ENG001: LANGUAGE AND WRITING

Soundtrack of my Life

2008-12-18T20:45:00.017-06:00

Hey Mickey

Toni Basil’s one hit wonder song, “Hey Mickey,” everyone has obviously heard of. With the pixilated early eighties video, wacky hair, and tripped out outfits, definitely set the mood for this music video. The radical dance moves that they’re throwing out make the video very entertaining. For an early eighties cheerleader, these were probably run of the mill moves, the outfits the oversized pom-poms all signify the date of the video. I’m guessing that as a little girl Toni once aspired to be a high school cheerleader, and I’m sure that this dream had a great influence on this video. This video definitely takes me back to the days of playing dress up and my own dream of one day becoming a high school cheerleader. I am pretty sure that I played this very song on my cassette player over and over again while making cheers about Mickey Mouse, who just happened to be my favorite cartoon. As the cassette player blared my friend and I danced around my room in oversized cheerleader outfits wearing heart and star shaped sunglasses, using hairbrushes for microphones. Sometimes we would abandon the make-believe devices to make up our own unique cheers. We would rehearse these secretly and when they were done to perfection we would call our mothers in to watch our performance. Those days are now long gone, but the memory of those days come flooding back now and then.

If you're reading this

“If You’re Reading This,” by Tim McGraw definitely draws certain emotions from the audience, in lieu of a war the emotions range from deep sorrow to rage. Watching the video, you see all of the soldiers over in the Middle East, you are able to see their reactions as they work with all of the people that still live in that war torn country. The horrors of war are real and so are the emotions that go along with the war as well. This slide show just goes to show this fact. Watching this video, these images of the soldiers, make me think of my classmates and family members that are serving in the war or are training to go over there. I wonder what their feelings about this video are and if they have the same feelings but just don’t tell me what they are thinking. Every time I see images like this video of the war, it makes me think back to September 11th and how it doesn’t seem all that long ago that it happened, but then I realize that I was only ten when it happened. I remember when my older cousin was sent overseas, at the time I didn’t really understand the concept of not coming home from war, but now that I have cousins and friends that are my age overseas fighting, it makes everything seem that much more real. This video in turn has a huge effect on my emotions.

Friends Forever

Vitamin C sings “Friends Forever,” this song is also known as the Graduation Song. The video depicts a young woman going through her high school, the essence of high school drama is evident in the video, as is the implication that this young woman and her classmates are seniors and will be leaving school to start out on their own soon. The idea of being “friends forever,” is displayed in the video through the girl trying to talk to one of the guys in the video. Before my own graduation I remember that I tried to talk to all of my friends on a regular basis. Just the idea of this being the last year that we are all going to be together was a hard concept for some to deal with and it seemed like we all came together as a class through this similar fear of things not being the same. Much like in the video our class was ready to get out, but the fear of separation never left us. In the end it seemed like everyone in the class came together, people that had never talked to each other in the four years that we went to the same high school began to talk and our class seemed to have a sense of unity. I have often wondered if the singer of this particular song had the same feelings about her high school class. I also wonder if this is why she decided to write this particular song, and if not where the motivation to write a song geared towards graduation came from.

A Lifetime

Better than Ezra sings this song “A Lifetime,” in between the images of the band playing in a remote desert location, the video flicks to images of two people, a girl and a boy who appear to be taking a road trip. The other images in the video are those of friends hanging out in a almost sleep-over manner. The random road trips through the middle of nowhere remind me of my random road trips this past summer. Traveling into the great unknown through the barren lands of Nebraska, with no purpose other than the sense of discovery, much like that of Christopher Columbus. We were discovering a new world on the old winding trails that lead through corn fields and vacant pastures. The most important thing was not where we went, but more who we went with. The miles put on the car or the dollar amount of gas that was spent were fickle details that did nothing to hinder our sense of exploration. We traveled roads that our parents talked about driving on as kids and as young adults, probably just looking for that sense of adventure just like we were. The idea of being in a desert is such an awesome one, there is nothing out there and you really would be able to concentrate on what is really important to you. The important people in your life are all that really matter and so should be the focus of your life. The times with friends are irreplaceable and I discovered that, and this video does a great job of depicting that.

Semi Charmed Life

Almost everyone goes through the experience of moving day, even if you don’t experience moving day, everyone experiences change in some way shape or form. The music video for “Semi Charmed Life,” by Third Eye Blind, depicts these guys driving in a car, into what appears to be a city, as the song continues, it shows the main singer walking down the sidewalk, singing, as people bustle past him. This is reminiscent of someone moving to college from outside the city, much like I did. I can remember moving day at Wesleyan, it was so crowded, I remember driving into Lincoln, following my parents car, as they drove through the streets that were busy with other parents that were trying to move in their kids at the same time. Everyone seemed to be convinced that once we got everything unloaded that the insaneness would stop, however upon stepping out of the car, you discovered that it did not. My friends felt the same way as they like the things that they brought with them were jostled, pushed and prodded to their new room, welcome to college. The way the video is set up makes me wonder if these guys had similar experiences, did they feel like they were lost or out of place after moving to a new home, college, or town? It makes me think that maybe they did.

Weekend Warriors

A Change of Pace, in this video “Weekend Warriors,” depicts some common activities for college students. The video starts out showing the singer by himself, and then switches to an image of the band surrounded by people, who all look as if they were dropped in straight from a college party. As the band starts to play, the crowd of people gets pumped up and starts to dance, as the video shows various clips from the party that appears to have inspired the song. The images are somewhat graphic and disturbing but none the less realistic, and very much reminiscent of what a college party looks like, minus the cops partying with the kids. My weekends spent with my friends is what comes to mind when watching this video. Playing cards, minus the rather large man without a shirt, just standing around talking to people, waiting in line for the bathroom, and of course turning up the music and screaming out the lyrics that you know by heart, no matter how terrible your singing voice is, or how many people just happen to be standing by you at that particular time. With the lighting, and the images of people walking around, laughing, and holding red cups, it is made clear through visual devices that this is indeed a party, much like ones that probably everyone has attended. Everything in this video points to a good time, and that I believe is what the writers of the song, and the producers of the video were hoping to make the audience feel.

