In Who Controls the Music, author Mark Crispin Miller dicusses the developmental route of the music industry. In his discussions, he recognizes profit as being one of the major prospects for the six major corporations that seem to dominate this industry. Decribing it as being a cutthroat business, he suggests that profit is the main influence behind it all. Every man is one for themselves, always trying to get a step ahead. For instance, just as CD's have replaced vinyl, the music industry is now trying to replace the CD's with DVD's. The purchase of all new equipment due to the new format would bring in more money. Instead of trying to find ways to bring in more profit, with a few changes, I think the music industry would really start looking up again.
These days the industry picks up labels rather than acts. They know what sells, thus they encourage that with their musicians and copycat it all. In doing so they are allowing attributes other than talent to help decide what musicians they bring on with the company and very easily pass by excellent musician who are very talented. If companies would be more willing to take a risk, and truly invest time and money into more independent-like music, they could potentially find something quite popular amongst the masses and certainly different than the mainstream. With technology advances as successful as the internet, it doesn't seem like too much time would be neccessary to find a truly authentic musician.
I honestly think that if not everything was so much about profit, the industry could really excell. With efforts to actually find a good musician, rather than someone who will simply sell records because they're good at doing what everyone else already is, it would really make the company stand out. In turn they could potentially be very successfull because they'd be the only ones doing it. As a consumer I know that I don't just like the kind of music that appeals to the masses, and I think that goes for a lot of other people as well. If it didn't, why would the underground music industry be so hot right now? The big companies just need to be willing to possibly saccrifice their maximal profit and take the risk with musicians that make great music and play a part different from what's already being done.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Nearly a Dream
It was 5:00 am when the alarm woke me from a bed that wasn’t mine. We were on winter break from school, I was 15 years old, and staying my friend Jennifer’s house. The house felt bitter and outside you could see the snow that had adorned the road overnight. It was a just like any other morning, perfect. Jennifer and I had started snowboarding about 5 years prior, and got up at 5:00 am at least 4 days a week, or as often as possible, to go. This day was no different. Quickly dressing, we put on our warmest socks, followed by our long johns, under shirts, jeans, hoodies, and shoes, before meticulously doing our hair and makeup. In our shared backpacks we shoveled in 2 pairs of snowboarding pants, both of our jackets, 2 pairs of extra gloves each, our favorite scarves, best looking sunglasses, goggles, extra socks, cameras, and last but not least our wallets. Before we knew it, there was a honk from the driveway, and with a bag on my back, a very used snowboard under my arm, and boots in my hand, I made my way to the jeep where our two “friends” Josh and Jordan from the neighboring town were climbing out to help us.
After driving the hour drive, we arrived at the familiar ski resort. Well, pulled on the rest of our apparel, began the hike across the parking lot, and within ten minutes were seated on the icy lift headed to the top of the mountain. There’s nothing better than cruising down a mountain and snowflakes stinging your face, and it was as if almost no time at all had passed before we were breaking for lunch. Over warm bowls of clam chowder, the four of us decided that after a morning full of tree cruising, mogul dodge, and ski passing, we’d make our way to the other mountain to hit a few jumps.
Three ski lifts and a couple of runs later, we made it. The first few jumps are always risky because you never know what the conditions may be, so we started out slow. Over and over, we’d make our way partway down the hill, carve to catch speed, hit the jump, land (or crash), snap off our board, and hike back up the mountain to do it again. After an hour or so, we came across a new jump none of us had seen. As Josh investigated the legitimacy of it, I sat atop the hill ready for the go ahead. Before I knew it, I had the “All clear!”. Like usual, I began making quick carving movement to gain just enough speed to be able to control myself as made the jump. But as I approached the ramp, I noticed to right of the center of it was the peak of a huge cider rock, covered in just enough snow to camouflage it. I leaned on my heals to turn me to the left hoping to avoid the rock, but was a second too late. Just as my board grazed past it, it caught a rough edge, splintering my board and sending me flying up into the air, to belly flopping (or face planting) into the snow.
And just like that I was back at Jennifer’s house. Unable to remember my parent’s cell phone number, I waited for them to return home because I couldn’t think of anything to do and Jennifer knew that house number.
And just like that I was being aroused out of sleep from my own bed, in my own room, in my own house. My mom was standing over me spouting questions a million miles a minute. “Krista, do you remember me? Krista, how’d you get that bandage? Someone had to take your pants off to put that on you, do you remember who it was? Krista, what do you remember? Krista, why weren’t you wearing your helmet? Krista, did Josh take you to the medical center on the resort? Krista, can you tell me how you got off the mountain?” “I don’t know.” was all I could say.
To this day, I do not remember more than what I’ve written. I do however, have three very comedic friends, a very old, attic residing, much too little, splintered edged snowboard, a nasty scar, and a blood stained shirt to remind me of the details that are nothing but a story to me.
