Liebmann103

English Lab April 17th

2008-04-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Since I missed last weeks class, I only saw about 45 minutes of the movie. I've never heard of it before but I thought it was pretty funny, from what I saw. It seemed to be about relationships and other issues that regular people deal with on a day to day basis. Although I'm not a huge Jack Black fan, I do like John Cusack enough to consider renting it on my own time. I usually dont like movies where the man character speaks directly to the audiance, but from the 45 minutes I saw of High Fidelity, it didnt really bother me that much. But yea, like I said, I missed the first half of the movie so I dont really have much to say. Hope this suffices.

Mediation Paper

2008-04-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

The question I am going to mediate is: how does women's economic independence affect their freedom to engage in premarital sex and what sort of impact does it have on marriage?

Women have been gaining far more opportunities for economic independence, and in today's society, some have reached level comparable to those of men. The changing role of women has greatly affected the institution of marriage and all that it stands for. Women havent always had the freedom to choose their own husbands, as they do today. Family members played a huge role in setting up marriages in order to ensure a woman's status in society. Marriage was about finding a husband that could provide his wife with a stable life, someone with access to the all the resources necessary to ensure she will live a comfortable life. Because women today have immensly more opportunities to prosper in the workplace, they no longer need to look to men to take care of them. Women are getting married at later ages because they can afford to support themselves for longer without the aid of a husband. Women used to focus on making themselves suitable for men, and this often included the avoidance of premarital sex. Today's women dont need to scramble around looking for husbands after they leave their family, so it's less important to them how they are perceived by men. Women feel secure in enough areas of their lives so that if a man doesnt approve of her choice to engage in sexual relations, it doesnt have much of an effect on her.

In my paper, I will show both the positive and negative effects that women's economic independence has had on the issue of premarital sex and marriage.

Section 2 Suggestion for Writing (For Convincing)

2008-04-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

The "soul-mate" marriage can only lead to unrealistic expectations and a quick outlet for escaping from a relationship. People believe that soul-mates are people that compliment each other so well, it's as if they were designed especially to be together. When people get this concept in their minds, they start building a set of criteria that another person must match in order to be considered the searchers soul-mate. whether people are aware of it or not, they be constantly overlooking people that they could potentially fall in love with, because they may not possess some mundane characteristic in order to be perfectly compatible.

Two completely different people may fall just as two very similar people could. Therefore, how do we determine what makes people soul-mates? The world is full of too many multdimesional people for any two to be considered perfect for each other. And on the same note, they're are probably more than one person that each of us coud fall in love with, its just a matter of time and place.

Searching for a soul-mate is a losing battle. It gives people an excuse to avoid love or give up on a relationship just because it isnt absoultely flawless. For example, in the section "who wants to marry a soul mate," it says that "87% of people agreed that they will find that special someone when they are ready to get married." This could cause problems because people may decide they want to get married before they have found the right person and then begin desperately searching for someone to fill that position. THis may cause people to either rush into a marriage becuase they have convinced themselves that they are ready or end up searching forever because their criteria is too unrealistic

Lab Autobiography

2008-03-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

My Life in Six Words

Takoma Park. School. Chincoteague. Friends. Family.

Blogs by Midnight

2008-03-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

1. Satrapi’s book seeks to convey a complex political history stained with national and individual tragedy. Would you say she’s achieved her goals while using a graphic novel?

I think Satrapi achieved her goals using a graphic novel. She described a complex political history through the perspective of someone who lived during through it. The story of the main character's individual struggle unravels as she tells the bigger story of national tragedy. By doing so, the storys intertwine, portraying the particular historical context from the inside out.

2. We’ve discussed the use of color as a way to evoke emotion. What does Persepolis gain or lose in its utilization of black-and-white (with no shades of gray whatsoever) illustration?

I think Persepolis only utilizes black and white in order to show the darkness of the times, but also the lack of expression. In my opinion, gray tones represent sadness and despair. Although I'm sure these feelings were present at the time, based on my interpretation of Persepolis, most people kept this feelings inside and simply except things the way they were. The Veils, for example, represent this theme of oppression. They keep the women hidden, almost as if to put a wall between them and the world around them. Everything in these times were in black and white; they simply were the way they were, and most people werent equipped to do anything about it.

