Tell Tale Heart

 The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe was in all meanings of the word a "sketchy" story. The story is about a man who's exact position is not expressed, but I believe he is a caretaker, who lives with a half blind old man with a a crazy "vulture eye. The main character feels that the old man's eye is evil and that he must put an end to it, which in turn requires him to kill the old man in the process. After much planning he suffocates the old man with his own bed, and dismembers the body in the bathtub, hiding his parts in the floorboards of the house. That same police officers come to the house to respond to a complaint from the neighbors. They search the house for signs of distress, but their efforts are to no avail. Everything goes smoothily until the man starts to hear the heart of the poor old man still beating, which drives him insane and leads to him confessing to his murder. The big question being asked is whether the man is crazy or not. For starters I absolutely believe he is insane, because he somehow has the neccessity to murder an old man just because of his stale "vulture" eye. Anyone who sees that as enough motive to kill an old man has to be a bit loopy. I also feel that the main character has problems with handling guilt and pressure, which is the basis to why he starts hearing the heart beating. I feel the story was well written and somewhat ambiguous in its meaning. The true meaning of the story can only be deciphered by drawing together literary evidence and connecting the dots.

Itzsoweezee-De La Soul

Great all-dedication
Mos def affiliation
Adequate representation
This is the phat presentation
De la dedication
Common sense collaborations
Peace to all of you haitians
Check it out
Chorus: repeat 2x
If money makes a man strange -- we gots to rearrange
So what makes the world go round
If love is against the law -- listen I don't know
Gotta change how it's goin down
The structure of this song is interesting because it begins with a chorus rather than a verse. The uniqueness of De La Soul is one of the many that makes them my favorite hip hop group.  The theme of the song is well summarized in the chorus, and the fact that the song starts with the chorus and it is repeated multiple times helps stress the importance of  their message and insures that it won't be forgotten or lost in the phenomenal flows of the De La Soul. The theme of the song is that a change must occur in society's perception of the importance and other monetary things.
Fell in love with this fish who got caught in my mesh
But yo she burned my scene up like david koresh
I guess a diamond ain't nothing but a rock with a name
I guess love ain't nuttin but emotion and game
It's a lesson well learned so praise is well due
I'm sendin off from big i, to kenny calhoun
And add a reservation for the resident crew
And yo get your bowl cuz we cookin up stew
See them cubans don't care what y'all niggaz do
Colombians ain't never ran with your crew
Why you acting all spicy and sheisty
The only italians you knew was icees, niggaz price me
I'm keepin it clean, like a washing machine
And yo, get your locomotion run into full steam
I'm sending out a greeting to my man daseem
I got a child so I gotsta get the green, right rightIn this verse the illusion of money and other nice things is explained that they're all just fronts for much more simpler things, like " I guess a diamond ain't nothing but a rock with a name". The verse also touches on the black community's subservience to other races such as Colombians and Italians, and the black community's wish to be more like those other races. I think Dove, the speaker, wishes that blacks would just go off and do for self, but still keep in mind that wealth is not the most important thing in life. In the beginning of the verse a love affair of some sort occurs," I fell in love with this fish who got caught in my mesh". I found two interpretations of what the fish could symbolize. It could represent a women who he fell in love with but was only in the relationship for his money, and things fell apart when it was time for them to get married. The fish could also represent money and the pursuit of it, and his love for money "burned his scene up" which led to his incarceration,"...sending out a greeting to my man daseem". Itzsoweezee, it;s gettin hot this year
Itzsoweezee, it's gettin hot
(repeat 4x)
Verse two: dove

I own the deeds to some acres in the west, indeed
Where my pops is building residence to house my seed
Now here's the lead, y'all niggaz pray to hot rods and not god
While versace play you niggaz like yahtzee
Crackin jokes like you patzi
(when's the last time you had happy days? )
Blazin up your herb to escape the maze, but the problem stays
Think big get it big is my motto
You can go and play your lotto, I'll be singin like baby won't you be mine
You'll be pressin rewind, you can never see mine
Keep your eyes focused, you can't touch this or quote this
Style is crazy bogus so you can't try to approach this
Stomp you out like roaches, pullin on my coattail
Like some horses pullin coaches, whoa your roller coasters
It's hotter than the temperature that's cookin in your toasters
While the heat'll put you deep into hypnosis
Chorus 2x
Itsoweezee, enoli's in the area
Itsoweezee, timbo king's in the area
Itsoweezee, maseo's in the area
Itsoweezee, ninety-six in your area
Itsoweezee, lawd lawd lawd!
Itsoweezee, lawd lawd lawd lawd
Itsoweezee, lawd lawd, for y'all peace

