It may shock you, but I enjoy being what one would call a “creeper.” I would not go so far as to say I do it for a living or as a hobby, but yes I find it somewhat appealing and captivating to spy on someone. The act of stalking does not faze me. I took great amusement in our assignment. There was no hesitation or equivocation. However, finding the right person to stalk took a couple of minutes. I plotted beforehand where the perfect place would be to sit without appearing out of the ordinary and being close enough to my target in order to properly monitor him or her. In order to not give myself away completely and ruin the whole investigation, I decided to sit just one seat away from my prey. I sat at one of the tables in the back of the Axinn Library.
My subject was male, white, young, skinny and medium height (from what I could gather from him sitting down). He was characterized by brown wavy hair, a long torso and slender arms and legs. He was wearing a dark blue collared t-shirt that consisted of white stripes running horizontally across the shirt and dark blue jeans. He had on white sneakers with a darker color running along the side and on the bottom. In front of him was a Dell silver laptop which appeared to be relatively new. There was a black labtop case in front of the labtop. He was half sitting on his black jacket that had a blue interior with white lining. The jacket was resting on the lower part of the chair touching his lower back. To his left were a white textbook and a blue binder lying on top of it. His backpack was positioned on the floor to his lower left on the floor. To his right on the table was a black iPhone. In the first few minutes of me observing him, his right hand was touching the bottom of his labtop with his pointer finger extended serving as a mouse and his left hand covering his forehead. His feet were always in front of him touching the floor sometimes with his heels slightly raised. His head was tilted downward constantly staring at his labtop.
My subject’s primary activity was looking and typing at his labtop. In the course of the half hour that I was able to examine the student, he brought out a few pieces of loose leaf from his binder and a workbook from his backpack. He proceeded to focus on these objects still referring back to his labtop and typing in information. Even from just one seat away I could hear the clicking of the keys at this labtop and the ruffling of his papers. At different periods he cracked his knuckles, scratched his forehead and stretched his neck.
The boy was clearly a newer student at Hofstra. From his physical appearance one could claim he is very sporty. He was taking his time to study at one of the back tables in the library probably to escape any noise or disturbance. He was dressed very casually like most students in college and probably shops at places like Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch by the clothes he was wearing. He was relaxed and intently focused on his work. He was constantly working being hardly districted by the people around him. I would wager that he is a very hardworking student that is dedicated to his studies.
I received an abundance of accomplishment from the onsite library writing experience. I solidified my ability to stalk someone without giving myself away. I was successfully able to observe and learn about someone without even having to talk to him. I was able to make inferences about the person based on my observations and data. I used my senses of hearing and sight. Although this does not solve the problem, it is a start. This activity is useful for writers in the fact that writers are always examining the world from all different viewpoints. A writer must have the skill of observation in order to write about a variety of subjects. A writer can invent the university, but with a few observations of their own they are able to create inferences and make sense of something. In the library, all of us were training and practicing our observation skills. We were all strengthening our ability to ask the right questions in order to find out more about our object. This is crucial in being a good writer.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
"What the Dog Saw"
Cesar Millan as a child was called el Perrero, “the dog boy.” This suits him perfectly in his uncanny ability to train aggressive, hostile dogs into angels. At the Dog Psychology Center, Cesar takes care of forty-seven dogs believing in his motto of “Exercise, then food. Work, then reward.” The results have been shocking. The key is presence and state of mind. There must a sense of authority or you’re lost. Malcolm Gladwell states, “…in a way that is true of almost no other animals, dogs are students of human movement.” A dog will look to his owner for help unlike a chimp who uses the cues of the same species. A human cannot cooperate with a chimp. Dogs have a different attitude towards humans than chimps in that they are truly interested in humans to a point of obsession. A dog will communicate and act based on his or her owner’s movements and behaviors.
