paper 4

Why do I write you ask? I write because there are constantly too many thoughts going on in my head for me to handle. I need to release them, see the words to make sense of them. Once they are written, my head doesn’t have to worry about remembering them. I can go back and focus on different thoughts at any time. Writing has become a library for my brain; stacks and stacks of documentation. That’s all my writing really is: my thoughts. Writing them has led to even greater ideas and connections that I’m sure I would have never been able to achieve before. There is so much running through my mind at all times that it can be overwhelming, especially because I’m the type of person that cannot let things go.

I want nothing more than for people to see things the way I see them. Joan Didion also feels this way about her writing and explains in her essay, “Why I Write” that, “In many ways writing is the act of saying I, of imposing oneself upon other people, of saying listen to me, see it my way, change your mind.”(Didion 1). I have all of these strong feelings and opinions and I want others to look at and hear what I have to say and hopefully, agree with me. Nothing is simple and everything matters; every little detail of every little thing can cause a great impact. I truly believe that the smallest change, such as whether or not it is pouring rain outside, can affect everything and everyone. Didion is right when she claims, “Let me tell you one thing about why writers write: had I known the answer to any of these questions I would never have needed to write a novel.” (Didion 4). We may not have all the answers but that is why we write in the first place, to find answers. Over-analyzing these small things around me is what causes my need to write. Eventually, those thoughts turn into stories and those stories turn into scripts, and those scripts turn into TV shows and movies. But none of those things would be possible without something so simple: sentences. 

A sentence starts out like...a seed on the ground, but not one that has been carefully planted. Instead, one that has been blown to the ground by the wind and just hopes to be picked up by the Earth's arms and formed into a full blown flower. It has no control of where it will end up but wants to be meaningful and beautiful. The seed then becomes a planted idea and continues to grow. It may need to overcome obstacles its environment will throw its way, like storms and animals, trying to stop its development. Turning into a flower will be the seed’s end of the journey until another seed from the flower falls off and starts its own journey to be significant.

Advice for those of you just starting that journey? You have to stop being scared. Stop worrying about who will or will not like what you have to say. You need to be able to believe in your ideas and opinions so that others can too. Build something that you love by writing every thought you have down. It does not matter how stupid or pretentious you may feel at the moment because it’s what is truly going on in your head. To be a great writer, to be able to push meaning out of your ideas, you need to understand the way that you think, and in order to understand your thoughts, you need to first accept them.

And maybe you think you already do understand, but I think you’re wrong. You have definitely tried to hide certain thoughts about life, death, love, etcetera out of shame.  We all do, but that is the line; the fenced in walls that prevent great words from coming together to make something important. Some advice for those who just started writing? Break down the walls you build around yourself and learn how to just be you.  Your writing will follow your lead in risking the judgement and rejection. 

I’m a writer and I don’t mean I write essays and assignments for classes because I’m being forced to. I mean I write to create something worthwhile. I do it for myself and I couldn’t care less about all those teachers and professors throughout my life who have told me that I cannot write. They’re wrong. I wouldn’t have made it this far in my life if I wasn’t a writer. My scripts wouldn’t transcribe to film and TV and the great communication and relationships that I have between my friends and family would not exist. That’s why I am going to push aside all those who ever told me that I wasn’t good enough. Watch me prove you wrong.

Works Cited:

1. Didion, Joan. Why I Write. 5 December 1976. New York Times Book Review. May 8th, 2011.

Presentation Reflection: Chapter 6

Our presentation on chapter 6 "Refashioned Dialogues" presented was clear and easy to follow. Communication, dialogue specifically, is always changing and growing with technology. Digital text has changed the way we speak with one another and our presentation had a strong emphasis on that.
We wanted to take a light humorous approach to prove some of the points we made. I think this was an effective way to make the subject more relatable and not boring. An example of this would be when we used the Movie poster from Hoodwinked. This may have started out as a joke to us because Bolter used a word like hoodwinked and it was the only thing that caught our attention on that specific page, but then we found this movie. Learning about how this movie was collaborated from classic fairytale characters made it have actual relevance to our presentation. It related to how fairytales used to be spoken orally and how stories have changed in dialogue to printed text to digital text. I think it helped the class pay attention and want to listen. We also used different mediums to communicate the chapter, visually stimulating the class.


An image of a New York Times newspaper and a tablet with the same New York Times edition showed how digital text is trying to copy the look of printed text and even how print text is trying to look more digital. We were asked why we thought that was happening and my response was because of commercialism and money. People who would prefer a digital form of text are more likely to buy a printed text that looks like digital text because it appeals to them and their needs. More and more books and newspapers are trying to look like eBooks and webpages. The same thing has been happening with websites and blogs trying to replicate books, notebooks, and physical paper. We chose the two productions of Taylor Mali's poem because it really showed the difference of communication between visually watching him speak the words and visually watching the words as he said them. We used a bunch of other images to similarly support our points.



