Sunday, May 6, 2007

My writing, a reflection

I think that the thing that has change most about my writing would be in regard to the context of online writing. I have never really written on a blog or myspace or anything of that sort, and wasn’t too comfortable with the format when we first started. In my first posts I was still getting used to the idea of connecting to other sites through my writing using the hyperlinks and adding pictures and videos to help the writing. I now find it easy and helpful to link other pages in the flow of my writing. I discovered that this can be very helpful, especially when researching for the rhetorical analysis. It was much easier for the user to just click on a hyperlink to find out more about a certain subject than to have to search for it themselves. I find it a lot easier now to figure out what viewers of my own writing would like links to, what kind of pictures would help, or other multimedia elements. For example, this is how I hyperlinked things in my first blogs.

“On the other hand, if the viewer chooses extreme he knows he will be looking at videos that contain content that wouldn’t be seen on the everyday basis. This could range from incredible stunts to bizarre acts of nature. The jokes, pictures, and games are similarly broken down into categories describing the general context. Click here to see some of these categories.”(post)

In these blogs I had no pictures or other multimedia elements whatsoever. As oppose to my newer posts, which look more like this.

“Most game developers argue that anything created or found in the game is the property of the game developers, while people selling the items argue that they are performing a service, and not actually selling the imaginary item. People even sell accounts of characters that are high levels and full of gear.” (post)

In my recent posts I integrated the links into the writing itself, and I think that the links were more relevant to the writing. I also included pictures and videos in these posts that added to the writing.

Another improvement in my writing would have to be the focus I had on the purpose for writing. In our first essay assignment I had a harder time sticking to the parameters of the writing than I did in our second or third essay. I found it a lot easier to figure out exactly what we were supposed to be writing about and how to write it. I also found I had an easier time making myself understood in my writing later on. My flow seemed to have improved over the course of this semester. I think my writing is easier to understand, and sounds better because of this. For example, in my first essay I described something like this.

“The late afternoon air made for a not quite comfortable, but not quite chilly Colorado day. The area is a pleasant one to sit and watch. The smell of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and the Boulder Café mingle in the air to create a pleasing aroma.”(post)

I think the first part of this quote is kind of hard to understand. It makes sense but you have to reread it a few times to understand what its trying to say. In my newer essays my writing seemed a lot clearer.

“Because of this not much time was spent in our rooms. They were sparse, yet comfortable. Electronics, except for music, were prohibited so there was no TV in any of the rooms. The building was an old filming studio, so all the bedrooms were different, since bigger stars got bigger rooms. I was lucky enough to get one of the larger rooms. It had a long hallway leading up to the main room, its own bathroom and shower, and a fireplace which regrettably was not in working order.”(post)

I think I convey the ideas I have a lot more clearly in this example. You don’t have to stop to try to understand the meaning of the writing. It flows together a lot smoother. I don’t think the voice of my writing changed so much over the course of the semester, mainly just the readability, and understandability of it. This is always good because the main purpose of writing something is to convey your ideas. Having a good flow which the reader can understand is very helpful in this aspect.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Volvic, the best water ever



The idea that a product can make you a better thinker, better person, better lover, or just better is a greatly used marketing scheme. In this commercial for Volvic water, just that approach is used in order to create a good selling point and argument. The Volvic water company is renowned for their waters all natural mineral content, health benefits and great taste. This particular commercial is making the argument that drinking something that is all natural, and healthy for you, will create a better life and better ideas in the consumer.

A little information and the history of Volvic are helpful to understand the arguments this commercial is trying to make. Volvic is a brand of mineral water that is all natural and bottled in France. It is bottled just to the north of Puy de Dome, a volcano that last erupted in 5760 BC. The water that filters through the layers of volcanic rock soaks up a distinct variation of minerals not found in any other natural mineral water in the world. These minerals give Volvic a different taste and numerous health benefits. The all natural label promises that the water was not manipulated by humans whatsoever.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketNow, onto the explanation of the argument in this commercial. A number of different rhetorical strategies are used to get across the companies point. First of all, this commercial is a narrative. In the most basic sense it shows a bunch of caveman lugging a huge boulder up a hill. One caveman drinks some Volvic water and instantly gets the idea light bulb look. He begins chipping away at this rock, making it into something resembling a wheel. He then proceeds to put what appears to be an axle into the wheel. This is where some irony comes into play. The stick was not actually an axle, but a pole, and the wheel was a platform. The caveman had invented the first pole dancing platform. This narrative includes an illustration of what can happen if one was to drink Volvic water. Obviously the minerals in the water uplift the drinker to a higher level of thinking than his companions. He is able not only to invent the wheel, but think of a quite novel purpose for it. At the end of the commercial there is also a description of how the water is made, “filtered through layers of volcanic rock, to fill you with volcanicity.” This catch phrase is also a cause and effect situation. Drink our mineral water and be filled with volcanicity. Since this is not a real word, there is a lot of implied meaning behind it. From the narrative that precedes this saying, it can be gathered that volcanicity means some sort of motivation to create or explore, maybe some thing extra that no one else has. This extra something can only be gotten through the drinking of all natural Volvic mineral water. There is also a classification in the ad. The product is a drink, its water, and even more specifically it is mineral water. Mineral water alone is known for its health benefits, and Volvic is renowned to be one of the most mineral filled mineral waters. Therefore it should be the healthiest.

