so you want to be a writer? By Charles Bukowski

if it doesn't come bursting out of you

in spite of everything,

don't do it.

unless it comes unasked out of your

heart and your mind and your mouth

and your gut,

don't do it.

if you have to sit for hours

staring at your computer screen

or hunched over your

typewriter

searching for words,

don't do it.

if you're doing it for money or

fame,

don't do it.

if you're doing it because you want

women in your bed,

don't do it.

if you have to sit there and

rewrite it again and again,

don't do it.

if it's hard work just thinking about doing it,

don't do it.

if you're trying to write like somebody

else,

forget about it.

if you have to wait for it to roar out of

you,

then wait patiently.

if it never does roar out of you,

do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife

or your girlfriend or your boyfriend

or your parents or to anybody at all,

you're not ready.

don't be like so many writers,

don't be like so many thousands of

people who call themselves writers,

don't be dull and boring and

pretentious, don't be consumed with self-

love.

the libraries of the world have

yawned themselves to

sleep

over your kind.

don't add to that.

don't do it.

unless it comes out of

your soul like a rocket,

unless being still would

drive you to madness or

suicide or murder,

don't do it.

unless the sun inside you is

burning your gut,

don't do it.

when it is truly time,

and if you have been chosen,

it will do it by

itself and it will keep on doing it

until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

Our thoughts:

This poem doesn't just speak about writing but about anything you pursue in your lifetime. If you don't have the drive and compassion to do something then don't do it. When you go out into the world put everything you have into the task. Always put 100% effort into everything you do; never do anything in life because you have to, do it because you want too! In one stanza the author says "the libraries of the world have yawned themselves to sleep over your kind." The author implies that people are always trying to be someone else, not just in writing but in life too. Don't be like everybody else. Make a name for yourself and be unique, something this generation is lacking. The author also suggests that everyone should have confidence in what they have done and accomplished. If you have to ask someone if you look good or this sentence sounds alright, your not to be a writer or an adult for that matter. To succeed as a writer and as a person in the world, have confidence in what you do, be unique, and always give your all. Following these guidelines will make you a successful person and author according to Charles Bukowski. -Andy Bishop

In this poem, the author repeats the phrase "don't do it" to make it predictable for the readers as they read through the poem. The readers can tell when this phrase will come up because the author created a pattern of "If A, then B," A being the reasons to write or the outcomes of writing and B being the phrase "don't do it." Then about two-thirds of the way down, the author breaks the pattern. This catches the readers attention because there is a sudden change in the way that the poem flows. Then it goes back to the original pattern after two stanzas. The last portion of the poem finally tells the readers when it is appropriate to write. -Rachel Fatica

This poem is a very romanticized declaration and guidelines about how to be a proper writer. Bukowski is not only giving guidelines on writing, but guidelines on life too. If it doesn’t come easy or it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. He continues the poem with these sorts of proclamations about writing and life in general. It is very sugar coated however and suggests that writing and life is going to be easy, when that is not always the case. He has many good points, however, because when writing, if it is forced, it will never be as good as of words that flow easily and freely. Overall, his advice is sound, but at times can be taken as overly simplistic. -Alex Lewis

This is a very deep and interesting poem. I agree with most of the statements of the writer, such as when he says that you shouldn’t write if you are trying to be someone else, or if you are doing it just to get money or women. I half-heartedly agree with him as he talks about not writing, unless it is basically perfect and you were meant to do it. I think that all writers have that point where they aren’t sure about something, or they get stuck and need some time to work on it. If your writing doesn’t just pour out of you in a perfect fashion as this poet says, it isn’t the end of the world. There are writers that fit the styles of all different kinds of readers in this world and these readers are constantly looking for more material to add to their list of things to read. I am all for these writers to do their best and try to do it for the readers, themselves, and to better the world of literature. NOT to get women. -Josh Myers

How to Trick People into Thinking You're Good Looking

In the YouTube video “How to Trick People into Thinking you’re Good Looking”, Jenna Marbles elaborates on how society defines pretty. We have to trick people into thinking we are good looking because our natural self is not as accepted. This is shown by Jenna’s physical transformations and statements, such as, “if you were born very ugly like me, have no fear, there are steps you can take to be good looking.” In this quote she makes it evident that society has standards on how a girl should look. The significance of the music lyrics, “never going to give you up, never going to let you down, never going to run around and desert you” in the background also places significance on how women feel that if they succumb to what people want, then men will not leave them. When Jenna says, “the goal is to make yourself look nothing like yourself,” she explains how women feel pressured to put makeup on, tan, change their hair color, and even your personality in order to be accepted by society. The video also touches base with the fact that no matter how hard you work it’s never good enough, unless you have what society deems acceptable. Jenna emphasizes this by saying; “I pump myself up before work by crying over my masters degree.” The fact that we feel the need to fake our looks is very sad, however throughout the video, Jenna’s satirical attitude makes this concept more comical and a norm for girls to make themselves into something they’re not.

