Here we are...

And here we are. In week 8 and the blogs continue. It has been an interesting week in English 203 and the different interactions in the different mediums we have been using have been interesting to hear about. The topic of Mondays class was “working together.” A phrase in which we have heard and have been pressured to achieve since we were kids. Working together makes the world run smoother. Does it become easier as we get older, or is it while we are kids, with careless minds and opinions, that make it easier to work together? Kids have simple minds and judgment hasn’t developed. Carelessly they will play with whoever is around, no matter race, class or gender. Should this not be the case once older? Wouldn’t the world be so much easier to be a part of if nothing really mattered? O wishful thinking. But one can wish. Different cultures and seeing different ways people do life is so fascinating to me. I love immersing myself and learning the ways others live. Then comparing it to my own way of life and how I do things from day to day.

For the past few weeks I have been obsessed with the song “Stop This Train” by John Mayer.

"Stop This Train"
No I'm not color blind
I know the world is black and white
Try to keep an open mind but...
I just can't sleep on this tonight
Stop this train I want to get off and go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But honestly won't someone stop this train

Don't know how else to say it, don't want to see my parents go
One generation's length away
From fighting life out on my own

Stop this train
I want to get off and go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't but honestly won't someone stop this train

So scared of getting older
I'm only good at being young
So I play the numbers game to find away to say that life has just begun
Had a talk with my old man
Said help me understand
He said turn 68, you'll renegotiate
Don't stop this train
Don't for a minute change the place you're in
Don't think I couldn't ever understand
I tried my hand
John, honestly we'll never stop this train

See once in a while when it's good
It'll feel like it should
And they're all still around
And you're still safe and sound
And you don't miss a thing
'til you cry when you're driving away in the dark.

Singing stop this train I want to get off and go home again
I can't take this speed it's moving in
I know I can't
Cause now I see I'll never stop this train

(think I got 'em now)

Life is a fast moving train and the fact that you can’t just jump off the train and go home. I had training this past weekend for my internship for this summer. It was so intense and I haven’t felt this overwhelmed in a long time. This song really reminds me that I can make it. Even on this train is moving too fast. And even now back in good old Bellingham, it’s like I can’t catch up, at least not for now. The quarter’s end is coming fast. What will be the outcome of this quarter? I have had a challenging time, and many times in which I have been pushed to my limit. All my time is spent trying to get things done and so that I’m prepared for the next day.

I have a fish tank in my room. Which is one of the most soothing things in the world. Not just the little trickle of running water constantly, but even the fish themselves have a calming way about them. I find myself spacing out and just watching them do their fish thing around the tank. It’s taken me a long while to finally get the water levels right and am still have major problem with pest snails. Ugh!!! They multiply so fast and never seem to go away no matter how many I take out and throw away. Story of my life. But even still, I have enjoyed the caring for my fish, through all the hard times. Fin-rot is one of the worst and more depressing bacteria to watch infect a fish tank. Parasites! Literally, the fish’s fins will rot away to nothing.

I have been spending a good amount of time thinking about this next Thought Experiment. I’m not sure what I am going to do, but I really liked the idea “Where do I stand in the context of my own existence?” that a student in 1pm recommended. Then using the video “Power of 10s” to compare to the society and its existence and then look at myself, how I fit, don’t fit, work within and exist. Maybe with this I can also look at different cultures and how they have affected me over the years. Putting in my personal experience and comparing with some of the texts from the class. Might be a little confusing, but I’ll see what I can come up with.

Heart Day and President's Day Weekend

2/1/10- The Horror of Dracula- The movies of the late 50s were so different from those of our time. It’s amazing to see how filming itself has improved so much over the 50 years. But it was a good movie!

2/3/10- Getting a letter- When it comes to getting a letter, today it’s a rare thing. I myself haven’t received a little in years and even the one I did was from my grandparent who doesn’t own a computer. It’s interesting cause when I receive a letter from her, it’s expected to be in letter form and come in the mail. But if say as we talked in class, a boy was to write me a love letter, it would be different. It would depend on the person from which I received the letter on my reaction to the letter. The time and effort that goes into writing a letter is more than sitting down to a computer and typing your thoughts out. With computers too, it’s really easy to go back and change little things such as grammer, spelling, or even delete entire sentences or say it in a different way.

But then again it’s still kinds weird to receive a “love” e-mail from someone or even a printed out love thing. Our generation is in a confusing position on how to show feelings. Telling someone seems to be one of the only options, but that seems intimidating and a little scary.