After driving the hour drive, we arrived at the familiar ski resort. Well, pulled on the rest of our apparel, began the hike across the parking lot, and within ten minutes were seated on the icy lift headed to the top of the mountain. There’s nothing better than cruising down a mountain and snowflakes stinging your face, and it was as if almost no time at all had passed before we were breaking for lunch. Over warm bowls of clam chowder, the four of us decided that after a morning full of tree cruising, mogul dodge, and ski passing, we’d make our way to the other mountain to hit a few jumps.
Three ski lifts and a couple of runs later, we made it. The first few jumps are always risky because you never know what the conditions may be, so we started out slow. Over and over, we’d make our way partway down the hill, carve to catch speed, hit the jump, land (or crash), snap off our board, and hike back up the mountain to do it again. After an hour or so, we came across a new jump none of us had seen. As Josh investigated the legitimacy of it, I sat atop the hill ready for the go ahead. Before I knew it, I had the “All clear!”. Like usual, I began making quick carving movement to gain just enough speed to be able to control myself as made the jump. But as I approached the ramp, I noticed to right of the center of it was the peak of a huge cider rock, covered in just enough snow to camouflage it. I leaned on my heals to turn me to the left hoping to avoid the rock, but was a second too late. Just as my board grazed past it, it caught a rough edge, splintering my board and sending me flying up into the air, to belly flopping (or face planting) into the snow.
And just like that I was back at Jennifer’s house. Unable to remember my parent’s cell phone number, I waited for them to return home because I couldn’t think of anything to do and Jennifer knew that house number.
And just like that I was being aroused out of sleep from my own bed, in my own room, in my own house. My mom was standing over me spouting questions a million miles a minute. “Krista, do you remember me? Krista, how’d you get that bandage? Someone had to take your pants off to put that on you, do you remember who it was? Krista, what do you remember? Krista, why weren’t you wearing your helmet? Krista, did Josh take you to the medical center on the resort? Krista, can you tell me how you got off the mountain?” “I don’t know.” was all I could say.
To this day, I do not remember more than what I’ve written. I do however, have three very comedic friends, a very old, attic residing, much too little, splintered edged snowboard, a nasty scar, and a blood stained shirt to remind me of the details that are nothing but a story to me.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Week 8 Blog Reviews
Jade:::
After all, Maybe It’s… Biology
This was so easy to read. For some odd reason my textbook was missing the pages that pertained to that writing assignment so I couldn’t do it…. And thus I especially like how you translated both your opinions and the authors and wrote in a comprehendible way. Love is soooo interesting, and I agree with you that more people need to realize it’s a biological concept too. I had no idea that about the pupil dilation! There were a few grammatical errors and sentences I think you probably could have revised – “As a society we have a way of thinking that our Prince Charming just comes along one day, we date, get married, and have kids in that white picket fence surrounding our cute little house.” It sounded a bit like a run on sentence, and I think maybe you meant something along the lines of “…and have kids in our cute little house surrounded by that white picket fence.”... Just errors you’ll catch by editing! Good job though, it was an easy and fun piece of writing to read.
To Be Or Not To Be
This assignment was well organized and again easy to read. I particularly like the in addition to your opinions and support from the book that you brought in another reference (the Bible) for support. Of course, as it always has, religion plays a big factor on the entire concept of homosexuality and it was smart of you to bring it up. Good job.
Aubrie:::
The Science of Dating
Good structure in your writing. I feel like I could have just read your paper in substitute of the actual article (though I didn’t get to do the assignment so maybe there was quite a bit more I missed??) because you’ve summarized the author’s ideas and concepts so well. I think that the amount of personality you allow to show through in your writing is really a good thing and you should keep doing it the way you are. To me, sometimes too much personality can make writing come off as amateurish. You use it minimally and in a way that makes the writing soo pleasant. It’s the little statements like these that I enjoy: “To me, it’s a bit like a magic trick being explained to you.” and “…(not unless you were a fan of Ariel and wanted an Eric of your own).”I very much enjoyed your writing this week.
Jungle to Jacksonville?
Catchy title. I dig it. This assignment was written nicely. I like that you brought in other animal-human similarities rather than merely focusing on the concepts discussed in the reading. An animal to human dictionary would be a tremendous help in choosing which side of the endless debate is right. I certainly support you on that idea.. Overall good writing again. Enjoyed it.
Monique:::
What’s Chemistry got to do with Love!!
You picked such a great quote to use as your opening statement. It was catchy and intriguing. You did such a thorough job writing this paper and made organized all of it very well. One thing that really popped out to me was the you wrote much of the paper in your own words, but also had very supportive citations. I like your technique in dealing with references because it blends both your opinion and the research or support nicely. It gets boring when all you do it read quotes from a textbook, and unjustified when you have nothing to support it! Overall, great writing. I think you’re a great writer. I really enjoyed it.
Is Homosexuality Natural??
From the ideas of the paper, to the support for it, to your opinion, you had great flow and organization. You kept each part separate and discussed each equally. I agree that it’s a never ending debate. The evidence of animal homosexuality will work in favor of homosexuality only if you’re for it in the first place. Good use of citations. They were strong and summarized many of the ideas discussed nicely. Overall, good writing!!!
