I actually spent some time working on an essay! Those of you that know me pretty well know that I'm not really one to do homework. So as proof of me doing it, you get to read it! Here it is:
Is Everything P.C.?
“-There was once a poor girl, as beautiful as she was good, who lived with her wicked stepmother in a house in the suburbs.
- That’s better. But I have to seriously query this word poor.
- But she was poor!
- Poor is relative. She lived in a house, didn’t she?
- Yes.
- Then socioeconomically speaking, she was not poor (Mararet Atwood, lns. 3-8).”
The short work that this excerpt comes from, “There Was Once,” could even be considered an essay on how political correctness has ruined our society, especially in the arts. It came at a time when being “P.C.” was necessary if one did not want to get sued for their life. It became a poor excuse for being tactful. Everyone was so afraid of offending another person that a lot of conversation and debate was watered down, sometimes enough to entirely lose its meaning. The point is being politically correct has stifled artistic creativity, created tension between beliefs/traditions/races, and has even made it difficult to hold a simple conversation with anyone on the street.
“- I wasn’t making fun! I was just describing –
- Skip the description. Description oppresses. But you can say what color she was.
- What color?
- You know. Black, white, red, brown, yellow. Those are the choices. And I’m telling you right now, I’ve had enough of white. Dominant culture this, dominant culture that — (Atwood, lns. 15-18).”
Tension between faiths, traditions, and race has been impossible to avoid since being politically correct became a way of life. Even a conversation about how well one is doing in the workplace could be a very difficult for a manager, boss, or overseer. When one has to watch what they say, not because they want to be polite but because they do not want to get sued, or lose their position, it makes for a very unfulfilling environment. Things become unable to get done as quickly or efficiently as it would have been with no underlying need to be politically correct.
This fear of not being P.C. also leads to watered down conversations; meaning that things spoken during these conversations will have a tendency to lose their significance or implications. These have the people speaking with each other saying “African-American” when they mean “Black” or “Caucasian” when they mean “White.” Sure, in some cases this conversation may have nothing wrong in the context of the person being spoken of, but if that said person being spoken about or spoken to is not an American from Africa, they are not African-American. They should, if talking of nationality, definitely be considered as an American, as that is what they would truly be. Another example of this watered down concept would be in the context of faith or religion. A lot of religious leaders have fallen into the trap of “we have to be politically correct” and have sacrificed their faith’s doctrines because of it. When a Christian tells a Satanist that “it is ok that you believe that Satan is god,” that God loves them, and that they can believe what they want because God will take them as they are, they are in fact compromising the one fact that there is only one God and that in order for them to be taken by Him, one must believe that he is the One and Only God. This sort of negotiation has made many things become quite skewed from their true meanings and has caused more controversy than there should ever have been concerning racial differences or religion.
Being tact is a very important part to learning how to properly converse with anyone one the street. There may be topics that are avoided when talking to someone that is wearing a suit in comparison to talking to a homeless person. Why is this? Why is it assumed that a homeless person (notice not bum, or hobo) would not want to talk about certain things? Is it incorrect to ask someone what happened to them? How did they get to this state of happiness or this state of discontent? “- Skip the description. Description oppresses (Atwood, ln. 16).” There is no reason why anyone person should be talked to any differently because they look differently than someone else. It seems that this has gotten into some civil rights-type issues, and in a way it has. The issue of being tactful is much different from being P.C. In tactfulness, you are putting things in the best context possible, not diluting the content at all. Being P.C. has unfortunately quickly become a way of being tactful by replacing that complete content with a conversation, debate, etc. with blank spots as to not hurt any ones feelings.
“-There —
- So?
- So, what?
- So, why not here? (Atwood, lns. 39-42)”
Political correctness is a political ploy to please everyone. With it instated, you hear no true opinion due to fear of hurting anyone. Honestly, if anyone is that worried about being hurt or about hurting another, why talk at all? There is a reason why each individual in the human race can think for themselves. They all need to take advantage of it by knowing when to take an opinion for what it is and know that a chosen form of expression is expression is exactly that: chosen by the one expressing it. So in art, in faith, and in conversation one must remember their beliefs and be cognizant of others, knowing that their expression will be different than their own.