How does this dog-human interaction compare with human-human interaction? Millan fell in love at the age of twenty-three and married his wife Illusion a year later. Illusion characterized him as being macho-istic and egocentric never showing affection. He agreed to go see a therapist after Illusion threatened to divorce him. Wilma, the therapist, claimed, “Well, she wants something, too. She wants your affection and love.” Just like the dogs, his wife needed “exercise, discipline, and affection.” Cesar Millan had always been connected to dogs, but had not felt the same with humans. Millan was able to learn how to be a people whisperer on top of being a dog whisperer.
Gladwell is effectively arguing that dealing with dogs is similar in dealing with humans. Humans need to be shown affection and love. With dogs it is necessary to show the same affection, but at the same time showing authority and discipline. The dog needs to know who is in charge or will throw a tantrum like any other child not properly disciplined by their parents. The triad of "exercise, discipline, and affection" is the key to understanding this essay in that in order to succeed in life one needs to show these three things. Everyone has their own psychology and if treated properly one can connect with humans and if they are interested dogs too!
How does this dog-human interaction compare with human-human interaction? Millan fell in love at the age of twenty-three and married his wife Illusion a year later. Illusion characterized him as being macho-istic and egocentric never showing affection. He agreed to go see a therapist after Illusion threatened to divorce him. Wilma, the therapist, claimed, “Well, she wants something, too. She wants your affection and love.” Just like the dogs, his wife needed “exercise, discipline, and affection.” Cesar Millan had always been connected to dogs, but had not felt the same with humans. Millan was able to learn how to be a people whisperer on top of being a dog whisperer.
Gladwell is effectively arguing that dealing with dogs is similar in dealing with humans. Humans need to be shown affection and love. With dogs it is necessary to show the same affection, but at the same time showing authority and discipline. The dog needs to know who is in charge or will throw a tantrum like any other child not properly disciplined by their parents. The triad of "exercise, discipline, and affection" is the key to understanding this essay in that in order to succeed in life one needs to show these three things. Everyone has their own psychology and if treated properly one can connect with humans and if they are interested dogs too!
Question for "Snitch Bitch"
3) When Jackson compares hypertext to a moving vehicle does she mean it can easily be changed unlike a book which is "in search of a place of rest?"
Shelley Jackson is commenting on the ability of one to change hypertext vs. being able to change the writing in a book. Once a book is written and published there is little room to go book and revise the book. One cannot just highlight a passage of words and then press delete. The book is already on the shelf ready to sold and viewed by thousands. This is why writers spend hours upon hours revising and correcting their work. With hypertext one can easily go back and delete and add words. There are no boundaries. The opportunities are limitless. One is free to edit their work whenever they feel the need to. Jackson compares hypertext to a moving vehicle in order to describe the magical process in which a writer's work is always changing and evolving. The writing progresses and transforms sometimes into something unknown. A whole piece of work may be deleted if so desired. A book belongs on a shelf. Hypertext belongs to all creative writers never having an ending or a beginning.
Shelley Jackson is commenting on the ability of one to change hypertext vs. being able to change the writing in a book. Once a book is written and published there is little room to go book and revise the book. One cannot just highlight a passage of words and then press delete. The book is already on the shelf ready to sold and viewed by thousands. This is why writers spend hours upon hours revising and correcting their work. With hypertext one can easily go back and delete and add words. There are no boundaries. The opportunities are limitless. One is free to edit their work whenever they feel the need to. Jackson compares hypertext to a moving vehicle in order to describe the magical process in which a writer's work is always changing and evolving. The writing progresses and transforms sometimes into something unknown. A whole piece of work may be deleted if so desired. A book belongs on a shelf. Hypertext belongs to all creative writers never having an ending or a beginning.
"Snitch Bitch"
After having read Shelley Jackson's "Snitch Bitch" I am still quite confused at most of what she was trying to say. Who is really writing "Snitch Bitch?" Is the reader supposed to believe that Shelley Jackson is an imposter? Has the reader already been tricked before even starting to read?
1)What does it mean that the banished body has no center, but has a roving focus?
2)Is it a negative that hypertext lacks "thrust?" Is it a positive?
3)f a sentence is nothing, but "a cluster of contrary tendencies" how a reader ever able to come to a distinct meaning of the writing?
