Author Archives: Mildred...

Intimate Apparel (Extra Credit)

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Both professors

Both professors

Hester St. back in the day

Hester St. back in the day

Limited space in shops

Limited space in shops

I somehow managed to attend the discussion on the play, Intimate Apparel. Although I did not make it on time, I managed to arrive as soon as two professors we doing a sort of Q and A kind of thing. The two female professors were very motivational speakers, at least that is how I was interpreting their tone of voices as. Especially the one on the left, she really stood out to me. I don’t really understand how is it that she stood out, but she did, perhaps it was her voice and attitude towards the discussion and questions that were being asked. A lot of the questions that were being asked really reflected on themes of the play. “Every character want the same thing, they all want to be married, they all want love,” Professor on the right. “Migration, emigration…what does it mean? …Class desires. They all live in NYC…want students to think about how black women lived in 1907. She knows how to navigate…Various themes…She is a seamstress, how does a black woman who’s illiterate navigate through this city.” Professor on left. The two professors both spoke about the female character’s desires and ambitions I believe, and how they want to rebuild new identities.

Afterward, they speak of the character’s identities and purposes in their own lives. I really enjoyed this part of the discussion because it was really more like the professors were talking to one another, rather than just answering the questions.

“As people, people react to their emotions. She’s not living up to the norm of a 35 year old. She gains everything and loses everything.” Professor on right. “Ester is more interested in telling this man about her history. George is more about the sexual drive (?)” Professor on left. “Your father is your paradigm about what a man is, she doesn’t want to be intimate, she wants to be emotionally intimate.” Professor on right.

Now for sure sure, I managed to hear the last two questions that were asked. “What would you say about Caribbean identity?” “She sympathizes with George. He came from working parents who have nothing. When he comes to NY, he wants to be a part of the American dream. he wants to use Ester as to be a part of this American dream. I think of him as a complex character. George wants to recreate his identity in America.” Professor on left. “Ester can sow and she has this certain independence. She has this house…which again is independence. These black women somehow found an independent life…” Professor on right. They spoke about Ester’s and George’s relationship and ideals/beliefs. I found their thought process quite intriguing because I feel as though once I pick up the book, I’ll be looking out for these two characters and will be taking note on their identities. I want to determine whether their Caribbean identities really play a big role in this story for myself.

The final question I heard was, “Last question: what are some possible themes your students can research?” Now throughout the response to this question, they spoke about how there are places here in NYC that can actually help a student retrace Ester’s steps and paths she took. Like for example the tenement museum and Hester St in the lower east side of Manhattan. They passed around photos taken back in the day of how Hester St looked and of photos of the insides of a shop to portray the limited space people had back then. “Students can retrace Ester’s steps. Ester goes to the lower east side. I encourage students to take a visit to the tenement museum…he lives where he works. That what I would like students to do in a research project. Go out and explore and put yourself in Ester’s shoes.” Professor on left. “The clothing, how do they dress? What kind of clothes does Ester wear? …she talks about sowing a button… Their apparel speaks about their class. That’s what my students are looking at, looking at their apparel and who wears what.” Professor on right. “Ester means hidden.” Professor on right.

The Ecological Devastation of the Utopia

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Ok so yeah, I would definitely like to make this entry about the idea revolving around the Utopia chapter or section/part. I don’t even know what’s it called. But anyways back to the utopia topic, there were many big important events happening within Titus’s life and his surroundings. But I only want to focus on several of them. One of the issues or topic I’d like to write about is the TM business and the environment in general. It seems that the entire environment has been official made artificial, there is no more trees, the clouds are all polluted to extinction, there are no animals which in my opinion is pure ridiculous. The air is artificially made, schools are also TM based, and everything that has to do with weather and the sun and night time are controlled! The audacity of this so called utopia has made is enraging to its people, in my opinion. But of course no one seems to realize this except the Feed resisters. The clouds and air are factory made and it seems like the clouds are holograms mixed with some artificial gas that has been dyed white or other white to dark gray color line dye. Or perhaps the clouds have just been replicated through a corporation. Oh yeah, so I won’t forget, TM stands for Trade Marked. Schools have been bought by corporations and marked TM to increase the Feed networks  and teach based on the feed. Another crazy thing, is the thing with the animals. When Titus and Violet go out into the country, apparently they end up in Beef Country. Throughout the land was just a complete extension of how the meat they eat seems to be processed. He mentions how there were like tissue throughout the land and how the heart seems to pulse and flex a muscle of some sort. I found it really strange that there would be meat without animals to get it from. Now the meat is artificially made like the clouds and are completely replicated. The craziest thing to manipulate is basically time, in which they do also. Titus briefly mentions how each home is barricaded and the seasons are changeable. Also that the day time and night time are also controlled to replicate the real thing. It seems like they probably live underground with still access to the “surface.” ITs crazy how their technology has even surpassed natural human sexual reproduction. Genes are no longer necessary to create a child. Now its all based on one’s tastes and likes. For god’s sake, Link turns out to be a replica of Abraham Lincoln. I think I spelled his last name wrong, oh well. Parents can say, hey I want my child to this person’s chin, or hey my little boy should have a feminine face; lord its horrible. Well im w\running out of time so my last comment will be that its actually not that far from happening in our time because nowadays, our future parents can customize their baby’s eyes and hair colors through technology.

