The Blonde Brunette

News Flash!

2004-05-05T15:40:00.000-05:00

All my non-existent readers out there may have noticed that I haven't exactly been updating regularly lately. I've decided to start writing again, and in a fit of decisiveness I've moved to a new blog where I will hopefully have more luck posting on a daily basis. Check me out here: Peppermint Tea.

All hail Kacie-sama!

2004-04-05T12:55:00.000-05:00

I'd like to thank everyone who helped me win this award: my mother, my brother, my dog, the guy that makes the wonderful fried ice cream in the cafeteria, the...

You are a GRAMMAR GOD!

If your mission in life is not already to
preserve the English tongue, it should be.
Congratulations and thank you!

How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I knew all those grammar classes would pay off some day!

2003-12-30T14:12:00.000-06:00

You are glucose. People feed off of you. You are
sweet, caring, and a source of energy for
everyone around you. You can inspire others
with your creativity and depth, and you can
keep people alive when in times of famine.
People love you...or at least the way you
taste.

Which Biological Molecule Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Isn't that cute?

"Indians": Textualism, Morality, and the Problem of History

2003-11-13T14:39:00.000-06:00

Jane Tompkins discusses one of the greatest problems faced by historians today, that of biased sources, in her essay "'Indians': Textualism, Morality, and the Problem of History". As she attempted to research American colonial history, she could not discover a source that did not somehow distort the facts to fit their viewpoint. Settlers that sought to discourage further settlement wrote to their relatives not to come to America, for it was full of vicious and bloodthirsty Indians; others who wanted further settlement described the Native Americans as childlike and ignorant, in need of evangelism. Every account of the events differs slightly, depending on the perspective of the author. Yet these are our only sources of what really happened!

I firmly agree with Tompkins's criticism of perspectivism in history. "The notion that all facts are only facts within a perspective has the effect of emptying statements of their content. Once I had Miller and Vaughan and Jennings, Martin and Hudson, Axtell and Heard, Rowlandson and Wood and Whitaker, and Kupperman; I had Europeans and Indians, ships and canoes, wigwams and log cabins, bows and arrows and muskets, wigs and tattoos, whiskey and corn, rivers and forts, treaties and battles, fire and blood--and then suddenly all I had was a metastatement about perspectives. The effect of bringing perspectivism to bear on history was to wipe out completely the subject matter of history." She emphasizes that, no matter how much the accounts may differ, a certain event DID happen. The facts exist somewhere; we're just going to have to find someway to divide the bias from the truth in historical accounts. She admits that she cannot think of a way to do this, that a sort of Scientific Method is needed for history but she has no idea how to go about formulating one. But she insists that just because we cannot yet separate the warp of bias from the fabric of facts, does not mean we should just throw in the towel and insist that every account is equally true and valid. This kind of postmodernist thinking, the belief that an ultimate truth does not exist, will destroy the study of history.

Stephen Vincent's Blog

2003-11-04T15:18:00.000-06:00

I had the distinct pleasure to be introduced to Stephen Vincent's blog today. He writes wonderfully well; I particularly enjoyed his series of posts on the bubble-blowing man he made in September. This homeless man, he says, sits day by day and blows bubbles. After a few days of pondering the reasons for the incessant bubble-blowing, the author thereorizes that the homeless man is performing a sort of vigil for the dead. The land where he sits was once the site of the massacre of Native Americans, and later a group of Jews were murdered there as well. The bubbles symbolize their souls, whom he is releasing back "into the hemisphere".

Of course, no factual summary can accurately capture the impact of poetry such as his. And my summary has left out the heart and soul of Stephen Vincent's prose: his beautiful language. His compassion for the homeless also shines through loud and clear.

I think I'll come back and read more from this fascinating blog in the future.

::giggles::

2003-11-01T19:56:00.000-06:00

Thought this one was cute, too. I love Internet quizzes. They're less completely inaccurate than horoscopes, and so, so interesting.

