ENG 001: Language & Writing

Francis Bacon

2008-12-22T01:46:00.001-06:00

If a History Channel documentary spawned a love child with blogger.com you would have the exact style that this documentary is framed in. Informational at all times while still keeping an abstract tone this biography of Francis Bacon both entertains the viewer while still educating them on the topic. While watching this documentary I cannot help but feel that I am reading a blog entry with every intrusion of a clip being the click of a hyper link. The clip being that of moving cars, animals, trains or even people wrestling. These clips seem to have almost nothing to do with the story that is being told but they do invoke a certain subconscious emotional response, for example, during the painting segment when clips of the hawk and cheetah where both thrown in to evoke an idea of urgency. At the sudden site of those predatorial animals it causes the viewer to become a bit startled which causes adrenalin to be released then causing the viewer to yearn for what comes next. From this point on the frame of the biography changes, we then see Francis Bacon enter the gallery to be interviewed. The interviewer however seems to focus more on what Bacon’s opinion on other artists are which is a bit of an odd twist considering the biography is about Bacon himself. While odd the interview flows smoothly and continues to frame the story well.

In this segment we see a lot less of the “random hyperlinked” segments of the program that we saw before in the first segment. However in this portion I took more notice to the lighting of the first interview. The shadowing that was just an effect from the projector really made me pay more attention to that of the actual slides because when they weren’t shown the screen was more subdued and softer, primarily using shades of black and blue. But when the projection was shown I had more to take at and look in, I even felt that I was listening harder and really soaking in what they where saying about that particular piece. During the seg-way to the next interview they cleverly made the door seem as if it where one of his paintings even though in a way it is. He said himself that he uses the space around him to create art and he must live in chaos to do so. He even said that it was an “abstract picture.” When Bacon stops discussing his work studio and why he likes to keep it chaotic during the time passage of 5:03-5:14 we hear the faint sounds of the forest playing. This I believe is used to evoke a pathos charged response from the viewer, we hear these calming soothing sounds that completely juxtapose the images that are being displayed, this could either be to calm to viewer or to possibly give the air of birth of creativity which is often associated with sounds of nature.

At this point I just realized that the large paintings of his that where displayed where purposefully superimposed into his workshop this was probably done to show the piece of work in its natural habitat. During this segment a photographer comes into the studio and seems to surprise Bacon and the interviewer with several snaps of his camera. This brilliantly segways into several photographs some of them in color but most in black and white, among the photographs pictured one is of Bacon, perhaps this is done to have the viewer correlate the artist as a piece of the art. Later during another montage the documenter begins correlating black and white photographs with their painted counterparts in most cases striking similarities arise. But the documentary doesn’t give us any time to actually examine the photograph that is shown. It only gives us a brief image to take in the shape of the subject because that is what Bacon uses when looking at these photographs not the subject but the shape.

During the beginning of this segment Bacon begins discussing blood and the “horror images” seen in his paintings and I noticed that in his actual interview in the café, whether or not this was on purpose there was a lot of red in the frame, in the back ground there where two red cars and a red van, in the foreground they where both drinking red wine, there was a reddish purple flower sitting in a vase on the table and even Bacons face is gaining more red tones (probably due to the wine he has been drinking.) During this interview the normal style of framing that the documentary has established up until this point has been changed again, the segways are no longer as smooth as they once were; they are simple black-outs then fade-ins. Even the handling of the camera has become jerkier this could be due to Bacon’s BAC though. At the end of that interview the scene suddenly changes to a drinking club that Bacon frequents and the many shots pictured are all of different areas around the bar but they all have deep rich tones of red or gold, the colors that Bacon himself seems to prefer.

In the beginning of this segment there are many shots of the bar goers but none are as pictured as much as the rather flamboyant man in the begging. This could be because of the many lines and shadows that seem to dance and play across his face. Or possibly because he is the most animated individual in the bar which is quite a feet considering he seems to be completely stationary during all of the shots he is pictured in. Among most of the chatter that we hear as the scene plays most of the only distinguishable noise comes from either him or Bacon. When the scene changes from the crowded and sociable bar scene to the more somber and subdued one on one discussion the color of the scene even subtly changes. Many of the rich vibrant colors such as the reds, brasses and golds leave and are replaced by more somber Greens, blacks and just a few golds. In addition to the lack of color in the interview, we see that the backgrounds of the paintings pictured are completely black. We then cut to shots from Bacon’s favorite casino which is rich with both life and vibrant color such as many rich greens, reds and golds. Then in the last few seconds of the segment an interview with Bacon starts up again, this is when we see a definite contrast with colors. The entire background is red except for the lamps which are a shade of gold, which has a routed color of red. But Bacon is dressed in a blue scarf and blue suit the complete and polar opposite of red.

