There have been so many “Memoirs” lately that have been published then proven to be all false, or exaggerated. As a graduate student in courses like memoir and creative-nonfiction I’ve learned the fine line writers have when writing about their own lives. But, when you are published and go through all that just to be proven wrong, I think there is a flaw in the system. It’s funny because somehow people want to hear about “real” events, rather than fiction. And so publishing a book as a memoir can be better selling, but now we’re seeing writers ruining their reputations over that one word.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/books/05fake.html?_r=1&ref=books&oref=slogin

 

 

 

As I first began reading Fleck, I honestly was a little lost as to how this book even remotely related to class. I then began to take a step from the words directly on the page, half of which I had to look up, and see the bigger picture. I think some of the things Fleck had to say are rather deep, and many went over my head..high over my head. I tried to make connections and come to cohesive conclusions to bring about my points. This is what I found. I maybe totally off topic, but I may also be completely on point. We’ll see.

The book starts out talking about syphilis the history that surrounds it. I began to wonder why the example of syphilis?

The example of syphilis is simply used as an example of how the evolution of a fact and the way in which facts are transformed overtime, based on society’s cognitionas a group. This example proves to be an effective one because the concept of “sex” was generally taboo in the early days and often not as explored as it is now. Therefore the facts that arose within medicine about syphilis have significantly evolved.

 

• Basically: facts are changed because the cognition of people changes ..this happens by the evolution of communities.

 

• As societal conditions change àso do people’s cognition.

 

 

***

Therefore we are seeing facts differently. With syphilis, before people were plagued with social taboos. In a time where astrological signs were used as genuine fact, where as not how science and evidence have taken the toll—shows how things have changed.

 

*each fact always has an error filled past, which can never be erased. So, each fact, as it starts out (glitch) develops into newer things.

 

Relation to class: Things we use now..often closely correlate to things that were once in the past. Email took the place of written letters, texting is slowly taking over voicemails, blogs (self publishing) will take over publishing.

 

What I came to find is this: the social connotation that syphilis is descried as now based on societal connotation. Now we know more about syphilis and how it can be avoided and treated, however if it wasn’t for the first fact or Wasserman, we wouldn’t know any of that.

 

This brings me to the idea of proto-ideas. According to Fleck, “proto-ideas must be regarded as developmental rudiments of modern theories and as originating from a socio-cognitive foundation” (25).

To me, a proto-idea is a flicker. the first attempt, glimpse, from which theories arise.

Some examples of a proto-idea relation to class:

 

• Facebook
• Blogs
• Texting

 

These forms of technogology each started out with a flicker, a first thought and eventually evolved into these amazing things we use daily. However, some make it and some don’t. There are several ideas out there that we have yet to explore. The way these proto-ideas come to be is the way we exchange them within communities.

 

This process of thinking, further facilitates ideas to evolve into theory. We are then somehow inclined to make connections. For instance, our class. We are using technology as a whole and combining it with writing.

 

Now it’s making sense, right?

***
Thought collectives – basically what you know affects what we come to know. So what we already know with the collaboration of proto-ideas generate thought collectives.

 

Examples

• A thought collective is when we text someone, and they text us back. But a simple one way text does not form a thought collective.

 

• NY Times Blog: People leave comments on entries, and it is from those entries and exchange of ideas, that theory occurs. Some things fly within society and interact to create a larger effect.

 

 

Now that we know proto-ideas and thought-collectives

 

Going back to this idea of a virus…we must clarify how just as a virus spreads so does the a fact, or rather an idea.

 

To best describe this, we much define the term Meme – and idea that shoots across time and space.

 

So for now, Obama and the campaign server a meme, blowing up everywhere and having people talk about it to each other, on blogs, in the news, day in and day out.

 

Just as a germ spreads…through society, a meme spreads.

 

Proto-idea à sparks Thought collective à becomes a Meme

 

So Fleck’s idea of Syphilis — a germ — spread from one community to another.

 

 

Here it’s important to bring up Wasserman, developed a test to get before getting married, if your body reacted to Mercury.

 

• A word – hits a certain context within society & reacts
• A germ – hits a chemical – reacts

 

Certain words within our society when used in context…cause a reaction

Within certain communities a word maybe more accepted than others.