Who I Am

At this juncture in my paper, I feel that this is an appropriate song to place here, “Who I Am,” by Jessica Andrews feels like it would be the perfect song for this paper. The video starts off by showing Jessica in some home videos as a little girl, after showing her looking at some old pictures hanging in the hall it pictures her in the backyard of her house on the old wooden swing and walking through the flower garden. I remember making all of those home videos, I would always make sure to dress up in my cute pink leggings and little dresses. There was usually no point to the videos unless of course you were my parents, who thought it was cute to listen to me ramble on and on for hours on a recording, and of course most of these videos were used to black mail me later in life. The swing that she sits in during the video brings me back to the old tire swing that once hung in our backyard. On this swing my brother and I would waste hours playing make believe and hiding in and around the old tire. It was the counting place for when we would play hide and go seek, while one of us counted to twenty the other would scamper off into the trees to find the perfect hiding spot. After the wearing game we would lie in the grass next to Mom’s flower bed, our chests rising and falling, trying to catch our breaths. This rustic outdoorsy video makes me think that maybe Jessica had the same experiences as a child, and that is why the video is done in a more pastoral setting.

Final Blog Post

2008-12-11T14:15:00.001-06:00

I feel that this class has improved my writing over the course of this semester. This is not to say that I felt that I was a bad writer before this class, it just opened up new ways of writing to me. I had never before thought about writing as molding content and form, I always thought of essays as a piece of literature that is just there to be written and read, not so much being an active, engaging piece of writing.

I feel like this class has made a significant impact on me as a writer, it has, as I stated above, changed the way I view writing, but has also made me think outside of the box. When I approach a writing assignment now I look at all of the different approaches that I could take on the assignment, whether it be a more observational or more reflective approach, I see writing as a more active task now, not just an assignment. I don’t see myself a as a writer that is just going to start writing down random thoughts when I have them, I will probably just stick to writing for assignments, but I do think that I have improved as a writer.

I realized that when I write a paper I don’t start out with the introduction and then work through the conclusion, rather I start out in the middle with my main points and then go back and write my introduction and conclusion. I find that it is easier for me to write reflectively because it is my own thoughts and feelings.

Doing peer reviews definitely helps to improve my writing. Sometimes after staring at the piece of writing that I have worked on for a long time it’s hard to find mistakes and flaws, until someone else points them out. Having suggestions for your writing help, because sometimes you have a writer’s block and those suggestions really help you out and get you back on track. Not only do the peer reviews help out tremendously, but so does meeting with my professor. Sometimes I am confused as to what exactly the parameters of my writing are, and meeting with my professor definitely helps to clarify this.

“Good writing,” to me is one that effectively translates the author’s point to the audience. It really depends on what the authors stand point is and what type of writing they are working with. I really do not like rhetorical writing, I still am a little confused on what it is, and therefore would not be a good judge of what good rhetorical writing is.

I actually have used my knowledge that I learned in class and applied them to other papers that I was assigned. I can easily recognize the different types of writing now. I think that this class really has made me a better writer overall and will help me in the future.

Graduation Gift

2008-12-07T17:21:00.004-06:00

For my graduation I received lots of gifts, ranging from a vacuum cleaner to a miniature trash can, to the standard congratulations, we are so proud of you, card. Out of all these gifts, there was the one gift that I will forever keep with me, the gift that my Grandmother Rentschler gave me, my cozy quilt.

The quilt is pink with black forming the star pattern that makes up the quilt. In the center of the black stars is a white panel with words of wisdom on each block. The back of the quilt has a crazy pink and black material that keeps the plainness of the back interesting. On the bottom right hand corner, there is a very small label stitched that reads “Made with Love by Grandma.” The edge of the quilt is lined by two inches of black material with dainty white polka dots on it. The black material that makes the stars comes from various scraps of cloth, some of the black cloth was used to make a dress for my Mom when my Great-grandma died, and some was used to make the black undershirts that my uncles wore to their proms. The quilt is a mixture of old and new cloth that meshes together to create one blanket.

Looking at the quilt is always inspiring to me with the words of wisdom that are always useful in time of need. The blanket can warm me both physically and emotionally. Wrapping it around me I can almost feel the love that my Grandma put into making this gift for me. I will always be able to take this useful and sentimental gift with me no matter where I go in life.

Christmas Angel

2008-12-05T14:53:00.004-06:00

Every year, two weeks before Christmas, it’s my family’s tradition to get together and put up our Christmas tree in the living room after supper. After haggling over the lights and various other ornaments that are placed on our tree that particular year, it’s time for the most important part of the tree, the angel topper.

My brother, Dad and I gather around my Mom as she carefully lifts the angel out of the box and gently unwraps it from the obscene amount of bubble wrap and tissue paper that protect the fragile angel. She gently hands it to me and I pass it to my brother who gives it to my Dad who stands on a chair and hoists the angel to the top of the tree where she will remain until after Christmas.

Our angel is very old and has been passed from my great-grandmother to my grandma and finally to my mom. The wings are white ceramic and very detailed. Through the years the angel has managed to somehow avoid major falls, and only has one small chip on the left wing right at the tip. On top of the ceramic wings there are downy, pure white feathers that add softness to the cold and hardness of the ceramic. Her face is a creamy ivory with a perfect little nose and rosy cheeks and lips. Her eyes are closed and her dainty hands held together in front of her body in a praying position. A slight smile plays about her lips almost giving her a look of hopefulness or waiting for something great to come. From her dress stream four lengths of sheer white fabric that trail down about six inches longer than the hem of her dress.

The angel forms a lovely aura over our adorned tree. Without this angel it just wouldn’t be Christmas. After we are finished decorating the tree and the angel has been placed at the top, we all stand back and observe our work. The angel is always what attracts my attention and every year it seems as if I notice some new detail about it that I had never before noticed. Without this angel, our tree just wouldn’t be complete.