In the beginning of this final segment the interviewer begins discussing with Bacon why he gambles and his opinions on that matter and as he answers they space out his responses with that of fast paced shuffling around the roulette table, which in turn creates a sort of sense of urgency or haste that is often associated with the fast paced world of gambling. I have already discussed the use of red within this scene earlier but I believe that it ties in with Bacon’s discussion of violence and animalistic urges within his paintings that people often see. Within this entire documentary Bacon’s main focus and what he enjoys talking about most is his use of shadow, shape and color. These methods are used through out the film in order to convey his particular school of thought and artistic style and they are very effective in making the audience think.

The Whole of My Life is Worth More Than the Sum of its Parts

2008-12-20T04:15:00.002-06:00

Little Boxes By Malvina Reynolds

Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds was inspired by a Californian suburb that is completely indistinguishable from any other suburb in all of the United States, and because of this I find this song bears a great resemblance to the area in which I spent the majority of my teen years. The city of Bellevue has the honor of being the states third largest city at 50,000. However the city like all of the cities in the area shares a border with Omaha that is completely indistinguishable to the naked eye, so as everyone in the area of Omaha is concerned, it’s all really Omaha. But Bellevue does have its own distinguishable features that make its core identical to the clip. Like all suburbs, every house is the same; all of the neighbors seem perfect, white picket fences line the lawns which border the streets named after the trees that once stood there. The blood of the American dream never cease to course through the veins of every person living on one of those “ticky-tacky” blocks. However a key difference between these houses and my own is that I live in an apartment complex which sits near a neighborhood on a landlocked island apart from all of the other “ticky-tacky” places. Though I grew up outside the world of the “ticky-tacky” I was still surrounded by it and it has impacted the way I see my life.

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Megalomaniac by Incubus

This video opens with a surreal skyline of a city that is tangled with barbed wire and thorns; throughout the rest of the video we see several other images such as planes, troops, oil, the American eagle and “Jesus Saves” signs. This to me is a strong reminder of Omaha where I spend most of my time when I want to get away from the suburb of Bellevue and its inhabitants, which is all the time. Omaha is a large city with many towering sky scrapers that seem almost surreal, especially when they are compared to the rest of Nebraska. Among the many buildings and pretty scenery that much of Omaha wishes to cover up there are many underdeveloped sections of town that have been left to sit and no attention or money has been spent improving these rundown areas of town which within this video is represented by the harsh jagged thorns and wires that run through the city. Because Offutt Air Force Base is so close to the area Omaha is largely influenced by the military along with the Christian right so it isn’t uncommon to see several American flags and “Jesus Saves” stickers depending on the area of Omaha you are in.

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New Soul by Yael Naim

Through out this video we see several landscapes depicted the majority of which being marsh type lands which remind me of a place that is very dear to my soul. Louisiana, though these depictions are nothing like that of the Bayou state, it still reminds me of the place I call home. Especially the relaxed fun of just floating on the river with friends in inner tubes playing music it reminds me of several rainy day’s on the back porch over looking the Bayou when we would just lay back and make jokes or maybe even sing just to pass the time. Toward the end of the video we see what was Yael’s apartment become a floating raft on the river drifting to an unknown destination which is reminiscent of the many occasions in which I or someone else would drift by on a boat or something that floated with friends laughing and having a good time. This is what embodies the State of Louisiana for me.

Womanizer by Brittney Spears

Womanizer through the video and the song tells the story of a woman being treated as nothing more than a mere object by a man and how she is viewed by him and many of his colleges. Through the video Brittney dawns three different costumes and seduces this man until she ultimately destroys him in the end. There is a small clip in here that reminds me of my mother of all people, during the office scene when Brittney is walking down the isle as a sexy worker being completely eye raped by this man it reminds me of how difficult it is for a woman to make it in the corporate world. My mother just like most woman is overly scrutinized and seldom taken seriously just because of what lies in her swimsuit area. It seems that in the real world many men expect woman to just be there to carry out their fantasies much like many of the women in this video.

Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sun Screen) by Baz Luhrmann

Baz Luhrmann’s Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sun Screen) originally written by Mary Schmich and titled “Advice like youth, probably just wasted on the young” is my favorite essay of all time and it reminds me of my closest friend Bailey Vaughn simply because she is happy and content in her own skin. Within the video we see several people dancing around, kissing, hugging, laughing, smiling, moving and enjoying themselves. Through many of the inspirational talks I have had with this young woman together we reached a mutual epiphany that allows us to be comfortable in our own skins, there was no specific conversation that brought this on but a mixture of beliefs and thoughts that just swirled around until it finally changed my life for the better.

Masquerade from Phantom of the Opera (movie version)

Masquerade is a ball room scene within Phantom of the Opera in which all of the party goer’s dawn masks for a themed costume ball. The hosts of the party decided to get members of the Opera Company to perform at the ball to liven the party up and create a spectacle. That within itself reminds me of a great love in my life Theater, without it I don’t know what I would be doing but I know it couldn’t be nearly as fun or meaningful for me. It reminds me of theater simply because of the theatrical elements that are the costumes, lights, masks, music and dances. Within the clip we also see several mischievous characters stealing bottles of alcohol and smuggling them into the back where the “back stage people” are having a party of their own, which seems to be much more fun than the actual party itself. This is another element that is true to its real life counter part. All of my best memories within the theater are not the ones that happen on the stage before an audience but the ones that happen backstage with all of your friends within the department just goofing off and dancing around.

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I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ by Scissor Sisters

This videos strange nature complete with; odd noises, floating body parts, odd blinking gizmos and few fires has all of these elements in common with my one prized possession, my 1993 award winning (numba one stunnah) Ford Tempo affectionately named Diego. The first thing that I noticed about this video was the many floating heads and other various body parts detached from their rightful place floating around yet still working, this reminded me of my heater that is strapped to my dashboard and hangs their only by hope and duct-tape. Or the hazardess box of wires that dangles just on the top of my left foot while driving which controls my turn signal, much like those floating body parts all of these items are unattached but by some anomaly still continue to work. Within the video there are several odd blinking gadgets that float through out the back ground this also seems to be the case in my “sweet ride” in between the two seats there are two small lights that say “emergency seat belt release” and when a lever is switched these lights begin to blink and “ding” however like the gadgets in the video this device also serves no purpose seeing as how the automatic seatbelts are no longer there and I am forced to suffer through the state of the art lap belt. Another unique feature this video has with my prized possession is they share the unique trait of having the whole of the object worth more than the sum of its parts.

My infatuation of bilingual carbohydrates

2008-12-11T14:45:00.001-06:00

As I writer I see myself as a comical observationalist taking moments and events from my ordinary life and extrapolating upon said events to the point where even the most mundane trip to Wal-Mart becomes an exciting endeavor in which most people interested in a good time would wish to feast their eyes upon. Where upon further examination a tale of love for “Dora the Explorer Spaghetti-Os” becomes an infatuation of bilingual carbohydrates where the reader is magically transported to a wonderland of tomato substitute and Riboflavin all brought to you by the wonderful people at Campbell’s food all for the affordable price of .87 cents on the dollar. I feel that I have grown as a writer through practice and taking time throughout my day to just sit down and let my thought flow out of my body on to some tangible piece of media. Whether or not my actual “voice” has gone past the stage of the awkward not quite falsetto not quite baritone point I cannot say, I feel that my voice has always been there but I just haven’t taken the time to sing aria’s with it.

Through taking this class I have realized that the greatest writing appeal I use is pathos. While I don’t necessarily tug at the heart strings I try my darndest to get the reader laughing in order to get my point across simply because if the writer is entertained then their writing reflects that and people only want to read something that is interesting and because writers are narcissistic people who love to hear their own worlds arranged methodically to a beautiful melody that will forever play among the ears of their readers they do their best work when interested in their own topic. Therefore I believe that “good work” is a piece of work that is interesting to the author because a writer shouldn’t pander to an audience, that is not where the secret of being successful lies, a writer or any artist for that matter must pander to themselves while leaving wiggle room then an audience will come.