I believe that this commercial uses all three of the rhetorical appeals. Obviously it is using the pathos appeal to generate a certain feeling in the audience. For one, it is creating a humorous situation using the irony of the creation of the wheel for a pole dancing platform. The ironic comedy is the main focus of this commercial. It is this aspect of the commercial that makes it memorable, makes the viewer remember the commercial and the name Volvic. At the same time it is trying to instill a sense of motivation in the viewers. The commercial is almost saying, “Look at what this caveman did with Volvic, what do you think you could accomplish with it?” It makes it quite obvious that this idea only came around after the benefits of drinking Volvic took hold, though. This commercial is also using the Ethos appeal, not directly but indirectly. The name Volvic has a lot behind it. Looking at a number of different bottled water, and mineral water review sites Volvic always had high marks in taste, the benefits of its minerals, and the integrity of the company. Volvic claims to be very environmentally friendly, which is always a good image to portray in modern day society, and even more important if you’re selling an all natural product. For the most part, people who care to buy all natural products will also care about the environment. Looking further into this I found that Volvic actually uses PETE to make all their bottles, a form of recycled plastic, so in this case their actually telling the truth. In this particular commercial they also use the logos appeal. This commercial appeals to logical side of the audience, also in an indirect way. Remembering the narrative, it tells of a caveman who drinks Volvic and instantly has this ingenious idea. The logical path of thinking is that he had this idea because he drank Volvic. The health benefits of the minerals in Volvic will increase your thinking power and push you far ahead of your companions. Now this is a little bit absurd, but I think that most people would logically agree that an all natural mineral water is better for you than some kind of processed soda or other sugary drink. In using all three appeals, I think Volvic makes a pretty persuasive argument in this commercial.

Even though hundreds, if not thousands, of commercials use the tactic of promising a better life if you use their product, I think Volvic’s claim can be somewhat substantiated. If one takes into consideration the immense amounts of research done on the importance of maintaining a healthy, low fat, low sugar diet, Volvic water seems to be a logically good choice for a drink. The humor included in this commercial also makes for an enjoyable experience for the viewer, making the viewer remember the name Volvic. I think that although the argument is somewhat blown out of proportion in this commercial, that the point is still made.

Print Based Source:

France. Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet Country Guides, 1985.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

stop motion animation



I found this video really fun to watch and thought I’d write a little bit about it. It’s called stop motion animation and is used in a number of different mediums. Children shows like Gumby, and others use this technique to make inanimate objects appear to move and do things. Recently movies like Wallace and Gromit have used this same technique. The original South Park short used stop motion animation, by having paper cut out characters appear to move against a background. My first experience with this type of video making was in high school. I took a video production class that introduced us to different types and styles of film making. One project we did was a stop motion short film. I had a lot of fun with this project, and ended up with a Scooby Doo like chase sequence where the main character would go into one door and come out of another across the hallway. In the end the main character was melted with laser beams from my eyes, but that’s neither here nor there. Stop motion can create some very interesting effects when real people are the focus of the filming. It can be used to create seemingly impossible situations or incredible looking feats of agility or strength. I think it is just as fun to see inanimate objects seem to have a mind of their own. I recall a commercial recently where spare change from all over came together to form an object. If my memory serves me correctly it was for some bank that put your spare change from credit card purchases into a savings account.

Online Gaming


Most guys, at least those I know, between the ages of 10 and 25 seem to participate in a large amounting of ‘gaming’. Whether it’s on a platform system like x-box or playstation, or computers, gaming seems to be the common interest almost all guys can share. I have long been into online computer gaming and have had a few different games that I played extensively for different periods of time. The first game I really got into would have to have been Diablo II. This game went under the classification of a role-playing game, a game that puts you into a specific character which you build up with skills and experience, outfit with different types of gear, and move through a world where the difficulty increases along with that characters growth. The newest, and by far most interesting genre of games, is the mmorpg. This stands for massively multiplayer online role playing game, and in these games everyone that is playing is in the same ‘world’ online. They interact with each other, form groups to take on more challenging opponents, create guilds, and even have their own economies. There can be thousands of people online in the same game world. These online worlds can be huge, some of them taking hours to walk across in the game. These games have created some very strange debates and legal troubles. People can spend hundreds of hours searching through the game for certain items that are very rare, or they can buy them from other people on sites like ebay. People will pay actual money for the ‘owner’ of the particular item, to give them that item in the game. The legal trouble comes in over who actually owns this imaginary item. Most game developers argue that anything created or found in the game is the property of the game developers, while people selling the items argue that they are performing a service, and not actually selling the imaginary item. People even sell accounts of characters that are high levels and full of gear. Games like Diablo, Everquest, or World of Warcraft, create markets where people can make thousands of dollars selling these imaginary items.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Bud Light, smooth and refreshing



