HW 25: A Look into "Baghdad Burning"

This week I began reading "Baghdad Burning". The foreword was written by Ahdaf Soueif and was a brief introduction to Riverbend and the way that she will be narrating the book. Riverbend is in her mid-twenties and is living in Baghdad with her mother, father, and brother. She will be reporting accounts of the Iraq war from a real-life perspective, to the point that the reader can experience the anguish she feels as she sits on her roof each night with her brother "E" watching the Baghdad Burning. In the very first sentence of the Foreword it states, "I wish," says Riverbend, towards the end of her blog, "every person who emails me supporting the war, safe behind their computer, secure in their narrow mind and fixed views, could actually come and experience the war live." This introduces the reader that she will be bravely speaking of what she experiences living in Iraq, to give the reader, such as an American as I, a clearer view rather than what we see on TV. Soueif explains how the book is not about explaining the theory of how the war came out and George Bush's view on the war, as the media is already circled around questions of this, but about what is happening as we speak in Iraq. The Introduction gives a very detailed background of the history of events that has led us to where Iraq and the US are now, and how Riverbend's family is dealing with this sequence of events. Until I had read the introduction in "Baghdad Burning", I knew almost nothing about the events that led up to the war. I now feel almost guilty for being so blind as to what my country and our allies and enemies have encountered over the past years. He explains how many of the controversies that have arose have dealt with religious issues and how the US had planned sending troops to Iraq even before the events of 9/11. Riverbend speaks of the US in terms of trying to establish a pro-American "puppet" government. I learned that major components that have led to the Iraq War included the Gulf War, World War II, and the struggles that different groups of Muslims that live in Iraq have dealt with in order to stay safe. Riverbend and her family fear each day as they watch the war before their eyes, and now Riverbend is allowing us to see for our self the anguish and terror that as accumulated in their community.

HW 24: Do you have a Room of One's Own?

Virginia Woolf pointed out at the beginning of the novel that in order to write fiction, you must have a room of your own. Throughout the novel I have acquired the knowledge of what it means to have a room of your own, and I do believe I have a room of my own. Women throughout the centuries have gradually gained acceptance in society. In the beginning of the novel Virginia Woolf presented many points that granted the inferiority of men. Women have slowly overcome the hole they have been stuck in for so long. They are slowly climbing out, discovering new possibilities and their capabilities. Women are proving to men, as well as themselves that they too have the capabilities to write fiction, and do what they were once not allowed to do. It is our responsibility as women to believe in what we do, and follow through on something to enhance your own abilities. Once you are confident in yourself, your mind opens up to endless possibilities. Women have been portrayed as a weak gender for so long, while men have empowered us for even longer. Woolf spoke of a reading, Diana of the Crossways, as she presented the relations of mothers and daughters in relations to men. "It was strange to think that all the great women of fiction were, until Jane Austen's day, not only seen by the other sex, but seen only in relation to the other sex. And how small a part of a woman's life is that; and how little can a man know even of that when he observes it through the black or rosy spectacles which sex puts on his nose" (page 82). Men have dominated the industry of jobs and the acceptance in society while women have constantly struggled with it. Women have adapted their own creative mind in which they can expand their horizon to speak their mind through their words. This was not always allowed. The relationship between women and their own room has slowly developed as more women have created their own room. They have adjusted to society and to themselves, in which they can be comfortable in who they are. A women who has a room of her own, as I do, has a sense of knowledge in which they do not feel dominated by men, but rather equal, allowing themselves to be an individual. Virginia Woolf begins to see and accept the relationship between men and women when she encounters a man and woman who are getting into a taxi. "Perhaps to think, as I had been thinking these two days, of one sex as distinct from the other is an effort. It interferes with the unity of the mind. Now that effort had ceased and that unity had been restored by seeing two people come together in a taxi-cab" (page 97). She experiences not only the unity of the mind, but the unity of two people. She concluded that the mind ponders to various such areas, and there is no single state of being. A woman has the right to feel, say, and do as she should. As i thought about my own room of my own, I found that it shows that I have my own creative mind which can lead me to my own experiences. As an individual it allows me to experience things that I would not have once been able to a number of years ago. The power of woman has come a long way throughout the years and has enabled me to challenge myself in ways that I once would not been able to.