Tales of from the fish market

2008-12-08T10:25:00.002-06:00

Tales of teenage debauchery and tom foolery litter the memories of most college students, I am no exception to this rule, this can be seen by the many artifacts from random escapades I have lying around my room, weather it is the smirking lawn gnome, or the statue of Saint Francis found at a convent in western Nebraska all of these items have an interesting tale and personal memory attached to it from a night that I will never forget with close friends. But the jewel of my collection is not a statue or decoration but a mere street sign.

Hanging proudly in my room is a two foot by fifteen inch metal sign that on its plain white back ground with read lettering reads “Fish Market Parking Only Mon. Thru Sat. Until 6 P.M.” On the white surface there are many cuts and scrapes along with yellowed patches scattered about the face of the sign. There are two holes, one that rests at the top of the sign and one mirroring it at the bottom. The holes are speckled with rust which is a product of having been exposed to the elements for several years. The sign was daringly rescued from a fish market located in the old market of Omaha Nebraska, it’s quite the coveted piece of art work, I can count on more than two hands the number of friends I’ve had who told me they tried to steal this very sign, but luckily this piece of Omaha rests securely among my other belongings that I am able to sit back with and reminisce in the great stories I have from accomplishing such feats, while reveling my many dusty old memories.

Something from the homeland

2008-12-05T23:12:00.001-06:00

Among many of the treasures I have collected from random people who have weaved their way in then out of my life is a four inch in diameter woven cloth with a black bobby pin clasped around the fabric. It’s a perfect forest green colored circle with red and yellow thread creating beautifully hand crafted patterns within the tiny Yarmulke. This beautify piece of work was given to me by a close friend who I had done many shows with at the Rose Theater in Omaha including several touring shows based out of the children’s theater. While visiting Israel she passed a cart of hand crafted intricately woven yarmulkes when she came upon one that really caught her eye and decided to purchase it for me. Which to me not only had great significance to me because it was something a close friend had thought enough of me to purchase, this tiny Kippah represents much more than that to me, it’s a symbol of the common heritage that we both have that serves to bind us to a common ancestor, all the way back to Abraham even if you believe the stories.

Diego the prodigal son

2008-12-03T23:56:00.002-06:00

When you ask most people what color their car is you expect a primary color such as red blue or maybe even orange, but if you were to ask me, I would have to say salmon because it’s not deep enough for red and not bright enough for pink, it truly is salmon that statement alone basically sums up not only my relationship with my baby Diego but also Diego himself. Sun bleached and battle scared from his sorted past on this earth he stands about four and a half feet tall with a gaping hole on the front ride side of his body just behind the tire. The boxy frame while one of his more welcoming features cannot compare to the warm and homie expansive interior that you can only truly experience if you enter one of the two luxurious doors. The upholstery is mixed and tattered gray cloth that has that dusty feel of a Goodwill couch. Which complements the ceiling well with its unique color that can be described as a mix between gray, green and tan. The ceiling itself is a masterpiece to rival all other structures, it is what I call the Sistine Chapel of the automotive world, the ceiling is so delicate that the lightest touch will puncture a hole in the padding, so it has naturally been decorated by many of the passengers who have had the honor of riding in the luxury vehicle that is my 1993 Ford Tempo. Yes the Ford Tempo with the famous automatic seat belts which are so safe that the car comes equipped with an emergency release lever in case of emergency. But you needn’t worry about that if you have the pleasure of being in my baby Diego because mine had to be removed by hand. But if you’re in the least bit nostalgic of those safety straps you needn’t fear because the metal loops to which they where fastened still hang at head level so in the event of an accident your head is softly cushioned with this metal safety device. However if you are one of those people who insist on always wearing a seat belt you can still ride in my car because it still has the ever lovable lap belt, which if you happen to be of the female variety and you’re in my car when an unfortunate collision happens you will most defiantly soil yourself.

To Die For

2008-11-28T18:13:00.011-06:00

To many people living in the “western world” genocide and ethnic cleansings are things of the past that haven’t been seen in this world since the atrocities that took place in WWII. We know however that this is not the case, since WWII genocides have been taking place around in countries such as Rwanda, Cambodia and Bosnia just to name a few. One of the most recent being the genocide in Darfur.

