User:Unconsciouseclecticism/sandbox

AfroCrowd Training The Trainers
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zcFK8v5o83ovehovtgHUhimi2AmWG1A3uRZwui-SIkQ/edit#slide=id.ga8e00a67e_011


 * Sixto Escobar translate and create article.
 * Juano Hernandez article translate
 * Samuel lind article

Journal #1
03/06/2015 Today in the introductory class of English 103, I learned about the philosophy of Wikipedia, why is so important to introduce students around the world to the benefits or advantages of having a free encyclopedia, that uses references of scholarly based journals or books and make them available for people around the globe that do not have the same benefits as others. As members of the Wikipedia community we are expected to behave or carry on the responsibility and seriousness that involve academic writing. The Wikipedia community have made really accessible and user friendly to join and participate in the collective gathering of knowledge, in matter of minutes I learned how to create and edit my own username, how to use citations, the sandbox and the tool bar. Is really impressive how teachers currently dismiss the usage of Wikipedia at all, most professors that I had so far are basically anti-Wikipedia, we as a class have the goal of change that, make Wikipedia a more reliable source of knowledge.

Journal #2
03/13/2015 We started off the class learning why is important to write in Wikipedia, how hard is to gather knowledge in real life encyclopedia, and how to use the references of at the end of each article in Wikipedia as a reliable source rather than use the body of the article. We did a brainstorm about what are vampires in popular culture, how are they seen and what is the difference between Octavia Butler's vampires and pop culture vampires, also we explored a little about the themes that are going to be present in the novel fledgling. We discussed about the lack of female editors in Wikipedia, and also we took a look to the article of Octavia Butler in Wikipedia, with use of academic journals we learned about her background and story, our duty was to read the section on her life and death and find missing information. We gather as groups and worked in ideas that can be implemented, I learned how to put my recommendations and feedback in the talk section of an article in order to be seen by other Wikipedians.

Journal #3
03/20/2015 Today we learned about Octavia Butler importance and genres, why does it matter to write about this specific author, and why is that she is regarded as one of the most prominent and important writers of the last century. We look at various entries in encyclopedia articles about Octavia Butler, most of them were in agreement that she was a pioneer in the genre being the first black female to write science fiction among a small group of African American writers. We also learned the difference between factual and subjective information, some academics referee to Butler as the best writer during her time, while that might be true is very subjective. We worked in groups in class in this case we took a look in the section of social issues, the section was poorly written and we submitted our comments and feedback in the talk section of the article of Octavia Butler, we use different sources that expressed Butlers wide range of themes that were ignored in the paragraph, mostly focusing in Afrofuturism and black experience.

Journal #4
03/27/2015

Today we worked in groups in order to complete Octavia's Butler biography. The class started with a explanation of how we can avoid plagiarize in Wikipedia. Certainly we cannot include original ideas inside articles, because all of our information comes from different articles, at least for this assignment. Also we learned how to quote different types of information.the difference between original text, summary, and paraphrasing. With quoting we can summarize better and avoid plagiarism using the exact words of the source.

Journal #5
04/17/2015

We started working in the last group work that we left unfinished before spring break, we polished our work and edited it. We are currently working on the themes that Octavia Butler usually represents in her novels. In my case I have the theme of critique of present- day hierarchies. The themes that Octavia uses in her books are very interesting, the work is kind of complex because we are not allowed to write personal opinions we are only reporting what we know from other scholars. Basically our job is to paraphrase others people words and quote, we are not allow to post original ideas in Wikipedia.

Journal #7
05/1/2015 Today we worked on revising the Octavia Butler Wikipedia article. Before we started doing a paraphrasing exercise, the exercise basically consisted on re paraphrasing a couple of sentences as many times as we could in a group work. Afterwards we started revising our individual sections and start making changes directly to the page of Octavia Butler. Afterwards we decided as a class if the sections should be changed or not, the class decided that most of the sections should be changed. Almost at the end of the class we came together to decided if the article could use some quote, we decided that we should use four quotes, in different sections of the bio of Octavia Butler.

