Danaya's 21st Century American Lit Blogs

Blog Experience

2008-12-03T16:58:00.006-05:00

When I first entered my 21st Century Literature class my thoughts were " what is this all about?" I thought it was all about reading...not writing. When Prof. Lennon told us we have to give a blog every week I was pissed. When it comes to writing with exposure to comprehension, I'm totally against it. It takes up valuable time, but as I've been writing blogs for this semester I noticed that it can be very interesting that blogging and social media have changed. inhabitants can promote themselves at no additional cost. It gives you a chance to speak out and people can hear you out. Blogging can give you a inspiration, reflection, encouragement or something to make the reader enjoy seeing photographs of things the blogger experiences.

Inheriting people feedback is a good way of communicating and them stating their opinion,thoughts and ideas. I've been thinking for a while trying to articulate my ideas about weblog as communication. To find others and connect with them. Weblog provide an expansion of thinking space. Living in this world creates a sense of belonging and sense of community. Through my experience with blogging this semester I look at it to be a ecosystem. We don't read same weblog, but they are interconnected and we get exposed to different names, events and ideas.

Blogging gives density of networking, ideas traveling around and time devoted reading the blog of others. Being a new blogger the most important thing...from my experience, is feel rhythm of blogging community. It's like learning the map of New York City. Getting a map for a orientation, learning terms of the English language, finding good guides of starting a blog and taking time to explore.

I've noticed of I write a journal entry into my notebook, it will help but at a certain point. Blogging helps communicate my thoughts that I go through in my personal life and around the world. Even though the audience is largely made of people who don't know me, the animosity is freeing. It's a great big inter web out there. Those that don't live an online life or who use Internet as an information resource with emailing to keep in touch don't get the power of blogging. It's fun as a hobby, absorbing and a good television show in writing words.

THE MOST CURIOUS THING

2008-11-19T16:36:00.003-05:00

Trying to pro-ject Sabrina happy smile and her giving the thumbs up over a dead body is very dense. Having a psychologist to determine facial gesture is very dense. Sabrina had no remorse for the dead body, it was witty to her. Not thinking that it would come back to her as a federal charge. Al-Jamadi death should of been more focused on. The people that were their during the homicide should of been charged with his death. Instead of charging sabrina for evidence that was already covered by the government.

GRAFFITI

2008-11-19T16:14:00.003-05:00

Shopping in Soho on Grand street, Friday afternoon. I noticed a book by Bansky. I was so eager to read through the book that I didn't notice the title. As I was skimming through the pages I noticed a phrase " we are always around". Reminded me of prof. Lennon when we had a discussion on graffiti. The phrase was a spoken language to were the graffiti artist can't be seen but expresses their feelings on gentrification.

cleaning up graffiti does not stop them from marking their territory. It's a part of their community!!! a place to they were born and raised. Having middle-class individuals come and take over their community, raising rent so high to were people have to live with one another is very astray.

HOUSE OF LEAVES II

2008-11-19T11:32:00.002-05:00

When it comes to reading a variety of genres I can be very selfish. " House of Leaves" put me in a tight situation of giving up literature. Reading footnotes and turning the pages upside down has turned my body into a maze like the characters in the book. I found it quite interesting the way characters express their horrific outcomes by one phrase on the paper, leaving the rest blank. I wonder if this book has a connection with " The Most Curious Thing" and " Pillow man". Jimmy tried to warn himself that he should of listened to Zampano, if this book is so horrific and tourist like Zampano and Jimmy says, what happened to the reader? why didn't I freak out?

Character Sketch

2008-11-12T20:19:00.002-05:00

Billy Reston:

Belief is one of the Reston greatest strengths.

He
accepts the world
as it comes to him.

His

attention

never

wavering from

the team's progress.

page 97-98

Billy is a friend of Will Navidson is disabled from the waist down, he was injured in India doing a engineering job of what he still does during helping Will find out about the house oddities. He is a fighter and brave individual, he helps to find out about this crazy maze with his disability as he saves Will and Holloway from a firefight but suffer from cold spells afterward, show a good effort of " everything is possible...but not certain".

VIDEO!!!

2008-11-12T20:02:00.002-05:00

I decided to be original and stay on task of the book by posting a link of " House of Leaves". It will give me a visual perspective of how the house looks expanding into words, phrases and trying to put the pieces together on how this lead to Zampano's writing and death and Johnny becoming apart of this horrific chain that's going on. The house going into a maze, each door leading into a steep of mysterys. Going backward, forward, diagonal and vertically made we feel what these characters were going through as I was watching the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyug0q9eyqw

Repulsive Acts

2008-11-05T16:33:00.003-05:00

I feel that reading the Pillowman is telling readers how repulsive acts can influence individuals to act out their behavior and be very impulsive. Yes, Micheal's did have a horrible childhood but it was his brother's writing that made him act out on killing these children the same way he wrote in his stories. Children can also tend to pick up things they see on television and video games, theirs a lot of violence. Wrestling would be a example with all of the fighting movements that kids act out on a everyday basis, a few years back a child died from role playing a move that he seen watching WWF. All of these negative acts fall into place. They make people wounder and think for them to hurt someone.