Well, that's what I spent hours on. Those are pretty much my thoughts on the night. I know that most of it is BS but hey, it'll work for a paper. Tell me what you think...please? I kinda want to know before I get a verdict back from my instructor with all the grammar corrections, etc. I know it's gonna suck, so if I hear it from my friends it'll make it easier! Well that is all for today. Until then---
26.2.02
24.2.02
A penny for my thoughts... "Well today is tomorrow, and tomorrow is today. And yesterday is breathing in and out..." - Cake. I found that appropiate, too. It seems to fit yesterday and the feeling for today. Interesting as the past day has been, I will not share it with you. Ha! You get to miss out on what I spend my life not doing: LIFE. When all you do is sit around with the full intention to do something that may actually be important and never do it, there is something wrong. I know I told some people that yesterday was a lazy day but this type of thing is inexcusable. I'm running low on motivation for many things. Doing homework is a very trivial act for me and this even includes guitar. I know that it needs to get done and all of that, but why? Actually, I know that answer but why not do it then? There really is nothing better to do here...that's part of the big plus in coming to this school. I know that I have the time to do it even. But I lack the motive for the dirty work. Sux...
Well I totally drew a blank on what I was thinking about writing here so I'm not going to bore you with any more useless drabble. I promise to be more interesting next time. Give me my motivation! Until then---
Well I totally drew a blank on what I was thinking about writing here so I'm not going to bore you with any more useless drabble. I promise to be more interesting next time. Give me my motivation! Until then---
22.2.02
I saw Switchfoot!!! I came back a few hours ago from a great concert experience. Sure, the headlining band, Switchfoot, I've seen three times before, but the time spent getting there, the openers, and the full live experience was awesome!! I'll tell more about it later...I've been exahusted yesterday. So tired...need rest... Until then---
18.2.02
So ends a uneventful weekend... Well now that we, (Grant, Aaron, and I) are finished watching our weekly ritual of Adult Swim (Cartoon Network, Sundays/Thurdays @ 10 PM), it is time for an update on the weekend. First off, that test that I took was totally bombed by most of the people in the class. The teacher was right about it being hard. The thing that sucked about it was that I know that I know the material. I was the matter of recollection. I've some to be pretty bad at doing that recently. Remembering stuff sucks!! It's always worse when you know that you've got it stuck in your memory but just can't find it. Grrrrrr!! It's so frustrating...
On Saturday, I was pretty much confined to the campus due to a master class I HAD to attend and a concert that I also HAD to attend for my guitar class. Talked about making the day suck!! I say this not as an insult to the performer, Stanley Yates, or anything but being forced to do something just isn't my thing. I probably would have wanted to go to each of these things (at least the concert) more if I didn't HAVE to go. Having a set schedule on a Saturday sucks...
Now that that is all out it's time to get that wonderfull thing called "rest" that we all love so much. I still think that we would be better off if we did need it but we do and that is all I can say about that. Check out the rest of my site and tell me what you think in my guestbook below. I got to spend some quality time working on it this weekend inbetween my stupid schedule. And with that, I bid thee farewell. Until then---
On Saturday, I was pretty much confined to the campus due to a master class I HAD to attend and a concert that I also HAD to attend for my guitar class. Talked about making the day suck!! I say this not as an insult to the performer, Stanley Yates, or anything but being forced to do something just isn't my thing. I probably would have wanted to go to each of these things (at least the concert) more if I didn't HAVE to go. Having a set schedule on a Saturday sucks...
Now that that is all out it's time to get that wonderfull thing called "rest" that we all love so much. I still think that we would be better off if we did need it but we do and that is all I can say about that. Check out the rest of my site and tell me what you think in my guestbook below. I got to spend some quality time working on it this weekend inbetween my stupid schedule. And with that, I bid thee farewell. Until then---
15.2.02
13.2.02
Oh such exhaustion!! I can only imagine that this is what it feels like to be a film major. Only the whole being tired thing though. I couldn't handle having to actually work when I'm this tired. I give mad props out to all of the film majors out there who have ever had to deal with that...basically, that would be all of them.