The Pearl Ring

2008-12-03T13:22:00.003-06:00

My pearl ring has survived for twenty-five years, through a natural disaster, years of games of little kids dress-up, and restoration. The ring is a silver band on the top there are two pearls situated diagonally from each other. Two diamond hearts sit next to the two pearls forming an alternating square of pearl, diamond, pearl, diamond. The silver band that the jewels perch on is worn from years of abuse and a great need for cleaning. The pearls themselves show signs of age and one is whiter than its twin. The place where the diamonds are set has traces of residue from being left on while the wearer was washing, working with, or putting lotion on their hands. In appearance the ring itself is not that fabulous, but the history of it is what makes the ring important.

Twenty-five years ago, the pearl ring was given to my Mother by my Dad. Three years after my Mom was given the pearl, it was replaced by a diamond wedding band and put in a jewelry box. Not too long after they were too busy chasing kids to even care about frivolous things like rings. Then one day something terrible happened, the house that we lived in was hit by a tornado. The house was completely destroyed along with most of our things. Neighbors came from everywhere to help pick up the debris, and somewhere in the midst of all of the rubble, one of the neighbors found the pearl ring. It was missing the pearls but everything else was in tact. When our new house was built, the ring went into the play room where I frequently used it during my hours and hours of dress-up games.

When my days of dress-up were over, the ring went back to my Mother’s jewelry box, and I forgot about it for a long time. Until one Christmas, there was a small box under the tree with my name on it. On Christmas Eve, when we opened presents, the small box was the last one that I opened. As I unwrapped a jewelry box I was somewhat confused why they had gotten me a ring. But when I took out the ring the days of dress-up came rushing back in my mind. The pearls had been replaced and the ring was shiny after its cleaning. I now have the ring that reminds me to always keep a little bit of the kid that I was with me at all times.

Rhetorical Response

2008-12-01T15:24:00.005-06:00

The music video below, “Famous in a Small Town,” makes an argument about the life in a small town and what all occurs in a rural town setting. The main appeal for this video is pathos. The song itself makes jokes about living in a small town where everyone knows about everybody else’s business. Through this appeal the audience is drawn in and if they are from a small town lightheartedly laugh and agree that this is how it is. Including the humorous pictures of the girlfriend and boyfriend in the video add more humor, creating pathos. The pictures and video clips of the town also make the appeal to pathos, this time however, the appeal is more one of a sense of community than of humor.
The video also contains two logical fallacies. The hasty generalization, this comes from assuming that every small town is like the one that she is singing about, that everybody dies famous in a small town, when there is no evidence to support that statement. The video also contains the logical fallacy of stacking the evidence. While the statement of everybody dies famous in a small town may apply to her and the town that is being sung about, it isn’t necessarily true of all small towns. Also what one person’s opinion is of their particular town, might not be the same as the next persons. In this way the video appeals to the logical fallacies. By appealing to the audiences emotions, it ensures that a wider range of people will view the viedo.

Famous in a Small Town

2008-11-25T07:36:00.005-06:00

“Famous in a Small Town,” by Miranda Lambert, is a sensational video, not just because of the content of the song, but the video adds so much to the song. Starting the video out in black and white gives a more pastoral feel to the video. The use of black and white also brings the focus to Miranda. Miranda’s choice of clothing also has some significance the simple white dress is almost a symbol of innocence, paired with the cowboy boots, gives a more rustic feel to the look. These simple elements give the video a story line and enhance what Miranda is singing about in the beginning of the song.

The shift to color shows the red carpet that she and her band are playing on and the flashes of paparazzi cameras. She also changes from a dress to a shirt and pants, which creates a more modern feel. The contrast in going from black and white to color also shows a contrast in living in a small town to living in Hollywood.

As she sings about various stories that happened in this small town, the video shows clips of what happened in the various scenarios. This gives a good picture to the viewers of what happens or might happen in a small town. The pictures give a certain flare to the video, with the almost humorous argument scene between the girlfriend and boyfriend, and the pictures of the small town café, all make the story that is going on in the song more real.

Overall I think that this video does a great job of melding content and form. As Miranda sings about going to Nashville, the color shot comes on and makes the surroundings look like she is famous. When she sings about her small town the video goes back to black and white. This makes the video a very effective one because you can get the feel for what Miranda is singing about.

This song rings so true in my life. I grew up in the small town of Atkinson, NE the above picture shows an aerial shot of my town. What you see in this picture is a small town of about twelve hundred residents, this is where I was born and raised. In my town, just like the town in the song, everybody knows everybody and makes it their business to know what everyone else is doing at all times. Gossip can spread like wildfire through a small town like mine, and often does. Most people would be bothered if they were being gossiped about, but in my town you just learn to laugh it off, because most of the things that are said about you are stretched and far from the truth.

The good thing about living in a small town is the feeling of camaraderie that you get. Since everybody knows you and your family, they are all watching out for you and your well being. This security that is offered from a small town is a great comfort to all who live there. Another good thing about living in a small town is being told that your town is a very welcoming community. When someone new moves in there are always members of the community that go over and offer to help them move in, or are bringing them food and trying to help in a variety of ways.

In my town everybody does die famous. There is always someone that knows you or your parents or grandparents, or has heard various stories about you from the town gossips. Some people might not consider this the ideal lifestyle for them and that’s fine. As for me however, I hope to die famous in my small town and that’s enough for me.

"Left Here"

2008-11-20T13:02:00.012-06:00

Think back to the first day of college. Move in day, most of us will never forget it. The day was hot, Dad and Mom were yelling at each other, and you were yelling at them. Welcome to your new room, assemble your loft, arrange things on your desk, haul up the futon, and say a quick good-bye to your parents. That’s it, they are gone, and you are now independent, on your own, just left here.

“Left Here” by Kate Buckley, depicts this idea perfectly. The feeling of just being left somewhere is something that everyone experiences. In the picture there is a road that splits in two, one continuing on the same highway and another that goes off to the left. On the straight road there are two cars, on the one that goes off to the left there is a single red car heading in that direction. The black and white of the photo is contrasted by the bright red of the car to the left, with the arrows that are painted on the road directing the flow of traffic. The car to the left is all alone, making its own way. This is comparable to how some feel during college, just starting out by yourself, making your own way.