216/10- History class- I was sitting in history today, just after turning in huge mid-term portfolio which I have spent the last two weeks of my life completing, but now done. But my professor began talking about our roles and how in different situations we carry on different expectations and identities. I’m sure we have talked about this in our English class, but this professor put the topic into a different perspective for me. I guess I more thought that we are different people through “screens” I guess, but when actually thought about, in every situation we have different roles which bring out different identities. While in class, I am student and my role is to sit and learn what I can while there for the hour or two I am supposed to. Then as the role of the teacher, they are to come in and teach us, as the students, all they know and think we should know about the subject of the class. But then if you take the student and the teacher and say put then in church, they then share the role of say “sinners” and there is now a new person in from that takes on that’s teacher role.

Then it’s interesting to think about your life in one day how many roles or identities do you take on. You have your home, most comfortable and relaxed self, then the attentive, goal focused student, but then there is also the little less attentive student that is walking on campus from class to class. Then there is work self and depending on the job would dictate the way in which you would present yourself there. Then online is a completely different identity. Even from facebook to myspace to plurk you could be a different one in each one of those.

Funny, but even as I sit here in Tony’s Café on campus, the different drink orders that come through and seeing those people that order those drinks. It’s really hard to tell the venti Americano people apart from the short hot chocolate, to the Chai people. There’s no true distinction that labels people. And it always amazed me the people that get the 16oz Mocha, no-fat but with whip. WHY??? If you’re going to indulge yourself just go all the way and enjoy the real taste of actual milk. Also, it’s quite cold outside, and still people come through and order the ice drinks. There’s nothing wrong with it, I just don’t understand sometimes. Maybe there is something about these people that they can’t enjoy the taste of coffee unless it’s surrounded by ice cubes. The wishful hope that they are someplace that this type of refreshment would be preferred. Ha! Yeah, but don’t most of us. But you don’t see me ordering an iced beverage.

1/25/10- Parasites- I’m not sure why I never listen to the Radiolab before this class, but it was interesting to listen and think about parasites in a different context. There was also a realization that parasites might be closer and more relative to my life than I thought. The fact that my cat might be carrying a parasite that I could eventually carry is a little closer than I like to think parasites are.

The thought of signature that was brought up in today’s class was brings up the thought of who I really am once I put my name on paper. Is it really a reflection of me and that I agree with whatever is on the paper to which I have just signed. OR is just a mark someplace and the fact that I have made that specific mark significant to me; whether it is an actual signature, scribble or mark that I have made to represent me.

2/6/10-Ok, let's try one of these persona poems and see how this turns out.

Daisy

I reach to the sky with all eyes open

My skirt is fragile

Season is perfect, and the sun makes me smile

As long as I’m here, I shouldn’t waste time

My friends around me

I love pink and white

Stones at me ankles are snow white

My toes are being exfoliated all day long

Taking my time to bloom

My height is nothing compared to the others around me

I need to make sure I don’t waste time

You must have seen me

I sleep all curled up in the dark

O the quick days of summer

My head droops to the ground

And then no more me

Next test, i was busy watching The Office today and decided to try and take every characters first line and make it some confusing/ interesting piece of writing.

The Office, Season 2 Episode 10- Christmas Party

No in Move Push no shove hey I’ve one two two three Merry Christmas

Did well A+ what well

So is yes we’ll

Angela Merry Christmas

50 double I want you yeah

One you do no will no

Come you yeah have who well

Michael that ok

I I I get I well yeah that it I

Gather I lets three two one… YAY!

I hey no Presents first shower ok

o that’s great don’t obviously yep Pam

Next video carried 20 you Michael well I oven

Shouldn’t we I what one I we well why cause it no Michael sounds

Ok I’ll shouldn’t Yankee I now that yeah I yikes Angela

I everyone well I’ll damn it I hope I’ll reverse physiology in addition

You brag last I Pam I damn it don’t I teapot got Yankee

What maybe I Michael and well you how much

Alright unbelievable it alright wish I no come on a look

No you true ok to this I yeah so don’t o no what this

We really zip it

Who me this hi Kevin Bob Vance Stanley Bob Vance Ryan Bob Vance

I’ve yeah it’s I come on I it’s anybody we’re no one two three

O no no you no but I well Roy well look o

It look Merry Christmas no what’s look need Toby that’s no hey

Who’s mine how lamp o no hey o you scream thanks yeah

We’re in in yeah yeah Christmas hey yeah have a coat?

Wow, so this seemed like a good idea, but was so much harder than I thought. I tried to pull the first word from each characters line, no really expecting it to make any sense and it doesn’t, but it was fun. I have never paid that much attention to an episode in my life.

