This is for all of those who would claim that feminism is outdated or perhaps even dead. For the sake of women and men alike, I surely hope it is not.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/isabel_allende_tells_tales_of_passion.html
Every individual carries within them the light of change and revolution. May we not forget that and continue to fight for equality and dignity for ALL human beings, regardless of race, gender, age or economic status. This is really quite simple, all it takes is a voice and the courage to use it. Once spoken I believe that we would be amazed just how many other voices will join with that voice. Just imagine, one voice convinces one voice and than that voice is joined with another voice and those voices than join with other voices...and you get the picture. What happens is a movement of beauty and peace is created and that is definately something worth talking about.
Viva la feminista!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Just ignore the smoke...
Well it is a cold, rainy and nasty day here in Korea, which has given me the perfect excuse to curl up with yet another Paulo Coehlo book and waste the day away in my comfy WARM apartment.
Quick Update:
Last weekend I went to the horse races, lost my phone, danced the night away…again, ate some REAL chocolate cake, got a great shot if the Seoul Tower from the rooftop of the Soonhawk Women’s University, and ended the night waiting with Joey for the 6am train. We had intended to just stay the night at the local Jimjillbong (which is like a community bathhouse that allows people to stay the night on little mats strewn about a very large sauna), but something caught fire in the sauna which caused the whole area to fill with smoke. We got a refund, but there were still plenty of other people sleeping there since they had turned off the alarm. I guess there rational was purely bureaucratic. We were told that if the fire department showed up again they would be forced to shut down. Again, where is the logic here? I have to think that having to carry out a couple dead bodies that stopped functioning due to smoke inhalation would be a worse situation than having to deal with the fire department, but I’m just a crazy American, what do I know?
Classes were great this week because all of the students were having tests in the public schools which knocked out about 5 kids per class since they take their tests very seriously and needed to stay up studying for them rather attending the Hagwon. It was so peaceful and as much as I feel bad for the torture these kids have to go through with testing, I am eagerly looking forward to the next session, which is bound to happen soon. The Koreans love their tests. After an e-mail mom sent me an e-mail about Korean tests being delivered in an armor truck. Intrigued, I talked with Joey about it and he confirmed the test mania/paranoia. I guess at his University they put the entire building where the tests are held, on lock down and only a select group of people are allowed to enter through one door only. All this for a bunch of multiple choice questions that these kids won’t remember the moment they walk out of the testing room. Listening to Joey talk about his experience teaching here and witnessing the education process myself, I am convinced more and more how STUPID things like “No Child Left Behind” and standardized testing really are.
Regurgitation of information is not digestion of information, and though it’s easier, multiple choice tests are not good for digestion.
So that’s that. This weekend was pretty calm as I spent it just hiding out from the cold, reading, writing (that darn personal statement), discovering an AWSOME bakery called the Muslim Bakery that makes the best, I swear it must have dropped from heaven, baklava, buying yet another Paulo Coelho book, falling in love once again with the singer Idan Raichel, gorging myself on an Indian Buffet, and swinging from a hammock, digging my toes into the sand and getting drunk off some fabulous conversation in a bar full of foreigners, Koreans and cheesy beach memorabilia.
Good times.
Quick Update:
Last weekend I went to the horse races, lost my phone, danced the night away…again, ate some REAL chocolate cake, got a great shot if the Seoul Tower from the rooftop of the Soonhawk Women’s University, and ended the night waiting with Joey for the 6am train. We had intended to just stay the night at the local Jimjillbong (which is like a community bathhouse that allows people to stay the night on little mats strewn about a very large sauna), but something caught fire in the sauna which caused the whole area to fill with smoke. We got a refund, but there were still plenty of other people sleeping there since they had turned off the alarm. I guess there rational was purely bureaucratic. We were told that if the fire department showed up again they would be forced to shut down. Again, where is the logic here? I have to think that having to carry out a couple dead bodies that stopped functioning due to smoke inhalation would be a worse situation than having to deal with the fire department, but I’m just a crazy American, what do I know?
Classes were great this week because all of the students were having tests in the public schools which knocked out about 5 kids per class since they take their tests very seriously and needed to stay up studying for them rather attending the Hagwon. It was so peaceful and as much as I feel bad for the torture these kids have to go through with testing, I am eagerly looking forward to the next session, which is bound to happen soon. The Koreans love their tests. After an e-mail mom sent me an e-mail about Korean tests being delivered in an armor truck. Intrigued, I talked with Joey about it and he confirmed the test mania/paranoia. I guess at his University they put the entire building where the tests are held, on lock down and only a select group of people are allowed to enter through one door only. All this for a bunch of multiple choice questions that these kids won’t remember the moment they walk out of the testing room. Listening to Joey talk about his experience teaching here and witnessing the education process myself, I am convinced more and more how STUPID things like “No Child Left Behind” and standardized testing really are.