4)What does Shelley Jackson mean in her comment "...and alphabetical order is a contradiction in terms?"
5) does Jackson start every segment with a negative statement?
6) Who is Shelley Jackson? Who is the real author of this piece?
1)What does it mean that the banished body has no center, but has a roving focus?
2)Is it a negative that hypertext lacks "thrust?" Is it a positive?
3)f a sentence is nothing, but "a cluster of contrary tendencies" how a reader ever able to come to a distinct meaning of the writing?
4)What does Shelley Jackson mean in her comment "...and alphabetical order is a contradiction in terms?"
5) does Jackson start every segment with a negative statement?
6) Who is Shelley Jackson? Who is the real author of this piece?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Billy Collins "Litany"
http://www.creekcats.com/pnprice/winegoblet.html
1. What was Billy Collins' original intention in writing "Litany?" Did he write it using a romantic tone or a comedic tone?
2. What was the background of the poem? What does the audience need to know? Is it possible that "Litany" is based on a previous break-up?
3. Is there a deeper meaning behind imagery like "the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine?"
4. Is imagery such as "pigeon on the general's head" supposed to be portrayed in a negative connotation?
5. Is Billy Collins poking fun at love poems?
6. Is Billy Collins "inventing the university?"
I feel Billy Collins is poking fun at love poems. I reread "Litany" a couple of times and still could not find any deeper meanings. The first author of this poem probably meant the first lines "You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine" to hold a symbolic meaning referring to the Catholic religion. I find that most of Billy Collins' imagery to be unflattering. No woman would want to be described as "marsh birds suddenly in flight" or "pigeon on the general's head." The poem is in a way contradicting and condescending. Billy Collins writes "There is just no way you are the pine-scented air." This to me seems to be a direct insult to his so called love. I feel this relationship may have become sour. That would explain why the author of the poem presents himself to be selfish and derogatory.
1. What was Billy Collins' original intention in writing "Litany?" Did he write it using a romantic tone or a comedic tone?
2. What was the background of the poem? What does the audience need to know? Is it possible that "Litany" is based on a previous break-up?
3. Is there a deeper meaning behind imagery like "the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine?"
4. Is imagery such as "pigeon on the general's head" supposed to be portrayed in a negative connotation?
5. Is Billy Collins poking fun at love poems?
6. Is Billy Collins "inventing the university?"
I feel Billy Collins is poking fun at love poems. I reread "Litany" a couple of times and still could not find any deeper meanings. The first author of this poem probably meant the first lines "You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine" to hold a symbolic meaning referring to the Catholic religion. I find that most of Billy Collins' imagery to be unflattering. No woman would want to be described as "marsh birds suddenly in flight" or "pigeon on the general's head." The poem is in a way contradicting and condescending. Billy Collins writes "There is just no way you are the pine-scented air." This to me seems to be a direct insult to his so called love. I feel this relationship may have become sour. That would explain why the author of the poem presents himself to be selfish and derogatory.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Jonathan Lethem's "The ecstasy of influence"
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/02/0081387
Cleopatra was copied nearly verbatim from Plutarch's life of Mark Antony. T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land later was influenced by this. Are these examples of plagiarism? If so Jonathan Lethem states "then we want more plagiarism." Jonathan Lethem comments, "Most artists are brought to their vocation when their own nascent gifts are awakened by the work of a master." Lethem does not see plagiarism as a disadvantage. Those writers who are obsessed with it lose out. Most artists are just starting to flower new ideas. It is not until these artists are inspired by a master of their craft that they blossom. There needs to be some sort of influence. Without it writers would be left at a standstill with no starting point. Lethem in his piece notes how copyright has pratically become a known law between writers and artists. Jonathan Lethem sees copyright as an infringement and like Thomas Jefferson "an unneccessary evil." The act of "copying" in the 21st century has no meaningful distinction as it did in the past. Today, everyone makes copies. Each time we accept an emailed text or even send one we are making copies! Lethem addresses artists who care not to see the beauty in influence and inspiration. He says, "By doing so they make the world smaller, betraying what seems to me the primary motivation for participating in the world of culture in the first place: to make the world larger." Artists should not be making things more difficult by adding restrictions on creativity. Artists should be enriching themselves in the cultures of other artists. Any source could spark something within the artist to create something beautiful and remastered. A work can be augmented by the most passive user. Near the end of his piece Lethem affirms, "But the truth is that with artists pulling on one side and corporations pulling on the other, the loser is the collective public imagination from which we were nourished in the first place, and whose existence as the ultimate repository of our offerings makes the work worth doing in the first place." Lethem is concluding that in the end the imagination that artists shared would be diminished thus greatly affecting the whole population. We are all nourished by the work that artists form. In turn the population is the reason that artists write and create. In order to share their work with the world.