Feed’s Language/Tone

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So the book Feed by M. T. Anderson is quite interesting and frightful. At least that is what I think personally. I found the language hard to grasp. I guess it could be because of the fact the most books I read, are written in a clear and comprehensible language. Meaning, the books I read are that of an educated level, I’m not saying that Feed isn’t at an educated level, its just that perhaps the novels I read are maybe more of an amplification? I’m not sure I tried looking it up just now but I still can’t seem to put my finger on it. The closest was this Amplification(rhetoric) literary technique. But Feed seems to be more of a stream of conscious kind of writing thing or even perhaps an unreliable narrator technique. On a personal level, I find it hard to grasp the monologues and thoughts of this character named Titus in Feed. The way he spoke and the way his friends spoke were conversations that of a fifth grader trying to sound smart. I don’t know honestly how to describe this thought of mine that I can’t surface. Anyways, the frightful concept of this book that had chills running down my spine was this so called Feed. I still don’t seem to understand what the Feed actually is. I mean, I know that it has something to do as practically one’s own personal internet thing in their heads. Whereas ads and whatever else they wish to know come right to their thoughts. This one scene in the book that really can’t stop playing in my head is when Titus takes notice of the girl in gray wool and begins to observe her in all kinds of aspects and eventually when he tries to describe her spine, I believe it was, he couldn’t come up with a word to describe it. However, the ‘feed’ brings him up the word he couldn’t quite put his thought on, “supple.” I found it horrifying because now in modern society, there is this Bluetooth that allows one to instantly talk with someone with no need to hold the phone or other devices. So one talks and continues on with their tasks. Another thought that went by my head was this ridiculousness of apps on plasma tvs that allow one to stream videos, play games, and even to login in to their social media websites (like their phones isn’t enough already). The thing is, one is willing to spend all this money on non-expensive apps for the tv that eventually piles up to one big bill and practically spend all their time on it. What ever happened to exercise? I mean sure there is exercise in many lives, but compared to the 1980s we’re sloths! Anyway, the point to this is that the Feed can actually become a reality in the near future. With technology advancing faster than a rabbit in spring, the feed can be produced and make our lives dull. There won’t be any excitement in anything because all we’ll want to know will just be thought away from getting it.

Catfish

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Throughout the storytelling of the documentary of Catfish, the voices used in certain situations describes the mood of the event. For example in the beginning, the protagonist Nev, when he was opening up packages, he laughed a lot and joked around. His laughing and joking manner told it’s audience that the current situation is to be taken lightly and such. When Nev is either talking to or texting ‘Megan’ by phone, his tone of voice towards her is a warm sweet one, one can immediately say, “oh he’s having a wonderful time communicating with this woman.” The flirtatious voice he uses is the main tone that lets one know the mood.

Angela’s curating of herself throughout the documentary is actually a very well done job, especially the way she was able to execute each character. Near the end of the film, Angela reveals how each character was a piece of her or/and a wannabe self. Angela was amazingly able to act these people as though they really were her, but they weren’t, they were made up. Each character’s role was sort of to compliment each other character. By compliment, I mean literally compliment on each character’s status to show that status’s  authenticity. The very first character introduced, Abby the 8 year old artist, was a very well curated character, with pictures of her holding a paintbrush in front of a canvas and standing in front of a would-be art gallery, it seemed pretty believable. If Nev wouldn’t have gone right up to the family household, he would’ve kept believing Abby the 8 year old was really an outstanding artist.

