Toll Road to Consciousness

https://vimeo.com/153785510
This was a project for film class where we needed to create the first minute of a movie with only the title given to us. I chose to have a lot of dialogue in this because the other videos i've done haven't had many actors in them who could actually act.

Video Haiku

Sorry about the low quality of the video. Blogger only allows for up to 100mb per video. It was shot in HD. This was made for a film class. The idea was to create a Haiku with video. The only rules were that there had to be three shots of 5 seconds - 7 seconds - 5 seconds.

Dom Odden

Visions of Realism

Rick Cawood

The Haunting of Macon Dead

In the book Song of Solomon the author Toni Morrison shows the divide in the Dead family by reuniting different parts of the family through metaphors. After Macon Dead II Witnessed his father's death he comes to the realization that he doesn't want to love anyone like he did his father because it hurt too much to lose him. “The numbness that had settled on him when he saw the man he loved and admired fall off the fence; something wild ran through him when he watched the body twitching in the dirt” (50-51). This numbness causes a divide in the family between Macon II and Pilate. He does not want to feel the same feeling towards Pilate and since he has such fond memories of her from his past he does not want to tarnish his view of her by witnessing her death. The something wild that ran through Macon during this passage is the spirit of his father lying dormant inside of him that will make reappearance later in the book. Toni Morrison does a good job of foreshadowing the ghost and death metaphor. He distances himself from his family and fills the lack of personal relationships with possessions.

The first time in the book that we see the divide really stand out is when Macon II tells his son Milkman to stay away from Pilate. “Just listen to what I say. That woman’s no good. She’s a snake, and can charm you like a snake, but still a snake.” (54) The story about the snake that Macon tells later leads the reader to believe that Macon has always believed that Pilate has been evil all of her life. However when Macon reminisces later with his son he talks about the fond memories that he has of walking to the other farm with Pilate in his arms every morning.

Macon has a turn on Pilate later in the book. We can see in the earlier chapters what Pilate meant to him. ”At one time she had been the dearest thing in the world to him. Now she was odd, murky, and worst of all, unkempt. A regular source of embarrassment, if he would allow it. But he would not allow it.” (20) In the passage on page 20 we see Macon mention that he absolutely did love Pilate and thought she was “the dearest thing in the world to him” but somewhere along the way he lost that. Of course we see in this passage that he thinks she is dirty and assumes that she is getting drunk all of the time from working in the wine house. Another thing Macon mentions in the passage is that she was, “a regular source of embarrassment, if he would allow it. But he would not allow it.” The fact that he would not allow it shows that he has really expelled her from his life and he does not associate with her anymore. We as the reader know that Macon turned on her when they parted ways at the cave that their father had lead them to. The resemblance of their father and his ghost plays a part not only in Macon's disassociation from his family but also in Pilate’s life as well.

In the book Pilate experiences and reveals many things to explain the meaning of the metaphor of the ghost of her dead father. The ghost first makes its invisible appearance when Macon feels the something wild run through him. The first time we see the ghost as an apparition of the embodiment of the corpse of Macon is when it leads Macon II and Pilate through the woods and into the cave. “After all, if it was their father, he wouldn’t hurt them, would he? Slowly they approached the mouth of the cave, following their father’s beckoning hand and his occasional backward glance.” (168) Since the dead vision of their father appeared when they needed shelter the two can assume that even after death their father was still a good man. He still cared enough in his eternal rest to help them into safety. This also leads to a discovery of the bags of gold that Pilate begins to look for. This is where Macon encounters the man and kills him in self-defense. A ghost or apparition is usually associated with horror films and Halloween but in the book if becomes to resemble family and hope. Eventually the ghost triggers the individuality of Pilate’s thoughts. Her assurance that death is chosen not fate is very important in the context of the ghost because that’s what her father's ghost is, his continuation of life in the point of view of Pilate. “He had to fight off castor oil and knittin needles and being blasted with hot steam and I don’t know what all you and Macon did. But he made it. When he was at his most helpless, he made it. Ain’t nothin goin to kill him but his own ignorance, and won’t no woman ever kill him. What’s likelier is that it’ll be a woman save his life.” (141) This is where Pilate reveals her idea that people choose their own deaths to Ruth. While Ruth tries to convince Pilate that this is false Pilate stands by it. Her example of Macon surviving death from Hagar and others so many times is very good. However the idea goes farther than just what the text reveals.  Person may die but continue living. This is shown in the death of Pilates father. After Macon is shot off of his picket fence for his property he does not reappear for Pilate until he helps Pilate and Macon into the cave. So obviously to continue the life of Macon he would want to help his children. To Pilate her father helps her find riches and shelter and also to set things right and point her in the direction of life that she should be going. The direction is revealed to her after Macon reappears and tells Pilate to “Sing. Sing,” and later he leaned in at the window and said, “You just can’t fly on off and leave a body.” (147) Singing makes Pilate happy and since she feels depressed after having her baby singing can free her from her sadness. Pilate’s ability to sing away the problems of others is quite amazing. In the Part of the book where Macon is walking with the troubles of his family, the negative emotion he feels towards his daughters and wife and his unnatural communication with his son. Macon then walks near Pilates house and hears her singing, “Surrendering to the sound, Macon moved closer. He wanted no conversation, no witness, only to listen and perhaps to see the three of them, the source of that music that made him think of fields and wild turkey and calico.” (29) Macon is brought to a place of simplicity of his past by the sound of Pilates voice. Going back to the passage about Macon’s second appearance his advice clarifies Pilate’s goal in life. She understands that she could not simply abandon the body that she and Macon killed.  It also mentions on the same page that  “(The fact that she had struck no blow was irrelevant. She was part of her brother’s act, because, then, she and he were one.)” (174). This shows that Pilate thought of Macon and her to be one until they parted ways. She of course lacked the affection of Macon for many of the years it follow that event.