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What Irrational Number Are You?

You are φ

Of all the irrational numbers, you are considered to be the most beautiful. Those who know you well have called you by many names, all golden. However, most people don't know you by name and probably won't even recognize you by sight, but they do like to see you. Despite your pretty face, you are by no means shallow. You are involved it many things: finance, biology, architecture, art, music, and much more.

In some ways you and e are a nearly perfect match. The power and intensity of e excites you.

Your lucky number is approximately 1.61803399

Shiny Lemur

Straif's Blog

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And, on a completely unrelated topic, Helen describes the Perfect Guy...and guys react. I love this one: "Knows that my money is, indeed, my money. And while his money is (in theory) his money, it can become my money without provocation."

::ponders::

2003-10-22T21:20:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking this sounds like a really fun project. But then again, do I really need to be writing a novel during Research Paper Month? Probably not. Maybe if a certain teacher ::coughs delicately:: would offer extra credit... :P

::giggles::

2003-10-21T12:59:00.000-05:00

Just got this from Chris Murray's blog, and found it rather amusing. I got the color purple! Go me!

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Afterlife as an Angel by childdoll
Your Name
Astrological Sign
Angel Type	Angel of Peace
Wing Color	Lavendar
Heavenly Weapon	Staff

Created with quill18's MemeGen!

Barbed Wire and Boundaries

2003-10-21T12:17:00.000-05:00

In "Barbed Wire" Reviel Netz gives a brief history of the metal fencing material. He demonstrates how it has been used to keep hogs out of gardens, keep cows in pastures, and keep people from crossing national boundaries. Barbed wire, then is a symbol of a force preventing movement. There are two views of it: the collector of Americana who sees it as a symbol of the rough and strong cowboy past, and the concentration camp survivors to whom it is a symbol of death and fear.

I found Netz a riveting author... until he lost me at the very end when he started describing how barbed wire makes it easier for humans to "oppress animals". I highly doubt, for example, that a chicken ever wished to break free of his coop to live a life of adventure and excitement evading coyotes in the deep, dark forest. In my opinion, a chicken's thoughts rarely become more complicated than "Ooh, a fat, juicy bug!" I would certainly agree that in the past barbed wire has been used in the past to oppress human beings, by fencing them in against their will, but I personally don't believe that cows have the same free will to choose their destiny.

I think it is usually kinder to place a chicken in a comfortable pen and provide it with all the food and water it could care for, and in the end give it a quick and relatively painless death; than to leave it out in the wild where it will constantly be hungry and hunted and probably end up being rent limb-from-limb by a dog. Some may object, and say that brutal conquerors in the past have locked people away for "their own good" - but confinement, I don't think, is quite the blessing to a human being as it is to farm animals. The farm animals would probably gladly trade their freedom for a full stomach without a single qualm, but human beings yearn for the right to determine their own destiny, would rather starve than live without it. So confinement may be perfect for cattle, but a curse for a human. And thus anyone who locks up people against their will should NOT gain support for it from my writing. But what does this do to Netz's statement that "The relations between them [humans and animals] never can be said to 'collaborate' in a capitalist economy"? Aren't they working together for the mutual benefit of both? How is this not a collaboration?

Netz also says that "such a history" as that of barbed wire "must be one of violence and the infliction of pain". His proof for this is, namely: how cows are hurt by poking themselves with barbed wire, Nazi concentration camps, and various wars. The second I would agree with: the Nazis were the scum of the earth, and the evil they committed, I think, is unparalleled in the course of human history. The first I would qualify: spanking or grounding your child may temporarily hurt him but will ultimately help him grow into a mature adult, a prick from barbed wire may temporarily harm a cow, but will in the end keep her safe. If my grandfather's cattle were to escape from his pastures, they would be easy prey for coyotes or starve or freeze to death. The third, war, is somewhat more difficult, but also qualified: no one can argue that war is anything less than sheer, utter hell on earth. I would not lessen the sufferings of our soldiers by suggesting anything of that sort. But at the same time war can bring about justice when all other avenues fail. In World War II, all the "civilized" methods of concilliation failed, and eventually we fell back on war. But through the war we resuced the Jews captured by the Nazis. The same barbed wire that fenced them in was used to set them free.

