ENG 001: Language and Writing

Writing Project #3 - Soundtrack Of My Life

2008-12-11T14:50:00.026-06:00

Vanilla Ice - Go Ninja

Looking back on this strange and humerous music video by Vanilla Ice, people are dancing to the theme song from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. There are several dancers all dancing in sequence on stage in front an audience at a concert. All four ninja turtles, Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Donatella, and Rafael are all on stage dancing with Vanilla Ice. Human-like turtles, these characters are based off the comic books and movie series. Named after the famous painters from the Renissance ara, these ninja turtles are crime-fighting heros. As a child, countless hours were spent playing with this ninja turtle action figures. With my friends, a whole day may be spent just dreaming up different scenarios with these toys. Our imaginations would run wild and create complex situations between the common fate of good versus evil. There would be epic battles between the teenage mutant ninja turtles and their feared enemies such as Shredder and the Foot Soldiers. We would put the ninja turtles through training, learning new fighting styles and strategies from thier wise mentor, Splinter. Cheap and very durable, these toys were everything that a young boy with a big imagination needed. The action figures created many friendships and memories. Even though that stage of action figures is over in my life, they will always have a significant value from my childhood.

Rodney Atkins - Watching You

In this music video, Rodney Atkins is driving around with his son in their pick-up truck. He is telling several stories about his son and all the similarities they share. His son is paying close attention and being very observant of his father and trying to copy his actions as close as possible. He seems to do everything like his dad, everything from dressing alike to talking just like him. Much like the young child in the video, a great amount of my knowledge and behavior has been influenced by my father. Even though I was not able to spend much time with my father because of a divorce, our relationship still remained strong. Through my younger days and transitioning of becoming a young adult, having a supportive father was very helpful. He was always loving and always there for me no matter what. The lyrics in this song state "I've been watching you, I wanna be just like you." Everyone has a some sort of a role model in their lives or someone they look up to, and my father is defintely one of mine. He has been a very important figure in my life and its encouraged me to be the same type of father to my children someday.

Tupac Shakur - Dear Mama

In this music video, Tupac Shakur's mother is giving a short interview about giving birth to her son. Throughout the video, there are scenes of Tupac with his mother and clips of young children causing trouble with the law. In the song, Tupac's lyrics explain that him and his mother did not get along all the time but yet he loves her more than anything. Even though my mother has caused me a lot of stress and frustration over the years as a parent, there are still feelings of love between us. Even though we would fight constantly, she was always trying to be the best parent possible. Being a single mother with two children is a tough situation for anyone regardless of financial income. As Tupac stated in his song "There's no way I can pay you back, but my plan is to show you that I understand." Raising me and mothering me for 18 years is something that can never be paid back. My mother has shaped me as a person, for her strong character has reflected onto me. Her work ethic and caring feelings as a parent was something that could not go unnoticed. She has been a very influential figure in my life even through all the struggles and hard times.

Brad Paisley - I'm Gonna Miss Her

This music video opens with scenes of Sportscenter on ESPN. The sports anchor is discussing the annual "Brad Paisley fishing invitational" and there a clips of Brad Pasiley with his wife. She becomes very frustrated and upset with him because he made the decision to go a fishing trip rather than spend the day with her. Watching this video reminds me of a all the time that I have spent throughout my life fishing. The sport of fishing is definetely one of the most relaxing activities anyone can experience. Fishing trips to the lake with my Dad and Grandpa were very common as we had a different objective each time. There would be days we would try for bass and other days we would try to catch trout. Not very many people know about ice fishing but it is very enjoyable. Although the weather is cold, ice fishing really allowed me to appreciate the beauty of nature. Time seems to stand still whenever our family goes fishing. Our fishing trips give us something that is far more important than catching the fish, a strong family relationship that will last a lifetime.

Dierks Bentley - Free and Easy

Dierks Bentley has several clips from his various live concerts in the music video. He is on a music tour and traveling from tour to tour. There are images of Dierks Bentley driving in a car showing open fields of grass with cattle. Furthermore, there are very large audiences at his concerts with thousands of screaming fans. For anyone who has grown up in the small town of North Platte, Nebraska, they can definetely relate to this music video. Every summer, North Platte has an annual Nebraskaland Days country festival. The week-long festival consists of a rodeo, carnival and is always capped off with two country music concerts. Attending the concerts every year with friends has created memories that will never be forgotten. The adrenaline rush at the concerts is undescribable for there are thousands of fans bein crazy and completely out of control. Even though country music is disliked by many people, a country concert should be experienced at least once by everyone. Almost everyone from North Platte is always in attendence at the festival days which has led to a strong community connection. Everyone has something in common through Nebraskland Days, creating a form of unity throughout the town.

Kenny Chesney - I Go Back

This music video opens up with Kenny Chesney standing in a high school gymnasium and reminiscing on past memories. There are flashing images of a high school football player standing on a field through his memories. His mind seems to be swirling and filled with numerous high school memories. After graduating from high school within the last year, it is very easy to remember those memories. When looking back on high school, the most memories come from playing football. The sport has always been a huge passion in my life and will always continue to be a strong interest in my life. A great amount of time was spent in high school playing or training for football. There were not always happy memories from football though for its clear in my mind the memories of morning conditioning and the hard work in the weight room. A lot of tears came from playing football, for coming up short in the playoffs with a loss seemed as if there was nothing left in my life anymore. More importantly, playing high school football taught me lessons that will be valued for the rest of my life as an adult. Football proved to me that nothing comes easy and everything requires very hard work. It showed me that nothing should be taken for granted.

Jim Jones - Summer With Miami

A clear blue ocean and towering sky scrapers introuduce this music video, "Summer With Miami" by Jim Jones. In the video, Jim Jones is living a dream life in the beautiful city of Miami, Florida. He's driving in very expensive cars and eating food with attractive women. The sun is shining bright throughout the video in a cloudless baby blue sky. Everytime this video is shown, memories of a summer I once spent in Miami re-appear in my mind. Spending a week there on a mission trip, many life changing experiences impacted me. We had the priviledge and opportunity to help re-build a damaged church. Additionally, we even had the awesome opportunity of putting on a sports clinic for the refugee children that lived in the neighborhood. Miami was a gorgeous city with palm trees and sandy beaches, but part of Miami that we were in was the true Miami. It was a troubled neighborhood with many homeless people in the ghetto. The impact that we left on the children and the people in the neighborhood hopefully made a difference on them, but they defintely infleucned myself. The joy in the kids faces was amazing when we simply asked if they wanted to play a small game of soccer. Experiencing a troubled area of Miami showed that happiness can come to anyone without money.

Self-Reflection

2008-12-11T14:15:00.004-06:00

After taking this English and Writing course at Nebraska Wesleyan, I definitely feel my writing has evolved. It has benefitted me in several ways. For example, I feel as if I am incorporating more detail into my writing, especially my observations. after completing the observational assignments, it proved to me that writing can never go into too much depth when observing a particualar object. It allowed me to look at and focus in on just one particualar subject rather than the whole.

