so much stuff is happening that it is hard to catch up, but it's all good things so in the end the work pays off. school is awesome, and i'm glad that i finally made it out to york. i'm learning a lot of new technical/practical skills, like new programs and languages (javascript and spanish!), plus a lot of interesting theory. knowledge is so adictive, and for everything i learn about i always come away with new questions. i've decided on a topic for my final thesis: "Reclaiming the masters tools to bring down the masters house: Media Activism and Popular Culture." I came up with it while I was watching my partner and his friends playing violent video games. I was trying to imagine video games and virtual realities that empowered communities and promoted peace as opposed to destruction and violence. Could we use video games for such purposes? It's been done with print media, computers, the internet, and so many other tools. As Ani DiFranco says, "Every tool is a weapon if you use it right." Media, in many cases has been used as a weapon to silence and exclude communities. I want to use media as a weapon against this repression. To speak back, and expose it for what it really is. I think that this essay will be a good research tool, and will hopefully inspire other people to do the same. The problem with essays is that they're not very accesible to the average Joe. I don't just want to write one big long paper, and then never have anyone read it again. In many ways, the essay is the anti-thesis to critical discourse on popular culture, as the only people who will read it are other academics. For my thesis I also want to have a piece of work to acompany my esay, whether it be a video or an interactive website. Maybe I'll even hold a series of popular education workshops? I haven't really decided yet. Either way it will be something cool and will hopefully reach and inspire a lot of people.