Pillowman

2008-11-05T16:21:00.002-05:00

This book is insane, what am I learning from a person going around killing innocent children, Katurian is a writer of horrific stories of killing children, them dieing in agony for no reason from my understanding. It all came about when Katurian mom and dad would torture his emotional disturb brother Micheal. Katurian could never find out where the noise was coming from because his parents what lie to him that is was just a dream.

Yeah, those dreams were formed into stories that he wrote that soon his brother Micheal started to use to kill other children, better yet once Katurian found out that was not a dream and his parents were abusing his autistic brother he soon killed both of them by suffocating them in their sleep.

Micheal's childhood with his parents reflected on his writing and also the writing reflected on Micheal's repulsive behavior of killing those children.

Pillowman VS. Jennifer Hudson Tragedy

2008-11-05T16:10:00.003-05:00

While reading the Pillow man, it made sense of real life events that happen in society today. Katurian writing all horrific stories of children dieing in agony by people being devious made me think of the tragic killing of Oscar Award Winning Jennifer Hudson nephew Julian King, who they found dead in a white SUV. Their were other members of Jennifer family who had died. Her mom and brother. Julian was only seven years old, an innocent individual that has no clue of what's going on...what is this world coming too? why kill a child?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/27/jennifer-hudson-tragedy-v_n_138220.html

Grafic Novel!!!

2008-10-22T16:59:00.005-04:00

So, now we are finished with reading all of these crazy war stories in my American Lit class now the next reading is graphic novel. I already know a graphic novel is a story( mostly political) of what's going on around us. Much for a mature audience. but, now I'm wondering is this going to be another book about war? I hope not. I've heard enough. It makes me feel like I did time in the service. I feel as thou graphic novels took away the animation for kids. Those bright colors and sweet saying turned in to violence and sexual acts...I'm in for a ride.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel

MIDTERMS!!!

2008-10-22T16:43:00.003-04:00

This is the worst part of the semester. MIDTERMS!!! when I see the date on the syllabus my stomach starts quenching and my head feels like I'm going to explode. Every assignment I read for my American Lit class I've tried to mesmerize everything, which was impossible. " Jar head" was too long and a very difficult book to read. So I can't count my knowledge too well on that book. I feel like I'm in a life or death situation. This is my grade, if I get a fucked up grade this makes me feel shitty and my GPA drops and it makes you feel as thou you didn't strive for the best grade. Knowing, i did but it's too much to read and remember. I hate this feeling. Good thing I'm only taking one course this semester...lol.

I'M IMPORTANT...

2008-10-22T16:30:00.003-04:00

I feel good when I'm in school. It might sound kind of weird but i feel important, yes important!!! I look at all of the successful people in my family that went to college and earned degrees and now have successful careers and i think to myself, they are important. My cousin a principle in Washington D.C and my other relative is a doctor in Saint Craw. I know it's not easy to go through a huge success and it will not happen over night, but it's good to feel that i challenge myself to make it through these difficult courses and four years of my leisure time committed to a text book. Even thou, most of the subjects to take in college will not fully apply to your career. It' s good to know knowledge for your own good, I might not get money for it, luxury car or a big house right now. but just like Abby said in " Mercy Seat". " knowledge is a reward". who wouldn't want to feel smart? I am important.

BLACK WATCH PLAY

2008-10-15T11:37:00.004-04:00

Yesterday evening, my class and I went to see the Black watch play at the Ann's Warehouse on Water Street. I must admit it embark phenomenally. Cammy looked straight at the audience, with a serious face and laid back, making us feel as if why are we really here? being that I read the play and it was broken language it was still as funny as it was when I read it, seeing it in action was even funnier. Boy was those some fine men...smh. lol. It was sad at the end when Fraz died, he was not the smartest soldier but very blunt and bold. I like his character, kind of remind me of myself. The explosions seems very real, I just wish it was in a bigger setting. When the guys did the ten second fight I thought they were gonna sucker punk me in the face. Lol, and I was in the second row. I have to say the play was worth going, i rejoined myself. It was something new and different for me, just glad to know I discovered something different for a change. This doesn't mean I view joining the service any different.

SERVICE!!!