Regurgitation of information is not digestion of information, and though it’s easier, multiple choice tests are not good for digestion.
So that’s that. This weekend was pretty calm as I spent it just hiding out from the cold, reading, writing (that darn personal statement), discovering an AWSOME bakery called the Muslim Bakery that makes the best, I swear it must have dropped from heaven, baklava, buying yet another Paulo Coelho book, falling in love once again with the singer Idan Raichel, gorging myself on an Indian Buffet, and swinging from a hammock, digging my toes into the sand and getting drunk off some fabulous conversation in a bar full of foreigners, Koreans and cheesy beach memorabilia.
Good times.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
"Normal" vs. "Natural"
What is natural?
What about human behavior is natural?
Is sexism natural?
If sexism is natural than I suppose tribal warfare is natural.
Fine. I totally disagree with this statement, but for the sake of argument lets just say that war and misogyny are natural.
Somebody please tell me why such a statement like "it's only natural" makes it acceptable?
I fail to see the logic in this phrase and it pisses me off that in reality what we consider natural is really nothing more than what we humans have become used to seeing day in and day out. What we consider "natural" is only what is NORMAL and what is NORMAL can be changed.
As can anything "natural."
So please, tell me why the hell "it's only natural" is a justifiable argument for ANY form of oppression?!
What about human behavior is natural?
Is sexism natural?
If sexism is natural than I suppose tribal warfare is natural.
Fine. I totally disagree with this statement, but for the sake of argument lets just say that war and misogyny are natural.
Somebody please tell me why such a statement like "it's only natural" makes it acceptable?
I fail to see the logic in this phrase and it pisses me off that in reality what we consider natural is really nothing more than what we humans have become used to seeing day in and day out. What we consider "natural" is only what is NORMAL and what is NORMAL can be changed.
As can anything "natural."
So please, tell me why the hell "it's only natural" is a justifiable argument for ANY form of oppression?!
Monday, October 13, 2008
"Blink" and it's gone.
I just got done reading “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell and it has definitely left me pondering upon the pros and cons of rapid cognition, otherwise known as intuition. He discusses how beneficial and correct a first impression can be-as long we are able to control the environment in which that cognition takes place and don’t allow outside stereotyping override our first impression...or the first two seconds of our thought pattern. Unfortunately, this is a rare thing to find and it seems that only people who have been extensively trained to first be cognitively aware of the subject of interest show any kind of accuracy in their first impression. For instance, only a person who has been trained in identifying a fake sculpture has any kind of ground on which to allow his/her intuition to take over. Gladwell uses the case of the Kuoros to prove that if that background is there than within the first two seconds a trained individual can make a more accurate judgment on the authenticity of the sculpture than months of research and pages of expert advice and opinion.
With the importance of first impressions strong in my mind, Gladwell than ends his book by citing the gender evolution of orchestra musicians. In the year 1980, no so long ago, there was a women by the name of Abbie Conant who auditioned for the Munich orchestra behind a screen. She did so well that immediately after her audition the other musicians were dismissed and she was called in to be hired…except that after seeing she was a woman the head conductor attempted to remit her acceptance and even told her it was because she was a women. In his mind, and that of most of the classical world at the time, women had no place within the world of classical orchestral music.
Fortunately, Abbie had some balls (or should I say ovaries) and fought it to the bitter end and won.
As a result auditions now have special requirements, such as screens, that bar judges from being able to identify the musician by race, age, or gender. This is of course very cool, but what is interesting is that before the screens were ever implemented most of these judges were very proud of their ability to focus “solely on the music” and screened out women not because they were women, but because from their first impression, women were simply not as good as men. They already had the preconceived notion that men were better musicians for various physical reasons such as lung capacity, and as a result just the visual stimulation of a man sent messages to the brain that he would be a better musician than a woman. It was not until this visual distraction was removed that judges were able to truly rely upon their first and very accurate impression.
The rate of women within the orchestra has now increased five fold from 1980.
That should say something about the stupidity of stereotyping, racism and sexism. On the other hand it also points out how unaware we are of these distractions and how the refusal to or simple ignorance of their existence has the potential to not only limit the opportunities of others, but even that of our own. Just think of all the people with amazing talents that never get a chance to share those simply because the world around them assumes that due to their race, age or gender, they have nothing to offer.
