Final BNW Post

One question that I had while finishing Brave New World, was why did Huxley not allow John to live? He could have lived peacefully out in the hills unnoticed, but instead he was exploited by the media and crowds came all the way from London to jeer and taunt at him. Another question that I had was why Huxley decided for the eccentric people of the society to be sent away to islands instead of killed. It seems like it would make more sense to remove them forever. With regards to 1984, I had wondered why technology had come so much further in Brave New World when the revolution that brought it into being happened much earlier than in 1984? Wouldn't the technology of Oceania be far more advanced?

BNW Post 2

One question that i had while I was reading was what was the goal of a society that didn't appear to be working towards any goals? The best answer that I could figure is that they have already achieved their goal of happiness for all men, everyone in the society is quite content and everything in their lives is to make them feel good. Another question i had was why they put Bernard and Humboldt in the same category as 'outsiders'. I predict that it is because both of them are of above average intelligence, intelligent enough to see the flaws in a flawless society. although it still confuses me because Bernard is a weakling, a black mark upon society, someone who sticks out because they're different. Humboldt on the other hand is the picture of what every citizen should be, so while they are still both outsiders in the community, they are still polar opposites. What led up to this point to make a society like this possible? I hypothesize that after the industrial revolution the need for efficiency, and cleanliness and uniformity took hold of the peoples and society as a whole, everything in the One State mirrors these ideals.

BNW Post 1

They have created equality in their society by using hypnotic conditioning throughout their you to make them happy with whatever life they lead. Religion is obsolete and all of the old ways have been buried and the old books destroyed. Relationships are trivialized and love is replaced by sexual instincts. Individuals have the freedom to do whatever they please but they have a predetermined occupation which they are conditioned both to be good at and enjoy. The way the people are created makes their job life happy as can be, their spare time is filled up with doing fun, non taxing activities. Whenever something bad happens they can always just take soma and trip their balls off to forget about things. I would say that this society is a utopia because no one is unhappy and the needs of the people are taken care of to the fullest, while to an outsider like us it might look bad because they cant think complexly or love or fully express emotions, to them it doesn't matter because they font know what they're missing.

1984 Response 3

Big Brother has won, with the ability to ultimately govern the minds of men The party has harnessed indefinite power. The only way that I could see this state ever collapsing was if it became to large to weed out all of the impurities or if the other two powers attacked it in alliance, perhaps their ruling parties are not as refined and resolute as Oceania's Party. I think what happens to Winston Smith at the end of the novel is unimportant, he is no longer Winston Smith or capable of ever becoming him again. He may have been taken to the Ministry of Love and been shot, or he may have just been completely integrated into the party.  Which of these things happened is unimportant, when he is unable to think, unable to focus on anything important, won over by the lies of the party, and idolizing Big Brother Winston is dead whether from a bullet to the head or simply a weakness of soul.

2+2=5

The lyrics of this song convey that the truth is unimportant and intangible when the people in authority control all of the information. The song talks about all of these things being 'true' just because we are told that it is so, its our fault for not paying attention. The music was upbeat and penetrating which made the message seem more dire. In 1984 they said that if The Party told you that 2+2=5 then it does. Because regardless of what is actually fact, the 'truth' becomes whatever is commonly accepted.

Cultural Conflict

1. The conflict over whether globalization help those influenced by it or not is an external conflict.
2. Because Westerners attempt to choke out what we see as lesser cultures in the world and make them conform to our "global" culture. Globalization could be described as a one way street because the global culture has only impressed upon others and not incorporated enough elements of the crushed cultures that it buries under it's immense weight.
3. It has given Muslim women powerful western female role models to show them what they can become and achieve.
4. The Constitution in the west is akin to the Qaran in the east.

1984 Response 1

In Oceania they have created equality in The Party by stressing the working for the whole. Through Monotonous work of the majority and the extermination of the dissenting opinions they have made the mindsets of everyone equal. They have created a world where individual rights are not a problem because it is an impossibility to have them; with privacy, even in thought, removed from people's lives, there is no room to step out of the status quo or to even think of having rights. Relationships have been broken down into something that is purely for procreation where not much love can be established, thus eliminating conflict in this aspect of peoples lives. There is no religion outside of the state, where people hold the Big Brother in almost divine status. All non-conformity is snuffed out by a secret police force, and conformity is otherwise achieved by making the world that you want people to accept the only option. One example of this would be how at his job the protagonist alters historical fact to fit what The Party wants the world to be like so there is no dissenting past. Based on the way that The Party suppresses anything that would reveal it in a negative light and takes away the people's freedom of choice in the world, and the state of disrepair that both society and infrastructure are in would make me say that Oceania is a dystopia.