 

- For instance, an epidemic spreads uncontrollably, whereas say, a word exists only in context and can be stops without means.

 

For example:

 

• Bling – a term for diamonds, expensive jewelry, caught on.
• Beyonce’s word – bootylicious – now in the dictionary

 

Just as words go through phases, so do viruses (epidemics)

 

Some catch on, some do not.

 

 

For instance: The earth was once thought to be flat, eventually we learned it was round, then learned it as a social

 

 

Leads us into the idea of experts v. educated users

***

Fleck describes this idea of experts and laymen. They way experts see things vs the way educated users see things.

 

Lets us fashion to further explain this:

 

• An expert would describe a shoe as say a Manolo – where an educated user may say a pair of heels. There is a language barrier, which allows educated users to take the experts findings whichever way they want, creating the general consensus.

 

Even in fashion, ideas catch on and die down.

• A celebrity might wear a bag, that will be photographed, then people will see it, and before you know it everyone is wearing this bag. This the same idea Fleck presents as proto-idea – thought collectives—meme….the fashion of the bag spreads, and eventually dies down—like an epidemic

 

This balance between experts and the way society takes their ideas is what really creates what we think as a society. You need both to create the whole effect.

 

So Flecks, book, although complex, is really quite relevant to many things in life. It is an abstract way of looking at things away and formulating the way in which theories and basically everything around us comes together.

 

Not as bad as I thought …

 

Hope this helps!

For this weeks reading, we were assigned to read Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact by Ludwik Fleck. A book, which, as soon as you feel as though you’ve grasped the concept throws another abstract idea and put you off track, yet again. The book is an ongoing circle of information which in some weird way, all connects together. Here are the questions for class. Happy thinking

1. Fleck introduces us to the road which a “fact” travels and what it potentially leads too. We are forced look at fact as it evolves with time, community, and social cognition. As communities open up and interact, facts inevitably change with the times. What do you think is the importance of exploring such a thing, and how does this idea relate to the class and technology as a whole?

2. Fleck uses medicine in his attempt to help us understand the way in which facts change as do societal views. What do you think his purpose was to choose syphilis? What make that condition relevant to underlying themes of the book?

3. The idea of thought style and thought collective collaboratively help both experts and laymen someone come to terms about new scientific discoveries, although it is perceived very differently by each group. Therefore, what are some modern day examples that exist, which allow us to alter and create a projection of ourselves, without really reveling who we are? Think college past times, and the way each form of social networks we have on the internet, grow and how they incorporate ideas from the past.

4. Fleck says, “A thought collective occurs when two or more people are actually exchanging thoughts” (p 44). So what would be some examples of this in the society we live in? And how might two people from different communities come together through a thought collective and produce another idea?

5. Thought style is only tangible when compared to versions of past scientific facts. Since facts are completely evolving based on the way in which society carries them, is it fair to say that nothing is indeed true in once sense, but rather as each person wants to make of it? Doesn’t this exist within technology, what are and aren’t willing to explore/work with? With technology, the things that we know and can do, maybe completely foreign to others, but that doesn’t make them knowledgeable?

Best Caption:

“I can’t decide which handbag to ride in today — the Brighton or the Prada.”

— ­ posted by Elizabeth Williams

NY Times

Lately, it seems my list of things to do keeps growing. To the point where, crossing things off rarely makes me feel any better. I think every so often in life we go through phases where we have a million things to do, and cannot imagine how it will all get done. While there are other times it seems we are just going through the motions. Just like during the semester, there is always an eerie calm before all of a sudden due dates are popping up everywhere and you live in the library. The same goes for life, but on a much larger scale.

When I think about the next two months, plug in all the dates that keep dropping in about family events I must attend, and friends birthdays i wouldn’t miss I wonder how it will all get done. I try so hard to make time lines, and fulfill what I set out to do for the day, but somehow, that doesn’t happen. Somehow I find myself tugging along, literally suffocating in deadlines. I feel I just get things done in time, and never even breathe after, just move right along to the next one.