If I could have changed anything about the presentation, I would have allotted more time to relate Bolter's chapter to even more modern day changes in dialogue. If we could have incorporated text messages and Instant messengers like AIM, facebook chat and gchat, we could have related how dialogue changes to each and everyone firsthand.
Text messaging has changed dialogue and the way we communicate forever and I feel like it would have brought on a million more points with Bolter's chapter about refashioned dialogues. Short hands, incorrect grammar and many other issues within our language becomes apparent when looking at text messages. These can be seen as obstacles to text remediating to digital forms and it would have been interesting to hear what the rest of the class had to say about it.

Paper 3

This is not new news. I could have predicted this. You could have predicted this. My ten year old cousin could have predicted this. That man who held the door open for you this morning could have predicted this. Writing is constantly changing. It does not take an expert scholar to figure that out. It is just common knowledge for anyone who is observant of their society and it’s surroundings. The materiality of writing has always been changing. So people used to write with sticks and now we type everything onto computers and word processors; just because the way we output text has changed does not mean the text is different. The text is still just words and words need to evolve with whoever is using them. It is completely logical for writing to be adapted into digital forms today. Our language evolves with these texts, creating new means of communication and forming dialogues within these texts. Connections that would have been impossible ten years ago are now second nature between writers and readers and print text and digital text.

Comparing printed books, magazines and newspapers to tablets and blogs and ebooks has become tiresome. Again, they are all the same words, they are just in different formats. It can be brought down to about two main different factors: mediums of communicating and distributing information to keep up with the latest technology available and personal preference of how exactly people want to communicate and distribute that information. 

Preference can become reliant on a generation’s way of thinking. The past twenty-five to thirty years have been full in the digital age but what about people who were born before all this technology and digital text was at our fingertips for easy access? People like what they know. So, maybe my Dad would rather hold a newspaper than read newspaper articles online or on a kindle like device. There is no difference in the text and it just comes down to plain and simple preference. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology. I would not be able to go through one day without it and my entire future and career rely on it, like most people today, no matter who they are or what their job is. But, why are we so concerned about loosing printed text? If enough people want printed texts and find proficient and appropriate use for them, they will not be eliminated completely. History may prove that technology overpowers most things. “Going digital” is usually the easiest, fastest, most efficient way to get whatever you need done. However, books have been around for so many years that it would be unthinkable to try to actually get rid of them instead of replace them. 

The different mediums of text today is never-ending. Between computers and tablets, which are the next best thing for digital text, options for finding texts are vast. Kindles, iPads, Moto Xooms, and more are being released to house ebooks and web capabilities that obviously uncover the endless texts on the web. Digital text enhances communication between all humans and is the most efficient way of sharing information. It is instantaneous and either free or much cheaper than a book. Today, institutions have taken advantage of the technology available to them, enhancing classroom and learning settings for students. Tools such as smart boards are being used with children as young as Kindergarteners. This gives them a favorable position in learning new technology, and for this kind of technology to become instinctual to them. Now children are growing up with an advantage in and out of the classroom. Bolter agrees that, blogs and virtual classrooms, originally based off of chat rooms and forums create a positive learning environment for students because they can interact while in class and/or outside of class, such as in their dorms, complimenting face to face discussion in the classroom (114). Examples of these types of online classrooms can range from things as simple as blogs or closed message threads to websites that allow students to post video, text, pictures, links and more, an example being voicethread.com. 

It is inevitable for the way we use words to change when the space those words are in changes. Jay David Bolter dedicates an entire chapter to talk about “Refashioned Dialogues” in his book, Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print. That is irony at its best: A man spends his time writing two hundred or so pages about how print is outdated and digital text is taking over, and then prints it in a book. The best part is that this is the Second Edition of this book which means that Bolter has printed two books about how printed text is being transformed into digital text. Although digital dialogues are not as structured as a book and can seem as if they are all over the place, digital dialogues create bridges and paths to conversations that would not be possible with a printed text. As Bolter explains, "A written text is a structure in space that also implies a structure in time...When a reader is reading a novel or an essay, the words create a rhythm of expectations" (99). You cannot have a conversation with the author of a book by writing notes on the pages, but you can comment on blogs and some authors even publish full essays and even novels online now. With tablets that let you read ebooks on them like the kindle, you can comment on anything publicly and then other readers of that same text can answer your comments and questions. Dialogue between the reader and writer, between readers and different types of media, and between audio and visual texts have recently changed the most. Conversations about anything imaginable are possible because of the web. Hypertext enables people to add on to any text imaginable and as Bolter explains it, “If hypertext could remediate the voice of the text it might suggest a return to oral forms such as dialogue” (112). Publishing text online is as easy as one click. These started with ideas as simple as chat rooms or MOOs, allowing people to communicate with others at any time, but now the have developed into full interactive blogs, ebooks, and webpages that are connecting people throughout the world. The internet opens up an entire new world that, “allows individuals not only to represent themselves in words and images, but also to publish these representations to an audience of million at almost no expense” (119).