HW 23: With Apologies to Virginia Woolf

When viewing the website Jezebel I came upon some fascinating blogs, and I found that each one contained gossip and stories about women, which brings me back to when I encountered such headlines in the papers during my research of women and fiction years ago. I stumbled across one that caught my eye. The post, titled "Otherwise Engaged", found on http://jezebel.com/gossip/otherwise-engaged/-313922.php, spoke of a horrifying event. I'm not sure if the man was insane, or just down right like every other man. A 60-year old farmer proposed to a 28 year old woman in Malaysia, and if that doesnt show you anything yet, than keep listening. With respect to herself im sure, she denied the proposal, but the farmer did not cooperate with her decision. His male dominant side of himself slowly came out as he took on the antics of kidnapping her and forcing her into his car; a horrible unecessary event that would never result in a marriage. Thankfully, a witness reported the event to authorities, yet the man ended up releasing the woman with no harm done, and continued to submit himself to the police. This occurence shows the foremost willful side of men that come out when things do not go their way. As I browsed other posts I came across many that depicted women poorly, announcing the latest news in their life as if we all actually cared. Yet, do you see any of these women bringing out a psychotic side of them for the information about themselves posted for the world to see. A man ain't nothing but a hollow-minded freak to go through the footsteps of this 60-year old farmer.

HW 22: Patriarchy is in England

After reading the second chapter in Virginia Woolfe's, "A Room of One's Own" I found that patriarchy is certainly still alive. Men are well known for and still hold the role of being the dominant figure. Virginia Woolfe argues and ponders this disposition through examining such questions which prove that there is patriarchy. When she makes her way to the British library she finds that there were numerous books written on females, and the lack of books written on males, yet the books on women speak of the inferiority of women in society. She becomes angry at the pieces of work she reads, because the author speaks in a certain tone and presents and depicts women on the low end of the hierarchy with men vs. women. When Woolfe read the headlines of a paper she spotted on the chair at the British museum she again had anger filled inside of her. Each headline presented a male dominant side, portraying women poorly. "The most transient visitor to this planet, I thought, who picked up this paper could not fail to be aware, even from this scattered testimony, that England is under the rule of patriarchy." (p. 33) She explains how men are portrayed in the paper as more important then women and have more power. The men in England are controlling what is written, which is often speaking poorly about women, like the author of the newspaper, of what is spoken. I went onto The New York Times website and found that England's way of perceiving women seems to be different then the way The New York Times portray women and men. There did not seem to be any controversial issues that would give a transient visitor to our planet the impression that the United States is a patriarchy, yet if a transient visitor was to have a glance at the way England presents their women, it would be evident that they are still under the rule of patriarchy.

HW 21: Dear Little Sister

Dear Kelsey,
I'm sorry to hear that you did not understand the reading in "A Room of One's Own", it is a difficult read, but I hope I can help from what I got out of Chapter 1. Virginia Woolf begins the chapter sitting at a river bank at Oxbridge college in England. She makes her way over to the library yet is not allowed in because she is a woman and is not granted access into the building without the presence of a male. Virginia has lunch at the all male college where she is surrounded with a delicious variety of fine foods and then has dinner at the all female college and is given nothing but plain gravy soup. After dinner Virginia and her friend Mary talk in Mary's room. They talk about women and fiction, and Virginia's task to write about this. Virginia explains how "a women must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction". This is important to understand because it pertains to being a successful writer. Women did not always have the opportunity to have some of the jobs they do now, instead they belonged at home taking adequate care of the house and family and preparing food. Men on the other hand, have always been the dominant figure of the household, making and bringing in the money. When Virginia Woolf states that "a women must have money and a room of her own", I interpreted this by meaning that a women must be financially stable, independent, and willing to challenge what others have denied in the past, the opportunity to write, or pertain a job that you love. This text seems difficult because it is in a different form of writing that we aren't usually very familiar with, being expressed through a narrative form. I believe that this text by Virginia Woolf may be considered an important piece of work because it is showing us the change through history that has occurred with males and females, and the opportunities they have received. Women did not used to have the chance to be a writer, or do any work at all. Our history has taught us the challenges and obstacles that women have experienced, and how far it has come, with equal opportunities. I believe that this is a good read, and certainly challenges you to understand the meaning of the text. I hope this helped and you have a better understanding of the chapter now!
Alicia

