P is for Porno

Okay, so obviously I am a little over sensitive, in regards to my last post. So after I left the class abruptly because I was frustrated (and I needed to change my shirt, is that such a crime?) I decided that there was no point in staying away from class and missing out on a lecture. So I reluctantly dragged myself back into class, and I'm glad that I came back, because now I get to post on our class discussion. Yipee!

By the way, I tried SOOOO hard to act like a badass because I was just so bitter. I tried not looking at Mark while he was talking (which I usually do, look at the speaker, because it's just a sign of respect), I text messaged in class (but had to stop because I felt bad) and not writing notes..but I couldn't do it. It's not even because it was super interesting (in the end, it was) but it was just because I felt so bad, and there was really no point of it. Silly, silly me.

When I returned we were talking about the definition of power and hegemonies; about the Pope and how propaganda first started with trying to 'civilize' people from outer nations and essentially, the beginning of evangelism.

notes:(n.b. I'm just being a bitch from here on in because I'm bitter, please don't hold it against me)
We spoke about ideologically based institutions (i.e. school) and how people of power are the ones who influence what means giving an individual culture. That point made me think. Just because someone has a Master's degree of a PhD, does that mean they can tell us virtually whatever they wish because those letters at the endof their name create this status as a powerful person? It was mentioned that these powerful people can influence thinking, so could one say that with these letters, the powerful person can use it for good or evil; fact or theory? That's just my thinking.

Then we talked about how we are always being watched, and the penopticon from Orwell's 1984 was mentioned-one person watching everyone/everything. That makes me want to read 1984 even MORE!

We spoke also about the reasons that school is free for individuals under the age of 18. Among other comments, Adam contributed the point about citizen participation: schools are made so that young people learn not to question authority. That made sense to me, since it's around the end of that free schooling that some children begin to question authority, and some even rebel against it.

We started talking about the point of education. Everyone was totally thinking that it was to get smart and be able to land a job. Then Mark schooled us all (no pun intended) telling us that the point to education is to see something from multiple points of views. Not necessarily to know things, not necessarily to have an opinion, but for that main purpose. But riddle me this: What if we already consider all the views of looking at a situation? Growing up in groups of different types of friends, having mild health conditions as a child, etc. made me a pretty considerate person, even at a young age. I try understanding all the views of others, and I think that it's the reason why I get along well with so many different types of people; I am a person a lot of people can relate to one way or another. So yeah, obviously there is always room for improvement with anything, but I feel that if that's what the point of education is, those of us who have come far in that 'skill' should be challenged. And I don't think that thinking about even MORE points of view would be beneficial to me, only because I already overanalyze everything and have too many thoughts in my mind at once. And I mean that as it is a curse to me. I can't even get through a decision without going crazy and agonizing over every little detail about it. What a nightmare.

Sex Sells (see, your eye was most likely drawn to that while scrolling down the page)
I definitely did not know that sexual industries are the largest underground economy. It really doesn't surprise me though, and it also doesn't surprise me that its success is because of the internet. Mark mentioned that algorithms are made by pronographers, so that they scout out what people want. I am just thinking now, isn't it ironic how algorithms are formulted by looking at things such as blogs, and yet I'm writing about them in one?! Trippyyyy...

After talking about Little Red Riding Hood, which started out as a morality tale in France, [There is a 16th century version and 18th century version] I really want to read The Great Cat Massacre. That book is now added to my book list...is it by Robert Dartin or Martin? Anyways I really want to read it. It seems like it combines a history lesson with nursery time fun. Sick.

I liked the literacy point about how 50% can read directions on a perscription bottle, 25% who can't and there is another percentage that is a literate who can read but choose not to. Before we linked it to politics and the apathetic individuals who can vote but don't, I was thinking that this showed apathy. I didn't know what we were about to link to, but I knew something was coming about that.

Then after Mark explained how being able to read and choosing not to read is the same thing as not contributing to society, not participating in public discourse, which results in consenting others to make decisions for you. That's how hegemony works, to get you to consent to someone ELSE.

I was going to vote regardless of our discussion in class the other day about the importance of voting, but I wondered, how is it that people push push push this talk about when you don't vote, you let others make the decisions for you, when you might not even get your way. It's pretty messed up.

When we ended the class with Mark letting us know that we have to ask ourselves if we want to make money or if we want to 'change the world,' it made me think a lot. I think there's a spectrum, it's not black and white. I don't want to make loads of money (I wouldn't mind) but I don't want to set a goal like 'changing the world' and then get disappointed when stuff doesn't work out. I understand thinking about priorities, I just think that it's hard to think about that stuff now when it still takes me 10 minutes to decide what cereal to have in the morning. That's all.