All done?!

Last post?! Awesome. One class down, four to go.

Thanks you for the time and effort you put towards this class :)

By the way, Jayme Walshire says hello.

An ad that beats the rest..

The advertisement that I have chosen was printed in several different publications. It features the Ultra Thin MacBook Pro. I relocated it online after remembering it from Time magazine. The target is wide because the ad is so simple it can be used in different publications without changing it.

Layout is important

Elements of an effective layout expands on the idea of 6 main characteristics; balance, proportion, movement, utility, clarity, and emphasis. All of these are very important in evaluating the design of an advertisement. the ad I chose strongly succeeds in balance. The ad is almost perfectly symmetrical . I think they are all equally important but proportion is probably the first thing someone notices. They may not realize why an ad is off, but the sizing of different pieces of an ad can make a huge difference.

Democracy of Goods

This article is reasoning that advertising reaches people to convince everyone that they can own any product. Although some budgeting may be expected, eventually anyone can own the same quality products as those of wealth. This is a factor in todays advertisements; producers are seeking to reach a wide demographic of people to get them to buy their product/service. Targeting specific demographics are common, but usually they are aiming to reach more than just one kind of person. I talk about this a bit in my paper, that the ad i chose is simple so basically anyone and understand the selling point.

Advertising!

Now this I can talk about !

Lately, I've been really fond of the Chevy branding commercials. A specific model is never mentioned, but they do a really good job of expressing a feel for their brand. They have used history as a selling point, that they have been around for generations. In one of the more recent commercials, they use photographs placed in the view-frame of the same place they were taken. This helps link the past to the present.

Another commercial is one I found online when I was looking up visual metaphors, its pretty intense so you should check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82kYQ7j7X2s
They never said a word, but it gives me chills.

In contrast with any really good commercial, there are always the duds. In keeping with the car theme, the Toyota commerical where they have many people forming one giant person is one I hate! I'm not sure why I dislike it so much, but its just weird. Also, those obviously low budget "Go back to college" (or something) commericals where they have someone singing or rapping about going back to school. Those are just annoying.

Peer Editing

I used the checklist to cover all the point in peer editing, I also spent a lot of time going through and making edits within the text.

I never received Patricia Phillips paper.

Essay Summary

My paper is trying to persuade non-believers that ghosts are real. I covered the history of the ghostly encounters all the way back to ancient Egyptians and to more modern native Americans. I included evidence that has been found in different locations, and the tools of the trade that help find the evidence. I covered the counter arguments of "de-bunking" evidence and proving that what they are presenting is real, non-edited evidence.

Works Cited

Balzano, Christopher. Ghosts - Research, Evidence, and Discussion. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ghostvillage.com/>.

Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. <http://dictionary.reference.com/>.

"Ghost Photographs." GHOST RESEARCH SOCIETY. Dale Kaczmarek. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ghostresearch.org/ghostpics/>.

Ghosts & Spirits Ghost Pictures, Apparition Pictures, Angel & Ghost Stories. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. (Image 1.1) <http://ghoststudy.com/>.

"Native American Ghosts." Ghost to Coast. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ghosttocoast.us/nativeamericanghosts.htm>.

"The Top Ten Best GHOST PHOTOGRAPHS Ever Taken." The Knight Shift. Christopher Knight. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. <http://theknightshift.blogspot.com/2005/10/top-ten-best-ghost-photographs-ever.html>.

{Style}

This reading provides us with a lot of reminders to think of while we're writing. Several of them make me think about my writing, and how I can apply these tips.

• Overwriting
• sometimes I feel i get a bit wordy, or add in unnecessary text. When I review my paper later, I usually delete a lot of information I don't feel needs to be included. 
• Shortcuts for the cost of clarity
• As far as explaining things effectively, I have to remind myself that I have to explain things as if the person reading does not know. I've done the research so I know what I'm trying to say, but the reader doesn't. 
• Revising and Re-writing
• I have to admit this is one of my biggest  flaws. I hate rereading my papers and i usually don't change them that much when I do. If I don't have a peer editor of some sort, my papers usually don't get edited. I really, really need to work on this. Its odd, because I actually really like editing other papers, I just never want to do my own. 

