Archive for January, 2009

let freedom ring

let freedom ring

Jan 21st

Posted by dawn in cultural & textual studies


When we think of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I have a Dream” speech, it is often the words “I have a Dream” or “Free at last” that we remember best. But the reality is that none of those words are the most frequently spoken words in the speech. What is spoken the most is a word that defines a concept that we, as Americans — all of us — consider a right.

What is freedom though? What does it mean to be free and how do we define it? Is it different for each of us? I’m pretty sure that my freedom, the ways I define it, are going to be indicative of my experiences and yours of your own. But I also think of how much the concept of freedom has changed the world. I can still hear Mel Gibson yelling, as William Wallace in Braveheart, “Freedom!” at the end of the movie. He wasn’t free, but he knew that his actions would induce the Scots to fight for their own freedom even more (and beyond the movie, William Wallace was a great warrior of the Scots (as anyone who has visited the battlefield at Stirling can attest), fighting for their freedom from a tyrannical government). How many other times has the bell of freedom been rung? And in how many other places?

Tonight in our Stylistics class, I started thinking about Dr. King’s speech on a more detailed level. I was thinking beyond the metaphors, beyond the parts of speech, trying to understand the way Dr. King meant these words, how he wanted his audience to accept them, and how he wanted the world to hear them.

The words he used the most were “Freedom,” “Let,” and “Negro.” If I’m only thinking of those three words, then some of the power of his speech is lost. Is he asking for Negros to have freedom? Should “the man” LET them have freedom? Should we throw out “let” altogether in this equation and only look at Negro and Freedom? Does that ring more true? Is it more powerful to link only those two words together?

What happens when we start to add in some of the other words he used less: “ring,” “one,” “dream?” Freedom rings. It rings bell towers, it rings in hearts and minds, it rings with rally cries and marches. It rings from coast to coast, border to border. It rings around the world, and beyond (especially if it is true that our radio waves reach into far galaxies).

Dr. King had a dream. That dream’s name was freedom.

Oh Hulu, how ye failed me

Oh Hulu, how ye failed me

Jan 20th

Posted by dawn in entertainment

1 comment


Dear Hulu,

We’ve been friends a very, very long time (by Internet standards). Do you remember, more than a year ago, when I became a beta tester in your closed environment? You wrote to me:

This private beta is our chance to gather real user feedback, so let us know not only what you like, but also what you think we could be doing better. There is a feedback button located to the left of every video screen. By clicking on the feedback button, you will open up a feedback form where you can easily provide a suggestion or comment. You also have the option of sending your feedback directly to feedback@hulu.com [Email address: feedback #AT# hulu.com - replace #AT# with @ ].

The team will be reading these messages every day and we hope to address your feedback as soon as possible. Over the course of the private beta, we will be adding more content and updating features, so please check back often. For now, videos are available for streaming in the U.S. only. Our intention is to make Hulu’s growing content lineup available worldwide over time.

We hope you enjoy the Hulu service and look forward to hearing from you

I listened, dear Hulu. I gave you that feedback. I was diligent and honest. I had hope for you and believed in you while you were still a youngster on the Internet. There was promise. You were the change needed on the Internet.

I still spend much time with you, Hulu. Especially now that I’ve given up regular pay-for-TV service, you have become my entertainment / documentary hub. You’re that friend I cry with, laugh with, and cheered on the penguins of Antarctica with. I have watched movies and televsion shows with you. I watched the first run of Crawford, and your series on MLK. You, Hulu.

So imagine my dismay when you became such a fairweather friend today. I tuned in to watch a historic event. You had promised it would be available and just stuttered and started. I never got to see the speeches, hear the music, or see the crowds for more than a second before buffering took over and my views of the event were distorted (and what does that say about my interpretation of what happened today?).

Hulu, we will still be friends even though you have challenged that friendship a bit. Don’t forget me, Hulu, your longtime friend, over those johnny-come-latelies who don’t love you as much as I do.

Maybe we should appeal to President Obama to include you and your kind in his technology agenda. Would that help you become the best friend you could be? If it would, I will write letters.

Yours in longevity,

dawn

exploration minnesota

Jan 4th

Posted by dawn in travel

1 comment

Over at his blog, Connor lists 72 items he’d like to do in Minnesota before 2010. I’m here for at least the next four years, and I’d like to accomplish many of the items on his list (and I’m sure more will be added during the next four years).

I’ll add new items as they come up.