Thinking about what to write for our free write this week, I didn’t have any really good ideas, so I decided just to do another rhetorical analysis. I decided to use a commercial from the super bowl, my favorite one of this year, advertising Bud light. This is using a narrative to tell a story of how two men decide who gets the last beer. The basic premise is that they both grab for the last beer, and to decide who gets it they decide to play rock, paper, scissors. As they come to the end of their 3 count, one man throws a rock at the other man’s head and knocks him down. He then proceeds to grab the beer and leave. This is using the pathos appeal by using humor to put the viewers in a certain state of mind. I think that if viewers find the commercial quite funny it will stick in their heads longer. Also they are using ethos simply by using the Bud light name. It is a very well known beer and a very well known company. They are appealing to the audience through their good name. People know that Budweiser and Bud light are two of the generally respected and well known beers in the USA. It’s also using definition and classification and the end of the commercial when they say that Bud light is a refreshing and smooth beer. It is describing it as a smooth beer and also classifying it as a light beer. Its name also classifies it as the beer of a major beer producer. It is not from a smaller micro-brewery, or an imported beer.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Youtube video

Best DUI stop ever!!!


Sunday, April 8, 2007

Scooby and his Ipod


The ad I found wasn’t on adbusters, but I think it qualifies as a spoof ad. The image of Scooby Doo wearing an ipod is a parody of many of the ipod advertisements that feature a darkened figure on a bright background using an ipod. This fake ad is using illustration by showing a commonly recognized person (in this case an animated dog) using the product. I think this add uses all three of the rhetorical appeals. I think it uses logos simply by including the ipod name on the ad. This appeals to the viewer because ipod has become synonymous with ease of use and quality. It also appeals through pathos by trying to put the viewer into a light hearted state of mind by using humor. The humor in this ad only makes sense if you have seen other ipod advertisements. This particular one is making fun of the other ipod ads by using a cartoon character as the main figure. Every other ad has used real people listening to their ipods. I think it also appeals with ethos because the ipod is associated with Apple. Depending on who you are and your own personal views this may mean different things. For most people, though, I think it would mean reliability and good technology. Apple is a well known company that is used by millions around the world. I don’t really think that this ad was really trying to discredit ipod because it doesn’t really have any irony in it or anything that would portray the ipod as negative. I think it just took the previous ads and put a new, creative twist on the idea.

Sex appeal


The sex appeal in this particular image is not hard to spot. First of all the ad consists of an attractive woman sitting on a chair in a swimsuit, which by itself can attract the eye of any male. On top of that the model is sitting with her legs spread apart, which is quite suggestive if you ask any guy. The bright color of the swimsuit draws your eye to the model and away from what little background there is. The background, chair, and table in the picture are almost the same color as the models skin, so the swimsuit is the only contrasting color in the photo. The model does look somewhat pissed off though. I think she might have been going for something else, but it just comes off as grumpy. I think this ad is focused mostly on the pathos argument. It is trying to get the viewer of the ad into a particular frame of mind, while at the same time appealing to one of the most basic human wants and needs. I think they also try to appeal to women in this ad too, because the model looks very confident. She seems like she would definitely take control of any situation thrown her way. This also uses the pathos argument, trying to say that a woman will be more confident if they are wearing Calvin Klein’s swimwear. Although I think sex appeal is overused in the advertising industry, it usually does its job. It will attract the attention of the intended audience, even if they aren’t interested or looking for that particular product.

Sunday, April 1, 2007

Photo Elements: The Foley Gallery

As I said before the orange tint that this picture has, gives it the feeling of an old picture. Along with the people and clothing in the picture I think it gives the viewer a sense of time period, maybe sometime in the 1800s(see picture). You can’t really see any of the background because there are people taking up pretty much the entire picture, so I don’t really know where it is taking place. There is not a lot of contrast in the picture, everything is pretty much the same color, and there isn’t anything that really pops out at you when you first see it. The art piece is actually a collage, which I think says a lot in itself. It’s a collection of separate pictures made into one, it’s like a jumble of unrelated people and things all thrown together, and the confusion that ensues. The individual people are quite small, and it is hard to see specific features or emotions on any of their faces. I think this is arguing that the individual often becomes lost in the group. Also, I see no repetition in any of the characters, which could be an argument for the uniqueness of an individual. There are also the unexpected things in the picture, like the occasional animal or the skeleton in the center of the collage. I would have to guess the message behind this is there are always unexpected circumstances that occur.

Reflective: The Foley Gallery

I can’t really see any reason or purpose to this piece of art. Besides the coloring of the picture and the time period that the figures in it would exist, there seems to be no common thread between any of the parts of this picture. I think this is what makes it such an interesting viewing experience. Again, the thing that strikes me the most is the skeleton dressed in a suit in the center of the picture. What could he possibly be doing in the middle of all these other people? I guess that’s one thing all the rest of the characters have in common, they are all alive. There is so much to look at in the picture it’s really hard to try to understand what the purpose of the picture is. Maybe that is the point; maybe it’s supposed to be all about chaos. No one seems to be working toward any common goal. Everybody has there own agenda, and no one is helping anyone else. I think this is somewhat reflective of the world in its entirety. There are always so many different agendas and plans, wants and needs, that are constantly coming into conflict. I believe that a lot more could be accomplished if people would focus there efforts on a single goal, but we always feel that our problem should be addressed first because it is the most important. Things like the EU or NATO are doing just this kind of thing. Bringing together hundreds of different agendas and figuring out what is most important to the groups nations as a whole.