-Zoe, Kristen, Shelby, Kindra

IKEA nesting instinct

"Like so many others, I had become a slave to the IKEA nesting instinct.

Narrator: Uh, yes. I'd like to order the Erica Pekkary dust ruffles.

Operator: Please hold.

If I saw something clever like a little coffee table in the shape of a yin-yang, I had to have it. The Klipske personal office unit, the Hovetrekke home exer-bike, or the Johannshamn sofa with the Strinne green stripe pattern. Even the Rizlampa wire lamps of environmentally friendly unbleached paper. I'd flip through catalogs and wonder: What kind of dining set defines me as a person? I had it all. Even the glass dishes with tiny bubbles and imperfections. Proof that they were crafted by the honest, simple, hard-working indigenous peoples of...

Operator: Please hold.

Narrator: Wherever. I was holding.

We used to read pornography. Now it was the Horchow collection."

This scene from Fight Club strongly addresses the idea of materialism. The man in the clip is controlled by his need for Ikea products and as a result, suffers isolation from society. The text in the scene depict how a simple furniture catalogue can become the basis of one's life. As the scene progresses, it becomes clearer and clearer how the man's Ikea products consume all of his thoughts, time, and energy.

[UPDATE]

Background information. The narrator has no friends, no family, suffers from severe depression and insomnia. As you can notice he talks to the automatic voice on the phone, apparently, because he feels lonely and miserable.

Where is the Love?

"Where is the Love" Music Video by The Black Eyed Peas

This video seems to have an agreement that America is hypocritical. It frequently comments on the ideas that America doesn’t want certain things including terrorism and war however we are still having these issues. For example, America says we want to refrain from fighting several countries, meanwhile we are still sending troops abroad. This video is stating that America tends to make promises, and usually fails to fulfill them. The video continues to elaborate on the internal problems in the United States with drug dealing, gang wars etc.

The question marks in the video play an important role because it associates different things with problems. The question marks are representing the people of America asking the government for answers and reasons regarding their questionable actions. For example there is a question mark on a road sign, this might mean that there is problem with the direction in which we are taking our country. Another question mark is also on the flame of the statue of liberty, which could question the justice of our country. Also the fact that the questions marks are being placed by people from all different walks of life show that not just a select group of people want answers, but that everyone does.

To sum it up the whole video is questioning the actions the United States is taking, not just within our country but within the world as well.

-Rebecca Poser, Angel Algarin, Spencer Rogers, Josh Edington

No War!

Total annihilation is the most probable outcome when there is no end worldwide warfare, especially when there hydrogen bombs to be worried about. ~Thomas

The United States, and the major countries alike, are all power hungry, and competing against each other in an arms race. If we stop fighting on the other hand, we will lose our arms as the war sky-rockets. ~Michael

As we raise our white flag in order to surrender, we must raise it for all the deaths that the war caused. We will always have competition which led to the fighting; therefore, another end and want for 'No War.' ~Julia

This cartoon reminded me of the Lyndon B Johnson presidential campaign ad ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYcgw0xfAZ0 ). The whole goal of the ad was to scare voters into thinking Johnson's opponents would lead them all to WWIII. This cartoon has the same effect. A child's arm floating up on a balloon advising an end to war is a pretty powerful persuasion for the audience to move toward peace. ~Ambria ;)

”This is America, there is no reason to lie, cheat, steal, unless you wanna be awesome but don't fuck people over to get to the middle. You betray everything America is about, we didn't throw Britain’s tea into the ocean because we wanted to be a mediocre country and we didn’t let those fuckers line up in a line and then shoot 'em in the back because we didn't want to be one of the best countries in the world and we're not giving China an "I owe you" because we actually planning on paying it back. This is America the land of opportunity to fuck people over, take what isn't yours but only if you planning on getting to the top of the mountain and waving what you have, and they don’t, in their face.” –Philip Defranco-This is America

This is a very extreme view of the American capitalist system. American's dumping Britain's tea into the ocean and killing people lined up shows America's disregard for others who are in the way. The reference to America's debt to China alludes to the possibility of future conflict. Currently America isn't and will not be in a position in which they will be able to pay back China, therefore it is likely that there will be some form of conflict to resolve the debt. The rant brings light to the fact that many of the opportunities provided in America can take advantage of other people and businesses for the personal gain of individuals. It also implies that people and businesses take advantage of others to get to the top.

-Mark Samiec, Charllotte Reardon, Chelsea Finn-

Movie Trailer: Tora! Tora! Tora!