Cleopatra was copied nearly verbatim from Plutarch's life of Mark Antony. T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land later was influenced by this. Are these examples of plagiarism? If so Jonathan Lethem states "then we want more plagiarism." Jonathan Lethem comments, "Most artists are brought to their vocation when their own nascent gifts are awakened by the work of a master." Lethem does not see plagiarism as a disadvantage. Those writers who are obsessed with it lose out. Most artists are just starting to flower new ideas. It is not until these artists are inspired by a master of their craft that they blossom. There needs to be some sort of influence. Without it writers would be left at a standstill with no starting point. Lethem in his piece notes how copyright has pratically become a known law between writers and artists. Jonathan Lethem sees copyright as an infringement and like Thomas Jefferson "an unneccessary evil." The act of "copying" in the 21st century has no meaningful distinction as it did in the past. Today, everyone makes copies. Each time we accept an emailed text or even send one we are making copies! Lethem addresses artists who care not to see the beauty in influence and inspiration. He says, "By doing so they make the world smaller, betraying what seems to me the primary motivation for participating in the world of culture in the first place: to make the world larger." Artists should not be making things more difficult by adding restrictions on creativity. Artists should be enriching themselves in the cultures of other artists. Any source could spark something within the artist to create something beautiful and remastered. A work can be augmented by the most passive user. Near the end of his piece Lethem affirms, "But the truth is that with artists pulling on one side and corporations pulling on the other, the loser is the collective public imagination from which we were nourished in the first place, and whose existence as the ultimate repository of our offerings makes the work worth doing in the first place." Lethem is concluding that in the end the imagination that artists shared would be diminished thus greatly affecting the whole population. We are all nourished by the work that artists form. In turn the population is the reason that artists write and create. In order to share their work with the world.
Monday, November 2, 2009
"Mark Twain’s views on writing still apply for Web writing and blogging"
http://editorialengine.com/?p=808
An author values a compliment even when it comes from a source of doubtful competency.
Mark Twain in Eruption
Mark Twain is stating that a writer must always credit a compliment even if it comes from a bad source. People are always commenting on each other's blogs and web writing. A good writer accepts all their comments and learns from them. An author can always acquire information from their audience.
I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English–it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don’t let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don’t mean utterly, but kill most of them–then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice.
Letter to D. W. Bowser, 20 March 1880
In this piece of advice Mark Twain declares that the best way to write is by writing short, brief sentences. The writing should be plain and simple. There is no need to fluff up one's writing. It becomes too long and goes off point. Adjectives should be used sparingly. They are powerful when they are placed farther apart. Writing in a "flowery habit" is a vice and is hard to get rid of. When web writing and blogging an author should always focus on the main points not adding any unnecessary information. This will keep the writer writing in a modern way sticking to simple and plain language.
You need not expect to get your book right the first time. Go to work and revamp or rewrite it. God only exhibits his thunder and lightning at intervals, and so they always command attention. These are God’s adjectives. You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by.
Letter to Orion Clemens, 23 March 1878
Mark Twain is referring to what every writer goes through. A true writer will continuously look back at their work and revise it. No one is perfect. A paper can always be corrected and made better. Some spicing up never hurt anyone. Twain gives an excellent metaphor in his piece of advice highlighting thunder and lightening. Thunder and lightening are an impressive occurrence. Since it is not everyday one hears and sees thunder and lightening when they happen to take place they grab a persons attention. If one uses too many adjectives the reader will become bored. The writer would have failed. These rules apply greatly to web writing and blogging. No one is going to read your blog if it puts them to sleep.
