Jazz By Chas ... Smooth and Easy

Forgiveness

2011-01-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

First, some insight from Tyler Perry in his movie, "Madea Goes To Jail."

“When you don’t forgive somebody, you’re giving them power over your life. They’re sleeping at night, and you’re walking around, remembering everything that they’ve done … forgiveness is not for the other person -- it’s for you. And the longer you hold on to it … the longer you hold on to the pain, and the past, and the hurt, the longer you hold yourself back from being free.” Ellen (Played by Viola Davis), “Madea Goes To Jail”

“…yes, you’re s’posed to forgive people. But this child over here [a female inmate] is talkin’ ‘bout what her dad did … honey, you’re daddy’s somewhere livin’ his life, and you(‘re) on lockdown. Honey, you’re in jail because of what you did. Learn how to take some responsibility for yourself … for your own stuff. I can’t stand for a woman to be the victim. ‘This person did this, that’s why I’m this way.’ Everybody in this place [a women’s prison][has] got a story. Your momma and your daddy done gave you life. That’s all they’re supposed to do, no matter how good, how bad the life was, it’s up to you to make something out of it. Suck it up, and shut the hell up. … everybody’s got a life, and what you do with that life is up to you. Stop being the victim.” Mable ‘Madea” Simmons (Played by Tyler Perry), “Madea Goes To Jail”

Madea Goes to Jail (2009) - Forgiveness Scene

And some insight from the Bible:

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:47

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John1:8-10

Hi, everybody.

I usually write my blog posts from a first-person point of view. This time, however, I’m going to do something different. I’m going to let one of my characters lead the discussion. She was once a demon named Poisonous, and through God’s grace has not only become human and regained her former angelic status, she knows a lot about forgiveness. So with further ado, I’ll hand this over to her.

Chas.

-- Chas hands the mic over to Perri --

Hi. I’m Perri Logan, and I’d like to share with you a little about forgiveness.

Now, I used to be a very dark spirited creature, with a vindictive personality. I wanted people to believe a lie. I had tentacles, not hair, with which I would fill my victims with unnatural lust and the desire to commit sexual immorality. Evil so consumed me, it reflected in my grey eyes, and grey-green skin. Even when I first became human, although I gained skin and bones, I kept my old, evil personality.

But love gave me a chance. I found out about God's forgiveness, and have changed to the person you see now. My eyes, by the way, are a bright brown, and my skin is light olive. But more than just the outside of me has changed. My heart has drastically changed. Forgiveness for me was a very radical change in perspective. Ironically, the hardest person for me to forgive has been me. I still see my old self in me from time to time, and have only begun the slow healing process of accepting myself as I now am. I have to surrender my old self, which was evil, to my new self, which is a child of God. God loves me unconditionally, but I must learn to love myself. The Lamb of God has redeemed Perri ... now I must let the Lamb redeem Poisonous -- my former self -- as well.

Would you have loved me as my old roommate Evie did: steadfastly praying for me, even while I wanted nothing to do with her, her friends, or her God? Lord I AM [God the Father] was my sworn enemy. I served [Satan,] the adversary of our souls, and served him well. If you had seen the old Perri/Poisonous, would you have seen past the exterior to the badly hurting heart that had, at a time long ago, abandoned serving the real God? I thank The Lamb that Evie hung in there for me, never abandoning the love for the person she knew I could be, given the chance (and the prayer).

Learn to forgive others. The only person unforgiveness hurts is you. It eats away at you like a cancer. The people that hurt you have long ago forgotten why, and don't even care any more. They, for better or worse, have moved on with their lives. You hold up any healing or growth as a person by not forgiving, especially yourself. Set yourself free, and let God move in your life, and change you for the better. It's very liberating when you do.

Now, don't get me wrong: forgiveness and grace don't condone being tolerant of sin. You must always deal with that. I can speak to this, because for a great part of my existence, evil was always what motivated me. But evil destroys, and I had destroyed many a man's or woman's soul. I laughed in derision when I saw them heading to Hell. But it's different when the prospect of Hell stares you right in the face. I luckily had this wake-up call. I died in a subway accident, and I lived through a very real experience in Hell for what was probably a few seconds, but might as well have been hours. But God had mercy on me, and decided I needed to remain on this earth a while longer.

Suffice it to say, you don't ever want to visit Hell. It is agony and torment ... endlessly, with no hope of escape.

But concentrate on the hope. Remember that you can do all things by Christ's love for you, which gives you strength. Also, remember that you can overcome any obstacle put in front of you, even those who would hurt or abuse you. You are more than a conqueror because of Jesus' love for you. If you have even a little faith, you can move any mountain put in your way.

So let God change your heart by renewing your mind. Train yourself to see things as God sees you: through grace. Give all your hurts and pain to Him, who is more than able to do above what our minds can comprehend, if you let His power work in you.

God’s grace to all of you!

I love you.

-- Perri gives the mic back to Chas --

Thank you very much Perri. Those were powerful words. We look forward to hearing you again.

Good Bye, Tis ...

2009-05-28T07:50:00.001-07:00

Wayman Lawrence Tisdale (June 9, 1964 – May 15, 2009) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association and a smooth jazz bass guitarist and a member of the Oklahoma Tourism Board. Tisdale and his wife Regina had four children.

Actually, I was reading a poem written for Wayman on Kirk Whalum’s web site, called “Life On Fast Forward” when I got the impression that Wayman had gone home, to play with The Band of Angels. In fact, I can’t wait to see all the Jazz musicians who are also believers, including Kirk Whalum, George Duke, Paul Jackson, Jr., Jonathan Butler, Lalah Hathaway, Take 6, Patti Austin, to name just a few. There are going to be major jam sessions in the Heavenlies, to be sure. I can’t wait for that day!

But in the meantime, I only heard of Wayman Tisdale maybe a couple of years ago. He was covering old hits, like Kool and the Gang’s “Get Down On It”, and Earth Wind and Fire’s “Can’t Hide Love.” I immediately liked his style. It was exuberant and full of fun and life. Just about anything he played sounded like that. It didn’t hurt that he played lead bass guitar, which is one of my favorite instruments, especially the six-string variety. I think of John Pattitucci as one of the frontrunners in lead six-string bass, while Stanley Clarke is the grandfather of lead bass.

Wayman was right up there with the best. And although I never saw him in concert, I read a lot about him. I noticed he did a Jazz Cruise every year, and he featured a lot of artists who are Christians. So, not only was he a good bass player, but he loved and worshipped his God. Now I can’t think of a better combination than that!

I still like listening to his music, and once I go home, I’m going to make it a point to talk to this brother. People who share my infectious sense of humor, and live life to the fullest, with humor, wit and grace, are my kind of people. Doesn’t hurt that he was/is a great musician, and of course, a fellow follower of Jesus Christ.

Amen!

Carry on, Tis!

The Amish as a matter of national interest

2009-05-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

I don’t’ exactly understand why America seems so preoccupied with the Amish. In this day and age, when most of us are very jaded and predisposed to a ‘me-centered’ lifestyle, the Amish way of life stands in stark contrast. I must admit that these kinds of lifestyles don’t appeal to me. But I do like the simplicity and the genuineness of their motives. It speaks volumes for their lifestyle; more than any words would.

As one who writes books, I read a lot as well. And as I go to the bookstore, there are a lot of books, especially in the Christian section about Amish romances, or just stories about Amish people in General.

It wasn’t until my American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) loop news digest mentioned an article about Cindy Woodsmall, who had an interview on ABC’s Nightline, that I realized that maybe there is something about these wholesome folks who choose a simpler lifestyle that America secretly hungers for. Not to say that many of us would want to be Amish, but maybe their faith in God, and their simpler view of life secretly beckons most of us towards making finding respite from our hectic lives. You must admit, that in today’s world, where unemployment, divorce and crime, especially corporate crime are becoming a more accepted set of circumstances, maybe we all secretly yearn to find peace in the example of the Amish.

As a corollary, consider the popularity of Discovery Channel affiliate TLC’s show, “18 Kids and Counting.” Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar live in a situation that most American’s would never dream of, but their faith, and their simplified lifestyle must resonate with some need in its viewers, or it wouldn’t be on for as long as it has been. Now, yes, there is always the ‘novelty’ of being such a large family. But there are plenty of other shows about large families, which may or may not have the same appeal.

“Jon and Kate Plus Eight’ for me was actually becoming boring, and the flap about extramarital affairs is the only thing that would spark any attention from me. It is an interesting study in human nature, and how imperfect it is. But quite honestly, I don’t even find their problems all that interesting. Really ... haven’t we all seen some of what they’re going through in one form or another many times in our lives? It's sad, but true: it’s the way of our current world.

So what is it about wholesome families and shows about them that draws us? And for that matter, why is faith becoming such a reported on subject? Until recently, the only ‘religion’ you heard about was cults, e.g. Jim Jones, or radical Islamic extremists. But most of the news you hear about faith involves people of genuine faith.

Well, America, maybe we are on the verge of the next spiritual awakening. Or maybe we are just fascinated by people whose lifestyles are very different from ours.

Either way, as Paul said in Phillipians, “that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached …” And that is enough for me.

Cindy Woodsmall Interview on Nightline

Anthropomorphisms and such

2009-05-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it has come full circle.

My good friend, "Boink", and I are always at it. We share out-laws (ex in-laws) and they were/are a colorful bunch of characters. I won't mention names (to protect the guilty), but most of them are originally from New York City, or nearby.

"Boink" and I are very good at imitation of others' accents or dialects. We have both lived in Washington, D.C. for quite a while (I left about 6 years ago, and I still miss it). There are many colorful characters up there, too. Suffice it to say that we could hang out with tha bruthas and the sistahs with no problem, in spite of the fact that we are much fairer than aforementioned personages. We can do just about any dialect from any part of the country, including, of course, Southern, Midwest, New England, New York, to Silicon Valley/Teen Up talk.
"Like ... fer shure ..."

We share a father-out-law who speaks in a slow, meandering, Brooklynese, and in his mind, is convinced that the only good decade was the 1950's. And if you try to get him to be hip, it sort of reminds you of 1950's hep becomes hep-hop.

Me: So, Wassupwicha?
F.O.L.: Huh? Wuzza-wizza-woo-woo? (He grins) I don’t hang out much with the ‘bros,’ ya know. Know what I mean, Chas … huh Chas?
Me: I think I know what you mean.
Boink: So, what would you think of eating at a zesty Cajun Restaurant?
F.O.L.: I really feature a good gumbo, you know?
Boink: I think I know, yanno?
F.O.L. : Of course, I’m always on the prowl for a good pie, with lots of chy-eese (cheese), yanno? The greasiah the bettah.