Week III Blog

1/20/10- Personalities and how they are preserved in different media and through different lenses. As people we have our distinct personalities and the way in which we present ourselves to people face to face. It is this type of person interaction that our today’s society is beginning to lose due to our new technological generation. This then has created many different personalities within our own selves. On the internet a person can choose to be anyone they want to be. They can be more popular by having lots of friends on Facebook, or be pretties by only posting the best pictures, or they can also change the way in which a person is seen through the lenses of the internet. And how do we know as the person on the other side of the lens know for sure that this is the real you. All we can see is what comes out the other end. It’s almost strange to think of things being like this. That how do we know, unless actually knowing the person, who you have met online is actually what you are reading about them. They can make up their own personalities OR not making up a different personality but altering their own to a new maybe alter ego type projection of themselves through different names and personal profiles.

1/22/10- Words and how they are used in different contexts- Words are a part of language, both in speaking and writing to communicate to another. But through today’s media the way of using words has changed. It was interesting and unusual to sit in class today and Tony began class but was not speaking. He used his words and means of communication through Plurk. He was still able to keep class interesting and kept ideas and thoughts running even while using this type of unusual structure for a classroom. We are so used to coming into a classroom, sitting down and either listening to a teacher lecture for some time or take notes on the subject of the class. With this type of student interaction, it brings a different kind of learning into the classroom. But enough about classroom learning, and back to words. The use of words is so important and the way in which they are used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Nrp7cj_tM

It is also interesting to think of the words we never use in everyday language and also how many words there actually are in the English language for instance.There are so many words that we don’t even use in our everyday communicating. Then there are those words that are over used, such as “like” and in my case “really” that don’t need to be used as much as they are.

From http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutenglish/numberwords

I found this map... though it is from Wikipedia, it still amazes me that there are so many counties in this world that don't speak English as their primary language, but yet the English language is the most spoken language around our world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language

Week II Blog

1/11/10- Interruptions: This is what makes up our daily lives, well to a certain extent. Interruptions, in a better sense, make our lives more interesting. If you really think about it, every event that happens is an interruption to our daily life routines. Whether it is getting up in the morning and your roommate is in the bathroom, you can’t fin d your pants, you have no more socks; those are kind of annoying interruptions, but then there are those like a friend calls who you haven’t talk to in a bit, your significant other sends a text wishing you a great afternoon class or anything else that could make your day just a little better. But then it makes one wonder what is a daily routine, and is that not some sort of interruption to the true routines of daily life. If interruptions are the little bit of good or bad things that can happen in your day, what would a day be like with no interruptions? Would if feel normal? Cause I would venture to say that it would not.

It’s also something to think that over time interruptions to life have changed, but there are those that have stayed the same; such as when running into a friend at the market/ grocery store/ side of the street. These types of interruptions have happened throughout time.

Then there is the interruption of relationships. Spending most of your life as a single individual, but then once really thought about, there is no true single individual. Well there might be, but he or she would be the one living in the middle of nature where none of their interruptions affect anyone else but the nature that surrounds them. But in today’s most common living society there is no single individual and their interruptions don’t just affect them. Close family and friends might be effect by ones interrupted. There could also be other that would be affected by ones interruptions.

Then adding another into your daily routine and then making their interruptions just as much a part of your life as it is theirs. You go through new life routines with different and new interruptions.

I had an interesting conversation with a friend after class and he had a very different opinion on interruptions and the meaning of interruptions in our lives. Evan- “Interruptions is everything that happens in between our main goal as humans and that is to turn 80 and die.” We had a good laugh with this one.

1/15/10- Group discussion: As sitting in class today and going around in a circle, I began to realize that I wasn’t thinking of this class as an English class, but rather looking at it as a philosophy class; which I have taken just recently, which is why I am leaning in the more philosophical direction. The reading of Austin was a hard read and was difficult to understand the purpose and meaning of what he was trying to say. An interesting subject that I pulled out of the Austin lecture was the “nonsense” that we use; that we should “set some limits to the amount of nonsense that we are prepared to admit we talk (pg 2).” Then Austin continues with the follow-up question of “whether many apparent pseudo-statements really set out to be ‘statements’ at all.” This reminded me of a clip of Judge Judy, that two people are supposed to be giving their statements, but rather it comes out as “nonsense.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stHF-8GPz0c

Is it because of the technological age that we are in that is making our means of communication verbally turning more into an art form? It is true that in this day and age technology has become our parasite and we have made it such a part of our lives that without it, the world would end! Imagine if we still talked like those of old English, how long our messages would be. I keep going back to the fact that it’s such as art form to be able to speak and write in that way. The first movie that comes to my mind with the artist feel that i am looking for is within the new 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie. The clip below shows the length that the old English language tends to extend conversations to which today we would send in text form with just a few words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jTITjkN664

I know this way of speaking has changed and hasn’t been used for years, but it is interesting to think that at some point this was the way people spoke and wrote. It really makes our way of speaking today seem like “nonsense,” with our extensive use of “like” and “umm.” These are just two examples of absolutely useless words that we use everyday almost all day.