On the flip side, how many of us spend our days trying to fit into a specific stereotype? How many of us dress a certain way, eat certain things, say certain phrases in a conscious attempt to control the two second impression others have of us? How many of us hide behind that impression? How many of us are honest and perhaps cut our hair a certain way or wear a certain kind of brand to show how important we are, what political party we associate with, or how environmentally aware we are. I mean, we obviously are trying to convey a message to our fellow human beings, so is it so wrong if those around you take that message to heart? I mean, isn’t that why the girl in the Mowhawk spent hours in the mirror with a hand full of glue in the first place? She was wanting to make a non-verbal message…a rebellious, anarchist message first impression. With such an impression she might as well make a bat signal for the police.
I am all about people being able to express themselves. Any sort of repression does little but create tension and unrest. However, this book has got me thinking about how much freedom “freedom of expression” really allows us. So many people claim certain physical elements to be an expression of their identity, but perhaps that very expression is actually a limitation. I mean, if we all dressed the same, would our abilities of rapid cognition improve without the distractions of name brands, waist size and hairstyles? Or would we just start looking for other things to stereotype and pick out? I am going with the later. I wonder how it is in the Middle East with the women who wear the burka. I wonder if there are other forms of physical stereotyping there that we are not aware of simply because we lack the exposed and practiced eye. I wonder if the true characters of these women are more readily seen by her observers simply because the information of her clothes and beauty are not available to distract those first two seconds of rapid cognition. I really have no answers here,
I’m just thinking that as a human race I think it would all serve us very well to practice (because that is the secret behind success) looking beyond the distractions of first impressions and instead focus in on that real first impression. There is a difference. It is subtle, but it’s there, and with enough practice, Gladwell has shown, it can be more accurate than any well thought out scientifically proven conclusion.
With the importance of first impressions strong in my mind, Gladwell than ends his book by citing the gender evolution of orchestra musicians. In the year 1980, no so long ago, there was a women by the name of Abbie Conant who auditioned for the Munich orchestra behind a screen. She did so well that immediately after her audition the other musicians were dismissed and she was called in to be hired…except that after seeing she was a woman the head conductor attempted to remit her acceptance and even told her it was because she was a women. In his mind, and that of most of the classical world at the time, women had no place within the world of classical orchestral music.
Fortunately, Abbie had some balls (or should I say ovaries) and fought it to the bitter end and won.
As a result auditions now have special requirements, such as screens, that bar judges from being able to identify the musician by race, age, or gender. This is of course very cool, but what is interesting is that before the screens were ever implemented most of these judges were very proud of their ability to focus “solely on the music” and screened out women not because they were women, but because from their first impression, women were simply not as good as men. They already had the preconceived notion that men were better musicians for various physical reasons such as lung capacity, and as a result just the visual stimulation of a man sent messages to the brain that he would be a better musician than a woman. It was not until this visual distraction was removed that judges were able to truly rely upon their first and very accurate impression.
The rate of women within the orchestra has now increased five fold from 1980.
That should say something about the stupidity of stereotyping, racism and sexism. On the other hand it also points out how unaware we are of these distractions and how the refusal to or simple ignorance of their existence has the potential to not only limit the opportunities of others, but even that of our own. Just think of all the people with amazing talents that never get a chance to share those simply because the world around them assumes that due to their race, age or gender, they have nothing to offer.
On the flip side, how many of us spend our days trying to fit into a specific stereotype? How many of us dress a certain way, eat certain things, say certain phrases in a conscious attempt to control the two second impression others have of us? How many of us hide behind that impression? How many of us are honest and perhaps cut our hair a certain way or wear a certain kind of brand to show how important we are, what political party we associate with, or how environmentally aware we are. I mean, we obviously are trying to convey a message to our fellow human beings, so is it so wrong if those around you take that message to heart? I mean, isn’t that why the girl in the Mowhawk spent hours in the mirror with a hand full of glue in the first place? She was wanting to make a non-verbal message…a rebellious, anarchist message first impression. With such an impression she might as well make a bat signal for the police.
I am all about people being able to express themselves. Any sort of repression does little but create tension and unrest. However, this book has got me thinking about how much freedom “freedom of expression” really allows us. So many people claim certain physical elements to be an expression of their identity, but perhaps that very expression is actually a limitation. I mean, if we all dressed the same, would our abilities of rapid cognition improve without the distractions of name brands, waist size and hairstyles? Or would we just start looking for other things to stereotype and pick out? I am going with the later. I wonder how it is in the Middle East with the women who wear the burka. I wonder if there are other forms of physical stereotyping there that we are not aware of simply because we lack the exposed and practiced eye. I wonder if the true characters of these women are more readily seen by her observers simply because the information of her clothes and beauty are not available to distract those first two seconds of rapid cognition. I really have no answers here,
I’m just thinking that as a human race I think it would all serve us very well to practice (because that is the secret behind success) looking beyond the distractions of first impressions and instead focus in on that real first impression. There is a difference. It is subtle, but it’s there, and with enough practice, Gladwell has shown, it can be more accurate than any well thought out scientifically proven conclusion.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
student's shouldn't call teachers "baby"
OThe week here has been good, in spite of the “I wonder how much a plane ticket is outta of here” thought that flashed through my mind after my Thursday class. I don’t understand how indenting a paragraph and double spacing are such hard concepts to comprehend. I drew pictures. I had examples. I had them practicing the entire week how to do it so that come the in class essay, they would do it right…but did they?