Once upon a jail cell...

Within this letter, MLK jr was addressing the other church leaders who have criticized his actions. He only wished to explain his motives and why he felt so strongly that what he was doing really was the right path to success. He addressed the people to whom he is referring, he addressed the problems at hand, and he respectively addressed the church.The piece of writing had a lot of voice in it. Even if were were not familiar with this man and his successes, he would know that he had a passion for what he was working for. The tone of this letter was not angry nor sad, but strong and urgent. 


I feel this letter was very effective. Never took much time in mentioning why what other people are doing wrong, but primarily stuck to why he felt what he was supporting was right. Spending too much time listing faults of opposing views becomes distracting, and because he avoided this kept me as the reader focused in on his purpose. Today, the length of his letter would probably have inhibited his message because our ability to stay focused has shortened, but for his purpose I don't believe the length hurt one bit. Especially because of the conclusion he included. 


For his use of logical fallacies, I believe he used name calling. It's more in a positive manner because he references a handful of past leaders and quoted them about taking a stand. He also may be using a bit of Hasty Generalization with his assessment of how people feel towards him or his actions, how the colored population saw themselves, or about the lack of the church's support. Some of his generalizations may have been based from fact or experience, but it sounds like he could have over/underestimated certain situations. He balances the ethos, pathos, and logos parts of his arguments very well. You don't ever feel overly exerted onto his personal moral framework but you can understand his emotion. Also, he backed his information with facts. 


This provides me with a good example for my persuasive essay. this piece demonstrates how a paper can be written and reflect morals, emotions, and logic all at once. 

Fallacies

Bandwagon : Everyone is doing it, so why shouldn't you?
      --> This is exactly where fashion trends begin. One of the latest observable trends were hair feathers, they were huge this summer. I began noticing them in magazines and in fashion images long before the summer, but that is when I really began seeing people I know wearing them. Particularly at the pool I worked at this summer, I was able to see the trend grow through this very technique. The first week the pool opened only a few of the girls were sporting this new trend. I knew how much it cost to get these feathers put in, but i also knew how to get them cheap and put them in myself. I never wore them personally, but I made a little bit of extra money by offering them to the other guards. The first week I started I put feathers in one girl's hair, after 5 weeks I had done the same to nearly all the female guards, and one of the male guards too. I heard several "well, if you're going to get them, then I will too," and "did so-and-so get one? Okay I will too." Yup girls, jump on that bandwagon. I'm not free of this, I loved my ugg-style boots.

Either-or: suggesting there are only two choices in a complex situation
     --> Either you clean your room, or you're grounded! That's one I heard a lot. To my mother, those were the only two options, but I'm pretty sure I heard this a lot more than I was ever grounded, and my room was never clean. For one reason or anther, the outcome many times was not what she argued.

Hasty Generalization: a broad claim based on a few occurrences
     --> I'm from a small town and I feel this is how to explain why each town has another small town that they just don't like. The town I'm from has a particular feeling towards every other nearby town. Ex. We don't like town A because they are all snobby, we don't like town B because they are all really dumb, and town C is just a bunch of ridiculously rude people. Obviously, these statements are not true but that is how it is generalized possibly because of singular occurrences or people.

{ TOPICS }

After much consideration, these are a range of topics I have come up with:

• ·         Why to eat breakfast
• ·         Why athletes should not be paid so much
• ·         Why ghosts exists
• ·         Why elective/cosmetic surgery should be avoided

df

       I feel these topics could provide a range of arguments. The breakfast topic may fall into your 'duh' category so I'll probably not choose that one. It's almost Halloween season so maybe all the horror movies will put me in the mood to write about our transparent friends. 

