posting 13 (kyle) November 30, 2007

The views expressed by Martin Luther King have relevancy to any form of oppression that people can face.  In the letter from a Birmingham jail, He shows that people need to show a proactive solution to oppression. He encourages revolt to oppression but only if it is productive. Any people that are struggling with societal indifference’s can learn from what King views as the proper way to revolt, and the proper time to oppose an action. The writing states many good views of human nature, and many negative views.

Can I post on my subject? November 29, 2007

I’m going to post on Marx’s Communist Manifesto. I really enjoyed how he brought a new idea of how a society should work to the table. The communist ideal would work great in a “perfect society”, but what is perfect. There is nothing that is perfect, everything is flawed in a way. The Manifest tries to bridge the gap between classes, unlike capitalism, which seems to help that gap grow. If we gould just have that ideal society, then we could implement the ideal way of life. Communism.

Thought on Gandhi-Tommy Domingo November 29, 2007

Reading about what Mohandas Gandhi said in this conference shows how powerful words can be.  He went there knowing very little about high level economics, but the way he overcame this is he admitted it.  He knew he did not know very much and was not afraid of telling everyone else.  He was not there to debate econmoics he was there to help the people of India, the thirty million citizens that lived off of one meal aday.  Instead of using statistics to prove his point he used examples from history such as biblical times.  Gandhi aslo spoke of powerful figures such as Carnegie and Rockefeller to prove points.  He spoke ellegantly, but also his words had power and force to them.  He knew he was not there to prove himself, but only to try and help his countrymen.

Essay Ideas-Tommy Domingo November 29, 2007

Idea-Does the act of people living in organized societies have nagative effects on people as idividuals

Examples- Good and Evil Nature, Hammuarabi’s code, Darwin Natural selection, Gin Lane and Beer Street.

I will show both sides of the argument. I will try and prove that society does have effects on people that are bad, but there are possitive effects as well.

response to Marting Luther King Jr. November 28, 2007

In this piece, i found that there was a lot of information about just and unjust laws. Who is to say whether a law is just or unjust? is this something for some rich white men to decide during a time when blacks were being treated like dirt just because they were standing up for what they thought and knew was right? I feel that King was totally just in his ways of protest and there is no excuse for the way our leaders were reacting to this. Much of the violence brought about during the civil rights movement was caused by the police and non-peaceful white protesters. This is probably one of the most unjust times in our history and many people forget that this was happening only 30 to 40 years ago from now. King was correct in the way that he went about his ways to change people’s minds. It just took a little bit longer than he was originally hoping it would.

posting 13 November 28, 2007

Kings words are so powerful and meaningful. It’s hard to think that so many people were limited on the things that they did just because of the color of their skin. If you look at it whites had the problem with blacks, not the other way around. Which is really weird to think about because on one end you have people who are trying to “fit in” and on the other you have a bunch of ass holes.

Posting 13 —Mo Tzu Against Music November 28, 2007

I remember I was learned this article when I was in middle school in Beijing. Why Mo Tzu had something like Against Music? Nowadays, everyone loves listening to the music. But in ancient China, a lot of people dead because the music. Emperor is the most powerful person in the country, everyone has to do what he wants they do without double. There has an emperor, everyday just playing around, listening to the music without doing anything for this country. And everyday spends a lot of money because of the music, that money all from citizen. I think it should be tax money. The emperor supposes to use that money to develop this country but he spends the money for his enjoyment. That also because emperor can use all money in this country, and no one can say no to him. Everyday people die because of hungry and poor, but the emperor indulges in entertainment without known people’s situation. I think that’s why Mo Tzu write this article, he worried about the king will be destroyed this country, but he cannot tell the king directly. I am sure he will directly die with say something to the emperor like what you suppose to do. So he has to use some other way to remind the emperor. I think it is a hard job to stay close to the emperor ancient in China.

King November 28, 2007

It surprises me to think about how King’s movement really was not long. He died in 1968 and was still fighting for equal rights. Now a days I wouldn’t even think about not having equal rights and opportunities for everbody. Its horrible to think that laws are different for each person depending on their color. This reading made me guilty about what has been done and even though I feel like the movement was an eternity ago, it is still being fought.

