Listening-Matthew Winkler

I guess this would be a freewrite since this is mainly just information that I have learned in my Interpersonal Communications class.
I learned about the different forms of listening and what effective listening looks like. I found out that people process words three times faster then they are spoken. This leg time for our brain gives us time to think about other things and no longer pay attention to what the person is saying. It is also why our television commercials are getting shorter because it is harder to get the attention of people watching tv. Well hearing this got me to thinking about how oral literate people talk to one another. A literate person when they speak to one another does not function in a close knit community as oral people do. There is a lack of importance in what that person says to one another. that person can just as likely feel they have more pressing issues and deems the person talking to him as unimportant. Now in an oral culture people must rely on each other more closely in order to learn the ways of the past and how to survive in the present and future. It is more of a necessity that they listen to each other. Literate people should also listen to one another but I feel they do not always do so. Oral people can also process the words just as fast I believe but they spend that time associating images and meanings, along with how interconnected what is being described to them with the past. Now literate people can do this as well but we don't always. We sometimes listen for the flaw in the persons logic or simply tune them out. Why do we sometimes engage in this behavior to one another? If we could listen as oral people do and then give constructive criticism instead of saying no you are wrong because then maybe we can get back towards our roots of communication.

Round vs Flat- Matthew Winkler

Ong's book Wednesday October 27
The talk about characters in narrative stories in both written and oral society peaked my interest today. I personally like writing science fiction but also enjoy verbally telling the story to a person. I notice that when I write down my story that the characters have more emotion and that plot twists exist along with characters having back stories. Then when I tell a person a story I normally have to reduce my character numbers and just tell them the events that happen and leave out a majority of the characters reasoning for events. I merely state that he or she did this or that and then move onto the next event. People still understand the story no matter how I tell it but there is such difference to the way I tell it. I think that people who read stories realize that characters are not always easy to understand and that is the task the reader must discover as to who this character is. For the person who hears a narrative of a story the story teller must explain the events in a fashion that does not confuse the listener. This means that conflicting emotions within potential characters are not explained as deeply.

Lindsey Pritchett - Pop Culture

A while back we were told to look at popular music and notice all of the allusions and regurgitated phrases/ cliches that appeared. It was surprising how much of culture, especially pop culture, draws from other aspects of pop culture. For example, references to movies, tv shows, places, celebrities, and other cultural events occur. An example of this is the infamous Kanye West moment at the VMA's a year or so ago. He interrupted Taylor Swift and and told her that he would let her finish in a minute. Recently, because it has become a cultural reference for my generation, T-Pain wrote a song and included the line, "Imma do like Kanye, Imma let you finish" or something to that affect. "The Bed Intruder Song" is another example of modern popular culture, it is a hit amongst my generation yet the song has no true musical integrity. It is merely a news report that has been autotuned and released to the public. As a result, the gentleman staring in the news report is now a hit celebrity because of one individual's interpretation of his words.

Lindsey Pritchett - Apple Cider

Today I got a cup of Caramel Apple Cider from Einstein's, just because it's fall and Apple Cider is my favorite drink. While Einstein's Apple Cider is delicious, I could not help but remember our discussion in class about homemade foods versus already made. Fresh Apple Cider is, hands down, the absolute best. Plus, I've never actually made my own Apple Cider before, it's only been presented to me by others who have made it fresh. My Grandfather, before he died, used to go to the Apple Orchards near Charlottesville every fall. He would buy a barrel of apples and, with my Grandmother, make Apple Butter, Cider and, sometimes, even Apple Pie. They would share the Apple Butter with everyone in the family. But, like the stories in many oral traditions, they would never share the recipes. The features of the recipe that made the Apple Butter special were kept secret. It was a right of passage in our family to be taught how to make the Apple Butter and then receive the secret recipe.