Well, I'm just going to do a quick recap of today: Wake up at 7:30 for English class at 8 (this is the AM). Then, Music Theory at 9:30. Quick break at 10:20 (break only in the sense that I wasn't in class), but back to class at 11. A stupid class at that! Now lunch...Yay, lunch. It was a bad day for good food in our much wavering cafeteria. This is only true because I have soccer workout with coach and I didn't know that it would put me on the verge of being sick (vomiting, tossing your cookies, barfing, upchucking, blowing chunks, etc.). After that hour in a room that was too hot to be working out in when I haven't worked out in over two months and the last time I even stretched was when I was snoboarding (meaning cold weather activities, the whole time!!), I went back to my room and sat on my duff playing Tony Hawk 3 (since I couldn't get the first Tony Hawk to work). Then dinner, 5; then Refuge, 7; then radio, 10. I was had deemed myself tired while playing TH3 so the rest of the evening was just dandy and very upbeat...in the NOT category. Well, that concludes this evenings topic coz I don't want to talk about sleep again, and how much I hate it. Until then---
Well, I'm just going to do a quick recap of today: Wake up at 7:30 for English class at 8 (this is the AM). Then, Music Theory at 9:30. Quick break at 10:20 (break only in the sense that I wasn't in class), but back to class at 11. A stupid class at that! Now lunch...Yay, lunch. It was a bad day for good food in our much wavering cafeteria. This is only true because I have soccer workout with coach and I didn't know that it would put me on the verge of being sick (vomiting, tossing your cookies, barfing, upchucking, blowing chunks, etc.). After that hour in a room that was too hot to be working out in when I haven't worked out in over two months and the last time I even stretched was when I was snoboarding (meaning cold weather activities, the whole time!!), I went back to my room and sat on my duff playing Tony Hawk 3 (since I couldn't get the first Tony Hawk to work). Then dinner, 5; then Refuge, 7; then radio, 10. I was had deemed myself tired while playing TH3 so the rest of the evening was just dandy and very upbeat...in the NOT category. Well, that concludes this evenings topic coz I don't want to talk about sleep again, and how much I hate it. Until then---
11.2.02
What a day! A bit confusing, and a little exciting...well that wasn't really yesterday, but now that I've got your attention... Things are a little strange around here right now. Yet another corporate-created holiday is just around the corner: Valentines Day. Oh, whoopie!! let's jump for joy... Anyway, I haven't really celebrated the holiday for at least two years and one of those, for sure, was when I had a girlfriend. Odd? Maybe, but the day of Saint Valentine has been so blown out of proportion that it really is just calling out to me to be boycotted. I mean really... If you are in a relationship and you need a holiday to do something special for your significant other, that is really sad and you really should be with anyone coz noone deserves that. This isn't meant to be an "I'm pissed of at the stupid lovey-dovey feel of the month" entry but wanna-be's suck!! If the love isn't really there, a corporate holiday isn't going to change it, it will just hide it. That, I'm sure, is a very fun fufilled game, too: Hide your heart and go love. Pretty good for 1:30 in the morning, eh?
Well the reason why the topic of Feb. 14 came up is the way that I've been observing everyone around here (at Chapman), on TV, and myself. I've found that we all have become compulsive toward so many things. Some of us are in our relationships and engulfed in them. Some are in relationships and disregard the commercialistic holiday and find ways to avoid even talking about it. Some, like me, are having trouble with the other sex as it is and are hating the stupid capitalists that created the holiday beacuse it places an invisible pressure force around you to be in love or something like that. Some hide in shells avoiding the topic of relationships entirely but are sacraficing their strictly-plutonic realations is some way or another. I think that if you are truly in love with someone or just like them a bit more than the rest, there should be no pressure on anyone but to tell them how you feel. No gifts, just that good ol' lovin' feelin' (no I'm not dirt poor, nor dirt cheap either). I think that's something that we've lost as a society. Material things are what we "need" to show our affection towards each other. Sure they're nice once in a while, but it should not take a holiday (I shouldn't use that word for it...we don't get the day off or anything!) to show appreciation, love, or pure humbleness.
That is the end of my soap box speech...I stand down to the rest of the world that doesn't care. Until then---
Well the reason why the topic of Feb. 14 came up is the way that I've been observing everyone around here (at Chapman), on TV, and myself. I've found that we all have become compulsive toward so many things. Some of us are in our relationships and engulfed in them. Some are in relationships and disregard the commercialistic holiday and find ways to avoid even talking about it. Some, like me, are having trouble with the other sex as it is and are hating the stupid capitalists that created the holiday beacuse it places an invisible pressure force around you to be in love or something like that. Some hide in shells avoiding the topic of relationships entirely but are sacraficing their strictly-plutonic realations is some way or another. I think that if you are truly in love with someone or just like them a bit more than the rest, there should be no pressure on anyone but to tell them how you feel. No gifts, just that good ol' lovin' feelin' (no I'm not dirt poor, nor dirt cheap either). I think that's something that we've lost as a society. Material things are what we "need" to show our affection towards each other. Sure they're nice once in a while, but it should not take a holiday (I shouldn't use that word for it...we don't get the day off or anything!) to show appreciation, love, or pure humbleness.