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Well, at least not most of them. I definitely have some smart students who were quick enough to pick up on the concept, but most of them were just oblivious and totally confused about what I was talking about. I have been pondering about why this is. I have a few ideas. First, the education system here is set up for test taking. Therefore students merely memorize and forget. Memorize and forget. The Long-term memory gets almost no attention. Furthermore, they are in school from 7am until 10pm and when they go home, they have to do homework. As a result, these kids are not getting the amount of sleep required for children their age. There is no way they spend enough time in R.E.M. and the lack of sleep, in any individual, is going to affect how effectively one takes and spits out information as well as the retention of it. It’s no wonder there is a stat about Korean’s working 50% more than the rest of the world but being 50% less effective. Just being at work or just being at school is not enough. You have to be engaged. Of course, this idea of being at work without being productive fits well into their obsession with appearances as well. I found out that there is even makeup for men…it’s called “color lotion.” Good grief. It’s funny that I, who never really wore a lot of makeup or heels in the first place, find myself almost adamantly going out in public on my off days in the most casual attire and my oldest sweatshirt just to bring a balance to this obsession with apparent perfection.
But on a positive note, I only have that one really bad class twice a week and the rest of them are actually doing alright. In fact, I find quite a few of them pretty entertaining. I have some great co-workers and now that we are at the 2-3 month mark, we’ve dropped the formality and it is actually kind of homey in our itty bitty office stuffed with 5 Koreans and 6 foreigners. Drew and I have also dubbed each other Key Master and Skywalker (thanks Bill) and in an effort to lift morale on those tough days, we give each other stickers. I know it sounds quite silly, but you have no idea how much one of those little sticky pieces of paper mean after a really difficult class. I also no longer feel like I have to worry about hurting a students feelings. Have a made a few cry? Yes. Yes I have, but they get over it and they cry so easily! I know that sounds awful, but what’s worse is the shot of pleasure I get when I make one of the “cool” kids do partner work with one of the “uncool” kids, or even just a boy with a girl. I don’t even bother listening to their protests anymore. They starting whining, I give them a look and they stop. I would like to go on about expanding their horizons and explain just how stupid and futile the politics of middle school are, but I know they won’t understand, so I just giggle to myself and smile that I am no longer that age.
And then there is the Albert instance. Albert is this really loud Korean student who for some reason has found favor in the eyes of Rose, the head teacher. He is a smart kid, but REALLY obnoxious. I don’t particularly enjoy his presence so when I was headed to class and encountered him harassing one of my students by stealing her phone I had no problem laying down the law and getting it back to her. He proceeded to say over and over “fuck you fuck you.” Whatever. I didn’t even give it a second thought. I guess all that time at Sterling 24 desensitized me to such comments. It wasn’t until I mentioned it in passing to Rose that I realized that perhaps I should have punished him for that. Rose said she would take care of it and the next day Albert came in and told me he was sorry and that he was actually talking to his friend. Okay, that’s fine…except for the fact that he followed the apology up with “baby.” I had to ask the teachers around if that is really what he said, and they said yes indeed, my ears did not betray me. I couldn’t believe that! Rose informed me that he said that to everyone, but I don’t care. Thanks to many a dramatic T.V. show and video game, I am sure he thinks it is a polite or kind word to add at the end of sentence, but I did not understand why no one had corrected him. I did not understand why Rose was okay with that. I suppose that is just another thing to address.
Weeeeeeeeee. Bringing the fist of feminism to South Korea. I love it!
So that’s that. The weekend was good. I met up with a friend on Friday and chatted away over tea, pringles and horoscopes. I tried some odd street food with Joey in Insadong and almost had the guts to try out the silkworms, but decided the octopus dumpling and squid jerky (which is really quite delicious) was enough for the day. We also went to this great instrument shop that smelled of pine and where every inch was filled with guitars, pianos, mandolins and more. It made me miss my little brothers. We then got thoroughly lost, but since we are both good sports about such adventures, it was a good time. He discussed the Korean obsession with money which I found interesting. This obsession with money has not always been, but like I’ve said before, the U.S. exports the very worst of it’s culture and this is then exacerbated abroad. I saw it in Latin America and I see it here. It’s a shame that in one of my classes we discussed money and I was amazed that even after reading an article showing how money does not increase levels of happiness and may actually decrease it, ¾ of my students sill equated the Won with happiness. Incredible.
