HW 27: What Makes Riverbend Bend?

This is the bibliography for Baghdad Burning: Riverbend. Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog From Iraq. The University of New York, NY: The Feminist P, 2005. 1-286. I believe that this book is similar to the class A Blog of Ones Own because it serves to focus on woman and the struggles they face. In class, we talked about Virginia Woolf and her book A Room of Owns One which also focuses on woman beliefs and woman rights. Woman, especially Iraqi woman, are the focus in Riverbend’s blog Baghdad Burning. This blog, which was later published into a book, is all about capturing the events of a young woman who faces challenges and obstacles in her everyday life as an Iraqi. Riverbend purposely writes this blog to 1. Experience her life in the war and to speak out about the reality of what is going on and 2. To show people that she DOES know English and that she IS educated. Some people are actually skeptical when reading the blog or the book because they think that she might not be Iraqi. Riverbend essentially laughs at these assumptions because they are being stereotypical. They think that Iraqi people don’t own computers or Televisions. For the most part, readers get connected to what she is saying when they are reading her blog. If Riverbend doesn’t respond or post any recent blogs, readers become nervous. I know people say: “No news is good news” but that is not the case. We, at home, are wondering is she and her family made it through the bomb or gun fires in which she speaks about. Riverbend explains in dept her everyday life in the mist of the war so well, that people become concerned whether or not she is still alive.

HW 25: Riverbend Den

In the foreword of “Baghdad Burning”, we are introduced in the introduction to a young woman of 24 named Riverbend. This is not her real name. Riverbend is just a stage name because she blogs anonymously. If her name was to get out, there would be controversy because she talks a lot about the US and other notorious subjects. We learn in the forward that Riverbend has a brother named E. She also lives with her mother. When people talk about Anti-American Riverbend gets frustrated because she watches American movies and listens to Brittney Spears the same way we do. Also, Riverbend states “Why does America identify itself with its military and government” (Soueif viii). Which is a very complicated question for any American. Soueif also argues with the reader that Riverbend is well educated and speaks good English. He stresses that she didn’t have to write these blogs. In the introduction, the author Ridgeway talks about Riverbend’s life. He explains how Riverbend and her brother would sit on the rooftop and listen to the tanks and gunshots. That is very scary. He basically explains the background and history of the war. The Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the 2003 war were the couple of wars that he mentioned. He also just wanted to prepare the reader for some of the horrific events that Riverbend will experience and he wants us to know that we will experience these events like she did because they become real.

HW 24: My Room-Woman

I do have a room of my own. Even though I live in my dorm, that is not the place that I like to think and collect my feelings. My room at home is actually the place I like to think for the most part. Even though I don’t have access all the time, when I am home, I take full advantage. I took a Woman History class in high school and this quote was actually stated in that class and I remember it. “One could not go to the map and say Columbus discovered America and Columbus was a woman; or take an apple and remark, Newton discovered the laws of gravitation and Newton was a woman; or look into the sky and say airplanes aeroplanes are flying overhead and aeroplanes were invented by woman.” (Woolf 85). This actually brings me to a life experience because I somehow thought that woman are going to take over the world. Even with Hilary Clinton taking a chance. But, I found out that maybe that will still never happen even though it has gotten better, I don’t think that it will never happen. People are shutting her down. “It is fatal to be a man or woman pure and simple; one must be woman-manly or man-womanly. (Woolf 104). I love this quote because it is so true! There can never be a just a man or just a woman. We are all combined and like each other. There is no possible way that someone can be like that because this is how god created us. Then why is woman so degrading even to this day?

HW 23: Jezebel Absurd with Apologies to Woolf

Clearly, my mind has by no means “Woman Who Date Married Men Make No Apologies, But Plenty of Excuses.” (http://jezebel.com/gossip/foreign-affairs/woman-who-dates-married-men-makes-no-apologies-but-plenty-of-excuses-313988.php.) On the contrary Alliyah, the 25 year old model harassed and distracted with hates and grievances, left her then a man. The human race is split up for her into two parties. He then man the “opposing fraction”; he is hated and feared. However, he was diminished for a non other married soul. He is far greater than some bum. Meeting in the bar. In fact she has the power to bar her way to what she wants to do--- which is to…do her hair different. This paragraph was taken and revised. (Woolf 59) The blog that I was watching was Jezebel. I wanted to pick this because it is completely opposite of something that Virginia Woolf would watch. But, I think that she would respond to the article in that way. Because it is opposite of the things she talks about men with.

HW 22: Woolf Isn't She Ironic?

