I don’t think that it is ‘odd’ per say because almost everything, especially electronics, adapt and change as time changes and people are always looking for the next best thing or something new. Also people want to be able to do everything in as little time and as fast and easy as they can and being able to text or email or go online and send people messages straight from a cell-phone saves people a step. Also when I was younger I didn’t understand what the letters on the phone number buttons were for and now to me it seems as if they serve more of a purpose.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Responses to Billy Collins Questions
Question: "Why did you make the metaphors difficult to interpret?"
Response: The poem seems as if it was written for a laugh and to me was exactly supposed to make sense. Starting right from the title, Billy Collins is already telling the reader that the poem is going to be tedious and a receptive series of metaphors. However I feel that Collins didn't just make up random metaphors, it seems like he is trying to prove a point of how ridiculous he feels the original poem was.
Question: "By making this poem are you trying to criticize the original poem or is it for a different reason?"
Response: I think that Billy Collins wrote this poem with the intention that the reader would laugh at his ridiculous metaphors. I don't know that he was exactly trying the 'criticize' the original poem, or maybe he was, but I thought that he was trying to joke around. He started and ended "Litany" with the two lines from the original poem and it seems to me that....
Question: "Do you believe your rewrite of this poem was better than the original poem?"
Response: I don't know that Billy Collins poem was necessarily supposed to be better than the original one, but I think he was trying to make a mockery of the original. It also seems as if Collins was trying to prove a point by using ridiculous metaphors in "Litany".
Response: The poem seems as if it was written for a laugh and to me was exactly supposed to make sense. Starting right from the title, Billy Collins is already telling the reader that the poem is going to be tedious and a receptive series of metaphors. However I feel that Collins didn't just make up random metaphors, it seems like he is trying to prove a point of how ridiculous he feels the original poem was.
Question: "By making this poem are you trying to criticize the original poem or is it for a different reason?"
Response: I think that Billy Collins wrote this poem with the intention that the reader would laugh at his ridiculous metaphors. I don't know that he was exactly trying the 'criticize' the original poem, or maybe he was, but I thought that he was trying to joke around. He started and ended "Litany" with the two lines from the original poem and it seems to me that....
Question: "Do you believe your rewrite of this poem was better than the original poem?"
Response: I don't know that Billy Collins poem was necessarily supposed to be better than the original one, but I think he was trying to make a mockery of the original. It also seems as if Collins was trying to prove a point by using ridiculous metaphors in "Litany".
Thursday, February 24, 2011
"Apple's iPod: I've Got the World on a String (Shaped Earphone Chord)"
6 Reasons Why It Moves Me
1) I like how you summarized what an iPod really symbolizes in one word "simplicity"
2) It shows a lot about our culture how the iPod is constantly changing and updating to conform to the wants and needs in todays societies.
3) You make a good point about the "trademark white earbuds that signify Apple product..." I never really think about products in the sense that they are designed in a certain way to catch peoples attention that it is a certain brand and in the end may make more consumers buy that specific product.
4) "Owning an iPod is now not as much a status symbol as it is almost a rite of passage..." it is almost rare to see somebody using a different mp3 player than and iPod, I remember begging my parents for a year for an iPod
5) "iPod is a cultural icon..."
6) Anything is now accessible by the touch of a button.
Reasons Why It Unmoved Me
1) The conclusion was really long
2) The use of a lot of facts and numbers and years and so on in the introduction
3) There was a lack of personal experience in the essay
1) I like how you summarized what an iPod really symbolizes in one word "simplicity"
2) It shows a lot about our culture how the iPod is constantly changing and updating to conform to the wants and needs in todays societies.
3) You make a good point about the "trademark white earbuds that signify Apple product..." I never really think about products in the sense that they are designed in a certain way to catch peoples attention that it is a certain brand and in the end may make more consumers buy that specific product.
4) "Owning an iPod is now not as much a status symbol as it is almost a rite of passage..." it is almost rare to see somebody using a different mp3 player than and iPod, I remember begging my parents for a year for an iPod
5) "iPod is a cultural icon..."
6) Anything is now accessible by the touch of a button.
Reasons Why It Unmoved Me
1) The conclusion was really long
2) The use of a lot of facts and numbers and years and so on in the introduction
3) There was a lack of personal experience in the essay
"It Gives You Wings"
Reasons Why It Moves Me
1) I like how you pointed out the advertising methods used to make consumers want to buy Red Bull
2) The part how you showed that the color red and the bull both symbolize "power" is a great connection to what producers want the consumers to feel when drinking Red Bull
3) I agree that Red Bull is not targeted to a specific type of consumer, and you made good connections to how Red Bull is helpful in todays fast-pace society.
