Semi-Daily Scribbles

Carving out a corner to post random crap.

recent posts

about

  • Hidden Heart


    Redwoods

    Salt air slid down the back of Zoë’s throat as she picked herself up off the moist turf. She looked around and felt the sting of isolation. She was on a high bluff, with the ocean below and a stand of tall trees at her back. Zoë had a flash of awareness, a sudden recognition of being in the right place. She would have been surprised had she not found her way to the sea. Whitecaps churned for miles toward the horizon. This was a western reach of wilderness. There were no markings of man to indicate the age of the world. The scenery was open to all possibilities. Zoë remembered the kiss that brought her to the edge of the cliff. She had fallen through mist and hissing winds, but her lips were still warm from the voyager's farewell. Zoë draped a hand on her chest and counted the two sets of galloping beats competing against the roar of water breaking on rock.

  • Check Your Sources

    image from http://theresalargusa.typepad.com/.a/6a01348084d007970c017ee405861b970d-pi


    image.jpeg

  • The Clown

    image from http://theresalargusa.typepad.com/.a/6a01348084d007970c017d3c872a0e970c-pi

    image from http://theresalargusa.typepad.com/.a/6a01348084d007970c017d3c872a14970c-pi

  • A Voyage of Imagination





    Starship Enterprise
    10 essays have been submitted and graded by my peers. I’ve had a grand experience reading, writing, and getting to know a few of my classmates during this Coursera adventure. I’m still processing all of the wonderful resources that magically poured forth from my laptop these past several weeks. I know the lessons learned while participating in this MOOC environment won’t even be fully absorbed and appreciated until sometime off in the future. Then, when I least expect it, an essay comment, or lecture point, or forum discussion is going to hit me between the eyes and burrow into my brain. It is sure to be the correct piece of information digested at just the right moment for me to finally say: “Aha! Now I get it!” I’m counting on that clear insight to help me achieve a couple of goals **cough…manuscript languishing in the desk drawer…cough** and to keep my “reading for meaning” skills sharp.

    I extend a most hearty Thank You! to each and every one of my peers who received an essay of mine to review. It was a big commitment of time, and I’m very pleased with the feedback that was returned to me. I know I’m lucky that my work never ended up in the clutches of one of the roaming SuperTrolls who lurked the halls of our virtual institution of higher learning. Their insensitive remarks while grading papers made this class experience not so nice for many students. Shame on you, SuperTrolls!

    And now…drum roll please…here are the peer assessments for my “Little Brother” essay, the final assignment for Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind, Our Modern World.

    FORM

    student1 → Fairly well written, although the the first sentence is somewhat convoluted with the two 'as' clauses. Describing the protagonists as " inquisitive, creative, intelligent, and enthusiastic," you state these qualities "set the stage for a revolution." I think you need to make a stronger case for this argument.

    student2 → You write well and express ideas clearly with conviction. Good to have the citations for us to refer to.

    student3 → This sentence should have an exclamation point at the end: What a revolutionary idea to level the playing field as opposed to simply playing games.

    student4 → The argument is presented well in the beginning. I liked the angle you were taking. The sentences are clear.

    student5 → everything is ok.

    Score from your peers: 2

    CONTENT

    student1 → Although the book definitely has its own agenda, I do not agree that it is the same as your agenda: " bringing basic means of communication to those less fortunate, both in the U.S. and abroad." I think the book sparked your enthusiasm for a global initiative through technology. I think the message of the book was the need for privacy over security.

    student2 → I appreciate your views and found it very interesting to think about in response to reading the book. However, the guidelines for writing these essays states very clearly: "Do not use the essay as an occasion to discuss non-literary matters that fall outside the course reading and the process of reading."

    student3 →

    student4 → I started to understand your ideas. I am not sure though what you mean by the greater good of humanity. Is it the freedom of the internet or is it the ability to think outside the American ideal? I assume you are saying his skills would have been better used to promote poorer countries. I guess we all have this problem of trying to get an idea in a small amount of words. I though the Doctorow book very USA in focus – self centred. However it was interesting the ideas of individual freedom. …..a lot of people do not have that in the world at the moment.

    student5 → I like your essay, so it is really difficult for me to say something specific.