Etc.

Then of course, there are the Aunt and Uncle-out-law who are erudite, sophisticated and worldly, and who moved from the posh New Jersey suburbs of New York to a small town in the South. (Go Figure!) His voice is smooth and sophisticated, and from time to time he throws in his trademark verbal filler ("Ahhh"). Hers is a combination of Latin America and New York meet the Midwest. Typical convo:

Him: Chas, Boink ... Come in. Make yourselves comfortable.
Me: Good to see you.
Him: {Wry smile} Good to be seen.
Him: (to his wife) "Ahhhh ... babe … what would you think of the group of us catching a meal, and a Broadway play? Perhaps we could listen to some show tunes on the way to put us in the mood? Are we all amenable?"
Her: "Em-eh, yes, dahling. That would be, em, lovely. I seem to have forgotten to ask for a play bill, so we’ll just have to wing it. That doesn’t bother you, does it, em, Chas?"
Me: “Sure. Sounds like wassup!”
Him: {smiling wryly again} “I’m not sure what language you just spoke in, but, ahhh… as you wish. While we wait, you gentlemen might want to indulge in some wine, or perhaps, if you’re in an adventurous mood, some 10-year-old Glenfidditch.”

I could start on my favorite “Christian-isms” but I don’t want to rankle some unwitting soul unnecessarily (at least not too much). Besides, it’s hard to write in a Midwest or Southern accent, without it looking like a weird patois. Somethings are just better left unwritten.

But the interesting part, is, Web Diva is beginning to borrow some of our imitations of the colorful characters, especially Father-out-law, and it makes me (and Boink) crack up. Boink and I have been doing this since long before I met Web Diva. To hear her adopt our nutty ways makes me chuckle. And smile. {sigh ... ahh, l'amour, l'amour}

P.S. The F.O.L is actually a really nice guy. Verry interesting, but nice! :-D

2009-05-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

Ever had one of those days? Life is coming at you fast and hard, and doesn't want to let up.

The month of May is like that for me. There are at least seven or eight birthdays to keep up with, not to mention Mom's day. So let's take a count, here:

Middle Son's B-day 05/15
Mother's Day (05/10 this year)
Mom's B-day 05/16
Oldest Son's and Next-to-youngest daughter 05/20
Youngest Daughter 05/21
Oldest Daughter 05/26
Second oldest son 05/29
(deceased maternal grandmother and grandfather were in May too, so I hear)

Well, that makes about ten people's birthdays to keep up with. I think I left out some out-laws (ex-in-laws).

Sooo ... sometimes Billy Beetle (in the picture) and I would just like to grab some friends, go to our favorite watering hole, like, hmmm ... the Jazz By Chas Club, grab a "Bug-Weiser" brewski (or poison of your choice) and just unwind. Leave our troubles behind.

Now, I really enjoy celebrating my children's and mother's (and posthumously, grandma and grampa Seth's) birthdays, and to honor my wife and my mother on Mother's Day. And work isn't really all that bad (did I just say that ... out loud?!) {wink!}.

Maybe I'll incorporate all my angst in my next book. Yeah, but later.

Right now, I just want to hang out, take in some bumpin' jazz, and get my vibe on with my friends over some intoxicating libations.

Cheers, y'all! And let's git ta dancin.

And if you're hungry, I hear the chili's pretty good, here.

Sooo ... Buon Appetito! Enjoy!

The power of my Web Diva

2009-04-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was working on revisions to my Manuscript, when my wife, a.k.a. (affectionately known as) "Web Diva" asked me what I was doing. I told her, “you know, trying to make my re-writes to my novel.” She asked me, “Oh, can I see it?”

I dutifully printed out the section I was working on, and cringed. She is my most faithful critic. She basically said, “You lack emotion. Your words sound detached and stoic. You need to dig deep down inside of you, and express those feelings which are buried there.”

So, after I sighed, and my ego recovered, I sat down and re-wrote that section with more drama and emotion (and a few editorial-type changes) and let her read it again.

I walked out of the room, as it was 12:45 am, and I needed to start getting ready for bed. I heard her read it aloud (which is her favorite way of proofing things), and after a while of listening to her read in the den, I heard an, “Awwww! That’s much better!”

Well, she was right. I put more drama and feeling into it and it came out much better. Well, Web Diva may not be a bona fide editor, but she knows what she likes, and she has been listening and absorbing all the Writer’s Terms I have talked with her about, like Point of View, “Show, Don’t Tell” and pacing, to name a few. I think I’ve found a good crit partner in my own spouse.
(You go, Web Diva!)

P.S. My wife is known as Web Diva because she has been creating web sites for more than 10 years, and she is the best at it (In My Humble Opinion)
See Here

And the process begins again...

2009-03-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

Well...Tracy Ruckman sent me back her edit, and made a lot of suggestions, including books to read on Characterizations, and "Show, Don't Tell." In fact there is more I need to read, and truth be told, reading non-fiction about what to do and how to do it is a bit like taking a class: interesting, but not quite as exciting as reading or writing.

But, as I've been applying the edits, I've seen my style change, and a new story is emerging from the foundation of the original, and that's exciting! In fact, I am as excited as when I was first writing the story.

Most seasoned writers still encounter editors who constantly harp on them to improve, improve, improve. And if they still get those kinds of input to their writing, then I am among the best, whose craft keeps getting better and better.

Write On!

I got my edit back

2009-03-24T09:38:00.001-07:00

...and let's just say, I have a lot of work to do.

But, it's all part of the learning process, and this has been quite a learning process!

Need to work on my writing a lot -- and change my style from prose essays to stories...

I am being Edited

2009-03-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

It was scary. First I had to part with lots of money, which is in short supply these days.

Then I actually had to let go of my baby (my 1st manuscript: unpublished writing, for you writing civilians). I submitted it to Tracy Ruckman, who works as WriteIntegrity.com. Would highly recommend her, even though I haven't gotten back my manuscript.

Needless to say, I am getting more nervous by the day, but I'm sure she'll be kind. After all, becoming a good writer is learning your craft, which is a slooooow, ongoing process. I've been in critique groups, been to conferences (and gotten very polite, "Keep working on it. You'll get there one day." answers).

Well, I knew that before I could submit my manuscript, I would have to have it professionally edited. So I have.

I'll let you know the results when I get my manuscript back.

Until then, happy writing (or reading, whichever applies)

Chas

'Tis the Season

2008-12-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

Hey there, all you Cool people.

It's the Holiday Season (translation: the kids are home, the house is a mess with presents all over the place, and the kids will be driving us crazy until January 5th, 2009!

But all is cool: I am sitting here at my desk, and I have wished all my family and loved ones the best of this Season where we celebrate Jesus the Christ's birth.

Update on writing: I have finished 2 1/2 manuscripts. I wrote them to follow a chronological order, and the second book (in chrono order) is the one I haven't finished writing!)

But now I need to be able to afford an editor, so pray that the Lord would provide me with the cold, hard, cash-ola to be able to pay such a person what they are rightly due. Prayers work the best, folks!

And to anybody I might have missed, stop by and hang out at the Jazz By Chas bar and jazz club. It's a cool time to be had by all!

Love, peace and chicken grease!
Chas.

Writing as a new (A)Vocation

2008-03-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

Just a quick note...

I have recently tried my hand at writing, and am loving it...all the pain, the challenge, the endless revisions!

I like the creative outlet, and it has even proved therapeutic!

I will keep you posted

Here we are again!

2007-06-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

Well, boyz and gurrlz:

It has been over a year since I last visited this site, but I thought I'd stop by and post something again...

Well, I have adopted 3 boys and 2 girls since 2004, and needless to say, my life is busy! I am currently working in the IT field, but am branching out into online businesses... and loving the idea. I am rapidly getting really tired of the "9 to 5", and since I am 52 ½ , and “retirement age” is beginning to stare me right in the kisser, I am trying to something that will be a good source of income and a challenge to my creative side in my twilight years…

Later, peeps!

Chas

[ENC 1101] Letter of Self Reflection/Extended Post

2005-12-12T21:44:00.000-08:00

I used a blog site this semester to post my essays, both long and short, on the web for my English Composition class. This was actually a novel approach for me, because most online classes I have ever participated in never required I post my assignment to a blog site. Typically, my assignments were emailed to the professor, or posted on the schools online, interactive classroom. The course, its announcements, syllabus, and all other class activities occurred within the confines of the online classroom. This is the first time a blog site became an integral part of a class.The first step in the process of using a blog site was to create one for myself. I was told by my professor of a few sites where I could establish a blog, and I chose Blogger.com. Overall, it was very easy to set up the blog site, although I believe it helps that I am somewhat computer literate, and understand how the mechanics of web sites work.

In order to find my way around, I just followed the tabs to the different parts of the site for my personal domain. Although each of the different parts and their content was pretty easy to understand, the actual manipulation of this content, and the options that were presented in them were not as obvious.

The first example was the Settings tab. These are all relatively straightforward; however I did find I had to read the content carefully, a couple of times in some instances, to be able to be sure the settings were correct. Luckily I figured out all the information I needed to enter.

The Basic tab is typical demographic information: Name, Title of your Blog site, a description of my blog site (a short synopsis), and more logistical settings, comprising email notification when someone posts a comment to my site, the type of editor I want to use, and whether or not I want to be in the web sites listing of all blog sites contained therein. The Publishing tab shows me the URL address of my site, and the choice of whether or not I wanted to notify Weblogs.com of posts to my site, for statistical purposes.

Formatting keeps track of formats of dates and times used on my blog site, how long I want blogs to remain on the main page before they are archived, date, time, time zone, default language used for dates, the kind of character encoding used, and the template for posting messages.

Comments sets up the way comments to this site are handled, and this was particularly useful as this is a public and commercial site, so spam, a common irritant, is a plague of this site. Luckily, I had the option to make commenter “log in” in order to prevent automatically generated spam, which happens quite frequently.

Archiving is a good feature to know, because if you are as prolific as we need to be in an English Composition class, you need to archive some of your posts. Now, this is an interesting phenomenon, because you could elect to have as many posts as you want to be displayed on your blog site. Sometimes, I had to keep track of all that I had done, so I displayed all of them, which was a bit cumbersome at times, but for the sake of this class, useful. When this class is finished, I will keep my posts in an archived state, to be retrieved only when necessary.

I did not have much use for the Site Feed, Email, and Members tabs, because they provided features that were beyond the scope of what I needed this website for. And I was not a member or a group, and this site was to represent my individual effort this semester, so the Members tab was of no use to me.

