannot do anything worth doing? You refer to the illiterate as “they” and “them.” As if you could look in a restaurant and say, “Look at him; he is illiterate.” Being literate is not important. There are many examples of illiterate people who have lived out their lives. I personally know several. So, that is why I cannot, in the slightest, agree that there is no purpose for someone who has had no experience in being literate.
The older generation had several important priorities. Reading was not one of them. We preferred to look after our future, the next generation. Is it not true that what our ancestors “suffered” for with not being literate, has helped further the human race? Are there not more students who attempt a college education now than ever before? Thus, the illiterate are a dying breed. But, you said that the semi-illiterate are the ones who “punch in orders on cash registers.” I wonder if you know that most restaurants require a high school diploma.
Of course, illiterate people are out there in the world, but though they are illiterate, it is obvious that they are good at something. Some examples can include but are not limited to: construction workers, machinists, mechanics, farmers, etc. Without those people that have strengths in other things, where would the foundation of this country be? We need people who are good at other things than just reading. Therefore, I ask, so what if people are illiterate? Are they useful is the main question.
I wonder at your meaning, Hedges. It is as if you are saying that those who are illiterate cannot do anything worth doing? You refer to the illiterate as “they” and “them.” As if you could look in a restaurant and say, “Look at him; he is illiterate.” Being literate is not important. There are many examples of illiterate people who have lived out their lives. I personally know several. So, that is why I cannot, in the slightest, agree that there is no purpose for someone who has had no experience in being literate.
The older generation had several important priorities. Reading was not one of them. We preferred to look after our future, the next generation. Is it not true that what our ancestors “suffered” for with not being literate, has helped further the human race? Are there not more students who attempt a college education now than ever before? Thus, the illiterate are a dying breed. But, you said that the semi-illiterate are the ones who “punch in orders on cash registers.” I wonder if you know that most restaurants require a high school diploma.
Of course, illiterate people are out there in the world, but though they are illiterate, it is obvious that they are good at something. Some examples can include but are not limited to: construction workers, machinists, mechanics, farmers, etc. Without those people that have strengths in other things, where would the foundation of this country be? We need people who are good at other things than just reading. Therefore, I ask, so what if people are illiterate? Are they useful is the main question.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Adaption and Change - The Internet
The internet is making us stupid; or is it? Nicholas Carr exemplifies throughout his text, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" that the internet has had many influential changes to the human brain since its upbringing and massive popularity. “A style that puts ‘efficiency’ and ‘immediacy’ above all else, may be weakening our capacity for the kind of deep reading that emerged when an earlier technology, the printing press, made long and complex works of prose commonplace.” Is this bad? Are we deteriorating as intellectuals because we read information through the internet in different ways? Carr certainly thinks so. But, I counter, what is it that makes the internet and our changing habits bad? Can we not continue to prosper as long as we see the relationship?
Carr says that “what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation.” Though the internet may be interrupting his normal habits of concentration, there is no way that the Net is interfering with Carr’s sense of contemplation. Carr is reading into the internet farther than he believes. Thus the internet, while Carr believes has deteriorated his contemplation, has, in fact, furthered the knowledge to contemplate. For example, Carr has contemplated and written a response to the internet’s influence on his life, though he believes it to be a negative influence.
Further, I cannot, in good conscious, say that every intellectual is influenced negatively by the use of the internet. Rather, it has been proven that many intellectuals see the relationship between themselves and the internet, and they rebel. In my own class, there are some who have declared independence from the internet for some certain purposes. Thus it is very hard to say that Google is making us stupid, or for that matter that the internet is. While Carr may have a point that the internet has changed each of us intellectually, it is also true that the change may have been for the better.
Carr says that “what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation.” Though the internet may be interrupting his normal habits of concentration, there is no way that the Net is interfering with Carr’s sense of contemplation. Carr is reading into the internet farther than he believes. Thus the internet, while Carr believes has deteriorated his contemplation, has, in fact, furthered the knowledge to contemplate. For example, Carr has contemplated and written a response to the internet’s influence on his life, though he believes it to be a negative influence.