Posting 13 November 27, 2007

Discrimination is one of the things that bothers me the most in this world. Reading King’s work made me feel so many confused feelings. The six year old little girl not getting to go into the amusement park is such a unfair thing to do. This little girl cannot control what family she is born in to or what color of skin she has, etc. It really bothers me to think that a owner can be so selfish and not let a littl girl in because of discrimination. The owner surely never realised how many dreams he crushed by not letting the little girl into the amusement park. She will remember that for the rest of her life.

Gandhi, Tom Priedeman November 27, 2007

Gandhi brings up a very interesting point that economic progression should and will brian moral progression along with it. Although this is an ideal it does not seem very realistic, he shows both an example of when this happens and when it does. He argues that this is the way it should be however the whole time i was wondering is this human nature, if so how does it not happen all the way. I guess i am just sure exactly what Gandhi is saying other than, wow this would be awesome if everyone listened to god and carried out there life this way, but even Gandhi says this does not happen most of the time. Is this an ideal of human nature, or actually human nature?

You Know Mo Tzu Wouldnt Own An IPod November 27, 2007

I think that the most interesting and possibly the most convincing argument that we have read recently is Against Music.  In a society, and world that is crazed by music and music players its hard to imagine a time when it wasnt available to everyone at the touch of a button.  The music that was once only available to the wealthy is now free through radios, computers, and tv’s.  We can take it with us where ever we go.  It still amazes me at how someone could convince a reader that something that we all love so much could actually be bad.  It may still separate the wealthy from the poor however.  Depending of levels of income some are able to afford bluetooth or expensive players while some of us still believe that $150 for an Ipod is just too expensive.

posting 13. Respond to King by mariko November 27, 2007

It is irrational to discriminate people who have different skin color without any valid reason.I felt sad when I read the passage which is about six-years-old daughter could not go to amusement park because of the discrimination. Did the kid something bad to the people who run the amusement park ? There is no blame  for the child to take horrible treatment  and people who do not do anything bad. It is wrong to label who is black and white because there is no difference human itself . As King said, “the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist will we be.”, there is no best and worst category of human. It might be hard to get rid of any discrimination because it have been lasting long time ago, but we do need to change the fact because it is completely unjust.

Posting 13 by Jennifer November 26, 2007

Mo Tzu talks about how music is wrong, and it is only something for the rich to enjoy.  This may have been true in his day, but I feel music is a part of everyones life in some way, shape, or form.  If you are not making the music you are listening to it, or have heard some type of music before.  I don’t think music necessarily separates us into different social classes, but it represents who we are.  Many people portray themselves through music.  There are alos studies that prove that listening to certain types of music helps people do better on things such as tests.  Music opens your mind and can make you a better person.

Essay Idea, Tom Priedeman November 25, 2007

I am going to write my essay about human nature, or what we consider human nature is actual a natural thing. Using ideas that Darwin comes up with in a scientific way against other ideas that are more philosophical instead of scientific.

essay idea November 25, 2007

Texts I am planning on using are Mencius and Hsun Tzu and also the Beer Street and Gin Lane paintings.

I plan to compare and contrast these texts talking about the pros and cons of human nature.

Thesis could be something to the sort of:  The beliefs of human nature can vary and how human nature is viewed can be in a positive and negative manner.

posting 10. succinct November 20, 2007

The most important part of writing is making sure your work has a point to it and that the point is very clear and easy to understand. You can use the fanciest words and have a great deal of analogy’s, irony, metaphors ect… But none of that means anything if you can not make a point.

That is my problem. Not so much finding a thesis or finding ways to support the thesis. But more so making my ideas understandable. My problem basically comes from me having these ideas and finding textual examples that support it, but not being clear on how or why they support it. To me, because i’ve read the work and because the idea im proposing is mine, it all makes sense. But when someone reading does not know me, or know the text i am reffering to, they loose all comprehension of what i am saying, which can lead to misunderstanding or flat out loosing the readers attention.

So after finally listening to another writer aka my teacher ive taken some time to look up where i am going wrong and how to fix my problems.

http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/ben/archives/009964.html

Making important points up front

Clear taxonomy of headings, and lots of them

Writing clearly and succinctly

No long, unbroken paragraphs or tracts of text.