That is all, but before I go, I have to put a little plug in for my little brother. The great Stevie G will be playing November 22, 2008 at the Granada Theater in Lawrence Kansas. Everyone should go and check and him out. He’s really quite good…and I promise I’m not just saying that because I’m his big sister. If anything, the most honest of opinions come from me for that very reason.
Peace!
Michelle
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Well, at least not most of them. I definitely have some smart students who were quick enough to pick up on the concept, but most of them were just oblivious and totally confused about what I was talking about. I have been pondering about why this is. I have a few ideas. First, the education system here is set up for test taking. Therefore students merely memorize and forget. Memorize and forget. The Long-term memory gets almost no attention. Furthermore, they are in school from 7am until 10pm and when they go home, they have to do homework. As a result, these kids are not getting the amount of sleep required for children their age. There is no way they spend enough time in R.E.M. and the lack of sleep, in any individual, is going to affect how effectively one takes and spits out information as well as the retention of it. It’s no wonder there is a stat about Korean’s working 50% more than the rest of the world but being 50% less effective. Just being at work or just being at school is not enough. You have to be engaged. Of course, this idea of being at work without being productive fits well into their obsession with appearances as well. I found out that there is even makeup for men…it’s called “color lotion.” Good grief. It’s funny that I, who never really wore a lot of makeup or heels in the first place, find myself almost adamantly going out in public on my off days in the most casual attire and my oldest sweatshirt just to bring a balance to this obsession with apparent perfection.
But on a positive note, I only have that one really bad class twice a week and the rest of them are actually doing alright. In fact, I find quite a few of them pretty entertaining. I have some great co-workers and now that we are at the 2-3 month mark, we’ve dropped the formality and it is actually kind of homey in our itty bitty office stuffed with 5 Koreans and 6 foreigners. Drew and I have also dubbed each other Key Master and Skywalker (thanks Bill) and in an effort to lift morale on those tough days, we give each other stickers. I know it sounds quite silly, but you have no idea how much one of those little sticky pieces of paper mean after a really difficult class. I also no longer feel like I have to worry about hurting a students feelings. Have a made a few cry? Yes. Yes I have, but they get over it and they cry so easily! I know that sounds awful, but what’s worse is the shot of pleasure I get when I make one of the “cool” kids do partner work with one of the “uncool” kids, or even just a boy with a girl. I don’t even bother listening to their protests anymore. They starting whining, I give them a look and they stop. I would like to go on about expanding their horizons and explain just how stupid and futile the politics of middle school are, but I know they won’t understand, so I just giggle to myself and smile that I am no longer that age.
And then there is the Albert instance. Albert is this really loud Korean student who for some reason has found favor in the eyes of Rose, the head teacher. He is a smart kid, but REALLY obnoxious. I don’t particularly enjoy his presence so when I was headed to class and encountered him harassing one of my students by stealing her phone I had no problem laying down the law and getting it back to her. He proceeded to say over and over “fuck you fuck you.” Whatever. I didn’t even give it a second thought. I guess all that time at Sterling 24 desensitized me to such comments. It wasn’t until I mentioned it in passing to Rose that I realized that perhaps I should have punished him for that. Rose said she would take care of it and the next day Albert came in and told me he was sorry and that he was actually talking to his friend. Okay, that’s fine…except for the fact that he followed the apology up with “baby.” I had to ask the teachers around if that is really what he said, and they said yes indeed, my ears did not betray me. I couldn’t believe that! Rose informed me that he said that to everyone, but I don’t care. Thanks to many a dramatic T.V. show and video game, I am sure he thinks it is a polite or kind word to add at the end of sentence, but I did not understand why no one had corrected him. I did not understand why Rose was okay with that. I suppose that is just another thing to address.
Weeeeeeeeee. Bringing the fist of feminism to South Korea. I love it!
So that’s that. The weekend was good. I met up with a friend on Friday and chatted away over tea, pringles and horoscopes. I tried some odd street food with Joey in Insadong and almost had the guts to try out the silkworms, but decided the octopus dumpling and squid jerky (which is really quite delicious) was enough for the day. We also went to this great instrument shop that smelled of pine and where every inch was filled with guitars, pianos, mandolins and more. It made me miss my little brothers. We then got thoroughly lost, but since we are both good sports about such adventures, it was a good time. He discussed the Korean obsession with money which I found interesting. This obsession with money has not always been, but like I’ve said before, the U.S. exports the very worst of it’s culture and this is then exacerbated abroad. I saw it in Latin America and I see it here. It’s a shame that in one of my classes we discussed money and I was amazed that even after reading an article showing how money does not increase levels of happiness and may actually decrease it, ¾ of my students sill equated the Won with happiness. Incredible.