Chapter 1-6
Fledgling started with a chapter full of imagery, we are introduced to the main character who is a young female, that found herself amnesiac, naked, and hurt in the middle of a forest. She strives to survive for a while, wondering around the area where she woke up from her unconsciousness, she found a burned town that seemed to be a hate crime committed not so long ago. Later on she finds Wright, a caucasian tall in his mid twenties who decides to give her a name "Reene" which means reborn. Once Wright and Reene were together in his car, it was important to decide what to do, since Reene had no name, had an appearance of a child, and was hurt, Wright first reaction is to take her to an hospital or police station, Reene refuses to go, is in this moment that we get to know that the main character is conscious that she is different not human. Because of Wright's sturdy personality, Reene tries to escape provoking a violent altercation between both, the resolution would be the start of a relationship between both. Wright decides to take Reene with him to his uncles cabin, key elements are reveled for example the fact that Wright is a college dropout who is working in construction, the chapter 2 and 3 are basically the flourishing of the relationship between Wright and Reene, sexual intercourse takes place, and Reene discovers that her hunger is mostly about blood, she can drink blood from Wright without harming him, instead Wright feels pleasure. The steam is gone in a moment of lucidity Reene push her memory a little bit but nothing seemed to work out, she started to feel hunger again but she felt that taking more from Wright could mean hurting him, she steps out of the cabin and creeps her way into another room, there she founds an middle age woman whose name is Theodora, Reene contemplates to opportunity to satisfy her hunger, she walks into her and takes blood, Theodora seemed to be scare but at the same pleased and not scared rather she wanted more. Reene goes back to Wright's cabin, next day Reene decides to investigate a little more about her past, she started to look up on the internet about vampires, she felt disappointed because most of the results were vampires from pop culture, Wright suggest to her to look more into folklore rather than in movies or some books. While Reene was feeling comfortable staying with Wright, she felt the need to go back to the burned town, going back to a place that seemed familiar could be helpful, as she was questioning Wright about the existence of the place, they notice that the local newspaper mentioned that the placed was abandoned which is not true, since Reene has a stronger senses she could smell the burned skin in the air while she was there. There was a secret behind it which is another reason to go and try to solve the mysteries. Wright promise Reene to go there in the next seven days, Reene explains that it must be at night since her skin was sensible. While the days were passing by Reene decides to do another visit to Theodora this time both have a intimate moment in which they kiss, wondering if all the experience might be something real she claims to Reene when she was going to comeback to which she replays that yes she is real and she will be coming back in a week, Theodora's tone change to a disappointed an upset one almost like if Reene presence was essential in her life. Once Reene goes back to Wright's cabin and they due date to the exploration of the town comes up, they decide to go also to the cave where she was found, Reene remembers that the deer that she killed in the beginning of the book might not be a deer but rather was a human being. Reene decides to go on her own peace leaving Wright far behind, showing her superior speed to human beings. Once they arrive Reene feels the scent of another being like her but in this case a male, he was in an helicopter and accompanied by another human presence, she begs Wright to stay in the cave while she goes to investigate, she founds nothing but she notice that the human presence was going back where Wright was. The man was a Hunter named Rayleigh who intended to shoot Wright with his rifle, fortunately Reene arrives before Wright could have serious injuries but she gets shoot. Reene takes blood from Rayleigh in order to weaken him and make him faint, afterwards she starts feeling really weak and hungry meaning that she needed to eat something, she asks Wright to leave as soon as he can and come back after a few days. Rayleigh finally wakes up but he was feeling weak. he makes his way into a farm where his family lives, little did he know that Reene was following him, she wanted to know answers to all her questions, There she founds out that Rayleigh was under the control of another vampire causing him a internal conflict, she decides to forgive him and use him as a bridge to communicate and set up a meeting with the other vampire.

