Eng 001: Language and Writing

Final: Video Autobiography

2008-12-19T14:04:00.021-06:00

Brad Paisley, "Online": The double life of the man in the video (George Costanza) is a parody that had many Americans talking about its truths. The ugly pizza boy dreams of being Brad Paisley, and uses his computer to change his image. There area a couple scenes from the video that show how it was successful and others that show how it was not. When he is chatting online on MySpace with two supposedly beautiful girls, he thinks that he is living the life. However, seconds later they change into girls that are not so attractive, showing that he is not the only one to have come up with this great idea. For a brief period of time, I had a MySpace account, and I currently have a Facebook account as well. Computers can do so many different things now, from play games to actually see a person and talk to them at the same time. There is a danger to that, however. My MySpace was deleted after a virus or something of the sort was placed on it. Family members could see something that wasn't appropriate and they were appalled. There wasn't a reason for this virus, it was random, however it definitely made people aware of the dangers of putting yourself out onto the internet for everyone to see. The video tries to tell the viewer that by ending it with the man snapping back to reality, and he sees the right path to take.

Lonestar, "Walking in Memphis": Although not the original music video, this video has the same quality and sound that makes the song so great. The video shows pictures of Lonestar performing at all sorts of locations. The song's lyrics tell of a journey to the city of Memphis, and all of the sights, sounds, and emotions that went along with being in that city. The song is very nostalgic, because as a freshman in high school, I went to a similar place, that being Louisville, Kentucky. The giant buildings, the trees turning from green to all combinations of yellow, orange, and red, the masses of people with that familiar "twang" to their voice, all were signs that I was in country music territory. The reason for traveling to Kentucky was for an FFA conference. The year I went, the sort of theme for the conference was "to make memories." The jacket that all of the FFA members wore really sticks out in my memory. The blue cordoury jacket was a tight fit for anyone, and it looked very handsome in the thousands of people that were wearing it. Since I was only in FFA that year, I think that makes the relationship between the jacket and Louisville that much stronger, as that was one of the only times I had to wear it. The southern atmosphere definitely correlates with the song.

Fountains of Wayne, "Stacey's Mom": This video is a humorous re inaction of every junior high boy, dreaming of a hot woman to fall in love with him. The boy is also shown as a sort of player in this video, as he uses the daughter to get to the mother. The pool scenes in this video are really what I enjoy the most of all. The first one is where the boy sees the mom and spills his drink all over himself. The second is where the mother gets out of the pool and is seducing the boy, and he just cannot handle himself any more. These two scenes are also similar to scenes played out at our city pool, where I worked as a lifeguard for two years. There was always something getting thrown into the pool that shouldn't be there; candy, towels, and even a bike. To control these sorts of incidents, we lifeguards would use our whistles to thwart the mischief of his or her wrong doings. The whistle was a sign of control and power. Whenever it was blown, everyone stopped what they were doing to look around. The whistle also was a distraction from the boring days when there were few to no swimmers. Twirling it around your fingers was a helpful way to pass the time. I am sure that if the girl in the video had a whistle she would have been able to control the daydreams of her junior high boyfriend.

Black Eyed Peas, "Pump It": This crazy and out of control song gets the blood flowing in me every time I see or hear it. The video jumps back and forth from a produced piece to an actual live viewing. The band members are duking it out with a couple of people who think that they are better than the Black Eyed Peas. It is mostly just an intimidation video. This song was also used in the movie "Flushed Away" as a mock music video that the slugs from the movie dance to. The cartoon movie is one of my favorite movies, as is most any animated movie that has come out in the past few years. Movies such as Over the Hedge, Walle, Ratatouille, and others are always very funny and seem like they appeal directly towards me. A Bug's Life poster hangs in my room at home on the wall opposite of my bed. The detailing and bright colors are what attract me most to animated films. The smooth curves and wacky facial features seem to bring them to life even more so than compared to humans. The funny sounds that a lot of the characters make also help in creating a well rounded character. The way computers can make the cartoons move in fast and blurred movements (like the squirrel from Over the Hedge) or the smooth gliding look that Walle the robot gives is just simply incredible.

Blink 182, "Feeling This": This song was featured on the PlayStation One game made by EA (Electronic Arts) Sports entitled Madden 2003. The song has a really good rhythm and the rock just fits the mold for background music on a football game. The video shows a class of disciplined school kids breaking out in a revolt against their teacher and destroying everything in the school. At a jail cell, a couple doesn't let a glass pane seperate their feelings for each other. There is a lot of emotional build up through out the entire video.There are attempts made to calm the students but they fail. They continue partying while at certain points the video flashes to clips of Blink 182 performing the song. The Madden 2003 game was played on a PlayStation One. The video game system was the first by Sony, who was trying to compete with the other big game systems. My brother and I spent many summer days and evenings after school playing against each other. Each time we played we used our favorite teams (I was the St. Louis Rams) and we would battle for bragging rights. The hard hitting collisions and the fast tempo of the game put us in the mind set to hurt someone. We would get done playing a game and would wrestle just for fun. It was a tough fight, always, and we would always play the soundtrack for this game, which included this song.

Asia, "Heat of the Moment": The live music video fully embraces the era of the 1980's. The lighting and visual effects such as the clothing and the hairstyles also adds to the antiquity of the video. The song is a classic that my parents generation listened to. My parents introduced me to this song and to this decade of music. The song is also featured on one of the most popular games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Guitar Hero: Rock the '80's for PlayStation Three. The game's control is a guitar with colored buttons for the frets and a clicking stummer for the strings. There are five of those colored buttons that correspond to the tabs on the screen. There is also a whammy bar that gives you extra points the faster you hit it back and forth. To add more effects, the guitar is motion sensitive to allow the player to "rock out" with star power, doubling the amount of points you can earn. The game provided and still provides hours upon hours of intense fun for my friends and me throughout high school. There were many places to play the game, from the downtown youth center to two or three friend's houses, and now the many dorm rooms located on our floor in the dorms at college. The amount of time put into the game is well evident by the level of play and the rediculously high point totals that some people can score.