After all, Maybe It’s… Biology
This was so easy to read. For some odd reason my textbook was missing the pages that pertained to that writing assignment so I couldn’t do it…. And thus I especially like how you translated both your opinions and the authors and wrote in a comprehendible way. Love is soooo interesting, and I agree with you that more people need to realize it’s a biological concept too. I had no idea that about the pupil dilation! There were a few grammatical errors and sentences I think you probably could have revised – “As a society we have a way of thinking that our Prince Charming just comes along one day, we date, get married, and have kids in that white picket fence surrounding our cute little house.” It sounded a bit like a run on sentence, and I think maybe you meant something along the lines of “…and have kids in our cute little house surrounded by that white picket fence.”... Just errors you’ll catch by editing! Good job though, it was an easy and fun piece of writing to read.
To Be Or Not To Be
This assignment was well organized and again easy to read. I particularly like the in addition to your opinions and support from the book that you brought in another reference (the Bible) for support. Of course, as it always has, religion plays a big factor on the entire concept of homosexuality and it was smart of you to bring it up. Good job.
Aubrie:::
The Science of Dating
Good structure in your writing. I feel like I could have just read your paper in substitute of the actual article (though I didn’t get to do the assignment so maybe there was quite a bit more I missed??) because you’ve summarized the author’s ideas and concepts so well. I think that the amount of personality you allow to show through in your writing is really a good thing and you should keep doing it the way you are. To me, sometimes too much personality can make writing come off as amateurish. You use it minimally and in a way that makes the writing soo pleasant. It’s the little statements like these that I enjoy: “To me, it’s a bit like a magic trick being explained to you.” and “…(not unless you were a fan of Ariel and wanted an Eric of your own).”I very much enjoyed your writing this week.
Jungle to Jacksonville?
Catchy title. I dig it. This assignment was written nicely. I like that you brought in other animal-human similarities rather than merely focusing on the concepts discussed in the reading. An animal to human dictionary would be a tremendous help in choosing which side of the endless debate is right. I certainly support you on that idea.. Overall good writing again. Enjoyed it.
Monique:::
What’s Chemistry got to do with Love!!
You picked such a great quote to use as your opening statement. It was catchy and intriguing. You did such a thorough job writing this paper and made organized all of it very well. One thing that really popped out to me was the you wrote much of the paper in your own words, but also had very supportive citations. I like your technique in dealing with references because it blends both your opinion and the research or support nicely. It gets boring when all you do it read quotes from a textbook, and unjustified when you have nothing to support it! Overall, great writing. I think you’re a great writer. I really enjoyed it.
Is Homosexuality Natural??
From the ideas of the paper, to the support for it, to your opinion, you had great flow and organization. You kept each part separate and discussed each equally. I agree that it’s a never ending debate. The evidence of animal homosexuality will work in favor of homosexuality only if you’re for it in the first place. Good use of citations. They were strong and summarized many of the ideas discussed nicely. Overall, good writing!!!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Ray of Light
Directed Freewrite
Ray of Light
Homosexuality is more prevalent in today’s day then it ever has been, and though the topic remains a debate, evidence of same sex relations in animals now shows that humans are not the only ones indulging in the behavior. Does this recent discovery shed a ray of light for those in support of those relations or for those against it?
Jeffrey Kluger’s “The Gay Side of Nature” discusses the topic of same sex relations in both humans and animals. As same gender sex has always been considered as uniquely human, scientist Bruce Bagemihi suggests that the animal kingdom is more complex than we thought and animals in fact are indulging in the same type of behaviors (Kluger 338). This discovery could be a good thing for those that support it. It suggests that homosexuality is a natural form of sexual expression (Kluger 339). People who oppose the idea however could argue this by suggesting that animals are doing it strictly for pleasure, because it’s impossible to know their reasoning. They could also argue the points that Kruger identifies in his article, that to animal “sex serves many nonsexual purposes, including establishing alliances and appeasing enemies” (Kruger 339).
The debate of whether or not homosexuality is right or wrong will continue for the upcoming years. While the discovery of same gender sex in animals may be a positive thing for those who accept and support the behavior, suggesting that it’s a natural tendency, there are always going to be those who disagree and can turn the justifying evidence into something that supports their view instead. It all comes down to who’s interpreting the information, how open or closed-minded they are to the debate, and personal beliefs by terms of ethics.
Ray of Light
Homosexuality is more prevalent in today’s day then it ever has been, and though the topic remains a debate, evidence of same sex relations in animals now shows that humans are not the only ones indulging in the behavior. Does this recent discovery shed a ray of light for those in support of those relations or for those against it?
Jeffrey Kluger’s “The Gay Side of Nature” discusses the topic of same sex relations in both humans and animals. As same gender sex has always been considered as uniquely human, scientist Bruce Bagemihi suggests that the animal kingdom is more complex than we thought and animals in fact are indulging in the same type of behaviors (Kluger 338). This discovery could be a good thing for those that support it. It suggests that homosexuality is a natural form of sexual expression (Kluger 339). People who oppose the idea however could argue this by suggesting that animals are doing it strictly for pleasure, because it’s impossible to know their reasoning. They could also argue the points that Kruger identifies in his article, that to animal “sex serves many nonsexual purposes, including establishing alliances and appeasing enemies” (Kruger 339).