“Left Here” could mean the simple act of taking a left, it could also mean that something is left somewhere. The left direction comes with various suspicions and folklore, such as if your left foot itches when leaving on a journey, your journey will end in sorrow. (“Anything Left Handed”) Also the left is commonly associated with the devil or evil spirits. In this sense Buckley maybe saying that the red car maybe faced with sorrow, it could be referring to the sorrow that is felt when leaving behind the things that you were once used to for a new start in life. As I mentioned earlier we have all felt that sorrow, or feeling of confusion when we first arrived at college, or maybe some other time in life when we were left alone. This is one way that Buckley appeals to the emotions of the audience.

The black and white of the picture with the bright red of the car going to the left contrasting, make a big statement in this photo. Black and white images make the picture more abstract and leave room for the interpretation of the audience. “When color and its associated reality are removed from the image, the print becomes somewhat abstracted. With careful planning by the photographer, a black and white image can be a powerful, symbolic piece of art.” (“Desert Photography”) The choice of the black and white painting contrasted by the red of the car was a good choice of colors, because red has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red. It is also associated with energy, strength, power and determination. (“Color Wheel Pro”) Often you think of a person that is going off on their own to be a very determined, strong person. The red car is also alone in its destination, while all of the other cars are going straight, the red car is going to the left, by itself. In this way the red car is being contrasted to the black and white of the rest of the picture and is made to stand apart from all of the other elements of the photo, so the audience knows that this is clearly the focus of the picture.

The other significant element in the photo is the arrows. I think that the arrows were placed there on purpose by Buckley. The arrows are directing the traffic on to different paths. The arrows in this picture could be seen as an analogy to a flowchart. The arrows in a flowchart are called a flow line and indicate the direction of flow for materials and information. The squares that they point to are called the process, which shows the operation or action step. The squares could be considered an analogy to the cars, which are a process. This shows a syllogism, which makes one of the appeals in this argument, logos. Since the arrows are an analogy for the flowchart, and the flowchart is a process, the analogy of the arrows could also be considered a process. (Hebb)

The process is a series of actions designed to meet some end. (Dictionary.com) In the flowchart the end is the goal that is supposed to be reached, in this picture however, this is an analogy for the goal of the cars. The goal is to get to their destination, wherever that maybe. The cars I think are an analogy for people, and the arrows are an analogy for the flowchart that directs our life. Whatever way we decide to go there is an end to be met or a goal to be achieved. Whether that goal is graduating from college, finding a good job or buying a house, doesn’t so much matter, we all go through various steps to reach those goals, so in a sense our life is much like a flowchart. Before the flowchart can start, we have to go off on our own, we have to be left here.

At some point in life everyone has to break away from the rest of the crowd and make their own way in the world. Buckley’s “Left Here” is a perfect example of this. It displays some emotions that go along with starting out on your own from the sorrow and confusion that you may feel at the first idea of being on your own, to the feeling of freedom and the excitement of the unknown. “Left Here” isn’t just a picture, it is an emotion and appeals to the various audience members at some point or another in each ones life.

Works Cited

"Color Meaning." Color Wheel Pro. 15 Nov 2008 .

"Left Handed Myths and Misunderstandings." Anything Left-Handed. 15 Nov 2008 http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/lefty_myths.html#1.

Buckley, Kate. Artreview. 14 Nov 2008 http://www.artreview.com/profile/kateb.

Hebb, Nicholas. "Flow Chart Symbols." Flow Breeze. 17 Nov 2008 .

Unabridged Dictionary. 2006. Random House . 16 Nov 2008 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/process.

Wray, Chris. "Black-and-White Photography." Desert Photography Primer. 16 Nov 2008 .

21st Century Art

2008-11-09T15:53:00.004-06:00

I chose this image titled “road to knowhere,” and found on www.artreview.com, because I feel that it has many concepts that in today’s society people can relate to. The black and white image is paralleled by the bright red of the car on the left. The cars that are not colored seem to be driving along the interstate or another major highway. On the other hand the red car is getting off the major highway and taking another direction.

I think that many people can relate to this because in life it seems as if we are often at a crossroads in life and we have to choose the correct path for our life. When looking at the red car the term, “a horse of a different color,” comes to mind. Literally the car is a different color than the other cars on the road. However; when you use this term in reference to someone it usually means that they do things out of the norm or have chosen a different path in life. This term definitely correlates to this picture because the red car is going on a totally different route than all of the other cars. The road that the red car is taking is also significantly smaller than the main road that the other cars are on. This smaller road reminds me of the road that I get onto when I get off the interstate on my way home. A smaller road usually has a slower speed limit and sometimes has really beautiful scenery. The slower pace and scenery give you a chance to take in the beauty of things instead of just getting from point A to point B.

This particular piece of art is affected by the context of our society, because today many people are encouraged to make their own way and to be individuals, set apart from other members of society. However; many people continue on the path that is the norm. This picture depicts just that, where all of the cars but one are going on the bigger road.

Another thing that I noticed within the title of the picture is that the word nowhere is misspelled. I think that this was done on purpose, because the using the word knowhere invites the audience to think about what this misspelling could mean. It could mean that the red car knows where it is going. The regular spelling nowhere would indicate that the car will not be going anywhere, but this spelling makes me think that the artist who created the picture was trying to indicate that the red car is going someplace. These are just a few ideas of how the context of our culture today affects how the audience views things.

Election '08

2008-11-05T14:14:00.004-06:00

The Presidential election this year was a very heated and controversial one. It is very exciting to know that each and everyone of us witnessed history being made just last night. However; as always, there are people who are unhappy with whom our new president is. No other place is this made more evident than on facebook. After logging in, there are lists and lists of people who have changed their status to something that is derogatory about our new president or the current state of affairs in our country. That is why when I logged in there was one new status that popped out at me one of my friends took a more positive look at the results of the election, than some other people had. Rather than criticizing he posted a simple quote.

“Unite under one flag. Have faith in your fellow man.”