Itsoweezee  The second verse is my favorite part of the song, because it is very dynamic, lyrical, and overall just ill. There is a lot of imagery in this verse, such as in the beginning of the verse where Dove describes some of his riche$, but this might be completely contradictory to the theme of  the song except the riche$ he speaks of have a purpose. Their purpose is to "house his seed" which puts him in means of the message of the song, which is to not worship money and to live a much simpler and easier life. Dove continues in the verse where he directly addresses the people he wishes to change in his message, explaining that they should stop holding monetary things at such a high standard. He then goes on to somewhat scold the same audience with a couple bars on how they cannot achieve they same status as him. 

Overall just a great song with a message that i see no end in sight of its relevance.

On The Reservation

 This weeks blog is related to the book that we are currently reading in class entitled Montana 1948. In the book a boy living in a town close to a Native American reservation, learns that his doctor uncle takes advantage of his Native American patients. The book also touches on the subtle racism and prejudice that exist between the white town people and Native Americans. There is common feeling amongst the white town people that the Native Americans live a far too simple life and will not survive the change brought about by the twentieth century. I find it a bit hypocritical for them to believe this, considering that they live in a town with only one sheriff. I do feel that Native Americans don't live the most technological and civilized lives, but they way they do live is simple and in a pure form. I was watching an interview of a favorite artist of mine named Mike Giant. In the interview he explained his philosophy on how life actually moves at the speed of clouds, but people sometimes don't see that they do move because they move so slow. But, animals can see how fast the clouds move right away, and in that respect they understand that life doesn't have to  be move at the new overzealous way being introduced by the twentieth century. The Native Americans living on the reservation have a deep respect and connection with nature that allows them to also understand the way life should be.  

Propaganda

I would start off this blog by giving the definition of propaganda, but it looks like everyone else has so that is taken care of. I've noticed through all the varying definitions, one thing for sure that seems to be getting pushed is the deliberateness of propaganda. One of the key mechanisms of successful propaganda is to be bold and deliberate, whether this is in the overall message being pushed or the presentation. So as long as the message is extreme and the flyers are short and powerful, then it is guaranteed to alter some minds.
When I think about propaganda I think huge cargo planes showering a village with pieces of paper promoting something. Another key element in successful propaganda is repetition, which helps in brainwashing and sneaking into the subconscious of the masses whatever message that is being pushed. In todays society propaganda does not come in the form of flyers and brochures, now it is in the form of annoying commercials that saturate television. Propaganda does still exist, but the message isn't the same. Some of the messages being fed to masses these days include support for the military, voting for a particular mayoral candidate, living above the influence, and which car insurance to buy. As long as there is competition, which i'm not saying is a bad thing, there will be someone who wishes to influence the public to support them and turn against there opponent. 


You can't fool all the people all of the time,
But if you fool the right one, the rest will fall behind...-Dead Prez

Black Boy...

 The book black boy is an autobiography written by Richard Wright chronicling his life as an African American child growing up in the south. In his life Wright experiences the lost of his mother and father which rather than weakens him strengthens him, and helps to mature and take on more responsibilty. It seems to me that growing in maturity and responsiblitiy is a reoccurring theme throughout this story. At first Wright is a very mischievious and rebellious child who has no sense of accountablility. But, as the story progresses he becomes more mature and learns to take responsibility for his own actions.

Richard Wright is a very curious child with alot of questions about the world around which he is at times still very naive to. His questions are often met with violence both physically and verbally. I feel since Wright's questions are never answered with a straight response, the fire of his rebellion is just further fueled. Richard Wright is just a boy, whose curiousity and intelligence is superior to other boys his age. In the world that he lives in questioning the way things are is very estranged, and usually met with consequences. Wright's enviroment doesn't really cater to someone like him, so i feel that the best thing for him to do at this stage is to move north, to a more liberal society so he can progress.