To understand the conflict in Darfur you must know a bit about the complex history of Sudan. By the late 18th century Darfur had grown into a multiethnic empire, its armies reached east to the Nile, and it controlled most of the trade of Africa along with Egypt.

In 1874 an Egyptian army conquered Darfur. In 1885, a Sudanese rebellion led by a religious leader known as the Mahdi, expelled the Egyptians from Sudan and proclaimed the area Mahdist state. A Darfurian Arab, Abdullah al-Taashi, succeeded the Mahdi as the ruler of Sudan from 1885 to 1898. Within those thirteen years disruption, bloodshed, and famine ran rampant in Darfur for the first time in the nation’s history.

Mean while, European countries were in the “Scramble for Africa”, building colonial empires on the continent through military conquest. Britain, which had occupied Egypt, became focused on defeating the Mahdist state to expand its colonial possessions. In 1898 the British army defeated the Mahdists. Uninterested in Darfur, the British initially recognized the Darfur sultanate, but later assassinated him in 1916. Darfur was officially incorporated into Sudan, which resulted in ethnic and regional tension in the area. Under this government Darfur was neglected and had the poorest health care, schools, and infrastructure of any part of Sudan. This situation continued after Sudan gained independence in 1956. Attempts to build a unified Darfurian political platform were repeatedly thwarted by ethnic and political divisions among Darfurian leaders. Distinct Arab and non-Arab ethnic groups emerged in the early 1980s.

The conflict in Darfur started when a civil war in neighboring Chad spilled over into Darfur in the 1980s. A Chadian warlord militia sponsored by Libya retreated into Darfur in the late 80’s, after the Chadians drove Libyan forces out of Chad. This Chadian militia formed an alliance with Darfurian Arabs who had little to no resources due to a severe drought. A shortage of water and farmable land led to increased conflict between the nomadic Arabs and the settled non-Arabs. The well-armed Arab alliance, which became known as Janjaweed. Launched attacks and raids on farming communities. Those communities then developed militias of their own.

The Sudanese government failed to address the issues of poverty, drought, and resulting famine in Darfur. Which led to more conflict over the limited resources in the area which in turn resulted in heightened grievances over the government’s longstanding neglect of the region. During the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, discontent grew as the government failed to provide basic security for villagers, while backing the Janjaweed. The Janjaweed which brutally attacked non-Arab communities. Well armed fighters, pillaged and burned entire villages and massacred inhabitants. Janjaweed operations were well coordinated and synchronized with air force bombings. Several gruesome and bloody wars were then fought in the area.
According to the most recent statistics released by the United Nations the death toll has reached 200,000 but most estimates put the number closer to 400,000. But most agree that over 2.5 million people have been displaced due to this genocide. At this point over one third of the population of Darfur is living in refugee camps where contamination of water supplies and rape of women and young girls is prevalent.

Many artists around the world have spent countless hours working on projects to help spread the knowledge of the conflicts in Darfur. One group, Fabrica has done an excellent job in doing just that through their group exhibit called “To Die For.” This group consists of Piero Martinello’s “Africa Map Ketchup”, Daniel Streat’s “School Children”, “Child Soldier’s” and “Darfur Two Heads”, Priya Khatri’s “Ipod Head” and Ann Nam Young’s “Couple in Bed”.

The artist-activist group takes images of western culture and contrasts it with that of the war torn Darfur. These visual depictions have a direct appeal to Pathos and evokes such a strong emotional response that it is sure to shake most people to the very core of their being.

In Ann Nam Young’s Painting “Couple in Bed” we see two adults one male and one female sleeping peacefully in a bed with the female cuddling a small child and the man holding a teddy bear as a small dog is sleeping at the edge of the bed peacefully. In direct contrast to this peaceful heart warming moment we see on the out skirts of the bed many “Darfurian” bodies twisted, mangled and starving to death sprawled out across the space and underneath the bed. This painting out of the seven, in my opinion, does the best job evoking pathos because it directly relates to most people viewing it. Most of the people seeing this painting have a nice comfortable bed that they call their own at the end of the day and see this as a common universality of the world. It is only until they see a direct comparison to what and how they sleep juxtaposed against how many of the refugees in Darfur rest.