We write frankly and fearlessly but then we “modify” before we print.
Life on the Mississippi
The best why for a writer to start out one's writing is by writing from the heart and soul. Nothing need be held back. A writer must take risks and put them self out there in scrutiny. One's best thoughts are those that are not dragged out, rather written in the heat of the moment. A writer may always go back and alter his/her work. However, if left resting one's thoughts may not be able to show the meaning the author had intended. Blogging online is all about writing what is true to the writer in the given moment. By putting your writing on the computer one is risking criticism from all sources.
It is no use to keep private information which you can't show off.
An Author's Soldiering, 1887
Web writing and blogging are all about sharing one's innermost thoughts. Nothing should be held back. A writer is vulnerable to calumny and consternation. To Mark Twain it is important for a writer to be personal and intimate with their reader. In this way the author can build a connection with his/her audience. Mark Twain is a master at this skill having written several classics.
An author values a compliment even when it comes from a source of doubtful competency.
Mark Twain in Eruption
Mark Twain is stating that a writer must always credit a compliment even if it comes from a bad source. People are always commenting on each other's blogs and web writing. A good writer accepts all their comments and learns from them. An author can always acquire information from their audience.
I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English–it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don’t let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don’t mean utterly, but kill most of them–then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice.
Letter to D. W. Bowser, 20 March 1880
In this piece of advice Mark Twain declares that the best way to write is by writing short, brief sentences. The writing should be plain and simple. There is no need to fluff up one's writing. It becomes too long and goes off point. Adjectives should be used sparingly. They are powerful when they are placed farther apart. Writing in a "flowery habit" is a vice and is hard to get rid of. When web writing and blogging an author should always focus on the main points not adding any unnecessary information. This will keep the writer writing in a modern way sticking to simple and plain language.
You need not expect to get your book right the first time. Go to work and revamp or rewrite it. God only exhibits his thunder and lightning at intervals, and so they always command attention. These are God’s adjectives. You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by.
Letter to Orion Clemens, 23 March 1878
Mark Twain is referring to what every writer goes through. A true writer will continuously look back at their work and revise it. No one is perfect. A paper can always be corrected and made better. Some spicing up never hurt anyone. Twain gives an excellent metaphor in his piece of advice highlighting thunder and lightening. Thunder and lightening are an impressive occurrence. Since it is not everyday one hears and sees thunder and lightening when they happen to take place they grab a persons attention. If one uses too many adjectives the reader will become bored. The writer would have failed. These rules apply greatly to web writing and blogging. No one is going to read your blog if it puts them to sleep.
We write frankly and fearlessly but then we “modify” before we print.
Life on the Mississippi
The best why for a writer to start out one's writing is by writing from the heart and soul. Nothing need be held back. A writer must take risks and put them self out there in scrutiny. One's best thoughts are those that are not dragged out, rather written in the heat of the moment. A writer may always go back and alter his/her work. However, if left resting one's thoughts may not be able to show the meaning the author had intended. Blogging online is all about writing what is true to the writer in the given moment. By putting your writing on the computer one is risking criticism from all sources.
It is no use to keep private information which you can't show off.