Opinion matters..

I always seem to be those "ah, that's what I should have said!" moments after some kind of argument or debate of some kind. When I'm driving or something and going over the conversation in my head, that's when the brilliance hits, just a little late. Sometime's I'm on point though, and say exactly the right thing to win or convince.

There has been plenty of times I've had to try to hone in my argument skills to get others to see my way, or convince one way or another. Group projects always seem to be a situtation you can see this happening. People disagree on how things should be done, and there is always banter trying to get things settled. One project in particular I remember was just last year in an Advertising class, I had a idea I had to convince others of and eventually we ended up using it, and it turned out great. So that is one of the successful times I've put my argumentative skills to use.

Clear as Dirt

just kidding, its a little better than that.

Muddiest point:
        This is a bit confusing to me because if you are picking a product and trying to convince others that they should be using it, isn't that the same as arguing a position for the product? I might have some trouble choosing a topic.

A bit more clear:
      I understand choosing a topic that isn't just for or against. Choosing a product or something else that there could be many views on provides a larger base for details and arguments.

Notaro..

 "There is a box of Twinkies in that grocery store, not just any box of Twinkies, the last box of Twinkies that anyone will enjoy in the whole universe. Believe it or not, Twinkies have an expiration date. Someday very soon, life's little Twinkie guage is going to go...empty." - Tallahassee, Zombieland


Okay, back to the narrative... 

• The introduction told us of how he was chosen for this task and why he needed to do it. It was necessary to the story to explain all this. The first line is quite grabbing. Especially "it was my turn." That grabs your attention because it's a bit daunting. 
• this is definitely a singular event, he only references past events that are specifically related to the story. 
• He gives some good description that makes you see exactly what he is describing, I could picture it all perfectly. 
• The dialogue was well used, it helped make understanding the characters much easier. 
• The fact that he is helping a slightly crazed relative could probably be relate-able to most people. I know I've had to help my grandparents on the farm in some pretty interesting situations, but I don't think any were quite as memorable as this would be. 
• this was really just a recollection of an event. The author doesn't really describe how that has effected the person he has/had become. 
• It provided a humorous ending to the anecdote, but it wasn't enforcing a moral or understanding the story. 

Back to the fishin' hole.

• The author begins the story by recollecting the first summer he had spent on the lake in Maine. This provided a strong basis for the rest of the anecdote. We know he felt fondly of the vacation place and would explain why he so easily, this would explain why it was so easy to slip back into old memories. 
• The author speaks of specific, relating times within his life. Beginning with a family trip with his father, then a fishing trip with his son. 
• yes, the author includes solid details so as a reader, I can picture the environment very well and imagine how the place felt and smelled. 
• We don't really learn any specific speech or dialogues, but we do understand the bond between the characters. 
• The author reminisces the events from his childhood summers and compares them with the changes that have taken place to make the area into what it is now. Somethings have become more modern, but other places are just as overgrown and hidden as before.
• How the author feels towards the place is obvious he had fond memories there as a child. By  taking his son there, he is able to experience the trip from a different point of few, but falls back into his old memories and the separation between his son and himself blurs. He writes of how he starts to see through his sons eyes, flashing back to his own childhood. These descriptions allow us to understand the differences he now feels. 
• The conclusion was yet another instance that the father, living somewhat vicariously through his son, felt as if he were the young boy. He felt the chill of the wet clothing the boy was wearing, through memory. 