How It Feels To Be Colored Me...

 The short story How It Feels To Be Colored Me was really interesting to me, and I found a lot of instances throughout the story that I could connect with. For starters, the story is based in Eatonville,Florida which is the first African American incorporated town. In those type of towns strictly African Americans lived in them, but on occassion white people would pass through. Living in a world like this would be hard for me because I can always remember having white people around. But, I also remember that a lot of the people that i went to grammar school with had never had an actual conversation with a white person until 3rd grade. Also, in the story the narrator mentioned that white people could not feel jazz music the same way that blacks could. In my case it was quite the opposite because growing up I was sometimes outcast by the people in my class because I was of a lighter complexion than almost all of the others in my class. At first I would get really upset by their remarks, but as they became more common I just learned to let them go and think that there is nothing I can change about myself so they could just learn to except it. The narrator says in the story, "At certain times I have no race, I am me." I feel that this quote is extremely true and important and should be taught to people throughout the world, because sometimes a persons race can be an excuse for them to act a certain way. But, in the end all they should really do is be themselves.

King, Still }((King??

Martin Luther King Jr. is probably the most recognizable and influential person involved in the civil rights movement, and the fact that each year he is celebrated each year on his own day is testament to this. He earned the right of having his own day of celebration through his non-violent efforts to gain equal rights for people of all colors. All of his efforts definitely earned him the right as King of the civil rights movement, suitable to his last name. But,  I feel that as time progresses and the gap in time between then and now his signifigance seems to becoming not as important, Now a days I see it as the youth ( including me at times) are seeing MLK as just another reason to get a day off of school. But, it's not that what he did isn't being seen as important, because it seems that MLK is the only person that is brought up when talking about the civil rights movement. So, he is definitely not being forgotten but times are changing so that space can be made for the leaders our generation to claim the throne as a King. in my eyes and the eyes of many others King is definitely still King, but an heir to the throne is coming.

Phantogram-Mouthful of Diamonds

Ok, so what can i say about Phantogram? A better question would be, what can't i say about them? I discovered this band this summer, and  I have to say that I am somewhat sad to let this song reach the masses. But, in the end I know that my efforts are for the greater good. So, Phantogram is an electronic rock duo from New York. In most music reviews, it's common for the reviewer to say that a certain musicians sound is unique, but in this case they really are. Their sound has many influences that include detroit hip-hop, acid jazz, and indie rock roots. The song that I'm reviewing "Mouthful of Diamonds" is one of there most popular songs and has a very easy listening feel to it. I feel that they have a great grasp on sampling and have an experimental edge to them that allows them room for improvement and the expectaion of something new. I have to say that i love this band and can't wait for them to drop another album. And by the way, their current album Eyelid Movies is definitely worth BUYING (oooohhh scary). Just trust in me that it will be one of those songs you can't stop listening to. Peace.

Jay and Nickk

So Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby, Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway, Nick Gatsby and Jay Carraway. To me personally I feel that their relationship provides each of them with something that the other can give. Mostly Jay provides Nick with a visual of things that he hates but, secretly wants at the same time. For Gatsby, Nick is the person that Gatsby secretly wants to be but, doesn't try to be because that isn't what is socially accepted. So, basically Nick and Gatsby's relationship is what every man of the 1920's should want to be. But, this is not all that the two men are using the relationship for. I feel that Nick is also using Gatsby as entertainment, something to provide Nick with something to do in his spare time. Ultimately Nick wishes to fully unravel the crumbled paper ball of a lie Gatsby has fed to people who ask. Throughout the story so far Nick points out numerous times where Gatsby's past comes into question which shows a sort of obsession for Nick to really understand Gatsby. Gatsby isn't only be used here, he is also using Nick to get to Daisy. This might sound selfish and shallow, but if you really think about it sort of makes sense. Gatsby is truely in love with Daisy and would do anything just to be close to her, such as buying a house and throwing massive parties in hopes of her one day stumbling into one one day. So, if he is willing to blow vast amounts of money on her, why wouldn't he be willing to risk a friendship?
Although Nick and Jay are really only using their relationship as a modem for them to get to something that they need, i do feel that they have to potential to become actual friends. Peace.