3.Choose one frame (a single box on any page) to analyze. Briefly discuss its visual rhetoric: Who or what is being depicted? What emotion is being conveyed? What does the text add to or take from the picture? What tone (sincerity, irony, humor,information) does the picture exhibit? What figures in the frame remain stationary?What figures imply action? What is the purpose of this? What shapes are used? Is there a sense or lack of realism?

I chose the 5th frame on the tenth page. This frame is illustrates the police officers who kept people locked in a building while it burned down. The police officers are drawn much bigger than the people trying to get into the building, and they appear to be standing over them. This shows that the police officers have all the power and the other people are helpless and weak. There are flames of fire behind the police men. I think this is showing that the police men either started the fire, or are controlling it because they have done nothing to stop it. It also seems as though the fire and the policemen are standing together, meaning that they are both equally destructive. This frame exhibits a very serious and hateful tone. There are shadows across the faces of the policemen, depicting their evil and dark side. The fact that the policeman have faces, whereas the other people are just solid white figures, again represents the division of power. The policemen remain stationary while the people outside seem to imply action. This represents the fact that the policemen enforce the current political structure and hold most of the power while doing so, while other people try to change things. The fact that the police officers have there arms locked implies that they arent going to move out of the way.

2008-03-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

This cartoon is related to Fidel Castro stepping down from power and putting his brother in charge of Cuba. I interpreted this cartoon as implying that although Fidel has techinically stepped down, he will still exert great influence over Cuba through his brother. The character in the front seat of the car represents Fidel's brother and Fidel is in the back seat. This shows how although Fidel's brother is the driver (leader of Cuba), Fidel is always going to be close by, involved in what is going on. Because the car has no wheals in the picture and appears to be broken down, this shows how Cuba is not likely to make any positive progression despite the fact that Fidel Castro is no longer in charge. I agree with the message that this cartoonist is trying to send. It seems to me that if Fidel had stepped down and someone other than his brother had gotten power, there may be more of a change in the country but with the current situation, things will probably remain the same. I think this cartoon is pretty fair because it addresses the issue from a pretty vague perspective. It's kind of hard to argue that Fidel won't always be close by, considering they are brothers.

Memorable Images

2008-02-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

When asked to write about my most memorable images, nothing really came to mind so I did what I always do when I'm having trouble coming up with ideas: I googled it. I actually spent a fair amount of time looking through pictures because most of them were pretty interesting. However, I think this is the only one that will stick with me for a while. At first look, I didnt even realize that there was a little boy in the picture. The angle at which the photograph is taken makes the boy the center of attention because he is closest to the lens, but because he appears the same color as parts of his surrounding and lacks detail, it is hard to make him out as human. His placement at the bottom right corner of the picture allows the viewer to see him in the context of his environment which contributes to how desperate and weak he looks. Having the vulcher visible from only a few feet behind the boy, staring directly at him, creates the fear and sorrow that this picture is intended to provoke. The fact that the boy is curled up on the ground and the vulcher is standing up behind him shows how dangerous this situation is and that the vulcher is probably stronger and could easily harm him. I think that the amount of background that is provided in the picture is intended to creat a sense of lonliness and show the viewer that there is no one around to help him.

Across the Universe

2008-02-28T16:48:00.000-08:00

This clip illustrates the chaos that existed at the time of the Vietnam War. The melancholy colors in the background of the scenes contrasts with the intense red color of the strawberries and paint. This provides a juxtaposition between the subdued lives of the general public as they experience the war as outsiders looking in, against the violence and bloodshed that is going on else where.

The scene where the man is using drugs illustrates how they provided a smoke screen (pun intended) to shield people from their worries and stresses - almost making it acceptable. People sought sanctuary through the use of drugs by escaping the harsh realities of the times.

The scene where the man pins the strawberries on the wall represents the wounded bodies on the battle field. The constant use of the color red throughout the clip, especially in the form of paint splatters, represents how strongly the war influenced every aspect of life, including art. His inner struggles lead to an emotional catharsis as he aggressively splatters red paint all over the room, signifying his anger and frustration.

Blue Crush Movie Synopsis

2008-02-21T15:06:00.000-08:00

Blue Crush is about a group of girls who love to surf. Growing up in Hawaii, Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) has always dreamed of going pro and becoming the first female on the cover of Surf Magazine. With the support of her best friends Eden (Michelle Rodriguez) and Lena (Sanoe Lake) Anne Marie competes in a prestigious surf competition.