After reading A Room of Ones Own by Virginia Woolf I noticed a lot of irony and sarcasm. She seems very sarcastic and ironic when she states “Woman do not write books about men--a fact that I could not help welcoming with relief, for if I had first to read all that men have written about woman, then all that woman have written about men, the aloe that flowers once in a hundred years would flower twice before I could set pen to paper” (Woolf 27). I think that she is being sarcastic because she is basically she is saying that there is too many books to read about men talking about woman and woman talking about men. Also, I think that this is ironic because she is says that woman don’t write books about men and she is actually writing about men in this book. She also says “When the arguer agues dispassionately he thinks only of the argument; and the reader cannot help thinking of the argument too” (Woolf 34). This is very ironic because she is arguing passionately about arguing passionately and she still is thinking about the argument. I found this next quote very ironic because she is talking “bad” about men in this book. She states “I found myself adopting a new attitude towards the other half of the human race” (Woolf 38). As she says “It is useless to ask such questions; for nobody can answer them” (Woolf 40). I think that this is ironic because she is answering these questions day by day by living life. I think that she has a really strong opinion in the way that males and females are different. I believe that by living life and hitting challenges on her way, she is answering them in her own way.

HW 21: Dear Amy...

Dear Amy,
I actually did read the book “A Room of Ones Own”. I actually read it in my Blogging class a couple of months ago and I thought it was confusing too! I know it is a hard read, but I will do my best to try to help you. Don’t freak out. It will be OK. I actually really did like this book. My blogging class is talking about woman and woman’s rights. I bet that is what your English teacher wanted to portray. So in chapter one, the narrator Mary is asked to describe woman and fiction. Which she thinks it is really difficult to do. She says that she needs money and one room to think. She thinks by the river bend in Oxbridge. As she does that she thinks of fish and grabbing ideas in the river. Then a guy named beetle tells her that woman cannot be on the grass, so she has to move. In my opinion and the way I took it, it was degrading to woman. I think that if you take each sentence and break it down then you might be able to understand it better. That is what I did. I think that it is hard to understand, because there are a lot of symbols figures. But, just take it slow and read it maybe a couple of times. If you have any other questions about chapter 1, just email me back ok? Don’t get stressed out it will be alright.
Sincerely, Kerri

HW 19: Its Taking Over the World all to Quick!

I chose the second paragraph on page 85. I found this paragraph interesting because I found out how much politics have really taken over in the blogging world. This paragraph talks about how much the blogging has effected politics and the mainstream media. The White House Internet Director by the name of Jimmy Orr, stated that blogging is “instrumental, important, and underestimated in its influence.’ What Orr really means is that blogging has been looked at lightly and not taken serious by some people. When it is actually very important and useful. But, it can also get you into trouble. Consider Trent Lott, for example. In December of 2002 he was resigned as U.S. Senate leader for making provocative comments at Sen. Thurmond’s 100th birthday party. Even though he got fired, it did make some news in the media. Which is why I believe that blogging while go big and global. Once the media gets a handle on these incidents, then blogging will be known. My conclusion, then, is that since politics is taken over our country and blogging is taken over politics, then blogging will defiantly take over the country. You watch, it will happen.

HW 18: What is the world coming to???

I chose to watch jezebel this week. The title is I Love New York 2: Little People, Big Boobs. The URL is http://jezebel.com/gossip/trash-tv/i-love-new-york-2-little-people-big-boobs-308666.php. It is very short, but I find it very disturbing. The first thing that makes me mad is the title. The title plays on a show Little People Big World. That show is very inspiring. It is about real people and how they live their life being little people or “midgets”. On the show I Love New York 2, there happens to be a midget on the show who wants to love New York. “Seriously, there was so much awesomeness in the premiere episode of I Love New York 2 that I'm incredibly optimistic about this season.” In making this comment, Jezebel says that the show is going to be awesome and interesting. But, how awesome is someone’s mom making fun of one of the midgets on the show. I seriously don’t understand how people can watch this and feel like it is a truly good show. I think that it is displeasing that there are shows like this. Yet, so many people watch it and she becomes famous. I don’t get it.