Observational: The Foley Gallery


‘Nast-y Business” By Stephan Aldrich is a very interesting piece of art. The background has an orange tint too it, close to what would be called a sephia tone. At first glance I really have no idea what is going on in the picture. There is a jumble of people and animals seemingly floating one on top of another. In the very center I notice a skeleton wearing a suit and top hat. His hollow eyes are staring up at a topless man with a large white beard. He has a sash thrown across his torso, and some kind of spear like object in his hands. I can’t tell if skeleton man is staring at spear guy or looking past him at a robed figure. I can’t even tell the sex of this character, because it is completely covered by a robe, and is standing so I can only see the right side of its body. Below the mysterious robed figure is a child, whom appears to be a girl. The dress is my only way to tell because this character is also turned away. Then again it does have very short hair, either a boy in a dress or a girl with very short hair. In front of the girl stands the first animal I’ve encountered so far. A cowering lion is in the fore front on the right hand side. His tail is stuck between his legs and his mane seems to be prickling up. There are way to many people in this picture to continue on this way.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Reflective Essay: My addictions

As I lay in the small bed listening to my Ipod, I thought back over the past couple of years and what I had done to end up here. ‘Here’ was a small, yet comfortable room in the Cirque Lodge rehab facility outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. One purpose of a treatment center is to get everyone into a structured daily routine, waking early and staying busy throughout the day. Because of this not much time was spent in our rooms. They were sparse, yet comfortable. Electronics, except for music, were prohibited so there was no TV in any of the rooms. The building was an old filming studio, so all the bedrooms were different, since bigger stars got bigger rooms. I was lucky enough to get one of the larger rooms. It had a long hallway leading up to the main room, its own bathroom and shower, and a fireplace which regrettably was not in working order. I shared my room with one other roommate, who I’m not legally allowed to name, though he was a very interesting person. He was the main heroin distributor for southern California, had created a tequila company that he had sold to Jose Cuervo, and owned an escort service based in San Diego that was worth around 300 grand. Everyone here had an interesting story to tell.

I couldn’t quite pick out an exact time when my recreational drug use turned into an addiction, but I guess no one ever set out to end up in rehab. The counselors told me I ended up here for a reason, that I had a ‘disease’ known as addiction, but I was skeptical. How could a disease make me throw 500 bucks a week up my nose, and how could it make me unable to stop using once I’d started? It seemed to me that I had some sort of weakness that no one else seemed to have. Why could everyone else stop after having a few drinks, or could get through a day without using some kind of drug? Over the few months I spent there, though, I learned a lot about the disease concept, and my general outlook on life turned from suicidal to hopeful.


Addiction doesn’t occur because of a lack of willpower. In many instances this misconception can keep people from seeking help. They believe that they should be able to do this on their own, and a lot of the time that simply isn’t the case. A reason for a very large percentage of those that have suffered from addiction is an imbalance of brain chemicals. Each different drug works on certain kinds of chemicals in your brain. If a person has a low level of a certain type of chemical, and finds a drug that increases that chemical wouldn’t that make him feel normal? In many situations that is the case. Listening to hundreds of addicts talk about how they didn’t feel normal unless they were high or drunk demonstrates this fact. I found myself reflecting back on days where I couldn’t get out of bed without a 10 dollar line and a shot of vodka. I remember a feeling of uselessness and lack of purpose, which only some external substance could help me forget.

A huge generalization many make about addicts is what type of person they are. What is your mental image when you think of an addict? Someone sitting in a rundown apartment, dirty clothes, maybe a few syringes on the coffee table, possibly bloodshot eyes or track marks up and down his arms? This seems to be the general consensus of most people who haven’t had any experience in this subject. The truth is that addicts come from every walk of life imaginable. Take the mayor of Washington DC for instance. He attended CA (cocaine anonymous) meetings for quite some time. What people have to realize is that there are people all around suffering from this, afraid to seek help because of what coming out as an addict might imply. Stereotypes like the one I mentioned above only hurt this cause, leading people to hide their problems from everyone hoping it will all just get better. In the height of my using I lied to everyone about how much and how often I would use, even those that I used with.

Another problem addicts face in recovery is actual physical dependence on a drug. Regular use of drugs like cocaine and heroin change the body’s chemistry so much that if it is deprived of the drug the body will revolt. Spasms, vomiting, muscle twitches, cramps, insomnia, and a variety of flu like symptoms can occur in the withdrawal stage. I think this is another reason why many people continue to use; it is just so much easier than going through all the pain of withdrawal. It’s strange though, that many addicts will go back to using even after experiencing withdrawals and being clean for some time. One counselor I had gave me an interesting comparison. She said, “The difference between an addict and someone that becomes physically dependant is this. You could have two people that have been using heroin enough to where their bodies become dependant upon it. After going cold turkey and experiencing the worst case of the flu they had ever had, you would have two different outcomes. One person would never even think about using again, this is the physically dependant person. An addict, on the other hand, will instantly ask where he can get some more.” Addicts tend to use drugs more as a coping strategy, and it works for some time. After a while, though, it stops working, but by that time it’s the only coping strategy they know. Even with being clean for some time, many will fall back into their old coping strategies when times get hard or they’ve tried everything else.