As a general rule, I must admit that I rarely use online help or documentation. Most of what goes on in the world of web publishing I easily understand. As a veteran user of the web for more than ten years, all websites I have encountered function basically the same. The only part of this site that did not make sense at first was posting to the Sidebar, and the Footer Bar at the bottom of the website. To have to add and format these items in the Template, which is basically raw HTML, Style Sheets, and advanced JavaScript coding, was a bit daunting for me, never mind the novice user who knows nothing about these concepts. I muddled through, and managed to get the results I desired. The only disappointment I experienced was that no one really seemed to notice them. At the very least, they made no mention of the goofy comments I put in them, so my career as a jokester or stand up comic will just have to wait...

I mentioned before that the blogs sites were suggested by our esteemed professor, Dr. Daisy Pignetti. She, obviously a veteran of blog sites and the use of web technology in general, was very helpful in recommending a few places to establish a blog site, and I chose Blogger.com. She even warned about the great amount of spam you are subject to, which I remembered after getting spammed a few times. This is when I chose to set the “log in” option for commenting to eliminate the automated spamming. Otherwise, I did not find it necessary to get information from the class discussions. I did find, that visits to other blog sites, proved that leaving comments in certain ones was rather difficult. I do not remember the name of the blog site, but I remember trying several times to post a comments, only to have it “die” or “hang” before it posted: frustrating, to say the least!

I did not go to other students’ web logs to better understand the assignment; however I did visit their blog sites to make comments and to get a feel for how the rest of the students in the class reacted to the assignments. I did find some of the information in the blogs interesting, especially if I could relate to the subject. I noted that one comment on my blogs was probably put there by Miss Daisy herself, and said, “…thanks so much! After this semester I've also realized how much I enjoy writing and sharing my opinions and analyses of current events.” I found this encouraging, because I greatly enjoy writing, and have always been proficient at it.

University of South Florida’s Blackboard Discussion forums and blogs are, in my opinion, becoming an integral part of the education experience, not only for online classes, but for “in person” classes as well. It is a very easy-to-use, as well as very accessible medium for storing information needed by all involved in the class, which works well in the academic setting. If functions as a small electronic community. I did like using blogs to post my assignments, because they are stored, electronically, on a website, and are accessible at any time, even if it from an archive. It is analogous to having a storage facility for you works. The other thing I like about blog sites is that they are accessible to any and everybody you to whom you desire to give access. My friends could critique my work, should I desire, and sometimes, I desire! The only thing I would like to see improve is the use of signatures for commenting on the blog. The things I would have appreciated most would have been knowing who made comments to my web logs. Aside from the author of the comments leaving their name in the comments, making part of the process and “automatic signature” would ensure that one knows who left a comment. At least an email address would be a great help because that way one is cognizant of how to get more information from the commenter. I received an email sent to me when a person left a comment, but not knowing that person’s identity was very frustrating. I feel that it helps to know who makes a comment, as the personality of the commenter give insight to their comments and know how to interpret them. There are times, when a forum might be good in an electronic setting, because a forum encourages a sense of community, and student interaction is an integral part of a classroom experience. I am not sure that chat would be all that great. Now, as a male, I tend to like to think about what I need to say before I say it. Some people may like “electronic conversations,” and find them useful, but my personal preference would be a forum, with Private Messages for exclusive audiences.

As a means of communication, email was not much used, except on formal occasions, such as sending out graded papers, or personalized comments to the students. Information that was of a more public nature was put in the discussion boards, which I found the professor more frequently visited. Emailing her proved a much slower process. It makes sense, really, because the discussion boards are an electronic representing of a classroom, and “everybody was there more often than anyplace else.

I learned a lot about the mechanics of the electronic classroom, and since this was about the 10th such class I have taken, I learned a few more nuances of taking online classes. Every professor approaches it differently, but this was obviously a class where the professor utilized all the tools available to her. The teacher of the other I class I took barely used any of these tools and the appreciation of the class by the students and myself was reflective of this attitude. Electronic classrooms and blog sites for courses where writing is required can be very positive and gratifying experiences when the tools are used well. I believe this particular class used those tools well. Brava, Doc Daisy!

[ENC 1101] A topic of my own choosing II

2005-12-09T22:52:00.000-08:00

One thing I do know is that, what you are exposed to as a child tends to stay with you when you are an adult.I agree that many of us who grew up with "pop" music liked pop music (and I also like/liked the Beatles), and like Jean-(LV) Michel, I have been exposed to a lot of music over my 51 years, and would really consider all music part of one big body of music. I rather think that all music is inspired and draws from other music. Although most younger people's exposure to classical may now be as background to films, at least it is still there.I will also admit that most of what I like about music is its arrangement. One song can be arranged in several ways, and will sound different every time. I have heard "Switched On Bach", and "Disco to the Classics." As silly as some of these things are, they do get people to listen to an idea originated by someone a long time ago. I guess the best I can do is draw upon my experience, and say that my mother exposed me to Broadway Plays and Classical Music, and dad exposed me to Jazz and Rhythm and Blues. I, of course, grew up in the 60's and 70's (and some of the 80's), and was exposed to all sorts of popular music. I guess the point is, that as I have grown older, all the music I have been exposed to, now means much more to me in the context of having let it "simmer" in my sprit over these years. I appreciate all music much more, including the "classics." And when I hear a very original and creative arrangement of something, especially jazz from "The Great American Songbook" I have to elicit a joyous smile, when I realize a very talented soul created something that has literally appealed to generations.The same goes for reading. A good novel and I will become one until I have finished reading it. I find myself not being able to "put the book down" until it is either very late at night or the book is finished. I imagine this came from my mother exposing me to reading at a very young age. There are certainly times when I find that I wish I could throw the TV out the window, and just read a good book. However, I do find that there are some good movies on TV, some of them based upon "classical" literature. I do like these, "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen being one of them.So, I suppose I could say that nothing ever really goes out of style, it just gets recycled in a newer way for the audience of today. "King Kong" is just about to be out in its 3rd or 4th incarnation, and will expose kids of today to a movie that originally debuted in the 1930's. And yes, I also like a movie channel here in America called "Turner Classic Movies" where you are exposed to the vast repertoire of movies that have been made since the early days of American movie making in Hollywood (California).What is that saying, which I think was written by Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9)And any great work of art, be it music, or literature, will by its own merits, last forever, one way or another...

[ENC 1101] The Theme I am following II

2005-12-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

One thing about the entertainment industry: it places regular people in a position where, because of their celebrity status, they are in a greater position to influence people in the society in which they live, if not around the world. Known by literally millions, celebrities and their lives are published on almost a daily basis in every media venue imaginable: Television, newspapers, radio, and of course, the internet. Whenever they express their views, particularly on a popular television talk show, it is almost taken as gospel, because the general populace attaches an almost reverent quality to the person speaking. They, at the most fundamental part of their beings, are just people like you and I, but their status in society has elevated them to an almost god-like status.

Little wonder then, that they what they say, or what views they express have a lot of weight attached to them, whether they have merit or not. According to IMDb.com in his biography section, Sean Connery, earlier in his career in an interview with Playboy in 1965, and later in an interview with Barbara Walters in 1987 made the controversial statement that, “…it [is] OK to hit a woman if [she] deserved it or needed it to keep [her] in line.” Now if any unknown citizen of any society had said such a thing, they might make the local news. If the statement was dramatic enough, it might be seen on the national news. They citizen would not, however have had the same impact as an actor like Sean Connery, because of the high status attached to them, even if the statement causes negative notoriety.

Fashion, dance, popular culture, and even societal values are very influenced by popular culture and the media. If one is wise, of course, they can distill the essence of what makes the most sense by using their common sense, and values they were raised with. However, when a large part of your target is youth, the youth tend to be more influenced by those in the limelight. And they grow older, with those “values” still ingrained in their psyches. The older I get, the more I am convinced that it takes a concerted effort on the part of parents to instill values in their progeny that aren’t influenced by the media, particularly celebrities. Hopefully, common sense will prevail…at least one hopes.

[ENC 1101] A Plan for Revising my Rhetorical Analysis Paper

2005-12-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

Having reviewed the comments on my Rhetorical Analysis, I found that there weren’t many comments to begin with, and the comments that were submitted were mostly that they thought I did a very good job.

The most helpful criticism was offered by Lisa Marie Seil, who said, “did a great job explaining the site, but you did not do much in the way of critiquing.” I did see tremendous merit in her comment, because after thinking about it, I realized she was essentially correct. My first attempt at explaining the website was to describe, in great detail, the mechanics and the content of the website. This was helpful, I would imagine, in understanding the content and layout of the website, but did not offer any critical analysis.

So, in going back to revamp my first attempt, I will attempt to answer the guideline questions in more detail, with more of my critique added. I need to answer in greater detail, with a lot more explanation of my thought process in reviewing the salient points of the assignment. I realize that critique can, by its nature, be a bit subjective, but no one has to agree with any critic. A critic is there to express an opinion on an aspect, in our case, a few aspects of the presentation of the content of the website, and I will address that critique to a greater extent in my second attempt at my analysis.

[ENC 1101] A topic of my own choosing

2005-11-30T18:48:00.001-08:00

One can not get away from the fact that celebrity is celebrated as a high calling, if not status, and has been for quite a while. This phenomenon dates back to the earliest days of Hollywood, where the studios actively promoted their stars and films, and used all sorts of promotional devices to do so: “gossip” magazines, the latest news on the “stars” and their personal lives, publicity events, and of course, just plain advertising of the movies and the stars.

One can’t help wondering what effect “stardom” has on an actor, when in the course of months or years, your life is no longer your own, but under the close and relentless scrutiny of the general populace, as well as the ‘paparazzi’ who hound you for everything they are worth. Their jobs and their livelihood depend on getting the latest and most revealing picture of the object of their dogged pursuit of a good headline. It is literally their job to hound you and drive you crazy. I am not surprised that some actors develop quite an antipathy for reporters and gossip magazines. Further, a life in the headlines, is impetus for many years of psychoanalysis, when you can’t understand why, when you try to do simple things that “everyman” does, people think you are public property, even a long-time friend you are meeting for the first time. The irony here is that people actually believe you belong to them, and that you should be as they think you should.

Publicists, production company’s, auditions and ‘gigs’ are all part of the arsenal of people whom you must have to create the enterprise one would call “Yourself, Inc.” Some younger entertainers have literally gone so far as to become a business, with clothing, perfumes, musical endeavors, and toys have all become part of the promotion of yourself as a corporate empire. You the actor are your most important product, and not surprisingly, most actors name their enterprise after themselves, or a catchy twist upon their names. Gone are the days when studios took care of every aspect of an actors life: these days the actors have to manage themselves and their careers, and often branch out beyond acting into producing, singing, talk-shows, and as mentioned before, other lines of manufacturing they can tie into.