My Impression of Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler was one of the few female writers on the genre of science fiction. She grew up in the last years of segregation, which she experienced in her childhood, themes such as racism and classicism shaped her writing. What I mostly admire from the African American writer is her endurance towards her true passion, meaning that she stood up against adversity, worked hard to complete her studies while working in unsatisfactory jobs with no relation at all with writing. Octavia Butler only completed her education in a two year college, although she never stopped educating herself by attending workshops of whom she later on in her life held. Her work is truly remarkable specially the series of xenogenesis the compilation of her stories.

Research Assignment #4
Strong, Melissa J. “The Limits of Newness: Hybridity in Octavia E. Butler's Fledgling.” Thesis: Strong argues that Fledgling presents two types of “newness”: the prospect of “identity hybridization” through genetic manipulation, and the unorthodox familial and sexual arrangements of the Ina. The opposition to innovation comes in the form of a group of conservative Ina, who commit the equivalent of a “hate crime” to destroy the product of genetic manipulation, and from Wright, who represents the voice of the reader who is uncomfortable with the homo, bi, and pansexuality of the Ina.

1.	On page 27, Strong argues that Fledgling “invites readers to imagine blackness as a signifier of humanness.” Why is it unusual for readers to imagine blackness as human? In the context of the story, Fledging is a science fiction story that breaks two of the antique rules. Have a female protagonist, and break the typical portray that we know of vampires. Shori the protagonist is everything a popular vampire is not. Shori unlike most popular vampires has a dark skin this representing her human side that allows her to do most of what regular vampires cannot like walk during daylight. Ultimately is her dark skinned complexion that out stands as her human trait, usually readers in vampire stories are used to see White, tall, lean and beautiful human like beings or deformed monsters. 2.	On page 28, Strong comments on Butler’s narrative strategies: Why is Butler slow in revealing Shori’s mixed species and color? Why is it important for the reader to think of Shori as an individual before she is marked as hybrid or black? I think butler’s choice has more to do with having the reader connected more with the character. If we knew since the beginning what Shori’s true origin was, then we would never care about her. Since she is a super being we will assume that she’ll be fine, unlike a human being will be in a lot of struggle.

3.	Pages 29-30: What are the characteristics that Shori shares with Ina? With humans? Do humans and Ina focus on her similarities to them or on her differences? Shori shares her appetite for blood and her super human abilities with the Inas, also the custom of having symbionts and the relationship that they share. She shares her feelings and care towards living beings as humans do; she sees every living being as equal and important. 4.	On page 29, Strong explains that because Shori’s brown skin comes from her human genes, the notion of “blackness” then comes to stand for her humanity, her hybridity, and her difference from other Ina. Explain how “blackness” is both Shori’s asset and her liability. Shori’s black skin is seen as an asset since is her dark skin the one that gives her the possibility to walk during the day unlike many Inas, this is an advantage since she can protect other Ina while they are sleep and keep on track of symbionts during the day. Regardless of the advantages of her skin, she is also easy to spot among Inas, this is a problem since many of her enemies are Inas and she can be distinguished immediately.

5.	Page 31: How does Milo Silk’s suggestion that a human physician examine Shori reveal him as a speciesist? Milo wanted specifically a human physician because he considered that Shori was not fully Ina therefore Ina doctors should not examine her. This is similar to make a human being be examined by a veterinarian considering the other person as inferior. This shows Milo as a speciesist because he considered the hybridity in her as something impure.

6.	Pages 31-32: What narrative type is the “tragic mulatta”? What is the “one drop rule”? Does Shori allow herself to be reduced to a tragic mulatta or defined by her brown skin? Tragic mulatta is the stereotype of the mixed character that is oppressed by adversities, therefore in those conditions. Shori does not let this stereotype affect her in any way defying all the odds, even if she was amnesiac or with no relatives at all she continues to fight for her life. The one-drop rule is the one that defines every character that has an African relative in their bloodline as black.