Emerson Drive, "I Should Be Sleeping": The homely effect of this down to earth video really strikes a feeds a sense of relationship into the viewers head. The band members are shown fooling around playing in what looks like a garage. They also play at other locations through out the video, such as a local cafe. After seeing this band in concert, it seems like the lyrics are even more profound then they ever were before then. At a friend's house, we would lip sync this song while jumping and running around on her bed, falling down every time he said the word sleeping. The bed was small and sat on a wooden box with no room for storing anything underneath. The High School Musical posters on the wall said that she was still a little kid at heart, only now she was jumping on the bed for probably a different reason. The beginning of the Emerson Drive video shows a few of the band members tossing and turning in there beds in their tour bus. The musicians probably haven't slept in their own beds for quite some time. The transformation from a high school student to a college student also means a lot of sleep lost over getting used to a new bed. From a plush, long double bed room to toss and turn to a cramped, stiff single three feet from the ceiling, there is a drastic different and takes a while to get used to.

Self - Analysis Blog

2008-12-11T14:13:00.004-06:00

This class has opened a lot of doors for me as far as writing is concerned. Before this class, I saw myself as an average high school writer that basically did what needed to be done for the assignment and I never really put extra time into my work. After this semester, I feel like I have improved a fair amount in this area. Now I can say that I have a more diversified outlook on the types of writing, including the rhetoric view as well as the the observational and relflective styles that we have discussed in class. I have learned to respect all styles of writing as well, even if I don't completely understand the purpose of it. I have also learned to write in a more spaced out format. I work on an assignment chunk by chunk, in order to have time to think about it longer, instead of sitting down at one session and putting an entire paper together.

In communicating with other classmates, I have learned to bounce ideas back and forth to create a better understanding of a particular assignment, as well as get that person's perspective (a peer review) on a piece of work that maybe I thought was ok. The peer reviews that were done in class this year provided a lot of constructive feedback for helping me complete the first two writing projects. Communicating with my teacher, when I did communicate, was a good experience. He provides complete answers to my questions and that made the assignment a lot easier.

I think I can say that the strengths of my writing skills are a fairly well-educated vocabulary and grammar skills (although I am sure everyone can say the same about the grammar). I think that I struggled this semester in comprehending all that the rhetoric assignment was to be composed of. My imagination when it comes to deciding what to write for freewrites was a strength as well, as there was a lot of opportunity to write those. In reference to the "What is good writing?" question, I think it is safe to say that good writing is composed of a few things. First, if there is a topic or question that needs to be discussed, make sure the writer is effectively doing that. Also, there needs to be a feel that the writer has put a little time and effort into it by creating a sort of flowing work that makes sense in general.

As far as the future of my writing experiences, I think that a lot of this education will be used in many other papers, classes, or even jobs. There will be times I am sure that I will need to address the emotional standpoint of some issue. I would feel confident in my knowledge of pathos to develop a strong argument on an issue of that type. This class has been a learning experience that I will definitely take with me after this semester.

O-O #3

2008-12-08T00:01:00.003-06:00

This red Motorola Razor can be considered a big lifeline for many Americans in today's society. The cell phone about the size of the palm of a person's hand, and flips open to almost one hundred and eighty degrees. There are three buttons on the outside of the phone on the left side. The top two control the volume of the ringer. The bottom button turns the speakerphone on and off. There is a small silver circle on the cover that has the Motorola logo on it. The silver circle has small horizontal lines over it giving it a rough feel. There is a camera lens at the top of the phone. On the back, there is another Motorola logo and a white alltel logo as well. On the inside, the silver keyboard is highlighted by light blue lights. The color screen on the top half shows the date, time, and other things such as signal strength, ringer volume, and battery power. The screen, as well as the outside cover, is scratched from constant use. The numbers and the other buttons are beginning to rub off and are becoming harder to see.

This phone has a lot to do with my everyday life. From calling my parents to texting classmates for last minute homework questions, there is so much this phone can offer me. There have been many important calls that have come through this phone. I can remember hearing of how friends turned out at a basketball game or how someone had just hit a deer in Lincoln, NE. Without a cell phone they would have had to wait to see the person or to call them off a land line to tell them the same thing.

O -O #2

2008-12-05T20:38:00.005-06:00

MP3 players come in all shapes and sizes. Mine happens to be very small. The small black Creative MuVo V100 digital music player can easily fit in the palm of my hand. The glossy black surface highlights the scratchs and smudges that come with the everyday wear and tear of it. The silver buttons on the sides are tiny as well and the skip wheel are easy to press while running or just sitting there. The memory stick attached to the console of the MP3 player smoothly slides in and out. It directly connects to a computer and allows one to easily place files onto the stick. The player can hold approximately twenty gigabytes of files, or something like five hundred songs. On the back of the MP3 player is the area for the battery. This cover also slides off easily so that one triple A battery to power the player. The size of the MP3 player makes it easy to use but sometimes hard to find.

The music that plays from this player can impact my life everyday. Whether using it to run or to relax while browsing the world wide web, it helps put me into moods of all kinds. While running, it can be a motivator to help stay focused. When relaxing at home or on a bus ride, it can play soothing music to help me further relax. It can also adjust to the type of music I am interested in at a certain time. Dividing the music into folders, it creates playlists. These playlists can be divided up into different genres of music, and that helps when wanting to listen a certain band or two.

