26 The Nonexistent Usefulness of Google+

In this Composition class, us students used several useful and practical online applications for the development of our classroom curriculum.  Google+, introduced as a way to further connect with our classmates and sell our information, was not one of those applications.

Come to think about it, we only used Google+ once in the class to advertise information we had found on the discarded essay topic of Net Neutrality.  (I was also appalled that my classmates had never heard of Net Neutrality in the least, but that's a story for another day.)  After posting the link we had found on Google+, we never used the web site again in class.  Truly a waste of the many ways we could use the app in our class time.

Even then, the entire structure of Google+, as a social media hub, contained zero appeal to me to be used in my social life.  There was nothing there from which I could find enjoyment in on a personal level.  I don't know why Google even bothered to make it.

So there you go.

Hail Cthulu!

25 Google Drive & Related Thaumaturgy

One of the biggest surprises of this class has been the use of Google Drive as a way to receive feedback on the papers we wrote.  Truly, I had no idea that such an application existed, but I am all the better for learning about it.

For starters, I loved its feature allowing the commentary of a colleague's work without actually interfering with said colleague's efforts.  Truly such a feature is golden for the efforts of all students seeking critique of their homework; an idea that our dear Professor took advantage of when making us grade each other's work.  It seriously made for some interesting class sessions I never expected.

But more importantly, I can see tremendous use for this feature outside of class and within my ambitions of novel writing.  When before I hoped to seek critique from a peer about my first book, I had to attach the book to an email that would go out to my hopeful reader.  Nine times out of ten, my hopeful reviewer barely even looked at it.  But now, by putting the book on Drive for critique, I can not only better control who sees the book, but also am able to receive commentary to improve the work without the document being manipulated in the process.

It's just like Magic!

Blessed Be!

24 The Magical Delights of Class Blogging

The most exciting part of this class for me has definitely been the class blog.  While other networks such as Google+ and the Class Wiki were not only slightly negligible and rarely contributed to class efforts, the same cannot be said about the class blogs.

Given my own inner nature, I am oftentimes drowning in a mental sea of ideas and endless words that seek expression  more often than not.  All throughout the day, the inner clockworks of my mind are going through not just the days events and what could have been said and done that wasn't; but also through various ideas for creative projects I will eventually attempt, the myths and legends that all young men in my age group are burdened with, countless fantasies of myriad varieties, and impulses coming at me in every which way.  I go to bed at night and often cannot sleep from the oceans of words that flood my mentation at such a constant and consistent rate.

(This is not to say that others do not have rich mental atmospheres.  Only that part of my life ambitions and creative pursuits, revolve around finding ways to channel all of this in ways that would do me well.)

So when I learn that we would be blogging in class, my heart silently skipped a beat out of the knowing that I had legions of useless information and ideas to pour into the internet for my colleagues to ponder. For the longest time, I have always wanted to write a popular and successful blog, but without an audience, nor a consistent theme with which to attract an audience; I was at a loss.

I still am at a similar loss; but this tool in class has been such a joy and treat to peruse and it has truly been the highlight of my class time with Hamon.

Bon Appetit

23 The Impact of Big Data

If this is the part of my blog where I'm supposed to get into a vast hullabaloo about either the pros or cons of massive data affecting my life; you can forget it.

Given that I do not own a smart phone and that my internet use consists primarily of checking my Facebook wall and using Youtube as a radio, I wouldn't say that "big data" impacts me as much as others.  I could be wrong in this assumption, but I never truly thought of being in an information super center type of environment where I must know everything about everything at the drop of the hat.  Certainly, I am a devotee of words and ideas, but generally, I have always been a little outside the entire data and technology scene that most members of my generation have become so engrossed in.

Maybe it's just me...

22 Personal Learning Networks

When I think of networks used by us South University students, it would be too easy for me to describe the Student Portal and Library Database.  It would also be highly inaccurate of me, personally, because I rarely ever use these two apart from checking my grades.  So what's a guy to do in a time like this?  I simply discuss other networks that have aided my class performance immensely.

That's right.  I'm talking about the google interface prescribed by our very own Professor Hamon as an aid to knowledge and the accumulation of such.  Truly the Google Drive used for sharing and commenting on documents as well as Google Scholar in aid of research for papers even outside this classroom has been a monumental asset in my student life.

While Google Drive will eventually faze out of my student affairs, I see a lot of use for it in my personal pursuits of sharing and receiving reviews for my literary ambitions.  Google Scholar, however, is a network I shall continue to use long after this class has finished.

I am elated to have found both.

Brightest Blessings

21 Misleading Statistics (or Proof that Fox News is Full of Crap)

Since we are tasked with discussing misleading statistics and data on this blog, I'd like to take a moment to honor a powerful organization that frequently presents such diatribe in copious amounts:  Fox News Network.  There.  I said it.

While popular with conservatives, Fox News frequently misinforms their viewers through many methods, but their statistics are quite the scandal.

Having had to sit for a Baker Acted resident at my job one evening in 2012 at my former job, I was presented with a long political monologue from the suicidal woman I had had to watch for the next twelve hours on the failing standards of the country underneath the current president, a position I did not value in the least.

While I could not discuss politics with my patients by any means, I ultimately told this woman that I did not agree with a word she said, nor did I believe her hypocrisy of doom that had made her wish to end her own life.

In response to my retort, this woman had turned on the television to my second-least favorite channel (the first one being anything related to ESPN) in an attempt to catch Bill O' Reily in one of his rants about the president and therefore prove her point.  Instead, we were treated to one of the many myriad blonde clones of the channel discussing potential republican candidates for the 2012 presidential race and the blonde anchorwoman was giving a long spiel about supporting Sarah Palin (of all people; I don't know why).

Now my dear reader may be wondering:  Just where are you going with this delightful anecdote?