In the rest of the exhibit the group makes great use of it’s choice of materials, this can especially seen in the two pieces of work “Ipod Head” by Priya Khatri and Piero Martinello’s “Africa Map Ketchup.” In “Ipod Head” we see a man in his mid to late twenties shirtless with his head wrapped in ear buds presumable Ipod brand. On the right side of the picture just below the middle, we see a woman’s hand holding a white cord. Whether she is wrapping or unwrapping his head is left to the viewer to determine and make their own conclusions from that.

Or in “Africa Map Ketchup” by Piero Marinello we see a sculpture that indisputably resembles the continent of Africa, with a red splotch of ketchup where Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia and Egypt lay. He may have chosen to put the ketchup in that particular area because of the conflict in that region. Or because of the “Scramble for Africa” when much of Africa was being divided up or “eaten” by many European countries. Whatever the reason may be Marinello allows the viewer to reach their own conclusions and have their own discussions on the matter.

The Temptation of St. Anthony

2008-11-10T01:57:00.001-06:00

Paris for president

2008-11-05T23:26:00.002-06:00

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

I know that it's after the election but I just find this video to hilarious to pass up.

The video opens with a parody on McCain's smear add against Obama win which he accuses Barack of being too much of a celebrity to lead our country while showing clips of Paris Hilton and other such starlets. After the sequence we see Paris sitting pool side on a lawn chair in a typical “Paris style” bikini soaking up some rays. In the course of the video she decides to accept the idea of running for president. She even goes as far to offer a surprisingly smart idea for an energy policy, which she holds off on saying for a bit because she needs to find the perfect place to tan and, “loves it.” She makes a few more snarky remarks in the rest of the duration of the video and then closes with the not so typical statement, “I’m Paris Hilton and I approved this message because it’s totally hot.”

Looking outside of the world of just this video, the folks at funny or die had made quite an impact after releasing this video. CNN did several stories covering McCain’s smear tactics and even touched on the thought of celebrities getting political. On a personal note I never heard the Republican Party complaining when Sarah Palin was labeled a rock star.

Don't vote...

2008-11-02T23:58:00.001-06:00

This video has a simple construction in the sense that it uses a plain white back drop and just has many people appearing on the screen with mainly improved dialogue. However through it’s simplicity it has a powerful message. It uses the “star status” of Amy Adams, will.i.am, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, Halle Berry, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Connolly, Courteney Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Jonah Hill, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Kiedis, Ashton Kutcher, Adam Levine, Laura Linney, Eva Longoria, Tobey Maguire, Demi Moore, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Ethan Suplee, Kyra Sedgwick, Michelle Trachtenberg, Usher, and Forest Whitaker to try and coax people into voting and registering to vote. However if anyone who watches this video wasn’t already going to vote without having celebrities tell them to do so are they really the people we want voting anyway?

This public service announcement was created by Leonardo DiCaprio, will i. am, Tobey Maguire, and Forest Whitaker in an attempt to get young people to vote and was very successful and was able to get hundreds of thousands of people to register to vote according to their own records. A second PSA released by the same group brought up the issue of one vote not counting but then soon brought up the fact that 537 votes determined the last president. That blew me out of the water so I decided to do a bit of my own research. That is .0000017% of the total American population that decided they wanted Bush over Kerry and that .0000017% made that impact on history.

Questions

2008-10-16T12:46:00.003-05:00

Envision 1

1. Do you belive black and white or colord comics are more effective? Why?

2. The author says that sometimes it takes a combination of text and picture to make an effective comic. Think of one instance where this is true and one where it isn't.

3. Do you belive that a policical comic can still be effective if writtin in a different language than one you speak? Why or why not?

Envision 2

1. Which do you belive is more effective Logos, Pathos or Ethos?

2. In a Public service announcement about drunk driving which is more likely to be used?

3. Give an example of an effective use of False needs.

Rough draft 1 or "Everyone gets a free Louis Vuitton bag!"

2008-10-08T04:07:00.006-05:00

My car is not your typical “stunning ride” it actually fits in a class all its own, it’s a “vintage” 1994 Salmon Pink Ford Tempo who’s engine doesn’t need to “purr like a kitten” it instead warbles like a walrus. But the minute my baby Diego’s sweet warbles began to sound more like the death rattle of an ostrich that had a chicken bone lodged in its throat I knew that something had to be done.