Personally, I think it very demeaning to place a person on a high pedestal because they are a public personality. They are just a person like anyone else, who is marketing themselves and their images, because that is part of the business of being an actor. You are a marketing campaign, and the craziness of the lifestyle of the rich and famous is part of “doing business.” One must never forget to separate the person from the celebrity. Or to take either of them seriously.

[ENC 1101] The Theme I am following I

2005-11-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

I am following the theme of entertainment websites, which are a unique genre of websites, as they are a reflection of a rather unique industry. Entertainment is a business of creating celebrities. The movies, popular music, high society and sports are all a commodity which must be marketed like any other product which is being sold.

For the arts and entertainment industry, which also includes theatre, you would think “the plays the thing,” as William Shakespeare once said in the play, “Hamlet.” The product they are selling, albeit typically based upon great literature, or at least an original work by a playwright is not the work itself, at least not entirely. The real commodity that sells the work is the actors who star in the play. Some, who are truly devoted to the thespian art, like the works themselves, regardless of who acts in them. Reality sets in, however, and the real determinant of the success of the work, or as is said these days, “project” is the “Q” factor or “Q” score. According to Answers.com, “The Q Score is a way to measure the familiarity and appeal of a brand, company, celebrity, cartoon character or television show. The higher the Q Score, the more well-known and well thought of the item or person being scored is. The Q Score is primarily used by the marketing, advertising and public relations industries.” So, marketing of products is what really drives the entertainment industry. The industry has a product is wants to sell, and it measures the success of that product by how much it sold. The interesting disparity here, is that although a work can be a critical success, and even remain a classical work of art many centuries later, its current success now depends on how much it made at the “box office” this weekend, or period being used as a standard of measurement.

Fame is fleeting, and your “fifteen minutes” may come and go if you are an entertainer, in one form or another. Your fame may last longer as an actor, because you can star in roles representing younger people, or older people. Sports celebrities may only be able to play the game until they reach somewhere near 40 years old, but they then go into broadcasting. But in this world of McDonalds, and “Mc=instant” gratification, you may not be well known for long, but hopefully the work you did will last beyond your lifetime.

[ENC 1101] The site I am reviewing

2005-11-30T18:25:00.000-08:00

The website I am Analyzing

I am analyzing a website called IMDb.com, which stands for Internet Movie Database. It is a reference site for all you want to know about modern entertainment. It covers the latest films, any actor you want to know about, and any video game that is popular today, not to mention the equipment that accompanies them.

There is one thing this site does not cover, and that is theatre. I suppose that theatre, like classical symphony concerts, appeal to a wealthier crowd that can afford tickets that start at $50.00 per event and go up from there. They represent an entirely different audience, and this site only covers that which is the most marketable forms of entertainment for the mass audience today.

There are actors and films in this database that are or have been around since movies began in the early 20th century. They lives are covered in great detail, including all the films they were ever in, a biography of the actor, and typically publicity photos and movie stills. The movie database’s main purpose, however, is to be sort of a “one-stop-shopping” experience for the typical moviegoer these days, and reviews all the latest movies in theatrical release (or soon to be), and all of the movies released to the general public on DVDs. The site is, like any site these days that is worth its salt, replete with the requisite previews of upcoming movies in video form, reviews of the movies, both by site visitors, and professional movie reviewers from outside the purview of this site, accessible by links to their sites.

This isn’t the flashiest site available on the internet, and could use some more “ambience” than it currently has: it reminds one of reading a newspaper or book, with white background pages, and assorted pictures or videos interspersed. But if you want to get information on anyone or any oeuvre in the entertainment industry, from an insider’s point of view, or simply as a movie-going fan in the general populace, this site will avail itself to that purpose.

[ENC 1101] A free post (of my own choosing)

2005-11-20T23:05:00.000-08:00

I’m sitting here racking my brains, trying to think of what to say that is not directly suggested by our esteemed professor, Doc Daisy. Maybe I’ll just compromise, and write something about writing.

I have noticed lately, somewhat by epiphany, that I really like writing. The truth is, I took this course to fulfill an obligation: I needed to take at least 6 credit hours to qualify for my student loans, so I opted for an online English Composition class, led by this rather outspoken professor from the New Orleans area named Daisy Pignetti. She, as I have found in any writer of any kind of material that holds your interest for longer than a nanosecond, has a finely developed sense of humor, a keen wit, and of course, the ability to express some thoughts about a topic and hold your interest. You have to write as though you are telling a story: not merely a collection of facts and events but a description of all of what your senses perceive at that moment in time. It’s very akin to all of your thoughts and feelings and perceptions being expressed on paper, in a way that your reader can understand and relate to.

It goes without saying, that to write well one needs a firm grasp of the fundamentals, such as a well developed mastery of written and spoken English, grammar, good diction, and an ability to express yourself in clear, well-constructed and well-thought-out sentences. I, quite frankly, am amazed at the writing of many people, but especially younger people. I guess my mother was right in constantly being on my case about the way I spoke, and saying what I had to say in a clear, concise manner. It didn’t hurt to have taken a few writing courses along the way, which helped me hone my writing style.

You could say I’ve finally come to the point where I’ve achieved that place that runners refer to as “the zone.” I’ve come to the place where writing is no longer as much a discipline, but a thing that almost propels itself by its own momentum. I eagerly await that point where I can make a habit of writing, and impact a lot of people’s lives with what I say, if not just to make them come away having learned at least one thing new.

[ENC 1101] Reflection on My Community V

2005-11-18T23:03:00.000-08:00

After a little over a month in my community (although it seems like much longer…in fact, it feels several months!), I have come to know a few of the participants in this community somewhat. You could say, I have divined their personalities to where I can tell you somewhat what they are like. I realize I am stretching things a bit, because it is always difficult to measure a person’s entire personae from just reading their writings, but I would say, if you literally “read between the lines,” you learn a lot.

A note to begin with: the names have been changed to protect the guilty, or at least, the devious.

First, there is Mike. He reminds me somewhat of the baby-boomer who went through a “hippie” stage when he was in his 20’s and 30’s: you might say that he is an aging hippie. He has lived with the same woman for over 20 years, and has four children, one who is 30 from his partner’s previous marriage, and three that they have produced. He is a good teacher, but in a very non-pretentious way: you can feel his dry wit throughout his posts. He loves debating things, but he makes it interesting while he does it. I can imagine him with a graying pony-tail, and casual attire: jeans, t-shirt and a denim vest, and either biker’s boots or cowboy boots. Of course, I could be wrong, because he is French, and I don’t know if they ever had “hippies.”

Then there is Gerard, another Frenchman. He is a bit more your conservative type: loves classical music, has taught English for 22 years, and has spoken it for 34 of his 46 years. He has sung choral music for over 20 years as well, and seems to me to be very organized. He and I agreed to correct each other’s foreign languages (his English and my French). It is hard to have a conversation with someone when a) you are speaking in a non-native tongue, and b) you are being corrected…but boy, do you learn quickly that way!

Then, there is Jennifer-Anne. She is your typical non-conformist French woman. Although I don’t now her exact age, I believe she is younger that 40, probably in her later twenties/early thirties. She is still young enough to be “à la mode” or up-to-date on all of popular culture, but she is not a teenager, or a girl just out of college. She has a keen wit, and a robust sense of humor, and is a very secure person who is not afraid to be self-deprecatory of her blondeness, which just adds all the more to her charm. In one of her posts, when she started to go off topic (bad WordReference netiquette) she said, “pardon j'ai laissé mon esprit vagabonder, encore une fois” [Sorry…I let my mind wander again…] I can relate to her wit, and her being able to be self-deprecatory.

Then, there’s Peter. He is a grandfather from Ireland, and he presides over the “English Only” forums. He often times lets the other forer@s in that forum know that, at times, he sees things from a point-of-view of someone who is a bit older. He knows that he is at least a generation ahead of most of the “kids” in the forum. He quotes a lot from the Oxford English Dictionary, and is a good debater of issues and meaning of words in the English language. He also brags about his granddaughter, and admits that, unlike all the younger people, he sees things from the point of view of a parent, even now that his children are all adults. This was made clear in a thread on the dangers of being a young person, especially a woman, traveling on your own in foreign countries. When he responded to that, the father in him came out loud and clear, but in a gentle, comforting way. In a way, Peter is like a wise father to us all.

There are other people I have written about in a previous post, so if you want to know more refer to that one.

Cheers for now.

[ENC 1101] A Peer Review: Amber Herko

2005-11-16T18:35:00.000-08:00

I picked this student because she does what I like to do: report the events, and express the need for neutrality as much as is possible. In her post “Don’t Mind Me.” she describes the reactions of the community over a person requesting information and advise on healing and continuing with life after an abortion. I especially like the fact that, whatever her opinion on the matter, she felt that the members of her community made too much a political issue out of something that was not originally intended to be that way. To quote her from one of her posts:

“I have read several posts that I myself disagree with but I by no means act in an outlandish manner. I respect the opinions of others and it is amazing to me to see the numbers of people that don’t”

Virtuality and its discontents: I think that she might have mentioned that not only is a virtual community a place where people can get together and feel like they belong, but it is beginning to take the place of the getting together with people in the real world. I think the one of communities Sherry Turkle alluded to was insidious as it is not always a representation of reality, but a “false reality” or a fantasy world. When people can get away with verbal rape and molestation, the normal thing to do would be to impute some sort of strong consequences, and not to merely “discuss” how the person should be give a verbal “slap on the hand” and wish him to be castrated. This kind of mentality is very scary, because it trivializes unmitigated sociopathic behavior.

I particularly like the way she draws us in mentioning the very cordial relationship she had with a young man in Ohio, who, sadly, met an early demise. It proves that communities are a place where relationships are formed, albeit in an electronic medium. What I find rewarding about these relationships in when they are “consummated” by meeting the person in the real world.

Overall, I believe Amber is a good story-teller, and whether or not you are interested in the health profession, she makes her stories personal enough so that you can connect on a deeper level than just “ingesting information.” She makes the topic interesting.

My only suggestions would be to pay attention to the rudiments: diction, spelling, and grammar. Otherwise, a good job!