I shall tell you, my devoted fan.  As the anchor woman finished her rant, she posted a pie chart on the screen detailing the percentage of support for the various hopeful candidates.  Palin's alleged support ranked in at 70%. if you can believe it.

But that's the thing.  It wasn't believable in the least because the other candidates listed:  Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee ranked 60% and 63%, respectively.  Do you see where I am going with this?

For those who haven't caught on, a Pie Chart's maximum can only be 100% and yet the statistics of that graph vastly exceeded that amount.  In fact, the total amount of percentages reached 193% which clearly is not mathematically accurate.

When I pointed out this glaring error to my patient, she had finally shut up, turning off the television embarrassed and proceeded to attempt to take a nap.  Winning is always a pleasant feeling.

That example of the Pie Chart is only one of many ways in which that channel manipulates their data to deceive their viewers.  While Fox News is not the only network committing these sins (I'm watching you CNN), they are quite egregious with their misinformation and the fact that they claim to be honest while simultaneously making these kinds of errors makes them a perfect example for the use of misleading statistics.

Bon Appetite!

20 A Post of my Choice (Or a Rant About Slow Drivers)

Since this is a post of my choice, I'd like to discuss a subject that is very close to my heart and touches my very soul in ways incomprehensible to some.

Ever get that feeling when driving down the interstate at high speeds that you are flying?  I do and I absolutely adore that feeling.  To race down a road with the wind in my face from the windows rolled down and watch the scenery to my sides become a distant blur is simply one of the best feelings in the world.  Like I said:  It feels like I'm flying.

But then, lo and behold, in the distance is a car that is traveling at a snail's pace, way below the speed limit, and you, in turn, must slow down and are brought down to earth.  It is such an incredibly frustrating feeling.  Usually, when this happens, it then becomes quite difficult to shake the slow driver and go around him.  That is even worse.

One's wings are instantly clipped and the exhilaration of travel transmogrifies into an arduous attempt to outmaneuver the fool that has grounded you.  Truly, it is terrible.

It tends to happen when the fast driver in question is also in a hurry, like on my way to my Anatomy and Physiology Practicum, when I have no time to dilly-dally.  Such things make me want to scream.

Imagine driving down a road with a speed limit of 50 miles per hour, only to become perpetually trapped behind someone going 35 who then constantly short stops.  By the Godhead!  I simply cannot stand it and I hope I am not the only one with such problems.

I hate it and wish they would just move!!!

End of Rant

Blessed be!

19 An ACA Rogerian Argument

As this class has proven multiple times, I am not always the best in writing arguments.  As such, this blog post requiring me to argue about something I am not 100% knowledgeable on will not be the best argument by any one's standards.  Sorry, but you have been warned. 

 

Let's just get this over with.

 

Yes we know that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a controversial issue (mainly for Republicans), but it doesn't have to be that way.  So in my own way of finding common ground with my opposition, let me start off with a few questions:

 

1.  Do you enjoy being healthy and wish to stay that way?

 

2.  Do you want your loved ones and neighbors to be healthy?

 

3.  Didn't you hate it when you couldn't get insurance due to your pre-existing condition?  (Or wouldn't you hate it if you developed a condition that prevented you from being able to pay your way?)

 

4.  Don't you hate it when people close to you are sick and cannot afford their medical bills?

 

If you answered yes to two or more of the questions, congratulations!  You are a real human being capable of caring and affection to other life forms.

 

Now, as a caring and considerate human being, here are the facts!

 

The ACA covers tens of millions of uninsured Americans and improves the medical coverage of already insured Americans.  There are no death panels and the law does not pander to illegal immigrants.  The ACA actually improves senior care and Illegal aliens are not covered under the law.  It allows American people to afford health insurance, which in turn, allows for better recovery from illnesses and injuries that anyone could potentially suffer.

 

It doesn't matter if President Obama introduced the law.  That is a political hang up that serves no purpose in the progression of our country.

 

What matters is that millions of sick people can begin to afford health care thanks to the ACA.  That is a big deal.  If you really do care about the well being of your fellow man, then make the right choice and support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  It is the morally right thing to do.

 

Thank you for your time.

18 Problem/Solution (or Just How Can Batman Defeat the Joker?)

Well, well...  Professor Hamon said that we can create an argument of our choice for a solution to a controversial problem.  He's going to regret that.  (Sinister laughter ensues...)

 

In Gotham City, no super-criminal is more notorious than The Joker.  While characters like Two-Face and Poison Ivy can be detained with greater or lesser success, it is The Joker who pushes the boundaries of vindictive and meaningless terrorism against the good people of Gotham New Jersey.  Clearly suffering from a massive case of Antisocial Personality Disorder, the Joker not only wishes to cause as much blatant violence and destruction as possible, but is more than charismatic enough to win over the masses and convince them to support his wicked machinations.  Just ask the former doctor Harleen Quinzel if you don't believe me.  Truly, within hours of his arrest and admittance into Blackgate Prison (an institution proud of its inhospitable treatment of serial criminals) the Joker single handedly took control of the facility and organized dozens of murders.  Clearly, this is not a man to trifle with.

 

Unfortunately, the only man who has ever been able to subdue him (a certain masked vigilante known as the Batman) has a code of ethics that involves him refusing to kill anyone no matter how evil or insane.  Certainly, this is an admirable system of ethics; but it fails to permanently deal with the problem of the Joker, who has murdered hundreds, if not thousands, of civilians in his pursuit of the macabre.  And while Batman usually has the Joker incarcerated repeatedly at institutions like Blackgate Prison or even Arkham Asylum, the Joker continues to manipulate the system in his favor and escape.  So what can we do about this?

 

The answer is simple.  We put the Joker in Suspended Animation.