Between trying to keep tabs on her troublesome teenage sister and a distracting new love life, Anne Marie finds her goals slipping further and further out of reach. She struggles to maintain balance between her social life and surfing as well as coping with the dangerous reality of the nature of the competition.

In the end, Anne Marie is able to clear her mind of all distractions and has a great ride on the perfect wave for everyone to see. She has an amazing performance and is greeted by her loving friends and family back on the beach.

Lab Free Writing

2008-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm kind of in a rush so I'm just going to write whatever comes to mind. I'm leaving to go to Wilmington, North Carolina in like 10 minutes. My friend from high school has a house there so I'm staying with him. A bunch of my other friends from high school go to UNCW and one of my best friends from home who goes to school in Ohio is coming down for the weekend. I think it's like a 5 hour drive, but I have my navigation system so it should be pretty easy. Can't decide if I should come back tomorrow night or sunday morning...I'd rather not drive 10 hours with in such a short time span but I also have a TON of work to do this weekend so I should probably come back tomorrow night. I'll decide later. Anyway, I feel really bad for whoever reads this because it was completely devoid of anything fascinating whatsoever. That's all.

Julius Caesar Movie

2008-02-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

Although I couldn't make it to the play, I was able to gain a lot of insight into the art of rhetoric from the movie. Before watching the movie, I attempted to anaylze the rhetoric of Brutus and Antony based only on reading the speeches rather than seeing them performed. I found their rhetoric to be a lot more moving when they were being delivered by real people. However, I did find that the speeches in the movie were very similar to the way I envisioned them to be. Being able to look at one of the presidential candidate speeches online and then watch the speeches from the movie really heightened by awareness of how they use similar rhetoric and their effectiveness.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

2008-02-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed reading this letter. I thought MLK Jr. did a really good job getting his message across to the reader. His strong language and vivid examples incorporated the technique of pathos, while his clear reasoning made use of rhetoric logos. He consistently clarifies his points in order to make sure they are perceived exactly how he intended. I especially liked his qoute that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." By this I think he was saying that just because injustice isnt occurring right in front of us, that doesnt mean we don't have to deal with it. If we over look injustice's because they don't directly affect us, they could eventually get the power to manifest themselves. I also liked his consistent theme of timliness. With practically every issue that he says needs to be resolved, he touches upon the issue time and how critical it is to deal with problems right away, rather than to sit back and wait.

Reaction to Visual Rhetoric Activity

2008-02-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

I think today's activity was an interesting way to follow up the reading of the Birmingham letter. It allowed me to understand the strengths and weaknesses of both forms of rhetoric, since they were both intended to send similar messages. I think visual rhetoric needs to be analyzed a little deeper in order to see beyond what is simply illustrated on the page. I liked the fact that we had no basis for actually knowing what the artist intended to portray. This allowed us a lot of room for creativity and the willingness to disect each page to its full extent with out fear of over analyzing. Based on the MLK reading, i think visual rhetoric can be extremely insightful as long as the viewer is willing to search for a deeper message.

Reaction to Academic Integrity Pledge

2008-01-31T18:40:00.000-08:00

I think the academic integrity pledge was a good thing to do because it reminds us of the priciples we should abide by in order to be successful at Clemson. At this point in our educational careers, we may sometimes neglect some of the basic aspects of integrity due to laziness or ignorance. I think it was helpful to spend a couple minutes discussing the characteristics each of us think is vital to maintaining academic integrity. Even though they may seem obvious, they may overlooked if we arent reminded of their importance from time to time. Doing this assigment in groups was useful because we got to hear what aspects of integrity other people value.

Brutus and Antony Speeches

2008-01-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

It is obvious from their first words that Brutus and Antony use different forms of appeal in their funeral speeches. Each technique is used to elicit a different response from the audience in an attempt to persuade them into taking their side. Brutus uses the form of logos to appeal to the audience’s intellect and reasoning. Antony focuses more on the form of pathos to appeal to the audience’s emotions.