O - O #1

2008-12-03T20:41:00.003-06:00

Of course they weren't the first pair I ever had, but they were the pair I held on to the longest. The running shoes that had logged so many miles were finally laid to rest underneath my futon now at college. Long before that, well over a year ago, the crisp and clean shoes arrived at my house after a typical purchase from Eastbay. The vamps were so white they could have blinded a person, while the three green adidas stripes slashed across the toes of the shoe. The ventilated tops caused a breeze to gently pass through to the runners feet for sweat control. Another amazing feature of these light-as-a-feather shoes was the vented bottoms. Three stratigically placed gaps in the bottom of the shoe enhanced the ventilation even further.
These adidas shoes provided many wonderous moments throughout the past year, from worldly accomplishments to forming relationships. A fellow runner on our cross country team had purchased the same pair of shoes, on the same day, with no knowledge of my purchase. The friend and I seemed to become closer over the next few months, running every night together in the same shoes. This daily habit produced great results, and at the end of the year we were celebrating a title together. For the rest of the year, that title was a common discussion topic amongst us whenever we were together.
Recently, I replaced these nostalgic shoes with a new pair. While the physical use of these shoes are over, I am sure that they will provide a spark of thought every time I see them. Hopefully, the current pair I am wearing will eventually cause the same thing, with even better memories behind them.

Rhetorical Analysis of Video

2008-12-01T10:31:00.010-06:00

The video "Cookie Jar" by Gym Class Heros contains images that are questionable to the moral views of many people. Through the use of analogy and compare and contrast, the pathos of this video will be explored in more detail.

If someone had listened to this song before they watched the video, they may have thought that the song was an enjoyable tune. However when watching the video, there are many instances where analogies are used to sway the meaning of the song in the eye of the viewer. For example, in the the first chorus, "I wanna be faithful but i can't keep my hands out the cookie jar" takes the cookie jar to mean women that are not in a relationship with the man in the song. Also in the first verse, the lyrics "I left crumbs in the bed once but I told her I was through with that" is an analogy towards cheating, and the man claiming that he would not do it again. During the second verse, variations of cookies are compared to different ethnic women. Asian women are compared to oatmeal raisin cookies and Macadamia cookies are compared to Caucasians.

There are two main emotions that can result from watching this video. One of those emotions is disgust/shock. People feel this way about the video because of the way women are portrayed. Comparing women to cookies is degrading to their image. The other emotion that can be seen is pleasure. I mean that people find these analogies and comparasions humorous. The clever way the writer points out the different ethnic backgrounds of the women by comparing them to different types of cookies is a light and funny interpretation. The mixed pathos that result from this video intentionally drew people with different backgrounds to view it and make their own judgements on it.

Favorite Video Post (Part 1 and Part 2)

2008-11-24T19:09:00.002-06:00

The music video "Cookie Jar" by Gym Class Heroes featuring The Dream is one that creates visually stimulating images with high-class production. The music video shoots in a variety of locations, including a club, a therapy center, and even in front of a blank white screen. The song provides a story about how hard it is for this man to keep his hands out of a cookie jar. Hearing the song on the radio, a listener might think that this man is literally addicted to cookies. However, this music video allows the writers to show the true meaning of the lyrics. This man is addicted to sex and the idea of it. The cookie jar term is applied to any and all of the women he lusts for and cheats with while he is in a relationship. The aesthetics of the video are very good, as there is a pleasing change of scenes throughout the entire video. During each of the verses, Travis (the main singer with a plethora of piercings), is constantly popping his head towards the camera in order to emphasize his words. He also is singing actively, with hand and body gestures that add to the lyrics as well. The final verse that shows Travis in a sort-of straight jacket suit that suggests he needs help with this problem. However, there is also humor to this video in certain clips, such as when singing "….gotta sweet tooth that’ll never come loose…" the mouth action adds to the entertainment part of this video. A lot of this video is taken up by the group members standing and attempting to dance in front of the video, which doesn’t add a whole lot of excitement to it. However, I think the video gets message that the writers are making across to all who watch it.

This video presents a valid statement about the wants of today’s society. Sexual and flirtatious behavior has increased in extreme amounts in all aspects of the American culture. From the pornography industry to television, sex has become iconic. If someone does not look visually appealing, they are worth nothing to a lot of people. Women are viewed in fewer square inches of clothes than their underwear on a daily basis. This is a problem for a lot of parents that expect their children to grow up in an environment where they can control what they see or hear. The particular moral values that the parents hold should be passed down to them, but today that is hard to do with easy access to some of this sexual media. "Cookie Jar" is an example of what can happen as a result of too much exposure to these things. The man became addicted to the exposed female and the physical attraction to her. There are many examples of this in society. However, in these pictures, it can be seen that a woman can be attractive whether clothed or barely clothed. The point of these images is that less clothing does not equal more beauty, or whatever you want to call it. The moral fiber humans should possess should have a stronger bearing on what can and cannot be deemed appropriate for the public eye. Although "Cookie Jar" is slightly provocative, it has a good bottom line. The video can help people who are around sexual visuals realize that life is not all about sex and if it comes to that, that there are big consequences to pay as a result.

Writing Project 2

2008-11-19T15:32:00.014-06:00

Throughout World War II, Americans and their allied forces were constantly devising plans for a quick end to the war. Part of these plans was to gain control of islands that were of dire use in the travel from home base to enemy lines. Iwo Jima was one of those islands. The island of Iwo Jima is located around 600 miles away from Tokyo, Japan and was thought to be a critical checkpoint for United States aircraft to land and refuel, if it was captured. Also, American forces believed that there could be many emergency rescues ran out of this location and that considerable time could be saved using this island. This island had three airstrips that the Japanese used for launching their kamikaze attacks. Japanese officials already had radar located on this island, and as a result the Americans were not able to pass through the area without being noticed. The United States was fairly confident that this island would be fairly easy to come by, however Japanese forces begged to differ with them.

Before invading the island, the American forces assumed that there would not be a lot of resistance there. However, after the troops landed, they quickly became bombarded by Japanese gunfire. The Japanese, who were well known for their low-key hideouts, immediately took the upper hand. After sustaining many initial blows on the beaches, the American forces pushed inland and gained control of the island. By the end of the battle, Japanese troops were starved and desperate, committing suicide or surrendering themselves to the allied forces. The battle at Iwo Jima proved to be severely detrimental to both sides of the war. The Japanese troops lost over twenty thousand men, while the American forces sustained over twenty seven thousand troop casualties. The victory at the small island of Iwo Jima proved to be a large factor in the allies win in World War II.

