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Wednesday, April 24, 2024

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SPECTATOR---Campus Uprising--SOCIAL MEDIA BRIEFS


USC Under Siege 04/24/24/1834PDT: Along with Columbia University, U Texas Austin, students are getting battle hardened standing up to the oppressive establishment that Bernie Sanders characterized as "The Movement" back in '71. Certainly, the status quo wants to suppress it. pic.twitter.com/z7V5fZ57xy

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ENG205.1001-- "Resist, My People, Resist Them"--DAREEN TATOUR

 

ENG 205--Crtv Writ: Fict & Poetry--

University of Nevada, Reno, Summer 2019.



Beginning writers workshop in both poetry and prose (fiction and creative nonfiction).  Mostly revision and freewrite, the class was small and just not that engaging. However, one of the more promising essays was developed and presented.

06/17/19: Dareen Tatour


     Conventional literary analysis of a work of poetry follows a predictable pipeline with variables related to cohesion, strengths-weaknesses, abstractions, line breaks, rhythm and several other aspects. This does not necessarily reflect the cultural perspective of the piece in question. From a linguistic standpoint, a new paradigm can be modeled following certain fundamental assumptions such as the four maxims described as the "cooperative principle" and other tools such as "code switching."

  Cooperative principle is defined by Paul Grice in four maxims: quantity, quality,  relevance and truth.  (UPenn) Code-switching in linguistics is defined as the "process of shifting from one linguistic code (a language or dialect) to another, depending on the social context or conversational setting." (Britannica) Both of these established paradigms can be utilized for analysis of a piece of literary work in a cultural context. For the Grice maxims, the process of transformation is straightforward, in the case of code switching, a new set is created with respect to gender-person, tense, inertia, and temporal consideration.

The poem "Resist My People, Resist Them" by the Arab activist 37 year old Dareen Tatour will be analyzed. (Code Pink)  The Pen America bio on Ms. Tatour notes her background and  activism which resulted in the Israeli government convicting her of inciting terrorism on social media;

"A poet and Palestinian citizen of Israel, living near Nazareth in northern Israel, Tatour was arrested in 2015 during a broader period of unrest and subsequent Israeli crackdown on Palestinians. In addition to the video post and accompanying poem, the charge cited two additional Facebook posts. In the first, she wrote about Islamic Jihad’s call for an intifada" (Pen America) Tatour spent several months in jail and house arrest because of her online activity. The poem is as follows:


Resist, My People, Resist Them

by Dareen Tatour , (translated to English by Tariq al Haydar)


01  Resist, my people, resist them.

02  In Jerusalem, I dressed my wounds and breathed my sorrows

03  And carried the soul in my palm

04  For an Arab Palestine.

05  I will not succumb to the “peaceful solution,”

06  Never lower my flags

07  Until I evict them from my land.

08  I cast them aside for a coming time.

09  Resist, my people, resist them.

10  Resist the settler’s robbery

11  And follow the caravan of martyrs.

12  Shred the disgraceful constitution

13  Which imposed degradation and humiliation

14  And deterred us from restoring justice.

15  They burned blameless children;

16  As for Hadil, they sniped her in public,

17  Killed her in broad daylight.

18  Resist, my people, resist them.

19  Resist the colonialist’s onslaught.

20  Pay no mind to his agents among us

21  Who chain us with the peaceful illusion.

22  Do not fear doubtful tongues;

23  The truth in your heart is stronger,

24  As long as you resist in a land

25  That has lived through raids and victory.

26  So Ali called from his grave:

27  Resist, my rebellious people.

28  Write me as prose on the agarwood;

29  My remains have you as a response.

30  Resist, my people, resist them.

31  Resist, my people, resist them.


  Analysis by the new paradigm of maxims and switching can be found in a line-to-line breakdown of the poem. Throughout, the content satisfies the maxims of quantity, quality, relevance and truth. It is no secret that the Palestinians are fed up with Israeli occupation and the constant patrolling and harassment and invasion of the territories and Gaza. The two-state issue has stumped the United Nations since it was founded.  Truth is directly alluded to in Line 23. "The truth in your heart is stronger."  By quality she appeals to the soul in Line 03 and to the heart, again in Line 23. The poem is cataloged throughout with relevant examples of the injustice: Lines 12-13, where the "constitution ...imposed degradation and humiliation;" and specifically, in Lines 16-17, with reference to  "Hadil, they sniped her in public, Killed her in broad daylight."