2008-10-14T17:44:00.003-04:00

I'm so tired of reading these war stories, I've always been against the war. I feel why fight for a country that is gonna leave you with nothing, I know one guy that thought he was gonna have a better future for him and his family. After five years, in the service he came home with a brand new truck and no job. Like are they entitled for seniority? I don't care about a house, medical and traveling. If it's that bad, get medicate and find a little job for a start and you can still manage to be in school. Housing? go in a shelter for you and your family. It's better then risking your life. I don't care about keeping history in the service, they care so much they should offer more benefits and a good paying job while leaving the service. If you think about joining the service I would suggest you make it out of a career.

http://www.marines.com/main/index/quality_citizens/benefit_of_services/vacation

WAR!!!

2008-10-08T17:04:00.002-04:00

We are living in war, gas prices are going up at a blink of an eye. why are Americans fighting for oil? living pay check to pay check makes society feel just as worthless as the solider fighting the war in Iraq. something I would never do. Fighting a bully country that's only giving me $19,000 a year is not enough to put my life on the line. They can keep all the good benefits, then recruiters tell young men and women all of these hopes and dream. They know deep down the government is full of shit. One thing I always remember is the world is against you. A person trying to make it doesn't matter to them. They really need to stop the war both countries are killing each other. Americans are even killing children... that is serious!!! maybe we wouldn't be in a crisis if the government stop spending our money on the war, Instead of them using it for people loosing their homes and the ones out of a job.

BLACK WATCH!!!

2008-10-08T16:20:00.004-04:00

I became very confused when reading Black Watch, the language was difficult to understand. I hope i read the play right. LOL. To my understanding. Cammy is the most arrogant soldier. He wanted to join the Black Watch it was not a option for him,just something he wanted to do. The other soldiers wait for a writer to pay for their drinks and get a free blow job. ewwww gross!!! while I talk about the sexual graffics in this play and Jarhead(which they have a connection). What connections does sex have to do with being in the service? hhhmmm, that's something I would like to talk about in class. Another one is drinking, do all military men drink that heavy? but, some parts of the play was very visual then Jarhead, like the explosions the Americans was setting on the Iraqis. I can't wait for class to really get the understanding of the play.

MY OWN WALL OF SHAME

2008-10-06T16:45:00.005-04:00

when I read Jarhead for a class assignment, this book had a lot of parts that were related to people in my community. The wall of shame was the best out of all. Swafford and the other platoons would put pictures of women who wrote to them or girlfriends whom they thought were whores or cheating on them. It degraded these females making them look bad in front of all the other marines.

I would say my wall of shame is a little different. People in my community should be a shame on themselves, exploding the negative acts on what they do to their people in the community when they are bored. On a day sitting in the projects, just like Jarheads when their in the Balaton. Exploding boxing fights, crackheads and drug related activities makes me feel I should make my own wall of shame for them to see how low they make own community look. That is the reason why society view urban areas as being low and UN- human.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBFSYN0OlCE

Jarhead

2008-09-17T15:14:00.016-04:00

7am, I decided to open up the book that was assigned to me for my American Lit class. On, my way to work crammed in the cart, their I stood reading a memoir about some marines guy in the war fighting the Iraqis. I figured this would be an interesting book. Just because I never knew about the military.

My son uncle is currently in the military, he doesn't really say much about. I thought everything is fine with him being in their because he wasn't fighting in the war, I remember when he first signed up for the marines. He was eighteen. When it was time for him to visit, it didn't want to go back. They had to come and get him, he gave them hell; crying and cursing as he was being dragged in the car. Since that day he's been placed in Arizona with a wife of three months and now as a baby girl on the way.

I never knew the marines were treated in such a way until I read Jarhead. Now wonder, he never mentions about the marines. They are taught to kill!!! and treated very UN-human with no say so on what they can do and living under a government that tells them all these promises, with good advantages and treated like slums. Fighting for a country that has no mercury for them, but it's all their fault. They signed the contract...i mean did they really think this training was going to be easy?

Being A Mommy For The First Time

2008-09-17T15:14:00.012-04:00

When I inherit the results from the home pregnancy test. Boy was I Flabbergasted. Me? a mom at 21? nah, I thought to myself. But what will the father say? what would he think? all of these thoughts came hastening through my mind. Being a young new mommy was very overwhelming for me. When my baby boy(Jaevon) came into this world. Tired, Irritable, no apetite and most of all not having no leisure time for myself, was all me.

Being a mother for the first time no matter how old or young you are can be very uphill, though, it's worth all the stress and pain. Coming home from a hard days of work and school. Someone to consoul me with their smiling face, reaching out with open bear arms and coowing. Is so fun-loving to me, more than money can buy.