The book displays many instances where the ghost of Macon Dead leads a person through a troubling moment or an instance of clarity. The way that Macon’s ghost causes the relationships of his children to interact and separate only to reunite is the result of extreme literary precision and referencing. Toni Morrison very subtly hinted to the ghost of Macon throughout her novel and used its seemingly mysterious nature as a metaphor for the unknown experience of death and familial ties.

Social psychology aryan brotherhood

How Does The Aryan Brotherhood Use Persuasion

Techniques to Gain a Higher Membership

Dominic M Odden

The Blake School

            The Aryan Brotherhood is one of the top most dangerous gangs in America. By utilizing the powerful effects of persuasion in prison the Aryan Brotherhood is very effective at amassing a large following to be utilized and initiated into their gang. In prison, the Aryan Brotherhood uses the peer pressure to be part of a group, intimidation, authority and the guarantee of protection from other hostile inmates to persuade people to join their gang. 

            Persuasion is defined as, the process by which a person’s attitudes or behaviour are, without duress, influenced by communications from other people ("Persuasion," 2015). In modern society we can see persuasion everywhere. Persuasion is in the advertisements we see on the side of the road. It is in the conversations you have with your boss. Persuasion is even present when you order coffee from Caribou. Let's take the Caribou example and find the evidence of persuasion. After ordering your coffee the barista asks you if you are a perks member. Now by saying that, the barista has used persuasion to attract more business. If you do have a perks membership you would tell them your number and they would log the points you got from buying the drink, thus giving you more incentive to buy more so you can earn a free beverage in the future. If you don’t have a perks membership they would explain what it is and try and show you that by simply surrendering your phone number to them you can now earn free drinks. This is a perfect model because now they have persuaded you to go to caribou every morning so you can get your free drink. The methods used in persuasion are numerous but a man named Robert Cialdini, Ph.D narrowed the methods to six “shortcuts” in persuasion. They are Reciprocity, Scarcity, Authority, Consistency, Likeness and Consensus (Cialdini, 2012). In connection to the Aryan Brotherhood the two most relevant aspects of persuasion are Authority and  Scarcity.

Scarcity is when people want more of the things that there are less of. In the context of the Aryan Brotherhood the scarcity of available and reliable protection from other hostile inmates and gangs makes people want to join the Aryan Brotherhood to better their chances of surviving the harsh conditions of prison. The Aryan Brotherhood is a relatively exclusive gang. The people that are recruited into the Aryan Brotherhood are not just average people. The Aryan Brotherhood won't accept people into their gang unless they are willing to kill to survive. An initiation process called “Blood in Blood out” is where an initiate must kill an inmate in order to join ("Aryan Brotherhood," n.d.). Murder is their business and business is good. While the AB makes up only 1% of the white gang population in prisons they are responsible for about 18% of all prison murders annually. ("Aryan Brotherhood," n.d.). This all relates to Scarcity because the membership is limited and the “fee” to join is the taking of another person’s life which causes the effect that the Aryan Brotherhood wants. It makes people really commit to joining. When people see that they are competing against others to join the Aryan Brotherhood they begin to do things to impress or show their worth to the leaders of the Aryan Brotherhood. So by saying that there is limited room for people to join the Aryan Brotherhood the effect is an influx of people willing to “join the cause”.