That is the end of my soap box speech...I stand down to the rest of the world that doesn't care. Until then---
8.2.02
Again, it's the begining... Yesterday was definitely an interesting one. The past few hours I have been helping out a very cute girl with her homework. The more interesting thing is that it was an English essay...I'm horrible at English as I'm sure I have said before!! I can't write at all but they (her and her roommate) both seemed to like what I did with the paper. Hey, whatever it takes. Did I mention she's cute?
Yesterday I found a lot of time to try and work on updating my other parts of my page like the new site for my potential band. If you go there I know that it says that we are pretty far along, but honestly lets just say that Fistful of Putty was my idea for a name just to make the page seem interesting (sign the guestbook and tall me what you think!). We don't know where this is going yet. Our potential drummer is willing to play but doesn't have a set to play on; slight problem...Yes! So as of right now that is a project besides me and Christinas playing at the Ugly Mug, a great little coffee shop that gives off that cultured feel (as mentioned on Aaron's page). Hopefully, we can do that soon and find out how we soud to other people besides our close friends. Those people are way too nice... After either one of those two happenings, maybe even before (I'm so decisive!) we will probably start some basic recording so that we can create samples for your enjoyment online and demos to sell and make some money. Mmmmm...money. Something that I'm starting to lack. Remember way back when I got my job at Mars Music? (If you don't, check out my archives!) Well, that job has been eighty-sixed. We're going out of business! It's the greatest thing...in the NOT category. It sucks even more because I enjoyed the job a lot. So now I'm in the job hunt once again and hating every moment of it. It's worse coz my main form of transportation, my bug, is down for the count. Right before winter break, the engine froze on me. Sux. But I'm finding that Grant's bike is a great mode of transportation....good, but I can't go nearly as far...bad. Oh well. Adjusting is all part of life. Life is just one big adjustment. Oh and it's so fun, too!! So many people to at least try to either get along with or piss of entirely; it makes for something that is incomparable to anything else. Life is great, isn't it?!?
Now on to another day. I have a quiz in theory (or in theory, I have a quiz). It'll be joyous fun so I don't want to fall asleep during it. I'm to the cows as birds are to monkeys. What was that!!?? Until then---
Yesterday I found a lot of time to try and work on updating my other parts of my page like the new site for my potential band. If you go there I know that it says that we are pretty far along, but honestly lets just say that Fistful of Putty was my idea for a name just to make the page seem interesting (sign the guestbook and tall me what you think!). We don't know where this is going yet. Our potential drummer is willing to play but doesn't have a set to play on; slight problem...Yes! So as of right now that is a project besides me and Christinas playing at the Ugly Mug, a great little coffee shop that gives off that cultured feel (as mentioned on Aaron's page). Hopefully, we can do that soon and find out how we soud to other people besides our close friends. Those people are way too nice... After either one of those two happenings, maybe even before (I'm so decisive!) we will probably start some basic recording so that we can create samples for your enjoyment online and demos to sell and make some money. Mmmmm...money. Something that I'm starting to lack. Remember way back when I got my job at Mars Music? (If you don't, check out my archives!) Well, that job has been eighty-sixed. We're going out of business! It's the greatest thing...in the NOT category. It sucks even more because I enjoyed the job a lot. So now I'm in the job hunt once again and hating every moment of it. It's worse coz my main form of transportation, my bug, is down for the count. Right before winter break, the engine froze on me. Sux. But I'm finding that Grant's bike is a great mode of transportation....good, but I can't go nearly as far...bad. Oh well. Adjusting is all part of life. Life is just one big adjustment. Oh and it's so fun, too!! So many people to at least try to either get along with or piss of entirely; it makes for something that is incomparable to anything else. Life is great, isn't it?!?