My opinion and attitude toward writing has significantly changed in a positive way. I never really enjoyed writing that much in high school because it seemed very methodical and repetitive after writing all the five paragraph essays. In this class we did many different types of writing assignments that varied in certani requirements. For instance, we were asked to write "free writes", short internet blog posts about whatever topic we chose, which we were very fun. Also, we did many different types of writing by observing a certain object and then analyzing a particular art object and relating the objects to other ideas. And finally, I am looking forward to the last writing assignment about a self-reflection through music because it is something I have never done before. I have never had the chance to write about subjects that I actually enjoy or have interests in but this class has given me the chance to improve my writing. The class has allowed me to improve my writing because I feel as if I'm putting in more effort because the writing is fun for me.

As far as my processes and techniqiues in writing, I feel they are more advanced and more developed. Through writing, I feel I am more intellectual. By this, I mean I feel as if I'm looking for meaning to the messages in my writing. Also, my analyzing of artwork and other's writing has improved. I've never really analzyed or graded another person's writing before, but after participating in this, I have been able to look at writing from another person's point of view or standpoint. It has given me the chance to look at my essays in a different way which enables me to further improve my writing.

Meeting and conferencing with my teacher has benefitted my writing in various aspects. Obviously, meeting with the teacher or advisor helped me fulfill the requirements but more importantly helped me look further into the subject. Suggestions were given to me to helped me elaborate more and really give more depth and detail about the subject. For example, my blog post about the grafitti of Barack Obama lacked a great deal of requirements. After making changes with my instructor, he showed me how I could really go into more detail about the history of grafitti and the meaning it has from a cultural standpoint. There were many questions presented such as "What does the spatial and property use of grafitti mean as a whole and how does it relate to society?" By meeting with a writing tutor, many questions were presented to me that challenged me as a writer.

There are so many different types of writing so it's very difficult to say whether it is "good writing" or not. I feel the key part in creating a successful writing piece is to complete and include every part needed for whatever writing assignment it is. For example, if it is an observation and reflection assignment, there needs to be just observation and reflection writing. There cannot be any other type of writing in the essay or else it will distract the reader and not get the main points across. As long as the essay includes useful information for the writing assignment, the essay will be successful as a whole.

Everyone has their strong and weak points as a writer but fortunately these can always be improved. Although my writing may not be the most intellectual and advanced piece of writing, I feel the strongest point of my writing is that I get my main points and ideas across. My writing tends to have a strong base of ideas but I still need to work on focusing on those ideas and enhancing them even more. I neeed to improve on elabortating them more by going into more detail and give meaning to each individual idea.

3rd Autobiography Object

2008-12-07T20:09:00.007-06:00

The automobile is one of the most recognized symbols of freedom in American society. My vehicle, a 2002 Chevy trailblazer, is my most prized material object that I own. Turning sixteen is an age that every child looks forward to when they are young. It is one of the most anticipated ages for it is the legal limit to be able to drive a vehicle on your own, a feeling of freedom that is often taken for granted.

My 2002 Chevy trailblazer is an SUV with a V-8 engine. It possesses a 4.2L I6 DOHC 24V FI engine. The exterior body paint is a dark, glossy black. All the windows have been tinted to a dark shade of 20% tint. The vehicle has automatic transmission with four wheel drive. The type of tires on the trailblazer are P245/70R16 BW AS tires. The interior of the vehicle is a cloth material with a dark pewter color. Inside the vehicle there are six speakers with an AM/FM stereo system. There is also a CD player system mounted into the dashboard. The vehicle is around 50,000 mileage. In the city, the trailblazer gets around 15 miles but on the highway it can reach up to 21 miles.

I'm very thankful for my trailblazer that was given to me as a gift for my sixteenth birthday from my grandparents. I'm so blessed to have a vehicle with so much convenience and durablity. I have a lot of pride and take very good care of my vehicle, a typical stereotype of males and automobiles. Crusing around with friends in my car and jamming out to music is a common occurance in my vehicle. I love the feeling of freedom and appreciating everything around me when driving around in my blazer.

2nd Autobiography Object

2008-12-03T19:07:00.006-06:00

First there were record players. Then came tape cassettes and compact disc players. None of these things hardly exist anymore among teenagers. Technology has advanced so much that thousands of songs, pictures, and even videos can be stored in a credit card sized object. These unbelieveable advances of technology are called the Ipods, made by Apple.

The type of Ipod that I received for Christmas is a fifth generation, Ipod video. It features a 2.5 inch color screen that can vividly display photographs and even videos. It has 80 gigabytes storage, enough to store up to 20,000. songs. The ipod is a shiny metallic color in the front, with a shiny mirror-like metal on the black that reflects. There is a spinning wheel or dial on the front that allows me to scroll through all my various songs very quickly. The most fascinating feature about this ipod is the width of the actual device. It is crazy how thin it is, small enough to easily fit into my pocket. The Ipod video is approximately .5 inches in width. It is amazing how such an object so small can contain so much information and capacity.

Without my Ipod, I would not be the same person. It is like another part of me. I take my ipod wherever I go, whether just walking to class or during a workout. It's such a versatile object and can be taken anywhere. The Ipod is very convenient to have, for I am able to enjoy myself and my love for music through the Ipod. Bringing out my passion for music in a very easy and convenient way, the Ipod is a very successful advancement in technology.

1st Autobiography Object

2008-12-02T20:06:00.007-06:00

Anyone who has ever had the privilege of competing in the sport of football knows the significance of the helmet. Serving as a saftey feature and requirment in the sport of football, its meaning to previous players is indescribable. Any athlete that has had the opportunity to play football has a lot of pride in the helmet they wore. Ultimately, it the most important piece of equipment and protects the most important part of the body, your brain. By enabling safety, the helmet allows the athlete to compete at their highest level and use their their abilities.

As a child growing up, playing sports, especially football, has also been a passion and a huge part of my life. Strapping up fragile plastic helemets as a kid with the rest of my friends allowed us to imagine ourselves as superstars and our favorite athletes. The helmets gave us hope for our future high school days of football and wanting to play on the varsity field. Having the helmet as a child allowed me to appreciate the sport of football and enjoy the sport for the right reasons.

Once my my high school football days came, my appreciation for the football helmet grew even more. Now my football helemet was sturdy, powerful, and durable. It was a strong helmet that glistened with paint. The helmet gave me the opportunity to represent my school with the paw print logo on the side. Furthermore, it gave me the privilege of representing my community and all the people in my hometown. Everytime I put on the helemet, it was like a second identity. I was not the same person once I had the chinstraps buckled. Comparable to a warrior going out to battle with armor, the helmet gave me a mission and a goal I had to strive to achieve. Playing in those football games with created memories and friends I will have for the rest of my life. Looking back at my high school days and as a child, the helmet always reminds me of the pride and passion I have for football.

Music Video - Rhetorical Response

2008-11-25T02:14:00.005-06:00

Throughout the music video "Can't Believe It" by the artist T-Pain, there is a variety of rhetorical strategies used. The most obvious use of persuasion of appeals is through the use of pathos. His lyrics begin by using narration to tell the story of how is he involved with a girl and how he is attracted to her. The affection or attraction between sexes is a use of pathos because it appeals to the emotions. In the video, T-Pain and Lil Wayne are dancing with girls and showing a connection with them throughout the video. As a viewer, you are more receptive to the message and actions of the singer because it puts the audience in an emotional state. Today, sex is a very exploited subject and it often used as a method of persuasion. As you can see in the video, the women are not wearing much clothing at all, a use of pathos once again, because it is noticed by the audience and impacts their feelings.