Authority is the idea that people tend to follow the lead of credible and knowledgeable experts (Cialdini, 2012). An example would be, if one of your parents suggested that you start taking vitamins daily to keep your health in balance. You might take the vitamins since they are your parents but you might also express some doubts. Now if a doctor told you the same thing in the same way you would be more inclined to take the vitamins since someone who is very knowledgeable on the topic of health suggested it. The Aryan Brotherhood is a widely recognized gang with chapters in prisons across america. They have survived for 48 years and continue to strike fear into the weaker inmates in prisons. When people are introduced into prison there is a large array of people they would likely meet on the first day. An Aryan Brotherhood member is one of the more obvious people to identify. Sporting tattoos that include swastikas double lightning bolts, shamrocks, and 666 are all common markings of a member. These men also usually grow mustaches so that they can be identified by each other ("Aryan Brotherhood," n.d.).  A member of the AB does not back down from a fight and usually stays in a group of his “brothers” this makes them very intimidating and for them to ask someone to join their gang would be a pretty obvious choice, say yes or die. That's how life is in prison and that’s the basic principle of Authority working. When a credible, fit and tattooed man tells you that his gang is better than the other one, you are a lot more likely to believe him and follow after.

There are many outlying factors that could cause someone to want to join a gang in the first place that are not detailed by Scarcity and Authority. Some examples point to disruptive home lives and traumatic childhood experiences that can cause a person to be violent natured and more willing to join a gang ("Why People Join Gangs," 2008). Regular prison life is also hard and the need to join a group is very obvious from the first day. Many people talk about their first night in prison as traumatic and difficult to deal with. Interviews with prison inmates revealed that  “a life sentence is deteriorating to anybody. This mental decaying process takes many different forms that ranges from changes in behavior, to going literally insane or even committing suicide. All this depends on the mental strength of each individual. However, it usually begins with individual institutionalization.” (Schuhmacher, Winfrey, Leal, Heredia, & Griffin, 2013). This quote from George Heredia, an inmate at San Quentin State Prison, shows that prison is really mentally challenging. It can cause a person to deteriorate in the quickest of moments. Since Heredia mentioned that the conditions of a person's mental well being all depends on the mental strength of the person then the outcomes of being locked up are very variable. If people are acting and feeling this way within the first year of their being put into a penitentiary they become extremely susceptible to being persuaded into joining a gang. The Aryan Brotherhood Relies on the deterioration of people within their first weeks of being in prison. When a person displays signs of weakness they are no longer considered for initiation.

Initiations into the Aryan Brotherhood are no simple task. Candidacy for the Aryan Brotherhood  is a year at least, meaning a person must be “evaluated” and pledge their allegiance to the Aryan Brotherhood for at least a year before they can be initiated. The previously mentioned life promise to the Aryan Brotherhood known as Blood in Blood out is where a person must kill to join and die to leave.   ("Aryan Brotherhood," n.d.). The aryan brotherhood also utilized the vast world of prison tattoos to identify and display their achievements in the gang. The most common being the Shamrock, AB and Swastika. The Shamrock resembles the beginnings of the Brotherhood because everyone had to be part irish. The double lightning bolts resemble that the person wearing the bolts has stabbed another inmate. The Swastika is probably the most recognisable and hated symbol in the western world. While many view it as the symbol that the nazis used during the second world war the meaning behind it is actually less sinister. The Aryan Brotherhood use the Swastika to resemble  one that takes pride in being hated and feared by their enemies. ("Aryan Brotherhood," n.d.). The Aryan Brotherhood is a serious crime syndicate. While originally created in opposition of the Black Guerrilla gang The Aryan Brotherhood now has evolved its intentions to making money.

The Aryan Brotherhood Utilizes many of the aforementioned techniques. From Scarcity to mental instability the Aryan Brotherhood uses and  abuses the other inmates in prison for their gain. If they don't get their way the fight for what they want. This is why the Aryan Brotherhood is one of the most effective gangs in America.

Buck Hill Mini Edit

This is a small series of clips I edited with Final Cut Pro X. The clip includes my friend and I. All of the footage was shot in the span of 4 hours with an iPhone 6. The background music is a Japanese crust band named Organism, the song is called Neet off of their album Hope. Enjoy!