Dead Language- Matthew Winkler

On October 25, 2010 I was much interested in the presentation about dad language. I knew Latin was the origin of some of the languages in Europe but did not understand why it had become a dead language. It was interesting to learn that different tribes had made Latin their own by saying some words a first slightly different and then eventually not recognizing them at all. It seemed that the church only kept it around because it was the origin language. I do wonder why the church did not pick Italian or another language and try to impose it on the people much like they did Christianity. I was fascinated to also learn that there were hundreds as Ong writes languages consisting of Latin origin, Germanic tribes, and non-Indo-European. Latin had become a writing only language and the romance languages were both spoken and written. SO really I just wanted to point out that it was interesting to learn about how Latin became a writing only language.

Lindsey Pritchett - Defying Convention

Are we fated or destined beings? Stephen Hawking seems to think not. Around the same time Stephen Hawking denounced God as non-creator, a good friend told me "May those who accept their fate be granted Happiness, May those who defy their fate be granted glory." I don't know what this is from, he may have even written it himself, but it struck a chord. There are so many things in this world that we are "supposed to do" and very few have the heart to defy these conventions. Maybe it's not a matter of defying fate so much as defying superiors. In my experience, there seems to be a lot of people that are higher up, career wise and education wise, that have dictated to me that I cannot do something. I think defying fate is a loose term that encompasses a broad spectrum of the human experience. It should be called standing up for what you believe in. Even if that belief is wrong, it is important to have a passion, I think. To believe in something and to actively defend that belief has been the result of greatness from many mind. I believe that the key to progress is thinking outside of the box and defying convent. Perhaps this is merely my fate, I am destined to behave in a manner that reflects this philosophy? I'm not sure, I don't know whether or not I agree with Hawking's declaration. And I don't know what I believe. Sometimes I do feel fated, or destined, to be on this journey. It happens in moments, specific points in time and space, when something magical happens and it feels so great to be alive, encountering the world and the people.

Lindsey Pritchett - Peruvian Geoglyphs

Geoglyphs are pictures or designs that are created, generally, agriculturally. The Incan empire used to design crops in geometric formation to make agricultural engineering, for their time, easier in the Andes mountains. Discovery news posted a recent article that suggests one of these formations is a possible geoglyph that represents a bird. The article states that a professor was using Google maps and an AstroFracTool to assist in the identification of the geoglyph. The formation is developed around Titicaca Lake, Peru, which serves as the eye of the bird.

The article is located here: http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/geoglyph-peru-andean.html

I found this fascinating because it reminded me of the video we watched about the Aboriginal people. The geoglyphs are massive structures that expand over hundreds of acres. With modern expansion and suburban sprawl at its height, it would be incredibly easy to destroy these geoglyphs without even realizing. Plus, I have a bit of an obsession with the civilizations that thrived in South America. Everything they did seems to be magnificent and purposeful. I find the geoglyphs mystifying and intriguing. Why did they build their "fields" to represent animals? Something I find even more fascinating is the fact that the Incan people built the city of Cuzco, initially, in the shape of a Puma.

Lindsey Pritchett - Time

In class last Wednesday, we discussed very briefly the idea of time. Dr. Redick said there was a period of time in his life when he rejected time completely, losing track of what specific day and hour it was. This was in response to a student's presentation on Walter Ong where it was said time and place was rarely recorded in past eras. This would indicate that previous generations of people did not need a reference point for their works, their days, or even their lives.
Indigenous people regard time in an entirely different way. They have sacred time and "dream time." They do not have the modern convention of chronological time.
I think the human philosophy of time shapes the way cultures think. For example, Indigenous people have deeply spiritual lives where they are involved with everything around them, from the earth to the sky and the people they share their lives with. People abiding by chronological time live fast paced lives where they are mostly separated from one another. We live according to efficiency of time rather than having quality time with others. "Sacred time" or Kairos is rarely encountered in a chronological mindset.
This section also made me wonder just how significant is time? We can tell the time of day by determining the location of the sun in the sky. Why is it important for us to rely on digital numbers and ticking hands to tell us what time of day it is?