Furthermore, the use of pathos are used in the video by what T-Pain is "offering" in his lyrics. Directed toward women, he is saying he can put them in a log cabin, or buy them a mansion. Additionally, he mentions being on the front page of a magazine and driving in expensive cars. These are shown throughout the video because these are all materials that are highly praised in society today. They are material objects that apply to emotions because people have strong feelings toward them. They make seek or desire these materials for they may think they may receive happiness from these objects. In a sense, this is a cause and effect strategy used by T-Pain in his video, for if these women choose to engage with T-Pain, he can reward them or give them these desires. Through the use of rhetorial appeals, pathos are highly used in the music video to put the audience in a particular state of emotion to become more receptive so the singer's message.

Music Video - Reflection

2008-11-24T23:55:00.010-06:00

T-pain's music video "Can't Believe It" is a very unique video in my opinion. It is different from a lot of other music video because it has such complex editing skills. The video kept me very entertained the very first time I saw it because I was intrigued and interested what the next scene was gonna be. It was very fast paced which was interesting because the song is fairly slow. Each scene was very short and I felt the transitioning was the very best part about the music video. I thought it was very impressive how each image was zoomed in on and altered into a different kind of image. The contrasting of colors was very effective because since everything was mostly black and white, certain images or objects were really highlighted and brought out. I think the style of the video also fits the style of the song very well. T-Pain's music is definetely music that is meant to be enjoyed. His music never talks about any problems or issues in the world. His music is always meant to be danced to and be fun. The video is very entertaining and enjoyable which is very important because it relates well to the song. I also liked the video a lot because I thought it was really funny how they were dancing with puppets at the end and dressed as clowns. There were a lot of random events in this video but I chose it because I felt it was very entertaining and unique.

Music Video - Observation

2008-11-24T23:20:00.006-06:00

This music video is called "Can't Believe It" by the artist T-Pain featuring Lil Wayne. The video contains a very large amount of computer editing all throughout the movie and lots of different scenes. There is a variety of animations and editing skills within this music video. The music video begins with T-Pain in black and white colors, and a "mini-version" of himself appears in his hand. The screen then transitions very quicky and zooms in on the "mini-version" of T-Pain and he is much larger. A girl is in the background with a pink silhoutte around her which the camera then zooms in on and focuses on her. The outside of the screen is shaded in black and everything is black and white. A small picture frames appears in the background, which is then zoomed in on again very quickly. There is a pattern of objects appearing in the screen randomly and then focused on. The picture frame is focused in on and a a log cabin in a snowy area. The cabin appears to be animated but T-Pain and the girl are very realistic and human-like images. The camera seems to be rotating and times and never staying still and constantly moving. In this cabin scene, the colors are very distinct and bright. Then cabin is then porportionally down-sized and placed in a "snow-globe" and placed once again on the black screen. Through this whole music video there are very fast transitions which relate back to the lyrics. There is a definite pattern in images appearing and focusing on the images that randomly appear.

Writing Project #2 - Rhetorical Analysis

2008-11-21T14:00:00.023-06:00

Sometimes the only way to solve a political or social problem is not through the government but rather by the voice of the people. Everyday American citizens are faced with struggles and difficulties which the government and poilitics are held responsible. This graffiti mural of Barack Obama highly suggests that change in the government is essential and critical. Arguing that change cannot come from the government but rather from the people, this quote from Barack Obama effectively convinces Americans to believe and have hope for the future. Using rhetorical strategies of cause and effect and classification and division through a style of graffiti art, the artwork is able to identify several areas of a Democratic government. The emotional use of pathos and the credible strategy of ethos helps understand and support the argument.

The painting was created by artist of the name Koolhats and is currently located at the Sante Fe Art District in Denver, Colorado. The artwork is untitled and displays the current President of the United States, Barack Obama. It is a contemporary piece of artwork that highlights a quote which directly relates back to the people. “I’m asking you not to believe in my ability to bring out the real change in Washington. I’m asking you to believe in yours.” Notice certain words from the text or quote are highlighted to exaggerate and stress a certain point. The cultural context in this image is very important, for during the period of the election, everyone is involved in a type of way by voting. By making this statement that the people have the ability to make those changes happen, it encourages people to become more active and participate in voting. By voting as Americans, people can fulfill their most upright duty as an American citizen and put forth their personal beliefs. As the statement by Barack Obama explains, the people have the “ability” to make those “changes” happen. The artwork helps proves that the changes that do not occur through politics or government, but rather by the Democratic governement and the power of the people.

Graffiti is a style of art that is commonly used to express a certain point of view. In this case, a movement in politics is being subjected. The choice and type of text used in graffiti art is crucial, for the artist needs to establish credibility to the public audience. Each word is outlined or shadowed in black, a typical strategy of many graffiti artists that is used to separate and exploit the words. By underlining the words of "believe", "ability", and "change", the artist has used division to make the works stand out from the others. The artist has used the visual rhetoric of classification and division to arrange and organize the words in such a pattern that makes the text more attractive to the viewer.

When creating graffiti art, the purpose of the artist is to obtain a sense of power and control by creating the mural in a certain space. In order to effectively get a point across and have a way of communicating a message to a group of people for a movement, the space selected shows the meaning or importance. By using public space to convey a meaning, there is openness and visibility to the audience. By making a spatial claim, graffiti artists hide their identity but show possession of the space by creating art. In doing so, graffiti artists receive ethical appeals of credibility, for their acts of power and possession are shown through spatial claim. When claiming a certain space to perform the artwork, the use of ethos is revealed when the author’s authority is noticed. The author has created an identity through the mural and visual rhetoric.

As you analyze the actual image of the graffiti mural rather than the quote, much can be taken from the physical gesture or visual rhetoric of Obama. He possesses a very serious, determined, and focused facial expression that forms a use of pathos. It is an emotional figure that shows a great deal of expression and feelings. His chin is significantly raised, showing there is hope for the future. This is a concept or idea that reaches the audience and more importantly helps convince the argument toward the people. By making the face of Obama unrealistic and lacking detail, it is a strategy of the artist to make the image more abstract. By using visual rhetoric and making the artwork abstract and somewhat unkown, it causes the viewer to think even more and use their imagination.

There is a contrast of colors in the artwork that symbolize what America is currently going through everyday. The diverse use of colors relates back toward the actual skin color of Barack Obama. American has never had an African-American President before, therefore racial issues and disputes are drawn upon now that Barack Obama has been elected as the first black President. Contrasting the colors and using them as a united form proves that people of all races and skin colors can cooperate and join together as a whole. Being elected as the first black President is a very historic and significant event in the nation’s history, an event that may help resolve racism. Using different color choices, especially in the facial region of the skin, is an effective visual rhetoric that helps show that racism and be overcome.

In this graffiti visual rhetoric, the symbolism of red, white, and blue can be interpreted and viewed a representation of the American flag. Relating the colors of the artwork back to the American flag is an outstanding use of pathos. Using appeals that relate to patriotism is a very emotional subject. Having national loyalty and devoting one’s self to the support and defense of one’s country is a very touching topic. Each individual color of the American flag has its own meaning and significance. Red, which is strongly used in the mural, stands for the courage and bravery of the nation. White, used specifically on the lettering and text of the quote, signifies purity and innocence. And finally, blue, used to underline certain words, stands for vigilance, perseverance and justice. This is a very productive use of pathos and color elements, for the audience is able to respond and be receptive in an emotional state of patriotism.

