I'm stuck inside the future

itsillmatic @ 2008-09-30T15:39:00

2008-09-30T19:40:17Z

What Is Anthropology?

Anthropology seeks a holistic view of the human race through biology, social sciences, and humanities.
1. Anthropologists thus specialize to contribute to this overall understanding
Biology and culture are “inextricably intertwined.”
Anthropologists must be constantly aware of their own cultural biases.
Anthropology is a relatively recent discipline.
1. Technology allows us to more easily observe and study other cultures
2. European imperialist attitudes often viewed other cultures as “savages.”
  1. Now, we recognize basic humanity in all people
Anthropologists must synthesize many disciplines.
Anthropologists must also incorporate a cross cultural and long term historical perspective.
Four Primary Subfields
1. Physical Anthropology
  1. Also known as biological anthropology.
  2. Focuses on humans as biological organisms
    1. human evolution
    2. primatology
    3. growth and development
    4. human adaptation
  3. Molecular anthropology studies genes and genetics
2. Archaeology
  1. studies material remains
  2. focused on prehistoric past
    1. before written records
  3. can reach back millions of years, as opposed to 5,000 of written records
  4. contemporary archaeologists can also gather information on modern human behavior
3. Linguistic Anthropology
  1. studies human language
    1. history of languages
    2. descriptions of syntax and technical aspects
    3. relationship between language and culture
  2. language is one of the primary distinguishing factors between humans and other animals
  3. helps understand how people perceive themselves and the world around them
  4. can also help understand people who spoke certain languages in the past and contribute to knowledge about where certain civilizations lived or how they influenced others
4. Cultural Anthropology
  1. studies patterns in behavior, thought, and feelings.
  2. Focuses on humans as cultural entities
    1. often unconscious, socially learned patterns of humans.
  3. Ethnography – detailed description of a particular culture
  4. Ethnology – cross-cultural perspective that allows anthropologists to make generalizations across time and space
5. Medical Anthropology
  1. Studies medicine from a cross-cultural, anthropological perspective.
  2. New, emerging discipline
  3. use anthropological discipline to understand and improve human health

itsillmatic @ 2008-09-17T21:24:00

2008-09-18T01:25:02Z

everything is better with Beg For Mercy playing in the background.

itsillmatic @ 2008-09-10T18:35:00

2008-09-10T22:36:26Z

I'm gonna go ahead and throw this out there.

It's damn difficult to find time/space to masturbate in college.

itsillmatic @ 2008-08-16T04:06:00

2008-08-16T08:19:51Z

I haven't written in this thing in forever. For those of you (probably not many) that keep track of me via here, a few basic updates.

1) Colleen and I have broken up. It was my fault.
2) I did away with an extremely bad habit. I feel like I've got a new shot at life here. Moving away to college, and all the changes that come with it, along with getting rid of aforementioned bad habit, has given me a new attitude. New Jordan? Jordan 2.0? Probably more like 1.5. A few updates, but the same guy.
3) Moving out! It's 4am, Saturday morning. Around 5am, Monday morning, I'm gonna be on my to Gainesville. University of Florida. Honors College. Bitches. Pretty good for a guy who fucked around throughout high school and was told, repeatedly, that he would admit to shit.
4) I have a new phone number. Gainesville area code. If you ask nicely, I might give it to you.

Stuff I'd Like To Update About In The Next Few Weeks:

Dark Knight review
Moving in status, recording the process of adjusting to Gainesville.
Being the "Eccentric Bachelor Friend"
Election Thoughts
How Chuck Palahniuk Has Lost His Shine
Our New Villains (films)

itsillmatic @ 2007-11-28T17:42:00

2007-11-28T22:45:57Z

Dear Jordan,

Congratulations! You have been accepted to Florida State University for the Fall term, 2008.

Please allow several days for your acceptance package to reach you. Be sure you thoroughly read the Freshman Enrollment Information brochure included with your letter of acceptance. This brochure contains valuable information about Orientation, Housing, and Financial Aid, as well as other resources to help you prepare for enrollment at FSU.

If you have any questions about your admission to Florida State University, please feel free to reply to this message.

Have a great senior year!

Janice Finney

Director of Admissions

Florida State University

Office of Admissions

Tallahassee, FL 32306-2400

In a Station of the Metro

2007-11-04T20:41:16Z

In A Station of the Metro
Ezra Pound

The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough

This weekend, I had to write a poetry response to Ezra Pound's "In A Station of the Metro." I knew that Pound had worked with Mussolini's regime during World War II, doing something involving radio broadcasting, and that he wrote his Cantos while imprisoned by the Allied powers. So, I had a somewhat bad taste in my mouth before I started reading.

However, as I read the poem, I came to like it. To me, "Station" puts the two images, faces in a crowd and petals on a tree, alongside to comment on urban alienation and conformity. Most of my analysis was written with this in mind. However, on the other side of the textbook page, there was some commentary from the editors, including a note from Pound where he explains his attempt to express the "beauty" of what he had witnessed in the subway station in Paris.

I remember a scene in V for Vendetta (the comic, not the movie, assholes) where the head of state gives a long internal monologue on, among other things, his love for fascism. He mentions the etymology of the word, fasces and how the Romans found strength in a bundle of birch branches; that is, strength through conformity and unity. Compare the birch branches to "petals on a wet, black bough."

So:

Is Pound denouncing or rejoicing in conformity? Does this poem contain fascist ideals? Did my sparse knowledge of Pound's background ruin the reading for me?

New Journal

2007-10-27T06:09:50Z

Inaugural post.

New Journal.

More coming soon.

Fragment.

Fragment fragment.