::melts into gooey little puddle::

2003-10-15T23:14:00.000-05:00

Until today I only THOUGHT I was in love with Sakamoto Maaya. But now I know what true Maaya love is! Check out the lyrics to one of her latest songs, The Garden of Everything.

Each atom sings to me
"Set me free
From chains of the physical."

And so here we are
So far from earthy orbits
Burning supernovas of all sound and sight
Where every day will return us
To arms of the ever eternal

Why in the world don't American artists write songs like that? What I hear at my friends' mainly consists of "Hey, baby, take off your clothes so we can have sex" along with a large dose of "Rebel against authority! Your parents are out to ruin your life!" Not my cup of tea by any stretch of the imagination.

And the music video to Utada Hikaru's Sakura Drops is so utterly gorgeous, too. The fantasy forest, the flowers with eyes, the birds made of crystal... Seriously, do American artists compete for The Trashiest Music Video of the Year Award? Because while I've seen a few wonderful Western music videos (country music in particular usually attempts not to be completely crude and off-putting) most of what they show in the cafeteria is terrible!

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Okay, I'll shut up with the rant now. Sorry about that.

BTW, anyone that speaks Japanese care to offer some comments/criticism on my attempted translation of "Sakura Drops"? I'd appreciate any suggestions to improve it! Thanks!

A Heads-up for the Environmentally Concious Among Us

2003-10-15T21:17:00.000-05:00

Just thought you'd be interested in hearing about the initiative to ban DHMO. This chemical, apparently, causes several thousand deaths due to accidental inhalation every year. Moreover, it's a major component of acid rain AND it's found in malignant tumors. Yet the government will do nothing to stop corporate usage of this drug! But you can help fight the war against dihydrogen monoxide at DHMO.org!

Testing Testing 1-2-3

2003-10-10T22:27:00.000-05:00

I'm going to try to get comments working. If the site looks funky for the next hour or so, my sincere apologies. Please come back tomorrow. Arigatou!

Nerd humor

2003-10-10T00:28:00.000-05:00

If you have a social life, you probably won't get this page. For those of you that don't, enjoy!

The Lighter Side of System Administration

My life is complete, now that I've cleared this up

2003-10-09T16:48:00.000-05:00

You are Ahiru...er...Princess Tutu. Although you
tend to quack (quite literally) under the
pressures of daily life, when one of your
friends is in trouble, you are always right
there to dance their problems away.

Which Princess Tutu character are you? Version 1.0
brought to you by Quizilla

Isn't she cute?

A few wonderful links that I just so happen to have forgotten

2003-10-09T16:16:00.001-05:00

First off, the incomparable Dave Barry. Check out his blog for even more great humor.

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P. C. Wreade's Worldbuilder. A fantastic tool that I use whenever I'm creating a new world for a story. It has several hundred questions on important aspects of life: "What is the status of the various arts in this society? Are artists revered or mistrusted?" and "Are there separate courts for civil and criminal matters? For magical and non-magical matters? For humans and non-humans? What are the differences?" Good stuff, all of it... although I wonder about the links to gay erotica at the bottom... @.@

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I've had a link up to Eject Eject Eject for quite some time, but Bill Whittle has managed to exceed himself once again with his latest essay, and I thought he deserved special mention here.

His work, from the perspective of an English major, is hardly technically flawless. I find grammar errors every once in a while, and he doesn't use a lot of the expository techniques Chris Murray focuses on in class. But I cannot help but fall utterly in love with his writing, because his sheer, raw PASSION for his subject matter shines through loud and clear.