As a result of the victory, a memorial, the United States Marine Corps War Memorial, was constructed by Horace W. Peaslee in 1954. The sculpture was inspired by a picture taken after the victorious battle at Iwo Jima. A plaque beneath the sculpture says, "In honor and in memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since November 10, 1775."(U.S.M.C. War Memorial) From World War II to the present-day War on Terror, this sculpture is a reminder that the pursuit of freedom is a huge undertaking that is never complete. This piece of art, through the use of analogy and compare and contrast, employs patriotic pathos in an observers mind.

The monument depicts six soldiers hoisting an American flag, the symbol of the United States of America. The objective here is emphasizing that the Americans were victorious in this battle. However, that these six dirty, tired, and battered men are merely going through a formality in the grand scheme of this war. The analogy of the tight, focused look on the men’s faces says that the battle may have been won, but the war was still not over. Several of the men were reassigned following this battle and were sent to Japan. The men here are not joyous; they are in fact still scared and insecure (Marine on Iwo Jima, 34). The cause of these looks is the extreme situations that they have faced in every confrontation they have been involved in. Seeing thousands of men die in a battle, along with persevering through bad weather, a lack of food, sleep deprivation, and other elements will make a person raw with emotion.

The flagpole is an important part of this statue as well. The angled flagpole signifies that work will always need to be done in trying to achieve freedom. The teamwork of all of these men lifting the pole can be compared to all of the men and women who were a part of this war, whether on the battlefields or in the medical tents. All six men are working hard, helping each other to reach the goal, which is to eventually get the pole to stand upright. This is compared in the war by allied forces pushing their way across lands and seas to thwart the enemy and eventually killing them or forcing the axis powers to surrender. In a narrative sense, this sculpture is telling the observer about a moment of time. This instant demonstrates the magnitude of this battle during the war and also, through the sculpture, makes the instant forever embedded in time. This instant enhances the idea of a continuous fight for freedom.

These rhetorical strategies all focus on how pathos is created by this piece of art. When looking at the sculpture, people feel an overwhelming sense of patriotism for their country. When people look at this they remember that hundreds of thousands of men have died fighting for America’s freedom over the last fifty years. While they feel sad for all of the lives that are lost during war, they also feel proud because soldiers died for them. People see the flagpole being raised and feel a sense of community because of the teamwork it takes to raise the flag. The comparison of the men’s faces to the war itself excites the person’s brain to remember what they have learned about the difficulties of World War II. The timeless instant of the statue shows the infinite progress towards freedom.

The USMC Memorial can be connected to the present day not only through the picture just discussed but also through comparing World War II to more recent wars the United States have been involved in. The War on Terrorism, for example, was started to combat any type, form, or representation of terroristic acts. This is a major undertaking and one that requires an immense amount of time and commitment by all of the politicians and soldiers involved. This is the same for any war, as in WWII women were even recruited to help in factories and in the medical field. The memorial’s flagpole can be compared to the progress made in the war so far, the war is not over yet. To look at this even further, perhaps in a more negative way, the statue is an event frozen in time. This could reflect the position the War on Terror, a debatable standstill. The men pushing the flag towards the sky represent the politicians, soldiers, nurses, and all other personnel involved in the effort to defeat any and all terrorists.

The United States Marine Corps Memorial is an object that has touched millions of American’s emotions. These emotions that are caused by looking at this statue can also be connected to the emotions that are drawn from viewing the similar image of the World Trade Center’s flag raising. The image of three men hoisting an American flag on September 11, 2001 also pulls pathos out of people in the form of patriotism. In both pictures, the flagpole is on its way towards pointing straight up, but isn’t there yet. These two pieces of artwork also illustrate crucial periods in their respective time frames. The USMC Memorial depicts a key victory and a turning point during WWII while the September 11th picture shows a cause for hope and a wish for better days ahead. The United States Marine Corps Memorial is an effective piece of rhetorical art in this era. All of these similarities tie the past to the present in the same way: showing that freedom will never be won for good, it will be won on a day-by-day basis.

Works Cited

Bomar, Mary A. "U.S.M.C. War Memorial." National Parks Service. November 16, 2008. http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/usmc.htm

Cooper, Rachael. "Iwo Jima Memorial - U. S. Marine Corps War Memorial." About.com 2008. http://dc.about.com/od/monuments/a/IwoJima.htm

Pfeifer, Charlie. Marine on Iwo Jima: An Interview with Col. Thomas Fields. February 9, 2004. http://www.doingoralhistory.org/project_archive/2004/Papers/PDFs/charlie.pdf

Simonich, Milan. "Memorial Day, 2001: Marine from Franklin Borough never knew impact of Iwo Jima photo." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 28, 2001. http://www.post-%20gazette.com/regionstate/20010528strankreg3.asp

Art Object: Cultural Context

2008-11-09T22:47:00.002-06:00

This artwork is the monument to the flag-raising at Iwo Jima. The reason I chose this work was because of its strong effect on the outcome of World War II. The island of Iwo Jima is located around 1200 miles away from Tokyo, Japan and could be a critical checkpoint for United States aircraft to land and refuel, if it was captured. Also, American forces believed that there could be many emergency rescues ran out of this location and that considerable time could be saved in doing so using this island. Japanese officials also had radar located on this island, and as a result the Americans were not able to get through the area without being noticed. This island had three airstrips that the Japanese used for launching there kamikaze attacks off of. The United States thought that this island would be fairly easy to come by, however Japanese forces begged to differ with them.