Through the use of various appeals of ethos and pathos, rhetorical strategies are presented to persuade an argument. Additionally, the use of visual rhetoric and exploiting certain elements such as the choice of lettering helps understand a certain message. The graffiti painting and quote from President Barack Obama is a visual image with context that uses these elements to argue a message in that people have the ability to make change happen in the political government. By reaching appeals of authority and emotion, the rhetorical device is successfully able to convince the viewer of the intended message.

Works Cited

"History Part 1." New York City Cyber Bench. 23 November 2008.
www.at149st.com

"Our Flag." Visionary Enterprises. 10 February 2005.
www.usflag.org

Extra Credit - Timothy Liu

2008-11-21T13:44:00.002-06:00

In one of his poem's, Timothy Liu spoke of butchering animals, cattle in particular. This poem inspired me to do some research on slaughterhouse and find more information about them. According to Erin Williams's book Why Animals Matter,there are around ten billion animals that are slaughtered every year in 5,700 slaughterhouses and processing plants employing 527,000 workers in the United States. Also, 28.1 billion pounds of beef were consumed in the U.S. alone in the year 2007. The largest slaughterhouse in the world is operated by the Smithfield Packing Company in Tar Heel, North Carolina. It is capable of butchering over 32,000 pigs a day. After looking into the topic of slaughterhouse and butchering animals, these numbers seem astounding and very shocking to me. I personally eat meat everyday and it is something that I take for granted too much. When stopping and thinking about what is truly going on in the world, it makes me question if what society is doing is truly right. Are slaughterhouse nescessary? Do we really need them? Is it appropriate? There are many questions that can be regarded to the subject that all relate back to "animal's rights". Should animals be treated in the same ways that humans are and receive the same rights? It is an issue that is becoming more and more popular in society today, even Wesleyan has an Liberal Arts Seminar class that is about animal cruely and animal rights. Even if people think that slaughterhouse are necessary, I think they should be dealt with in the appropriate manner. For example, the animals should be treated a "humane" way with the least amount of cruely possible. Additionally, I feel that if people do choose to eat meat, they need to be thankful and recognize what they have been blessed with. I completely agree with Timothy Liu when he noted that every animal shoud be blessed right before they are killed and processed. I think everyone should become more aware of slaughterhouse and what is truly occuring whether they agree with them concept or not.

Extra Credit - Joanna Klink

2008-11-13T13:45:00.003-06:00

While attending Joanna Klink's poetry reading, several lines from her poem "My Enemy" stood out and were significant to me. Even though the poem had a negative sense or feeling to it, I was able to relate to a few of the lines in a postive way. One line read, "No talent is able to thrive without humanity." The definition of humanity is the quality of being human or having human nature. We all know that no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. This line shows that without being able to make mistakes and learning from those mistakes, you won't be able to thrive in any aspect. Many times throughout our lives we learn a lesson the hard way. Even though these struggles may be difficult at the time, we learn from our mistakes and human nature and those mistakes eventually help out our futures in the long run for being more prepared. Another line from the poem "My Enemy" was very simliar to this previous one and can be easily related. The line from the poem noted, "If you're lucky, your life will be free of grief." This is a statement that almost anyone can relate to, for life is not easy. Sometimes life is not fair and that is just the way it is. Even though there may be grief or disappointment in your life, those struggles sometimes end up making you stronger as a person. They may make you a more powerful or capable person if you are able to learn from your mistakes and apply that knowledge to the future. Though her poem may have had a completely different purpose, these lines really stood out to me because I could easily relate to them and apply them as learning opportunities to my everyday life.

21st Century Art Image

2008-11-09T23:53:00.007-06:00

This mural of Barack Obama was painted by an artist named Koolhats and is located at the Sante Fe Art District in Denver, Colorado. The artwork is untitled. The art district features more than 40 galleries and also has shops and restaurants. There is everything from traditional art to contemporary and emerging art, including painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, graphic art, and textiles.

This piece of artwork displays the now elected President of the United states of America, Barack Obama. It is a contemporary piece of artwork that highlights a quote that directly relates back to the people. "I'm asking you not to believe in my ability to bring out the real change in Washington. I'm asking you to believe in yours." Notice certain words of the quote are highlighted to exaggerate or stress a certain point. The cultural context in this image is very important, for during the time of the election, everyone is directly involved in a type of way. By making this statement that the people have the ability to makes those changes happen, it encourages people to become more active and participate in voting. By voting as Americans, people can fulfill their most upright duty as an American citizen and vote and put forth their beliefs. As the statment by Barack explains, the people have the "ability" to make those "changes" happen. This proves that the changes that do not occur through politics or government, but rather by the deomcratic government and the power of the people.

As you analyze the actual image of the mural rather than the quote, much can be taken from the physical gesture of Obama. He possesses a very serious, determined and focused facial expression. His chin is significantly raised, showing there is hope for the future. There is a contrast of colors in this artwork that symbolize what American is going through. The diverse colors prove that people of all kinds of racism can now be united as one. Being elected as the first African-American President is a very significant even in our country's history. Using many colors especially in the facial region is an effective strategy to prove that racism can be resolved.

Post #14 - Free Write - My Dogs

2008-10-30T20:14:00.007-05:00

Above is a picture of my younger sister Jenna, who is a freshman, and my three dogs. I love them all to death and miss them like crazy now that I'm at college. Above in the front left my english bulldog named Baxter. In the middle is our boxer named Zavier. And on the right is our american bulldog named Nellie. Even though she is the female, she is definetely the dominant dog which has created some heated and intersting dogs fights in our house. I am definetely a dog lover and prefer dogs over cats anyday. I have a strong passion for dogs because they are great companions who are always there for you. They're always there waiting to greet you at the door and willing to do anything for you. They will play all day and go on a jog with you no matter how tired they may be. They're always loving and can provide attention to you if you're having a bad day. I think everyone should have a dog of some kind, for they can be very enjoyable. One of my favorite things to do to my bulldog is actually pretty mean but he loves it and it's absolutely hilarious. I will occassionally take a slice of bread and smear peanut butter all over it. After I have the peanut butter on the bread, I press it up onto the top of the inside part of my bulldog's mouth so it sticks to the upper part of his mouth. He will lick and lick the peanut butter off the roof of his mouth for a very long time and it's one the funniest things I've ever witnessed. All in all, dogs can be very enjoyable pets and very fun to be around.