HW 17b: Dailykos vs. Wonkette Smackdown

After reading “Blogging the Presidency: An Interview with Markos Moulitsas Zuniga” and “Sex, Lies, and political Scrapes: An Interview with Ana Maria Cox”, I feel that I Zuniga’s Blog would be more likely to influence the way you would vote in a coming election. His Blog the Dailykos is mostly about war and politics. He is an actual veteran. He uses his experiences and writes them down. So that people can take him seriously and really understand what he is talking about. He gets a lot of controversial comments on his site. He mostly talks about the democratic option, but people respond differently to that. On the other hand, Cox writes about other things like gossip and whatever comes to her mind that day. She writes informally and has her own opinion about what is going on in the world as far as tips on sex and rumors. I think that Zuniga’s blog would have more a politics and the media than Cox’s blog. I also think that his blog would be taken more seriously because he has had the background that supports what he is saying. I know that if I were to make a blog about war and politics I would not have enough sources in which I would be able to strongly pose my opinion. I could easily talk about rumors and gossip and what is going on in the social life. Therefore, I think that the Dailykos would be a better blog to look at for the upcoming election opposed to Wonkette.

HW:17 Leave it to the "Professionals"!

I read Sexism in our Everyday Professional Lives. Posted by Dr. Confused. The URL is http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2007/10/03/sexism-in-our-everyday-professional-lives/ . I wanted to read this article because I thought that it was very interesting and there was a bunch of different stories that have affected woman. I find this interesting and heart wrenching to hear some of these stories. Some of these stories are shocking! To hear how men can put a woman down. I mean to put anyone in an awkward situation is just wrong. Especially in any work place. Work is suppose to be professional. I hate the fact that men think that woman are not as high in status as them. They think they are better. One of the stories was about a man giving a presentation and he said “I would like to apologize to the ladies in the room. I’m afraid my presentation has many formulae and graphs and other mathematical details.” He makes it seem like woman have no idea what math is. That guy just assumed that no girl in that room was smart. Sometimes, women can be even smarter than men. I don’t understand how guys can stereotype. One implication of the Dr.’s treatment of feminism is this quote: “I haven’t experienced too much as a female student in such a male dominated area, but every now and then I get somebody doubting my credibility because I was born with two x chromosomes.” I completely agree with this quote. Just because we are women doesn’t mean that we don’t know anything. We are smart and we don’t need men to degrade us. Its just wrong. Especially during work because we are all equals.

HW 16b: What Makes Blogging Hot?

In “Blogs: Humanizing the Face of Corporate America”, Robert Scoble discusses blogs and how they are taking off in the corporate world. Scoble was very opinionated at his old job and he wrote blogs. He told one of his customers about this blog that he writing and the customer followed it for five months! He ended up asking Scoble to work for the big company of Microsoft. He believes that blogs are cheap, passionate and authoritative. He says that it all about the word of mouth. Blogs can defiantly spread the word and transfer new ideas quicker than any TV or Radio. Scoble states that “They’re going to be more integrated”. Which means that it will have more than just plain blog posts. They are going to have maps and videos and systems like Technorati and Flickr. There are five pillars that make blogging hot. They are the five pillars of conversational software. The first pillar is “ease of publishing”. Ease of publishing means that it is easy to post a blog and there are step by step instructions on how to create a blog. The second is “discoverability”. This makes it easy for other people to search your blog. Tags are a word of two that you can search and the blog that you were looking for will appear. It is easy to find and discover. The third pillar is “cross-site conversations”. This is used to see who is linked to you by links. The fourth pillar is called “permalinking” which connects you to a link that you want to read or watch. On the blog, all you have to do is click on the URL and it will bring you right to the blog or website you wanted. The last one is “syndication”. This is when you ca watch different blogs and post comments and keep up with the new posts. It has gotten harder to look at all of these blogs because there are so many. But, all you have to do is add the blog to your blog as a URL and you can click on it to watch it.

HW 14: Blogging too good for Denton?

I chose to respond to Nick Denton (Kline and Burstein 150-157). According to his responses he believes that blogging is not a new and interesting phenomenon. Even though he does think that it is growing day by day, he thinks that it has been around for a while. Actually, he states “Everything that is, and that will be, has been forever”. Ultimately I agree with him when he talks about people wanting to complicate blogs more than they are needed. After all, I have a blog, and it was so easy to set up and manipulate. For Instance, I think that people will not try to evolve blogs because they think that it is too much of a complicated process. For example, when I started this class, I didn’t know what blogs were and I was afraid to set one up and use it because I thought it was hard to do. But, it really isn’t. On the other hand, I disagree with the fact that he doesn’t want to take experienced writers to write for him. Naturally you would want to pick the best writers for your blog so that they can have well written paragraphs and citations. Whereas Denton wants to have his writers young and new. Therefore, writers with unknown experience would be able to get a job. As a result, you would think that his blogs would not get the best review. But in fact we are wrong because his web blogs are growing an estimated twenty percent a month. Consequently, as much as he says he doesn’t care about how blogs are taking off and how much of a phenomenon it is causing, he business is growing and he has blogging to thank.