This is by far one of the most moving statements that I have heard in a long time. By using this quote my friend attempted to remind us of something that we should live by and what we are as Americans. We may all have different thoughts, feelings, backgrounds, traditions, and maybe not even speak the same language, but we are all Americans, united under the same flag. As such we should respect others, for nothing more than the simple fact that we are all Americans, regardless of the different paths that we are on. We need to trust in others and have faith in our fellow man, as it was quoted. We must stand beside each other and look out for one another, because we are all in this together. Most importantly, however, we all need to remember that we are the UNITED States of America. That being said we need to remain that way, united.

Fall is in the Air

2008-10-30T16:34:00.002-05:00

Yes it is true; fall is here and has been for a while now. In case you missed out on the fact that the leaves have been changing colors and the mornings and evenings have been slowing been getting colder and colder. I love seeing these changes because out of all of the seasons fall is my favorite by far! I love the change in the weather and the trees turning pretty colors.
I especially like fall because my birthday is in the fall. Fall is also time for harvest, which, for my family means that the stress of the spring planting, hard work during the summer trying to keep the irrigation systems going and the time spent waiting for the results of the months of labor are finally coming to an end. These things are all reasons why I love fall, but the main reason that fall is my favorite season is because in the fall it seems as if my family is getting together. For fall break my family all went over to my grandma and grandpa’s for a Sunday dinner, over Thanksgiving break my family will get together again and then it’s not too much longer until Christmas.
I love to see the change in the seasons, but fall is my favorite change, because I like cold weather. It may seem strange but by the end of summer I am ready to break out my warm sweaters and sweatpants. Fall is my favorite season, because all of the bright colors of the trees make everything so beautiful. It’s also the perfect time to go for a walk and just enjoy the beauty of nature. This is why fall is my favorite season.

Vice Presidential Debate

2008-10-24T07:44:00.003-05:00

Joe Bidden in his debate with Sarah Palin employs logos in several places throughout his debate with Palin. When Bidden begins to talk about how they will not support the three hundred billion dollar tax cut that McCain and Sarah Palin are for, Bidden is implying logos. By stating this as a fact that they will not do this makes this logos. About one minute into the video clip Bidden says, “We can not slow up on education, because that is the engine that is going to give us the economic growth and competitiveness that we need.” This is also an example of how he uses logos, by stating the fact that we are not going to slow up on education and then giving a reason uses both logos and ethos. This argument is made rational by using the because statement, which makes this appeal logos and it also gives Joe Bidden credibility, because he gives a reason as to why we are not going to slow up education.

By stating that he is going to cut spending in the current budget, is also a way of using logos, because he states a clear fact. Joe Bidden uses pathos when he talks about people taking their post office box offshore to avoid taxes. He calls these people unpatriotic, this would definitely cause an emotional response in me and I’m sure that it did cause an emotional response in other people that watched the debate and especially the people that he was referring to.

In Senator Joe Biden’s rebuttal he states that Senator Obama voted to eliminate the tax breaks for the oil companies and Senator McCain did not. By stating this Senator Biden is once again using logos, by stating a fact.

Final Presidential Debate

2008-10-21T20:22:00.003-05:00

For this weeks post I chose the debate question asking if the Federal Government should play a bigger role in education. Senator McCain is the first to speak, right away McCain uses pathos, he speaks directly to Senator Obama and says in a tone that is somewhat inflammatory, asking if he is aware of the program in the Washington D.C. school system. Not only in his words but also in his body language he uses pathos, by the way he makes sharp gestures towards Senator Obama, this gives a feel of aggression. When Senator McCain speaks about vouchers he uses logos, speaking about how vouchers were used in the Washington D.C. school system. In the same statement he once again employs pathos by stating that he was surprised that Senator Obama didn’t pay attention to that example. When Senator McCain mentions autism, he is appealing to pathos, because we all have an emotional reaction to this word. He uses it saying that “Sarah Palin knows about that, better than most,” this makes the audience really listen to him, because in using pathos he relates to the audience and also relates Sarah Palin to the audience. McCain uses ethos by stating that “I think the Head Start program is a good program,” he states his own opinions giving the audience a taste of his character. In saying this he also is persuading the audience to adopt his view and opinion of Head Start.

When Senator Obama begins talking at about 2:45, he uses pathos, as does McCain, when they are talking about what the Superintendent of D.C. supports, charters or vouchers. They almost get into a little spat, using inflammatory language. Obama uses logos saying that “data doesn’t show that vouchers solve the problem,” this use of facts appeals to the audience as well, because it also appeals to ethos. This use of facts makes the audience acknowledge Obama as knowing facts and other data about education. Senator Obama appeals to the audience’s emotions using pathos, when talking about how McCain is leaving people in all other fifty states, outside of the D.C. area, without an education reform policy.

The order in which the candidates speak affect how the audience perceives them. Since McCain speaks first it can be said that he has an advantage to be the first to touch on the topics that he wants to without having to worry about defending his position on them. In the same sense it could be said that Obama has the advantage because he gets the last word in. Either way each candidate must have solid points to drive them home or to make sure that they can not be contradicted. This being the final debate, I think that the audience will be more perceptive to what each of the candidates has to say before making their final choice in who they will vote for. The number of viewers will increase as well in my opinion, for the same reason. I think that the audience will be very judgmental of the candidates and just how they appeal to the audience will make a big difference in who is elected.

Questions over Chapters 1 and 2

2008-10-16T13:00:00.002-05:00

1. What are ways that you can establish the rhetorical situation (relationship between writer, text and audience)?

2. How does the use of different elements such as color affect the message?

3. What if the images used in a cartoon, aren't detailed, does this make it not rhetoric?

1. On a daily basis which type of persuasion are we more likely to encounter,logos, pathos, or ethos? Or a combination of them?