Now on to another day. I have a quiz in theory (or in theory, I have a quiz). It'll be joyous fun so I don't want to fall asleep during it. I'm to the cows as birds are to monkeys. What was that!!?? Until then---
7.2.02
Short and sweet...hopefully sweet. It's been a long day and I've been left very worn down and tired at this hour. It doesn't help that I've had to read three short stories and the begining of another book that I have to read. I've come to the definite realization that I am taking two English classes. Although they are not named the same thing, nor do they have the same course description but they do have the same format once you're in there. The worst part about it is that I really am not very good at English...you know, the whole writing thing is bad (as I'm sure you can tell by my reamblings here...this is how I write!) but the worst part is having to pay attetion for a total of two and a half hours on the same subject matter. I think that I am going to have to do something about this...I don't know what though...I can't think that fast right now...Stupid need for sleep. Well, I'm off to read "One Hundred Years of Solitude." Great book, if you haven't read it I highly suggest it. Time for sweet lullabies, and dreams of candied corn fields. Until then---
5.2.02
I'm Back!!!! For those of you out there that actually care about my life and the happenings here in the wonderful place of Orange County, I'm back to my much more consistant updatings. The first week of Spring semester has been alright in my opinion because I could get my site back up and running a lot faster than I thought that I would be. Free afternoons are GREAT!!...
Well now I am a semester older and I've still not grown up. I know that responsibility (What's That??) is a integral part of life as a college student but there are somethings that just get in the way. That's right, I'm talking about sleeping and eating again. Two essentials that I find very stupid. I wish I didn't have to eat...It's so time consuming. Same with sleeping...They are so over-rated. Sure, you may think that it helps you out but in all actuality it's just eating your life away. Take my roomate Grant for instance, who at this moment (1:00 am and still going) is out getting work done: editing. Ahh...The man doens't sleep enough according to books but he is an example to us all. Sure he may look like the most worn out, run-down, dirty (not really but it fit) college student (there's the real downfall) that I've seen but if all of us worked as hard as he did, we wouldn't have to worry about trivial conversation coz we'd be too tired to care. Great plan, huh!?... Right...
Well I think that I finally may be getting a chance to get somewhere with my music. My roomates and I are plotting to put together a group. It'll be great coz I'll have at least one person, Christina, that I can talk about some hardcore musician stuff. That'll be new!! I've definitely had some musical idiots in bands before...(Disclaimer: I'm not only really talking about with guitars and stuff though so I apologize to any of the true musicians (you know who you are) that I've played with that could possibly be reading this.) To find out more about us and the whole band thing, you'll just have to wait. My new part of the site with the stupid ad on the side will be partially devoted to the band, it's happenings, and it's non-happenings, it's music, and the like. Hopefully, enough people will listen and like it that we can get somewhere and make a better site for us all...
I hope that this is a sufficient update for now. I don't know how much more I can write tonight. I've been on my CPU for too long the past couple of days working on this site, esp. the new part. And besides that, i've got to go and betray my beliefs. Sleep is calling me...eight o'clock is too early for a class...I HATE having to sleep!!...I'll keep you posted on any further hipocricy (he he, I like that word). Until then---
Well now I am a semester older and I've still not grown up. I know that responsibility (What's That??) is a integral part of life as a college student but there are somethings that just get in the way. That's right, I'm talking about sleeping and eating again. Two essentials that I find very stupid. I wish I didn't have to eat...It's so time consuming. Same with sleeping...They are so over-rated. Sure, you may think that it helps you out but in all actuality it's just eating your life away. Take my roomate Grant for instance, who at this moment (1:00 am and still going) is out getting work done: editing. Ahh...The man doens't sleep enough according to books but he is an example to us all. Sure he may look like the most worn out, run-down, dirty (not really but it fit) college student (there's the real downfall) that I've seen but if all of us worked as hard as he did, we wouldn't have to worry about trivial conversation coz we'd be too tired to care. Great plan, huh!?... Right...
Well I think that I finally may be getting a chance to get somewhere with my music. My roomates and I are plotting to put together a group. It'll be great coz I'll have at least one person, Christina, that I can talk about some hardcore musician stuff. That'll be new!! I've definitely had some musical idiots in bands before...(Disclaimer: I'm not only really talking about with guitars and stuff though so I apologize to any of the true musicians (you know who you are) that I've played with that could possibly be reading this.) To find out more about us and the whole band thing, you'll just have to wait. My new part of the site with the stupid ad on the side will be partially devoted to the band, it's happenings, and it's non-happenings, it's music, and the like. Hopefully, enough people will listen and like it that we can get somewhere and make a better site for us all...
I hope that this is a sufficient update for now. I don't know how much more I can write tonight. I've been on my CPU for too long the past couple of days working on this site, esp. the new part. And besides that, i've got to go and betray my beliefs. Sleep is calling me...eight o'clock is too early for a class...I HATE having to sleep!!...I'll keep you posted on any further hipocricy (he he, I like that word). Until then---
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