The battle at Iwo Jima proved to be severly detrimental to both sides of the war. Before invading the island, the American forces assumed that there would not be a lot of resistance there. However, after the troops landed, they quickly became bombared by Japanese gunfire. The Japanese were well known for their sneaky locations and took the upper hand at the start by being well hid from the front lines of the U.S. forces. After sustaining the initial blows of the first few days, the Americans re-grouped to turn the tables in their favor. Towards the end of the battle, Japanese troops became starved, and desperate, committing suicide or surrendering themselves.

The Japanese troops lost over twenty thousand men and the American forces sustained over twenty seven thousand troops. After the Americans took over Iwo Jima, the island was only mainly used for air and sea rescue missions and occasional stops for minor problems. After the war ended in 1945, many Americans looked back on the battle of Iwo Jima and wondered if the island was really necessary for the American force to win in Japan. It was, and the victory at the small island of Iwo Jima proved to be a large factor in the Allied win in World War II. The memorial is dedicated to all marines who have given their lives in battle, whether in World War II or in any other war.

2008-11-05T23:58:00.002-06:00

On August 25, 2008, a new time of many people’s lives started. This was the first day of class for Nebraska Wesleyan students. For a lot of these students, this was the farthest away from home they had ever been. For others, it was a short drive from their house every morning. Some students went to a school times larger than this while others had come from a town with less people than this University has students. No matter which walk of life they came from, they all had one thing in common, they were freshmen.
When starting out, I think that many realized that they were going to have to force themselves to meet people, to make friends. Another issue facing these newcomers was to develop some sort of study habit to make sure they succeeded in all of their classes. Many kids made friends by striking up a conversation before class, maybe asking for help on a problem, while others boldly sat at a lunch table with kids they had never seen before. Sometimes, these first meetings grew into friendships that would last the rest of their college days.
Now that the first semester is coming to a close, the majority of the freshmen on campus have gotten into a routine that is consumed with hanging out in friends rooms, studying until the wee hours of the morning, and sleeping well past noon on Saturdays. With finals quickly approaching, students might (keyword might) be studying material from August trying to refresh knowledge that has more than likely leaked from their brains.
Over the past 3 months, these young adults have journeyed from a protective high school lifestyle to a self-sufficient one that for many is the epitome of college: Freedom.

Left - Handed

2008-11-02T19:21:00.003-06:00

For this assignment i chose to write about being left handed. I am a twin, so the chances of me or my brother being left handed are fairly high. I was the fortunate one in my opinion and was blessed with the "southpaw" abilities. Left hander's are actually fairly common in my family, as my uncle and a cousin are left handed as well. There are only around 10 percent of the world's population that area left handed, making this group an extreme minority.

There are a few reasons for becoming left handed. One is a possible over-exposure to testosterone. Testosterone suppresses the left hemisphere growth as an unborn. This allows the right hemisphere to become dominant, which controls the left side of the body. Living in today's world there are a few everyday objects that are not left hand - friendly. Scissors, kitchen knives, and computer mouses are made to be used by right handed people.

From personal experience, I have been able to adjust to using scissors and the computer mouses without any problems. However, when my class was learning how to write cursive, it was a challenge because the teachers were not able to teach me left handed because they weren't left handed. As a result, my handwriting is almost legible, and I sometimes need to be careful when writing a paper that actually has to be turned in.

I have just researched this topic online and found that people who are left handed are shown to excel in academics and more artistic lines of study as well. This was shown in a research study performed by the University College London.

I can say that I am proud to be left handed, not only because of the supposed greater mind but also because it makes me unique.

VP Debate Post

2008-10-26T23:05:00.005-05:00

The question asked of these vice presidents is will there be anything this campaign promised that they will not be able to keep because of the Wall Street bailout? My group is asked to discuss the implementations of ethos in Sarah Palin's response to the question. Governor Palin begins her response by stating, "The nice thing about running with John McCain is I can assure you is he doesn't tell one thing to one group and then turns around and tells something else to another group..." This immediately establishes some credibility for the McCain campaign. As the audience, we can go back through former speeches and debates to see if this is actually true. Obviously, Governor Palin is a convenient source for this statement but nevertheless can be checked out.

She then turns her attention towards the energy plan, and at the same time turns her body towards Joe Biden, indicating that she is focusing on an event his campaign was involved in. She states that Barack Obama previously voted for this energy bill that allowed oil companies to recieve large tax breaks. Again, we can check voting records to see if, in fact, Obama did vote for this. She then turns the tables on this subject by telling of how she had to fight these oil companies for the goodwill of the people to rise above the greed of the oil companies. This is an example of pathos as well as ethos because she is showing the audience a hardship she had to perservere through. However, she also tries to downgrade her opponent's reputation by showing a contradiction in Obama's voting history versus what she is trying to promote.

Governor Palin talks shortly later about how "The people are going to come first." By saying this, she is telling us, the audience, that she will make the people come first while her campaign is in office. She also says that the tax breaks will not be given to the oil companies when it "adversly effects the people who live in a state, and in this case a country," another example of ethos. She also gives off an authoratative vibe when she says, "You know what I had to do in the state of Alaska? I had to take on those oil companies."

Finally, when asked to confirm that there was nothing that might be taken off the "to-do list" if the McCain-Palin campaign reached the White House, she quickly states that "there hasn't been a whole lot that I've promised..." She previously said shes "How long have I been at this, like 5 weeks?" so we know there is not a whole lot of time to make a lot of promises. She also says this sort of jokingly so that we might shrug this factor off. This last joke gives the audience a sense of confidence from her and that she is backing what her running mate is standing for.