    Score from your peers: 2

    Please write here any other comments which you feel might be of use to you or the writer of this essay.

    student3 → It's a good thing I looked at the date of your blog, because I thought you were another plagiarizer.

  • Get in the Game


    Get in the Game
    Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind, Our Modern World – Coursera Assignment 10
    Little Brother

    The abuse of power as it pertained to an individual’s rights had infiltrated all segments of society, as Cory Doctorow’s “Little Brother” showed us. Marcus Yallow and his friends got the attention of the world after the Bay Bridge bombing, but it was only the attention of the world that was wired in. For those who lived on the opposite side of the digital divide from Marcus, the distinction between a right and a privilege was a far more pressing issue than “Internet Freedom.”

    Marcus and his friends were inquisitive, creative, intelligent, and enthusiastic. It is not difficult to see how these qualities, applied toward an endeavor of service to others, would have truly set the stage for a revolution. Even before the horrific terrorist attack on San Francisco, Marcus had to have been aware of the importance of bringing basic means of communication to those less fortunate, both in the U.S. and abroad. Empowering people to participate in the global community, with access to medical aid and education, is a step in the right direction to stopping the spread of terrorism. What a revolutionary idea to level the playing field as opposed to simply playing games.

    After his unlawful detention, Marcus had the momentum to orchestrate real change. He was angry and frightened, but he would have received support from his parents, teachers, and friends had he focused on the greater good of humanity. Working to ensure basic rights for the citizens of the planet, such as clean drinking water and classrooms, should have been M1k3y’s end game. A little broadband goes a long way in lifting someone out of isolation and poverty, and that is a win-win for all. The ability to improve one’s life through the use of technology should never be considered a privilege.

  • The Description of Success


    GlacialHolding out for something better. Missing the point entirely when opportunity doesn’t come knocking. Wishing away one’s present state or current condition but only knowing how to travel backwards. Enough is enough, but can it ever be the end goal?  Is good enough caving in to mediocrity or is it what we all should be aiming for? Success comes in many shades. There are varying degrees of accomplishment. There are works left unfinished that are as valid as the tome that finds its way to your bedside table. Luck. Chance. A fluke. A favor. If it’s all about timing, then what is it we’ve been doing all this time?  Waiting for the right time to realize we’ve run out of it? There is no shame in being content. No harm can come in seeing what’s truly in front of you. This moment, this precise moment, is unique. It slipped away before I ever had hold of it. That should be enough. I’m in the present. Mindful, peaceful, grateful. Missing out on everything and wanting none of it. What I desire is something I haven’t thought of yet, so there’s no sense in running after it.

    I received some thoughtful feedback this week on my The Left Hand of Darkness essay. Without further ado, here are the peer reviews for our Unit 9 assignment ~

    FORM

    student1 → The essay is a little confusing. The structure of ideas lacks clarity but, on a positive note, the use of vocabulary is really good. The student could benefit from using the works cited box to clarify some aspects and give a couple definitions or notes. It's valid.

    student2 → Good form! However, you don't really make your central point clear. (I can see what you're trying to say, but you never do so explicitly in your text.) = 2

    student3 → Great work. Writing is direct with easy to track argument. I'm giving you a 3 for form & content. Thank you.

    student4 → I think that your essay is very well written. Your vocabulary is good and your ideas are constructed in a way that is easy to understand. The structure looks good too.

    Score from your peers: 2

    CONTENT

    student1 → The essay has a nice idea behind it, but the arguments are vague and lack strength. Not best but not the worst.

    student2 → An interesting perspective. = 2

    student3 → Enjoyed very much your topic. I thought about that too when reading the book. In our society we shun and medicate the mentally ill. I've oftentimes wondered if the insane are just grossly misunderstood.

    student4 → I liked some of the ideas that you presented in your essay but I have to say that it looks too descriptive. However I think that you have a good point there and your arguments are good enough.