Although ideas and stigmas about addiction are changing, they are changing slowly. From personal experience I’ve found that most people I talk to seem to have at least heard of the disease concept. People seem to be more open to ideas and theories that medical research is testing. In the mean time, I’m glad I learned what I could, and I’m glad I ended up in that bed in Utah.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Tattoos, today and yesterday

While sitting in the waiting room, I was thinking about the stigma these amazing artists deal with. People displaying their work are labeled as rebellious, or not part of proper society. These stigmas are slowly fading, but they still seem to stick with many Americans. The room I am waiting in is that of Think Tank Tattoo shop. I received my latest tattoo at this shop in southern Denver. The shop was decorated in a haphazardly sort of way; decorations ranging from mannequins with cigars to spray painted snowboards. The shop employs seven artists, and one apprentice. When I arrived two other people were receiving tattoos, who both finished by the time I was done, and one other person who started about an hour before I was done.


(WARNING: video contains some questionable content. Also if it doesn't work keep clicking watch again until it does.)

The image a tattoo portrays about the person who has it, has changed throughout the years. Talking to my parents about this subject I realized how they were viewed by past generations. In my grandparents generation only bikers or sailors had tattoos, and anyone else was seen as an exception to the rule. Being very religious, my own grandparent’s view of a tattoo is that it is defiling your body, which is a sacred thing. Needless to say my parents and I have agreed not to inform them of the work I’ve had done.

Tattooing is becoming more and more common place. With reality TV shows like ‘Miami Ink’ the popularity of tattoos has surged. Even with this newfound popularity there is still a stigma most often found in the workplace. Visible tattoos can create a negative first impression in interviews that can keep many from being hired, or an image that can keep some from advancing in their job. For mainly this reason I’ve elected to have my tattoos in easily covered places. I don’t find this to be that big of a problem, because I believe you should get a tattoo for yourself, and that it should mean something to you personally. If you are deadest on getting a tattoo in a very visible place, I would suggest reevaluating your reasons for getting it done.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

BIRDMEN!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!!!!


A new subspecies of human was recently discovered in the hills of Washington State. The public has unofficially named them ‘the birdmen of Washington’ because of the giant wings sprouting from their backs. It is still unknown if these wings are actually functional, or have some other purpose. Some scientists have suggested that they may be only for show and used in finding a mate. The bodies of these birdmen are somewhat shorter and stockier than an average human’s body. It seems that they use some sort of primitive, guttural sounding language. So far there is no concern for the safety of those living near the colonies of this new species. They have not shown any aggressive tendencies or attacked anyone as far as we know. Many people are hoping to get close to the culture of the birdmen, and try to integrate them into modern society. An opposing voice has also sounded, stating that the mixing of species in society simply will not work. “These birdmen could disrupt the whole social order,” stated one anti-integration supporter. “Imagine if we let them mix into the workplace. I know my job would become jeopardized. As a professional sky scraper window cleaner, I could not compete with someone who could fly.” Only time will tell how these newly discovered ‘people’ will be accepted into the world.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

A blog to be idealized

The thing you instantly notice about this site is the bright pink banner across the top with the sites name on it. I don’t really understand the meaning of the sites name, “we make money not art”, but it is an interesting title none the less. The author of the page is a media art consultant and writes about the intersection of art and technology. The page seems pretty straight forward, with a plain white background and black text. Pictures are incorporated into every post a number of times and I found I liked the pictures more than I thought I would. The visual stimulation keeps interest in the story and also breaks up the writing. I think I will try to include pictures more often from this point out.

One very cool feature I found on this site was each post had a few link boxes above linking you to other posts with the same topic or from the same writer. This blog has one main writer, Regine, and several contributing authors. These buttons were very convenient because if you had an interest in what the blog was about you didn’t have to search through the rest of the site trying to find other posts on the subject. Each post also contained a number of hyperlinks, though they weren’t in the traditional blue and underlined format. The only difference was that they were in bold, which I think was not noticeable immediately. I only realized these were links after my mouse accidentally moved over one of the bold words. I think I will keep the traditional blue underline style since it is so easily recognizable. The layout of the blog was very nicely done and easy to use. On the left hand side of the site were the most recent posts. The right hand side was mostly for navigation. It included ways to contact the writer, an ‘about us’ link, links to interviews, and links to all the specific subjects discussed on the page. On the far right hand side of the page were advertisements and sponsor links. I don’t think I really have to worry about where to place my sponsor links, because I don’t really see my blog becoming that popular anytime soon.

