Tuesday, November 30, 2010

12 Sentence Story

Ripe fruit refuse sustenance, their vines growing taut over the expanded forms, their color becoming more vivid despite the sinking sun, their creator appalled at the progress, and the foundation growing less stable.

Nature dominates the world; the inhabitants dominate things natural.

All humans, creators at heart, can build anything to manipulate accordingly, and never do they refuse refuse a place to be recycled.

However, Earth feels a growing tension springing from within, then across the sky, behind the towers, inside the beings, and throughout the waters.

Mother runs and revolves and finally discovers a solution to the forthcoming problem.

Yes indeed.

She hoped that they would learn and that the self would be preserved and that her children would have some peace.

Thoughts abound, but none are realized.

In the elements, terrible saviors found, released.

"What did we do to deserve this?"

Descendants prosper, or perish, or become mobile, or remain standing, or fall, or tremble.

Mother Earth, by allowing therepeutic typhoons to rip asunder that which man has laid before Her, by allowing man to pollute Hr with the trash he refuses to clean up, by allowing all forms of existence near Her salutory neglect--wreaks vengeance upon those conscious.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Style Analysis Essay: "America Needs Its Nerds"

Leonid Fridman's urgency in revealing the injustices done on a daily basis against those who practice anti-"anti-intellectualism" conjures up several emotions in readers. Sympathy or empathy is felt for the victims, as Fridman's portrayal is comparable to commercials advertising abused animals, starving children. However, the modern world is already plagued by an overwhelming liberalism, was even in 1990; the (almost) necessary acceptance and respect, (and fear of infringing on these) social requirements. Because of this already instated tolerance, an almost tangible disgust for Fridman spawns ("Really?!" followed by laughter is a common response among readers). Agreed, bullying is a problem that needs to be adressed, solved. Disagreed, the method in which Fridman chose to state this. His advocation of the ever dominant liberalism (when no more propaganda advertising this mindset is needed), the way he conveys his idea(s), his call to arms to embrace those smarter [aimed at those smarter; meant as fuel for the attempted negotiations between these and their tormentors, when these arguments are hardly ever fruitful anyway]; noble in their own rights, laughable when stated by Fridman.



The intellectuals who practice "refusal to conform to society's anti-intellectual values," which indicates that "something (is) very wrong with the system," are ostracized and suffer because of their intellect. The United States is a country of and for the ignorant: those advancements made by the minority taken advantage of by the majority; this fact instills fear into those with aspirations. The inevitable collapse of the world (this country) will come when those "children who prefer to read books rather than play football, prefer to build model airplanes rather than get wasted at parties with their classmates" cease to be individuals.

The shift, "Enough is enough," an example of epanalepsis, seperates his analysis of and stating the problem and his condemning the ways of the greatest country on Earth. The problem, "that someone dedicated to pursuit of knowledge is compared to a freak biting the head off a live chicken," and the analysis, "anti-intellectualism is rampant," correctly summarizes a world threat. Committing treason in the guise of one of the most well known cities on Earth in the U.S., "there are very few countries in the world where anti-intellectualism runs as high in popular culture as it does in the U.S.," Leonid committs hara-kiri; dies a literary martyr, rivalling the burning monks.

"For America's sake, the anti-intellectual values that pervade our society must be fought," a haunting prediction from a modern Nostradamus. Illuminating the sophisticated to the plight affecting their apprentices, Fridman preaches "It is high time to face the persecutors who haunt the bright kid with thick glasses from kindergarted to the grave,"; voices his desire to see bullying taken to ((kangaroo)) court(((s))). The idea that supression only creates more pressure (/will to strive harder) is laughable; the very lives of the future leaders are in the hands of those tyrannically bored and envious true traitors to this country. Maintaining our status is of the upmost importance as it will be impossible "to compete in the technology race with Japan or remain a leading political and cultural force in Europe." [stated even after his damning of the (popular) culture of the U.S.] Inaction by the capable caused by the active may result in our home being forgotten, even wiped out.



Little variety in sentence structure, rhetorical devices, has little impact on the point. Proving himself an intellectual, by using extended, descriptive sentences, the passion emphasizes that much more [more of a look into his past than an article of any relevance]. Imagery set off by a professor's droning; nearly symmetrical sentences/paragraphs; the target audience is appealed to.