 

Truly, there has never been a more simple way of dealing with such a monstrosity.  While Batman has many qualms about killing a suspect, suspended animation does not involve any sort of death, whatsoever.  A coma that can last for as long as the subject is detained, the Joker can merely dream of committing even more acts of terrorism all within the confines of a medically administered sleep he can never awaken from.  It's genius I tell you.  The Joker will have been permanently apprehended and the Batman will not have any blood on his hands from the encounter.

 

I want to hear from you, the citizens of Gotham on this great new theory.  If we can get enough support, then maybe we can get this action into motion and prevent the Joker from destroying another life once and for all!

 

Who is with me?

17 Logos (The Alleged Word of God)

Logos, as referred to in Hamon's composition class, means the factual information used in an argument and, by proxy, the best way to win the argument.  Using proven ideas to support one's argument is always a sure way to succeed.  There is no doubt about it.  Unless, of course, one's opponent uses lie after lie after lie in such rapid succession that it becomes almost impossible to disprove such an opponent.  In this case, by the time the Logos-user has dispelled the first lie, five more have been added to the equation, allowing the opponent to win.  This is often the strategy used by republicans during their political reign.  What a shame.

But Logos goes even further than just using the facts.  Far from it.  Logos is the Latin word for "The Word" and carries mystical attachments to it.  While one minor example of this entails a Greco-Roman demigod of Love:  Hedylogos, whose name means "Sweet-Talker", it doesn't end there.

Anyone who has read the bible will easily remember the opening chapter of the Gospel of John in which the author states:  "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God"...  Blah, blah, blah.  In many mystical and New Age circles, this "Word" is translated as Logos and is used to describe the divine power attributed to words and speaking.  Many religious writings, both past and modern, really push this idea that man, through God, has spiritual power in his words to remake his world and being by proxy of the Logos.

I know that this doesn't have much to do with English Composition, but I always found that to be an interesting idea.  Knowledge is power, after all.  The more you know.  The more you grow.

Blessed Be.

Christopher.

16 Pathos in Retrograde

We've all seen it.  The silly woman interrupting our regularly scheduled television programming with a commercial begging for donations to some starving or dying group of children in a research hospital or a plague-ridden continent.  Personalities like Mary Tyler Moore or Alyssa Milano or Sarah McLachlan and her ridiculously abused animals.  They sit in front of a red background and in a heartfelt, yet demanding, voice, go on and on about how these little cancer victims or starving Africans or neglected canines need your donations so badly that they will die within the hour lest they receive your money to feed or medicate or arrange an adoption for them.  There are even commercials begging for donations for facially deformed children who desperately need plastic surgery.  How about you don't display those hideous children on my television?  I was just laughing at Betty White's latest joke on "The Golden Girls", feeling so happy and lighthearted, when I am then affronted with a picture of a fugly child needing plastic surgery.  See what you awful women have done?  You have gone from champions of the weak and helpless to ultimate buzzkill.  That's not cool.  And sorry!  I don't have any money to donate.  If I were more well off, I would be donating to charitable causes.  But right now I'm stuck being broke and in a fix trying to drown out my miseries via a cheerful situational comedy from the 1980s.  So stop making me feel bad about myself because I cannot help your god-forsaken starving, cancer-stricken, deformed, abused African children.  I can't stand it when you do that to me!  Why are you doing this to me?  Stop doing this to me!!!  I just wanted to watch Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty make catty jokes at each other's expenses.  Is that to much to ask?  You people are more evil than the animal abusers and dictators condemning the Africans to starve!  I hate you!!!

Ahem.  I digress.  That was an example of Pathos in the real world, in addition to a very normal reaction to it.  Have a pleasant evening!

15 The Wonders of Professor Hamon's Socks

The first time I bore witness to Professor Hamon's socks, I was enraptured in a cosmic bliss that is usually felt only by Catholic saints in the heights of religious ecstasy.  A passionate throbbing whirl of sensation and emotion enfolded me and pulled me down into the depths of artistic imagination, a mad, erotic dance of life and bliss unfathomable to most minds.  In this world of solid matter and cold, hard facts; a spiritual experience akin to the perception of Keith Hamon's inspired and mystical stockings is sheer proof that there truly IS a God.  And what a God He must be to have created such works of art.  A simple and unassuming pattern of black with longitudinal stripes; Hamon's socks speak of the profound mysteries of time just by their lowly existence, being worn upon our professor's feet. 

While it is true that Professor Hamon has humorously inferred to his socks on previous occasions, I had no idea as to how magnificent they could truly be until I saw them for myself.  The black wool woven with purpose and authority, speaking loudly about the importance of style and the heights of celestial beauty contained within such simple and unassuming stripes.

I am much more illumined for having gazed upon Hamon's socks and if you were to have seen them, I am certain that you would feel the same way.  They truly are a miraculous vision.

Blessed Be

Christopher

14 Author's Purpose

My purpose in writing Doc 2 is, unfortunately, none other than to achieve an exemplary grade.  Yes, I know that it does not seem like a very good reason for it, but it is all that I've got.  As this class goes on, the writing assignments are becoming ever more challenging, and the topic of this paper certainly threw me off, so I've been left scrambling to find a suitable author's voice that should communicate my intentions and will for the remainder of this class and assignments.  It is truly dismal, considering my early pride concerning my work in this class.  Alas, I am at a standstill and all I can do now is try my best to make it through in a satisfying way.

I truly hope that the class will pick up for me again, but until then, this is how it goes.  Please don't judge me on these faults.  They're all that I have left.

13 Basic Arguments (of Doc2)

Oh boy!  Time for yet another blog post!  I'm so excited!  Seriously, I haven't been this excited since I graduated high school.  This is probably the most fun I will have all year!  Whoopee!

 

Ahem.  Anyways, in an assignment in writing about a controversy in my chosen profession of Occupational Therapy Assistant, I have selected the Sensory Processing debate as my topic; and like the blog title states:  There must be a basic argument in the title.  So here it goes.