"We all profess to be in favor of more freedom. Freedom is the Platinum Visa card. We all want one. Responsibility is the credit rating. Not so much enthusiasm for the kind of discipline needed to earn one of those. " -- RESPONSIBILITY

Michael Foucault's "Panopticism"

2003-10-09T13:22:00.000-05:00

In "Panopticism" Foucault discusses the philosophy of Panopticism that lies behind the structure in today's prisons, schools, hospitals, and militaries. In each of them, the individuals are lined up so that a supervisor overhead can see their every move. The individuals never know when they are being watched and when they aren't, so everything they do must be in accordance with the rules. This system is, of course, incredibly dehumanizing, but it also can sufficiently intimidate people so that they perform their best. Panopticism is "techniques for assuring the ordering of human multiplicities." It combines, with nary a glitch, a great deal of unorganized, chaotic people into one powerful, orderly force. It is efficient, but cold-hearted.

A large section of the population will someday work in a job based on Panoptic principles. Modern office buildings are a great example: employees are given cubicles that separate them from each other to prevent idle chatter, and yet the cubicles are open enough to keep them from feeling a sense of privacy. The situation is the same in factories, the military, hospitals, etc. On one hand, Dilbert and "Office Space" have a gained a kind of cult following, mocking the system and rebelling against it; on the other hand no one can doubt the efficiency and speed of the system. It has an air of "Big Brother's watching you"... but Western office workers earn more money per year than 90% of the world's population. And for those that cannot tolerate such a rigid structure, freer and more open jobs are available: the arts, athletics, computer programming, etc. I found it interesting, what Foucault said about the changing purpose of the Panoptic structure: at first, it existed to root out disease (preventing plagues, separating criminals from society) but now it exists as a method of extracting the most work from a huge mass of people.

Thoughts on W. E. B. du Bois

2003-10-07T15:41:00.000-05:00

In "Of the Meaning of Progress", du Bois states "...Progress, I understood, is necessarily ugly." He mourns the death and suffering of friends he last saw in good health and success, and regrets the Veil of racism that keeps the black people from achieving a positive Progress. "Of the Wings of Atalanta" du Bois discusses how the city Atlanta has gained more from the goddess Atalanta than her name, but also her flaws; it has turned away from the race for racial equality to grasp the golden apple of material gains. And in "Of the Training of Black Men" du Bois wishes for "the freedom of men who themselves are not yet sure of their right to demand it." He states that, more important even than teaching a way to make a living, schools must teach black people to think of themselves, not as subhuman as the slaveholders would have them believe, but as men, made in the image of God.

"Of the Meaning of Progress" really touched me. I have made visits back to my childhood church and the house I grew up in, visits which have painfully demonstrated to me not only how the buildings and people have changed since I last lived there, but also how much I myself have changed. Everything seems so much smaller now that I've grown, and my former best friends and I are awkward and distant. But to imagine what it must have felt like for du Bois, to go home and find that, with a few exceptions, all his old students are much changed for the worse, and some have even died! "How hard...is life to the lowly, and yet how human and real!" he writes. Du Bois I admire for taking such obvious pleasure in the simple things in life. Our culture today mocks simple little lives in sitcoms and Dilbert and The Simpsons, but he knows that a little life can have a sort of beauty and dignity to it.

Silly, but quite entertaining

2003-10-06T16:39:00.000-05:00

Wai! I'm a summoner! Spiffy! That could be fun. Say, someone's gossiping about me behind my back - I just sic Ifrit on him. If he doesn't wet his pants at the sight of the slavering, howling beast, Bahamat should do the trick.

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	summoner a mage with the will to summon monsters. empathetic; skillful; reserved
[Final Fantasy Tactics Job Class]

This is cute

2003-10-03T12:12:00.000-05:00

An article on electronic voting. My favorite line: "...an altered state of awareness might be the best way to vote in the California gubernatorial circus." Heh.

Why am I Not Surprised?

2003-10-02T16:45:00.000-05:00

Looks like they've found some of the missing MWDs.