The biggest complain I had was the length of the page. To get to the bottom I had to scroll down a very long way. I find it somewhat unappealing when all the navigation and sponsor links end and the writing continues for some time. I think it’s better to have all three sections be about the same length, and have the page just big enough so that you can see most of it without scrolling. I think the maximum should be that you can see half the page on the screen. In this page you could only see 1/20th of the page without scrolling (I measured). Another thing I noticed was that from the 16th to the 22nd, each day had at least one post if not a couple. After the 22nd there were no new posts. The author is considered a professional blogger, and I just found it strange that she would go a few days without making a post.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Observational Essay: Congas, not Bongos






“How old are you? Twenty?” James asked. I nodded in agreement. “Yea, I’ve been playing for twice as long as you been alive. At least forty years.” He sat in front of six drums, which a sign written on cardboard in front of him stated were conga drums, not bongo drums. I had found James playing at the edge of a crosswalk on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado. Street performers and musicians have always interested me. They go out day after day and express their talents in front of a live audience hundreds of times, hardly earning enough money to live on. They do it for the sheer love of their craft, because they enjoy doing what they are doing. James is one of those people, and his love is music.

The late afternoon air made for a not quite comfortable, but not quite chilly Colorado day. The area is a pleasant one to sit and watch. The smell of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and the Boulder Café mingle in the air to create a pleasing aroma. The red brick walkway is dotted with trees and pieces of art. About 20 yards away a boulder garden is set in the middle of the path, with 5 or 6 kids exploring the peaks and valleys. The sun was setting but it had not yet become dark, still enough people walking the mall to earn a few bucks. The purpose of my being here was to find a street performance, and the deep bass of a drum beat was a promising sound. I saw the source of the sound just ahead, an older black man sitting on a corner of a crosswalk with six conga drums circling around him. Each drum was about two feet high, but not nearly as wide. They were worn and looked like they had been in use for quite some time. Some paint flecks still stuck to the sides of the drums, alluding to a brightly colored past. The man, who I would later find was named James, was rhythmically beating the drums with two equally worn drumsticks. He was wearing a somewhat dirty red parka, a black beanie, and had a content smile on his face. In front of the drums was a small cardboard box for collecting payment for his performances.

As he begins striking the drums, all eyes in the general vicinity turn to see where the noise is coming from. Some people simply give a fast glance and walk past, while others slow their pace and continue to watch. Most children continue to watch even as their parents are pulling them along by their outstretched arms. The sound is fast and deep, somewhat tribal sounding and almost entrancing. It would certainly seem that way for the much younger members of the crowds. One girl, who was maybe 3 years old, stopped in her tracks and stared with incredibly large eyes until her mother walked back and picked her up. Even as she was being carried away the young girl turned to see and hear the performance. One middle aged woman in a bright blue jacket walks over and slips a bill into the box, which warrants a smile, nod, and thank you from James right before he breaks into a faster beat. Their seems to be 3 groups of people; those who will walk by without turning their head even if James says something to them, those who might drop a dollar in the cardboard box and continue walk, and those who stay to enjoy the rhythmic sounds. Although somewhat fast the deep sound of the drums sets a mellow mood. It adds to the already relaxing and seemingly carefree environment.

It’s starting to get darker and there are less people along the path. James stops playing, but intermittently hits a few beats. He stands to stretch, picks up the cardboard box and deposits the money into his pocket. As he’s doing this another man dressed in army fatigues walks up and gives him a hug. He has a backpack with a few holes in it on his back along with a sleeping bag. He looks about the same age, if not a little older than James. They talk for a few minutes, but I’m just out of earshot, and am unable to hear anything they say. James sits back down and begins to play, while his friend begins to sing. His voice goes perfectly with the drums, adding a reggae sound to the newly formed duet. I’m unable to make out all the lyrics but something about Babylon is being repeated. The combination of drums and vocals seems to draw a few more people. One father and daughter couple in particular walks up and stands right in front of the two. The newest member of the band begins to sing directly to the daughter who in turn hides behind her daddy’s legs, peeking around to get a glimpse of what is going on. Before long her curiosity gets the best of her and she leaves her safe haven. James offers her the drumsticks and she delivers a few quick notes before returning to her dad’s leg. He drops a couple bills in the box, hands the drumsticks back and they are on their way.

“You gotta understand about the time I grew up in,” James says to me. “In the 40’s and 50’s you saw musicians playing for the love of the music, not for anything else except that simple purpose.” I walked over to talk as James took a break from playing. “I got my inspiration from them. That’s probably about when I first started playing. I been playing here for a long time though. Every once in a while a cop will come and say he’s never seen me around before. I tell him I’ve been playing here longer than he’s had his job.” I smile and thank James for the music and answering my questions. “Ah ya, come by anytime. We just enjoy playin down here. It’s not really bout the money we make, we just like to come down an’ play, if someone wants to throw a bill in the box that’s cool, or if someone wants to smoke a lil that’s cool too. If not whatever, ya know.” I thank him again and slip a twenty into the box before I leave.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Oh so random

Randomly selected words: algraphy, babble, cicadas, diacope, elephant, flogging, gaggle, helipad, ingenious, jaguar, kevlar, laminate, monitor, nominal, orangutang, prefect, quintessence, rebellion, stallion, tramp, usher, vitamin, wishful, xanthic, yams, zuni.


