Thursday, November 13, 2008

1.) What your topic will be and what kind of claim you'll be making within that topic, then think about
I am thinking that my topic will be Invisible Children of Northern Uganda in Africa. Invisible Children is a nonprofit organization that raises money for these 'invisible children'. the money goes to schools in Northern Uganda to give children who have been displaced from their homes and former child soldiers a place to learn. the money builds schools and provides books and desks, pencils and other learning supplies. Many people hear about Darfur in Sudan and the wars in Kenya but rarely do you hear of people knowing about Northern Uganda and the wars that have been raging there for over 20 years, and how this war has stolen children from their homes and killed many people for no reason.
2.) who are you talking to, what do you know about them, and why do they need to hear what you have to say. After you've establised these two things, it'll be faily easy to think about
The general public, from teenagers to adults. the topic is too stressful for children.
3.) what medium, or combination of mediums, will best communicate your point. Think about what kind of learning experince (i.e. "recieved knower," "subject knower," "procedual knower," "commitment knower") you want your reader/viewer to take part in. If you are still not sure what you want to do, try out something that kind-of-sort-of interests you in this paragraph and see what happens--maybe other ideas will come from this.
i think that i want to do something visual, like pictures, or some form of art. pictures in newspapers and on the news is what really gets to people and i think that i will be able to get my point across with something visually stimulating.

Sunday, October 12, 2008


marijuana. pot. weed. mary jane. blaze. an interesting topic that has raised controversy for a while. the author of this essay makes the point that the prohibition of marijuana should end. one of his main arguments is that it is scientifically proven that marijuana is less dangerous than both alcohol and tobacco. he says that alcohol and tobacco both cause many deaths, rather marijuana does not. he also points out that you cannot make the argument that marijuana causes many crimes. he says that while you can get involved in many crimes when you are drunk, like drunk driving, public intoxication, peeing on the street, etc. the only crime you can you can commit with marijuana is the possession of it. he goes on about percentages and how it is pointless to spend all the money to put people who are arrested for possession in jail and on trial. he makes a very valid argument and backs up his argument with good statistics. he knows his stuff and he makes you think. then to turn it around he talks about the medical aspects, how it has been very helpful in the medicine world. how can you say that the drug is dangerous and it can kill people when you are giving it to patients in hospitals? he not only disputes why it is illegal but also gives reasons to why it will be beneficial. its an interesting argument to back up and today it has gotten more and more controversial. it really makes you think. so what do you think?

Thursday, October 2, 2008



Sunday, September 21, 2008

question mark?

what exactly does he mean by the "image" of the plague and how did it get the stereotype of confusion and disorder?

how can one actually relate the panopticon to the plague?

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

the magical amount

"kool" that sounds cool doesn't it? and spelt in a new in and innovative way. so it would totally make you 'kool' too right? well that is what they want you to think. they make it pretty colors and a cool design to draw you in. a catchy phrase like "we build the house of menthol" with the buildings in the background and a pretty looking cigarette on the side makes you think hmm that looks good. maybe ill look pretty as well if i try it. so thats when it starts. they hook you on the cool design and pretty colors, you teenagers with blossoming minds (they like to hook you on in when you are young so you will be smoking for a longer period of time), to make you want it. notice that the disclaimer on the bottom is tiny and bland and the KOOL (with the overlapping o's) is big and pretty so you won't notice it. it lures you in with the 3D background as well. it makes you want it, teenager. so come and get it. and you will be kool. or kewl. or cool. either one, it still makes you look awesome. Right? okay so back to the question before, does it really make you look that cool? no way josé. maybe at the beginning you will feel cool with the ugly white and yellow skinny cylinder between your fingers and your lips and the smoke rising in all sorts of shapes in front of your face. but does it look cool when your teeth start to rot and turn yellow and on the inside your lungs are fading away and turning black? does it sound cool to hear that what you are doing is not only killing yourself but also killing the people you do it around? does it sound awesome that that pretty looking smoke rising around your face will turn your young face into wrinkles? ha. so naive. and thats why they like you. because they can mold your minds. don't let them. think about it for a second. because once you start you, even if your little brains think other wise, you wont be able to stop. just because that cigarette on the side is looking fancy and the buildings pop and it is called KOOL doesn't mean it actually is. so, teenager, use your little naive brains and think otherwise. prove that you are smarter than the tobacco companies think you are. you can do it, i believe in you. 

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

to sit in solemn silence on a dull dark dock

the sun shines a brilliant light casting long beams to form shadows down past the trees. the breeze lightly pushes her bang out of her face and her pony tail to and fro. not one cloud grazes the light blue sky. she stands patiently, though a slightly awkward. she sways back and forth a little to keep herself entertained and then finally she sees him. his tall broad figure lights up her deep blue eyes. and she runs to him. she runs to him fast and with all her might. when she reaches him she jumps, she flies, into his outstretched arms. and it feels like home. his tall physique and long face. he flips her blond pony tail with his finger and she giggles as he sets her down. they cup hands and walk slowly trying to stay in the shade of the trees. she glides as she walks. he seems as if he is trying to bury his feet into the ground…

they played catch with some sort of severe elegance. if that can even work. their faces distorted, they concentrated hard until the creases in their forehead became permanent. severe. arm back, full swing, release and follow through. it flies through the air in a flawless spiral. elegance. it continues and seems to linger in the air until it comes crashing down, landing perfectly, text book style, into the long limbed tree…

the lights flickered. everything around him was still. His heart thumped loudly through his chest into his throat and buzzed into his head…

Thursday, August 28, 2008

je veux parler à vous sous le soleil

i walk quickly. mind scattered with thoughts. strange green dance in front of me and swap me in the face as i pick up the pace even more. i feel as if i am going in circles. have i seen that brown board before? it lays on top of... metal? is it metal? it looks rather brown as well. i turn around and sprint away from the green that hangs from the sky and hurts me. i run fast and end in an open space. i sit. it is comfortable. i feel safe for once. i lean back and feel a rush past my face. it is nice. again the rush comes and it shakes my hair. "HEY LADY!" i hear coming from a deep voice. suddenly harsh figures surround me. and the rush comes again. this time with my eyes open i can see it. a circular object zooms past me with its black and white spinning. "lady. i am sorry that i yelled at you but you cannot be here." the figure walks closer the brightness crashing on him from behind. "we are playing a game" the figure says again. i jump as it seems to hover toward me. my calm place is no longer calm. i leave. quickly. turning and spinning this place seems so surreal. little figures grab to things, hang from bars and hurdle one another. i am confused. they are so small. they push off from the ground and fly into the blue above and then hurl themselves back to the brown beneath, barely missing it. does this not scare them? one falls and a redness oozes from the very spot. do i do that too? do i want to find out? out of no where a harsh ring comes to my ears. is that from the red? i do not like my place anymore. how have i found myself here? i turn and i turn and i turn until it becomes hazy. i can no longer see the figures or the green that hangs from the blue or the circle of black and white. i no longer know where my happy place was or where it will be. i turn and turn and turn and finally, finally i become comfortable.