Further, I cannot, in good conscious, say that every intellectual is influenced negatively by the use of the internet. Rather, it has been proven that many intellectuals see the relationship between themselves and the internet, and they rebel. In my own class, there are some who have declared independence from the internet for some certain purposes. Thus it is very hard to say that Google is making us stupid, or for that matter that the internet is. While Carr may have a point that the internet has changed each of us intellectually, it is also true that the change may have been for the better.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Harris - Will It Work?
Instantaneously, you see the processes begin. “Copyright notice.” Referencing all your backgrounds. And the processes begin. Harris has began to make a series of processes that you should use in which to write a paper. Not just any paper, of course, but a paper in which you review the other’s views, and you respond to the author. It is not an uncommon fact that each of us have our own way to understand the author, and view our own ideas, in order to create a paper that has any kind of value.
Then Harris introduced the fact that, through his book, you can gain the knowledge of the process in which to create a complete and beneficial paper. But how can all of us follow the same process? We each learn differently. We each reflect differently on a subject. Thus I wonder how Harris’s book can be beneficial to all of us.
However, as I read on, I begin to get more and more convinced. Maybe this can help me. I cannot say that Harris can help everyone that reads his book, but the main point is that he has tried. He has begun to explain that each person, though they may learn differently, can be helped with this book. It may be very interesting to see if each person in the class is helped in some way by the reading of this book. Harris, I wonder and I also hope that this book will assist in each of our processes of formulating a paper in response to another.
Then Harris introduced the fact that, through his book, you can gain the knowledge of the process in which to create a complete and beneficial paper. But how can all of us follow the same process? We each learn differently. We each reflect differently on a subject. Thus I wonder how Harris’s book can be beneficial to all of us.
However, as I read on, I begin to get more and more convinced. Maybe this can help me. I cannot say that Harris can help everyone that reads his book, but the main point is that he has tried. He has begun to explain that each person, though they may learn differently, can be helped with this book. It may be very interesting to see if each person in the class is helped in some way by the reading of this book. Harris, I wonder and I also hope that this book will assist in each of our processes of formulating a paper in response to another.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Ponder It
It emerges through the shadows.
The shadows.
It.
It barrels forward.
Squeals.
Screeches.
Get out of the way.
Can't!
It keeps coming.
No stopping it.
The black horn of the night cries out.
Cries.
Watch it.
No!
It throws the shadows.
Striking.
The shadows grow longer.
Stretched.
Obscured.
The heart races.
Fear.
Darkness.
It won.
The shadows.
It.
It barrels forward.
Squeals.
Screeches.
Get out of the way.
Can't!
It keeps coming.
No stopping it.
The black horn of the night cries out.
Cries.
Watch it.
No!
It throws the shadows.
Striking.
The shadows grow longer.
Stretched.
Obscured.
The heart races.
Fear.
Darkness.
It won.
Communication Change
Facebook. Facebook. Facebook. The one place that each of us goes. We go there to network. We go there to communicate. And we go there to keep in touch with friends. The common factor is our familiarity with the basis to contact each other. It was fairly interesting to see how each of us spends our time on the internet.
I was not very surprised at my classmates’ dependency on the internet. For me, the internet has always been a big waste of time. I could never figure out why anyone would want to waste so much time, which is precious already. Then I came to college. I have found myself changing how I view the internet, now that I have changed locations. The main thing that I like about the internet, now, is that it does waste time. It seems that since I have come here, I have so much more time to waste.
I started this blog off talking of Facebook, and the ties each of us has to it, but throughout the writing of this post, I have come to realize that Facebook is not the only thing that helps to immerse us all into the internet. However, it is one of many sites that help us to stay connected, while we continue to grow by way of using the internet for information exchange. Facebook, while it can be categorized into entertainment, also helps each one of us get our names out into the world. So, therefore, can it not be said that Facebook, in itself is a learning tool. The networking that goes on can only help to show everyone how to navigate through the many avenues and back alleys of interesting subjects the internet has to offer. Therefore, I have changed in my views through this assignment. It may have just helped me to learn a little bit more about myself.