Preferring bulleted lists with clear points to paragraphs.

Use of emphasis in formatting to make important things clear

basically what this site is informing me to do is start out simple with my writting. I need to start out trying to make the points, rather than trying to put all my ideas into the text. Before i start writing i also need to figure out what exactly i am writing about and what points i am trying to make. I can do this by taking some extra time and writting out a free-write which is something i used to do a lot in my AP writting class that i havnt been doing anymore. I could also make lists of ideas and then come up with texts to support those ideas then write out how they fit together before i start my paper. That is something i’ve been doing more and more and its really been hurting me more than helping. So then i sent an email out to an annonomous teacher of mine talking about how writting has been hurting me more than helping me lately. He suggested sitting down and doing some of my own reading for a couple minutes every day, he then informed me to go back to the freewrite method because its worked for me in the past and he strongly recomended doing the free write and then making a list. Then he said take everything from both those and do another free write, look it over and then start my first draft from that.

Another website i found was actually about writting professional emails in a job setting. But it really relates to the type of writting we do in class because we are not trying to set up a scene, or get the reader ready for a climax instead we are trying to make points. Make them clear and understandable without boring or driving the reader away. Also to make your most important points first to get the readers attention, rather than saving them till the end where the reader might get discouraged and never finish the text.

http://web.mit.edu/pgbovine/www/email-tips.htm

Personally these three sources should help me out a great deal. Putting some time into my writting before i begin, by writing freewrites and making lists or points, ideas and arguments. Making my important points first. Making sure everything fits together, and is understandable. And mainly writting my paper as if im writting to an authority figure, such as my boss or the dean of admissions.

posting 10. succinct November 20, 2007

The most important part of writing is making sure your work has a point to it and that the point is very clear and easy to understand. You can use the fanciest words and have a great deal of analogy’s, irony, metaphors ect… But none of that means anything if you can not make a point.

That is my problem. Not so much finding a thesis or finding ways to support the thesis. But more so making my ideas understandable. My problem basically comes from me having these ideas and finding textual examples that support it, but not being clear on how or why they support it. To me, because i’ve read the work and because the idea im proposing is mine, it all makes sense. But when someone reading does not know me, or know the text i am reffering to, they loose all comprehension of what i am saying, which can lead to misunderstanding or flat out loosing the readers attention.

So after finally listening to another writer aka my teacher ive taken some time to look up where i am going wrong and how to fix my problems.

http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/ben/archives/009964.html

Making important points up front

Clear taxonomy of headings, and lots of them

Writing clearly and succinctly

No long, unbroken paragraphs or tracts of text.

Preferring bulleted lists with clear points to paragraphs.

Use of emphasis in formatting to make important things clear

basically what this site is informing me to do is start out simple with my writting. I need to start out trying to make the points, rather than trying to put all my ideas into the text. Before i start writing i also need to figure out what exactly i am writing about and what points i am trying to make. I can do this by taking some extra time and writting out a free-write which is something i used to do a lot in my AP writting class that i havnt been doing anymore. I could also make lists of ideas and then come up with texts to support those ideas then write out how they fit together before i start my paper. That is something i’ve been doing more and more and its really been hurting me more than helping. So then i sent an email out to an annonomous teacher of mine talking about how writting has been hurting me more than helping me lately. He suggested sitting down and doing some of my own reading for a couple minutes every day, he then informed me to go back to the freewrite method because its worked for me in the past and he strongly recomended doing the free write and then making a list. Then he said take everything from both those and do another free write, look it over and then start my first draft from that.

Another website i found was actually about writting professional emails in a job setting. But it really relates to the type of writting we do in class because we are not trying to set up a scene, or get the reader ready for a climax instead we are trying to make points. Make them clear and understandable without boring or driving the reader away. Also to make your most important points first to get the readers attention, rather than saving them till the end where the reader might get discouraged and never finish the text.

http://web.mit.edu/pgbovine/www/email-tips.htm

Personally these three sources should help me out a great deal. Putting some time into my writting before i begin, by writing freewrites and making lists or points, ideas and arguments. Making my important points first. Making sure everything fits together, and is understandable. And mainly writting my paper as if im writting to an authority figure, such as my boss or the dean of admissions.

thoughts for essay 3 November 19, 2007

Thesis:

            The key differences of the Darwin views of nature verses nurture can be made evident by examining Law and Government.