"Hunger as Ideology"

2003-10-02T15:46:00.000-05:00

In "Hunger as Ideology" Susan Bordo discusses gender inequality in advertising. TV commercials usually show women in the kitchen cooking for their families, not men. Men eat large "Hungry Man" meals, whereas women are encouraged to eat slender, low-fat portions. If a woman is seen indulging in ice cream, it is just that - an indulgence; she eats guiltily, in secret. These sorts of ads, according to Bordo, represent "unrestrained appetite as inappropriate for women" and further the repression of the female sex.

I tend to disagree with feminists concerning the definition of "equality". After all, men and women, no matter how much our culture may change, still are different biologically. Our brain chemistry is different, as are our reproductive systems and endocrine systems and just about everything else. Should we be equal in the eyes of the law? Should we have equal rights? Yes. But will we ever be exactly the same? No. I don't think that culture is so very responsible for the different ways men and women look at their bodies; culture of course plays a very large role in how excessive a woman's obsession with her body may be, but I think her concern for her appearance is biologically hardwired into her, moreso than a man.

Of course, if an anthropologist could point to a culture in which men are more concerned with appearance than women, my theory would be disproved. But, as far as my limited experience is concerned, I think it is pretty universal that women tend to care more about how they look than men. If so, this would be a matter of Nature and not Nurture, and Bordo will probably find herself disappointed in her hope for progress.

The Temple of Pure Water

2003-10-02T15:32:00.000-05:00

Here's the rough draft for my Advanced Exposition class's descriptive essay. Emphasis on the *rough draft* bit, if you please. Just looking at it I see it still needs a good deal of proofreading. But at any rate, I now present:

************************************************
THE TEMPLE OF PURE WATER
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"I remember a clear morning in the Ninth Month when it had been raining all night. Despite the bright sun, dew was still dripping from the chrysanthemums in the garden. On the bamboo fences and crisscross hedges I saw tatters of spider webs; and where the threads were broken the raindrops hung on them like strings of white pearls. I was greatly moved and delighted.

As it became sunnier, the dew gradually vanished from the clover and the other plants where it had lain so heavily; the branches began to stir then sprang up of their own accord. Later I described to people how beautiful it all was. What most impressed me was that they were not at all impressed."

Thus wrote Sei Shônagon in her diary, a thousand years ago. A Japanese nobleman's daughter, she lived a quiet life in Heian-kyo, home of Kiyomizu-dera, the Buddhist Temple of Pure Water. Kiyomizu still stands today, a testament to the Japanese past.

I cannot claim Sei Shônagon's eloquence, but I understand her difficulty in describing such a beautiful world as that of Heian-kyo. Kiyomizu-dera, ancient and strong and peaceful and altogether lovely, falls quite outside the experience of the Western mind; it speaks to the heart in ways which clumsy, fumbling English could not hope to accurately express.

The weight of millennia presses down upon Kiyomizu. I stood on the terrace (thirteen hundred years old, built without a single nail, old and grooved wood) and placed my hand on the railing. As the breeze rippled through my hair, I tried to imagine. What did it feel like to be here, a thousand years ago? How many centuries old is the slimy patina I feel underneath my fingertips? I am touching dirt and sweat and oil from the hands of Emperors and Shôgun and peasants; who will touch these paltry few remnants of my existence, a century from now?

In America, age cripples places. Buildings become feeble and cantankerous like grouchy old men, and soon perish. We worship Progress, the New. But in Japan time brings a building to life. Kiyomizu-dera does not stoop like Atlas under the weight of the centuries, but more closely resembles Nut, forever arching into the sky, ladylike and great, delicate and ageless. Enduring. Everlasting. Immortal.