Origins of Writing- Matthew Winkler

Primal Religions
Reflection 2

On October 20, 2010 some of the students presented information from Walter J. Ong’s book, Orality and Literacy. In this class in particular the topic was the origin on writing in its most elementary forms and how it spread. Most writing originated from the Sumerians in 3500 BCE. This cuneiform script would have an influence over other forms of writing in the area that would then branch out to become its own form of written language. I do find it interesting how most cultures around the world including those that were in America and did not have documented contact with the main world still came up with a form of writing. The writing was not available to everyone and only certain people could read it. It made writing a power symbol because if you could write down information there would be less of a chance of forgetting it. Certain individuals would have the ability to write in this writing to one another leaving some individuals oblivious to what was being said around them. I guess my question is not why writing came about but how so many different cultures came up with it supposedly independent of each other in some cases?
I also remember the quote on page 87 about how the Roman alphabet will eventually replace China’s main language. It appears that there are over 40,000 characters to learn and that this can take up to 20 years to fully learn. The roman alphabet has much fewer characters to learn, which means the written form of that language can be mastered at an earlier age. I did not realize this in class because just hearing the selected quote gave me the implication that China was going to be forced to change their language. It would seem that as the world become more inter connected that the most simple language and writing form will prevail so that individuals spread all over the world will be able to communicate with each other. I more so found this interesting then had a question on it.

95 Theses- Hilary Kolodziej 10/20/10

In class today we briefly talked about the 95 Theses, and how the printing press had an enormous effect on the Protestant Reformation. This made me wonder what other inventions have had a dramatic impact on the transformation of religion. In many ways, modern technology has molded our nation, and we are constantly reinforced by the media and pop culture. For instance, the faith of Kabbalah has significantly grown and transformed the influence of the media. Celebrity icons like Madonna and her faith in Kabbalah, combined with technology like the internet, can take one person's personal religion, and popularize it until it becomes a fad.

Lindsey Pritchett - Man's Need For A Beyond

In class, we discussed man's longing for an awareness of a beyond, or the wanting for there to be more to life than the physical manifestation of it that is experienced through the body. Man longs for more, a relationships with the cosmos, god, or some promise of an afterlife. However, literate societies, as they move away from "qualitative totality," detached man from cosmos. The modern man experiences life through a quantitative viewpoint, extinguishing the desire for a relationship with place. Man becomes homeless and his existence is experienced as meaningless as we move away from valuing the world fully. Civilization, as one Italian Humanist claimed, detaches our minds from out senses. The civilized man begins to want everything in a timely manner, caring less about the quality of the product. He lives in eternal chronos, linear time with no sacredness. It is a reduced existence, as it defines boundaries and rids life of it's mystery. By ridding something of it's mystery, we are objectifying it. Naming it, and thus controlling it. Colson Whitehead's quote capitalizes on this idea: "Isn't it great when you're a kid and the world is full of anonymous things? Everything is bright and mysterious until you know what it is called and then all the light goes out of it... once we knew the name of it, how could we ever come to love it?.. for things had true natures, and they hid behind false names, beneath the skin we gave them."
To me, this quote signifies much of the relationship to the external world that indigenous peoples experience. There is a childlike wonder in everything they experience. The living beings around the individual have power. In the "civilized" world, we name and analyze everything, stripping it of mystery and power. We eradicate the element of surprise from the nature of other beings, animate or otherwise, and, in effect, take on a godlike power that would make Fredreich Neitzsche proud.