 

The SP debate revolves around a neurological disorder (not presently included in the DSM-V) founded by the Occupational Therapy profession known as "Sensory Processing Disorder" or SPD for short.  The disorder dictates that some children with it have difficulty processing sensory information; and OTs claim to have treatments to allegedly "rewire" a child's brain as to better process sonsory information.  And according to pioneers and parents whose children are receiving treatment in the movement, sensory gyms have a beneficial impact on the children's malfunctioning.  Unfortunately, SPD has several similarites with disorders such as Autism and ADHD; prompting other health professionals, such as pediatricians, to state not only that OTs have no authority to be coining new disorders and that the diagnosis of SPD is a rash one in which children who suffer from other disorders get misdiagnosed with SPD and then miss out on proper treatment.

 

But what do I have to say on it?  My basic argument is that both sides need to take a serious chill pill and start working together in order to make real headway on this problem.  Even physicians opposed to OT treatment of SPD acknowledge that numerous children suffer from sensory disabilities in processing such information.  And with that, to me, comes the crux.  If those opposed can acknowledge that children do experience symptoms related to the OT diagnosis, then there must be more truth to the disorder than the opposition would like to admit.  On the same note, OTs need the support of the rest of the medical community should they wish to receive the help they need in getting SPD treatment the support it needs to be recognized; which includes the proper scientific studies necessary to assess treatment outcomes, get the disorder into the DSM-V, and find the proper ways to help children who suffer from sensory disabilities.  Truly, it is my belief that both sides of the debate are lacking in their own logic regarding their stance, but if they work together, there could very easily be new and better ways to treat disabled children sooner than expected.

 

Thank you.

12 A Question of Evidence

Greetings fellow malefactors,

On the argument of what constitutes good or bad evidence when reasearching topics for essays, I find a few things are helpful when determining what is good or bad. 

First off, I try to determine whether the articles I read are truly informative or given to sensationalism of the times and issues.  That's always a deal breaker for me when research for a topic turns into a wide array of high-strung emotions printed in article form.

Secondly, I look to whether the article supports or contradicts my general thesis for the paper.  So that excludes papers rife with fallacies.  In my reasearch, I've found an article stating a thesis contrary to my own ideas, but despite that, the article stated several things which support its opposite in the debate.  Obviously, there were some issues there.

Thirdly, I try to shy away from seeking personal experience as evidence due to its highly ambiguous validity.  Wrapped in emotionalism and not easily persuasive to certain groups of people, personal experience can easily be fabricated in order to support an argument or else be over generalized in order to sway an audience.  As such, I usually do not find it too helpful in my own research.

Thank you for reading, fellow readers advocating reading!

Blessed be!

11 Possible Topic for Doc2 Assignment

Okay.  Let's just skip the fancy rhetoric and get to the nitty gritty.  Long story short:  Hamon assigned us Doc2 and he wanted us to find a controversy on my chosen field.  Blah, blah, blah.  Couldn't think of such a debate, did research and now I have something.  You get the gist of these introductions.

(Sheesh.  Glad that's out of the way.)

While this topic is not set in stone, I was thinking of writing of the "Sensory Processing" Debate found in the world of Occupational Therapy (and its assistants).  Basically, the controversy revolves around the treatment of children with a variety of attention, learning, motor skill, social and emotional disorders grouped under a heading called "Sensory Processing Disorder"; which seems to be related to such childhood disorders as ADHD and Autism amongst others.  Occupational Therapists (and OT Assistants, by proxy) respond to patients with SPD by prescribing various activities for afflicted children within a "Stress Gym" aimed to provide the physical and cognitive support that alleviates symptoms and results are fairly positive with said treatment.

The problem is that health professionals outside of OT have several problems with the SPD idea.  The first being that SPD is not a listed disorder within medical archives; which has prompted many doctors to reject OT ideas on the issue.  Other problems arise within the medical community dismissing "Stress Gym" treatment as unscientific as compared to treatment via medication, as well as the effectiveness, leading researchers seeing the Stress Gym (filled with fabric swings and other equipment seen as fun for youngsters) as an ineffective treatment; that the Stress Gym is but a reward to unruly, childlike behavior.

My own stance on the SPD Debate is that is does not matter whether SPD is a literal disorder or a collection of disorders or exists at all.  The point is that learning, motor and emotional disorders are a very real thing in the lives of many children, and, while the Stress Gym is not a perfect intervention, I find the idea and possible future methods of treatment that are outside the domain of medicating children into submission to be wholly worthwhile of pursuit.  That cooperation between OT and other divisions of health care would benefit from working together to resolve these children's traumas instead of bickering over terminology that doesn't matter.

But that is only a potentiality and not a set topic yet.

Blessed Be.

10 An Illogical Look at Minorities

In this day and age of myriad cultures, subcultures and groups of people, in general, it can be rather easy to make assumptions about certain groups that simply do not make any sense.  I know this happens as a Gay man with outsiders asking me if my partner and I abide by male and female gender roles.  Naturally, if both partners are men, the heterosexual gender roles do not apply; but that kind of logic does not resonate with every person.  Hence an example of logical fallacies in dealing with a differing group of people.

But even I am not immune to such discrepancies.  Having never been personally acquainted with Little People, I personally have made some of my own illogical assumptions about that subculture.  The primary one concerning their love lives.  Even though I had seen several stories on television of Little People having romantic relationships and subsequent children, I had always assumed that people suffering from achondroplasia simply did not have sex lives.  I had thought that, as far as the anatomy went, such people were too small to make use of their biology in a practical manner for their own pleasure and beyond.  I had seen proof that such a group is not at all lacking in that department, but my mind could not get past such trivial ideas.  Hence my own illogical look at another group of people.