2. What affect does kairos have on an audience or group of consumers?

3. In what ways can we use ethos to establish credibility as writers?

Worlds Collide in Westfield

2008-10-07T01:35:00.016-05:00

I pull out a chair and slide into the table across from Hibachi San, the Japanese Grill, in the food court of the Westfield Mall in Lincoln and soak in the events occurring around me. The food court is almost empty, only a few people stand in line at the Orange Julius, waiting for a refreshing smoothie. I’m sure that it won't be this way for long though, not in this fast paced world that we live in today. An older couple walks towards Subway, taking their time. They both carry a small bag in their outside hand, leaving their inside hands free to hold the others. The woman is thin and slightly shorter than her husband. The crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes suggest a happy lifetime with her husband. A slight smile plays at the corners of her mouth, making it obvious that she is happy with where she is at in her life right now. Her husband walks beside her, quietly observing the various components of the mall. The sunlight coming in from the windows that make up the ceiling to the food court, the bronze colored tables with the dark brown rings around the outside. The leathered brown of his hands suggest a lifetime of hard work and exposure to the sun, like his wife he seems perfectly content to have a day just to relax. His bright red hat sets off the dull brown of his shirt and faded blue of his worn out jeans. The couple continues on, taking in everything, living in the moment.
The glow of fluorescent light coming from the Orange Julius, Habachi San, and the Panda Express, scream to the passing customers “Pick me! Pick me! Eat here!” The smells of Amigos, Runza, and the Panda Express mingle together creating a mixture of ethnic aromas. As it gets closer to six o’clock the slow trickle of people coming into the food court becomes a steady stream of customers. The cleaning ladies tense up, waiting for the first tray full of food to be dropped on the so far spotless brown and tan marbled floor. Groups of teenage girls walk rapidly, almost jogging, to get to who knows where. Their long straight hair lays against the backs of their expensive, designer sweaters and tee-shirts. Their rapid pace and posh clothing parallels that of the older couples’ leisurely gait and worn clothes. The workers behind the Japanese Grill stand smiling, ready to greet their first famished customers, while the employees at Great Wraps look forebodingly at the people coming into the food court area.

The crusade to the food court is started by three mothers pushing their toddlers in strollers towards the steadily growing line for Runza, a group of high school girls carry bags from The Buckle, Victoria’s Secret, and American Eagle, gossiping away about how cute their newly purchased outfits will be, how they will attract their crushes with this or that shirt. Young mothers quickly guide their fidgety, squirming kids to the bathroom, while others are followed by their gaggle of children like little ducklings following their mother.

The noise level of the mall crescendos to a high point as the food court is filled with hungry people. The Habachi San comes to life as the cook tosses food about in the wok, throwing the food into the air at an almost impossible height for it to be caught again. The fire of the grill matches the intensity of the people coming into the food court, it has become a mad house, an asylum of famished people, the fire stretches to new heights and hisses, spitting as particles of food fall from the wok into the hungry fire, which devours the food instantly.

The sound of confrontation fills the air, a mother with her pre-teen daughter, are locked in a dispute. The hushed, slightly embarrassed voice of the girl is countered by the unyielding determined voice of her mother.
“But Mom, you wouldn’t understand! I NEED this skirt, everybody else has one just like it!” hisses the frustrated girl.
“I already told you, it costs way too much for way too little material. Maybe everyone else has one, but I will not let my daughter walk around wearing that.”

The argument continues as the older couple sits down in the table. They each hold their small bag from JcPenny’s and the husband carries a tray with two small Subway sandwiches on it. They casually take their seats across from each other and the husband hands his wife her meal. As they begin to eat slowly they talk calmly about their day of shopping and the random thoughts that just seem to pop up. They look around the food court and smile at the mothers rapidly escorting their children to the bathrooms, a glimmer comes to their eyes as if they were remembering back to a time when they did the same with their children. The horde of gossiping teenage girls pass quickly by talking in a manner so fast, it’s almost impossible to comprehend. Their pace and youthfulness parallel the manner of the older couple, and yet I question who is enjoying their time more.

As I observe this parallel of worlds, I wonder if it’s the difference in age that makes the difference or it just goes to show how much society has changed over time. How can we get to that relaxed carefree state that the older couple is at? Do we have to wait for our time to be that relaxed, or do we have to make our own time for relaxation to occur? Society has changed, that can’t be denied, we want everything and we want it now. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, whether it be back home or to continue their shopping, people would order their food, quickly devour it, and then rush off to get to wherever they needed to be. Even though their dinner consisted of just two simple sandwiches, the couple took their time eating, talking, and reflecting on the events of the day. The old couple was content with their department store purchases, while the high school girls toted around their bags filled with designer clothes as the pre-teen begged her mother for an expensive skirt. This just goes to show how materialistic and fast-paced our society today can be. I think that sometimes it is okay to keep up the fast-paced style of life that we are used to living in. Sometimes this seems as if it might be necessary to keep up with what is going on in our world today. However, I think that many times we need to slow down, live in the moment and take things as they come like the older couple did.

The activity in the food court slows down after most of the people have gotten their food and rushed off to do better things. The older couple sitting in the table next to me slowly folds up the colorful yellow and green paper wrappers that were used to cover their now consumed sandwiches. As they make their way to the trash cans to throw away their leftover food and empty cups, the custodians shoot them a look of gratitude. Making their way to the doors I glance over at the various food places. The cook at the Hibachi San is cleans off the grill and takes the used wok to the back, the workers at Great Wraps pick up left over particles of food and deposit them into the trash behind the counter, and the cleaning ladies pick up their brooms and begin to sweep over the now trod on floor. I gather my things making one last note of the fluorescent lights that not long ago called on so many customers, are now dim and ready to retire for the night.

Cubing Exercise

2008-10-06T21:45:00.001-05:00

The one thing that I saw during my observation was that this older couple that was sitting across form me at the food court didn’t seem to be in a hurry. They weren’t concerned with getting anywhere fast, they just seemed to enjoy the time that they had to themselves to talk after their long day of shopping. Compared to the other people in the mall who were rushing around talking hurriedly about what was going on at that moment and the upcoming events in the future. Also most of the younger people carried around bags from brand name stores while the older couple carried bags from cheaper department stores. These observations suggested that we do indeed live in a very material world where we tend to rush around a lot and not take the time to just enjoy life. It also suggests that we spend lots of time considering the future rather than reflecting on the present.