I was not very surprised at my classmates’ dependency on the internet. For me, the internet has always been a big waste of time. I could never figure out why anyone would want to waste so much time, which is precious already. Then I came to college. I have found myself changing how I view the internet, now that I have changed locations. The main thing that I like about the internet, now, is that it does waste time. It seems that since I have come here, I have so much more time to waste.
I started this blog off talking of Facebook, and the ties each of us has to it, but throughout the writing of this post, I have come to realize that Facebook is not the only thing that helps to immerse us all into the internet. However, it is one of many sites that help us to stay connected, while we continue to grow by way of using the internet for information exchange. Facebook, while it can be categorized into entertainment, also helps each one of us get our names out into the world. So, therefore, can it not be said that Facebook, in itself is a learning tool. The networking that goes on can only help to show everyone how to navigate through the many avenues and back alleys of interesting subjects the internet has to offer. Therefore, I have changed in my views through this assignment. It may have just helped me to learn a little bit more about myself.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Mouth of The Cavern
To most people, I guess, it would seem I had not done my assignment, but in fact I have. We will analyze these internet logs in class. Well, you can still analyze mine just fine. The lack of sites signifies that I do not rely on the internet for entertainment, or, for that matter, anything but entertainment. Thus here is my log of forty-eight hours worth of internet usage:
September 6, 2009
8:30 am – facebook
8:40 am – youtube (family guy)
8:55 am – e-mail
12:00 pm – blackboard
12:05 pm – blogspot (random blogs)
12:10 pm – facebook
8:00 pm – e-mail
September 7, 2009
10:00 am – ebay
10:05 am – mapquest
10:10 am – e-mail
September 6, 2009
8:30 am – facebook
8:40 am – youtube (family guy)
8:55 am – e-mail
12:00 pm – blackboard
12:05 pm – blogspot (random blogs)
12:10 pm – facebook
8:00 pm – e-mail
September 7, 2009
10:00 am – ebay
10:05 am – mapquest
10:10 am – e-mail
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Why You Blog
You have intrigued me through your blog posting, "Why I Blog." I can hardly believe that what you say is true. Mr. Sullivan, one of the most popularly read bloggers, was as common a person as I? Technically challenged, you said. Well, it is fairly inspirational how blogging changed your life. It is very interesting that you referred to blogging as “like taking a narcotic” (page 2). If such is the case, it is fair to say that blogging, to you, was a way in which to live on the wild side. Therefore, you blog because it warrants your inner beast to thrive.
The promise of greatness is very appealing to some, in that one could become famous for their simple writings, yet you blog because you like the thrill of it. The thrill of the hunt and killing of the old ways. The thrill of finding new avenues of thought. You, as you say, felt like a revolutionary. A revolutionary is someone who sees what society is doing and acts for a certain reason, for the good of the people. Therefore, it is fair to say that you were a revolutionary. You have helped others into seeing different ways to broadcast their thoughts. You helped society grow. You helped clear the brush along the trail to linguistic salvation.
I do not feel that the reasons why you blog are terribly important, as if you cared to say the reasons why you eat at a certain restaurant. But, what is important, and what you do wonderfully, is make people think deeply about what they write, or for that matter, what they read. In your story of why you blog, you continue to show what blogging did for you. Maybe it could help others to express themselves. It surely helped me.
The promise of greatness is very appealing to some, in that one could become famous for their simple writings, yet you blog because you like the thrill of it. The thrill of the hunt and killing of the old ways. The thrill of finding new avenues of thought. You, as you say, felt like a revolutionary. A revolutionary is someone who sees what society is doing and acts for a certain reason, for the good of the people. Therefore, it is fair to say that you were a revolutionary. You have helped others into seeing different ways to broadcast their thoughts. You helped society grow. You helped clear the brush along the trail to linguistic salvation.
I do not feel that the reasons why you blog are terribly important, as if you cared to say the reasons why you eat at a certain restaurant. But, what is important, and what you do wonderfully, is make people think deeply about what they write, or for that matter, what they read. In your story of why you blog, you continue to show what blogging did for you. Maybe it could help others to express themselves. It surely helped me.
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