After pausing on the terrace, balanced on the very tip of the mountain, looking down below into the endless sea of verdant green (plants flourish in the rainy season, and I'd never seen such brilliant colors before in my life), I turned into the main building. Back under the dark wooden eaves, in a musty corner, sat an image of the goddess Kwanon. A merciful spirit, who blesses women in childbirth and gives grace to the suppliant, her short statue is nearly invisible in the gloom. A faint, dull shimmer, the barest features of a face: all that can be seen of her ancient solid gold figure.

This startles me. In America the cross is suspended in the air for all to see, over all, shining brightly; but in Japan the gods hide in pitch-blackness. Tanizaki Junichiro writes "In Praise of Shadows".

Off to the right pours a small waterfall, clear, pure water gushing from an underground stream through spouts shaped like the bodies of Chinese dragons, also glossed with maturity like everything in this temple. Tourists are given small cups on long wooden handles and invited to stretch out and sip from the water of the falls. One spout is said to bring wealth, another intelligence, and the third longetivity. I swallowed some, even though my tour guide warned that drinking water in a foreign country could be dangerous. It tasted cool and refreshing, and maybe I sensed the faint metallic tang of the rocks through which it had traveled to reach me.

The air at Kiyomizu is rich with history. I breathed it in, thick and sticky in my lungs.

In which the author must most humbly beg forgiveness

2003-09-30T15:14:00.000-05:00

I spoke with Chris Murray a little today about a paragraph in my review of Princess Tutu that she said she found condesceding and possibly even offensive to Japanese people. I swear, however, that no offense was intended, and I've taken the paragraph down. I'll try to explain here what I meant to say over there.

But first, my sincere apologies who might have taken any part of my blog as an insult. I'm a tolerable author - I could hardly be worse than some of the romance novel writers my friend Valerie reads - but I'm certainly nowhere near the level of, say, a Shakespeare or a Hemingway or a Murasaki Shikibu. My grasp of connotation may sometimes be clumsy and awkward, and I may accidentally use a phrase that could be interpreted in a negative way that I never intended. Please ignore anything in that paragraph that you found objectionable, and do me the favor of letting me know if you find any similar mistakes in the future. Thank you!

I was trying to express the irony of a situation I run across all the time: some of the Americans I've met who like to laugh at Japanese "Engrish"... while not seeing that they daily commit the same sort of errors. The same kind of people that make fun of the title "Princess Tutu" are the kind that walk around wearing T-shirts with random Chinese characters on them, and have not a clue what they mean! I'll admit, "Princess Tutu" is a humorous mistake - but these Americans are hardly in a position to criticize; their shirts read "table light dog heart"! At least Princess Tutu makes sense, given the context of the series.

I've never understood why so many Americans laugh at simple English mistakes made by foreign students. I mean, when I was in Japan I made stupid errors in my Japanese and my host family laughed with me - but it was never degrading or humiliating, never laughing *at* me. They were much more patient and forgiving than I'd expect, coming from the United States, in which people are as a rule rather hostile to speakers of English as a second language.

Why are we like that? Of course, I don't expect human beings to actually need a *reason* to randomly be nasty to each other, but it's a question whose answer I'd really like to know.

Does that clarify what I meant? Or just dig me deeper? Please let me know!

Dance with Me

2003-09-25T15:16:00.000-05:00

I stayed up until 5:00 AM this morning watching the end of "Princess Tutu". Once I got past the first couple of episodes, I knew there was no way I'd be able to stop. Luckily, Choi-sempai has been sick for a while and was glad for something to do to relieve the boredom, otherwise I think he'd have kicked me out WAY before we reached the sixteen-episode limit.