Post #13 - Free Write - Halloween

2008-10-30T19:54:00.009-05:00

For this free write, I chose the topic of Halloween because it's tomorrow!!! I'm very excited about it because it's one of my favorite holidays and it worked out perfect this year because it's on a Friday. That could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it because Halloween is often one of those nights where kids are always up to no good and looking for trouble. It's easy to get involved into mischief because it's easy to just put on a costume and get away with stuff at night when it's dark out, not that I've done that before but you get the point. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because you can always be someone or something else besides yourself. I think it's fun to pretend to be a superhero or monster or whatever people choose to be. If you use your imagination, anything can be fun. As a child, my most favorite part about Halloween was definetely the candy part. Getting as much candy as possible was always a challenge and competition between my friends and I. Now, Halloween is more about enjoying the holiday and dressing up and just enjoying yourself, and staying out of trouble of course. This year I have no clue what I'm going to dress up as, but I need to figure it out soon. Above is a picture of my little brother Sutton who is now 17 months old. He dressed up a little early this year and chose to be a cat I guess, haha. Hopefully this year's Halloween will be a very fun and safe time for everyone.

Post # 12 - Ethos - Sarah Palin

2008-10-24T07:59:00.012-05:00

In the Vice Presidential election, each representative or candidate was asked the question, "What promises, given the events of the week, the bailout plan, have your campaigns made to the American people that you are not going to be able to keep?" Both Vice Presidents used different tactics or strategies in rhetorical skills to attempt to persuade the audience. They used different methods to reach the people in a variety of ways. Using different appeals such as logos, pathos, and ethos, each Vice President is effectively arguing or debating their opinions and beliefs.

After Joe Biden's response, Sarah Palin opens up here argument by saying, "The nice thing about running with John McCain is that he does not tell one thing to one group and then turn around and tell something different to another group." By opening with the statement, Sarah Palin is able to effectively give credibility to John McCain using an etho. It is a rhetorical appeal that provides John McCain with credibility that he is responsible as a potential President. It presents him as an authoritve figure that can be trusted.

After speaking about John McCain, Sarah Palin uses a different approach and talks of herself. She once again uses ethos by noting about the energy plan, "You know what I had to do in the state of Alaska? I had to take on those oil companies and tell them that their mode of operation was wrong and that it was not going to continue." By providing the audience with this information, she is establishing herself as a very powerful figure who has a lot of control and authority. By using this ethical approach, the speaker's character is persuading, for she shows what she has accomplished at a position already as a leader. She's showing that she is very capable of being in a position at a level of high authority and control.

Additionally, Sarah Palin makes more statements of herself that shows the goodwill of her character. She furthermore presents information by quoting, "What I had to do was break up monopoly and say that the people are going to come first and make sure we have value given to the people. This can be considered an etho because she speaks of the goodwill she has a person but it may also be interpreted as a patho. It may be considered a patho statement because it also applies to emotion, for it directly relates to the people and it is a subject that the audience can easily relate to.

Finally, Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin uses ethos to wrap up her main points. She says, "I had to turn around those tax breaks as a governor of an energy producing state, which is my own expertise (energy)." She is showing that she is very experienced in the area of energy conservation, which is very important for she able to have even more credibility as a leader. Palin then claims, "I do not believe that John McCain has made any promise that he would not be able to keep either." This is a very bold statement that is an etho, for she is showing the reliability and trustworthiness that John McCain has as a potential President. It puts him in a very high position with a great amount of authority and control. Through Sarah Palin's Vice Presidential debate, there are various examples of ethos that she used to attempt to persuade and convince her audience.

Post #11 - Presidential Election

2008-10-14T20:46:00.013-05:00

On the third and final presidential debate, both candidates were asked many questions that allowed them to give answers to convince or persuade the American audience to vote for them as President. Very rarely, the presidential candidates agreed, which forced the two representatives to use rhetoric strategies to move and convince the audience. Through logos, pathos, and ethos, both Presidential candidates were able to provide concrete examples to support their beliefs and have an impact or influence on the viewers. The interviewer of the show asked both Barack Obama and John McCain, "Why would your vice president be a better choice of a respresentative rather than the other other candidate's running mate?" Both Barack Obama and John McCain were able to each give their own opinions and applied rhetoric skills.

Right away, Barack Obama answers the question by applying ethos by stating, "I believe that Joe Biden is one the finest public servants that has ever served this country. It's not that he has some of the best foreign policy credentials of anybody, Democrats and Republicans both aknowledge his expertise there." This is a very bold statements that uses ethos because it gives a great deal of authority to Joe Biden's character, for it proves that he is respected very well by both parties. It also presents Joe Biden with a lot of credibility, for Obama states that he is very well-known and familiar among politicans. After those statements, Obama begins to use a different style of rhetorics buy applying pathos to his argument of persuasion. He uses pathos by noting, "Biden fights on behalf of the working families and remembers what it was like to see his father lose his job and go down through a downward spiral economically. He has a consistent pattern that has been to fight for the little guy. It helps working families get a leg up." These are prime examples of pathos because Obama refers to an appeal that applies to the emotions of the audience. He uses a sad story from Joe Biden's life of his father losing his job because it is something that will affect the audience strongly because it may be something that they can relate to. And finally, by backing up these pathos of Joe Biden, Barack Obama backs up these examples with facts. He supports his previous statements by saying, "When it comes to helping working families, he has passed the Landmark 1994 Crime Bill and the Violence Against Women's Act." By backing up and supporting his statements with facts, Barack Obama is using logos to rationally argue his point. He is appealing with reason and attempting to persuade his audience by providing proof and evidence.

Right away, John McCain uses ethos to argue his point by noting that Sarah Palin is a "role model" to women and reformers all over America. By saying this, McCain is giving her a credibility and appealing to a character of authority. Furthermore, McCain uses rheotoric skills by providing facts of what Sarah Palin has done in her past as a politician. He says, "When she was head of the energy board, she saw corruption and resigned. She has given money back to the tax-payers. She's cut the size of government. She's negotiated with oil companies." Once again, by providing facts, McCain is able to use logos to make an attempt to persuade his audience through reasoning. He uses facts as proof and evidence. Finally, McCain makes some very clear points by using pathos. He notes, "She understands families with special needs. She understands that autism is on the rise. We need to find out what's causing it and reach out to these families and help them." This is a clear example of a patho because it targets a very emotional subject. He targets autism and families with special needs because they tend to have some sad stories and an emotional state that may be easily reached by the audience.

Post #10 - "Envision" Rhetoric Questions

2008-10-14T20:44:00.006-05:00

Chapter 1
1. Why are visual rhetorics so effective in persuasion? What elements of visual rhetorics are the most important on influencing or impacting the viewer?

2. In our everyday lives, how are rhetorics used to get a certain point across or make a persuasion in an argument?

3. What is propaganda and how is it used through visual rhetorics? How are the viewers able to "read" texts visually to understand the certain idea or point from the author?

Chapter 2
1. What are logos, pathos, and ethos? What purpose does each of them serve? Is one of these more beneficial or more persuasive than the other, and why?

2. Why are figures of authority sometimes considered to be persuasive or trustworthy? Should people rely on authority and base their opinions and reasoning on their credibility or should they be more cautious?

3. What is a fact? Are "facts" more appealing and persuasive to an audience in an argument? How much of a role do "facts" have in reasoning?