 

Essay Ideas:

            -Express ideas on nature vs. nurture

            -express thoughts and ideas about law and government

            -express ideas on nature/nurture and how it relates to law and government – use gin vs. beer idea

            -min. wage affect society in poverty and  not in poverty and what differences could be  seen, such as gin vs. beer

Posting 12 essay idea November 19, 2007

Texts: Mencius and Hsun Tzu

Mencius and Hsun Tzu’s ideas about human nature final goals are not totally different.

Thesis: Human nature should not just be good or bad; it is depend on what environment we live in and what we learn from other people around us.

Possible Final Essay Ideas…. November 19, 2007

1.) Human Nature reflecting in our government.

2.) Greed in the worlds cultures and how it relates to nature vs. nurture. <— probably going to be my choice

3.) Changes in Human nature over time.

I would definitely use the human nature peices Tzu and Mencius. I might use my groups piece by Gandhi if I choose the greed idea. As always i would use online sources.

Thesis November 19, 2007

Some thesis that I have been thinking about for the next paper are:

Visual texts:  What are the benefits to visual texts as opposed to word texts and what are good ways of analyzing them.

Ethics and Laws:  How can Hammurabis Code and the 17th Article constitution contribute to revised and possibly a better United States Constitution?

The Id, Ego, and Super Ego.  Who’s to blame?

Beer Street Vs Gin Lane November 19, 2007

There are many obvious differences between the two pieces, I noticed that on beer street the upper class men are working productively and the pawn broker building is falling apart, because no one is in dire need of “quick cash”, wheres the opposite holds true for Gin lane, the pawn broker is booming with service and the gin lane populous is looking for that quick cash so they can buy gin. Also, the Gin Lane is working destructively ruining society with cheap thrills, and that is what I believe the moral of the story is here.

Beer vs Gin, which one is your style November 18, 2007

Hogarth’s depiction of poor people drinking gin and middle-rich class drinking beer shows the difference of attitude in different income classes.  The poor people do not like there life so they try to numb the pain, the misery, and the hopelessness away with drinking liquor, the only available monetary good that they feel will help them escape.  The middle class like their life and so they do not drown themselves with alcohol, they just like having a slight buzz, because even without the alcohol, they would still be in a merry mood, the drinking of a few beers just helps add to their merriment, but it doesn’t make them senseless like people who drink gin.

posting12, thesis, by Mariko November 18, 2007

Texts : Sigmund Freud, Beer Street and Gin Lane, Prince Shotoku.

Q1, Why do so many differences arise between people?

Ans: because of social status, difference of culture, religion, ethnicity.

Q2, What Hogarth wanted to say by beer and gin pictures ?

Ans: He might have wanted to point out the different lifestyle of people, and wanted to criticize it.

Q3, What should people do to eliminate differences between people ?

Ans: People need to look other people who are living in poverty and think what they can do for them.

the problems with kyles writing November 18, 2007

The papers that i write suffer mostly from a wide focus of topics. The tangents i take lead to a prolonged wordy paper that is hard to follow. I find that the ideas are there, and i have the word use to express my thoughts clearly, but the true meaning can be hard to follow because it is not succinct enough. The ideas should be presented as clear as possible with the cleanest language possible.

In order to fix this problem i should focus on writing my thoughts as simple as i can, expressing my ideas with the most succinct manner possible. To avoid making trails or tangents in my writing i should focus on writing on one thesis. pick that topic and fully extrapolate on in until my point is made clear.   

Works Cited

http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/organizing.html

http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/peerreview/organization.cfm

gin vs. beer ( kyles preferance) 12 November 18, 2007

The two pieces illustrate people in the street enjoying their beverage of choice. The piece labeled beer alley displays people that are productive with their lives new buildings are being built and the people appear to be happy. The people in Gin lane appear to be poor and whithering. The society is far worse off, the buildings around them are dying and suffering. The two forms of drink help to distinguish different classes of people.