L'attuale tipolitografia ALGRAPHY s.n.c. di R. Menoni & C. Use your broadband to phone and text (SMS) around the world. No periodical cicadas are expected to emerge in 2006. Repetition of a word with one or more between, usually to express deep feeling. An ordinary high school day. Except that it's not. We're home with our families after the extremely fun SideOneDummy College Tour. This document explains your rights and obligations as a user of Gaggle. Helipad is a web-based tool, which means you can use it wherever you can get online. Whereas the consequences of modern science and technology dominate our lives and thoughts, we have been slow to incorporate scientific concepts into our culture. Introducing the breathtaking XK and XKR (available in early 2007), Jaguar´s latest, most muscled athletes. KEVLAR® is an advanced technology that helps transform the ordinary to the extraordinary. Welcome to Wilsonart International, celebrating 50 years as a world-leading producer of decorative surfacing products. Tackles issues of strategic importance to clients including, but not limited to, questions of competitive strategy, organizational strategy, and corporate structure. A nominal quantity (e.g., length, diameter, volume, voltage, value) is generally the quantity according to which some item has been named or is generally referred to. Jerome Hamlin's Wildlife Photos/ contact: dinofish@cloud9.net for further use information and hi-res images. The word praefectus means 'the one who stands in front' (of others). Are you a current Quintessence journal subscriber, but have not yet used the on-line editions? Whilst we're busy working hard on bringing you some exciting titles for each of the three major next-gen home consoles, we're also pleased to announce a multi-platform next-gen title too! The acquisition by Lantronix will enhance Stallion's already considerable capabilities. While they may do odd jobs from time to time, tramps aren't looking for regular work and support themselves by other means i.e. begging or scavenging. Your purchase of a "Love 4 Life" dog tag benefits Usher's New Look "OUR BLOCK" program in New Orleans and Mississippi where residents and citizens from across the country are committing to help rebuild gulf coast communities destroyed by hurricanes Rita and Katrina, one block at a time. Sluggish internet speeds may be a thing of the past, but instant page loads are still the stuff of the future. Wishful thinking is interpreting facts, reports, events, perceptions, etc., according to what one would like to be the case rather than according to the actual evidence. On here you will find all the downloads to give your mac a GUI makeover to the tiSuite look. Yams of African species must be cooked to be safely eaten because various natural substances in raw yams can cause illness if consumed. The Zuni Indians of today are one of 19 original tribes that once inhabited the area that is now called New Mexico and Arizona.

Sunday, February 4, 2007

Pearl street!!!

When I leaned of our observational essay assignment, one place automatically popped into my mind, the pearl street mall in Boulder. The combination of an open air mall, comparable to the 16th street mall in Denver, and the overall vibe of the city of Boulder should make for an interesting observation. I have previously visited this mall a few different times and have always enjoyed myself. There are usually some sorts of street performers, hundreds of people to watch, and a collection of unique stores and places to see. I figured I would rather have an interesting time doing this assignment than doing something that would be predictable and boring.


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My main focus for this observation, if I am able to find them, will be the street performers. I’m hoping that I will be able to find a show going on while I am there, but if not I think it will still be pretty interesting just to watch people exploring the shops and general area. Considering that there isn’t really a schedule for these performances, or even a designated area, I will need a little bit of luck to find what I’m looking for.

A couple of sites I found that could be helpful are Boulder visitor guide and map sites. These will be able to give me a context by giving me a little bit of history of the town and area. More importantly they can help me find parking. I don’t know if anyone else has ever been to Boulder, but parking is horrendous at best. The other website I will be using is wikipedia. I’m using this in order to give me a better context. I’ve looked up street performing and will be able to better understand, and more accurately view, whatever performance I hopefully catch. I think understanding more about both the city and street performances, will help me immensely in completing this assignment.

Keeping the audience in mind, the internet public, I think this would be a good topic because it is something not everyone can experience. As I’ve said before, what sparks a person’s interest is usually something that is unusual or they haven’t experienced before. Street performances in Boulder are something that most people wouldn’t normally see. Especially considering that the audience is effectively the Earth. That is the great power of the internet, anyone who wants to can reach people from all over the world.

I personally want to use this as my topic mainly because I think it would be entertaining. Also I’ve always had an interest in street performing and other people who gain their income in non traditional ways. I find your average, go to the office every day, non spontaneous job depressing in many aspects. I think in able to enjoy life you have to have some unknown aspects to it. With spontaneity comes excitement, and with excitement comes a more enjoyable living experience.

Here are the websites I'm using:

Visiting Boulder

Downtown Boulder

Street performers

Saturday, February 3, 2007

A real life fight (aka not scripted)

The video I chose from youtube is quite hilarious, in my opinion. I tend always to look at the more comical videos whenever viewing websites like this because I enjoy being able to see things that one wouldn’t normally see everyday. The unusual seems to spark some sort of interest for me. I guess it doesn’t have to be funny but just somewhat uncommon. The video I chose has this element, was short so I could quickly see the reason for the video, and also happened to be funny.





The context of this video is important to make it seem unusual. You can see that this video takes place in the work place. There are a couple of different ways to tell this. First, the title refers to someone at work, “Guy freaks out at work.” Second, you can tell from the part of the video leading up to the outburst that these people are in some sort of office environment. Another important part to understanding this video is seeing the section leading up to this mans outburst. If you were to just see the part of the man leaping across the table and attacking his coworker you would not have any context to place the purpose or reason for the fight. Seeing his coworker pestering him by throwing things at him from across the room gives you that context. It also makes it easier to associate with the person. I know I’ve wanted to leap across a table and kick the ass of someone pestering me.