Extra Credit - Peter Gizzi

2008-10-10T00:32:00.006-05:00

"Objects in the mirror may seem closer than they appear." This title, from a poem by Peter Gizzi, really caught my attention to reflect on certain areas. He explained that its important to look more in depth at things rather than just seeing what it is. Gizzi noted that everyone should examine things in a detailed way and find their true meanings and what they stand for. When analyzing this title, the person is looking back on what is behind them in their rear view mirror. In a deeper reflection, it can be seen as someone looking back on their life and their history and what is left behind them in the past. Even though things have already occurred and are left behind, we may not realize how much they still influence us inour future. Our pasts have an impact on how we live our lives in the future through the decisions we make. This quote or phrase is very beneficial because it makes a point that examining your past is very necessary as a person. Sometimes we tend to ignore things from our past, maybe because we do not want to remember them for negative reasons, but it is still important to relfect and learn from those mistakes. Everyone should be open and willing to look past on their past so they can improve their futures.

Extra Credit - Man On Wire

2008-10-10T00:31:00.002-05:00

After attending Man on Wire, I noticed many incidents of content and form. The producers used many fimling techniques to exploit a certain topic or express something in an exaggerated way. They related many things to one another using different elements. For example, audio elements played a significant role in the movie. They would play clown music whenever Phillipe would ride around on his unicycle and juggle around town. Also, they played slow, sad violin and orchesta music whenever Phillipe's friends were interviewed to show the concerns and worries they had for Philiipe before he would attempt his tight rope walkings. Also, violin and orchesta music was also used whenever Phillipe performed his tight rope walkings to show the graceful and peaceful way in which he performed his stunts. It was almost as he was was performing an art from the way the producers made the scene appear. Also, music and audio was used when "Mission Impossible" music was used while Phillipe and his friends were hiding from the guards, which was used to create drama and suspense. Also, in order to show how dangerous tight rope walking truly was, the directors of the movie used very unique camera angels to show the extreme heights. Camera angels were used clear from airplane views and looking down to attempt to frighten the audience. And finally, an element that the directors and producers used was interiewing each person. This gave the viewer a first hand experience of what truly occured and presents real emotions and feelings. There were many elements in thise movie that were exploited to express content and form.

Post #9 - Memorial Stadium

2008-10-06T23:18:00.053-05:00

For anyone who has ever grown up in Nebraska, they know what Husker football is all about. They also know of the historic Memorial Stadium.

I slowly stepped foot into Memorial Stadium on a cool Saturday afternoon and I could not believe my eyes. The bright sun shined down on the magnificent view. There were people everywhere, scattered in various seats dressed in bright red clothing with much excitement and anticipation in their faces. Thousands and thousands of people stood in the crowded gateway. There was a great deal of activity occurring throughout the stadium, causing my adrenaline levels to rise rapidly. It was a red sea of people as every fan in the stadium proudly wore the red Husker clothing. There was not a single empty seat in the whole stadium. The pearly white helmets of the players glistened from the bright light received from the sun in the clear blue sky. The distinct, structured lines on the field were vividly painted on the field, dividing the yard lines on the short green grass. The endzones on the field read “HUSKERS” in a dark red with thick whites lines bordering each letter. As the players run around and practice before the big game, the cheerleaders are very active on the sidelines. They yell through their large white megaphones chanting “Go Big Red! Go Big Red!” As they cheer on the football team, there is an unlimited amount of excitement in the people’s faces.

Everyone is standing, side by side, crowded. There is no room. It’s very tight, almost clostraphobic. Even though there is no space, my mind is still able to wander and reminisce about the tradition of Husker football. The writing above each part of the stadium reads 106 All-Americans in large, bold, strong letters. These words stand out from everything else, causing me to wonder of the importance for which they have on Husker football. They make me realize how much history has taken place in this amazing stadium, causing my heart to beat even harder. I started to remember all the success Nebraska has had on this field with the five national championships that they won. Every young boy that has grown up in Nebraska has once dreamed of stepping onto that field while wearing the red jersey with pride. These thoughts and emotions were constantly running through my head, for the atmosphere in the stadium is untouchable.

The game is finally here and when the bright yellow numbers on the clock near zero, the tension raises in the stadium, for the game is about to begin. Everyone is turned toward the enormous tunnel vision screen. It is gigantic, almost covering the whole top part of the north stadium above the bleachers. Every single person is tuned into the screen to watch the traditional tunnel walk video and listen to the highly inspirational music. On the screen they show the players walking from the locker room onto the field. Some players are obnoxiously jumping all around while others are walking very slowly while strongly locking hands with firm grips. There is a great deal of focus and determinism in their faces, for they know what this game means to the state of Nebraska and their fans. As I listen to the loud, blaring music from the loudspeakers, my excitement is uncontrollable. My heart beat is off the charts and my mind begins to wonder if I will even be able to make it to the start of the game, for I cannot stay still. There is a chant that is unbearably loud as each side of the stadium yells a phrase. The west side of the stadium begins yelling, “HUSKER!” while the east side of the stadium follows by replying “POWER!” The chants continue for almost several minutes, building the intense atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the game eventually comes to an end and the people around slowly exit the stadium, causing the red sea to dissolve and drift away. There is hardly anyone left, as the seats in the staidum appear to be bear and naked. What was once a loud and ferocious stadium of noise is now a silent, peaceful place. The aisles are completely empty now as plastic bottles and trash fill the rows that were once full.

I began to wonder how 86,000 people were able to cooperatively cram into one isolated area and then leave in such a short organized fashion. When the stadium is full, it is considered to be the third largest city in Nebraska behind Omaha and Lincoln. This strange comparison makes me think about all the people from all around Nebraska that travel and venture to this well-known stadium. This joyful scene showed me that regardless of who you were outside of Memorial Stadium, that everyone was one big family that united to support the Huskers on Saturday afternoons.

As I see everyone join together in the notion of a community formation, I begin to question, "What does it mean for people to join in a community for a certain event, yet be so different from one another and come from such different siutations?" I think of everyone and how diverse they are, how everyone has their own occupation and own lifestyle. I think the aspect of a community is very evident at Memorial Stadium, and that unity signifies a great deal. It means a lot to the whole state of Nebraska, for it shows what kind of people live here. I feel that no other place has the type of people that are present at Memorial Stadium on Saturdays, for the companionship and friendship is indescribable. Even though everyone is so different and so diverse, it still amazes me that everyone can unite together just for a game. That's all it is, really, is just a game. It is meant to be fun. It is an odd situation for me and sometimes hard to understand how people take it so seriously, yet the answer is simple. I feel that the tradition of Husker football provokes people to rally around each other and it continues to consistently bring people together. I also start to question what makes Memorial Stadium so attractive and what is it that continues to bring people back every weekend. Is it the actual football game? Is it the atmosphere of the staidum? Or is it just a social event for families and friends? For me, the answer becomes very clear to me. Memorial Stadium has showed me that football is just a game and meant to be fun.

Experiencing Memorial Stadium is something that I will for never forget, for I know what this place truly means to the state of Nebraska. Everyone is so passionate and faithful to Husker football and it is an amazing site when thousands of strangers across the state can come together and have such a strong interest in common. It makes me realize that the unity that is involved in Memorial Stadium is something that I have never witnessed before. The experience will always be with me and the history of Nebraska football will never be forgotten. I notice that dreaming of becoming a husker football player still exists in my mind and always will. Furthermore, I realize that it never hurts to dream and have hope either, for I learned that the imagination can bring you happiness in many ways. Even though the game is over, I realize I am already excited and cannot wait for the next football game at Memorial Stadium.