Of everything I've ever experienced, I think "Princess Tutu" most closely resembles Pirandello's "Six Characters in Search of an Author". Or maybe "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead". It's definitely surreal and metaphysical, grappling with issues such as free will and the nature of existence. The story begins when a man Drosselmeyer (of "The Nutcracker" fame - I caught a TON of references to famous ballets) writes a story about an epic battle between a prince and a monster raven. Eventually the characters figure out that they are nothing but characters, and begin to rebel against Drosselmeyer. Being of a somewhat sadistic, voyeuristic turn, Drosselmeyer likes dropping odd characters into mismatched roles which they have no idea of being able to accomplish: he makes an ugly, clumsy duckling the princess and a gentle writer the supposedly "brave" knight. Understandably, the characters object to being shoehorned into roles they don't fit, but Drosselmeyer has a tendency to simply rewrite them whenever they do anything he doesn't like. The anger comes to a head, however, when the characters find out that Drosselmeyer intends to make the story a tragedy, allow the monster to win, and kill them all! Once again, the characters are understandably upset, and join together, determined to make the story have a happy ending.

There are some absolutely *precious* scenes where the characters argue with Drosselmeyer about their fate. It's delightfully self-satirical. My favorite scene occurs when Drosselmeyer gets so upset with Ahiru (the duck turned princess) that he pauses the story and yanks her out into what looks like a clock tower - it's the gears and machinery that make the story turn! He then sits her down at a table (which appears out of nowhere), serves her a cup of hot tea, and gives her a stern talking-to about how she simply *must* play out the role assigned to her.

My favorite aspect of the series, though, is how it all feels like an animated ballet. The music is, quite suitably, chosen from famous ballets. The animation is stunningly beautiful, and Ahiru in particular is absolutely adorable. The characters, instead of fighting with martial arts or what have you, do ballet dances against one another! It sounds incredibly corny, but it's wonderfully executed, and makes me wish I hadn't ever quit dance lessons.

Yes, if you haven't guessed yet, I'm hopelessly addicted. Until the DVDs are released in American, go download the series from Hikari no Kiseki. Once they are officially released, do yourself a favor and buy them. It's simply one of the best TV shows I've ever seen in my life.

Interesting...very interesting... ::strokes chin and ponders::

2003-09-25T14:52:00.000-05:00

I just opened up this page on a Windows PC. Bad mistake. All my beautiful, beautiful colors look absolutely disgusting over here. That pretty creamy yellow shade in the background is some nasty bright lemon now, and the deep raspberry color that I loved so much is kinda bland and unispired. But then again, what else could I expect from Windows? ::sighs::

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In other news, this quiz really makes me worry for some of my hacker friends. Programming Language Inventor or Serial Killer? Sadly, I only guessed six out of ten correctly. And I have more than ten geeky friends, too, which means some of them are likely to be serial killers.

But then again, most of them like me. I guess if I must know a serial killer at least it's good to know one that likes me.

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And according to the BBC, Megatokyo is responsible for the degredation of the English language. ::coughs:: Come one, Megatokyo uses l337 *satirically*. They make *fun* of the people that speak it. Someone's seriously lacking in a sense of humor.

A Summary/Response to Paulo Freire's "The 'Banking' Concept of Education"

2003-09-25T14:40:00.000-05:00

In "The 'Banking' Concept of Education" Friere criticizes the current methods of adult education in Chile. He worked for many years to teach the destitute poor how to better themselves, and in the process found many flaws in the system. His first complaint is the way teachers assume an almost God-like authority over the students. The teacher is always right, the teacher knows all, and the students must never argue or debate but simply humbly accept the teacher's words of wisdom. Having the students simply memorize a set of facts instead of thinking critically about them, teaching them not to question what they are told, allowing the teacher ultimate authority in the classroom: these all contribute to the oppression of the poor in Chile, for if they are not taught how to think for themselves how can they resist a brutal government? Students must be allowed to ask questions, and must be taught to critically examine everything they are told, or tyranny will soon follow.

On one hand, I wholeheartedly agree with Friere's criticism of the education system. I have had teachers in the past that take it as a personal affront if you dare to suggest they may have made a simple addition error on line three. And what use is knowing "the capital of Para is Belem" if you have no idea of the significance Belem holds in history, or what it stands for?