That is all, but before I go, I have to put a little plug in for my little brother. The great Stevie G will be playing November 22, 2008 at the Granada Theater in Lawrence Kansas. Everyone should go and check and him out. He’s really quite good…and I promise I’m not just saying that because I’m his big sister. If anything, the most honest of opinions come from me for that very reason.
Peace!
Michelle
Deep Thoughts...
So why is it that in Korea a woman can wear an itty bitty skirt, like the kind you don't sit down in, paired with stiletto heels to work or a meeting with the parents, yet if the shoulders are exposed, well, that is simply too scandalous. There can be no shoulder exposure. The style of dress here even accounts for it. There are tons of these funky shirts created to cover just that. Just the shoulders. Everything else can be exposed, but those shoulders, you better keep them under wraps. They seem to be the equivalent of the Victorian ankle...except that at least the Victorians could sit down. I suppose that might be way I see so many stored selling glittery underwear.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...this is a mystery I shall have to look into further.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...this is a mystery I shall have to look into further.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Capitalism and the Abortion of Thoughts
I’m currently reading this book entitled “Blink.” It is a fascinating collection and commentary on various psychology/cultural studies concerning the effects of the unconscious upon our everyday lives. It is quite good and has had me thinking a lot. Right now, at this very moment, I just got done reading about advertisement, business and how things like “field testing” actually have the habit of LIMITING our choices as consumers rather than increasing them as this bit of capitalism likes to boast. For example, let’s take the very familiar and very popular show, Mary Tyler Moore. This show completely failed in field studies and only aired the first time because it had already been scheduled. The same goes for All in the Family. People hated both of these classic shows at first, but only because they offered something different from the "I love Lucy" and "Leave it to Beaver" diet they were used to. A similar thing happened with the Aeron chair and musicians like Kenna. These were all great additions to our society, but they were predicted to fail due to these faulty pilot studies that only take a small slice of the population, expose them to about three minutes of the product and expect them to give an honest opinion about it. From there, producers decide whether or not to spend the time and money needed to expose and air a T.V. show, music, or product. Well, we are creatures of habit and it seems to only be natural that we have a kind of aversion to anything too different. If it doesn’t fit into one of the many categories already established in our brain, we turn away from it. It is only through continual exposure can we truly decide if the product is worth our attention. It is not like we necessarily get used to BAD things. The introduction of “New Coke” is a good example, or the numerous deaths of various “popular” songs on the radio waves. They are just bad, and like junk food, at first it might taste real good and familiar, but it quickly loses it’s flavor. Something GOOD will stick around, like a good home cooked meal. I am going on about this because I was just thinking about how it’s the new and different that are the most venerable to the nay saying of market research. I think this has resulted in an apathetic culture that is no longer challenged, on a mass level, with new perspectives and ideals, hence the lack of new and thought provoking tv programs, movies and music in pop culture. These different, revolutionary ways of thinking do not do well in market pilot testing, and therefore, no matter the benefit and enjoyment the product may promise, it is killed before it even gets a chance to breathe the air of exposure. In a sense all of this thought out, numerically run market research is doing nothing more than performing a kind of capitalistic abortion upon an infinite number of ideas and that never get the chance to grow out of the embryonic stage of development. Therefore all the contributions that might have been, are quickly lost and obliterated by the empty and familiar world of bubble gum pop and predictable, thoughtless, Hollywood drama.
Solution: Kill your television. Kill Top 40. Support your local scene. Go beyond your local scene. Go beyond your radio dial and THINK!
Solution: Kill your television. Kill Top 40. Support your local scene. Go beyond your local scene. Go beyond your radio dial and THINK!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
You Tubing It...
Yes, dad it is a liberal site, but even this liberal site is based on and cites factual videos/information...which is more than what I can say for McCain and his ideas of deregulation. Watch it BEFORE you vote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
Where have these guys been all my life?! Yummy ear goodies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRijgRZmqvI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hip2i9yHZ38&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0PWukxRV8U
Tired of thinking? Prozoft is for YOU!!!!!!
(a fantastic satire/info about pharmaceuticals)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLef9G1PJ7s&feature=user
http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
Where have these guys been all my life?! Yummy ear goodies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRijgRZmqvI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hip2i9yHZ38&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0PWukxRV8U
Tired of thinking? Prozoft is for YOU!!!!!!
(a fantastic satire/info about pharmaceuticals)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLef9G1PJ7s&feature=user
Sunday, October 5, 2008
I can't use tab in this blog, but I DO know how to indent...