Bolter seems concerned about having an option as a reader to choose your own path when reading a text. There are many books that can make you jump around and pick your own ending or path within the story. Bolter describes why it is so important to have these paths by comparing reading to choosing which path to take. "To read is to follow one path from among those suggested by the layout of the text...The codex and the printed book both allow the writer to suggest many paths throughout the same book" (100). However, hypertext similarly, if not in a better way can create an ongoing path or journey for the reader by just browsing the web through links. You may start out looking for one thing but after a few clicks, you could have travelled far from your original path, sometimes discovering great new things by just one simple click.

In conclusion, the way people communicate words is always going to change. These changes will occur slowly and over large periods of time but from rocks to paper to computers, text has progressed greatly throughout human history. Who knows what will be next after computers and tablets. Perhaps one day, we will be able to record text in mid air with our very own fingers. No writing space, no writing utensil, just our hands.

Works Cited:

1. Bolter, David Jay. Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 2001. Second Edition. (p. 99-120) April 26th, 2011.

Bolter Chapter 4

The presentation consisted of quotes from the chapter along with opinions of the group members. They talked about how words and images are contained by the verbal text. A history of text and picture writing, which is the first language and communication between people that was documented was presented.

One of their main points was that words should be seen and not just read. Along with this they talked about Bolter's use of Ekphrasis which is trying to make words do what pictures do.

They talked about how text and images have changed from picture writing to MOOs (Multi Object Oriented) that capture pictures and words through chat rooms. There were also MUDs - Multi User Domain or Discussion -another chat room before blogs and the internet became so diverse with anything and everything imaginable.


1. Can images replace all words?
2. Are words able to capture what images reflect and vise-versa?
3. Why do you think printed texts are trying to look more like digital forms of text?
4. Picture writing was the start of communication, why do you think that language was created in text instead of images?
5. When Bolter says words should be seen and not just read do you think he meant words should be presented by images or that we should just see the text instead of having it said out loud?
6. Is ekphrasis successful when it comes to trying to relay a strong message?

Chapter 6: Refashioned Dialogues

http://prezi.com/an_qfpsnoaey/refashioned-dialogues/

Bolter Chapter 3?

For each chapter you need these 3 parts in the blog post:

1.short summary...content and layout...strengths and weaknesses representing meaning and info

2. presenter's main points from bolter and other materials. what's the argument/point?

3. six questions

Then go to four blogs and answer one of their questions each.



This group had a very text oriented presentation with only some visual aides to the moving text in the prezi. They made sure to give their opinion also which I think made the presentation stronger. They talked about unitary symbols (letters or symbols) and how they relate to each other. They made the point that you can think about a single topic and get it to be universally understood through symbols so that everyone can relate to that topic.

Some of their main points were that topics exist in a space that is a visual surface but also a data structure of a computer and how that originated from the word topos which means "method of thought". Connecting existent texts like journals and books is used to connect the subject you're focussing on to your topic. They talked about the difference of word processors and printed text. Nothing is permanent in a word processor and it is convenient, faster, efficient, and fluid.

Hypertext and the remediation of print was touched upon but focussed on different paths of meaning for the author and for the reader. One of their arguments was that online text is overwhelming. Hypertext narrows down a path that you take to get information. Bolter's concern is that there is too much information that people won't be able to learn or absorb it. Also he is concerned that we won't be able to separate true and false data. -Remediation of text redefines cultural values and can represent homage and rivalry.




1. Why are topics less successful in print form?
2. Does the impermanence of digital writing create infinite limits to that writing, letting it change at any time?
3. Why do hypertext links create more efficient paths than an adventure book for example?
4. Is it not possible for printed texts to create universally understood symbols to explore topics?
5. If online text is overwhelming, doesn't hypertext create even more chaos because it is offering even more links than you already had?
6. Do you think people who participated in Week Without the Web here at Hofstra had a better feeling of how much digital text connects our society?