The example that I used with the older couple I think is a perfect example of how things are different now than they used to be. The older couple just sat down and seemed content to be with each other rather than rushing off to the next big thing that they had to do. The younger kids were constantly doing something to keep themselves busy.

The one thing that could be compared with my subject is driving in traffic. People always comment on how older people drive so slowly, but you have to wonder if maybe they just aren’t in a hurry. This is the only thing that I can think to compare it to, the way that older people like to live in the moment and enjoy things. This to me can demonstrate just how society has changed over the years. I think that today we have the opportunity to stop and observe life as it happens, but we rarely take that opportunity.

My subject not only can be taken in the route of how life is faster paced today than it used to be. It can also be taken in the sense of what is important to society today. It seemed like brand name clothes were what all of the people my age were carrying around, while the older couple had bags from department stores. It made me think how material society is today, and even how society has influenced me to be material. The older couple seemed far more relaxed and laid back than everyone else, just taking life as it came and not worrying about what else might be going on. It somewhat made me consider my life and how sometimes I might get caught up in the constant rush and materialness of our society today.

My subject, the mall and my reflection about the way society is today all goes hand in hand because they deal with society as a whole. In the mall you go and get basic needs such as clothing and you go to the food court to eat, another basic need. The values that society teaches us play a big part in our lives, even if it isn’t a basic need like food and clothing. I think that all of these aspects are important in my paper because people can relate to my observation and then can see where I am coming from in my reflection.

I can use my reflection and observation to be more aware of the affects of society on me as well as others. This will make me more aware of how society affects me and how it is sometimes important to take time off and reflect on what is happening today and not so worried about what is going on in the future. I hope that others will also reflect on this and think about how they are living, and take a moment to observe what is going on in their lives today and what is really important. I think that if more people would reflect on this then they would make an effort to be more aware of how they were living, and possibly make an effort to change if they didn’t like how society has made them.

Blog Post 7

2008-10-02T13:11:00.003-05:00

I chose this video because I think that it presents its argument in an interesting way. It has various ways of trying to persuade people to vote. The thing that made me check out the video was that I saw Jonah Hill was on the video. I clicked on it because I think that he is a really funny guy and I was up for a laugh. When I viewed the actual video though, I was in for a surprise, because even though the video itself has some funny parts, the main purpose is to persuade people to vote. This is a good demonstration of how various tactics are used to draw audience to the essay, or in this case video, persuading them. The celebrities that are used are all celebrities that we know; Ellen DeGeneres, Toby Maguire, Jennifer Aniston, and many others. This makes the viewer want to see what their favorite celebrities are doing on You Tube, and upon watching it they are confronted with a bigger issue than seeing what Leonardo DiCaprio is up to.
The second thing that draws attention to their argument is that instead of begging people to vote, they actually tell you not to. We are so used to hearing people tell us to vote that it definitely shocks us when we are told not to. After telling us not to vote they make a point to say that you shouldn’t vote unless you care about certain issues. The fact that they don’t force voting on you makes it seem like more of a choice, they use a more persuasive tactic than a forcible one. I think that they have a very effective way of incorporating their humor while still keeping the video a persuasive one. To me this is a good example of how to use celebrities, humor, and subtle persuasion to get the desired result.

Blog Post 6

2008-09-28T19:48:00.003-05:00

In the music video for the song “Broken” the first thing I see is a desert. Barren, desolate, alone. It sets the mood for the song. I see a lone scarecrow. As I focus on the scarecrow, I see the black smoke in the background. There is a figure coming closer to me. The figure is dressed all in black. A phantom from one of my nightmares.
The focus suddenly changes and I am focused on the singer, his arresting voice pulling me to the music. I focus on him sitting in the old white beater of a car singing his heart out holding his guitar in his hand, coaxing sound from the instrument. As the scene changes I focus on the woman walking by herself, wearing black wings. She seems so alone and sad, like the desert that she is walking through. The song seems so depressing, yet when they reach the chorus and are singing together, all of the darkness goes unnoticed, I am flung into the world of music where everything is about the auditory not the visual, their voices crescendo to the end of the chorus and suddenly I am back in the visual world.
I focus once again on the singer, this time Amy Lee. I am no longer paying as much attention to the words so much as the appearance of the video. I notice the black of her wings. The black of the smoke. The contrast between the black and white seems so obvious when their voices are not mixing. They sing the chorus three times more, each time that they stop and start again I am swayed between the visual and auditory worlds, both working together but always one overpowering the other. The final words are sung and the only thing that I hear is the last bit of music playing. I pay attention to the black smoke. The bright orange of the fire. The burning scarecrow. The five black figures disappearing behind the hill.

Explanation
I start out by telling about the desert that you first see, since it is barren and desolate I made my sentences short and choppy. The words are not very colorful or elaborate, just like the scene is. As the chorus begins the sentences begin to flow much more smoothly and the words are more intricate. I shift between these two styles of writing throughout just like the music video does. I also tried to incorporate the word black into my writing, because it is one of the most common colors in the video. In the end I go back to the choppy style of writing just like the video begins and ends with the scarecrow.

What is Comedy?

2008-09-22T16:26:00.003-05:00

I truly believe that laughter is the best medicine. Laughing at things that are sarcastic, or laughing at things that are just plain humorous often brings the question to mind, just what is comedy? How can someone find something so not funny to you completely hilarious? My video that I found on You Tube takes a humorous approach to this very question. As I just stated the purpose of this video is to provide entertainment to the viewer, and make some sort of witty attempt to identify the different types of humor that people find amusing. The focus for me is on the man falling. Throughout the whole video I remain focused on the charismatic little man. When he didn’t appear on the scene I was questioning what was happening, was he still falling, was he going to keep falling forever, would he die if he hit the ground? When he was on the scene I was watching what he was doing and how his actions were related to what the writing just shown had said. I think that the fact that there are no spoken words adds a certain element to the video. This along with the lack of color make the video appear as if it were an instructional video from the ‘40s. The background music also adds an old fashioned sense of humor to the video like the “I Love Lucy” shows. If you don’t pay attention to or understand the meaning of the words during the video, you will totally miss the humor of the whole video. This is a good example of how important written words are to a video, usually when you watch movies or videos you only pay attention to the spoken words, but this makes you realize the importance of written language. Whatever your personal classification of humor is, enjoy the video, and have a few laughs!