Things have settled down in the Hagwon concerning overtime, but payday is soon so we’ll see what happens there. The rest of the week was spent trying to teach the kiddos how to write an essay. I was amazed at how hard it was for these kids to understand a concept as simple as “indent” and “double space.” I could not comprehend how some of these kids were pros at things like calculus, but completely incompetent at putting two spaces before a paragraph. It was very frustrating and finally I was tired of being patient and nice.
After the first class I simply explained the concept, drew a diagram on the board (which they all had in their books), had them write a small 200 word essay and then had them bring it up to me to check. With my Bic machete in hand I tore up most their papers with red ink and had them write the essay at least twice, if not three or four times until it was right. Oh, and I also tore up a kids paper in class because he was copying the essay straight out of a book right there in front of me. There is a reason why there is next to nothing in the way of copyright laws here in Korea. It is all about appearances. I suppose if you know how to make it look good, forget the content.
That seems to the rule for their music and entertainment too, but I ramble.
In my high level classes I had to do the same thing with the addition of paragraph organization. In Asian literature it is common for authors to write in a circular pattern. They write around the subject, not necessarily on the subject, until the very end when they finally make their point. This is in stark contrast to the Anglo-Western writing style where we follow a kind of pyramid logic. As a result, the Asian style of writing just looks like complete chaos to us Anglos. I know that their writing style is an expression of their cultures emphasis on politeness and respect, but if these kids want to go to an English speaking university someday (and most of them do) they have got to learn how to organize their thoughts.
Therefore, since repetition seems to be the Asian way, I made them rewrite their essays again and again until they got it right…which none of them really did, but that’s okay. We have another week of this so HOPEFULLY some of these concepts will get through their heads. But I don’t know, some of these kids have skulls thicker than the cement blocks on my apartment building.
There also seems to be lots of “secret meetings” going on, but Joey assured me, nothing in them gets done. On a happier note, Jessica, my first problem child from my first month of teaching, is now in Drew’s class and he had his own issues with her; so bad in fact that she was sent to the director. I felt bad for Drew, especially since I have developed this kind of quirky almost sibling like relationship with him, but I also felt justified and that is always nice. AND I finally got my absentee ballot. Whoot! I will let you all think and ponder about who I voted for, it’s a real mystery I’m sure.
As for the weekend, we got Friday off for the mythical creation day of this country when the Gods dropped some dirt on the earth below and called it Korea. I met up with some of the other foreign teachers, rolled my eyes at how stupid some of them were to think that yelling at a girl passing by was somehow attractive, met a group of Mexicans, another group of Englishmen and one Irishman (who was very charming and according to the Englishmen, that is to be expected since all Irishmen are born dripping in charm. This may be true, but I think it has more with growing up in a culture where there is a history and mythology built around women who refuse to put up with the idiocy of men and have been known to send ravens to peck men to death who don’t get it...the accent helps too), I had a great time chatting with all of them, and became friends with Brian, a gay expat from the U.S. who I went dancing with the next day. Yay! I also met up with Joey and went to an unexpected international food festival; tried some Peruvian drink called Maca and wandered around a Latin American Art exhibit where I got to see Diego Rivera and some paintings by Frida Kahlo. We also toured the temple in Seoul, which was beautiful, and climbed over a fence to sit in some in grass (plots of grass are hard to come by in Seoul) and nibbled on some chocolate chip cookies. I also got to try my foot, yes my foot, at one of these “foot massage” paths they have set up at various parks. These paths are just different grades of smooth stones lined up so as you walk down the path it massages the various pressure points on your feet. It was far from comfortable, but my feet definitely felt better afterward.
That’s my week. The rest of it has been spent reading this awesome book “Blink.” I really am enjoying this read since it goes into the unconscious not from a mysterious, misogynistic, mythological Freudian perspective, but more from a scientific we are figuring out how to measure it, perspective. Basically, and I recommend everybody read this book, the author cites various studies acknowledging the existence of the unconscious and our superb ability to make quick snap judgments on limited conscious cognitive processing. This is commonly known as using your intuition. He also talks about the importance of our environment shaping those judgments and how certain things can short circuit “correct” intuition and create disasters, such as the election of Warren Harding who, by many historian’s accounts, ended up being the worst U.S. president in history but, because of his good looks and charm (he was tall, handsome, and had a booming voice that hid his poor character, lack of intelligence and applicable experience), was elected into office simply because he LOOKED like a leader. We humans are pretty susceptible to preconceived notions concerning appearance, hence racism, sexism, and the "height" bias that experts say entitle men six feet or taller to an extra 800.00 a month in comparison to the salary of their shorter co-workers. Fascinating. I am sure I could bore you all with more details about more studies concerning race and gender, but suffice to say, the brain is extremely mutable and never underestimate the importance of positive human communication and interaction in your life. We might not always be able to control our unconscious, but we do have the ability to change our environment, at least to a certain extent, and THAT is how we can influence and improve our intuition/state of mind...or that is one point the book argues, and it makes a good argument.