The debate of whether or not homosexuality is right or wrong will continue for the upcoming years. While the discovery of same gender sex in animals may be a positive thing for those who accept and support the behavior, suggesting that it’s a natural tendency, there are always going to be those who disagree and can turn the justifying evidence into something that supports their view instead. It all comes down to who’s interpreting the information, how open or closed-minded they are to the debate, and personal beliefs by terms of ethics.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Week 7 Blog Reviews
Jade:::
Just Being a Male Can Be Deceitful
I love that you took such a personal approach to this freewrite. Your choice or words and writing style was much less “academic” so to say, and it gave it excitement, a sense of friendliness, and made it relatable. I like that you first made a somewhat personal statement about having an argument with a guy that could have been avoided had you know about Tannen’s theories.. and then summarized her ideas. I really enjoyed reading this, good job!
Till “Divorce” Do Us Part..
Your introductory paragraph was really catchy (in a good way), and definitely grabbed my attention. Your citations, like last week, compliment your writing and support what you are saying. I like that you narrowed in on just a few of Wright’s ideas. There was so much information! But narrowing seemed to help keep your paper interesting and at a good length. However, overall, your thesis was bit confusing to me. You clearly said you were in support of marriage but when I read it along with the rest of your paper, until I got to your conclusion (which made strong points), I thought maybe you were headed in the “I believe in marriage, BUT..” approach rather than a more direct argumentative approach. Besides that, I enjoyed your writing. It was easy to read, and had good flow.
Aubrie:::
Lost in Translation
Your writing for this freewrite took a different approach then I was expecting. By starting it off with your story, you kept me much more entertained (and curious!) then the usual prompts we write about. I like your choice of citations, and think you did a great job summing up the story by summarizing her thoughts and concluding that it frustrations probably stemmed from your different conversation styles. Good job.
Is Monogamy the Key?
Love this. Your writing, word choice, flow was there for me. It held my was very informative and held my interest. Good choice on summarizing Wright’s ideas and concepts. Was a re-fresher for me! Really enjoyed your conclusion: “It has often been said that some of life’s most rewarding pursuits are those that are difficult, that one must work and strive for. Therefore, the state of marriage should not be done away simply because it is difficult for this very reason. Monogamous marriage should continue for the benefit of society, in the view of Wright.” Overall, I don’t have much to complain about except that perhaps the first sentence in that conclusion could have maybe been reworded after the comma. Such a trivial thing though. Good job.
Monique:::
He said/She said (WILL YOU LISTEN)!!
I enjoyed reading this writing of yours. I like that you summarized Tannen’s ideas rather than taking direct quotes from her writing. They way you did it helped your paper flow as I thought it all held the same tone. Good conclusion too. I like that you chose to end this paper with a sort of analysis on the way your spouse acted and the way you reacted. And.. umm.. I have to COMPLETELY agree with you about making all the decisions. Isn’t it the worst?
*Saving Monogamous Marriages*
I like your title. It was direct and was the perfect statement for me to foretell the direction your paper was going to be taking. Your writing had its fair share of citations and ideas from the reading, but I like that you actually indulged into some of your personal ideas for support of your paper as well. It made reading it much more interesting, and less like reading a biased summary. Overall, I enjoyed this piece and I agree that people need to work at their relationship and not rush into marriage. After all, when we marry, aren’t we anticipating spending the rest of our lives with our partner anyways?! No rush. =]
Just Being a Male Can Be Deceitful
I love that you took such a personal approach to this freewrite. Your choice or words and writing style was much less “academic” so to say, and it gave it excitement, a sense of friendliness, and made it relatable. I like that you first made a somewhat personal statement about having an argument with a guy that could have been avoided had you know about Tannen’s theories.. and then summarized her ideas. I really enjoyed reading this, good job!
Till “Divorce” Do Us Part..
Your introductory paragraph was really catchy (in a good way), and definitely grabbed my attention. Your citations, like last week, compliment your writing and support what you are saying. I like that you narrowed in on just a few of Wright’s ideas. There was so much information! But narrowing seemed to help keep your paper interesting and at a good length. However, overall, your thesis was bit confusing to me. You clearly said you were in support of marriage but when I read it along with the rest of your paper, until I got to your conclusion (which made strong points), I thought maybe you were headed in the “I believe in marriage, BUT..” approach rather than a more direct argumentative approach. Besides that, I enjoyed your writing. It was easy to read, and had good flow.
Aubrie:::
Lost in Translation
Your writing for this freewrite took a different approach then I was expecting. By starting it off with your story, you kept me much more entertained (and curious!) then the usual prompts we write about. I like your choice of citations, and think you did a great job summing up the story by summarizing her thoughts and concluding that it frustrations probably stemmed from your different conversation styles. Good job.
Is Monogamy the Key?