HW 19: Web of Influence

After reading "Web of Influence" by Daniel Drezner and Henry Farrell, I found that the blogoshpere is influencing the world of politics a great deal more than I once thought. The blogosphere provides bloggers with the advantage of instant access through the Internet. As explained in the paragraph on the bottom of page 88, bloggers have an advantage to the mainstream media with click of a button, while the mainstream media may take just a bit longer. Not only does the blogosphere serve as a fast and reliable source of communication, it also gives bloggers the opportunity to add in their own insight instead of a News show just stating the facts. As well, a blog will sum up the basis of the a story, without going into too much detail. The mainstream media is often looked down upon for any sort of biased report. The blogosphere allows bloggers to speak their mind, and have that biased position. As well, when a newspaper, magazine or another form of mainstream media makes a mistake in their writing, it does not look very professional. When you post a blog you have the ability to jump right back to the post you were just writing and fix your mistake. You can obtain information from these blogs about foreign countries, the war, political leaders, or simply local information according to which blogs you watch or are interested in. Politics are not just meant for meeting rooms or presidential elections. Everyone has a right to be involved and converse ideas and thoughts, and we can thank the blogosphere for their help!

HW 18: Hackers Aren't Cool

After browsing through some of Wonkette's recent posts, I came across one that was very disturbing. The blog was named "Who Will Stop America's Real Terrorists?", and I instantly became interested in what the blog was about. On the website, found on http://wonkette.com/politics/dept'-of-internet-hate-machines/who-will-stop-americas-real-terrorists-308420.php, the blog has a short summary of the "real terrorists" and has a video attached. After reading the summary and watching the video I learned that there is a group that call themselves "Anonymous", who hack into peoples Myspace accounts, emails, and other online communications. They do this to random people, and if the people fight back, there are consequences such as death threats. They hack into accounts and receive peoples passwords, post inappropriate pictures on people's sites, and plant viruses on them. They have even hacked into children's online games and post racial and inappropriate things on them. This I found disturbing, but then I read and watched more and found that they go even farther and leave threats on family's answer machines because "Annoymous" has discovered many families phone numbers and addresses. I found this disturbing and scary because the people that they do this to are random, innocent people. Many hope that this group will get bored and tired of doing this "hobby", yet even with police and the FBI involved, they still continue. I was very bothered by this event and hope that it comes to a stop so that innocent people do not have to go through these unnecessary horrible events.

HW 17B: Daily Kos v. Wonkette

After reading "Blogging the Presidency: An interview with Markos Moulitsas Zuniga" and "Sex, Lies, and Political Scrapes: An interview with Ana Marie Cox", I felt as if I was reading about two completely different kinds of blogs. Markos Moulitsas Zuniga's blog, Daily Kos, focuses clearly on providing information and insights to fully change the way citizens along with politicians view the political world. Daily Kos is filled with Zuniga's ventings of the injustices he sees in the political world. His blog is widely known, widely influenced, and and certainly a success. Daily Kos takes in over 500,000 visits a day, receiving much recognition for its serious honesty and achievement as a blog. Ana Marie Cox's blog is portrayed a bit differently than Daily Kos. From the title of the interview with Ana Marie I could almost immediately tell which blog is more impacting to the political world. Wonkette is a blog filled with gossip from the D.C. area which may change some people's views about an election, yet gossip is defined as the idle talk of rumors, so the effect that people can be influenced through Ana Marie's blogs is almost sad to hear about through the political world. It is certainly interesting and humorous to read, yet through her blogs and the interview it is evident that Ana Marie does not take her writing about politics that seriously. It seems as though Ana Marie views blogging more as a hobby while Markos views blogging as his job and passion. Therefore the Daily Kos would much likely influence me more than Wonkette would near a coming election. I would not base my views off of gossip and nonsense and would prefer to hear a more reasonable side of view where a point is proposed and argued.