Winter Poem

So the winter has come, what a disappointment
Frigid winds blowing hard enough to cause disjointment
The season of influenza, be sure to make an appointment
With the doctor that is
The season where faces meet the north
And shovels and salt meet the porch
Waking in the morning trying to find a reason to push forth
Onward to my next destination
Every aspect is planned in the matters of my transportation
All formed around the idea of heat conservation
But none the less mother nature's ugly side is waiting
To capture me in her arctic choke hold
Bad enough to make me want to toke coal
In my back pack
Quick steps through the snow create tracks
So the brave souls who take on the streets behind can trace back
All the way to where it was once warm.
Church.

I am a Plow

plow:  A farm implement consisting of a heavy blade at the end of a beam, usually hitched to a draft team or motor vehicle and used for breaking up soil and cutting furrows in preparation for sowing.


 So, this is what they say a plow is in generic terms. But, I'm actually a plow and I don't think that this definitition doesn't accurately describe me.For starters plows are used to break up, batter, and pulvarize dirt. These words make it seem as though plows are cruel and brutal, but in my case i perform the same task but for the sake of fertilizing and bringing new life to the dirt.

As a plow I am owned by a former rock star turned vegan farmer, living and working a couple miles out of Seattle. Amazing right? I was painted gold and signed by friends family, and whoever comes by to see me. The signatures  reflect that the people that I come in contact with add to my character. 

Da First Quarter

Ok, so the first quarter is done and over with. This quarter gave me an idea of what the rest of this year is going to be like, so I guess there are a few adjustments I need to make. Well, for starters I have to say good job Mr.McCarthy not to suck up or anything. I feel that the pieces of literature we read were really interesting. I think that we should do less questions about what we read, and instead we should have more in depth discussions in class. I also like the opening journals that we have that provoke my thoughts and allow me to think abstractly. So, overall good first quarter, hopefully i will have a better second. Peace.

Freedom...

Modern day slavery. Does it really even exist still? Well that all comes down to what your definiition of slavery is. Well I know for a fact that young girls are kidnapped and sold as sex slaves in foreign countries, so I guess that qualifies. Well, let's take into account the poor sweatshop workers over seas, laboring away in a warehouse basement for almost no pay. Now, i guess those are both close enough to the enslavement of Africans in America less than 200 years ago. But, that doesn't cover the entire spectrum for me. Being the person that I am I want to take my definition outside the box, how about modern day mental slavery. Pharrell Williams once said, " You are only truely free once your mind no longer realizes boundaries."


At first when I heard this i casted it off as some cliche, primodonna hipster jibberish, but later I genuinely began to think about what he'd said. Let's really think about how much our minds hender us in our thought proccess of what we can and can't do. Let's take into account how many times the word "can't" getting in the way of what it is we want to do. Are we slaves to our distorted ideas of what we can make possible for ourselves. Well, I say YES! I feel that when we are born we have this hidden part in our minds that restricts us from reaching our full potential and trying to fulfill our dreams. Not matter how much you hear as a child from your parents that you can do whatever it is you set your mind to it doesn't actually register. I fell that the epiphany of the non-existance of artificial boundaries in our minds takes a journey in discovering ourselves to find. I find myself at times getting past boundaries of doing what I want to do, to just run into the even bigger boundary of how I can go about accomplishing it. I am a slave within my own mind of reaching accomplishing my personal goals. But, as history shows I will overcome, it will just take time and experience for my light to click on.  

The Hand of God

 OK, so a common theme that seems to be occuring for this part of American Lit. class is Puritanism. But, who are these people really. Puritans were a religious group from England who migrated to America and formed clonies to escape religious persecution. They mainly settled in the New England area, but some of the most famous and notable settlements were in Massachusetts. Probably the most notorious of those settlements was Salem, does that name ring any bells. Witches! It also happens to be the hometown of Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter. But, before Hawthorne was eve born he was already famous for his family's involvement in the Salem Witch Trials.