Being able to watch the Husker football players is almost like a dream come true for me. Watching the players on the field makes me think of the many memories I had as a young child. Those days as a child dreaming of once becoming a Husker football players are still with me. I notice that even though I am older, I still possess those childish dreams. Memories of playing football everyday with my friends and dad outside are still clear to me this day. Dressing up as a Husker football costume on Halloween and pretending to be your favorite player was a typical memory that reminds me of those past dreams. I start to wonder if every other boy that grows up in Nebraska has these same dreams of playing football for Nebraska and playing at Memorial Stadium. For anyone who loves sports or football, how could they not want to play in an unbelievable atmosphere such as Memorial Stadium and represent their state of Nebraska?

Growing up, everyone tells you that you can become whatever you want to be as long as you follow your dreams and goals. In my early years, the dream of playing for the Huskers was in my mind everyday. Now that I am wiser and more mature, I realize that becoming whatever you want to be is certainly not true because reality comes into play and not everyone is capable of becoming their desired profession. Although, I think that even though it may seem negative, it certainly does not hurt to have those dreams and always have hope. Maybe everyone should think like a young child and not consider reality as a factor? I consider this strategy because I remember when I was younger, there were no worries. There was no one telling you that you could not achieve something. As a young child, you had big dreams and followed them because that's what you truly wanted. As I reminicse on these past memories, I realize that I need to start living my life in a childish way by thinking and dreaming without any worries. I feel that everyone should live their life and be passionate about whatever they enjoy doing. Everyone should always have hope with nothing holding them back as if no one is there telling you that you cannot do something. Everyone needs a place such as Memorial Stadium that reminds them of their passions and dreams as a child. Whether or not you once imagined yourself wearing a red jersey and playing at Memorial Stadium, your dreams and hopes should never be forgotten.

Post #8 - Cubing Exercise

2008-10-06T23:17:00.012-05:00

1.Generalizing: consider what you have learned from the event or experience that will be the occasion for your reflections. What ideas does it suggest to you? What does it suggest about people in general or about the society in which you live?

This experience has showed me that no matter where you are from or even if you're strangers, everyone can still have an interest or something in common. It also showed me that if everyone can come together and unite as one, it can be a very powerful image.

2. Giving examples: illustrate your ideas with specific examples. What examples would best help your readers understand your ideas?

The main idea is that there is a lot of passion and tradition behind Memorial Stadium and Husker football. The statue of Tom Osbourne and Brook Berringer is a specific example of the history behind Husker football. The "Sea of Red" in the crowd of people with red shirts symbolizes the unity by the Husker football fans at the stadium during a game.

3. Comparing & contrasting: think of a subject that could be compared with yours & explore the similarities & the differences.

A similar event would be another sporting event. A Husker football game is at a very high level of competition and an extremely high level of expectation. A high school football game for example would be similar for it is the same level, but the size of the event would be dramatically smaller.

4. Extending: take your subject to its logical limits & speculate about its implications. Where does it lead?

Memorial Stadium has been around for quite awhile and has served as the place for Husker games for a long time. It signifies Husker football and the tradition and history of the success the football team has had in the past. It holds a relationship between Husker football and all the Nebraska fans and the passion between the two.

5. Analyzing: take apart your subject. What is it made of? How are the parts related to one another? Are they all of equal importance?

Parts of my subject include the stadium as a whole, the football players, cheerleaders, people in the crowd, the food concession stands, and the statue. They are all related but they each have their own purpose or identy. For example, the statue symbolizes something and the people are what create the atmosphere in the stadium. They are not of equal importance, but they each have their own significance in some way. The stadium as a whole is the main focus and serves as the most important.

6. Applying: think about your subject in practical terms. How can you use it or act on it? What difference would it make to you & to others?

A football game is something you could use for lesiure time or personal entertainment. If you enjoy sports or football, or just love being in a great atmosphere around a very large number of people, then a Husker football game would be a perfect activity. It can be used as a social event between others and is something that can bring people together.

Post #7 - Michael Phelps

2008-09-30T20:14:00.007-05:00

Michael Phelps is not just an Olympic athlete, he is an American icon. At the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Michael Phelps won a world-record eight gold medals. It was something that was unheard of and have never been done before. The way in which he completed this amazing task was quite a journey. He was a part of several relay teams that won three golds and the rest of the gold medals he won were individual events. He set world records in seven of the eight gold medals that we won, and the one that he did not set a world record in, he still set an olympic record in that event. In the 100 meter butterfly race, Michael Phelps won by the smallest possible margin. He was able to claim a victory by an incredible .01 seconds. Phelps was outstanding in the 2008 summer olympics, for he finished above 14countries by himself in the medal counts. He currently possesses 16 gold medals, the most ever by any athlete. Michael Phelps has not only changed the sport of swimming just through his performances in the olympics, but he has represented the United States of America in a great deal of positive ways. He is now an American icon and a role model to numerous people. Even if you do not enjoy watching sports or don't have any interest in them, his success at the olympics will go down in history forever. The olympics is a tradition that is highly celebrated worldwide. Countries have a lot of pride in their countries and take the olympics seriously. America was fortunate to have an individual like Michael Phelps represent our country in a very positive way.

Post #6 - "Savin Me" by Nickelback

2008-09-28T23:51:00.006-05:00

This music video, "Savin Me" by Nickelback, has a lot of hidden meanings in its content. In order to fully understand this video, it is imporant that details are focused on. The video begins with masses and masses of people walking around a city. It seems to be very cluddered and busy. Every person seems to be worried about only themselves and is on their own path to go where only they desire. They seem to have no concerns about anyone else and not friendly at all. In the beginning,a man in a trench coat rushes over and pushes a man out of the street and makes him avoid an oncoming car. The man who was saved in the video seems very confused and not comfortable, almost as if he feels out of place. He is very, very interested in everyone walking and he observes everyone and looks above their head. He's very intrigued at this, but the viewer is now aware of what he is looking at. The man is so interested that he even grabs some of the people and touches them. Whatever he is looking at above the people's head seems to stress him out as he sits on benches and shows very worried facial expressions. He seems very urgent and in a rush, for he is pacing and moving around constantly. At 1:51 in the video, the man notices orange numeric numbers above every person's head. These numbers are a dial that appears to be counting down. Then, at 2:40, the man notices an elderly woman on a stretcher being carried into an ambulance. At 2:50, the man then noticed that the numbers from the elderly woman being carried into the ambulance had expired and reached zero. After this incident, the man continues to walk around observing everyone's numbers. At 3:45 in the video, the man notices a woman getting into a car and he rushes over to her. He then violently grabbed the girl and pulled her away from the taxi cab that she was intending on getting into. After he pulled her away, a momument that was in a large crated that was likely attatched to a crane, fell out of the sky and landed right on top of the taxi cab that the woman was about to get in.