HW 17: Miss America

After browsing through many of the recent posts on Jezebel, I came across one particular post that struck me quickly in many ways. The post was labeled "Miss America: Busty, Bikini-Clad Internet Policebabe", found on http://jezebel.com/gossip/kids-play/miss-america-busty-bikini+clad-internet-policebabe-306729.php. I was intrigued by this blog because it relates directly to my semester-long research paper topic of "how the Internet is harmful to young teens". This blog described the new website that was just created by the Miss America Organization who came together with the Children's Educational Network in efforts to have a kid-friendly Internet browser that will protect children from the "dangers" of the Internet such as inappropriate sites and online predators. As described in the blog, the Miss America Kid-Safe Web Browser offers standard security and blocking mechanisms, only allowing the kids to view 10,318 websites out of the billions of sites on the Internet. Besides blocking kids from inappropriate sites, the website has some bizarre features as well. Some of them include Miss America, Lauren Nelson, popping up and walking across the screen every few minutes with a trivia question, Miss America reading your e-mails out loud for you, the ability to program Miss America to remind you of chores and homework that needs to be done, and if a kid is denied access to a specific site that may be inappropriate Miss America tells the child to go ask Mom or Dad first. I found this to be somewhat silly, yet I can see many young children along with their parents taking advantage of this new website. Many young girls and boys idolize pop-stars and celebrities, such as Miss America, and will find this website "hip" and "cool". Though Jezebel seems to disagree and finds this new web browser somewhat foolish. "We actually maintain that aspiring to a specific beauty standard in which you walk across a stage in a swimsuit and heels might actually be more dangerous to little girls, psychologically at least, than accidentally running across amateur porn online, but we digress." Jezebel makes a valid point, yet I believe this new web browser will keep kids safe while on the Internet and free from viewing "Miss America" in what might just be high heels and nothing else...

HW 16: The Five Pillars

After reading "Blogs: Humanizing the Face of Corporate America", an interview with Robert Scoble, Scoble presented a very good argument. The basic rule of blogging is to humanize it in order to succeed in the blogosphere. Scboble plays a large role in the blogosphere, supporting Microsoft as the tech evangelist. His ability to communicate with customers, give support and feedback has drawn in much attention. The evolution of blogging goes along with honesty and getting your voice out there. Through RSS, "really simple syndication", technology has given corporations the opportunity to make their company hot, like the five pillars that have made blogging hot. Scoble presented the five pillars involved in RSS as the "ease of publishing", "discoverability", "cross-site conversations", "permalinking", and "syndication". The first pillar, "the ease of publishing" refers to the simplisiness of creating a blog by the click of a button in order to publish your thoughts. The second pillar, "discoverability", refers to the ability to "tag" another blog or website on your own blog. With this tool you can easily be linked to other blogs related to yours in order to discover and browse other's thoughts. The third pillar, "cross-site conversations", refers to being able to track and view others blogs, who have also viewed yours. In this sense you can see who is interested and may have something to say about what is posted on your blog. The fourth pillar, "permalinking", is entering a URL, another website, into your blog so that you can easily access a post of blog you are talking about so others can easily view it as well. The fifth and last pillar is "syndication". Syndication comes directly from RSS, in which you can simply "watch" a favorite blog by adding them to your own site so that you can keep track of the various amounts of blogs you are interested in through a more organized way.

HW 14: Interview with Nick Denton

After reading "Take an Obsession, Then Feed It!", an interview with Nick Denton, I agreed with many of his statements. Although, Denton is in the blogging industry, he does not believe that weblogs are influential enough to take over other larger forms of communication and media... yet. For example he believes that blogging is an evolutionary process that can help, and at the same time, destroy companies. Ultimately, Denton believes that blogging can eventually become a revolution, although it is not something that can happen from one single blog, or simply overnight. Consequently, Denton's business perspective is to focus on a specific age group of eighteen to thirty-four year-olds, who in turn will bring in a larger audience to media buyers. As a result of these efforts over time, the business will grow, yet it is not as fast growing as everyone makes this "new" and beneficial use of technology out to be. Specifically, Denton states that, "The Truth is, weblogs are merely the latest iteration of independent Web media, and they're not rocket science." To take a case in point, Denton relates weblogs to the simplicity of checking your email; the ability to scroll down and read earlier sent letters, in terms of the capability of reading earlier written blog posts. As a result of Denton's beliefs on weblogs, I can side with his views because I believe that blogging has brought the political world a new use of communication, yet there is no way that the The New York Times will be diminishing any time soon due to the enormous increase of blogging.