     The subject of Dave Barry's Batting Clean Up and Striking out is the difference that men and women see in different things like cleanliness and sports.the first part of his piece is devoted to a discussion on how women can see dirt and dust on a microscopic level, he even includes a humorous anecdote about Pompeii. The second half of the piece is a anecdote about sneaking out of a dinner party to watch the World Series.
     Batting Clean Up and Striking out was written in 1988. We could infer this from the essay by either reading the forward, or by using clues from the piece itself. you can tell it is from the late 20th century because of the cleaning supplies he mentions in the story about cleaning his son's bathroom. Windex is a name brand that was costly to produce and uncommon until at least the middle of the century.
     The audience for this piece would probably have been middle aged couples. they would fully appreciate the humorous situation with cleaning the Son's bathroom. there is also a certain amount of humor within the dynamic between him and his wife that only people who were married would understand.
     Dave Barry's purpose in this essay was to , in a humorous light, outline the way that men and women disagree over things. He wants us to understand that these differences are okay and part of life. In the Story about the Dinner party, although the men and women are separated by their conflicting interests, everyone seems to enjoy themselves anyway.
     Dave Barry, celebrated humorist, believes that there is humor in the world and that you just have to point it out. He was born and raised in New York and works as a humor columnist.
     We know his tone is sarcastic and humorous because of the way that he presents his information. The obviously false story about Pompeii is very funny and used to set the stage for the rest of his piece.

Voice

Voice is the way that someone speaks or sounds that is unique to them. A statement in my voice would be something like, "sometimes things don't go your way, but its alright. This sounds like me because I try to use easy to understand words and I am usually an indifferent optimist. Something I would talk around would be telling my parents I impregnated someone, I would beat around the bush so as to not deliver all of the shock at once. Voice can change the way that we understand facts in non fiction. A good way to improve your voice is to talk a a lot and go over your sentences in your head. The more intelligent things you talk about the better you will be able to tell what you really sound like.

Sign Language

That he really enjoys his life. He seemed Cheery even though it was cold out. He got very involved in the community of  the whole things. The signs were more than just advertisements. They were a way to communicate. I changed the city streets to an office and it seemed like he was kind of desperate.

Good Old Desk

S the desk he likes O unknown A his listeners P to about how good and dependable his desk is S Harry Nilsson T proud/content He is talking about how his desk is always there for him. Its understandable that he thinks god would be as dependable as his desk.
"to keep my hopes alive" It's always there
"Good Old Desk"

Kandinsky vs. Pallack

I like the Kandinsky because its use of line and shape make for an interesting composition. My brain looks for patters in the jumble and finds it beautiful. Plus the Pallack reminds me of  beef stroganof coming back up, Kandinsky however presents many interesting pieces. The Pallack is more pleasing though because it uses gentle earth tones and organic shape and pattern. It is far less edgy

Across the Universe

This song left some very clear impressions on me. To set the scene, everyone exists simply as paper cut outs. At first I felt like I was on a paper boat sailing through a land of eternal twilight with ever expanding horizons to explore. On the second verse I felt like the singer was in an armchair looking out the window. The chorus of the song is rather somber, in my opinion, the phrase "nothings gonna change my world" is a plaintive hope for the paper world that is so full of wonder and mystery but so fragile at the same time. He does not want anything to change, but he can see the changes that are speeding towards him. He realizes that hes going to lose this world so he is lying to himself  to try to cherish what he knows is the last time he will have there.

Inspiration Information

The song starts out feeling very sensual and funky. It reminds me of walking down the sidewalk as a black man in the 70s. The weather is hot and the world is coming out to say hello. The funky modulated guitar and his laid back voice timbre paired with the soulful organ made me get this vibe. 

Semeadores

I think that this painting shows the hard work and desolation of farming in the desert. It appears to be one consistent landscape the two men are trying to till with heavy use of earth tones to make the subjects blend in with their bleak surroundings. This meshing of coloration makes it seem as though the men are bound to the land. We know the labor they are doing is strenuous because the man with the hoes back is bent under the burden of his work.

Wilco

Wilco worked together as a band to make a rough draft of the song they wanted. then they disassembled it to see if there was one part in specific that needed some fine tuning. My creative process is much the same; I sit down and just start writing to make sure all of my good ideas get down on paper. Then I go back through an polish things off to make it sound presentable.

Attended Woodland art fair today and I'm proud to say I found an artist I really like.
Check him out. http://www.bruceholwerda.com/

Nostalgia

As a kid, I liked to go the park near my house and explore a small patch of trees with a stream running through it  that could scarcely be called a forest, but to my young, open mind it was something more. Infinite possibilities arose and it seemed like I was in the heart of a dense wood instead of in a small grove behind an electrical sub station. Being in this place makes me remember what it was like to be so innocent, without the jading knowledge that the beauty in the world before you is finite. The sound of the stream tumbling its course down to the creek, the hum of the power being distributed to hundreds of households, and the rustling of the wind the bamboo, all of these sounds bring back a deep longing in me to see the beauty in the world once more, to revert to a child-like state of imagination. Nostalgia to me is longing for simpler times, times when not knowing what lay ahead was okay. I do miss the comfort of the weight of the world every day. My nostalgia is all I have of those times. I often return to that grove that held my attention so well as a child, trying to find my imagination that i lost so long ago.

The Pinch of Poverty

1. Unemployment, loss of a breadwinner
2. The daughter is selling flowers to support her mother, who is with child. The poverty is positive in this picture.
3. The artist wants us to know that poverty brings families together and that most poor people don't have dads. Poverty brings people hope.
4. The brightness of the girl's features and flowers show the hope that she has for the future. the children and their mother in one amorphous shape shows their bond that poverty has given them.

Listening Response 1

The retro sound of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's "Round and Round" reminded me a lot of some of the music I enjoy from the early 80's, namely Toto. the fact that this song had a prominent baseline and the use of keyboard drove me towards making this connection. The facts about this song influenced the way I comprehended the music and therefor what I thought about the song.