Posting 12 by Jennifer November 18, 2007

Human Nature:

            Good/Evil

            Mencius/Hsun Tzu

Visual Paintings:

            Beer Street

            Gin Lane

Texts:

            Hammurabi’s Code

            Seventeen Article Constitution

What is human nature?

Is human nature good or evil?

What causes humans to become evil?

Beer Strreet & Gin Lane By Julia G.K. November 18, 2007

Compare those two alcohols, Beer is expensive than Gin. And look at these two paintings we can figure out how different between people’s classes. Higher class they looks healthy, happy, rich, enjoyable, well-being, and they are drinking Beers. Another painting people look sick, poor, and died body around there. They even cannot buy food for themselves, but they can get cheap Gin everywhere. Everyone drinking Gin, there has a mother feeding her baby Gin. The two paintings are totally different; it shows us the difference between classes. It makes me feel bad, people should have their goals, and work hard to reach their goals. Not just simply give up, stay poor, until die.

booze town November 15, 2007

Mr Hogarth drew two paintings. They represent the Gin Act of 1751. The Gin Act limited the sale of cheap gin to the public. Both paintings are pretty disgusting, however gin lane is much worse. It shows, in Hogarth’s opinion, what would happen if gin was inexpensive, and everyone could afford it. There are children being carelessly murdered, and the town is being destroyed. Perhaps in the painters mind he sees gin as an unneeded sourse of confusion and destruction

Beer vs. Gin November 15, 2007

These two painting by Hogarth were painted in support of the Gin Act which passed in the summer of 1751. It controlled the sale of cheap gin. In the first painting, Beer Street Hogarth shows the upperclass drinking beer and everyone looks happy and content with the activities they are doing. In the second painting, Gin Lane Hogarth portrays the lower classes and what they will do to get more of the cheap gin. Gin Lane shows a harsh reality of what poor people go through. One of the hardest things to look at in that picture is the woman letting her child fall off her lap because she is trying to get a pinch of snuff. There is also a man hanging in the background. The scene of Gin Lane is so much harder to look at than that of Beer Street. The buildings are nice as well as the environment in the painting of Beer Street.

Beer Street and Gin Lane November 14, 2007

Hogarth created these two paintings hoping to support the Gin Act. The Gin Act was created in the summer of 1751, which was to control the consumption of gin by doubling the tax on it and forbidding it to be sold directly to the public.One of the paintings shows a town who decided to drink beer, and one town who decided to drink gin. It probably had to do with how much money each had. The people drinking beer probably are wealthier so they were able to afford the more expensive drink. The poor people had to purchase the cheaper drink. Because gin was cheaply produced and sold in England in the middle of the 17th century, it led to a rampage of alcohol use, causing extreme infant mortality, and led to poverty.

beer or gin November 14, 2007

so looking at the depicting of gin, it looks like its saying that gin can be massed produced and for very cheap. so being plenty of this and cheaply made is saying that people are more likely to get this product because its readily available. the greed for gin causes everyone to forget whats going on so that they put anyone in danger. such as the children. one is cryin b/c his mother died. another is speared thru the body, another is being fed the gin and yet another is falling b/c his own mother cares more for the recklessness of gin than for her own child.

now the whole beer thing, everyone is happy and such. this is more middle class where gin was lower class. yes, they are still drinking a form of alcohol, but it is not as bad. the beer prolly costs a little more money, and they drink just enough to make themselves happy and are done with it. unlike those with the gin,thye are using it as a way to escape the fact that they are really poor.

so gin is for drowning your thoughts and yourself away and beer is to have a jolly good time. and you cant tel me some peopledont drink to take the bad memories away and othersdrink to get happy.

Subtle Differences November 14, 2007

Contrary to what others believe there are a lot of differences between Gin Lane and Beer Street.  Gin Lane shows the distress of the effects of gin whereas the effects of beer seems far worse.  Beer street makes a reader feel better about the effects people are smiling and enjoying smoking, drinking and all the pleasures.  Even the person in the prison is enjoying a beer.  Gin Lane doesnt present any good feelings or images there are babies falling the town is destroyed.  I think that the author is trying to say that gin is the far worse of the two evils.