Third Presidential Debate

2008-10-21T20:43:00.004-05:00

Link to video (wouldn't upload for some reason?): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tlAERYqPS0&feature=related

I chose this question on appointing Supreme Court Justices based on their beliefs on certain issues (in this case, abortion) because of the heavy influence this issue will have on the presidential election this year. John McCain would like to see the Roe v. Wade ruling overturned, while Barack Obama would like to see the ruling stay in effect. John McCain answers the question first, responding that he would never, and has never, (:18 sec) impose a litmus test on a justice nominee. He believes that justices should be appointed based on their qualifications, not based on their ideology (what someone believes in). He employs logos in his response by stating facts such as "I voted for justice Bryor," and "I would consider anyone in their qualifications..." stating that he would vote for a justice based on facts and results from prior judgements, not outside opinions on subjects that are debatable. McCain points out that a fair way to decide who to vote for would be to see how closely the judge in question has abided by the Constitution. Obama later agrees with McCain's stand on litmus tests. Obama also says that "The most important thing in any judge is their capacity to provide fairness and justice to the American people." This provides us with clear guidlines on what voters are looking for in a justice. McCain employs pathos in his response by saying the United States Senate was about to "blow up" about the way of going about nominating a judge. Obama uses pathos when he says that "Abortion is a very difficult issue, and it is a moral issue." Although he doesn't emphasize how difficult of an issue this is, the majority of voting Americans understand this issue entails two heavily debated sides that are being fought over time and time again. Obama also tells a story about a woman who had been getting paid less that a man to do the exactly the same job. The court said she took to long to bring up this suit and rejected her suit. Obama says that he tried to overturn the decision while McCain chose not too. Lastly, McCain and Obama both use ethos when they sparr at each other about their past voting records and appointments in the Senate. McCain points out that Obama chose not to join a committee on deciding the best way to appoint a justice. Obama later brings to our attention that in the equal pay for equal work case (the previously mentioned story) McCain chose to vote to confirm the ruling that did not give here equal pay, while Obama voted to overturn the ruling. I think the audience for this debate is paying especially close attention to this issue, as it involves the candidates position on abortion. It has been the most scrutinized issue on the debate trail in recent months, and will carry over into the election term, so many Americans want as much information on the topic as they can get before November.

Chpt 1 and 2 Questions

2008-10-16T12:42:00.003-05:00

Chpt. 1-
1) If the reader cannot see the underlying assumptions, how does he/she fully understand the text?
2) How can a cartoonist tell if his/her cartoon has a persuasive meaning that the audience(assuming that the audience is a national one) can relate with and understand?
3) How can one determine whether or not a political cartoon has crossed the line? And if there isn't a boundary, should there be one?
Chpt. 2-
1) In Figure 2.4, there is visual evidence of the product working, but is this the actual proof? How do we know that?
2) Is exaggerated use of pathos appropriate in advertising? Why? Why not?
3) How can parody be used to differenciate ethos from what they really are?

McDonald's: The New Dining Room

2008-10-09T13:16:00.013-05:00

Walking in the clear glass doors of the restaurant, I am greeted to a stunning scene. Before me, navy blue marble wallpaper coat all of the walls. The dark, Aztec–like wood carvings on the wall mesh perfectly with the brown, grainy tile on the floor. Sleek, silver lights flow on the ceiling from door to door. The tables are a dark red and are surrounded by black, glimmering metal chairs with deep purple cushions that swivel back and forth. Looking around, it feels like an elegant dining room that could be on the Home and Garden Channel. So would anyone think that this fits the description of a McDonald’s fast food restaurant? I certainly didn’t but today’s society has forced us out of the home and into the hectic world, so restaurant chain's main priorities are trying to create a “home-y” environment for people on-the-go.

When I walk up to the counter to place my order, I am treated to a bistro-style appearance. The natural colors are pleasing on the eyes. The light wood panels are on the front of the counter, and there is orangeish-yellow wall with prairie grasses and plants on it behind the counter separating the kitchen from the rest of the building. The young lady that takes my order is short and is wearing a red polo shirt covered with a solid black apron. The outfit is handsome and not catchy, which reminded me of a waitress from a sit-down restaurant. To the left of the counter, where the morning coffee is made, is a bright little nook surrounded by stainless steel bars. As I take my order back to my seat (two hot double cheeseburgers and a cup of water), I am further impressed by the dark, grainy floor tiles that compliment the art on the walls. I notice that this particular McDonald’s has a PlayPlace, too. Perhaps this is intended for the children to use when they are waiting for their food to be prepared. That way parents can have conversation that is age appropriate before everyone sits down and eats together. The structure is over two stories high, and slides are brightly colored, from green to purple and blue to yellow. There are viewpoints at every corner of it, and a rope ladder for the more daring children to make an attempt to cross. The large picture frame window that separates the PlayPlace from the rest of the restaurant is covered with little hand print smudges, perhaps of little boys and girls who wished their parents would let them go in and have some fun. When I sit down, I see a mother with her two children, a baby girl and her approximately 2 year old sister. The older girl stole glances at me every now and then, wait until I looked up, and quickly look away, giggling. The mom was visibly stressed out, as she constantly told the two young girls to “Keep eating” and, “Sit still. Now eat your nuggets.” Later, when she was waiting for her order of food, she said multiple times, “Just put it in a bag or just hand it all to me, I just need my food!”
When I start eating my food, I realize just how good fast food can taste. The hot, juicy hamburgers taste like they were grilled perfectly, with all the juices flowing from them. The two patties are complimented by a spread of ketchup, bright yellow mustard, and minced onions. The pungent odor released by the onions overpowered every other possible whiff that could have traveled to my nose. When I unwrapped the second double cheeseburger, I noticed that the grease from the hamburger patties had soaked into the thin paper wrapping. I wondered at this juncture whether or not this was healthy for someone to eat all of this fatty juice. Surely if mom was cooking at home she would make sure it was healthy!
After these thoughts, as the mother was at the counter again, complaining about how long her order was taking, the little girl somehow slipped and fell off her chair, her radiant pink shoes kicked up in the air. She screamed and started to breathe heavily. The mom came rushing over and picked her up and began to comfort her as any good mother would. To my surprise, as well as the mother’s too I am sure, the little girl never cried. Obviously impressed, the mom said, “Were you scared? You are such a big girl, you didn’t even cry!” It was nice to see the mother finally look relieved and have a smile on her face.
Looking around at all of the people in McDonald’s at this particular time, I noticed that none of them were with their entire family. The woman sitting by herself texting, the old man drinking coffee by the window, and the mother and her two young girls all were missing someone from their lives. I wonder what life would be like if all of these fast food stops like McDonald’s were obsolete. Would there be more family time? Families would be forced to sit down and eat their meal while enjoying each other’s company and not rush in and out at mealtime at their own discrection. I think that there is more stress associated with today’s society. There is a constant need to get from point A to point B as fast as possible. We are not giving ourselves enough time to breathe, much less communicate with one another. I know that when I was younger, my family would sit down for at least one meal every day. My parents would try and teach us that family is important. With so much going on in this day and age (like sports, hanging out with friends, shopping, band, homework; the list goes on and on) the “family” is becoming non existence. With all that being said, I think that venues like McDonald’s are helping to eliminate “fast” food and bring it down to a relaxed pace. They are creating an inviting envrironment for all customers with a modern, "home-y" approach, and emphasizing family values by creating this type of space.