This is in reference to Hadeel al-Hashlamoun , a young Palestinian woman who was gunned down at an Israeli checkpoint by soldiers. (Haaretz)

  Code switching, although confined normally to linguistics, is useful in poetry as it defines in a different set of parameters some of the same techniques in classical literary analysis. Note, for instance, the switching from present to past tense throughout. The title is in the present tense and is reflected through most of the piece, as for example from Lines 05-12. Note then a conversion to the past tense in Lines 13-17;

  "Which imposed degradation and humiliation, And deterred us from restoring justice. They burned blameless children; As for Hadil, they sniped her in public, Killed her in broad daylight."

There appears to be no apparent reason for the conversion to past tense other than to develop a sense of truth in the form of cited, third person flashbacks.

  By "gender-person" the poem moves from just such references to "they" and "her" instead of "you" in those lines. When it comes to Dareen, she speaks in the first person;

Line 02: "In Jerusalem, I dressed my wounds and breathed my sorrows,"

Line 07: "Until I evict them from my land."

  A simple definition of "inertia" is "a tendency to do nothing or remain unchanged." (Wikipedia) The poem refers throughout to various possibilities to do nothing or change. Line  06 "Never lower my flags," Line 25 "That has lived through raids and victory."  Note also that Line 25 is in the present perfect, "That has lived," denoting a past action event with present consequences. (Stack Exchange)

  Paradigms become entrenched in culture due to acceptance by the status quo. They offer little opportunity to advance or refine new theories on interpretation, not just confined to the scientific field. I have demonstrated in this presentation another perspective in examination of a piece of literary work. The results have met with limited success but the evolution of this new process cannot be underestimated for what it might hold in the future.


Works Cited:

Maxims, https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/dravling/grice.html

Code Switching, https://www.britannica.com/topic/code-switching'

Bio, https://pen.org/advocacy-case/dareen-tatour/

Resist My People, Resist Them, https://www.codepink.org/resist_my_people_resist_them

Hadil, https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-execution-of-hadeel-al-hashlamoun-1.5417049

Inertia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertia

Has Lived, https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/19471/when-to-use-has-lived-vs-lived-vs-had-lived

Trial, https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-hands-palestinian-poet-dareen-tatour-five-month-prison-sentence-1.6335232

Twitter Hashtag, https://twitter.com/hashtag/DareenTatour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Image: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5320247,00.html



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Friday, February 2, 2024

ENGR 400.1001--Why Alternative Energy and Fuels?--U. OF NEVADA, RENO, SPRING '24

Christopher A. Simon (2020), Alternative Energy, 2nd Edition, Rowman and Littlefield, MD

Chapter One: Provide three examples answering the chapter’s question “Why alternative energy and fuels?” You must include a rationale for each example explaining why it answers the question. 

 Climate change, climate change, climate change.. 

      The chapter depends a great deal on the concept of “postmaterialism.” Having read the summary before the actual text of the chapter, the concept of a “wicked problem” also emerged. In the summary, the author defines it as “a need for timely action in the context of high levels of information uncertainty.” (Simon, 27) Where the actual level of uncertainty lies needs to be addressed by what’s discussed in the chapter itself.      

     Linking energy needs to a social worldview where a culture has reached a level of confidence in its ability to sustain itself may be misleading. There is no guarantee whatsoever, nor has there been any proof at all, conservation will provide a necessary margin of safety so that the culture can go beyond its current limits imposed by demand, restricted by supply, and impact on the environment. If demand is exponential and supply geometric, a Malthusian disparity, then no amount of offsetting by sources, renewable or otherwise, will balance both sides of the equation. In fact, the author lists a number of legislative measures undertaken by a number of administrations since awareness began on climate change; all of which have not altered the demand-supply equation no matter how many alternate sources have been employed. 

