Home

Home is like. . .

Home is, like, where the heart is and stuff. It's that place where one can feel warm, comfortable, and content, where one can be herself without judgment. Home is fluffy bed, complete with a mattress so soft that one sinks deeply into its tempting foam without a second thought, a fuzzy blanket to wrap around oneself like a strong pair of arms, and with a stuffed animal to cuddle to console oneself with after a hard day. It is hot chocolate, decorated with tiny marshmallows for extra sweetness for those especially crappy days. Home is where one finds a peace of mind and possibly someone to share that peace with.

Home is not like. . .

Home is not like a party. It is not a crazy teenage party, where booze is the form of entertainment and people are always moving; it is not chaotic. It is also not a wedding or any other form of formal party. One doesn't have to watch their manners, sit up straight, mind their hair and make-up, and watch out for dangerous foods that threaten to stain your favorite dress. Home is not where one can hide behind a mask of elegance or an alcohol induced grin. It is not a place where one worries about whispers behind their back, jeers about those slutty, ripped jeans or that dress that sits too low on the bosom. Home is where you can unbutton those tight jeans and pull out those painful pins out of your hair to find release.

Home is sometimes like. . .

Home is sometimes like a rose, not without its thorns. The relaxation, peace, and quiet that a home offers can be so very welcome after a long day out, but there can be too much of a good thing. Left alone in isolation and without anything to busy one's mind can lead to thoughts wandering astray. Why did you say those things yesterday? Why are you so socially awkward? What kind of impression do you give? Are you too annoying? Does that kid from down the street like you, or were they only being nice? What does the future hold? Can you handle whatever it throws at you? What about that friend you had in 5th grade? What happened to them? Maybe you should look them up. Oh, no. They got fat and you laugh at their weight gain. Why are you so mean? What if you're a hypocrite? Weigh yourself. No, no, no no. You gained two pounds since last month. Start to google diets revolving around carbohydrates because you're on your period and you want to fulfill your cravings. Sneeze and feel a chunk your uterus slide out. Sob a little. Life stinks.

Home is sometimes where bad thoughts can infect the good, where the disease can spread to the deepest corners of one's consciousness, filling it to the brim with dark mumblings of insecurity. It is never good to have too much time to think.

Like, You Know?

How does the poem differ in its two recensions? What reading does spoken word (orality) privilege? What does the textual writing space (unconventional as it is) play in the transmission of meaning?

In the video of Taylor Mali reciting the poem on youtube, I found myself quickly drawn in to what he was saying because I felt familiar and comfortable with his way of speaking. He talked like many of my friends, and just generally very similar to how many teenagers today vocalize their thoughts. We abuse the word 'like', throwing it in carelessly into conversation. It has become so common of a crime, in fact, that one often doesn't even realize that said crime has been committed.

When writing a private blog entry on another website, I write how I speak. Looking back on my older blogs online, I became shamefully aware how dreadful and casual my language has become. Some examples are:

"Man, iunno what to think."
"But, like, what also bothers me is..."
"I mean, i doubt..."
"Like, to find out he was close to them shocked me. I would figure that he would be closer to his guy friends, y’know?"

The word "like" has infiltrated both my written and oral language, I combine words because I'm too lazy to say/write them separately (re: "iunno"), I constantly feel the need to defend my arguments by using "I mean" instead of actually getting to the point, and then there's the obvious use of "y'know". I'm flabbergasted at my horrendous use of words, and absolutely terrified how common my mistakes are among society today. When Mali spoke, it was as if I was listening to a friend. It was only upon actually reading his poem in the unconventional writing space that I realized how. . .awkward. . .the use of such language was. It creates a type of informality in speech, giving it a more laid-back tone. This tone is full of uncertainty and laziness, making it sound as if the speaker does not care if he/she is right or wrong. It lacks power and, as Mali states, conviction.

Group 2's Prezi (my group)

Prezi, Group 2 on Chapter 2

Am I Afraid to Write?

Only when I am being judged (ie: being graded) because that is the only time where i don't write what I'm comfortable with. The subject is so confined, y'know? Writing, to me, helps me express my thoughts when spoken words fail me. My public speaking abilities are horrendous, but the words tumbling in my mind are not. When put together in an organized manner, they can be powerful and convincing. Writing gives me the opportunity to put forth my arguments clearly, without having to worry about stepping over my own tongue.


Also, people are more inclined to read a passage without interruption than they would if they had to listen to one. This fact enables me to fully voice my opinions and defend them, without the worry that the person who I'm writing to will stop reading and make judgments based on the little bit he/she has read. Because text is more physical, the reader can go back and read a message whenever they feel they have the courage or curiosity to. Writing also allows me to re-read my points and exchange flat verbs for more vivid ones, which is something I cannot do when speaking because words cannot be taken back.

Prezis for Groups 1 and 3

Group 1, Chapter 1

• print changing, becoming less popular, still popular to authors
• "This will replace that"
• electronic writing takes less effort
• reader becomes author because they can change what they read, the accessability of electronic text
• electronic text can be changed for the worst
• censorship less controlled on digital texts (links can lead anywhere, advertisements)
• written text requires no tools, but print process might
• advantages of books - physical advantages
• word processor - typographic
• electronic text appeals to larger group
• electronic text - more visually complex, easily manipulated

Possible argument: Is digital text a fad or here to stay? Is it growing out of human control?

Group 3, Chapter 2

• computer capable of catering to reader's needs (ie: formatting, editing)
• writing = organizing verbal ideas in visual space
• physical communication with computer, therefore natural
• computers go hand-in-hand with culture
• writing space becomes more advanced to meet the challenge of evolving writing
• computer fine tunes printed book
• computers evolved society into media culture
• electronic writing is flexible and interactive, makes writing come to life

Possible argument: The computer is a more evolved form of writing and is more natural than one would think.

The Machine

Before e-mail, there was the pony express.

Before print, there was ink.

But to those who saw letters on paper, written with bottled ink and a feathered quill, as a new means of communication, it was a new form of technology. Technology, although great, is feared. This fear can be show in movies like The Matrix, in which society is taken over by artificial intelligence. But why be afraid? Because technology is powerful, that's why.

Google, Facebook, Youtube. The world wide web and the use of computers have changed society exponentially. Instead of communicating face-to-face, we talk to each other via a bright screen and buzzing hardware. This has caused older forms of communication, such as handwritten letters, to become obsolete. In an ever-upgrading world, where technologies are becoming more advanced by the day and the power to delete millions of terabytes of information lies in the push of a single key, who wouldn't be afraid?

But just as the machine uses us, we also use the machine. Many think it's easier to speak their mind through computer text than through speech. This can be due to the fact that text is always the same. Since every letter will look the same in every word, it causes the writer to grow detached from their piece because they cannot put the same amount of their attitude and personality in text as they could through word of mouth or through developed handwriting. By distancing themselves from the person they are talking to, some may find that it is easier to speak unbiasedly and remain truthful, while not wearing their emotions on their sleeve. Thus, while the machine uses us, controls us, through its sheer precense and importance in today's society, we adapt to use the machine for our own good.