Blog Post 4

2008-09-21T19:42:00.004-05:00

When looking for an image to post into my blog, I stumbled upon this image of the island Capri, off the coast of Italy. I knew that I had to publish this image, because it brings back many memories to me. This summer I toured Capri with my classmates as part of our senior trip. Looking at this image brings back the memory of the wind blowing through my hair as the boat zoomed around the island. My lips and face were crusted with a fine film of salt from the blue green water, and every time I licked my lips, an unpleasant taste filled my mouth. The sound of seagulls cawing mixed with the baritone voice of our tour guide as he pointed out various places of interest around the island.
The sun was hot, but the breeze coming off the water kept us cool as we rounded the island and spotted one of the most famous attractions in Capri, the Faraglioni, which are the three rocks shown in the image. As we sailed through the cavity of the middle rock, a sense of awe filled me. It became clear to me the amazement that the ancient Romans must have felt when they first came to find this island. The tour was over all too soon; as we climbed out of the boat I was tempted to go back and pay for another tour, just so that I could experience the beauty of the island all over again.
Today it still fills me with a sense of bewilderment when I see images of the beautiful island. To think that I was there once will never cease to amaze me. Those memories that were made there will always be with me; the feel of the island, the sights and sounds I will always remember. It’s a very cool feeling to look at the stunning images like the one that I have posted, and say, “Hey, I’ve been there!”

You Tube Blog Post

2008-09-14T20:44:00.003-05:00

The video that I chose, Foux de fa fa by Flight of the Conchords, has several important details. The most obvious detail in the video is that very little of it is spoken in English, most of the video is in French. The first time that I saw this video was in my French class, and the more words that we learned in French, the easier it was to understand the hilarity of the video. If you don’t understand what they are saying, while it is a very funny video, you will miss many of the humorous things that occur. For example, at the end of the video the dark haired girl asks the man with sideburns “parle vous francais?” (Do you speak French?) and he says no, even though he has been singing in French for most of the video. This is just one example of how important spoken language is to the video, and how it enhances the quality of the video.
Another important element in the video is the focus. I am drawn to the guy with the sideburns to me he appears to be the main character in the video. Even when they are at the supermarket and he isn’t talking, he is still the focus in the background and his presence adds to the overall image of the video.
An additional detail that helps to complete the music video is the way that they make all of the colors brighter and more exaggerated when they start speaking French. The fact that they keep repeating phrases over and over make the tune catchy and also help you to understand what is happening in the video, even if you don’t speak French. Even though this video is intended to entertain it has elements that allow it to be educational, such as repeating phrases, to help learn French, it also has artistic elements, changes in color, that make this video much more than just entertaining if you study it. When I first watched this video in French class, it never occurred to me how it could contain so many different elements in just a simple video.

Blog Post 2

2008-09-10T16:55:00.005-05:00

Diagrams, such as the one that I have chosen, are a representation explaining a concept using pictures. Diagrams can help people to learn through using visual techniques. As a visual learner I find that diagrams often help me to better understand the concept of things.
The diagram that I have selected would help students in science and horticulture classes to understand the parts of the flower and where things are located. This diagram would be a very good learning device to use. It would be easier for me to understand where the different parts of a flower are using this diagram, rather than listening to someone telling me where they are at.
This diagram was originally on a site designed as a reference for biology students and teachers. Since I took it out of its original context, it changes from being the subject of research to the subject of discussion. Before I took it out of the research web page, it served as a tool for learning, it was the subject of research. Now that it is on my blog, it has become what I am referring to, the subject of discussion. As a writer who has borrowed this particular diagram, it is always important to cite my sources. If you were to look on the web you could find many different diagrams of a flower, but the one that I have on mine came from http://www.kensbiorefs.com/.
All of the main parts of the flower are labeled, so that the student, reader, or onlooker, can clearly tell where they are located. I wouldn’t have labeled them any differently, and I don’t think that there is a way that I could without changing the meaning of the diagram or making it inaccurate.
Diagrams, themselves, provide a good way of learning something. Writing, by itself, also can provide a good way of learning. Once you put the two together though, you have something that can provide a much deeper understanding than the two things by themselves.

Blog Post 1

2008-09-04T14:19:00.005-05:00

The Essay as Action

"Beneath the object, the physical piece of writing with its unpredictable content, is the action that produced it.....yielding to the simple desire to tell - identifies the essay." (Atwan 23)

-Ian Frazier

I chose my quote by Ian Frazier, because I like the way he states it. That beneath the writing “is the action that produced it.” Before I read this quote, I never considered an essay to have action. Whether writing or reading an essay, I always pictured someone, bored out of their mind, just sitting there trying to get through this familiar, tedious assignment. I like it, because it makes an essay more than just a piece of writing or that tedious assignment that your teacher gave you. It made me think about how I as a writer, needed to convey to the reader the action that went on, the thing that inspired me to write the essay. It also made me think about and reconsider the essays that I had previously read. Where was the action? What made the writer pick this certain topic?
I agree with what he wrote. Thinking back to writing essays, there was always a time that inspiration would strike me, that was when I knew what I would write about. Those times were always action-packed. Whether I was out doing some physical work when inspiration came, or the action was me sprinting to my computer in order to get my thoughts typed up, writing an essay always involved action. I think that action occurs in the essays that I have read I just haven’t been aware that the action was there.
One thing that I can take from this quote is to look at essays with a different prospective, a more analytical prospective, and try to find the action of and in the essay. I will also try harder to convey to my readers the action beneath my essay, to move them through what I am saying. Hopefully they will feel the action that moved me to write about the subject. In feeling that action with any luck, they will be able to better understand why I wrote about that particular thing.

Test post

2008-08-28T14:48:00.001-05:00

Test post