Granted, I think of mine as a more innocent idea, but such misunderstandings happen with all groups of people.  The best way to overcome this is education and exposure.  Nothing else will suffice.

Blessed be!

09 Logical Fallacies In Popular Media

A fallacy is a flawed argument in the use of logic or rhetoric that results in a lack of validity.  That much is certainly clear.  In this English Class we are constantly instructed to overcome fallacies; and this post is all about said fallacies in popular media.  So let's begin.

The three fallacies I wish to discuss are:  Confirmation Bias, False Authority, and Nirvana.

Confirmation Bias is a form of rhetoric in which the writer only uses evidence supporting his theory and rejects all evidence to the contrary.  This is commonly used in the criminal justice system (and, consequently, the true crime television shows I watch) where lawyers, in presenting their cases for the conviction or acquittal of a defendant, will ignore materials contradicting their cases on the guilt or innocence of the man on trial.

False Authority follows a similar form wherein information is practically taken out of context in order to sell a product.  In the case of trailers on television for poorly rated movies, the one review written by a critic who enjoyed the picture will be used in the advertisement over the many more negative reviews to be glossed over.

The Nirvana Fallacy rejects every solution to a problem that isn't perfect.  As an example:  In the Gun Rights debate, opponents of bills that support Gun Control, despite being given proven statistics that these potential laws would be beneficial, will argue that said bill will not stop gun violence by 100% and, as such, the proposed bill is useless.  This particular fallacy bothers me so.

And there you have it.

Blessed be!

08 My Peer Evaluation Process

I have to say, right away, that writing is more than just a class requirement to me.  For me, writing is art and it is something I cherish deeply.  For those classmates of mine that read my introductory post, you will recall that I mentioned my dream to one day become a published novelist.  It is true.  I completed an epic, unpublished novel last year and I am currently working on a new one.  And no.  This is not an attempt on my part to advertise my work.  It is to make a point.  To me, writing is more than typing a few paragraphs on the computer to get a grade.  It is the process of transmitting a series of words into fully realized worlds existing within the realms unseen.  It is Magic in the purest sense.  Through writing, I create something out of nothing; a skill held by all famous sorcerers:  From Circe and Medea of Classical Mythology to The Wicked Witch of the West and Fiona Goode (of American Horror Story fame) in Modern Times.  This might seem to be a bizarre idea, but it is simply another one of the philosophies I live by.

As such, a simple Composition class--for others a mere prerequisite for their degrees--transmogrifies my usually tranquil and exuberant demeanor into that of an axe crazy control freak.  In my life, I see many people who go most of their lives without reading a book for pleasure or similar transgressions (an all too common sight), and South University, unfortunately, is no exception.

So when I have to review another's work, my mind--while doing it's best to remain kind and considerate--unfortunately jumps to a hypercritical state of only seeing flaws in another's work.  I'm not looking for the bare necessities required in the paper.  I am looking for the soul of its author splashed on the pages.  I want to see the author's ideals; his/her hopes and dreams and fears play through the assignment in dazzling display.  And yes.  I realize such assertions certainly seem far too lofty for a college assignment, but I'm not expecting a veritable F. Scott Fitzgerald or John Updike to be writing the paper I evaluate.  So give me some credit.  I'm mainly looking for a writer who takes the writing process seriously, that isn't an english professor.

The point is that in my own slightly exacerbated sense of self-importance and writing talent, I get far too antsy for my own good.  So to the one whose paper I must evaluate next...  God speed.  I apologize in advance.

Blessed Be

07 Deductive Reasoning in Doc1

Deductive Reasoning, being the top-down logic in which an argument can be proven from a premesis proven to be true, certainly played a part in my part in writing Doc1.  Though I did not view it in that way.

Basically, I gave multiple examples of police brutality, with the long known assumption that police officers targeted the african american community, backed by statistical evidence, and then included examples of victims of police violence that did not meet the usual standards for the crime.  My argument was that everyone could, potentially, become the victim of police brutality.  As such, not only giving the statistics of crimes over all but then following that up with examples of crimes against two unsuspecting individuals (a young man with down syndrome & a nonagenarian in a nursing home), I made the point that even seeemingly innocuous people could be killed by law enforcement.

I hope I did a good job with that.

06 Unveiling the Thesis

Solicitations, fellow malefactors!  In this class of English Composition, we are constantly being given new topics to discuss.  Turns out that on this particular week, the topics have me slightly befuddled.  So, for the sake of ease, I have elected to choose the most straightforward topic as my first for the week.  And which one is that?  Why!  It's the topic about discerning the main points behind the "documents" I read.  So let's get down to business?

 

So first off:  Quid Pro Quo!  Do you know what I love more than anything?  Certainly, there are a number of valid responses to that question.  Good food and music.  Driving at high speeds down the interstate.  Singing in the shower.  Enjoying the company of attractive individuals in private.  They could all theorettically work!  But they aren't the correct answers in this context.  What I really love are books.  Truly, I spend hours in book stores and libraries having the time of my life as I peruse the shelves.  And many more times, I actually read said books.

 

And being the avid reader I am, I usually have no trouble with determining the Thesis of the novel, article, or "document" in question.  It's simple really.  The thesis is the overall message of a written work that is not only mentioned most often, but is given the most emphasis in the writing. 

 

Case in point.  My most favorite novel of all time--bar none--would have to be The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike.  The story follows the everyday lives of three divorced women, gifted with a certain brand of magic, and their evolving relationships with a brash, repulsive man named Darryl Van Horne who has just moved to their small fictional town of Eastwick, Rhode Island.  Along the way, the three witches are each seduced in turn by Van Horne, suffer various tragedies at their jobs and love lives, and use black magic to screw with the lives of their neighbors.  By the end of the book, Van Horne has left town and the witches must give up their powers--in a roundabout sort of way--in order to regain stability in their ruined lives.