Love this. Your writing, word choice, flow was there for me. It held my was very informative and held my interest. Good choice on summarizing Wright’s ideas and concepts. Was a re-fresher for me! Really enjoyed your conclusion: “It has often been said that some of life’s most rewarding pursuits are those that are difficult, that one must work and strive for. Therefore, the state of marriage should not be done away simply because it is difficult for this very reason. Monogamous marriage should continue for the benefit of society, in the view of Wright.” Overall, I don’t have much to complain about except that perhaps the first sentence in that conclusion could have maybe been reworded after the comma. Such a trivial thing though. Good job.
Monique:::
He said/She said (WILL YOU LISTEN)!!
I enjoyed reading this writing of yours. I like that you summarized Tannen’s ideas rather than taking direct quotes from her writing. They way you did it helped your paper flow as I thought it all held the same tone. Good conclusion too. I like that you chose to end this paper with a sort of analysis on the way your spouse acted and the way you reacted. And.. umm.. I have to COMPLETELY agree with you about making all the decisions. Isn’t it the worst?
*Saving Monogamous Marriages*
I like your title. It was direct and was the perfect statement for me to foretell the direction your paper was going to be taking. Your writing had its fair share of citations and ideas from the reading, but I like that you actually indulged into some of your personal ideas for support of your paper as well. It made reading it much more interesting, and less like reading a biased summary. Overall, I enjoyed this piece and I agree that people need to work at their relationship and not rush into marriage. After all, when we marry, aren’t we anticipating spending the rest of our lives with our partner anyways?! No rush. =]
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Working Through It
Directed Freewrite:::
Working Through It
Cheating and infidelity is something that's generally looked down upon. Not only does it have a reputation for destroying relationships but it also has a reputation for ending a marriage by divorce. Evolutionary psychology however encourages the acceptance of infidelity with both theoretical and scientific support as a part of our evolutionary makeup in sexual behavior. As "natural" as it may be, humans sexual behavior should not be the excuse to the abolish monogamous marriages.
Evolutionary psychology encourages the theory that human beings are designed to fall in love but they aren't designed to stay there. With emphasis on the human mind and its role of the environment in shaping behavior, it suggests that adultery, infidelity, partner annoyance and irritation is natural. Theories also suggest that humans do this because the mind is designed to transmit genes for reproduction. (Wright 280). In the article Our Changing Heart, author Robert Wright notes that this infidelity occurs in both men and women and on completely different levels. Men tend to naturally experience these urges on a sexual level while women have a deeper connection with emotional infidelity (285). His concept is supported in part by the fact that women can only reproduce about once and year, while men have the opportunity to do so with each new partner (Wright 282). Infidelity however does have a reputation in divorce, which is no longer a rare sight. Between the years of 1960 and 1990, divorce rates have doubled going from 25% to 50% (Wright 288). Robert Wright may have gotten it right when he said that perhaps lifelong devotion isn't a natural thing for humans (Wright 289). It's quite possible that as evolutionary psychology would appear, natural sexual behaviors doesn't exactly make that lifestyle easy either.
As Robert Wright and evolutionary psychology has shown, infidelity and sexual behaviors can quite possibly be embedded into our systems, as a natural occurrence. However this is not something to rationalize the commitments humans choose to make to one another by marriage. Awareness of the issue will allow people to be be more insightful about it and "lead people to subject their own feelings to more acute scrutiny" (Wright 290). These perceptions of underlying intentions can potentially be seen as illusions (Wright 290). With effort and with work, monogamous marriage can withstand the complexities of natural behaviors, and should be preserved.
Working Through It
Cheating and infidelity is something that's generally looked down upon. Not only does it have a reputation for destroying relationships but it also has a reputation for ending a marriage by divorce. Evolutionary psychology however encourages the acceptance of infidelity with both theoretical and scientific support as a part of our evolutionary makeup in sexual behavior. As "natural" as it may be, humans sexual behavior should not be the excuse to the abolish monogamous marriages.
Evolutionary psychology encourages the theory that human beings are designed to fall in love but they aren't designed to stay there. With emphasis on the human mind and its role of the environment in shaping behavior, it suggests that adultery, infidelity, partner annoyance and irritation is natural. Theories also suggest that humans do this because the mind is designed to transmit genes for reproduction. (Wright 280). In the article Our Changing Heart, author Robert Wright notes that this infidelity occurs in both men and women and on completely different levels. Men tend to naturally experience these urges on a sexual level while women have a deeper connection with emotional infidelity (285). His concept is supported in part by the fact that women can only reproduce about once and year, while men have the opportunity to do so with each new partner (Wright 282). Infidelity however does have a reputation in divorce, which is no longer a rare sight. Between the years of 1960 and 1990, divorce rates have doubled going from 25% to 50% (Wright 288). Robert Wright may have gotten it right when he said that perhaps lifelong devotion isn't a natural thing for humans (Wright 289). It's quite possible that as evolutionary psychology would appear, natural sexual behaviors doesn't exactly make that lifestyle easy either.