I know if no one else won't love me like I love myself. I will always be my son number one love. I live through this kid!!! being a mom was a blessing that I would never regret. I thought it couldn't be possible for me to take care of my son, but he's healthy and well taken care of. Most of all it was love at first sight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVvKqSsWU1g

Men With Young Women

2008-09-17T15:14:00.011-04:00

Ugh! someone please explain to me what is the purpose of being with someone 22 years old and your pushing 40? like come on...is it because men are getting older so they date younger women to feel young themselves? or not deal with their age group because it's more responsibilities that come along with it? hmmm...something I should of thought before I made my decision.

Men that date younger women molds as their child to listen to them and once that young women falls head over hills. Boom!!! he leaves her for another young thing. This is all about responsibilities with a man dealing with another women. An older women knows what she wants. Marriage is number one and kids. Come on, she's not getting any younger. Plus, she's been through enough experience with men so it's hard for him to manipulate her like he does the young chicks. It's not all about the younger women being more spontaneous and having energy. It's the easy way out for them. It's less dating baggage and less serious. Plus a younger female in some cases are more laid back.

Growing Up Is So Hard...

2008-09-10T17:15:00.000-04:00

While in grade school having responsibilities was not my forte. watching my mom keep up with the house and taking care of my brother and I was something I would never do. To my surprise. wearing all the latest designers meant everything to me. Price? that was not a problem. From the clothing to the bedroom necessities you make it I had to have it, not worrying that my mom had bills herself. That totally blew over my head.

April of 2006 I started by job at The New York City Board Of Education. Bills, Bills, Bills. Credit cards. I had to pay. Money toward rent. That was me. And most of all buying my own clothes. I had to hit the sales rack. Paying so much money on wants had to come to an end.

When it came to having my son that was another responsibility. A extra mouth to feed and take care of, so now I'm all grown up. It has made me independent, responsible and a better women. I glade my mom set those morals for me when I started working.

Some people take things for granted, as I watch Extile on MTV. I see these young teens maxing out credit cards that belongs to their parents and partying everyweek with no worries. When they are sent to countries that are living in proverty. It hard for them to adapt to the way of life on the other side of the world.

Seeing them hunt for food and eat it raw, cleaning themselves with a bucket, using the bathroom outdoors and calling a hunt their home, was something that made me think I was being selfish myself. People should be blessed with what they have it can be a lot worst. All my wants didn't matter to me. What's most important is life!!!

The Mercy Seat

2008-09-10T15:36:00.000-04:00

While reading " The Mercy Seat" by Neil Labute. I became very upset and threatened at how the author took the September 11 tragedy so harsh. I really don't care if it's just a play!!! some fiction crap. Ben especially was very thoughtless. He had a wife and two little girls. While sleeping with his boss of a three year relationship Abby. You would think the sept. 11 tragedy would be a time for him to think about everyone that died in the building, but no. Mr. Ben wanted to sell his royal oats by sleeping with his mistress and planning on faking his death.

Ben felt well " since this tragedy happened let this be the easy way out for me to break it off with my wife and kids". That way he wouldn't have to deal with the courts for a divorce and she wouldn't suck no money out of him. What a thoughtless bastard!!! his family was probably grieving and mourning over his stupid ass and he screwing his boss who is very stupid herself.

The fact that Abby is so stupid is because a women of so much success was thinking about escaping with Ben just to say she has a man. I mean are you that desperate? she can have anyone she wants. She's living in a luxury loaf and a boss of a accounting business. She don't need Ben. Abby was very attentive of the people who died on 9/11. she thought about her colleagues and their families. How they were taking the tragedy of their love one's, even Ben family.

I guess she had to wake and see leaving New York for a man was not the right route to go. But she shouldn't of been his side line hoe, don't mean to sound too sexual but a man that's doing it dogie style to you for the pass three years and no four play ,what so ever, your a fuck!!! she giving him oral sex anytime he wanted and not communicating with him on how she felt about the relationship until the tragedy, makes her very stupid. I'm glade she came to her sense to make Ben call his family to let them know he was okay.

The day of 9/11 my dad was suppose to work that morning because he did maintenance in one of the tower's. He decided to do a double shift, being that he's scheduled to work in the evening. Luckily, while he was getting ready for work his brother called telling him the tragic news. meanwhile, during that time my dad was already suppose to be at work. So yes!!!I was almost in that situation. even thou, he's good. I can imagine how families feel losing their love one's.

I waited anxiously for UPS to deliver this book, eager to read it while being disappointed at the play writer. Americans have it too easy. Well, that's how i felt after seeing Labute view this tragic situation like this. It was wasn't so easy for him he would have not wrote something so cruel like this.