Peace!
Michelle
After the first class I simply explained the concept, drew a diagram on the board (which they all had in their books), had them write a small 200 word essay and then had them bring it up to me to check. With my Bic machete in hand I tore up most their papers with red ink and had them write the essay at least twice, if not three or four times until it was right. Oh, and I also tore up a kids paper in class because he was copying the essay straight out of a book right there in front of me. There is a reason why there is next to nothing in the way of copyright laws here in Korea. It is all about appearances. I suppose if you know how to make it look good, forget the content.
That seems to the rule for their music and entertainment too, but I ramble.
In my high level classes I had to do the same thing with the addition of paragraph organization. In Asian literature it is common for authors to write in a circular pattern. They write around the subject, not necessarily on the subject, until the very end when they finally make their point. This is in stark contrast to the Anglo-Western writing style where we follow a kind of pyramid logic. As a result, the Asian style of writing just looks like complete chaos to us Anglos. I know that their writing style is an expression of their cultures emphasis on politeness and respect, but if these kids want to go to an English speaking university someday (and most of them do) they have got to learn how to organize their thoughts.
Therefore, since repetition seems to be the Asian way, I made them rewrite their essays again and again until they got it right…which none of them really did, but that’s okay. We have another week of this so HOPEFULLY some of these concepts will get through their heads. But I don’t know, some of these kids have skulls thicker than the cement blocks on my apartment building.
There also seems to be lots of “secret meetings” going on, but Joey assured me, nothing in them gets done. On a happier note, Jessica, my first problem child from my first month of teaching, is now in Drew’s class and he had his own issues with her; so bad in fact that she was sent to the director. I felt bad for Drew, especially since I have developed this kind of quirky almost sibling like relationship with him, but I also felt justified and that is always nice. AND I finally got my absentee ballot. Whoot! I will let you all think and ponder about who I voted for, it’s a real mystery I’m sure.
As for the weekend, we got Friday off for the mythical creation day of this country when the Gods dropped some dirt on the earth below and called it Korea. I met up with some of the other foreign teachers, rolled my eyes at how stupid some of them were to think that yelling at a girl passing by was somehow attractive, met a group of Mexicans, another group of Englishmen and one Irishman (who was very charming and according to the Englishmen, that is to be expected since all Irishmen are born dripping in charm. This may be true, but I think it has more with growing up in a culture where there is a history and mythology built around women who refuse to put up with the idiocy of men and have been known to send ravens to peck men to death who don’t get it...the accent helps too), I had a great time chatting with all of them, and became friends with Brian, a gay expat from the U.S. who I went dancing with the next day. Yay! I also met up with Joey and went to an unexpected international food festival; tried some Peruvian drink called Maca and wandered around a Latin American Art exhibit where I got to see Diego Rivera and some paintings by Frida Kahlo. We also toured the temple in Seoul, which was beautiful, and climbed over a fence to sit in some in grass (plots of grass are hard to come by in Seoul) and nibbled on some chocolate chip cookies. I also got to try my foot, yes my foot, at one of these “foot massage” paths they have set up at various parks. These paths are just different grades of smooth stones lined up so as you walk down the path it massages the various pressure points on your feet. It was far from comfortable, but my feet definitely felt better afterward.
That’s my week. The rest of it has been spent reading this awesome book “Blink.” I really am enjoying this read since it goes into the unconscious not from a mysterious, misogynistic, mythological Freudian perspective, but more from a scientific we are figuring out how to measure it, perspective. Basically, and I recommend everybody read this book, the author cites various studies acknowledging the existence of the unconscious and our superb ability to make quick snap judgments on limited conscious cognitive processing. This is commonly known as using your intuition. He also talks about the importance of our environment shaping those judgments and how certain things can short circuit “correct” intuition and create disasters, such as the election of Warren Harding who, by many historian’s accounts, ended up being the worst U.S. president in history but, because of his good looks and charm (he was tall, handsome, and had a booming voice that hid his poor character, lack of intelligence and applicable experience), was elected into office simply because he LOOKED like a leader. We humans are pretty susceptible to preconceived notions concerning appearance, hence racism, sexism, and the "height" bias that experts say entitle men six feet or taller to an extra 800.00 a month in comparison to the salary of their shorter co-workers. Fascinating. I am sure I could bore you all with more details about more studies concerning race and gender, but suffice to say, the brain is extremely mutable and never underestimate the importance of positive human communication and interaction in your life. We might not always be able to control our unconscious, but we do have the ability to change our environment, at least to a certain extent, and THAT is how we can influence and improve our intuition/state of mind...or that is one point the book argues, and it makes a good argument.
Peace!
Michelle
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