 

Now what exactly is the thesis of such a story?  Given that I've had to skip over a bunch of details in the story, it might be difficult to grasp, but I'll make it easy on my reader.

 

Ultimatrely, Eastwick is nothing more than a satire about feminism.  The witches themselves, having left their husbands in dissatisfaction, are overtly suspicious of men, considering most of them to be a threat.  Even more so, the witchcraft is firstly described as a potential found within all women, awakening when the woman in question is unsatisfied with the assumed gender roles and revolts (in the case of the book:  leaving one's husband triggers it); and the magic itself is but a literary device to allow the women to channel their rage and frustration at the world around them.  To make the point even clearer, the archetype of the witch is normally indicative of a woman finding strength outside of societal customs; an attribute Updike most likely counted on.  But then to completely subvert the image of a benevolent earth mother, the witches themselves not only use their magic for myriad malfeasance, but also engage in promiscuous behaviors with the married men of the town, neglect their children, abuse drugs and alcohol with Van Horne and fight amongst each other over the same man.  As far as Updike is concerned, he is spoofing the idea of empowered women by transforming them into wicked sorceresses.

 

But that was only an example.  My point is that with enough attention to the written work, the thesis is quite easy to spot.

 

Blessed be!

05 Authority In Writing (Or My Dire Lack Of It)

The suggested topic for this blog post was writing with authority.  Something I can understand is needed in non-fiction works.  In fictional works--my specialty--the only authority needed is a strong voice for either the third person narrator or the main character narrating the story via first person.  In those settings, the author need only exercise the specific force of personality necessary to the story's world view and thematic overview--in addition to a compelling plot--to get the reader interested enough to read the work.  In non-fiction, that is a different story.

Truth be told, non-fiction authors have to create their own either through marketing or titles that may or may not be genuine; and trust me:  Many times, the non-fiction author's life station and level of expertise is nowhere near the stable level of reality.  If you don't believe me, just pick up any book in the Religion or Self-Help section of the bookstore.  In those cases, any schmuck with enough charisma and a big enough following can write with authority because there are several people desperate enough to believe him or her.  I find that to be truly unfortunate.

So where does that leave me?  I'm just a lowly college student writing a few papers for various classes out of the whimsies of the different professors assigning them.  Sure, I can write fairly well and throw in the force of will and style necessary to make a paper marginally compelling; but I do not really speak with authority on the subjects I am forced to write about.  Truth be told, despite whatever knowledge I may possess on any particular topic, I am nowhere near the level of expert on any of these ideas, which harms my credibility in the end.  The fact that I oftentimes do not possess the most popular opinion in the collective makes it even more difficult for me to be believed in regards to some of my world views.

But I digress.  I guess authority in writing is something that is earned, not given; gained through years of experience.  A lesson that the self help new agey authors managed to acquire in their decades of proselytization.  But I'm no expert.  It's only a theory.

LVX Amor!

Chris

04 Doc 1 (More on Police Violence)

In this age of fast cars, fast women and fast food; people are getting angrier.  Much angrier.  And the consequences of such anger are affecting our society now more than ever before.  On the subject of police violence, this rising anger is even more noticeable.  Civilians are being angered by cops being angered by angry civilians committing crimes out of anger.  As such, angry cops overreact to the threats of angry citizens and commit cold blooded murders in said anger, trying to relieve it; but they can't.  Truly it is a vicious cycle.  Angry people commit crimes all the time, but when said people get angrier, the police get even more enraged as they try to deal with such anger in the normal lives of angry people and--like I said--then commit murders in response to the outbursts.  I think I basically repeated myself there.

So remember:  If you are suffering from murderous rage, you should find a healthy channel for it.  Fire a weapon into your television set.  Pick a fight with someone weaker than you.  Or even write a threatening letter to a celebrity.  But whatever you do, avoid displaying such anger at even angrier police officers.  For they will murder you and then get away with it.  Becauser they are cops and you aren't.

I hope this has been enlightening.

Chris

03 Doc1 (Thoughts of Police Violence)

Due to the ever-changing whims of my (in)famous professor, my Composition II class has just been assigned a topic for our first term paper.  And what sort of topic did my professor provide?  Why!  If my dear readers simply directed their gaze to the title of this post, they would see it for themselves.  Yes.  I am going there.  Violence by police against citizens.  Sigh...  Let's just get this over with.

After the incidents with Michael Brown and another fine gentleman (whose name currently escapes me) that was strangled to death after being put into a chokehold by New York City police officers, the issue of violence committed by our "boys in uniform" has gained a staggering amount of attention in the media (both news and social).  Simply put, these two unarmed African American men were killed by police officers who considered them suspicious enough to warrant a confrontation.  Michael Brown was gunned down while the other man was suffocated.  The ensuing riots in Ferguson and New York also caught the attention of the media from various angles.  Conservitive media outlets supported the shootings, condemned the riots and discarded any notion that the deaths were racially motivated.  Liberal media outlets did the exact opposite.  Other news sources were bewildered on what stance to take as the controversy escalated.

In my own experience, I've continuously seen even more reports on deaths by police against unarmed citizens--thanks, in part, to my left-wing activist friends--on my Facebook account and the numbers of unreported killings is quite astounding.  And frankly, I find it sickening.

Much of this controversy stems from the fact that the victims of these attacks were African-American men; leading to speculation of police racism as a motivating factor.  I find myself in agreement with this.  It's been common knowledge for years before the controversy started that the black community generally feared local and state police out of an assumption that the police specifically targeted them.  As a caucasian male from the suburbs, I didn't think much of it all those years before, but in light of the recent attacks, I can see that race just might be an influence.