[ENC 1101] A Reflection about my Community IV

2005-11-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

These are to be extended reflections and thoughtful recollections of your observations of the community you joined. What trends, if any, did you see the community discuss over the past 3 weeks? How did you contribute to this community? Or did you just “lurk” and observe without making your presence known? What did you learn about your major course of study or topic of interest from this community? If you had to change communities, tell us when and why.Observing the community, the biggest trend I have seen is that there are many things one can discuss if one wants to know the meaning of a word or phrase, or a cultural custom in another country or language. The words and phrases are legion, and the topics are just as bountiful, and represent just about every aspect of a language you could possibly think about. There are certainly some things that are done as a matter of protocol:

New members of the forum are always greeted with, “Welcome to the Forum, (so-and-so)

Birthdays are celebrated, and all of your “friends” and closest forer@s join in, sometimes in several languages, but mostly whatever language you seem to speak in the most.

Milestones (usually every 1000 posts) are celebrated as well, in the manner described by the birthday celebrations

Any post that is off-topic is moved to the appropriate forum, usually another language or to the “Cultural Issues” forum

Now, as relationships form, especially as you become more familiar with the other forer@s, the type of posts seen seem more like a conversation among friends. As newer members join, the older ones “break them in” and expose them to the culture of the Forum…sort of “showing them the ropes” with the gentleness, and love of an older brother or sister. I should note that forer@s come in all ages, from grade-school to people in their 50s and beyond. There are several very intelligent teenagers who are senior members of this forum.

Now I actively participate in the forums, and am part of several lively (and some not-too-lively) discussions, but some can be quite interesting, as was seen in my post about the word “Bimbo.” These kinds of threads, or discussions, are the most interesting, and can go on for multitudinous postings. I even learned that after a thread reaches 100 posts, it is considered a “Hot Thread.” Some can be very funny, like the “How do you say ‘going to the bathroom” in your language?” to the thread on jokes. Some are poignant, some are matter-of-fact, and some are thought-provoking. Then again, some are just plain “lacking social graces.” These forer@s find themselves gone from the community after a while. There does seem to be some attrition, but I get the feeling that sometimes, some of the forer@s just change screen-names, and thereby, their personae. Even intrigue goes on in the forum. I am sure there are certain groups of forer@s that have multiple identitys, all having a different personality. I can’t proves this, of course, but give me time…Quite a learning experience, being a part of an online community: I would certainly recommend it, especially this forum. What a great way to exchange viewpoints with people from all over the world!

[ENC 1101] A Reflection about my Community III

2005-11-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

There is a few things I have noticed about those who debate the meanings of words:

1) They don’t mince words;
2) They will split hairs, if necessary, to the nth degree
3) They could (and sometimes do) split hairs for an interminably long time.

As a case in point, there was a discussion, in fact, two discussions about what the word “bimbo” translates to in French. Now before you come to your pre-disposed conclusions, the hottest part of the debate was what exactly does “bimbo” mean? Well, the meaning of “bimbo” is more complex in its derivation than you might think, in French or in English. It seems there are many ways to refer to an attractive woman, and in the simplest form, one could say that a “bimbo” was certainly attractive, or at least, tries to be attractive. But let me quote the debate in the forum. One of the first suggestions was to use “plante verte” or “green plant.” Now, this implies that bimbos are “not the brightest light on the tree.” But it is not really complimentary, and implies that, like a plant, this kind of woman is only to look at, and is incapable of expressing intelligent thought. So we move on to the next attempt at translating “bimbo.” But before we do that, I should borrow a quote from a forero who quotes a French actor/comedian, Elie Semoun. He says (and I translate):

“In fact, a green plant rests in the corner without speaking;
A bimbo, however speaks but does so in futility; and there’s often the “belle plante” (beautiful, statuesque) woman…By the way, if you’re blonde with big boobs, I’m interested in you…”

”Belle Plante” is the next term which was discussed, because it was agreed that no woman wanted to be a “plante verte” and be considered a totally brainless ornament. So we moved on to a term which is almost as bad as “plante verte” i.e. “ravissant idiote.” Here, the words literally mean, “A Ravishing Idiot.” … Immense beauty, but, again, little or no mental capacity. Similar terms are une evaporée (literally “evaporated brains” or empty-headed…again not too bright), une potiche (a vase or figurehead). I should add here, that one forero commented, “I myself find that “evaporée” fits perfectly in its place, just before “une potiche.” The next idea was our famous toy ambassador to the world, our famous “Barbie”, the doll. Needless to say, in many ways, the forer@s found her a pretty good example of a “bimbo.” No comment here but let it suffice to say that I won’t argue with it, either.After we left Barbie-land, we moved onto the term “une allumeuse sans cervelle” which literally means “a lighter without brains.” A forera pointed out that

"Technically, if we're only referring to the physical attributes of a bimbo, we would probably say 'une allumeuse" (litterally 'a lighter'... in the sense of she 'turns you on'). It describes someone who triggers and arouse every sexual desire one can have - on purpose if she's manipulative; unconsciously if she's really naive and stupid ^^ - but then refuses to see it through”

The next attempt to come up with an equivalent French term for “bimbo” was one suggested by me, from one of those mechanical “translation” sites, which aren’t always the best alternative. I came up with “minette.” But, it turns out, that a “minette” is, as suggested by the same forera above,

“…a teenaged-girl - or sometimes pre-teen girl, nowadays (a.k.a. a "Lolita") - who's being girly and likes to look handsome and a bit older than she is. A "bimbo" can remain one for [a] long [time] (until she gets a brain of her own or gets too old to be [referred to ]that [way] ^^ ), whereas being a "minette" is normally just a stage..."

The word “Pouffe” was also presented, which suggests a flirtatious (more or less benignly) female, who usually uses her wiles to attract, but no so malevolently as a “Lady of Easy Virtue” might. So, what did we finally come up with (at least as of this writing?) Well, I don’t think there was any official determination made, but I think our good friend the Barbie doll holds the unofficial title of the "Ambassador of Bimbo-dom."

[ENC 1101] Some thoughts of my own

2005-11-11T23:36:00.000-08:00

There are certain things that transcend political boundaries. When you get people together from all around the world, and they begin to communicate, lo and behold! They start acting like a bunch of neighbors, all sharing their thoughts on whatever interests them, all saying “hello” and asking what is the latest news. In this day and age when electronic media have made the world much “smaller”, where the world has become a global community, and is a place where people from all over this planet can share ideas, and viewpoints. Online communities provide a vehicle for just such a thing to take place.When I joined an online community that has as its members people from all over the world, I feel like I have just moved into a “neighborhood” where I have as my “neighbors” people from Hong Kong, China, Latin America, Europe, and of course, even as far as “Down Under” in Australia. I am amazed constantly that, really, we are all basically the same kind of people, being challenged by the same things that confront all people everyday. We all grew up in families where we were raised as kids, we went to school, we graduated, got jobs, made friends, got married, had children, and lived long enough to tell stories about these events. The twist is, someone in China will tell you these stories as though he were your next door neighbor. Although my community has as its mission to discuss language and language-related issues, it seems that, underneath the surface, you will see glimpses of people just being themselves. Nothing is new, and yet everything has changed. I don’t know that it takes a “village” to raise a child: parents are primarily responsible. But you can gain insight from your neighbors, and it’s even more interesting when your “neighbors” come from halfway around the world.

[ENC1101] Observation About the Community II

2005-11-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

There is an interesting phenomenon occurring in this community, and it is a sense of family. When you have “hung out” with the same people in a community long enough, relationships develop. These can take place in the form of friendships, of colleagues, or even, familial. There are certain members who are such close friends that they feel like brothers or sisters, though I must admit this happens among the female members more often than the males. Perhaps it is because women bond more easily and more closely than men, but, as in real life, the forum develops some sisterly bonds. Then, all the other variations of “relationships” take place: brotherly, parental, and just friends. There are older members who are looked upon as surrogate parents, giving out advice to the younger members, especially females, who need advice, or guidance. I am thinking of one instance, where a young lady, wary of the article where an Oregon teen disappeared in Brazil. There was a similar story about a girl disappearing in similar way just weeks earlier. She was afraid her parents might be being bits overprotective, and wanted advise from the forum. This took place, by the way, in the “Cultural Issues” forum. There were younger women who took a sisterly role, and discussed how they had had similar experiences, and offered some practical advice on how, and through what programs, she might travel to. Another young lady, who lives in Barcelona, Spain, said she could understand, because her parents felt similarly. She, in the end, said, basically, if your ever in Barcelona, you have a place to stay. The older forer@s, who are either near her parents age, or who are younger parents, expressed the same sentiment: they understood how she felt, but they wished her all the best of luck. In the end, that particular discussion brought out the family in all of us. This is one of the benefits of an online forum: relationships. Even though these people may never meet in real life, there is a sense of family that develops after time. In fact, some of the forer@s meet each other in real life as well.

[ENC 1101] Flash Mob: Happening for Internetters(Link)

2005-11-10T21:12:00.000-08:00

A phenomenon appeared in May 2003, in New York city. A bunch of people were alerted, via the internet and proscribed means of communication, to meet at a certain place and time for the purpose of temporarily disrupting the flow of everyday life. These are called flash mobs. They happen very briefly, and just as quickly they disappear. They serve no real political, economic, or social purpose other than the fact that, to the participants, they are just something fun and unusual to do.There were a few organized flash mobs in the summer of 2003, literally all over the world, including major cities in the Netherlands, Amsterdam, Great Britain, Europe, and the United States. There are a few umbrella organizations that support such flash mobs, and they have web sites, which anyone who is interested can peruse and use to participate in the activities of these flash-mobbers.

Shortly after the initial flash-mobs took place, other organizations began to think of political, economic, artistic or social uses for these gatherings. There can even be instances of “anti-mobs” where a certain pre-agreed upon locale will be suddenly empty for a pre-determined amount of time.The implications of this phenomena are varied, but the basic idea of many people gathering, unannounced to the general public, can be unnerving as well as exciting, but is certainly a force to be reckoned with, be it for a good cause or a bad one.