I then took my “pimping ride” to the local Wal-mart, because what else says low quality necessities at reasonable prices than Wal-mart? After parking my chariot in the designated yellow “maintenance zone” I walk into the auto garage. Looking around I see two cars lifted into the air so that their undercarriage is exposed to the world, it sent shivers down my spine to think that my baby would be shown so indecently in public. Beneath the cars exposing their under bits where several “grease monkeys” all wearing matching blue onezies or jump suits as they’re known to some. All of the mechanics had the same build in those less than form fitting attire, it was nearly impossible to distinguish a man from a woman except by their voices. Across the entrance to the main building separated by the two hoisted cars was a three tier wall of tires, which if it were to collapse sending these rubber giants reeling may seem comical at first but in the long run just more destructive. The only thing separating my self from the chaos of the oil stained garage floor was a chain link fence standing around four feet high. I then placed my hand on the grimy door handle to hear a “buzzing” noise to let me know the door was now unlocked.

I immediately stepped into the lobby of the auto department inside Wal-mart and instantly noticed the central air, although it didn’t exactly feel as if I was standing on a mountain top with the wind blowing through my hair it did offer a nice change from the grime and filth that penetrated the air in the garage itself. Next to the portal of oil and sweat stood a waist high service desk complete with cash register and retail worker. Behind the desk dweller was several large blue posters indicating the prices for several goods and services offered in this particular department. Obviously this was a time of day that many cars break down for there was a very large line, I guess next time I won’t underestimate the staggering drawing power of the Wal-mart automotive department. But all Kevin Smith references aside the line was rather formidable. The inhabitants of this mini linear community where a colorful bunch indeed. Standing at the front of the line was a woman possibly in her early twenties wearing large gold hoop earrings that said her name, tight blue jeans rolled up at the bottom, white KSWISS shoes with a large puffy tongue, and this entire outfit was toped off with the classiest feature of all an airbrushed white t-shirt that said “Venezuelan Pride” with a basketball for the background probably purchased at the mall from a quaint airbrush kiosk.

Behind her was a man approximately in his early forties, standing at about 5”7, with a noticeable but not horrible comb over. He wore a light orange checkered shirt tucked around a protruding belly into a pair or light khakis, his attire suggested that he had just gotten off of work at a white collar job and reminded me of many of the people I would see at my work, when I still worked in retail also known as hell.

Towering over this man was the behemoth of a woman standing in front of me. She had long mousy dirty blonde hair that fell onto her back like weak and brittle straw but still remained wispy. She wasn’t necessarily an overly tall woman, she may have been around 5”9, but it wasn’t her height that made her intimidating. She may have weighed around 240lbs and had the look about her that she could knock you down and take you out if need be. I tried my best to avoid eye contact.

Behind me I noticed a small waiting area containing, two empty chairs (which oddly resembled the dark blue one that came with my dorm), an oval table and a rather old TV mounted onto the wall. The “idiot box” was playing the latest episode of Oprah and just as she had finished giving out designer purses to the audience when I realized it was finally my turn to get my bundle of joy the attention it so sorely deserved. I approached the minion of the auto department who seemed gremlin like in his stature and mannerisms; he couldn’t have stood more than 5”3 and had the type of beard and arm hair that suggested he was hairy all over and may live beneath a bridge. Not to be thrown by his appearance I confidently stepped forward and said, “I need an oil change for my car.” He then responded, “It will be about an hour and a half long wait and $26.34. Is that ok?”

I then weighed my options very carefully, on one hand I had spent what was at least the better half of an hour on this whole excursion and what felt like the better half of an afternoon but if it weren’t for catching Oprah’s grand give away on her show it would have seemed like a waste. But on the other hand I really didn’t feel like spending an entire hour and a half waiting on my “little muffin”, let alone shelling out the $26.34 for something I can attempt to do for free, after all there where important things to do and naps to take.

After carefully consideration on the matter I politely said to the hob-goblin, “Oh, I don’t have that much time.” He then politely glared at me for wasting his time and scoffed. But I took solace in knowing I could reach the top shelf of most kitchen pantries and he couldn’t without the aid of a step ladder.

I then turned and proceeded to leave the quant little abode I called my home for a half hour, grasped onto the cold gray grungy handle, heard the familiar buzz and opened the doorway to grime, filth and loud noises then soon after opened a second door leading to the outside world. As I strolled back to my beloved off color vehicle I couldn’t help but reflect on the happenings of the day. I then began to realize how much humor truly helps me cope with what would normally be a bleak and dull chore and how smiling at things can truly help to make the world a brighter place, or at least your world a brighter place.