    Score from your peers: 2

  • Let It Be Corrected

    image from http://theresalargusa.typepad.com/.a/6a01348084d007970c017ee3cd72a8970d-pi


    image.png

  • Dividing My Time


    Enjoy the Journey
    Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind, Our Modern World – Coursera Assignment 9
    The Left Hand of Darkness

    Gethen, held fast in perpetual winter, also held secrets that the Ekumen would be studying for generations. One of these mysteries was the faith practiced by the Handdarata, and Genly Ai made it a priority to set out for the ancient Fastness of Otherhord to understand the discipline of Foretelling. In this remote setting, Ai learned a lesson in how the people of the Fastnesses attained order and balance by accepting the insane into their community.

    Wise and learned Foretellers had long been divining answers to questions concerning the fate of Gethen. Ai was a witness to the Foretelling ritual, where he came in contact with two of Handdara’s most ardent devotees, the Zanies. It is unclear what definition Ai would have used for the word zany, but the Handdarata assigned a mystical significance to the name.

    When Ai’s host in Otherhord, Goss, called the Zanies insane and “time-dividers,” the envoy did not share the same understanding of these words as Goss. According to Ai’s point of reference, insanity was a condition in need of curing. Not every society sees the value of one who travels to the edge of time and back from within a magic circle. It’s a dangerous business if visions and voices fill one’s head, no matter the number of faithful. Being rocketed through space in a ship is easier to explain, and more socially acceptable. Is it considered communal psychosis, then, if everyone believes the same thing?

    Genly Ai, by his own account, was taught that truth is a matter of the imagination. A willingness to extend disbelief, even to the point of questioning one’s sanity, is a quality an explorer of inner and outer space should possess. Crazy is not easy to define, and it threatens the sense of community when the visionary, lunatic or otherwise, is pushed to the margins of society.

    Works Cited:

    Le Guin. Ursula K. The Left Hand of Darkness, Ace premium edition 2010, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., New York

  • Red Riley

    image from http://theresalargusa.typepad.com/.a/6a01348084d007970c017ee3b74f0f970d-pi


    image.png

  • A Masked Planet


    The Martian ChroniclesMartians aren't the only ones who wear masks to voice an opinion, project an image, broadcast an emotion. Feel it then forget it. Let regret burn hot across the cheek, chilling the soul, drilling a hole in your chest. It’s real because you imagined it. The next thunderclap will rattle that mask right off your face. All the planning under the stars won’t reveal any secrets, and the hymnbook is hiding in the mountains. It’s all tuneless music from now on. Jagged chords have carved you up, parceled you out, and tossed you in the canal.

    Your transformation into moonglow and shadow is now complete!

    Below are the peer assessments for my Unit 8 assignment ~

    FORM

    student1 → I have to give you a 3, I don´t see any major grammatical issues, it is well written, showing good vocabulary skills. For me it could flow better, but that is subjective.

    student3 → Very strong essay. Thesis is clearly defined. Essay is interesting to read. Good word choice. Essay form is clearly laid.

    student4 → Your thesis statement is clear, but you need to work on making your three key terms flow and connect better.

    Score from your peers: 2

    CONTENT

    student1 → 3 Even though I disagree with you 🙂 it is built very nicely and quite original point of view.

    student3 → Interesting examination of truth vs reality. Very good selection of examples, all lending aid to central thesis. Also does very well to expand upon the ideas with analysis instead of just throwing examples at the thesis. Not sure I agree that -all- the stories in the book speak to acceptance of some person's reality, but you give a convincing argument for this example.

    student4 → You chose a good, interesting subject, one that takes us into the meaning and symbolism of the story. Continuing to look for and analyze underlying themes will make your assignments useful to your fellow students.

    Score from your peers: 2.5

    Please write here any other comments which you feel might be of use to you or the writer of this essay.

    student1 → Maybe wait those two days with putting your work on the web so people won´t be worried that it is plagiarism 🙂