[ENC 1101] Cyberselfish (Link)

2005-11-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

Paulina Borsook is a product of what she calls a “cyber-libertarian” family. This was the baby-boomer generation’s parents, who grew up on the New Deal, liked Peter, Paul, and Mary, and most importantly, hate government. They started their careers in the late 1950’s and 1960’s, and made a lot of money for their efforts. In the author’s case, these were engineers and technical people in Silicon Valley, the area in Northern California near San Francisco, where many high-tech companies got their start and later thrived. The problem is, as many short-sighted, liberal geeks; they were opposed to government regulation of their industry, especially in the area of environmental impact. While these “cyber-libertarians” appreciated civil rights, women’s rights, liberal views of sex and relationships, and even government funded entitlement programs, they were ultimately only out to make their fortune, and disregard anyone else, except those of their ilk. These same people believe in the power of private industry to make the world a better place. Yet they ignore the fact that most technology companies, especially at the time this article was written, were selling a lot of consumer information to attract more customers for other industries. Silicon Valley technocrats also ignore the harmful effects of such industry, in particular, the toxic nature of the computer chip/semiconductor manufacturing technology. The common mindset is to outsource this process in offshore operations, where regulation is not as strict, therefore bypassing the US Government’s regulations. The irony is, that the brightest technologists from foreign countries come to the US because it is such an environmentally safe and pristine country. It is interesting to note that those in these technologically-oriented professions are very un-altruistic, and even make spending money a gaudy, crass undertaking, such as buying a lot, gutting the structure that was previously there, and building an even bigger one which takes up the whole lot, looking ridiculously out-of-place and tacky.If we are not careful, we will become enamored of the products of this industry, ignoring the fact that it routinely thumbs its nose at those government regulations that maintain a healthy and orderly society, and only gives back those things electronic.

[ENC 1101] The Rise of the Electronic Community (Link)

2005-11-10T19:45:00.000-08:00

The Rise of the Electronic Community

In the early 1990’s the internet as was just beginning to become a force beyond mere academia, and started to expand to the rest of the world. Business, realizing the potential of the internet, decided to capitalize on this, and develop the idea of online communities. Until this point, business marketing had been producer oriented, who would choose when, where how and why consumers bought products. However, the internet was enabling the average consumer to become the one in the driver’s seat, by providing more information on what, where, how and when to buy. The next step in this process was to simply make the whole consumption process, one smooth, easy and interactive experience. If a customer did not have to venture out of his house to buy a new one, more people would be inclined to buy houses more often. Buy aggregating all the steps necessary to buy a product, the entire process could be handled by an interactive, graphical user interface that collects all the necessary information, and sends it to lending banks, credit reporting agencies, real-estate companies and agents, and views or tours of the houses themselves in virtual reality. Business call this process aggregation, or putting all the steps together. Before this happens, certain fundamental consumer needs must be addressed. They are as follows:

Knowledge: consumers like to know everything about the product or products they are considering before they buy it.
Interaction: as mentioned before, if you can take a virtual tour of a house, or take a new car for a virtual drive, without having to leave your living room, you will have saved yourself time and aggravation
Networking: people like to interact with each other, and online communities allow you to do just that: compare notes with others and their experiences about the product or service you are interested
Sensory Experience: sight and sound are key elements of our taking in the world around us. They also help influence us in our buying decisions.
Ubiquity: we no longer need to worry about where to get product or services information: the web makes all kinds of information available from a great deal of sources
Aggregation: again, this is where all the steps involved in the consumer process are lumped together, making them “transparent” to the consumer
Customization: taking a questionnaire about all that a consumer desires, and developing a custom solution to their need, taking the “guesswork” out of the process.

In order to profit the most from the online market segment, companies have to revamp, revitalize, and even cannibalize previously profitable parts of their business. It’s a brave new world that will wait for no one. The sooner companies jump on this bandwagon, the better their chances for maximizing the potential the internet has to offer.

[ENC 1101] Technology, Community, Humanity and the Net (Link)

2005-11-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

Howard Rheingold considers himself a “critical friend of technology.” To explain what that means, he starts us with the point in time at which oral traditions were being replaced by storing knowledge in books. The human interaction and the glory of the debate were lost. Societies prior to the Gutenberg printing press used to gather as a community, and listen to a traveler passing through to get the latest news of what was going on beyond their immediate village. However when knowledge was written down, it reached a much wider audience. People began to be exposed to ideas, philosophies, and cultures outside their own, yet with which they could sympathize. The global village was born. The world through the printed word has joined virtually every village in the world and exposed us to how other people and societies think.

The internet has caused the same type of revolution, except it in all contained within the world of bits and bytes. One can spend a great deal of time “hunched over computer screens.” It would seem that only those who are either “antisocial geeks” or otherwise unable to function in the real world would inhabit the virtual community rather than participate in real life. Yet, there are things that only virtual communities can provide that the real world has a more difficult time accomplishing: the “exposure” is much greater. Due to the fact that the internet can literally reach people all over the world, more people are exposed to what goes on anyplace in the world. I’ve heard of cases where people whose children or themselves may have had a very unusual or rare disease, and by going online, can find others who may be going through the same situation. Not only can resources be shared, but funds can be raised, and awareness be expanded to a very profitable level.Where one may find very few people who share in your point of view in your local community, there may be, literally all over the world, a lot more people who can relate to, or share your viewpoint. So if you are “[a person who lives] in an isolated [area], or “the only gay teenager in a small town,” or “[a person] trying to escape abusive relationships,” you can find empathy or help in the online community and the online society, which knows no borders.

[ENC 1101] Virtuality and its Discontents (Link)

2005-11-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

Our world has been changing in many ways since the advent of the internet. Once the domain of only academia and technologists, the internet has, due to the proliferation of Internet Providers making it available to virtually (no pun intended) all Americans (and people all over the world), many more subscribers. These are people who once used to meet in their favorite pub or other such meeting place. Now, the internet has introduced us to the phenomenon of the MUD, or Multi-User Dungeon (or Domain), which has become a very real virtual reality, wherein lies the rub. Typically populated by bright, college graduates who are disenfranchised with their real lives, MUDS are places where one can create one’s own little world, replete with virtual “real estate”, or rooms of their own design, where they can set the rules of engagement, and pets or servants in the form of “bots.” A “bot” or robot, is a computer programs that “presents itself as a personality.” The interaction between characters in these virtual social clubs is lively, and seems to be where the virtual personalities can express those thoughts and ideas that would be stifled in Real Life (RL). The participants may lead a dreary life in the Real World, but can express ideas, notions, and even emotions they would not express in reality. There are even instances of where such social aberrations as murder and rape occur. What makes this fascinating is how the consequences for such behavior play out. When a virtual character gets raped in one chat room, the crime is then taken up in a forum, where the consequences were debated. In the end, the victim “called both for ‘civility’ and ‘virtual castration.”

There are benefits to virtual “gathering places” and there are pitfalls. While the virtual reality may provide us with a forum or venue for discussing our personal, political or social viewpoints, and generate discussion about what we should do in real life, it will never take the place of real life. It can only accomplish so much…the rest has to be experienced. As an example, contrast a computer simulation of a rafting trip down the Colorado River to the real experience. One can learn a great deal about the experience in the virtual experience, very much like pilots learn about flying through a flight simulator. In the end, however, the experience must be realized in real life, so that the theory and the practice mesh. Life in virtual reality, is this writer’s humble opinion, is not a substitute for the real thing.

Reference:
Sherry Turkle. “Virtuality and Its Discontents.” The American Prospect 7.24 (December 1, 1996)

[ENC 1101] Observations of My Community

2005-11-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

My community is primarily a community for translating words and ideas from one language to another. The members comprise an international community, including Asia, Europe, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Latin America, and Canada. There are others, but these are the majority. There seem to be slightly more women that men. It is interesting that this community is based in the Washington, D.C. suburb of McLean, Virginia. I think this is very apropos, because D.C. is the political capitol of the United States, and our link to the rest of the world. The age-range goes almost the gamut. The youngest “forera” (the community’s unofficial name for its members) was, I believe a young lady of nine years old, and the oldest I know of are in their 50’s and older, (present company included . You get members with wisdom beyond their years, and of course those whose maturity may not match their years, but in the end, it certainly makes for an interesting environment

Most of what is being said in the language forums is related to translations of words and phrases in other languages. The objective is not so much a translation, but the most appropriate way to translate something. There are very long discussions about what a phrase means, and how you would best translate it, what words you would use, which words or phrases infer this or that meaning. Some discussion may go as long as 50 posts. In these discussions, every nuance of the precise grammar and meaning of what is said is discussed with painstaking thoroughness.

Let me give an example or two of just how funny cultural differences are.In America, to be “pissed” is a short form of the way to express one’s anger or annoyance. In England, however, it means to be drunk. However, this is usually clarified when one says, “pissed off”, which always denotes anger or annoyance in either country.

In England, someone can “knock you up” at a certain hour, and they are not trying to make you pregnant…they are simply stopping by your house or room for a visit.

In French, a term of endearment is “Ma Chou,” which literally means “cabbage.” I suppose it would be akin to our saying “pumpkin” to someone with whom we feel endeared. There is a line of thinking that “chou” is short for “chou à la crème” which is a very rich dessert. Although, one French “forera” argued that there is no reason why terms of endearment should always refer to sweet things…why can’t we call someone we love, “ma choucroute” (sauerkraut), or “mon broccoli” (my broccoli)? I can’t argue with that one necessarily—I’m more into savory than sweet, anyway! (In my humble opinion)…but wait, there is more. The French also like calling loved ones “ma puce” (my flea), or “ma doudou.” I will quote a forera on this one: “Doudou I suppose comes from ‘doux’ (soft, sweet). Here kids have a "doudou", which is their stuffed animal (We'd say "teddy" or "stuffed animal," they say doudou.” Needless to say, in English it sounds like what an animal leaves behind after doing its business. (Ughhh!) But I digress…

There is also a forum named “Cultural Issues”, in which those issues cultural and how they apply in one’s country are discussed. These topics cover from those as sensitive as racism, to those which are as light and entertaining as “in what Latin country do the men flirt the best?” [Note: I don’t know that there was a definite winner, but I think it safe to say that mean from all countries whose language is derived from Latin are good flirts, especially those who speak Spanish]. This is a good place to exchange cultural issues specific to your country, and to juxtapose them against practices in other parts of the world. You find some very interesting perspectives on, for example, “What English sounds like to people who speak in a different tongue.” There are also forums for words that revolve around a theme, like words or phrases all based upon a color, the sky, slang, or something similar. There is a forum for specialized terminology in the Spanish-English forum. You can pretty much cover any term or word of phrase for whatever application in the WordReference Forums.

In order to interact with the 'foreros' directly, I also decided to take a bit of a survey with about five members. I asked the following questions:

What is/are your profession(s) (This is interesting, because there are more than just translators/teachers in this forum!)?

Why did you join the WR forums?

What forums do you most frequently visit?

What do you like talking about the most?

Who/What few forero/as do you like talking with the most?