Cubing Exercise

2008-10-07T13:29:00.003-05:00

Generalizing-
I have learned that the food from most fast-food restaurants is very unhealthy for a person. To reflect that upon society, look around and notice the number of overweight people you see. Also, the advertising schemes present today are more dynamic than ever. The need for buyers is a lot greater than it was in the past. Family life is also a big concern with more and more events that can take over a person's life.
Giving Examples-
Not one "family" showed up the entire time I was in McDonald's. That doesn't necessarily mean they don't have one, but there is a good chance that alot of them had a spouse or children that weren't with them. Also, there were 2 overweight people that came in during my time there, suggesting that they don't have a healthy lifestyle and that McDonald's was contributing to that.
Comparing and Contrasting-
I could compare my subject with Yoga Class. Yoga is a way of slimming down, as well as doing something you like. Eating is something I happen to like, so I go to places like McDonald's often. The difference would be that McDonald's more than likely helps you gain weight while Yoga would help you lose it. Both have advertising schemes as well; for members or for purchasers.
Extending-
I think this subject leads to concerns about people's diets. Looking at nutritional facts from foods offered by McDonald's, it is obvious that a regular intake of these foods could be dangerous. With "SuperSize Me" being a great example, this type of food could even cause death.
Analyzing-
There are 3 main parts of my subject: Advertising, Family Life, and Health. In this case, the advertising is related to the yearning of a person to by McDonald's food. This is the health part; eating food that isn't good for you. The family life aspect is a sort of break in this but still is a focal point because this relates to today's society.
Applying-
There are two ways I can use this work. I think the first way I can use this is making this paper available for people to access. By blogging in our Eng001 class, this is accomplished, as anyone can look at and read this essay. Secondly, in our peer-to-peer review sessions, my classmates will have a chance to read this as well.

Homecoming

2008-10-04T14:34:00.003-05:00

Everyone knows what Homecoming is. Homecoming is that time in the fall during the week of some home football game where all the alumni from years past gather for a weekend. The entire week leading up to the game is filled with spirited activities, such as dress up days, a pumpkin drop, tug-of-war, a car-bashing contest, and of course, a jersey auction. All of these things have great causes behind them. For example, the money my school makes off of the jersey auction goes to the Make A Wish Foundation. The rest of these activities usually incorporate teamwork and "people" skills. On the day of the game, there is a pep rally. The pep rally usually entails the seniors playing some sort of fun game, the pep band playing some loud, energizing tunes, and the seniors of their respective sports saying a little about how the season has gone and what the team's goals are for the rest of the year. Of course, what everyone waits for is the crowning of the homecoming king and queen. After the game, the candidates gather at midfield, and the attendants are announced. When the king and queen are announced, the crowd usually goes crazy and everyone congratulates the candidates.
Now, everyone makes a huge deal out of homecoming, but the question is, why? The whole point of homecoming is to gather former classmates together. But all that is really focused on is becoming king or queen. This “popularity contest” brings more drama than necessary to the already stressful week. The girls usually make a bigger deal out of this than guys typically do, however I think that removing the king and queen contest from the week entirely would allow for a more enjoyable evening at the football game, as well as throughout the entire week.

Blog 5

2008-09-21T17:34:00.003-05:00

Have you ever felt like there was someone out there, exactly like you in almost every single way? Like maybe you have a clone? Well my life has been that way for almost 19 years. That’s right, I’m a twin! I will tell you what it is like to be one and all the ups and downs of it as well.
When I tell you that I am a twin, a lot of things probably come into your mind. For example, you might ask “Do they wear the same clothes?” or “I wonder if their parents ever mix them up?” or “Can they read each other’s minds?” Well to answer those questions, most of the time we don’t wear the same clothes, and if we do, it is usually for an event of some sort. Our parents have mixed us up quite a bit, however it is usually over the phone or when our backs are turned on them. As far as reading each other’s minds, we do tend to think along the same lines, and if someone says something that has an event/memory attached to it, we look at each other and it clicks, but of course a lot of people can do that so I guess that’s not so special!
Growing up and progressing through school, a lot of adults and people I didn’t know would see us and proclaim how much Jay (obviously my brother) and I look alike. Some people might think that would get frustrating, and sometimes it did. However, we didn’t think making a big deal out of every incident would be nice and we learned to just shrug it off. Once we entered junior high, all of our friends were able to tell us apart, as were most of the teachers. Only when we were in activities and sports would people come and ask if we were twins. Now that we are in college (at different schools) it is fun to say that we have a twin and who knows? One day it could be him walking to class instead of me and no one would know the difference!
Being a twin, although it can be a pain sometimes, is one of the best things about my life. Spending lots of time with him means he is considered one of my best friends, and I am pretty sure I wouldn’t trade him for anything!