The difference between watching this video online or seeing it on TV or in a movie is that it is more believable. If I were to see something like this in a movie I would think that it was part of the script or planned out before hand. The same goes for seeing a scene like this on TV. It makes it funnier, at least to me, that this was just a spur of the moment thing and took place in a real life setting. Even more convincing is the fact that this was caught on a security camera. The odds of someone making a home movie in their office while this event took place are slim to none, so if that were the case I would immediately think the event was staged. Security cameras, on the other hand, are constantly running and catch anything that goes on throughout the day.

Overall I find there is a large difference in viewing online media as opposed to traditional movies or TV. It’s made for a more of a variety in video viewing. If I want to see something that is a tape of something happening in real life, I can search internet video websites. If I want to see something that has incredible special effects or story lines that would in all probability never happen I can watch a traditional movie. The new forms of entertainment available have made for an all encompassing viewing experience.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

A vast sea of cultural contexts

Cultural contexts of most websites are generally pretty specific. For websites dealing with the news the reader must have some sort of knowledge of present conditions in the world, and the cultural contexts of where the article is taking place. For historical websites the viewer must understand what the contexts of that specific time were. For search engines the user must know who or what he is searching for and in what language. Ebaumsworld, and other video based websites, are somewhat different in this regard. They are different because each individual video, picture, or joke has its own cultural context. In many cases though, it is very helpful for the viewer to have some sort of basic knowledge of the context of that specific video. There are a few different ways Ebaumsworld does this.

One major way this website does this is by breaking down all of the different content into separate categories. Videos are broken down into hilarious, extreme, cool, or stand-up categories. This allows you to choose generally what kind of videos you are going to be viewing. If hilarious is chosen the viewer knows that the purpose of these videos is to make him laugh, and will be looking for something funny about that video. On the other hand, if the viewer chooses extreme he knows he will be looking at videos that contain content that wouldn’t be seen on the everyday basis. This could range from incredible stunts to bizarre acts of nature. The jokes, pictures, and games are similarly broken down into categories describing the general context. Click here to see some of these categories.

Another way Ebaumsworld helps you to understand the context of the individual parts of its website is to add some sort of short explanation of what the user will be viewing. With this explanation the user has at least a small amount of prior knowledge about whom or what it’s about, and when or where it’s taking place. This small amount of information can prove very useful in understanding the overall meaning of the media clip. These tidbits of information also help the viewer to decide what he wants to view. The explanation will either grab the viewer’s attention or persuade him to not waste his time downloading that specific media clip. Without this, users could spend hours searching through the archives of Ebaumsworld without finding anything they really enjoyed. Since entertainment is the main purpose of this website, easy access to what an individual finds entertaining is important.

I believe that defining a specific cultural context for a website like Ebaumsworld is difficult at best. With the help that this website gives in defining the cultural context of each individual piece of media, it is easier to understand the website. I think that this is why Ebaumsworld, and other websites like it, have become so popular. They have information covering many cultural contexts, and at the same time help the user to understand them.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Ebaumsworld.....misunderstood

Most often the web is used as a communication tool, and as a resource for finding information on just about anything you want. I tend to like the more entertaining side of the internet, where users can share jokes, pictures, and videos. A website I find quite amusing and visit often is Ebaumsworld. We have come to recognize many similarities in websites that help us to navigate easily. Links are usually underlined and in a different color text, a menu bar can help you navigate the site, and the ever present ad is easily spotted with bright colors and moving pictures. Ebaumsworld tends to stick to these basic conventions, but also changes them to better suit their purpose. Click here to visit the site, so you can see what I’m talking about.

The links to other websites are not underlined and in blue text, but in a box to the side that labels them as other websites. This means anything that is blue and underlined on the page is a link to another page of Ebaumsworld. In addition to these links, which are most often links to movies or pictures, they have provided a small picture to give the user an idea of what the video or picture they will be viewing is going to look like. You can click on either the highlighted text or the picture to be taken to the same page. The site has a basic menu bar that can take you to any category you want, but also has menus off of these links if you would like to make your choice more specific.

The Focal point of Ebaumsworld is the daily media. Every day the site has an update of 4 or 5 videos, pictures or games that are brand new to the site. These are placed near the top of the page in the center, and also on a white background. The links are both in text and picture format. The placement and color of the daily media will grab the user’s attention and keep it. Also this is the main point and focus of this site, a vault of videos, jokes, games, and pictures that were found or sent in, with new things to see everyday.

This site has a wide variety of videos and jokes that cover almost any ground. Because of this Ebaumsworld tends to generate a lot of ill favor with some viewers. Some people may find some videos racist or discriminatory. I think that what viewers must take into account is, this website is not just making light of one specific race, gender, or disability. It is making fun of practically everyone. Many people seem to take some of these videos as a personal attack on them or their beliefs. This can be seen in the Hate Mail section of the site. Click here to view this section. Overall I think one must view this site with an open mind and not take it too seriously. It is all meant to be fun and not intended to hurt any specific person or ethnicity.