I got responses from Cuchflete, Venusenvy, Agnès E., and Timpeac. I will describe these members and their responses to the questions:

Cuchuflete:

The most prolific contributor is a gentleman who lives in Maine, and goes by the screen name of Cuchflete. He seems to be fluent in English and Spanish. He has made over 10,000 posts, and has been in the forums for over a year. He averages over 23 posts per day, and needless to say, is quite the contributor to the forums, mostly the cultural,” English Only,” and Spanish-English forums. He is also a moderator, which, of course, means that he enforces forum “netiquette.” And, I have noticed, he tries to maintain “calm” in the discussions, because they can get pretty heated, at times.

He answered the question thus:

What is/are your profession(s) (This is interesting, because there are more than just translators/teachers in this forum!)?
Retired Director of product development for a Fortune 200 company...logistics software. Also, in non-existent spare time, taught modern Latin American literature at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Have been a handy man for a slum lord, a postman, a rare book dealer, and an international management consultant, marketing and corporate stategy, in other incarnations.Now, I'm a daylily hybridizer and blackberry grower in a tiny village in Maine.

Why did you join the WR forums?
By accident! I used the dictionary, and had a look at the forums when they opened a little over a year ago. I enjoyed participating, so I've stayed.

What forums do you most frequently visit?
[Spanish] “Vocabulario General,” “English Only,” “Portuguese/EN[glish] and “Cultural Issues.”, I do frequent a Spanish literary forum also.

What do you like talking about the most?
Language and politics and education.

Who/What few “forero/as” do you like talking with the most?
As a senior Mod, I cannot show any favoritism, so I'm afraid I can't answer this one.

“Cuchu” also added some thoughts from his interest in jazz, probably noting my moniker (“JazzByChas”)

Ray Brown was my favorite bass player, and Dexter Gordon my favorite tenor sax man. Danilo Pérez and Paquito D'River are other musicians I really admire, along with Brazilian guitarist Paulinho Nogueira. [We have, of course, continued with this conversation…]

Timpeac:

Now Timpeac is a gentleman from England who is seen in the English, Cultural Issues, and the French-English forums. He is a senior member and joined WR the 5th January, 2005, and has posted (thus far) 2987 messages, averaging about 10 posts a day. I appreciate his no-nonsense approach to life, and typical British sense of humor. As a moderator, he also must be a voice of reason. I however have interacted with him offline, and I know his crazier sense of humor!

His answers to the questions (and note the bullets ):

What is/are your profession(s) (This is interesting, because there are more than just translators/teachers in this forum!)?
- Financial accountant (at a European headquarters so languages are useful)

Why did you join the WR forums?
- Interested in keeping up my foreign languages and interested in language generally so interested in the English discussions too.

What forums do you most frequently visit?
- English and French/English forums.

What do you like talking about the most?
-Subtleties of translation - the translation of ideas and how those ideas are expressed differently by different languages, and by different people within the same language.

Who/What few forero/as do you like talking with the most?
- Anyone who is interested in a slightly more general discussion than "what is the right answer to this".
[I think that was the most interesting answer if have heard yet…definitely along my line of thinking!]

VenusEnvy:

VenusEnvy has been in the forum for a little over a year, and has made 4,870 total posts, which averages about 11 posts per day. She is not a moderator (at least not under this name), but she is obviously quite prolific as well. From what I have seen, she approaches the forums as a teacher would: to try to educate the members there of the meaning of and the grammar behind the words…she likes to clarify points. She answered the questions thus:

What is/are your profession(s) (This is interesting, because there are more than just translators/teachers in this forum!)?
Ufh! I just recently changed jobs. Hmmm..At the moment, I wait tables, and am a student. I also teach GED classes two nights a week.

Why did you join the WR forums?
I had been using the WR dictionary for a long time before I realized that this site also had a forum. At the time, though, the forum had only been around for a month or two. I joined in the hope of soaking up information about Spanish from natives and other learners. My first few questions were in response to others, asking for help with English.

What forums do you most frequently visit?
Well, I visit the following WR forums in order from most visited:
Spanish General Vocabulary
Spanish Grammar
English Only
Cultural Forum
Glossaries Forum
Comments and Suggestions
Congrats Forum (a forum for members reaching milestones, typically every thousand posts. I have heard a phrase of congratulations, “Happy Post-iversary” said on these occasions)
French Themed Lists

What do you like talking about the most?
Goodness, what a tough question. I love to talk about colloquial usages of languages (particularly Spanish and English). I also really enjoy explaining my own language (English), in addition to sharing cultural experiences with others.

Who/What few forero/as do you like talking with the most?
[…] Every member brings [a little] something…to the forum, and I enjoy talking to EVERYONE. Needless to say, the “foreros” that have been around the longest are whom I feel a little "closer" to. However, there are some newer members who have really grown on me. I don't feel comfortable picking out names only because there are so many foreros that I enjoy talking to.

Agnès E. :

Now, Madame Agnès, who is a moderator, has been around for since the 24th of February, 2005. She has made 4,008 total posts, and averages 16 posts per day. Agnès is a native of France, and French is her first language. Her replies:

What is/are your profession(s) (This is interesting, because there are more than just translators/teachers in this forum!)?
[I am a ] part-time (paid) translator, part-time (free) mod [in the] WR forums, [and a] full-time (most rewarded) mom & wife. [I agreed with her on being a spouse and a parent…I like them both, and find them very rewarding!]

Why did you join the WR forums?
I was searching [the] WR dictionary when I saw the reference to the forum. I had a look and never left!!

What forums do you most frequently visit?
French-English, English only, Congrats.

What do you like talking about the most?
My favorite way to participate to WR is to help people, to explain the meaning of a phrase or a word to someone who is learning French.

Who/What few forero/as do you like talking with the most?
Sorry, I won't reply to this question.

As you can see, my little cross-section of WordReference land represents a diverse group of people with diverse interests. I have found my experience very interesting, thus far!

[ENC 1101] The sound of English

2005-10-28T23:56:00.000-07:00

It is late on Friday night, and being the “old codger” that I am, I find myself typing this blog instead of, say, going out and painting the town red. But, I am content…I have been in my 20’s and sowed my wild oats, and the wife and I are very busy dealing with four boys, so we savor those quiet moments we can just be still and think.

The question was asked “What does English sound like to you?” And the people I was “talking” with had various opinions, mostly in favor of the sound of British English. In my opinion I think I'll agree with the census, and say that British English is much more pleasant on the ears than American English. I spent 4 years in England when I was young, and when I had been back in the "States" for a few years, it occurred to me that I really missed the accent. And for the record, most dialects of American English sound very nasal to me...obviously more pronounced in the North Cost and Midwest areas of the USA. I have also noticed that Americans of European descent are this way more often than not. By that I mean of European descent and having had their families spend 2 or more generations here. I prefer hearing almost anyone (except Eastern Asians...their English sounds a bit choppy) speak English than "born and raised" Americans...(could not say native Americans, or that would refer to what we used to call American Indians). I find that Middle Asian Indians (from India) speak the most interesting sounding English. It combines the musicality of British English with the staccato of Spanish. Not to mention their proclivity for using the present progressive tense a great deal. "I am wanting to know if you are having any fresh milk today." The sad part is when their children, who are born and raised in this country, become "Americans" who sound just like all those other (nasal) Americans

Now African Americans, other than those raised in those areas where people speak in nasal accents, tend to have their own timbre, which is a little more rich in tone, though I couldn't tell you exactly why.

Now, the most interesting sounding American accent is that old New York or Boston "Brahman", (that you used to hear a lot in old American movies from the 1930’s and 1940’s) which, oddly (or not) enough, sounds a lot like British English, especially upper class British English. So, I guess, at the end of the day, the Brits win!

“Rule Britannia!,” for the accent is mightier than the sword!

[ENC 1101] French Sexism...more thoughts

2005-10-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

Now...in all fairness, I imagine I should also say, that we in America can be just as offensive, in fact we are equal opportunity offenders: females can be just as offensive as males. It is just that we have been changed by the womens movement and political correctness to the point that, unless you want to suffer the repercussions of being offensive, you usually don't. With the heightened sense of Sexual Harassment enforcement in the workplace, being sexist or offensive (certainly in the workplace) is becoming something one cannot get away with without acute repercussions. View this example concerning Fox news anchorman/pundit Bill O'Reilly and Andrea Mackris, a news producer for the Fox television network.

What people say in the marketplace is under close scrutiny: one has to carefully mind one's "p's and q's." Intimate company in an intimate setting is usually a safe place to express yourself in a more suggestive manner...or is it? One has to be careful even in private situations...Date Rape has also become an issue in this great land of ours. Date Rape, which is described as "...rapes against women [which] are committed by men that know their victims" by the University of South Florida's Counseling Center for Human Development, makes the victimizing of women (or in very rare cases, men) that much harder to do.

So what do you say to a member of the opposit sex who you know and like? Whatever you want, but carefully...

Chas.

[ENC 1101] Thoughts on French sexism and male-bias

2005-10-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

Having been in the Wordreference.com forums for a little while, I need to record some observations. There is a noticeable predilection towards gender-bias in the French culture and language. Men seem to fare better than women, who are viewed, by context of the actual observations I have seen by French women in the forum, as “second class” citizens.

There is one common starting point that I have noticed in my many years of studying the French language: the term for wife. A French man is a husband (mari), yet a French woman is a man’s woman (femme) To be one’s woman, in my humble opinion, infers ownership, like having a pet. I remember a conversation with a moderator who is acquainted with French literature and history. I had made a remark about being “a gentlewoman and a scholar.” She was remarking that there was irony in the fact that there were no women scholars in historical France, because a woman was assumed to be only given to affairs of the house, and the raising of children. As in our country, things are changing, but more slowly. To quote again, "...Il n'y a pas vraiment d'équivalent à "Ms" en français... mais je suis sûre que les féministes y travaillent ! ("There is really not an equivalent term for "Ms." in French...but I'm sure that the feminists are working on it!")

Another observation is that men can age well, but women don’t. There can be a “vieux beau” for a handsome mature gentleman, but there is not equivalent for an pretty/attractive mature woman (vieille belle). To quote, “…French is a rather sexist language... we use vieux beau for an ex-handsome man who is still convinced to have kept all his charming features, but we don't use vieille belle..."

Even with the younger generation, there are different terms for member of the opposite who are attractive, e.g. a young man would be described by a young woman as: "Il est potable" (Roughly, “He is cute”) A young woman would be described by a young man as "Elle est mettable" (“She is desirable”). The language objectifies women or reduces them to being functional, rather than personal.

In French, there is no Political Correctness. As an example, there are still separate terms for male and female vocations.