Lindsey Pritchett - Ethnotourism as a Means of Encountering the Phenomena and Numina of Place

The twentieth century, in the United States, brought forth the creation of numerous trails that span thousands of miles. Collectively, there are at least four major trails that reach beyond the thousand mile mark. These are, running from North to South, the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the recently completed Continental Divide Trial. The American Discovery Trail is one that runs from East to West, spanning the entire length of the U.S.A. It has become increasingly popular for Americans, or people of other nationalities, to travel to these trails and to engage in a form of enthnotourism titled “thruhiking.” The act of thruhiking takes the hiker on a long term journey, lasting anywhere between 3-6 months, sometimes even longer. This form of ethnotourism is to engage in the “culture” of the wild by cutting off from the outside world and the reliance on technology. In doing so, the individual opens themselves up to experiencing the phenomena and numina of a place, such as Native Americans do. Instead of having a primarily aesthetic relationship with place, we build a physical relationship through the struggle of reaching the place. The Appalachian Trail is a prime example of this in that you have to physically carry yourself and your world on your back to reach the sacred mecas dotted along the trail. On the trail, we encountered Laurel Falls. It was majestic and surprising. Also, it was a very private, intimate experience with nature as there were no roads or marks of civilization at the waterfall. It was a prime example of nature left in its own primitive state. Niagara Falls is another waterfall in America, perhaps one of the most grandiose in the world. Yet, the entire place is marked by tourism and gimmicks. The need for “souvenirs” of the experience is seen in the gift shops that line the place and they offer scenic boat tours that take you very near the base. This commercializes and detracts from the power the place holds. The power of the place is diminished to the aesthetic whereas, at Laurel Falls, the waterfall holds power because it is shocking. The sound of the waterfall echoes throughout the trees and there are rocks where you can sit and enjoy the view of this obscure structure. There is a sense of self-empowerment that is felt, too, in standing before the waterfall. Being the first surprise along the trail that we encountered, it seemed to say “there is something special about this place and, while the trails may be difficult, there will continue to be pleasant happenstances that will make the struggle worthwhile.” There is a sense of a “once in a lifetime” experience in standing before a waterfall in the wild whereas, at Niagara Falls, one has the thought that you can easily purchase a bus ticket and return at a later date.

Lindsey Pritchett - Native American Animal Totems

It is a common belief amongst Native Americans that each individual is connected with nine various animals that will act as guide through their life. These nine animals are believed to appear in life at random moments, however there is one that stays with the individual for life. This animal is the individuals "totem animal" which stays with them for life in both the spiritual and physical world.
With this animal, a connection is shared (usually signified by appearance in dreams, favoritism/ interest, or other interaction). The purpose of this animal totem is to offer power and wisdom to the individual when they "communicate" with it. For example, my favorite animal is a panther. It is the animal I am most drawn to and feel most connected with. Native Americans believe the Panther signifies, or means, "protection, hidden emotions, introspection, caution, careful decisions."

To me, the panther is just my favorite animal. I like the way it moves and remains elusive. I like the color of it and the fact that it is a predator. I also like that I usually don't see panthers in the zoo, as I prefer to think of it as free. However, Native Americans believe there is something to be learned from the animal. The animal not only carries meaning but it communicates that meaning by appearing in a person's life. The animal is a very personal entity, not at all objective like we see in the technological world's many zoos and circuses. It is meant to be encountered in the wild.

Furthermore, when we encountered the bear on the Appalachian Trail, we did not see the animal as a symbol of being the "guardian of the world." If we had been of Native American culture and we were familiar with the symbolism and power of each, we would know and associate the bear instead with it's characteristics. Ironically, these characteristics are numerous and as follows: "Industrious, instinctive, healing, power, sovereignty, guardian of the world, watcher, courage, will power, self-preservation, introspection, and great strength." Many of these characteristics, I feel, were applicable to the place and time period the bear appeared.