On one hand, I imagine this is only preparing me for the world of work and to learn how to somehow manage life along with all it’s obligations, but sometimes I realize it’s Thursday and cannot imagine how it got to be. I also wish I had more time to obligate to these deadlines, and always think if I just had one more day, or even an hour…but I guess that’s why there are deadlines, so you can stop one thing and move onto another.

Before I know it, grad school will be over and I will not feel as if pulled in several directions maybe for the summer, but inevitably the calm will pass and I’ll be right back where I started. I guess that’s life…

My sister is getting married August 31st and it seems, in my house, we can be talking about a peanut, but the conversation somehow always morphs into wedding talk. It’s funny actually and never fails. My sister is not at all a bridezilla, although I fear as the wedding date approaches that will change. I’m getting mentally prepared . The thing is, this is the first wedding of the house for both our side and her fiance’s side, so it’s huge. I’m Indian and weddings are usually a four day extravaganza. The whole event is a great time, but it’s exhausting especially if you’re in it! Each different couple has different circumstances, for instance if they’re from different parts of India, family customs, how traditional the families are. These things make a huge difference. Generally though, it goes like this.

Day 1: Mendhi Party — This is when the bride traditionally gets Henna, symbolizes love, fertility, and prosperity and is applied by almost all brides on their hands and feet. This day, other memebers of the family are also invited to apply henna. One can hold a big party at a hall, or have a small gathering in their home. The choice is up the family. Generally, this is practiced only by the women in the family.

Day 2: Garba — This is the day there is a reception like gathering, everyone dresses in Indian outfits, appropriate for dancing, and dances in circles around a set up of the respected Gods and Goddesses worshiped by the families. The night often runs into 2-3 o’clock in the morning and is practiced regularly by Gujrati families, like mine.

Day 3 — The most relaxing of all days, this day is a time where each side of the family separates and does a ceremony called a pooja, to essentially create peace in the current home before the couple leaves for their new home.

Day 4 – Wedding ceremony and reception. Indian wedding ceremonies can be anywhere from 1-4 hours depending on the request of the couple and abilities of the Indian priest. The outfits are one of the most beautiful things about Indian weddings because the meanings and colorful background they provide.The bride wears a sari called a paneter, always red and white. The groom wears a two peice outfit and sometimes at a hat. See picture.

Bride/Groom – part of the wedding party.

Indian weddings have changed a great deal. They are no longer forced to be arranged, well at least in my family, but rather we are permitted to seek out our own mate. The weddings Ive attended lately, although both parties were Indian, there is always a touch of American custom thrown in. For instance, Indian brides now have bridesmaids, insist on flowers, and generally attempt to keep the ceremony short. Just because we don’t necessarily wear the white dress, we did grow up here, so we have some of the same ideas.

It’s amazing to have experienced two cultures growing up. I’m blessed to have been shaped by such strong ideals. My culture is so rich with enlightening ideas and beautiful sayings. I carry them in all my decisions in life, and feel that is what makes me accepting of all things. And every wedding feels like a childhood game of dress-up!

My cousin recently suffered the loss of his father. He had faced a challenging illness for the last 16 weeks of his life, and took his last breath on the evening of December 12th. Loss, as we all deal with it differently, can put a weight on things. It brings about realizations that life is precious and one must live each day to the fullest, it requires we deal with feelings we often try to push away, and it opens our eyes to the importance of expressing ourselves daily to become exactly the person who we would like to as remembered by when we are gone.

Recently, he wrote to me and expressed how he has just recently began to feel the loss he encountered three months ago. I find myself writing this as I cannot capture the words to help him cope. Funnerals are strange. When I was there I recall the eerie feeling that overcame me, the gathering of everyone, people I’d hadn’t seen for years, and my urge to greet them hello even as tears filled my eyes. That feeling remained in the room that day, and I cannot really recall exactly how it felt when I left.

The thing is, after we formally say our “goodbyes” how are we supposed to let the person go or come to terms with the idea that we will no longer see them, but only in pictures and videos. I still think about what to write back and I don’t want to be all inspirational or dramatic, but rather realistic without sounding harsh.