But on the other hand I think Friere reacts a little harshly. This was written in in the 60s and 70s, a very anti-authoritarian era, perhaps a bit *too* anti-authoritarian. It is true that in the past rampant abuse of authority was the norm, but does that necessarily mean all authority should be abolished? Is anarchy the way to go? Of course not! Should the students be treated with respect by the teacher? Yes! But should they have equal power in the classroom? Heaven help the poor kindergarten teacher that has no authority over the children in her class! Is critical thinking a vital part of a good education? Yes! But knowing the facts are just as important. How could I, say, analyze Swift's "A Modest Proposal" if I knew nothing about the time and place in which he lived? Nothing about what he believed? The facts must come first, to be followed by coherent thought concerning said facts. But I believe that, although Friere may agree with me, the brevity of the excerpt I have read does not allow for a very in-depth analysis of his precise views on education.

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Hello, fellow students, Chris Murray, and whichever poor, hapless souls should happen upon my rather dull and uninteresting corner of the Web. Welcome, and feel free to drop me a line telling me just how wrong you think I am!

Just thought this was cute

2003-09-16T18:48:00.000-05:00

Go check this out.

Maybe I should try it...?

::ponders::

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In other news, according to Hei Lun Chan the Ultimate Blog Subject is "UN helps Harry Potter find satanic Britney porn in Israel using Linux".

::narrowly avoids spraying hot tea all over her beautiful monitor::

Random Spiffy Stuff

2003-09-12T15:19:00.001-05:00

Some games I've been enoying recently:

* Bejeweled: They've recently released a Mac OS X version. Wai!!!

* This game: Too, too fun.

* Samorost: Bizarre, but quite, quite fun.

So, if you have work you're anxious to put off for an hour or so, look these up!

Ja!

Still and Silent

2003-09-10T14:35:00.000-05:00

I haven't forgotten what day tomorrow is. I don't intend to, not ever.

Everyone, do yourself a favor and go visit Voices and today's issue of The Lemon.

God bless America.

Random Little Tidbits

2003-09-08T21:03:00.000-05:00

Need I say anything at all?

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In other news, Mrs. du Toit has definitely convinced me that homeschooling's the way to go, seeing as how I want my children to be at least semi-literate.

Suspicious Coughing from My Corner of the Blogosphere

2003-09-05T16:22:00.000-05:00

Peeve Farm has a wonderful article here which only confirms what I've known all along: Windows sucks. ::pets beautiful iMac::

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So in California they're giving driver's licenses to *illegal immigrants* now?! What the...? Does this make sense to anyone out there?

Oh, I get it! In order to get a driver's license, you have to tell the state your address, right? So once California has the addresses of all the illegal immigrants, Immigration's going to show up at their doors and kindly escort them out of the country, right? Right? RIGHT?!

::sigh:: Only in California.

Youkoso, watashi no sekai he!

2003-09-04T21:46:00.000-05:00

I officially declare this blog OPEN. And I only spent two hours fiddling with the HTML, too!

Please feel free to drop me a line letting me know if you like the color scheme, hate it, or loathe it so intensely you envy the blind. Even if it's, like, two years after this post is created. I need someone to tell me whether or not it sucks.

BTW, on this site I place two spaces after a period before the beginning of a new sentence. My mother told me in elementary school that this was how it was done. Unfortunately, she apparently didn't know that computer word processors, unlike the typewriters on which she was accustomed to typing, don't need the second space. When I found this out, it was already too late; the bad habit had already been formed. I really don't care enough to reform it, either, because there is WAY too much anime out there for me to spend my free time worrying about typing standards. I'm sure this will not scar you for life.

Hajimemashite!

2003-09-04T19:59:00.000-05:00

I've decided to move from LiveJournal to Blogger, mainly because although LiveJournal doesn't have the pesky Blogger ad at the bottom, it also doesn't allow you to alter the format of your blog that much either. For any obsessive fans that absolutely HAVE to see what the old site was like, check this out.

One thing about my old blog: I sure miss those cats...especially the one with the glasses... ::sniffles::