As Robert Wright and evolutionary psychology has shown, infidelity and sexual behaviors can quite possibly be embedded into our systems, as a natural occurrence. However this is not something to rationalize the commitments humans choose to make to one another by marriage. Awareness of the issue will allow people to be be more insightful about it and "lead people to subject their own feelings to more acute scrutiny" (Wright 290). These perceptions of underlying intentions can potentially be seen as illusions (Wright 290). With effort and with work, monogamous marriage can withstand the complexities of natural behaviors, and should be preserved.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
You Aren't Listening!
Directed Freewrite:::
You Aren't Listening!
Disagreements between men and women are something I would assume most everyone has encountered at some point or another in their life. I, for one, have been seeing the same guy, Steve, since since I was 16 and not afraid to admit that we have had our fair share of disagreements. Arguments and disagreements, which are often instigated by conversational differences amongst males and females, is something Deborah Tannen does a great job explaining in her article Sex, Lies, and Conversation. With her idea's in mind, conflicts seem to be both more avoidable and justifiable.
Amongst Tannen's theories of conversational differences, she makes two really strong points. First, she notes that the significance of intimate conversation is held of much higher importance for women then it is for men, who generally find the sense of closeness of more importance (Tannen 242). Her second explanation comes in the form of body language that occurs during our conversations. She explains that male body language often send women the wrong message suggesting that they aren't offering their full attention. When it comes to their perception of female body language and conversational expressions, they often view it as invasive or argumentative (Tannen 243). Both of these are something I feel make a significant difference in interpretation. With the knowledge of Tannen's theories and suggestions, I am confident that many of the disagreements that have arose not only between Steve and I, but other people as well, might not have occurred had we been more aware of these differences.
Steve and I were recently in predicament that I feel clearly demonstrates Tannen's ideas. Following a discussion about whether or not I should study abroad in one of the upcoming semesters, an argument arose. As we have spent the past 8 years together, the topic of temporarily moving across the world was something I felt was necessary to discuss. While I sat and spoke attentively about the matter, he remained busy doing miscellaneous things and I grew frustrated with his lack of attention. After reading Tannen's idea's on conversation, I can now see how I was misinterpreting his meaningless actions. His "busy work" was him exhibiting his natural instincts, while I perceived it like Tennen explains, as him not listening (Tannen 242). As my frustrations grew, I asked Steve to stop what he was doing and sit down to talk with me. The conversation went on but I soon found myself facing him on the couch, while he sat with both feet on the ground looking offering feedback only at times of abnormally long conversational pauses. To me, his silence only further supported the lack of attention and importance I was feeling. This too is something that Tannen addresses. She explains that women usually offer listener-noise, or occasional word references like "uhuh" to insure that they are listening. While men generally do not do this, women, like me "who expect a stream of listener-noise, interpret silent attention as no attention at all" (Tannen 243).
It's apparent that the differences in male and female conversational habits are quite significant to the outcome of a conversation. Though Steve and I were able to get past our minor conflict, I think a large part of that had to do with the fact that we know each other quite well. Being aware of Tannen's conversational concepts not only shed some light onto the issue, but will also help to avoid potential disagreements in the future.
You Aren't Listening!
Disagreements between men and women are something I would assume most everyone has encountered at some point or another in their life. I, for one, have been seeing the same guy, Steve, since since I was 16 and not afraid to admit that we have had our fair share of disagreements. Arguments and disagreements, which are often instigated by conversational differences amongst males and females, is something Deborah Tannen does a great job explaining in her article Sex, Lies, and Conversation. With her idea's in mind, conflicts seem to be both more avoidable and justifiable.
Amongst Tannen's theories of conversational differences, she makes two really strong points. First, she notes that the significance of intimate conversation is held of much higher importance for women then it is for men, who generally find the sense of closeness of more importance (Tannen 242). Her second explanation comes in the form of body language that occurs during our conversations. She explains that male body language often send women the wrong message suggesting that they aren't offering their full attention. When it comes to their perception of female body language and conversational expressions, they often view it as invasive or argumentative (Tannen 243). Both of these are something I feel make a significant difference in interpretation. With the knowledge of Tannen's theories and suggestions, I am confident that many of the disagreements that have arose not only between Steve and I, but other people as well, might not have occurred had we been more aware of these differences.
Steve and I were recently in predicament that I feel clearly demonstrates Tannen's ideas. Following a discussion about whether or not I should study abroad in one of the upcoming semesters, an argument arose. As we have spent the past 8 years together, the topic of temporarily moving across the world was something I felt was necessary to discuss. While I sat and spoke attentively about the matter, he remained busy doing miscellaneous things and I grew frustrated with his lack of attention. After reading Tannen's idea's on conversation, I can now see how I was misinterpreting his meaningless actions. His "busy work" was him exhibiting his natural instincts, while I perceived it like Tennen explains, as him not listening (Tannen 242). As my frustrations grew, I asked Steve to stop what he was doing and sit down to talk with me. The conversation went on but I soon found myself facing him on the couch, while he sat with both feet on the ground looking offering feedback only at times of abnormally long conversational pauses. To me, his silence only further supported the lack of attention and importance I was feeling. This too is something that Tannen addresses. She explains that women usually offer listener-noise, or occasional word references like "uhuh" to insure that they are listening. While men generally do not do this, women, like me "who expect a stream of listener-noise, interpret silent attention as no attention at all" (Tannen 243).