Blog 4

2008-09-21T17:13:00.005-05:00

Ever since I can remember, I have loved being outside playing or doing something that has involved athletic ability. From racing around the block on my bike to climbing my grandma’s 50 foot pine tree, I have always loved being active. However the one thing that I can single out as my favorite activity is running. In grade school we would have a timed run out to a student’s house in the country and back. I first realized I could excel at running when every time we did this, I would come back first. In junior high, my twin brother and I pushed each other in the mile every race, going 1-2 every time. Once high school came around, everyone expected us to run cross country (XC) and track. My brother kept with football while I moved on to XC. Although I didn’t reach my goal of making it to state, I was still fairly accomplished for a freshman. Track came along and held greater things in store, as I qualified for state in the 3200m. Sophomore year was the same only better, and once junior year came about, I was pretty excited. However when the end of the basketball season came around, I became interested in shorter races. After serious deliberation, my coach let me try the 400m. I think he jokes around about it now, saying that he was waiting for the right time to let me run it, because I would up running a school record on the first time out! After medaling at state in that and other events, training for XC became the next focus. After medaling at every race, and winning all but 3 meets as a team, our team won the state championship! Then the next spring, my distance days were over as I switched to mid-sprints and relays. Nothing but good came from this as I medaled in all four events at state again, and our 1600m relay won gold! I can say that from a personal standpoint, running has had a huge impact on my life; not only from an accomplishment standpoint, but also from the great memories it brought me.

2008-09-14T23:14:00.005-05:00

For this assignment I chose to use the infamous Orbit Gum commercial. This video is very funny, yet it also brings across a message. The plot of this commercial is a wife finding out about her husbands office affair. Instead of dropping F-bombs and other like terms, the three characters resort to "interesting" language. The focal point of this video, from an advertising standpoint, is that chewing Orbit gum will make your mouth and vocabulary clean. It also shows all three smiling at one point, showing their pearly whites glint. The advertisement sells itself by great acting. The catfight that breaks out is very beliveable, and the yelling and namecalling definitely holds my attention. Also, the costume worn by the secretary made her give off a humorous vibe. I think that this advertisement is very persuading because of two main reasons. The scenario (wife finds hubby cheating with the secretary) is a common scene today. Also, the name-calling is a "crisis" that the world is going through in recent years. Vulgar language is evermore popular and is almost commonplace. The advertisement tries to discourage viewers from cursing by showing a light hearted alternative. Although the vocabulary is not neccessarily fitting for every day use, however it gets the point across. Another emphasis that is made throughout the advertisement is that anytime you glimpse an actor that is not talking, they are feverishly chewing their gum. I think that video has a very powerful effect on the viewer as far as catching their attention and making them watch the entire clip. It has a clear cut objective as far as selling their product is concerned, and everything is visual and auditory pleasing. This is a very good example of a video that brings everything to the table and can be enjoyed by millions of people (as evident on the view count!).

Blog Post 2

2008-09-10T19:33:00.004-05:00

The diagram I chose for this assignment was a diagram of the human skeleton. This diagram clearly labels particular bones, a very critical part of diagrams. The purpose of this diagram is to familiarize a person with the skeletal structure. It could be pointed at an audience of high school or college students in an anatomy class, or it could be for a web-site for science or medicine. I think that diagrams, especially on the Internet or in some digitalized format, are a great help to web users because they offer a visual piece of information, rather than a lot of text on a screen. Some diagrams are interactive, allowing you to scroll over certain areas of it and uncover more information about the content of that diagram. This diagram is a great learning tool because it tells you where many bones are on the body. I have personally learned from something similar to this in my anatomy class in high school. It is a lot easier to learn off a diagram rather than reading about it in a book (in this case anyways). The diagram you see came from here, explaining 3D software that allows you to fully experience the skeletal system. The problem with removing it from its original site is that now it is purely 2D material; no one would think that this would be a view from a 3D program. Given that, it is important to note where a person gets a diagram, or any information, off of a web site. I already have a link to that web site previously posted in this paragraph.

The details labeled in this diagram are the bones of the skeleton. I would not have changed any labels on this, except if the diagram was larger, I would have added more labels, as there are 206 bones. So, what does this have to do with writing? Diagrams make writing come alive. In a sense, they are a billboard for the pen and paper.

Blog Post #1

2008-09-04T14:19:00.010-05:00

The Essay's Unlimited Possibilities

"The essay is, and has been, all over the map. There's nothing you cannot do with it; no subject matter is forbidden, no structure is proscribed. You get to make up your own structure every time, a structure that arises from the materials and best contains them. The material is the world itself, which, so far, keeps on keeping on. The thinking mind will analyze, and the creative imagination will link instances, and time itself will churn out scenes - scenes unnoticed and lost, or scenes remembered, written, and saved."

(Atwan 30)

- Annie Dillard

The quote that caught my attention was from the last entry. Annie Dillard's "The Essay's Unlimited Possiblities," began by stating, "The essay is, and has been, all over the map. There's nothing you cannot do with it." I think that this quote efficently describes the essay. Since there is no agreeable definition, writers must make a large generalization for all to be satisfied with. Dillard's view is one that I agree with. In only 15 or so pages of this reading assignment, the essay was described in probably as many ways. With this kind of variety, I think that an all-encompassing view of the essay is the best view for all writers. However, some writers (teachers mostly, I would think) will disagree with this generalization because they have a certain viewpoint that is a narrower one. The five paragraph, five hundred word essay is "just right" in some people's minds.

This quote by Dillard also agrees with me because this is the way that I am most comfortable writing. Although I sometimes need a little bit of guidance, giving me a writing assignment that can cover anything is the type of writing I enjoy the most. I had two different English teachers in high school; one of which was the standardized 5-paragraph teacher, while the other was one that would not assign a length (although she never failed to say "It needs to be long enough." Given that I have had two completely different styles of essay-writing experience, I must say that the style that Dillard suggests is the one I am most supportive of.

Test Post

2008-08-28T14:47:00.000-05:00

Test Post