Parlez-moi plutôt un jour

• The introduction is grabbing because he speak of himself going back to school at a later age. If makes you interested to see how he is dealing with this obstacle. Although, the listing of the places that he now has access to is somewhat random. 
• The writer is focusing on the experience of the first months of his French class in Paris. This is a short time-lined experience, not his whole life story. 
• He gives minimal details, leaving you to create your own image the teacher. 
• He uses lots of quotations for us to better understand what parts of the insults and conversations he does and does not understand. This helps us understand the embarrassment that follows when the instructor says things to him that make him feel badly, even though he doesn't know what she is saying.
• We've all been embarrassed because of some academic flaw or mistake and some point in our lives, therefore it is easy to be empathetic towards him as he struggles through his lessons. 
• Others included in this essay help reflect the troubles the author is also having. The people and the events in this story-line help build towards the significant ending where he is beginning to understand language he has been working so hard to know. 
• The conclusion provided just lets us know that his hard work is beginning to pay off. So yes, the conclusion reinforces the story that told us of his hard work at learning a new language. 

Sentence Structure.

Sam got in her car and drove to the mall. She went to the shoe store where she bought a pair of boots and a shoeshine kit. Sam went to the food court where she ate a burrito that had onions and peppers on it. She saw a cute boy at the pretzel stand and blushed when he looked at her. The boy came over to same, but he wrinkled his nose when she said hi. Confused, Sam said hi again but the boy gagged. Sam ran to the bathroom and cried. Before leaving the bathroom, Sam put on her new boots and shined them. She confidently walked out of the bathroom to find the boy. Sam told him he needed manners, and then used her new boots to kick him. The boy fell as she walked away and out of the mall. 

Revise, Revise, Revise.

Check-check-check it off.
--Summary Revision Checklist

1. Through a variety of pressures, students are becoming overwhelmed. This is a simple statement, but it reflects the authors ideas.
2. I detail a bit of the author's background and knowledge as to provide a basis for his understanding of his students.
3. The main points of this article are the four main pressures that face students today. I recognize each in a separate paragraph with explanations of each. I do feel I have reflected the authors idea in an unbiased way.
4. I feel as if this is organized in a similar matter of the original article.
5. I believe the thesis is accurate. I conclude the essay by including a direct quote from the text and wrapping up the discussed ideas in an effective way.
6. correct grammar!
7. I try to vary my sentence structures to keep from getting too repetitive.
8.I did use direct quotations, but only twice. I felt they reflected the points well and were concise.
9.There are only third person references.
10. It meets requirements.

** I do wish I had paid more attention to the MLA style format, because I know that I did not meet these requirements before submitting. I realized this afterword, and I wish I had double checked this beforehand.

[ Courage is grace under pressure ]

Economic Pressure + Peer Pressure + Parental Pressure + Societal Pressure + Work Pressure = migraine pressure.

Which have I experienced? How about them all. I'm a full time student, with big time loans. I have three jobs. I try to keep up with my parents expectations, as well as graduate and get a job like everyone expects. Meanwhile trying to keep up with all my friends. Balance isn't easy, and isn't really happening. But that is how it goes. College is chaotic, but I enjoy it this way. A boss of mine explains it something like this; there is good stress and there is bad stress. The good stress is well, good, and the bad stress isn't so good. Things can be stressful but it leads you to become more driven, more succesful. But when the stress gets really bad, it can cause you to shut down. Well, its something like that. After four years you'd think I'd have it memorized.
     He has a point though. The pressures will gang up on you, but you just have to handle them in stride. Letting things overwhelm you will become counterproductive and just lead you down a darker path.
      When the pressures of everything build up for me I try to just step back and look at the big picture. I'll get through it, it might not be easy, but I will. I like to tackle things one-by-one so I can check them off a list. (Checking off the last thing on you to-do list is one of the best feelings. Yea, I'm kind of nerdy sometimes. I also have a thing for post-it notes. ) Sometimes the pressures get to be too much, I have failed a class before because I couldn't keep up with anything. I wasn't happy, but it taught me better time management. Good comes out of the bad, at least that is what I like to think.

x = failure.

     Strange thing is, I used to be really good at it. I used to be one of the best in my class at it. I didn't mind it, it all made sense. Then one stormy day it all changed..