It's apparent that the differences in male and female conversational habits are quite significant to the outcome of a conversation. Though Steve and I were able to get past our minor conflict, I think a large part of that had to do with the fact that we know each other quite well. Being aware of Tannen's conversational concepts not only shed some light onto the issue, but will also help to avoid potential disagreements in the future.
Week 6 Blog Reviews
Jade :::
Sorority Sisterhood..of Sorority Sin?
I have not seen Sorority Row, and actually had no desire to, but your description kind of intrigued me. Good job. Ha. On a serious note, you did do a good job breaking down the movie. The comparisons/references you made towards the reading were really good. I especially like the reference to Boozer’s quote on the spontaneity of crimes committed by couples. It seems dead on with Sorority Row. My only suggestion to you (which is also something I need to do), is to perhaps do what Professor Patel suggested in her posting yesterday, and summarize the reading too. Otherwise, I thought it was great, and well written.
Cheers to the Future
I absolutely agree with your opinion that technology is changing and will continue to change the future. You brought up some ideas for progressive technology that I hadn’t thought of when you discussed the technologies behind sex change and surrogate mothers. I like that you went further on D’Emilio’s idea of the needing to maintain male/female relationship for reproduction (because there weren’t that many gay relationships back when) too. While I do agree, I think the concept itself is debatable and something that I think would have been a great addition to your writing, simply because of other technological advances. Take medical technology for example, and think about how far we’ve come with equipment, vaccines, etc. We can keep much more children/people alive longer, and nurse them back to good health with much more successfully these days. As a whole, I think you had nice writing. I enjoyed reading it.
Aubrie:::
Troy
Like most movies, Troy is another one I haven’t seen. Being that I largely have to rely on the plot descriptions to get the full comparison, I think you summarized well. Being that said, I think you really used your citations well, and in a way that as someone who hasn’t seen the movie, the provided a good sense of support. My only suggestion is I think it would have been nice to have more of a conclusion to your writing. Overall, I like your writing style. Good job.
The Fracturing of the Family
Really good introductory paragraph. I like that you referenced what we’ve previously learned, before going into D’Emilio’s Capitalism theory. I think your writing was well rounded in part because you discussed both the pros and the cons of cyber technology. I agree with you, and think it’s completely accurate to say that while we can stay connected to someone more easily, it certainly does detriment the relationship a bit too.
Monique:::
“Real Wild Women” and/or “Wild Real Man”
I loved your posting. It was so easy to read, and it covered the summary/plot/concepts of the movie nicely. Your citations were really supportive too and helped make your points strong. I haven’t seen Enough, but it really does sound like the perfect example of a “real wild women” or “real wild man”.
Hidden Stories: Capitalism and Gay Identity
Like Professor Patel pointed out, your approach on the topic was really good. The background information on the reading set a good starting point for the further discussion of your personal opinions. You and Jade both brought up the same ideas of sex change and gay child bearing though you had slightly different points, so it was nice to read about other opinions on the topic. You said (and I agree with you) that the growth of technology and capitalism both create change argumentatively on both the positive and negative aspects. I would have really enjoyed reading your negative takes on the ideas you presented. Good paper, great writing!
Sorority Sisterhood..of Sorority Sin?
I have not seen Sorority Row, and actually had no desire to, but your description kind of intrigued me. Good job. Ha. On a serious note, you did do a good job breaking down the movie. The comparisons/references you made towards the reading were really good. I especially like the reference to Boozer’s quote on the spontaneity of crimes committed by couples. It seems dead on with Sorority Row. My only suggestion to you (which is also something I need to do), is to perhaps do what Professor Patel suggested in her posting yesterday, and summarize the reading too. Otherwise, I thought it was great, and well written.
Cheers to the Future
I absolutely agree with your opinion that technology is changing and will continue to change the future. You brought up some ideas for progressive technology that I hadn’t thought of when you discussed the technologies behind sex change and surrogate mothers. I like that you went further on D’Emilio’s idea of the needing to maintain male/female relationship for reproduction (because there weren’t that many gay relationships back when) too. While I do agree, I think the concept itself is debatable and something that I think would have been a great addition to your writing, simply because of other technological advances. Take medical technology for example, and think about how far we’ve come with equipment, vaccines, etc. We can keep much more children/people alive longer, and nurse them back to good health with much more successfully these days. As a whole, I think you had nice writing. I enjoyed reading it.
Aubrie:::
Troy
Like most movies, Troy is another one I haven’t seen. Being that I largely have to rely on the plot descriptions to get the full comparison, I think you summarized well. Being that said, I think you really used your citations well, and in a way that as someone who hasn’t seen the movie, the provided a good sense of support. My only suggestion is I think it would have been nice to have more of a conclusion to your writing. Overall, I like your writing style. Good job.