“Acteur” and “Actrice” (Actor);

Aviateur, Aviatrice (Aviator)

Fermier, Fermière (Farmer)

and the list goes on an on. To quote another ”forero” or forum member, “...[attitudes toward women are] what some call gender stereotyping, and others maybe call chivalry. The French attitude to relations between the sexes could be called postmodern, but only from the outside.” What is being said is that French males disguise gender stereotyping as “chivalry.”

’Nuff said.

[ENC1101] Thoughts on Ethnographies

2005-10-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

Ethnography

Ethnography is a participative study of a community or a culture, whereby the researcher participates directly in the community or culture being studied. The researcher participates in the rituals and events that occur within a culture, and makes constant notes on what is being observed. The purpose of the ethnography is to better understand the population being studied, by garnering information about the key players in the culture, the main elements of the community’s values, traditions, ceremonies, problems, and the future goals of that culture

The most important preliminary step in an ethnography is choosing a population to study. The community should be a well-defined group, typically with a strong underlying raison d’être, or unifying philosophy. Further, the community under study should be one with which the researcher is not previously familiar, so that there will be not predisposition to interpret the information about that community with a bias.

The following are suggestions that will help narrow the scope of the ethnography, thereby insuring better success.

Narrow the characteristics of the community you are studying. Try to find a very clear underlying characteristic that describes this community;

Determine what literature is available about this community

Determine if there is a viable way to participate in this culture. If you have nothing in common with the members of this community, or if the “entrance requirements are “too difficult,” consider participating in another

Determine if there are documents relevant to this community that you can access to determine the communities goals, problems, and power relations

Determine what methods you will use to gather facts

Craft a schedule for going about your information gathering; having a timeline will help you keep organized, and your goals more attainable

If possible, research the community before you participate in it, so that you will be at advantage when you enter the community of not being totally without a clue

A successful ethnographer has a few other strategies for conducting successful research. He or she determines the best way to observe the community, and gather the most pertinent information. Second, as observations are being made of the community, notes are taken spontaneously so that no information is forgotten, and can be reviewed at a later time. Further, any insight gained should be added to one’s notes, also spontaneously, so that the information is fresh and insightful. Also, the best style of questions are journalistic questions, such as:

Who are the key actors I the culture

What key events take place that give the most insight into values, rituals, and problems (and their resolutions)

Where is the culture and what is the appearance of the environment

Is there a chronology to the events that happen in the community, and what is the significance to the order of events

Why do events occur

While gathering data, things to be considered are quantitative measurements, recording and analysis of patterns, and not counting out subjective data. If the group has any objects that are common to it, that have significance, record this. Always try to identify the key players in this community. They influence the opinions and actions of others in the community, and give the best indication of how the community functions. Any customs or rituals that take place in a culture also give a good indication about what is important to a community and how they influence the community. They reveal a lot about what is important to the communities structure, and values.

Finally, there comes a point in time when you must draw your research to a close, and being creating formal observations. These observations will, of course, be as factual as possible, but in order to make your observations more interesting, some interpretation of the events observed will not only evoke some response on the part of the reader, but will pique some interest as well. Just facts, in and of themselves, are rather dry and meaningless. Readers of an accounting of an event or subject will also want to know what the facts mean. A good ethnographer will do as well at explaining the events as just “reporting” them.

[ENC 1101] Thoughts on Field Research

2005-10-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

Field Research

Field Research is a formal methodology for researching a population and to gather information about this population. This information can be obtained from a variety of sources, including in-person interviews, literature both in writing and on the internet; and surveys. The end result of this research is to come to some conclusions about the population being studied, citing facts and information gathered about object of the study. In order to keep the scope of this project manageable, the purpose of the study must be concisely defined.

Since the studies of populations involve gathering information about people, one must make sure the subjects are aware of what you are doing. One method of being sure one is not disclosing any private information or information of a sensitive nature, is by getting the participants to sign a release form, so the participant is aware of what information they are allowing to be released to a larger population.

The actual interviewing process can be done in at least four ways:

Oral histories or stories about life in the past;

Expert testimonies, or testimonies of famous or high-profile persons, who are usually more knowledgeable than most;

Slice-of-life profiles or the interview with the “man/woman on the street;"

Memorable quotes or something said in an unusual or clever way that supports your work, and;

Participant construct interviews, where the participants are giving information about a subject outside of their immediate circumstances

Interviews themselves can be done under a few venues, such as face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, or surveys, either written or online.

The accuracy of your survey is dependant upon the number of contributors participating. The ideal is to interview all parties involved with the subject of interest. However, as this is usually difficult or impossible to accomplish, getting a sample, or representative population is a traditional method, of representing the whole by the part. Stratified samples are representative samples where you pick the population in the same proportions as the general population. There are occasions when one may want to “test the waters” by conducting a “pre-test survey” for the purpose of getting a feel for how clear your questions are, and how well the participants respond to them. This ensures a successful survey later on.

In response to AdminSupervisor

2005-10-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

See AdminSupervisors Site

In response to a post by this person, I thought I'd post a thought of my own.

I imagine that what I really enjoy is learning about life from observing what I have gone through, and trying to learn from it. Just watching other people fail gives me no pleasure, nor does it make me feel better about myself. If someone is going through a difficult time, I suggest that they figure out why they have gotten into the habit of doing whatever it is that makes them feel bad or do destructive things, and try to come up with ways to change that behavior. That way, the things that are detriments to their lives will be the impetus for their lives becoming better.

Just a Thot.

Chas

[ENC 1101] Why I joined the WordReference Forums Community

2005-10-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

I thought originally to find a forum that was dedicated to language and linguistics. I found a formal blog whose origin is in the United Kingdom (Great Britain). This forum left me feeling like an outsider, mainly because I do not live in Great Britain, and there are certain cultural aspects of that blog that I cannot quite grasp. It was, I guess you could say, a bit of culture shock. I searched other blogs, but they were either bordering on the pornographic, or were just an excuse for a dating club. I realize that there is always some flirting, love interest, and yes, even relationships that form, as they used to say in the chat rooms, "in the real world." But I chose WordReference.com forums, because they reflect every interest I really have: language, linguistics, and cultural issues. I happened onto this community by happenstance, because at first glance, WordReference.com is just a translating site, which describes itself as a place where

“…more than 20,000 registered members help one another with questions about grammar, style, linguistics, slang, etymology, pronunciation and translation of words and phrases. We provide annotated resources listings for Spanish, French and Italian, and have a Specialized Terminology forum for English and Spanish translators and other professionals in areas such as Medicine, Law, Finance and Technology. If you need more than a dictionary definition or translation, please join this language community.”

But I also discovered that they have forums which you can become a member of. This proved useful to me, especially since linguistics is a study of how the culture affects language, this works well for me. Further, what they don’t say, and what I have observed about this forum is, that like most online communities, there are sorts of forums within the forum, including one on cultural issues, of which, some that I perused looked rather fascinating. I figure that the people who need to know about the effects and nuances of language will provide interesting insight into not only their linguistic interests, but will reveal a lot about personalities, cultures, and themselves, and I am always a student of the human race. The casual observer sees a bunch of language related forums, where members are rated on their longevity: There are junior members, members, senior members, members who have made multiple thousands of posts, and moderators of the various forums, who, of course, enforce the forum’s netiquette. There are small touches that add to the personality of the forum, like avatars for your posts, Personal Messages, and a signature. Some of the signatures and avatars reveal a lot about the psyche of the members. This community has been around for at least 4 or 5 years (ref: Copyright ©2000 - 2005, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd), so it must be doing something right. I has a very robust membership, and there are rules of engagement: not only the requisite observances of netiquette, but rules of the “club,” such as moving non-language related questions to a cultural type forum. This forum is a well-oiled machine functioning smoothly and efficiently.

2005-10-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

Now, not to be self-promoting, but I will anyway. Here is an anabashed, unmitigated, shameless plug. The wife and I are also technically minded, and do a lot of web and computer type stuff. If you want to see an example of our web site click below:

Cheers,

Chas.

[ENC 1101] A subject I would like to pursue

2005-10-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

During this semester in my English Composition Class, I would like to pursue the cultural difference and perceptions as expressed in the language and practices of differenct cultural and ethnic groups in America, the land of the free and the home of the culturally diverse.

[ENC 1101] Reflection on Blogging

2005-10-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

I read Esther Scott's arcitle, “Big Media Meets the’Bloggers’: Coverage of Trent Lott’s remarks at Strom Thurmond’s Birthday Party.” I am quoting from her article throughout this posting. Ms. Scott states that Web logs, or “Blogs” are not a new medium: they have been around since at least the early 1990’s. They were, like the internet, at first, the domain of a few nerds who know who to use the internet to air their opinions. After “free blogger” software was available, web logs became a very commonplace occurrence. The idea of a blog is very simple: they are basically "described as 'running online journals', 'personal op-ed pages on the internet', and a 'hybrid form of journalism/commentary/conversation'". There are no specific rules or protocol to follow. As of late, there is a common practice of placing entries in a blog in descending chronological order. As the author says, "“By the early years of the 21st century, they had acquired a number of characteristic features: multiple daily postings in ‘reverse chronology’ – i.e. last one first; links to other relevant sites; ‘blogrolls’ – i.e. links to other recommended blogs; archives of past postings; and a comment section for readers.”

Blogs were mostly considered a personal domain. However, in December of 2002 , blogs took on a more significant position, as they took on a life of their own in the coverage of Strom Thurmond’s 100th birthday party. Senator Trent Lott, a Republican from Mississippi, practiced extraordinarily bad judgment, and said, “I want to say this about my state. When Strom Thurmond ran for president [in 1948], we [voters from Mississippi] voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these years either.” What was more extraordinary than the fact that he made such an racist remark, was that the press, all but ignored the remark. Well known blog sites, however, ran with the remark. Not bound by journalistic bureaucracy, blogger’s can express their views any way they want, as eloquently as they want. After two or three of the more well-know blog sites, i.e. “Talkingpointsmemo.com,” “Atrios.blogspot.com,” and “Instapundit.com” drew attention to this event, the major media establishments published this story. The bloggers had actually pushed the story from a forgotten few sentences on the inside pages of a few newspapers, to being published in major newspapers and media outlets, and led to the ultimate resignation of Trent Lott. Blogs gained a place in the journalistic world, and a modicum of legiticimacy.

Reference:
Scott, Esther. "Big Media Meets the’Bloggers’: Coverage of Trent Lott’s remarks at Strom Thurmond’s Birthday Party.” Kennedy School of Government Case Program. Harvard University Press 2002. 13 Oct 2005 . (See Original Article)

What is in a blog?

2005-10-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my first posting, and I don't know exactly what I want to say, so I will just briefly say, "Hi!"

Chas.