Blog Post 7

2008-10-06T00:02:00.002-05:00

In the video I chose we stars a very popular character from The Muppet Show, Beaker other wise known as professor Honeydew’s assistant. The screen is split into six sections and we see Beaker in each square singing a different part of “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s 9th symphony. The video starts with one Beaker starting off the metronome and singing the first part. Then later he is joined by three other singing Beakers, a Beaker playing the timpani and finally a violinist Beaker. After one full run of the song the Beaker in the top center square hits a high note causing his glass to shatter. That intern causes the bottom center Beaker to jump and bump the metronome speeding up the song.

Once the song is sped up this causes many of the Beakers to go into a speedy frenzy of comical chaos. The top left Beaker is being shaking by the bottom left Beakers timpani as the bottom right Beaker begins to fiddle so fast that his violin catches fire and the smoke from said fire begins to alarm the beaker directly above him. At that point the top center Beaker who was still freaked out by the shattering glass runs into the top left Beakers square and out of frame, the other Beaker soon follows suit, then their screen goes dark. Finally the Beaker in the bottom right screen catches fire and he to runs out of screen hitting something causing a lamp to fly in screen hitting the center bottom beaker knocking him out. As all of that happened the bottom left beaker throws a timpani stick and runs out of screen. Then sitting in total darkness the lone remaining Beaker tries to turn the power back on only to electrocute himself in the process.

In the Heights

2008-09-14T23:43:00.001-05:00

The video I chose is the 2008 Tony Award performance of the hit new Broadway musical “In the Heights” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda which took the 2008 “Best musical” award from the Tony’s. The story takes place in one of Manhattan’s predominantly Hispanic communities, the story itself has many main plots or story lines so I will just out line a few. The main character (the guy who starts the song off) dreams of opening a bar back home in the Dominican Republic, Nina (the woman with long dark hair) is in love with Benny (the guy in a white button up and black dress pants) but her father disapproves of their union because he wants his daughter to continue her education at Stanford even if he has to sell his business to finance her, meanwhile their friend wins 96,000 in the lottery (prompting a musical number.)

Why did I outline all of this instead of just analyzing the video? Well sometimes you have to delve deeper into a story and do some research in order to properly understand the true message the video is trying to convey, for example you cant just grab someone from Budapest, sit them down and show them this video and expect them to understand why 96,000 would mean so much to a community like theirs, they would need to know some sort of back ground of the group.

What I enjoy about this video (other than the amazing performance) is the message Lin-Manuel is trying to convey, that he wants a musical or stage show that tells the story of another culture that you don’t see a lot of on the stage and it even does so in a style of music completely different to what regular theater goers are used to.

Blog post 2; Ultimate Hamster Fighting Machine

2008-09-11T11:56:00.002-05:00

I chose this picture to demonstrate that not all diagrams are required to have an academic backing but they can also be used for humor. Though comical in nature it still serves all of the purposes of a diagram, it gives you a breakdown of the final product, materials required and how to properly use the product. In addition to those things it also includes; ways of dealing with uncooperative supplies, a helpful trouble shooting guide and a demonstration of a rambunctious group of kids enjoying their “Hamster Fighting Machine.”

True this diagram has limited real world application (unless you compete in ultimate hamster fighting) it does demonstrates that diagrams can be used for a multitude of things, whether that use is demonstrating the inner workings of the human cardio vascular system or to teach you how to construct a vicious rodent. A diagram as a learning tool serves a great purpose especially in writing, it helps to give us a complete breakdown of what it is we are analyzing so that we can look at each part piece by piece as opposed to looking at the big picture and getting lost in the grandiose of the writing.

As writers we must be careful when taking a diagram out of its original content because we run the risk of ruining the integrity of the message you are trying to display if the diagram is improperly used or not sited correctly. In addition we must be consciously aware of the true meaning behind the diagram and the original author’s intent, especially when getting this information off of the internet. For example, if you are trying to compare the genetic structure of different races and you slap in a diagram composed by a white supremist the message you where originally trying to convey suddenly has a completely different meaning.

Test Post

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

Test post.