So, one of the core Puritan beliefs that struck me was the belief that God saves those only those who which he wishes and only a select few fall into that catergory. I think that this is still carried on into todays society, except that today God isn't the one who is picking and choosing it is the goverment. Think about it, the people who make the most money like corporate 500 bosses pay the least amount of taxes. But, the poor and working class pay the most. Another example is the amount of money that the goverment decides to use on the war as opposed to the money spent on sbuilding schools and other things. We live in a seriously confused world these days and things need to change. Peace. 

When I Knew That I Was An American...

 So this week's blog post is to explain the moment in which we knew that we were an American. Well, to answer this question fully you have to understand what an American is. In class this week we read the Declaration of Independence and the essay What It Means To Be An American. Those pieces of literature helped me form an idea of what exactly an American is. To me being an American means being able to exercise free will, and having the drive to make change for ourselves. America was founded on democracy, a goverment of the people and for the people. But, not just people, people who are willing to work for change. An American can't be defined by a specific ethinicity because we all derive from a different country.

But, I can't really say that there was a moment that I felt I was an American, because i have always felt like an American. My family isn't from another country, we are from Richmond, VA. Although I am a Muslim which is often associated with terrorism and being Anti-American I have never let that shake my beliefs and sense of patriotism.

It was all a dream...

For this weeks blog entry we are supposed to discuss a conflict where no compromise was made and it ultimately ended in death. Well, i have the perfect situation, although it does moderately depress me. The incident that im speaking of is the East vs. West rap war. This conflict, or beef as it is refered to in the rap community. It all started when Tupac Shakur was shot inside of a recording studio, and coincidentally Biggie Smalls a.k.a Notorious BIG was in that same recording studio at the time. Tempers flared, word were exchanged, an ultimately one thing led to another and the war had begun.


In the corner for the west coast was the record company Deathrow records which Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and a host of many other famous rappers belonged to. In opposition was Bad Boy records which was backed by Biggie Smalls, Craig Mack, Busta Rhymes, and others. The camps were headed by Suge Knight hailing from the westside and P.Diddy from the east, or was his Puff Daddy or something stupid like that back then. Never mind thats besides the point and so is a bunch of other stuff about the whole ordeal so I will just skip to the important stuff. So, while this was going on Biggie tried multiple times to get a chance to talk to Tupac to settle the mess, but he didn't want to hear it. When his efforts did not work BIG decided that if they weren't going to find a common ground then he might as well go all into the situation.


But now, here comes the depressing part. After about a year or so of the beef between the two coast having not been digested yet, on September 7, 1996 Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas, Nevada in which he died a few days later. On March 9, 1997 the Notorious BIG was also shot and killed in Los Angeles, California. The rap world had lost two of the greatest of all time over something that couldn't be proven, and a simple case of stubborness. That trajic event definitely could have been avoided if only, one of could have been the bigger man.(No pun intended) So until next time peace.

John Proctor; Hero or Stooge?

In society many view heroes as the person who saves the damsel in distress, or die for what they believe in. Well, in John Proctors case i guess that you could say he is a hero, theorectically. In my mind I see John as as fool, or as Mr.McCarthy tells us to describe him as a stooge.


For starters, John Proctor feels that the entire trial is stupid and should just be forgotten about. He has nothing to do with the witch trials and should just stay away from the issue and let things run it's course. But, this is where John's "hero" instincts come into play and he decides to come and get involved in the situation in hopes of saving the town. But, in the end he just ends up dying trying to be a hero. Yea, real heroic Johnny boy. How about really stupid and a major FAIL. Wait, he's not finished here is his last chance at becoming a hero to save the damsel in distress Elizabeth his wife. He does actually save Elizabeth by sacrificing his life for his love blah blah blah. Hooray, but wait here's the catch. If he was really dying for what he believed in then  why would the thought of cheating on his wife ever come into play. Yea, gets you thinking right.


So, to sum all that up John dies for something that he thinks he believes in enough to maker the ultimate sacrifice, but in the end it just makes him look like a STOOGE.


Well, that's all for now so peace until next time.