Even more so, the number of killings that have not exploded on the media is just as frightening.  While I cannot remember specifics about any particular outside attack, I am appalled by this.  I am also appalled with the fact that most cops get away with killing unarmed civilians.  After all, grand juries tend not to indict officers, as history has proven.  To the uninformed citizen--a category I am somewhat part of--it would appear that cops operate on a different level of the judicial system than average civilians.  This is made even more shocking since the slaying unarmedman killed in New York was captured on video tape and the officers responsible still were not indicted.  That's a horrifying scenario.

As I drive down major streets and see sherriffs and so on driving past me, I become frightened, not only of being pulled over, but also, of being assaulted should I get pulled over and say one thing out of line, unintentionally.  Certainly, this is not a good sign of the times.

In the end, as much as I like the prospect of being saved by the police should my house get broken into--Goddess Forbid!--I also despise the idea that my own life could be endangered by those same people should I be in the wrong situation.  Sure, I am not involved in any kind of crime at the moment, but misunderstandings happen all the time (as I have seen on true crime television shows like Forensic Files), and that always worries me.

Blessed be.

Christopher

02 Recent Argument (or The Dangers of Machismo)

(In keeping with the post suggestions--from Workshop 2--for this class blog, I have decided to let inspiration lead my way, so I decided to post about a recent argument of mine as the subject of this post, with a few side notes after the argument's description on why I believe my point to be valid.  A warning:  This is a long post, so be prepared.  And I tend to speak in generalities, without worry of semantics.  So please keep that in mind.  Enjoy!)

So there I was, a week ago from this Friday evening, thoroughly strained by the monuments of classwork pressed upon my shoulders by the sadistic wills of some of my professors, at a Gay Bar in West Palm Beach, sitting on a bar stool with a watery Bacardi and Cola (minus the Bacardi, as I do not drink alcohol) in hand, being perfectly invisible to the scene of revelry, mirth and debauchery unfolding around me like a drunken Bacchanalia as celebrated in the glory days of Rome--before it was assaulted by the constraints of the newly formed Catholic Church--completely blending into the environment and absorbing the energies of the effeminate merrymakers like the Nectar and Ambrosia of the Olympian Gods, thoroughly enjoying myself; when lo and behold, a tall, rugged man of fine proportions and comely features sits next to me and takes a good long look at me, fully bewitched.

I am no stranger to being the object of attention--and given my Histrionic nature, I tend to encourage it--so I met this man in the eyes and winked at him in a gesture of flirtatiousness, knowing full well that I would do nothing with this man other than accept brief compliments and refuse his advances altogether.

And like the psychic I am, this man's advances were predictably the kind that I would always refuse.  After introducing his entirely forgettable name and bragging that he is a former Navy Seal and retired sports coach (supposedly from a major athletic corporation, though I sincerely doubted that), he attempted to sell himself off as a "man's man" full of strength and masculinity, compared to the more effeminate gay men that usually frequented the establishment, and then make his offer to me:  An intimate activity that I found altogether grotesque and distasteful.  So I told him so, politely refusing his advances, motioning to walk away and find another secluded spot for myself.

What followed next turned into the argument.

The man said something to the effect of:  "Excuse me, princess.  I'm trying to show you a good time and you turn me down?  You better remember this the next time a real man makes an offer and you act like a sissy little girl."

To which I respond along the lines of:  "A sissy girl?  News flash:  You are in the middle of a gay bar trying to pick up a guy.  You're not as macho as you think you are."

"I am a former Navy Seal," was his approximate reply, "I come from the finest specimens of men on earth and I have no interest in dainty queens."

"You came onto me, buddy.  And outside of your ego, I really don't care how tough you think you are. [Insert Unpleasant Intimacy] is gross," said I, "And that has nothing to do with being effeminate.  Besides, if you think being manly involves putting down people more in touch with their emotions, you are grossly out of line.  A man shouldn't be defined by outdated gender norms, anyways."

"Your such a [insert derogatory swear]," said the idiot, "It's people like you that are destroying true masculinity altogether, trying to get men to be soft and weak."

I retorted with my own curse and promptly walked away, my evening having been spoiled.

(Now, before I go any further, a little explanation might be in order for those of my readers not directly involved in the gay subculture.  For starters, the stereotype that all gay men are fluttery and dramatic (while not as widespread as many would believe) does, indeed, apply to several men in that community.  Furthermore, there are even more straight acting men in the community who--in an effort to distance themselves from said stereotype--refer to themselves as "masc men" and go out of their way to be seen as butch, silently fearful that they will be seen as epicene for their orientation.  Given this context, the above conversation is not as unusual as one not versed in this specialty might think.)

All of this left me in quite the mood with myriad thoughts and words, swarming my mentation for the next few days, overjoyed to be assigned an outlet for this in class.

Because here's the thing:  Men and women simply are not treated equally by the standards of society.  Both sexes are suppressed by gender roles that are equally harmful.  We all know the roles:  Men are hunters and women are gatherers.  Men go to war while women stay behind.  Men are the breadwinners while women are the homemakers.  Men embody logic while women uphold intuition.  Men project and women receive.  The roles remain the same.

As the modern feminist movement cries out:  Women are discouraged from being independent from men, from making their own choices about their reproductive health and from being paid equally in comparison to their male counterparts in the work force.  They are encouraged to look pretty and dumb themselves down in hopes of receiving attention, encouraged to warp their bodies into cliche standards of beauty.  Women are generally thought of as the weaker sex, more often victims of violent crimes and given more leeway in expressing their emotions.

Men, on the contrary, are meant to be the opposite of this.  Men are supposed make money and be in charge, are encouraged to be sexually active (when a woman exhibiting the same behavior will be shamed as a harlot), they are seen as more intelligent in chauvinistic circles and given leeway in regards to their appearance.  They are seen as the stronger sex, the perpetrators of above mentioned violent crimes, as well as the ones who save the day; and are (most importantly) not allowed to show any weakness whatsoever.  This last part I find to be wholly disruptive.