Brutus begins his speech by addressing the audience as “Romans, Countrymen, and Lovers,” whereas Antony begins his speech “Friends, Romans, Countrymen!” I think this is the first sign of what is to come in each of their speeches and how they will be different. Brutus’s use of the word “Roman’s” represents his strategy of appealing to the audience’s reason, by defending how Caesar’s death was in the best interest of Rome. This technique allows the audience to look past their emotions and see the logic behind Caesar’s death. Brutus gets the audience to focus on what he portrays as the sensible thing to do by listing reasons as to why Caesar’s death was beneficial.

Antonym’s use of the word “Friends” in his opening line foreshadows that the rest of the speech will focus on eliciting an emotional response from the crowd. He uses reasons that evoke sympathy from the audience toward both Antony and Caesar. He reminds the audience of their love for Caesar and that this love should now be turned into mourning and sorrow. Antony emphasizes Caesar’s good qualities and gets the audience to feel as though Caesar has been wronged. Antony repeatedly refers to emotion eliciting words such as love and weeping to get the audience to feel sorrow for Caesar and forget what Brutus presented as logical.

English Lab: Class Expectations

2008-01-24T09:37:00.001-08:00

Based on the first two labs that we've had, it seems like this class is intended to enhance the basics that we will learn in English 103 and allow us to utilize these skills in a more creative fashion. The lab and regular English class are probably connected because they focus on different areas of English that, collectively, will develop our reading and writing skills to their full extent.

My first reaction to the class was that it is going to be a laid back, open-ended setting. This lab will probably allow us to take structured and general concepts that we learn in our regular English class, and give us an outlet to apply these concepts in ways according to our own imaginations.

I expect that the knowledge I will gain of grammar and rhetoric from my regular English class, will be very useful when completing many of the lab projects that will be assigned this semester. From the lab syllabus, I got the impression that most of the projects will be looking for us to express our creative side. But although the projects seem very open to personal interpretations, it is important to express ourselves creatively while still adhering to the concrete rules of the English language.

This class will give us a hand's on setting and supply us with the resources needed to put the many uses of language into action and see how they can apply to various aspects of life.

Punctuation

2008-01-22T16:41:00.001-08:00

I think there are occasions when an extreme attention to grammar should be paid, and other situations where extreme attention is not all that necessary. However, I don’t think that people should be exempt from knowing the rules of grammar and how to properly apply them when need be. When writing something that is intended to communicate an idea to another person in a work setting or to an authority figure, where proper interpretations are vital to the other person’s perception and understanding, grammar should be used very carefully. Not only will proper grammar help get the author’s intended message across, it will also give them an air of intelligence and efficiency that may enforce their status and make the audience truly hear them out. However, in more casual situations, often involving electronic devices, attention to detail may not be as necessary. Though sending messages over the internet and on cell phones, many people have developed a common language that revolves less around proper grammar and more around time efficiency. Although bad grammar may indeed lead to misunderstandings, they are usually quickly rectified because the contexts are usually more casual and may be simply attributed to laziness. On that note, I agree with truss that it is very important for people to have scrupulous regard for their grammar in some situations but not others. However, even in situations where grammar may be appropriately overlooked, we should still be able to identify our mistakes due to a thorough knowledge of grammar.
I agree with the analogy Truss includes that "punctuation is a courtesy designed to help readers to understand a story without stumbling." The word "courtesy" proposes the idea that grammar is an act of consideration toward another person. This strengthens my opinion that grammar should be used in regards to the audience, but in certain situations we may be more or less courteous.

Language: The Power We Love to Hate

2008-01-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

1. "...Sometimes a true, obviously heartfelt apology is just what you don't want; all you want is a little reminder that you are owed something." (pg. 23)

I think this quote is saying that although apologies are often defined as being "heartfelt" as a requirement for effectiveness, it is important to recognize that there are many types of apologies, and that particular ones may be more or less appropriate in different situations.

This quote struck me as very interesting because it verbalizes a commonly felt, yet likely unacknowledged sentiment that many people experience on a regular basis. I enjoy stumbling upon ideas or theories that I feel I can relate to, but may not have been able to identify until they were worded by another person. This statement really made me question the essence of an apology, and later on throughout the article, the essence of language in its entirety. For me, this is the kind of quote that can really draw the reader further into the material and be able to understand what the author is saying from a new enlightened perspective.