An Author's Soldiering, 1887
Web writing and blogging are all about sharing one's innermost thoughts. Nothing should be held back. A writer is vulnerable to calumny and consternation. To Mark Twain it is important for a writer to be personal and intimate with their reader. In this way the author can build a connection with his/her audience. Mark Twain is a master at this skill having written several classics.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Jonathan Lethem's "The Ecstasy of Influence"
Jonathan Lethem in "The Ecstasy of Influence" does not advocate the direct act of plagiarism. He is in no instance trying to promote students to copy full passages of another person's work and hand it in as their own. Rather he sees using plagiarism in a indirect way. He writes in his essay, "We're surrounded by signs; our imperative is to ignore none of them." He is asking the reader why a person should be limited to their own thoughts. Lethem is encouraging writers to take ideas from all sources. These sources can range from art to music or to television. There are no boundaries. There is an infinite amount of brilliant works that one can be inspired from. Jonathan Lethem states, "Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void but out of chaos." It is imperative that writers look to previous works in order to create something new and better. The act of writing is impossible if a writer has nothing to originate from. Writing would be at a standstill. In Letham's eyes, there is nothing wrong with creating something new having read a similar work. This is writing to its fullest potential. "Literature has always been a crucible in which familiar themes are continually recast. " There is a continuous cycle of ideas being recycled and used. Jonathan Lethem gives examples of this not only in writing but in music, television and movies. The influence of one writer on another writer is a cause for ecstasy. There is no shame in the act. Lethem comments, "Rather, copyright is an ongoing social negotiation, tenuously forged, endlessly revised, and imperfect in its every incarnation." The act of copyright has almost become just a market. It is so strong in society that it is considered a law among artists and writers. In many instances a second writer does a better job than the originator. Knowing that this is true the act of plagiarism seems foolish.
AT&T Commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psDA54IBYqw
In the AT&T commercial, a young boy and girl depicted as Hansel and Gretal from the fairytale are exploring New York City. The children are healthy and clean looking with plump faces and washed clothing. In order to find their way back home they drop breadcrumbs along the way. No one seems to care about the two children. As the stores start to close and it gets late the children look behind them to follow the breadcrumbs home. However, the breadcrumbs have been destroyed each time by pigeons eating them, people stepping on them and being thrown into the sewer. The watcher sees a look of panic in both Hansel and Gretel's faces. They then take out their AT&T phone and use the GPS on the phone to find their way back to their cottage. The commercial ends with Hansel and Gretel skipping home and the AT&T logo being shown in the buildings in the background. If one was watching this without the idea that it was a commercial one would tell of the many hidden meanings behind the commercial. I look at the commercial as if it was a commercial. A commercial's only purpose is to persuade the person watching to buy their product. AT&T wants the person to know that if they buy their phone they will never get lost. They use Hansel and Gretel as characters because everyone has heard or told the tale. People can relate and understand the situation taking place in the commercial. The commercial is nothing but a commercial. That is the only why I can look at it.
In the AT&T commercial, a young boy and girl depicted as Hansel and Gretal from the fairytale are exploring New York City. The children are healthy and clean looking with plump faces and washed clothing. In order to find their way back home they drop breadcrumbs along the way. No one seems to care about the two children. As the stores start to close and it gets late the children look behind them to follow the breadcrumbs home. However, the breadcrumbs have been destroyed each time by pigeons eating them, people stepping on them and being thrown into the sewer. The watcher sees a look of panic in both Hansel and Gretel's faces. They then take out their AT&T phone and use the GPS on the phone to find their way back to their cottage. The commercial ends with Hansel and Gretel skipping home and the AT&T logo being shown in the buildings in the background. If one was watching this without the idea that it was a commercial one would tell of the many hidden meanings behind the commercial. I look at the commercial as if it was a commercial. A commercial's only purpose is to persuade the person watching to buy their product. AT&T wants the person to know that if they buy their phone they will never get lost. They use Hansel and Gretel as characters because everyone has heard or told the tale. People can relate and understand the situation taking place in the commercial. The commercial is nothing but a commercial. That is the only why I can look at it.
So here I am at Hofstra, and I am blogging. Writing online makes me feel ....
So here I am at Hofstra, and I am blogging. Writing online makes me feel vulnerable and exposed. I am not one to openly voice my opinions and thoughts. I am a very sheltered person when it comes to writing. Don't get me wrong I do enjoy writing...just without the consequences of having someone read and critique my writing. The consequences can be both good and bad. The reader may find my writing to be wonderful or pure trash. It is a risk all writers take. Hopefully, people will connect with my writing and understand my reasoning. That is what I plan to accomplish with this blog.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)