7.	Page 32: According to Strong, Ina like Milo and Katherine consider “domination, exploitation, and ruthlessness” as key to Ina identity. What does it mean that Shori is not marked by these characteristics? Does Strong argue that Ina difference from humans is mostly biological or does she argue that it is mostly social? Shori is not marked by these characteristics because she was not educated or had a normal Ina experience, unlike most of normal Inas Shori went into a life changing experience that shaped who she is in the book. Strong argues that Inas speciesist behaves in the same way as human being were being racist is not something bad rather is the “norm”.

8.	Page 33: How are Milo and his supporters like the Nazis? They have an ideology based on racial purity that basically means that Milo and his supporters only want a specific type of Ina to exist. Their actions reflect pretty much the ones from Hitler and Nazis during the holocaust; trying to exterminate the races that he saw as impure, in Milo’s case trying to kill all of Shori’s linage.

9.	On pages 34-35, Strong compares Shori to the figure of the cyborg; a being that is made up of two tightly coupled, seemingly different systems (in the case of the cyborg, the artificial and the biological). How does the image of the cyborg represent a break from tradition? Because Shori represents two sides at the same time, breaking ancient rules of Ina costumes. Human for Inas in the past were seen as inferior the ones that obey, in the case of Shori, she likes to hear them and give them the freedom of choice, which could be disturbing for some Inas that are used to the old ways. 10.	Page 36: Strong notes that Shori represents a departure from the mostly male, violent, and predatory figure of the vampire as she “lacks or defers…power,” and that it is this less-than powerful image what makes her appealing to the humans in the novel. Why is this so? Shori’s image is non-threatening at all, she looks as a little and fragile as a human being could look. This makes characters around her realize that despite her physical power and abilities, she chooses not to be menacing. Shori could possibly use her innocent appearance as an advantage over people to surprise them but she chooses not to in order to be more directly, and honest.

11.	Page 37 (and 40): How do the “hybrid sexual relations” of the Ina unnerve certain readers? Why was Fledgling considered “kiddie porn” by certain readers? How is Wright’s discomfort at Shori’s sexuality meant to be the voice of a certain type of reader? There are many readers around the globe that have very conservative views, usually Inas are involved in sexual relationships with both female and male humans, and sometimes they share partners or they have more than one at the moment, this could be uncomfortable because readers are not usually exposed to this kind of open sexuality. Fledgling was considered kiddie porn because in the novel is depicted that Shori’s appearance is the one of a little child no more than eleven years old, this made some readers feel weird out since the relationship starts very early and with Wright who is a grown up man in his twenties. Ironically even Wright feels discomfort when he has to face the fact of Shori having various mates including another males and females, this kind of discomfort is the one that usually the reader will feel, since Wright is seemingly the most normal of the characters.

12.	Pages 37-38: How does biology complicate the seemingly mutually beneficial partnership between humans and Ina? First is the fact that Ina’s venom is very addictive, which it makes really difficult to believe if a human being under the effects of the venom can be totally free or have any free will, since the lack of venom could represent death or an eminent life of pain and necessity. Also some human do not share the same views as Inas when it comes to the bisexual life that they share. Most of Ina’s norms undermine natural and cultural traits that humans have by default.

13.	Page 39: Compare the human-Ina relationship to that of slaves and masters. Masters and slaves are terms used in usually abusive relationships, most of the times slaves do not get anything back, just the necessary so they can be still alive and strong to serve their master. Inas keep their symbionts as strong and healthy as they can in order to receive back the love and care that they need, nonetheless the humans have the options of decide their own fate depending on the Ina they are with. Masters usually dictate what the slaves has to do, most Ina’s do not interfere in their symbiont life’s if is not a really important reason. Just as a master and slave, Inas and humans need each other in some way, the difference resides that for a master the slave can be replaceable were for Inas each symbiont is irreplaceable and they feel really hurt if something happens to them.

Citation practice
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Octavia Butler Birth of A Writer