Lindsey Pritchett - Eyes on the Skies

As long as humans have been around, we have been fascinated with the skies. Whether the culture is indigenous or technological, there has been a deep and profound obsession with the cosmos. People have expressed their interest in what lies in the beyond through art, science, and writing. This fascination has carried over in to the current era, especially in the fields of cosmology, astronomy, and physics. In indigenous traditions, the people rely on myths and stories to explain what is in the sky. The relationship the people build with the cosmos is much more personal, as well. In America, we tend to approach the sky from a more objective view. We seek explanations on what is in our universe, how it got there and what will happen to it as time progresses. Technology such as the Hubble Telescope allow for deep space observations to be held. Now, with the use of modern technology, we can see (literally) across the universe. Our observations span space and time, itself. We can even see beyond our galaxy and our solar system. Recently, National Geographic released a special edition magazine on the newest discoveries in our universe titled: "The New Universe." This title befits, because our understanding of the expanse of life and the various phenomenon in our universe is constantly evolving. Furthermore, it is fascinating that we are limited to mere observation as formulating an appropriate explanation of the events and phenomenon is nigh on impossible.

Colleen Cook-painting

Dr. Redick gave us the question of how painting can be another way to connect to one's Holy. I thought about it and it is definitely a different way as opposed to reading scriptures which contain letters/words. Both are powerful and have background meaning but can have different explanations, they do have different explanations, for why they paint what they do. painting is more of an action like we talked about in class which I think can also help the group members connect with one another, kind of bond in a way. Reading scriptures is more repetitive and could lose depth of meaning if just read over and over again. We talked about how painting can maintain relationships which can be could for communities. The value can be bigger for painting because they are all different and made personally by each person which I think can make the connection between them and a Holy much stronger.

Stephanie Whitehead - Blogging

I find it ironic that we have to write blogs for our class on orality. While I was thinking about it I discovered an answer to a question I had been asking myself for a long time: Why can't I keep a journal? At first glance it has nothing to do with class but after a few leading thoughts it made me think only of this class. I've always wanted to keep a journal like my friends do so I can remember things that happen because my memory is horrible. I curse not journaling proper when I went to the UK. I can barely remember anything I did anymore. The problem is that I can't journal. I used to think it was because I was impatient but the truth is that I merely don't want to miss out on anything. I want to spend my time experiencing instead of writing down my every move. When I was in the UK I was very good about journaling my first few days but I stoped because I felt that it detracted from my trip. It meant spending time away from the actual surroundings and I was removing myself from the area and situations that I was trying to be part of. The act of writing forced me to separate myself from my surroundings and I hated it. The entire point of being there was to submerge into the culture and my surroundings. So instead of focusing on writing every moment of my time there so I could remember the past at a point in the distant future, I enjoyed the moment and lived it. That concept struck me as a pretty decent sum of what we are getting at in class. Writing removes ourselves from the situation instead of living the situation. While it may be only a momentary experience, it was at least experienced instead of sitting on the sidelines observing so later generations can know what happened.

Stephanie Whitehead -Impracticality

The lovely new green in the middle of campus is highly aesthetic and reminds us greatly of the ancient Roman forums connecting us to our history and making us think of great knowledge and politics. While this is all well and good, I find that it lacks a certain something. While it is highly aesthetic and nice too look at leading up to the new McMurran hall, the emptiness of it is resounding. I watch everyday as hundreds of students swarm around the green and walk on the sidewalks surrounding it. It is as if the lawn is marked off limits or taboo. To watch students milling everywhere but ON the green you would think that to do so would be worth severe punishment. This is a tragedy. This is a place where students can have a place to interact on a daily basis in the open air and enjoy the day while they are not in class. Instead is has been turned into a space of aesthetic qualities to impress people visiting our campus. At first glance you might presume that students on campus just simply don't spend time outside simply enjoying the day. However that is not true. There are students on York lawn, Potomac lawn, James River lawn and even the lawn by the fountain between the library and Wingfield not twenty yard from the green in the center of our campus. Every other place on campus where there can be communion between the students and the out of doors is being used as such. Why then is this new great lawn not being utilized? Before the change on campus students would spend time basking in the sun much preferring to study there than indoors. What is the difference that causes us to avoid the great lawn now? I see no edicts demanding that this lawn much be a space of aesthetic value and beauty and no students should be seen walking across it or laying on it. In fact, I think it would be more aesthetically pleasing to see students using it and giving it a sense of place and interacting with outside world while going about their daily lives.