You may have noticed that I try to, at least, post once a week. I've been busy but I will be back very soon.
I have not forgotten you.
Tommy.
The Inflation of Followers
2 years ago
Showing posts with label Morahan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Morahan. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Friday, December 12, 2008
Graduation: Broadcast Electronic Communication Arts
It kinda reminds me of the days when I was on stage a lot. I'd rehearse and work hard for months and then perform for a few weeks and then it was all over. I imagined back then that it must've been something akin to the rush that people on drugs experienced, and also the let-down when it was all over.
I have enjoyed so much the last two and half years of studying for an M.A. that as it draws to a close I am deflating. I'm not sad that it is over, indeed I am begining to feel a real sense of accomplishment but I know that I will miss the pressure, the joys, the difficulties, the cooperation and coordination of my life related to my studies.
At this time I think of some people with whom I would love to share this but they have moved on from this life and it awakens in me a real sense of gratitude to those who have helped me in this endeavor.
Teachers, classmates and, of late, students who accepted me as their instructor, have all contributed to this accomplishment. My family have been understanding when the dining-room table was literally covered in books, and days and nights were used for study rather than relaxation and chat. Work associates were understanding when I was not readily available. All of this effort on my extended family's behalf and the effort of my own now results in my receiving a post-graduate degree. I feel a sense of accomplishment as I have said and also a sense of gratitude.
But the greatest learning of all is cemented in me through my real experience of people associated with this work that I took on. People are understanding, generous, forgiving, interested, positive, unique and real. We are all unique but so many have given to me in this quest that I have a real sense of the goodness of human beings.
For that I am grateful. I hope this appreciation will come through me as I move on to...whatever...
I have enjoyed so much the last two and half years of studying for an M.A. that as it draws to a close I am deflating. I'm not sad that it is over, indeed I am begining to feel a real sense of accomplishment but I know that I will miss the pressure, the joys, the difficulties, the cooperation and coordination of my life related to my studies.
At this time I think of some people with whom I would love to share this but they have moved on from this life and it awakens in me a real sense of gratitude to those who have helped me in this endeavor.
Teachers, classmates and, of late, students who accepted me as their instructor, have all contributed to this accomplishment. My family have been understanding when the dining-room table was literally covered in books, and days and nights were used for study rather than relaxation and chat. Work associates were understanding when I was not readily available. All of this effort on my extended family's behalf and the effort of my own now results in my receiving a post-graduate degree. I feel a sense of accomplishment as I have said and also a sense of gratitude.
But the greatest learning of all is cemented in me through my real experience of people associated with this work that I took on. People are understanding, generous, forgiving, interested, positive, unique and real. We are all unique but so many have given to me in this quest that I have a real sense of the goodness of human beings.
For that I am grateful. I hope this appreciation will come through me as I move on to...whatever...
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The aging among us
This is originally a post for a class in BECA, SFSU but if you ignore the text in brackets then you can experience it as it is - i.e without class implications.]
It is (intuitively in the Gitlin sense) a fact that the elderly members of our society are treated with less than optimal respect. In the vein of intuitive discovery (that Gitlin has used in his post on pop culture which we have read for this class) I assert that it is easy to convince people that the elderly deserve to be appreciated more than they are. (This insert is a little long but you might just let the music play while you read on as the tone of the tune/soundrack has an aesthetic element which lends itself to the sentiment of what I am asserting. Otherwise forty seconds will inform you.)
However, there are people in society who know this as a result of their experiences.
Among this population are these young medical professionals who (presumably) care for the elderly. The way in which they have taken control of "the means of production" (as per Marx) is an indication of the true humanistic nature of some members of our society. They wish to do good. They have done good by attempting to understand through "ethnographic" analysis what it is like to be old.
(In the Gramscian sense perhaps) One could criticize this exercise as a useless crumb thrown to the agressive train of humanity which will never accept our geriatrics as fully human. But (in the Gramscian sense) there is also (I would assert) potential here for the use of the means of production to become more than a crumb. (Marx) Many would congratulate the producers of this kind of media:
(In the Marxist sense) This is a departure from the control of media by conglomerates.
In my opinion - it is the first step. This media needs to be seen to be appreciated. I believe, (in the Gitlin sense), intuitively that I would have a challenge ahead of me to find one who would disagree with the sentiment that our elderly deserve better/more.
Therefore, this kind of media needs to be shown in schools and spread out through the virtual (and therefore real) world. We need to get this message to the forefront of peoples thinking. People want to help and "love" our elderly. They just need to be shown how. This media can do that - People do want to help:
The media have a certain amount of power to influence. Surely it can be a force for the realization of the attributes of our elderly. But these media need to be seen. Now that we have the means of production dissipated to the masses, how do we get the masses to see the production?
This may seem simplistic but if each of us brings this blog to the attention of our mother/father/grandmother/grandfather/aunt/ uncle etc... friend - then more people will be aware that they are not alone in their thoughts about the elderly in our society, whether they are elderly or not.
It is (intuitively in the Gitlin sense) a fact that the elderly members of our society are treated with less than optimal respect. In the vein of intuitive discovery (that Gitlin has used in his post on pop culture which we have read for this class) I assert that it is easy to convince people that the elderly deserve to be appreciated more than they are. (This insert is a little long but you might just let the music play while you read on as the tone of the tune/soundrack has an aesthetic element which lends itself to the sentiment of what I am asserting. Otherwise forty seconds will inform you.)
However, there are people in society who know this as a result of their experiences.
Among this population are these young medical professionals who (presumably) care for the elderly. The way in which they have taken control of "the means of production" (as per Marx) is an indication of the true humanistic nature of some members of our society. They wish to do good. They have done good by attempting to understand through "ethnographic" analysis what it is like to be old.
(In the Gramscian sense perhaps) One could criticize this exercise as a useless crumb thrown to the agressive train of humanity which will never accept our geriatrics as fully human. But (in the Gramscian sense) there is also (I would assert) potential here for the use of the means of production to become more than a crumb. (Marx) Many would congratulate the producers of this kind of media:
(In the Marxist sense) This is a departure from the control of media by conglomerates.
In my opinion - it is the first step. This media needs to be seen to be appreciated. I believe, (in the Gitlin sense), intuitively that I would have a challenge ahead of me to find one who would disagree with the sentiment that our elderly deserve better/more.
Therefore, this kind of media needs to be shown in schools and spread out through the virtual (and therefore real) world. We need to get this message to the forefront of peoples thinking. People want to help and "love" our elderly. They just need to be shown how. This media can do that - People do want to help:
The media have a certain amount of power to influence. Surely it can be a force for the realization of the attributes of our elderly. But these media need to be seen. Now that we have the means of production dissipated to the masses, how do we get the masses to see the production?
This may seem simplistic but if each of us brings this blog to the attention of our mother/father/grandmother/grandfather/aunt/ uncle etc... friend - then more people will be aware that they are not alone in their thoughts about the elderly in our society, whether they are elderly or not.
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