The most remarkable thing I find about loss is the feeling the overcomes us when we learn of it. It’s a feeling that sparks us and often urges us to really take advantage of every moment we have. It serves as a reminder that we really don’t have forever to live, and that in an instant we can no longer be here. I have to say what’s so strange about that feeling is how short a time it lasts. It seems by the next week, we’re back to our normal routines and worries and we never really grasp the way, that instant, that we felt as if we would “live” in the true sense of the word.

I still have those moments, when I remember those lost or I see someone less fortunate than me, I get inspired to help. But somehow, as I begin to focus on what I need to get done for tomorrow or next week, I loose sight in my great intentions and my secret desire to save the world. Somehow, “little instances” are all they are. I’m unsure as to when I’ll make those instances last long enough to become milestones, but I’m really going to try.

For my Writing in Electronic Communities course, we are reading Marshal McLuhan, Understanding Me. There was a couple of things in this weeks reading that stood out to me, but this stood out the most. Maybe because I’m working on teaching jobs and thinking about my influences and abilities to be the most effective teacher.  “The future of the future is the present, if you are really curious about the future, just study the present.” As soon as I read this I had to stop for a moment and think. I began reflecting on my current students, the ones I tutor, and my future students. The little ones, the ones that will soon be our future. McLuhan says we live in an age of information, and times, as well as children are changing with it.  With all this technology at their finger tips, the usual way children played is no longer existent, teenagers are becoming more inclined to figure things out with all the resources now at their fingertips. Little girls don’t play dress up with Barbies as much any more, instead they are online virtually dressing Bratz dolls online. These are all issues we must take into account, especially those of us who will directly impact the lives of youngsters. Because they will come into the classroom with knowledge we just recently acquired about technology and we should never fail to keep learning, and pushing through this. When it comes down to it, the future of the future is the present, and the present is all we have to work with. We better figure it out, quick.

Throughout life we are faced with choices. Choices to pick right or wrong, choices of what to eat, what outfit to wear, who to date, where to go on vacation. All these things created opportunities for us to meet people, take chances, make changes, and develop based on the outcomes of our choices. I sometimes reflect back on all the choices I’ve made, both big and small, and wonder how my life would have been had I made some different ones.

I think we can’t help but wonder, what life would be if we were able to go back in time. If we could jump to a time in our past and change even one choice we made. Would it change everything we’ve experienced since? Or, would things be exactly the same, just unfold differently. I grew up with the phrase, “Everything is meant to be.”  For some reason, like some, I never grew to hate when people say this to me, but believe it. I’ve come to realize that every choice, right or wrong, is for a reason. We are given these choices to make decisions and shape our now, but in the end, I believe if we are smart, and learn from them, we will end up where we were always meant to be.

As I begin my journey into the next phase of my life, I wonder sometimes if I picked the right major, pursued the right dreams, and really am destined to do what I am. But then I realize, those were just choices, and in time I will end up doing exactly what I’m mean to to do.  I may make a few choices to get there, but I’ll get there..no question.

The other night I was flipping through channels just before I went to sleep and came across a show I found both intriguing and superficial.  As I began watching, a woman named Ms. Patti Stranger was interviewing women.  The interview was to basically see if they were suited to meet, and potentially marry a millionaire!

This idea sparked my interest, I mean who comes up with these things? As a young, young girl who inevitably asked for a pony until I found something else that captured my interest I always imagined I’d marrying rich.  A much younger me, had not problem stating that either. I was sure, I’d never have a problem doing it.

Now, that I’m older and have some sense, I’m capable of knowing, and actually quite certain that money is not everything, and certainly does not buy happiness.  As I finished out watching the show (however superficial, it is interesting to watch this actually go down) I began to wonder about how one can really determine that they want to marry someone based on money.  

After a while, I realized this idea was a modern day fairytale inspired show.  That prince charming wasn’t royalty, but lived in a castle size mansion and dressed head to toe in Armani. And these women were all hoping that they could somehow hop into this happy ending, by consulting Ms. Pattie Stranger.  Amazing.

 She has made a few hundred happy matches over the years, but I wonder how many really last. Even though the idea of the show is crazy to me, I still watched it. And it made me realize even more that money is little compared to a lifetime of smiles and worthwhile hardships that test and sustain relationships in reality. Fairly tales are better left to the books.