Simply put, as terrible as female roles can be for the women subjected to them (Seriously, I am as feminist as they come, but those topics are already widely discussed and not the point of this blog post) ; Men do not have it any easier.  In my life, I have been continually looked down upon for not upholding the idea of machismo.  If I speak in the "gay lisp", either purposefully or accidentally, I am given strange looks.  If I refuse to get into a fight, I am referred to in derogatory remarks.  If I appear sensitive or show emotion in a trying time, I am told to "Man Up" and stop being such a "Fairy".  If I profess to enjoy some media aimed for women, people say that I am "Such a queen".  And so on and so forth.

Face it.  Men are barely given flexibility when it comes to being in touch with with the softer aspects of themselves.  Don't believe me?  Turn on a horror movie and you will see what I mean.  Any scary movie will do.  Now the traditional formula for Slasher films is that a killer will stalk a bunch of teenagers and knock off each one throughout the picture, save for one pretty brunette who usually manages to either escape the killer or even defeat him in some final, grisly battle to the death.

You may ask me for the point, but I think it should be obvious.  Think on it?  When was the last time you saw a man in a horror movie react in fear or cry in the face of the killer?  You haven't.  The men either are the killers, are not absent in the final fight, save the brunette from death or when they are killed, they are never given a moment to show just how scared they are.  They're killed off before they can express any trepidation.  If they do show emotion, it is a shout of violent protest against their attacker; never begging for mercy, but cursing them out instead.  And heaven forbid a man cry sincerely in one of these movies outside of an attempt at comedy.  Because you will not see that at all.

And what does this example mean?  Why it's another way in which men are subjected to their gender roles.  They aren't allowed to be emotional, even in the most stressful of times.  It is clearly a double standard at the very least.

I recently read the results of a survey that stated the annual suicide rates between men and women.  Turns out that suicides in men are three times higher than that of women.  This might surprise some, but for others, it makes sense.  When men are discouraged from having any outlet to their feeling natures either reacting emotionally or discussing their feelings, the weaker minded of them will succumb to their inner darknesses.  It really is a shame.

And what becomes of those roles as the LGBT community gains more visibility?  Simply put, this subculture's very existence contradicts age old cliches on gender norms.  Now while many people will ask me (my being a member of this community, after all) if there are male and female roles in my personal romantic relationships--as a way of consolidating the ancient stereotypes--the simple truth is that (at least for me) there aren't any gender roles in those relationships.  My partner and I variate between doing domestic chores and working jobs, between being logical and emotional, and even between being a "Man's Man" and a "Sissy Little Girl".  We keep an internal balance.

Which truly shocked me in my encounter with Mr. Whatshisname McStupidhead.  Most of the gay people I know personally aren't really too worried about being seen as either masculine or effeminate, because they maintain their own balance of sex qualities within; as do I.  But this guy had placed all of his identity in being seen as manly and tough, lashing out at me when I suggested this didn't have to be the case.  In fact, I found his attitudes rather offensive.

There are positives to both gender roles, do not get me wrong.  While women are encouraged to be loving, nurturing and supportive of their families; men are encouraged to be strong, emotionally stable, dependable and leaders of their personal spheres.  There is nothing wrong with those assumptions.

My point is that the negative gender roles can have a terrible impact on people and, even more so, trying one's hardest to avoid such cliches put one in an even bigger cliche:  That of the Chauvanist who thinks he is superior to others he deems weaker.  This man is so worried about appearing womanly that he verbally abuses men with those qualities.  If he shuns men who are in touch with their sensitive sides, how do you expect this moron to treat actual women?  I do not know this man personally, but I should expect him to act in a bigoted way towards them.

My point is that these gender roles can be inherently sexist, something I tried to convince this idiot underneath all of my other rhetoric to him.  A man like him, so afraid of being perceived as feminine, ends up becoming a  misogynist in the end.  Soon after, such attitudes degrade into an ugly cycle of basic prejudice.

I rest my case.

Hail the Blue God!

Good night.

01 Introduction (Albeit, Slightly Off-Centered)

In my life, I have held many minute, yet personal, philosophies on life and living.  Now some of them are fairly basic (such as my belief that Goodness is Always Repaid with More Good somewhere down the road) that most people will generally agree with.  However, I hold two such philosophies very dearly to my heart.  They are as follows:

1.  Being a little Strange can be quite endearing in the right situation, as it unveils personality in the "Looney Toon" in question.

And 2.  Pride in one's self is not inherently sinful.  It should come naturally to men and women that they hold at least some aspect of themselves in high esteem.  After all, who else is going to do that for you?

But I digress.  My point, based off of my distinct world views, is that I have no problem being seen in a more eldritch and oddball fashion.  In fact, I welcome it.  It is something to be embraced.  With the right tone, gestures and expressions, one can completely unseat their neighbor with only the force of his/her will.  That is a talent possessed by people I hold in high esteem.

And getting to my larger point, for this:  My blog for the English Composition II course I am taking--to be mostly read by my fellow students and my professor, a Dr. Hamon--will not be traditional by any means.  As my classmates have already discerned, I can demonstrate a talent for saccharinity along the lines of being sickening.  And one reading this can only expect more of the same.  I make no qualms about it.  It is the way I am.

As far as other details about myself go:  I am twenty four years of age.  My favorite color is Rainbow.  My favorite food is anything from Red Lobster.  I am in my second quarter at South University.  I am soon to be enrolled in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.  I also aspire to become a Published Fantasy Novelist, and I have actually finished one of my novels:  An Urban Fantasy titled  "Rise of the Magician."  My hobbies include making children cry, watching True Crime documentary television shows, swearing, studying a variety of spiritualities, pulling practical jokes on my unfortunate family members, falling asleep on couches, swearing, eating out, and repeating myself.

And that is all for now.

Hail Cthulu!

Chris