Writing My Heart Out Without Seeing What I'm typing...Just A Black Screen and Words That Should Not Have Been Said

There are so many instances that I said or wrote something and regretted it later. The moments that stand out in my mind that I have said or written something I wish I hadn't are all due to me trusting people with personal information or feelings when I should have known better and just kept them to myself. People like to pretend though, having false pretenses about their intentions and friendships. You would think that someone you have known since you were six years old was someone that you could trust, but no. They didn't care about me or my feelings they just wanted to something good to talk about and use me like a gossip story like they did with everyone else they knew. So I regret telling them anything, and that's a lot. It's not like I said something mean to someone by accident or wish my Mom didn't overhear something I said. I wish that I can take back the truth I unleashed to those I saw as friends and I wish that I hadn't just let them know these things without being the slightest bit reluctant. But as much as I regret saying those things and sharing words that should have just been kept private, I can't help but think that I did myself a favor. How else would I have learned that certain people were not to be trusted? I would be stuck in the same rut that I was one year ago and so, although a part of me regrets those words, a part of me is thankful to myself for taking a situation that is quite unfortunate and seeing the positive influence it has had and will have on my life. So I went through some rough things like loosing close friends and finding out that they were not really being a friend. I think that it was worth my regret to be able to move forward to better things and people in my life.

How does this electronic space refashion its predecessor? How does it claim to improve on print's ability to make our thoughts visible and to constitute the lines of communication for our society?

Digital writing and mediums such as Microsoft word and apple's equivalent, pages changes the actual space that is being written in. When these processors were first invented, it was amazing that you could grab certain text and copy and paste it other places or rearrange the order of your words, sentences, and even full paragraphs. It improves the organization of our thoughts because we are able to go back and perfect the way our words come together to express whatever we are trying to communicate through the writing. This creates a better way of communication through writing within our society.

Bolter Ch. 2

          In chapter 2, Bolter focuses on defining technology and writing together. He wanted to make sure it was understood that writing is always changing but that there are underlying things about writing that technology could never really change. No matter what decade it is, "The writer always needs a surface on which to make his or her marks and a tool with which to make them, and these materials become part of the contemporary definition of writing"(Bolter 15,16). Bolter makes it clear that writing has developed throughout history through different means of technology from a printing press or Linotype machine to electric presses and computers. He explains how it requires different skills to writing with quill and parchment than to writing with a printing press than to write with a computer. Yet he finds a way to bring them together by claiming that, "all writing entails method, the intention of the writer [is] to arrange verbal ideas in a space for later examination by a reader"(16).

Sample S refute

Cliche images do not control the viewer's thoughts, but help lead them through the argument that is being stated. There is alway more than one way to send a message through an image so relying on a cliche visual is a conscious decision made by the author. I see it as the easy way out, the most reliable images are ones that you know a majority of your viewers will recognize and relate to what you are trying to say instead of loosing your main points. Whether an argument is simple or complicated does not matter in deciding to use cliche images. Hope can be expressed in an endless amount of ways and the choice to use an image such as a rainbow is an artistic opinion that clearly works because when the author thought of how to express hope after destruction of rain, they thought of a rainbow. The probability that your viewer will also make that connection is very high because it is something that everyone is aware of and it seems like it was the only positive image in the production according to the way the author talked about rain and destruction.  

Ink-shedding on "Stitch Bitch"

"Hypertext blurs the distinction between subject and object, matter and the absence of matter."

Hypertext enables a reader to interpret the meaning of the text they are reading, whichever way they would like causing a "blur" in the actual meaning of the text. Because of this, the reader has more control over what they are reading. They get to choose the meaning of the text and with hypertext it becomes difficult to distinguish between what the author is saying and what they are referencing. Through hypertext, different ideas can be brought together, crossing certain lines that were once looked down upon if crossed, therefore causing a blur between the subject of the text and the objective of the text.

Reading Quiz on Wednesday:  Prepare 6 - 10 bullet points on Bolter, ch. 1 for use in planning a prezi.  You might want to familiarize yourself further with prezi at prezi.com.