4) "Red Bull provides such instant gratification..." similarly to many other products in todays society is a good connection
5) I thought that you really captured the personalities in todays culture. We are fast-paced and inpatient and also wanting the next best thing right away.
6) The producers of Red Bull know how to target consumers who live a hectic and fast-paced life but creating an energy drink that gives you so much "power"
7) I like the connection you made to college students not only using it to stay awake but drink it before going out on the weekend to help keep them energized.
Reasons It Unmoved Me
1) MLA formatting
2) Organization of paragraphs
1) I like how you pointed out the advertising methods used to make consumers want to buy Red Bull
2) The part how you showed that the color red and the bull both symbolize "power" is a great connection to what producers want the consumers to feel when drinking Red Bull
3) I agree that Red Bull is not targeted to a specific type of consumer, and you made good connections to how Red Bull is helpful in todays fast-pace society.
4) "Red Bull provides such instant gratification..." similarly to many other products in todays society is a good connection
5) I thought that you really captured the personalities in todays culture. We are fast-paced and inpatient and also wanting the next best thing right away.
6) The producers of Red Bull know how to target consumers who live a hectic and fast-paced life but creating an energy drink that gives you so much "power"
7) I like the connection you made to college students not only using it to stay awake but drink it before going out on the weekend to help keep them energized.
Reasons It Unmoved Me
1) MLA formatting
2) Organization of paragraphs
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Jim Carrier 'All You Can Eat'
Compounds
“A shrimp farm is a saltwater feedlot”- salt/water feed/lot (2 compounds)- page 168
Freshwater runoff
Ponytail- page 164
Sinking Shrimpfleet
Old-timer- page 163
Playful Combinations
“Gulf shrimpers, the last cowboys of the sea…” (page 166)
Skinners- “reminded me of cowboys…” (page 165)
Gold rush days- (page 166)
Dumpster Dive- (page 161)
Neologisms
Marifarm
Recast Words
Trash, by-catch, juvenile (page 166)
A circus of boats (page 165)
Boats galloped
"...they begin devouring one-celled algae called diatoms..." (page 164)
Raised Shrimp
"These babies molt through a dozen stages as tiny spiderlike creatures..." (page 164)
Pun
As sharp as cocktail sauce
Stuck in my craw
Verbs
Trawl
Gallop
Evoked
Whet
Molt
Devour
Dismay
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Materiality; Standards; Justifying Choices
A response to Will's post
"When writing a serious paper, a reader should not see what the writer is feeling by visuals. Instead, the writer should paint a picture with words."
I agree with the fact that it is the writers job to paint a picture for the reader. It is to easy to simply add a picture or to change the color of the font and although that is creative and expressive, it is not exactly ideal for an essay. The way the paper is structured and formated can set a mood for the reader. If the reader is supposed to feel as if they are reading a professional paper, it is the writers job to formate their paper in a certain way. Maybe society did set these norms on how to write a paper, but these norms were made for a reason. Although there might be times where we need to stray away from these norms, there are times where we need to follow them.
"Society has set these rules and by not following them, one can become outcast and less accepted."
I agree with the point that if we were to stray away from these rules and norms that society has set for us we might be less accepted. It is interesting to think about that by simply changing the font we used, our paper might not be accepted.
In academic essays, writers are almost always made to conform their essays to fit societies norms. The writers are restricted from choosing their choice of medium and although this might be for a good reason, we are not all the same and we might need to express ourselves differently.
"When writing a serious paper, a reader should not see what the writer is feeling by visuals. Instead, the writer should paint a picture with words."
I agree with the fact that it is the writers job to paint a picture for the reader. It is to easy to simply add a picture or to change the color of the font and although that is creative and expressive, it is not exactly ideal for an essay. The way the paper is structured and formated can set a mood for the reader. If the reader is supposed to feel as if they are reading a professional paper, it is the writers job to formate their paper in a certain way. Maybe society did set these norms on how to write a paper, but these norms were made for a reason. Although there might be times where we need to stray away from these norms, there are times where we need to follow them.
"Society has set these rules and by not following them, one can become outcast and less accepted."
I agree with the point that if we were to stray away from these rules and norms that society has set for us we might be less accepted. It is interesting to think about that by simply changing the font we used, our paper might not be accepted.
In academic essays, writers are almost always made to conform their essays to fit societies norms. The writers are restricted from choosing their choice of medium and although this might be for a good reason, we are not all the same and we might need to express ourselves differently.
Ideas
"In thinking about a certain idea, many sentences and ideas can be drawn by using detailed words within this idea."
The repetition of the word "idea" makes the sentence somewhat confusing to understand. I am not exactly sure what the sentence is supposed to mean, but I think the point that the writer is trying to make is that many other sentences or thoughts can be derived from a certain idea. Because of the repetition of the words the whole point of the sentence is lost. If they had just made the sentence simpler it would be easier to understand.