Winners In The Hands Of An Angry God

   So "Sinners In The Hands of An Angry God", supposedly some ground breaking, mind changing, end all be all best sermon ever given kind of situation. Well for starters John Edwards is completely and utterly insane. Why would they even let that guy come anywhere an oppurtunity to influence the masses. But, really you can't blame the people for listening, they had no other choice. Mostly because John Edwards was one scary man, just doing his thing creating the most twisted and frightening pictures of god in their minds. This in itself was a good tacticto bring in followers because fear is an easy way to control people and he definitely had that part down. 

   But, as i got to thinking about the passage i came across the idea of what gives the heads of the Puritan society the right to decide who was a sinner or not. In an alternate universe, what if sinners were really winners? What if all the supposedly wrong things that we do were weaving a web telling the story of our lives and explaining who are true selves and intnetions were. What if, the people who wer the most peculiar and did exactly what they thought was right and they were the "holiest".  That would be interesting wouldn't it, it's scary where my mind travels sometims, but this isn't one of them. I, personally, would be fine with this alternate universe. I kind of see certain religions perception of earning your way into heaven or hell is how well or poorly you follow directions, and that's no fun :(.

   So, that's all i have to say about that passage, but on another note i have a really cool song i want to share. So play the the second song, but if you can't count it's the song Passion Pit Sleepyhead Dubstep Remix. So peep game, escpecially Mr.McCarthy. Until next time, peace.   

There Goes The Neighborhood

So I've been reviewing my other classmates blogs and a good amount of people seem to be tackling the subject of Europeans coming to America. Well I think I'll do something different. How about...the migration of Chinese people to America.



The year 1848 was the year of  the first large scale immigration of Chinese people to California. Many of them came in hopes to profit from the California Gold Rush ( that sounds kind of redundant, but let's roll with it). This was one of the biggest reasons that many Chinese people migrated here, but it's not the only one. Others came overseas because economic hardship had began to set in in their home country due to the growing influence of Britain, but thats another story for another time. A majority of the new immigrants took jobs as miners where they faced discrimination from the so called "natives" of the land. But, this isn't really suprising because as Americans we reject any signs of change. Chinese miners were forced to pay Foreign Miners Tax. Although, it was called the Foreign Miners it didn't apply to all foreigners such as the large amount of European immigrants in the mining industry. Some tried to refuse to pay the unfair tax, but were met with violence, even as far as murdered.



One of the biggest and most important contributions that the Chinese made in America was the construction of the The Transcontinental Railroad which ran from Sacramento to Nebraska. As many as 12,000 Chinese worked on this project and it has been said that as many as 1,000 people died on the job, tragic. After the railroad was built the Chinese faced even greater racial attacks and legislative discrimination. There were anti-Chinese riots, murders, and lynchings. Many justified their acts by saying that the Chinese wre now becoming an economic threat and that they had to be stopped. Isn't that a load of something that i can't write on this blog. Nowhere in my mind can I legitimize any reason why you shold treat anyone this way on the simple fact that they aren't from the same place as you. But, this is nothing new as I said before. This same type of situation occurs multiple times throughout history in aAmerica, and at this pattern and rate self destruction is eminent. Scary right. Well thats all i have to say for now so until next time, peace.



S.A.D

introductions

Hey. Well how do I start here, my name is Sadiq Nasir Al-Amin Dyer, yea i know its really long but thats because my last name is hyphenated. I'm afriCAN american and of the muslim faith. I have one brother who also attends whitney young as a junior. I live in the south shore area of chicago, shout out to the south side of course. I have many joys in life but the main ones are skateboarding, music(second best creation known to mankind),soccer, and art. i absolutely love skating but only when I'm in the mood, hey what can I say I have my phases. Music is definitely the glue that holds my world together. I can't really specify exactly what kind of music I like, but if I had to I would say good music(whoa that was corny). Some of my favorite artisrt are A Tribe Called Quest, The Shins, Modest Mouse, Steel Pulse, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, MF Doom, Arctic Monkeys, Gorillaz, The Black Keys a.k.a Blackroc, and all dubstep (google it fool). I guess that explains it all, so until next time, peace.


S.A.D.