Of the limited rhetorical devices used, symploce and epanalepsis, the most stable of the devicese the most evident. In the third paragraph, Fridman explains that the problems in "prestigious academic institution(s)" also affect those inhabitants of "U.S. elementary and high schools,": "Children who prefer to... rather than..., prefer to... rather than..., become social outcasts." Fridman utilizes symploce to reveal the typical hobbies of the two opposites; to subliminally pose the question "Which end of the spectrum do you inhabit?"; to plant a desire in those who bullied to prevent future torture. The shift, "Enough is enough," an example of epanalepsis, provides more structure to the article, subliminally implanting a desire for unity, peace, stability, in the reader.


While I respect Fridman for wanting to put a stop to bullying, I laugh at the way he attempted to spread his word. Wanting to convey to his intelligent audience that he was too a victim via limited variety in sentence structure and rhetorical devices, with repetitive words and phrases meant to stir a strong emotional response that does so only because of the laughter that splutters forth, he fails to bring readers to his side. Bullies were born out of spite, scorn; why else did the "No Bullying" signs that choke hallways come a few years after his "America Needs Its Nerds" plea was published?



(extremely limited and picky internet connection at home; no way to go anywhere else to publish this; distracted by medical conditions still plaguing my sister and I; reasons for the delayed assignment)

Monday, November 15, 2010

thINK #1

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, a massive "article" written by Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, contains several powerful literary instances of his prowess as a writer ("gonzo" equaling "shocking"). One of the most striking excerpts from this "novel" is about the length of a paragraph; details his and his apparent attorney's literal car-full of intoxicants, more than two-thirds being illegal substances. These two are (almost) always intoxicated, going for great lengths without food, water, sleep (deprivation being the poor man's hallucinogenic), as well.
What would drive a man to push his body so hard, to abuse it with mind-altering, body-deteriorating substances?
Thompson's somewhat comedic, usually disturbing view ("beer" goggles being forced upon the reader as the author dons them) is entertaining and enlightening; pertains to aspects sobriety may cause the majority to overlook. As a journalist, this may have been his only motivation for punishing his body so: to write a piece that would force the readers to continue 'til no more pages remain (pain being universal, fodder for great art). Drug use/drinking/"fasting" is not uncommon among those who...
How to finish this sentence? There has not been identified any characteristics shared among all those who willingly seek an altered state of consciousness (though emotional problems and precarious perceptions (prior to use) are apparently common in these).
Ancient peoples would inebriate themselves to get in touch with a "universal force"-their gods. Holy men, past and modern, do so in the pursuit of enlightenment. Peer pressure, poor living conditions-little supervision; all factors contributing to addiction to these substances.
Any number of possibilities can be named.
I believe one of the most prominent reasons, though, is because reality simply isn't appealing to those who partake.
As stated by James Keenan of "Tool," if you desire for a "cure" to be found, you must destroy your favorite records, as the artists who made them were "r...eal ****'in high," (though this is not always true, of course; a generalization); but one of many ways to say that several aspects of life we take advantage of today have become so because of altering consciousness. Religion is a prime example (Greeks, civilizations prior (and after)).
I believe Cayce, "the other Nostradamus," was at least somewhat intoxicated while writing prophecy, despite the means by which he achieved this supposition (as the aforementioned Holy men and maybe even Nostradamus himself). I find him to be quite a "genius"-more so than Thompson because the drug use, if it indeed existed, was not flaunted by Cayce (subtlety is the key)-agreeing with several of his philosophies. He wrote that everyone has the capacity to do what everyone else (/he) can (/could) do, if willpower is honed and the desire exists. I may be guilty of plagiarism, though I wrote my/this philosophy prior to knowing of Cayce (writing without intoxication though).
I believe life is a journey, a point emphasized by Thompson despite the drama caused by the ever-approaching deadline and hectic-ness; the vehicle we find ourselves in (not a collective body) must be pushed to the limits to know what each of us is capable of (as retardation plagues several of us, in one way or another). The pursuit of enlightenment (/the knowledge of (how to obtain)), apparently able to be achieved through deprivation or gluttony, as it were, is ideal, otherwise a life is wasted. Opening your mind via secular means to escape secular bonds communally, as the filthy, dirty, hippies, would be a utopia; result in the end of the world.
What would drive a man to push his body so hard, to subject it to mind-opening, body-relieving substances?
The will/desire to live
(as we are all sadistic, prolonging Mother's and Father's punishment as long as possible, never wanting it to end).