The Fracturing of the Family
Really good introductory paragraph. I like that you referenced what we’ve previously learned, before going into D’Emilio’s Capitalism theory. I think your writing was well rounded in part because you discussed both the pros and the cons of cyber technology. I agree with you, and think it’s completely accurate to say that while we can stay connected to someone more easily, it certainly does detriment the relationship a bit too.
Monique:::
“Real Wild Women” and/or “Wild Real Man”
I loved your posting. It was so easy to read, and it covered the summary/plot/concepts of the movie nicely. Your citations were really supportive too and helped make your points strong. I haven’t seen Enough, but it really does sound like the perfect example of a “real wild women” or “real wild man”.
Hidden Stories: Capitalism and Gay Identity
Like Professor Patel pointed out, your approach on the topic was really good. The background information on the reading set a good starting point for the further discussion of your personal opinions. You and Jade both brought up the same ideas of sex change and gay child bearing though you had slightly different points, so it was nice to read about other opinions on the topic. You said (and I agree with you) that the growth of technology and capitalism both create change argumentatively on both the positive and negative aspects. I would have really enjoyed reading your negative takes on the ideas you presented. Good paper, great writing!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A Changing Society
Directed Freewrite:::
A Changing Society
A Changing Society
The current state of the American Family is certainly different than it was 50 years ago or so. It’s much different than it was even 10 years ago, and many of these changes were, and still are enabled by advancing computer technology.
In today’s day, it’s rare for someone, especially teenagers and young adults to leave the house without their cell phones. One of the reasons is because this gives them us an outlet to who we want, when we want. It also provides flexibility to speak with people at our own conveniences and at our own privacy. We can experience confidentiality away from other people and in assurance that family members, who in the past probably would have overheard our conversations as we would have been speaking on the single, centrally located rotor telephone, cannot hear.
The internet is another huge outlet can change our economic structure. In the same sense that D’Emilio described capitalism as essentially providing people with a sense of new found independence, internet is on the same route. While life is fairly easy to live successfully “independent” in comparison to what it once was, things are only getting easier. The internet provides an entire new social system for people to really indulge themselves in. Online communities are established by everything from common interests to lifestyles. This makes it now possible to be involved in something not only across the county, but perhaps even across the world. I think the internet can also act as a guard, or a wall. You can feel more ease to be yourself online, without having to worry about the direct and immediate after effects or reaction of those who may disagree as you would in real life social scenes.
If things continue to progress technologically in the same direction as it has been, I think we will be able to look back upon this change just as D’Emilio did on the capitalist economy. We are already establishing levels of independence beyond what they ever were. I think we humans strive for this because it allows us to express our individuality, which is in a way, in our nature.
The Descent
Movie Analysis:::
The Descent
The movie, The Descent is about a group of close friends (who all happen to be women), who reunite about a year after an accident kills one of their close friends, to go cave exploring together. As their adventures begin, unforeseen personalities begin to show.
At the beginning of the movie, the best friends laugh and converse together as they catch up on each other’s lives. Relationships are illustrated and it’s apparent that they all have different backgrounds and lifestyles but share lifelong bonds and common interests.
As the women reach the cave they all seem to leave their stereotypical lifestyles portrayed during the opening scenes of the movie to become highly ambitious, adventurous, and devious. As they make their way into the depths of the cave a passage through which they had just passed through collapses behind them only able to move forward to find a new way out. The leader of the trip, Juno, at this point decides to tell the group that not only is it an unexplored cave. As the tensions begin to grow higher some of the women start to bring up past issues, and who they truly are outside of the adventure cave walls begin to show. The women, move forward, and as they progress they become frustrated and some of them begin to turn on and killing the others. Juno, the leader who’s seems now to be in it solely for herself, ends up dead.
Similar to Seduction and Betrayal in the Heartland, this movie shows a few different sides. I think this movie also does a good job going against stereotypical women roles. One imparticular is the outdoorsy adventure in itself.
The Descent
The movie, The Descent is about a group of close friends (who all happen to be women), who reunite about a year after an accident kills one of their close friends, to go cave exploring together. As their adventures begin, unforeseen personalities begin to show.
At the beginning of the movie, the best friends laugh and converse together as they catch up on each other’s lives. Relationships are illustrated and it’s apparent that they all have different backgrounds and lifestyles but share lifelong bonds and common interests.
As the women reach the cave they all seem to leave their stereotypical lifestyles portrayed during the opening scenes of the movie to become highly ambitious, adventurous, and devious. As they make their way into the depths of the cave a passage through which they had just passed through collapses behind them only able to move forward to find a new way out. The leader of the trip, Juno, at this point decides to tell the group that not only is it an unexplored cave. As the tensions begin to grow higher some of the women start to bring up past issues, and who they truly are outside of the adventure cave walls begin to show. The women, move forward, and as they progress they become frustrated and some of them begin to turn on and killing the others. Juno, the leader who’s seems now to be in it solely for herself, ends up dead.
Similar to Seduction and Betrayal in the Heartland, this movie shows a few different sides. I think this movie also does a good job going against stereotypical women roles. One imparticular is the outdoorsy adventure in itself.
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