The repetition of the word "idea" makes the sentence somewhat confusing to understand. I am not exactly sure what the sentence is supposed to mean, but I think the point that the writer is trying to make is that many other sentences or thoughts can be derived from a certain idea. Because of the repetition of the words the whole point of the sentence is lost. If they had just made the sentence simpler it would be easier to understand.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Questions for Billy Collins
1) Why did you choose the metaphors that you used?
2) What qualifies as a good poem for you?
3) Why is a love poem a joke to you?
4) What did you find wrong with the original poem?
5) Do you feel that your poem is better than the original or are you solely trying to prove a point?
6) Why did you incorporate metaphors about yourself in the poem?
2) What qualifies as a good poem for you?
3) Why is a love poem a joke to you?
4) What did you find wrong with the original poem?
5) Do you feel that your poem is better than the original or are you solely trying to prove a point?
6) Why did you incorporate metaphors about yourself in the poem?
Friday, February 18, 2011
It's 48 degrees
It is 48 degrees today and I am super excited. I love that I don't have to get all bundled up to go outside today. I love that it is sunny and warm, it was about time for a change in weather. I love snow and stuff but I can't wait for spring and today finally feels like it might become spring soon. I also like that I don't have to wear boots or a jacket today. I was looking forward to warm weather all week and I think it might even be over 48 degrees now. All I want to do is sit outside and soak it in because knowing the weather around here tomorrow it will be gone.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
My Paper in My Own Way
If I were to write this paper in my own way I would in some sense make a scrapbook. However, I wouldn't make a traditional scrapbook, but I would use pictures and different medias of writing to portray different parts of my essay. I might make certain words larger or in a different font or color, or maybe cut words or letters of a magazine. I would use pictures that relate to my own essay. I would need some time to make it to the point where I was happy with the result visually, but I like when there are visual aspects to catch the reader's eye. I enjoy doing arts and crafts so I don't think I would have a problem with doing the essay and I think I might even have fun with it. Although I might write out the essay the 'conventional way' first, because that is what I am use to.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Flight of the Kuaka
In "Flight of the Kuaka" Don Stap uses colorful yet descriptive language to describe the nature of certain types of birds. I am not much of a bird follower, but I didn't mind reading Stap's article because he was able to draw the reader in. His writing flowed and was not difficult to follow. Besides the names of the birds he doesn't use terms that the reader might not understand. Even when using the names of the birds, Stap understands that they are not easy to remember and uses the full name every time. When describing the birds he did not leave anything out, from their color to their weight to what they eat.
When Stap was describing the birds flight paths he did not leave out any details from how high they were flying to the terrain they were flying over. Stap seemed to be just as enthused about the birds and the subject in general as Warnok and Gill are. I enjoyed the paragraph about when Gill was following the flight path of the Bar-tailed Godwit because I felt like I was flying along side the bird. I enjoy reading an article where the author is passionate about the subject. His descriptive language made it evident that he wants the reader to be able to understand. Because of his language and his straightforward approach to the subject made the article somewhat enjoyable to read.
When Stap was describing the birds flight paths he did not leave out any details from how high they were flying to the terrain they were flying over. Stap seemed to be just as enthused about the birds and the subject in general as Warnok and Gill are. I enjoyed the paragraph about when Gill was following the flight path of the Bar-tailed Godwit because I felt like I was flying along side the bird. I enjoy reading an article where the author is passionate about the subject. His descriptive language made it evident that he wants the reader to be able to understand. Because of his language and his straightforward approach to the subject made the article somewhat enjoyable to read.
'Don't' Metaphors and Definitions
4. “The East Indians would describe the Africans as impulsive hedonists, who were always living for the moment and never thought about the future,” he says.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Understanding the quote
"When you do these large-scale educational studies, there are ninety-nine uninteresting reasons the study could fail," Duckworth says.
When performing any experiments there are countless variables that can change the outcome. Although some variables can be controlled, a lot of the times experiments are preformed more than once to ensure that the result is exact. Especially because the experiment is a large-scale one there are more chances for failure, although most of these failures will be insignificant they could change the whole experiment.
When performing any experiments there are countless variables that can change the outcome. Although some variables can be controlled, a lot of the times experiments are preformed more than once to ensure that the result is exact. Especially because the experiment is a large-scale one there are more chances for failure, although most of these failures will be insignificant they could change the whole experiment.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Gift Cards Revised
Shopping is a daily activity in most peoples lives. From groceries to clothes to electronics, people seem to always be buying something. Gift cards are a simple way to get somebody a gift if you don't know exactly what they want. Gift cards come in a variety of kinds from general gift cards that can be used at almost any store, to specific store gift cards, to gift cards that can be used to go to the movies or to go out to eat. These small pieces of rectangular plastic are a way of giving someone money but disguising it as a gift. A lot of times customers are looking for quick and easy presents to get that looks like they at least put a little thought into it and gift cards are the way to go.