    Okay, it wasn't that dramatic, and it definitely didn't happen in a day. More like a semester. The 'it' of my woes : algebra. It was a bird course through elementary school. Add this to this and now you have that; easy. Middle school wasn't bad either. High school is where the troubles began. New school, new problems. They say when you're bad at math it's because you missed something, that there is a gap. Well I suppose that is true but I didn't know where my gap was. Eighth grade I was good, ninth grade; not so much. I like to blame the teacher. I had her freshmen year and again my junior year where I vowed never to take algebra again. I still think the only reason I passed that class was because my teacher wanted me out of the room. Unfortunately college didn't allow me to keep that resolution and I had to dig my calculator out and try again. And again, and again.  Hopefully this time when I'm done, I'll really be done with it. I'd like nothing more than to never bother with inequalities again. Luckily I get a better grasp on most of my other subjects, and if I don't then studying more often usually does the trick. Algebra is my ongoing problem. Perseverance is the key, right?

To keep or not to keep a notebook, that is the question.

     When I was younger I tried on several occasions to keep a journal, but it never seemed to last more than a couple weeks. I always liked the idea of keeping a daily journal of some sort, but the commitment just never stuck for me. In Joan Didion's "On Keeping a Notebook," she wrote of her surroundings and observations, less of her own actions. One specific line that caught my attention was "..." Where she explained that sometimes she didn't feel her life was exciting enough to write about so she embellished, or even made things up. We all probably feel this way sometimes, and that might be why most attempts at journals don't last. 
     Why keep a notebook of some kind? Free writing allows you to express yourself in any way you please. You could write of your daily life, write of observations, write short anecdotes. The beauty of this is that it doesn't need to be anything specific or have any definite structure. A person can write for themselves, as an emotional release. It's therapeutic to release feelings. 
     The idea of the traditional journal/notebook is changing. Nowadays, a blog may be more common to a person than a physical notebook (although I think that physical writing can be a large part of expressing yourself). Blogs allow people to reach others on a more specific basis. If a person wants to write of their struggles with a loss of a loved one from 9/11, then they will join a blog dedicated on that subject. This allows people with the same interest and needs to connect. Social networking is also changing the idea of this concept. Between Facebook and Twitter, a person can let out short tidbits of their feelings or news to everyone they know. This is probably the farthest away from the original purpose of a notebook, but it is still allowing a person to write out their feelings. They could be vague, hidden in quotes or lyrics, or specific with not-so-subtle rants filled with symbols to represent their frustrations. Authors of the classics would cringe at today's use of the written word, but it works for us and it's not changing anytime soon. 
     Keeping a notebook is generally for the writer, and the writer only. Does this make the act narcissistic? No, i don't believe so, because the writing is for personal expression and its probably not meant to be seen by many others. Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites that allow people to post whatever they like. Users will take advantage of this and post every little move, mood, or thought in their daily lives. Is this a bit narcissistic? Yes, I believe it can be. Nobody really cares that you have gotten a route 44 from Sonic or just took a nap. 
     The reason for keeping a notebook, journal, or blog varies. A person does with them what they need to. Whether to express themselves, to keep track of events, or just rid themselves of their random thoughts, its up the author. 

A bit about me..

To kick of this blog, I should let you know a bit about me. I am a senior at Washburn University. Originally I had planned to study physical therapy, but I ended up in Mass Media as an Advertising emphasis and I love it. I just kept taking classes I liked and wanted to take, and it led me here. I am a full time student, and between three jobs I am almost a full time worker. Currently I lifeguard at a couple of the YMCA's in town as well as instruct a lifeguarding course once a month. I also work at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. On Monday's if you stop by I'll be up in the loft from 2:00-4:00 and at the desk from 4:00-6:00. Finally, I also work as a photographer for the Washburn Review. I just started a Media Internship at the Helping Hands Humane Society. My life has gotten pretty chaotic lately but I am enjoying it. I can already tell my last year at WU is going to speed by, but it will be well worth it.