After viewing the content of the video, it is very evident that there is a great amount of symbolism in this video. As you reflect upon this video, you have to make a lot of inferences and assumptions. First, you have to assume that the man at the beginning of the video saved the other man in the street for some reason. You have to make an inference that there was some reason or some way that he could sense the danger and knew there was an oncoming car. Also, you have to assume that whatever is above the people's head must be very important. Toward the first half of the video, you don't know what those numbers stand for. Then as the woman dies in the ambulance, the viewer is finally able to figure out the meaning and symbolism of the numbers. The most important and strongest part of the film is when he saves the woman at the end. This is definetelty the most important element of the video because the man was able to apply what he had experienced and learn to something else. He was able to recognize what those numbers symbolized and saved the woman. I felt the producers did a very well job of using symbolism in this video and relating it to the lyrics for they state, "Say it if it’s worth savin me, Hurry I’m fallin". In this video, the other people are the helpless ones who are falling and are relying on other people to save them.

Post #5 - "Truth"

2008-09-23T20:14:00.003-05:00

I'm sure you have all seen the commercials on television from Truth but have you really stopped and really thought about the message that they are trying to get across to you? These commercials provide their viewer with stunning statistics that are used to capture their viewer. They use a style that is very unusual, unique, and different. There is not even a single word said in this whole commercial. They make a point against tobacco in this video by just using auditory and visual effects. The loud noises build up as the video goes on until all the people collapse. Once the people collapse, the silence comes into play. This content of the video is significant because it is a technique used in filming to get a message across. Once it is silent, the person holds up the sign so the message is clear and evident. These are the types of videos and commercials that are society needs to start paying closer attention to and take action into their own hands. Serious issues, such as this video against tobacco, are effecting people in many harmful ways. I really enjoyed the part of the video when the man flips over the sign and the question asks, "Ever think about taking a day off"? The sign was directed toward a tobacco comapny people that is responsible for killing 1200 people a day. I felt that it was the strongest point in the whole clip, for it is a very bold question to ask, as the question is putting much of the responsiblility into the companies. This brings up another issue or question, are the companies ultimately responsible for all these deaths or is it primarily the consumers fault, for they were the ones who purchased their own tobacco. These are questions that people should be curious about and question society everyday if changes are desired.

Post #4 - "What I've Done" by Linkin Park

2008-09-19T22:00:00.008-05:00

This video, "What I've Done" by Linkin Park, is more than just a music video. As most music videos are designed to entertain or perhaps be funny and humerous, this video has a definite purpose to it. It contains has a main point and deals with a lot of serious issues. As the lyrics state, "I'll face myself to cross out what I've become. Erase myself and let go of what I've done." In this video there are various issues that have negative impacts on the world. For example, 1:15 into the video, it displays a disturbing image of a man that is obviously going under starvation. Furthermore, at 1:55 in the video, it presents footage of the Ku Klux Klan and what they represent. Then, at 2:00, images of Hitler are featured, as are many more negative problems that the world has faced in its history. Linkin Park chose these clips and pictures for an obvious reason. They wanted to make a strong point and a clear statement that there are a lot of harmful and saddening incidents that have gone on, or still going on in society. Their lyrics quote that we need to "start again and let go of what we have done." When analyzing this video, it is important to look at both the video elements and the context of the lyrics. Both relate to each other, which ultimately create a strong message. There are many different ways to reach an audience and music videos have proven to become more popular in addressing issues to the public.

Post #3 - Michael Jordan

2008-09-14T23:21:00.003-05:00

For this post, I have chosen a commercial video from the Michael Jordan clothing brand. The video or commercial is for advertising purposes and intended for all audiences. Labeled as "Frozen Moment" commercial, the producers used advanced editing skills to emphasize certain images, such as the shoes that they are trying to sell. Furthermore, the video is intended to entertain the viewers and let them enjoy the commercial. I chose this video for several main reasons. First of all, I began searching for videos related to Michael Jordan because he was a role model I had while growing up as a child. In this commercial, it presents Michael Jordan as almost a heroic type of figure as the people stop whatever they are doing at the time to stop and watch him on the televsion screen. This is a key point in noticing the type of figure that the producers are trying to get across to the viewers, especially from an advertising or marketing point of view. They want to present Michael Jordan as a very inspiring person and persuade the audience to have desires to be like him and wear that clothing brand. Next, I chose this video because I felt it had outstanding visual elements. The video does an awesome job of playing certain scenes in a slow motion to catch a certain detail. Additionally, the video does a very good job of transitioning into a faster pace and playing certain scenes in a fast motion such as when he makes a spin move toward the basket. Also, it is very important and significant to notice the type of people that are taking the time to watch Michael Jordan on TV. The viewers are of all ages, from young children to the elderly, both men and women, and all types of different cultures and lifestyles. This is a very key detail because it shows how much impact Michael Jordan has as a worldwide figure in the sports entertainment industry. And finally, the auditory elements of the video also play an important role. The slow, spiritual type of music with no words makes you focus on the him as a basketball player rather than listening to the words. Again, another important auditory element is the way the commercial ends. Once Michael slam dunks the ball into the hoop, the commercial ends with a loud and dramatic "bang", leaving the viewer at the climax point.

Post #2 - Diagrams

2008-09-10T21:43:00.004-05:00

Diagrams can be very helpful learning tools in the virtual enviornment. Drawn or illustrated as a figure, these pictures can provide information that context of writing may not include. Diagrams function as a visual aide and can vary in many forms. They may be simple and consist of a series of lines and arrows, or be very complex and have confusing drawings. The diagram I chose to the right represents a model of the human brain. It identifies each lobe or part of the brain. The picture is able to identity each area by the lines that connect the words to the selected or intended structure. Also, it is important to notice the color that divides easy section, making the diagram or illustration easier to read. This diagram's purpose is to fully be intended as a learning device. It provides detailed information about something that is not common. The illustration is not meant to have any humor or entertainment, it is focusing on providing useful, educational information. Furthermore, the original context of this diagram may have came from a medical book. The original context is significant, because it is easier to understand the diagram's purpose if you know where the diagram originated from. When analyzing a diagram, it is essential to notice detail. This diagram is not extremely detailed but the labels that is contains are very, very important. If the labels were re-arranged or mixed around, the diagram would be pointless and useless. It is key that each label fits its own spot and has its own purpose or representation. Diagrams relate to writing because they provide information to someone. They may not contain context or words, but they still have a message or point that can be relayed to the viewer. Once again, diagrams can be very helpful learning tools in the virtual enviornment.

Post #1 - Quote

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

"Essays take their tone and momentum from the explicit presence of the writer in them and the distinctiveness of each writer's perspective. That makes an essay definetely subjective-not in the skewed, unfair sense of subjectivity, but in the sense that essays are conversations, and they should all have the naunces and attitude that any conversation has." (Atwan: 24)

-Susan Orlean

I chose this quote by Susan Orlean for several reasons. She states that an essay should be related to conversation. This is a bold statement and I completely agree with her 100 percent. The tone of the writer should be very evident and easy to identify. It should be what the writer's personality is like and how they feel about that certain topic or subject. She explains that newspapers rarely generate great essays because of this problem, in that newspapers lack a strong tone of voice. The reading is not attractive and does not fully capture the reader's attention. Newspaper articles are meant to be objective and informative, but this example or comparison provides more help in what is expected or required to put together a great essay. Once again, this quote by Susan Orlean shows how important voice and tone is in an essay. It is very vitale and ket to capture the reader's attention from the very beginning. If the writer is speaking through their own personality, they will prove to the reader that they truly care about the subject, which will therefore made the essay more enjoyable as a reader.

Test Post

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

Test Post