Sometimes when my mom doesn't know what to get people, but she doesn't just want to give them a card with cash inside, she will get a gift card for them, something that they will use but she knows they will like. She likes to feel that she put at least a smidgen of thought into the gift. I enjoy receiving gift cards because when I don't have a lot of money to spend I don't feel bad going shopping or to the movies or getting coffee because I can only spend that money from the gift card at that specific place. A lot of the time my aunt will send me gift cards for my birthday or for the holidays because she lives far away but still wants to give me a gift. Also many stores also offer the option of sending someone an e-gift card which can be sent through email which saves people the trip to a store.
Gift cards are also a great way for a business to promote itself. Many times on TV, commercials will play advertising gift cards for Dunkin Donuts or other mainstream places. Many gift cards can be more than just a piece of plastic. I once bought a Sephora gift card for my friend and it came inside a compact mirror. Sometimes gift cards are changed depending on a holiday or even a season. Many gift cards during the winter will have snowmen or mittens on them, sometimes they will have presents for the holidays.
Because gift cards are quick and easy to get, makers assume that many consumers will buy them. A lot of times stores only give store credit in the form of a gift card so that more money will be spent at their stores. I even seen some stores offer a gift card for a certain amount when you purchase something at their store. Manufactures will do anything to get people to spend more money at their stores and gift cards are an easy way to do that.
Sometimes when my mom doesn't know what to get people, but she doesn't just want to give them a card with cash inside, she will get a gift card for them, something that they will use but she knows they will like. She likes to feel that she put at least a smidgen of thought into the gift. I enjoy receiving gift cards because when I don't have a lot of money to spend I don't feel bad going shopping or to the movies or getting coffee because I can only spend that money from the gift card at that specific place. A lot of the time my aunt will send me gift cards for my birthday or for the holidays because she lives far away but still wants to give me a gift. Also many stores also offer the option of sending someone an e-gift card which can be sent through email which saves people the trip to a store.
Gift cards are also a great way for a business to promote itself. Many times on TV, commercials will play advertising gift cards for Dunkin Donuts or other mainstream places. Many gift cards can be more than just a piece of plastic. I once bought a Sephora gift card for my friend and it came inside a compact mirror. Sometimes gift cards are changed depending on a holiday or even a season. Many gift cards during the winter will have snowmen or mittens on them, sometimes they will have presents for the holidays.
Because gift cards are quick and easy to get, makers assume that many consumers will buy them. A lot of times stores only give store credit in the form of a gift card so that more money will be spent at their stores. I even seen some stores offer a gift card for a certain amount when you purchase something at their store. Manufactures will do anything to get people to spend more money at their stores and gift cards are an easy way to do that.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Pantene Commercial
The main character of the Pantene commercial is a young girl who struggles with her dreams because she is deaf. Her life is broken just like her violin. Her being deaf caused problems for her, suppressing what she was actually capable of. The people who attacked her and the old man on the street wanted to make her feel inferior because her disability. However, she finds a way to put her life back together like the taped violin and still creates something beautiful.
In the end when she was playing the taped up violin the scene kept changing from her on stage to a meadow. In the meadow a butterfly emerges from its cocoon and in some ways it represents her emerging and growing into something beautiful. The butterfly emerging from the cocoon also shows her overcoming adversity and playing something beautiful that no one though she could do. When the butterfly flies off into the open field it symbolizes new opportunities for the girl.
The way that the wind was making the grass in the meadow sway was in some way represented hair flowing. As the grass is swaying she is running through the field, which represents her new freedom. Although most of the commercial didn't seem to have a lot to do with hair, it was well done. Everybody wants somebody similar to the man that helped the girl in overcoming her disability.
In the end when she was playing the taped up violin the scene kept changing from her on stage to a meadow. In the meadow a butterfly emerges from its cocoon and in some ways it represents her emerging and growing into something beautiful. The butterfly emerging from the cocoon also shows her overcoming adversity and playing something beautiful that no one though she could do. When the butterfly flies off into the open field it symbolizes new opportunities for the girl.
The way that the wind was making the grass in the meadow sway was in some way represented hair flowing. As the grass is swaying she is running through the field, which represents her new freedom. Although most of the commercial didn't seem to have a lot to do with hair, it was well done. Everybody wants somebody similar to the man that helped the girl in overcoming her disability.
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