When it came down to the tracking, Nev and the crew used evidence left by both Angela and ‘Megan’ to sort of create this puzzle that would reveal the truth. They first started with the postcard Nev sent with a penny to be sent to ‘Megan’s’ residing home. Megan told Nev an address that supposedly was where she lived, in a barn with horses. Nev’s use of google maps was able to give them directions to her place. Unfortunately, it was vacant, and no horses in sight. It was the correct address because Nev finds the postcard with the penny in the mailbox. Afterwards, more truths are revealed as the gang discover the would-be gallery has not been bought when Angela told them they had already bought it and was underway to getting refurnished. Lastly, when the in person visits happened, Angela tries to cover it up but is unable to thanks to Abby’s honest personality and her twin sons, which turned out to be the complete opposite of what was on Facebook; they were disabled children…..damn it i couldn’t finish 🙁

Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? (Summary)

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In Stephen Marche’s article, Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? the author describes the effects that social media has on one. One effect that is brought up throughout the article is loneliness, in which is made the more often one drowns themselves in social media. Facebook in particular, is the target of this article, with its enormous audience, Facebook is the go-to website to see latest gossip, get in touch with everyone, and BE in touch with everyone. The research put into the Lonely topic consists of psychologist’s opinions and real events. Unfortunately, technology gives one access to the internet, allowing one to be deeply drowned within the internet’s vast ocean of information.

Lost Conversations In Modern Day

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In both articles, “Saving the Lost Art of Conversation” by Megan Garber and “The Flight From Conversation” by Sherry Turkle, are related in many ways. They speak of how conversations are beginning to dwindle thanks to technological devices. Such devices are mostly phones, tablets, and computers, where social networks can be easily accessed. Social networking allows one to become a certain persona in which they use to digitally interact with others. This new way of “interacting” with others has become overly used that nowadays, people do not take into account their surroundings. Whether they’re in a park for a stroll, on a date, or even in family gatherings, many are constantly on their networks.

One line from the article “The Flight From Conversation” that caught my full attention was, ‘Texting and e-mail and posting let us present the self we want to be. This means we can edit. And if we wish to, we can delete.’ Turkle describes how anything that one uploads can be changed and adjusted to one’s satisfaction. If one doesn’t find an e-mail convincing enough, they will edit. On the contrary, when one speaks and accidentally hurts another person in doing so, they cannot take back what has been said; therefore, leading to a complex situation. Words that have been spoken cannot be edited.

Another line from the article “Saving the Lost Art of Conversation,” Garber states, ‘she occasionally touches my forearm…than of my wit.’ Garber describes how Sherry Turkle engages her to have her full attention on her. The manner in which she uses has grasped Garber’s full attention. In my opinion, I think that Sherry Turkle’s way of speaking and having a conversation is one of the most effective methods to have someone’s full attention.

Hi I’m Mildred!!!

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This is me~

This is me~

Hello my name is Mildred Merino and I am a very friendly person. I am Mexican but born and raised in the U.S. I’ve never actually visited Mexico before and its been a lifelong dream to pay a visit to all the family I have there. I am the oldest of five in my family and as the oldest I’m expected to be a role model. It’s indeed difficult, but I manage. I have little hobbies from which are just doing art and being active; playing sports is one of my passions. I absolutely enjoy playing sports, I became active from the fourth grade wasn’t very exceptional; however, I continued playing because I’m not useless. Unfortunately, one day to a doctor’s visit, I was making weird noises as I breathed and she said that I have asthma. This was back in 11th grade, I remember crying silently that night. It was very devastating to me, but I decided that my asthma wasn’t going to stop me and interfere with what I love to do. In high school I joined the softball team and soccer team. My soccer team was made up of mostly guys, I played as defender and goalie. Girls didn’t want to join apparently because they were afraid of the ball. Being the only girl there, I wasn’t afraid because I am pretty big in size and barely no one can knock or push me down. They named me “The Brick Wall.”32353_588119571201178_1996017798_nIt was so much fun to be a part of the team. We are undefeated champs of four seasons. My major at City Tech is Chemical Technician, in the long run I want to be a pharmacist. Over the summer, I didn’t do much except catch up on my shows that I missed. I forgot to mention that I Iove anime; by shows, I meant anime series.

As a writer, I believe my weakness is the very famous horrible chronic disease(sarcasm) writer’s block, it kills me! My strengths in writing would probably be pretty good grammer and topic ideas. What I enjoy most about writing is that I am able to reflect my thoughts in my own words without anyone having to tell me to change my opinions. What I dislike about writing is that it takes me a really really really long time to start the intro or the first sentence. My background using technology isn’t so bad, I first touched a computer back in 6th grade. My personal thoughts on digital identity is basically that everyone’s is different. I don’t have much to say about this. I’m honestly not sure what to hope for in this course, hopefully it turns out positive.