      In addition, when another form of renewable energy is developed, the fossil fuel lobby responds by employing newer methods to increase supply, such as fracking. There is no direct one-to-one correspondence where the renewable form would have more available green resources as opposed to the immediate benefit, part of which is profit based, provided by fracking. This also does not take into account offshore development. The author mentions President Nixon’s groundbreaking legislation, but overlooks the 55 MPH speed limit imposed to offset the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. The author mentions Alaska and the Arctic but skims over the Gulf of Mexico, where new permits for drilling are approved and rescinded depending on the whims of administrations pressured by the Green lobby. 

      The question remains: “Why alternative energy and fuels?” 

      Beginning not with alternative choices but for fossil fuels and how and where they are acquired, might eventually lead to how dependence on them can be reduced. The author details the difficulty in OPEC dependence (Simon, 22), particularly on its ability to control the flow of oil. It would then become an objective to maintain a steady enough supply of oil, promote conservation, stabilize the reserves as a backup, then develop all the alternative energy resources to meet demand. In other words, delinking dependence on fossil fuels from alternative energy capability is the first step. No matter what the postmaterialist philosophy might preach, the reality of demand will always outweigh idealism. Delinking would include reducing dependence on an organization such as OPEC for a fossil fuel source. 

      Returning to the “wicked problem” expressed in the summary, information uncertainty is rapidly being replaced by factual reality. First, global conflict has increased to the point where information uncertainty is fast being replaced by uncertainty. OPEC dependency is part of the obsolete paradigm where Western Hemisphere sources can offset the demand, such as Venezuela and the Gulf of Mexico. Both of those are in and out of limbo depending on the administration. Summarizing, three reasons why alternative and renewable sources for energy are necessary: overdependence on fossil fuels, international political uncertainty and the climate. 

References: 
Speed Limit 55, Is It Achievable? https://www.gao.gov/assets/ced-77-27.pdf 
Christopher A. Simon (2020), Alternative Energy, 2nd Edition, Rowman and Littlefield, MD
55 MPH speed limit image: http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Environment/E_Overview/55mph_SpeedLimit.htm

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Thursday, February 1, 2024

ENGR 470.1001: --Geothermal Energy: The Public and the Politics-- U. OF NEVADA, RENO, SPRING '24

Discussion 1B:

     Geothermal energy lies in the shadow of other forms of renewable energy. How might public and political awareness of geothermal energy be improved? 


     Chapter One is divided into several topics: contrast of nonrenewable vs renewable, geothermal energy distinction, energy and power definitions, and attributes of geothermal in terms of source, emissions and baseloads. 

     In the opening sentence, the author describes geothermal energy as “heat from the Earth that can be harnessed and used for the benefit of society.” Due to the very nature of its complexity and newness, the public may be skeptical of its potential. Political awareness, or lack thereof, is usually associated with the myriad regulations involved in developing any form of energy source. Demand is also an important function of the equation, as illustrated by author David R. Boden’s “duck curve” on page 14. The curve is directly reflected by what Boden calls the “baseload,” although a clear definition of the term depends on overall sources of renewable energy.

     From the above, one might draw a conclusion geothermal energy is more of a semantic issue than one of infrastructure; both can be just as prohibitive for its development. In addition, skepticism by the general public, where the demand lies, might offer a political escape clause in legislation efforts to further its development. 

     Baseload is directly related to infrastructure and the ability of the system to deliver depending on supply and demand; for instance solar during the day, and hydro otherwise. Note on the latter, droughts can create a severe power generation gap when reservoir levels drop below the ability of the dams to generate electricity. Adding to the reservoir problem are agreements that allocate stored water for agricultural purposes, leaving the lakes high and dry. To what degree flexibility (dependability) of any power generation source rates in the equation is debatable, since many are at the mercy of Nature in one way or another through aging or disaster, as seen in Chernobyl (1986)  and Fukushima (2011). 

     Hopefully, the author will clear much of this up beyond just the technical aspects of geothermal development so that the discussion can be better addressed at the end of the semester. 

References: 
 David R. Boden (2016-17), Geologic Fundamentals of Geothermal Energy, Taylor & Francis edition, https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.1201/9781315371436/geologic-fundamentals-geothermal-energy-david-boden
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