• text mediums have been changing since the stone age
• all kinds of communication are becoming digital and rely on computers
• writing for digital mediums may result in careless writing
• we as authors and readers still turn to books to find the most powerful and respected texts
• the late age of print is a transformation of the way we feel and use technology --> books and other printed texts in the late age of print are still common and enjoyable but they have a rival in the electronic world
• electronic writing is similar to printing as far as mechanically and accuracy are concerned, similar to handwriting because it is natural and evolutionary, and similar to hieroglyphics and picture writing because has a wide range visually

Bolter Ch.1

          Most of what Bolter had to say about the evolution of print is pretty obviously known. Like Bolter explained, the way text has been communicated throughout history has constantly changed from writing on stones to writing with ink on animal hyde to paper. Books were an innovation of their own time and, "Now, however, the distinction between lasting texts and pragmatic communication has broken down, and all kinds of communication are being digitized" (Bolter 2).
          Abnormal discourse can be productive because it is helping ideas be developed. Personally, when I'm given no direction whatsoever it is much more difficult for me to write something or come up with an idea or even just focus on doing an assignment than it is if I had some structure and direction. Guidelines help narrow the thinking process down. Otherwise I think too greatly, and have more difficulty creating something of substance. It's more productive to have some direction and goal in mind so abnormal discourse is definitely productive. Looking at this in connection to other points Bolter made, I see that abnormal discourse could possibly come in handy when dealing with the medium that you are writing with. Bolter talks about how, "The shift to the computer may make writing more flexible, but it also threatens the definition of good writing and careful reading that have developed in association with the technique of printing" (Bolter 4).

Stitch Bitch Response

BANISHED BODY
"It's not what we wish it were."
I'm easily confused by this writing style because the author contradicts what they're saying constantly to prove their arguments. What I took away from this section was that "the body" is something that we wish we could control but in reality have little control over it. It's constantly changing and it is in between being an object and a thought. The author refers to it as "the monkey in the middle" and that makes me envision a struggle between becoming a solid object or becoming a lucid thought. It is easily influenced by what surrounds it and comes in the form of a story or in smell and sight along with happiness and pain. 

"Its face is a collage of stories, borrowed images, superstitions, fantasies. We have no idea what it "really" looks like." This section ends by using the metaphor of a body-bag and how, like most junkyards, it holds the garbage, the stories, that will never be told.

REALITY FICTION
"It's not what it says it is."
Why does reality conquer over fiction? That doesn't seem right. Reality is a type of fiction. It shouldn't overpower it. Fiction can be many different categories and they each have their own standards and laws. 
Reality thinks it "includes" fiction, that fictional works are embedded in reality. It's the boast of a bully. But just "Every fictional world competes with the real one to some extent, but hypertext gives us the chance to sneak up on reality from inside fiction." It can be subtle by including links to non-fictional works which makes hypertext fiction create a separate text of reality in a fictional world. Reality relies on the feeling of security, like home. But as the author argues, "By writing we test the seams, pick out the stitches, trying to stretch the gaps between things to slip out through them into some uncharted space, or to let something spring up in the real that we don't already know, something unfamiliar, not part of the family, a changeling" so writers try to take reality and stretch it, distort it slightly to fit their needs and create realities that we may have never experienced but could encounter some day.

Four Letter Word Project

I keep getting and error when uploading. putting it on vimeo.

I wish I had more time to do this.

http://vimeo.com/20836198 

          For my visual four letter word argument, I chose the word risk. I wanted to start with images that showed literal meaning of risk and then transition into more specific examples that would support my argument: To achieve something great, you need to take a risk. I used a variety of examples to prove my claim such as: being a performer whether a dancer or a musician, or putting your heart on the line, more specifically proposing to someone, or choosing the right path to take to reach your goals. Images were grouped into categories of ways risk ends positively. Risking your life, risking your heart, risking your career, risking your art, and even risking your mind. 

I used Final-Cut Pro to edit it.

Taylor Mali

Blog this:  How does the form of the poem affect your apprehension and appreciation for it?


I watched the video that was all graphic design and animated text over the audio of Taylor Mali reading the poem. So when I watched the video of him actually performing it, I did not get the same impact. It was more effective for me to see the words while he was saying them. The animated text took initiative to help tell the story within the poem and was designed appropriately to exaggerate and push forward Mali's points. One part sticks out in my mind. When he asks "Where are the limbs at which we once walked" small foot-print like images surround the words that now resemble branches of a tree and the foot-prints look like leaves and as Mali speaks the words "chopped down" the tree is hit by the word chopped and falls to it's side. Creating visuals through text is an art form that I value because it is difficult but it can create such great meaning.

"The Problem of Describing Trees"

"And the tree danced. No.
The tree capitalized.
No. There are limits to saying,
In language, what the tree did."

It is very obvious that Robert Hass, the writer of this poem, finds it difficult to write what he saw from the tree's action in reality. He doesn't see how he could possibly describe the tree in a significant way. He says the tree danced and right away I see a trees branches swaying in the wind, slightly melodically, with a certain rhythm to it. But right away Hass takes it back and replaces danced with capitalized. This is so strange to me. Why would he use capitalized to describe the tree? Is the tree risking something to gain an advantage? Is the wind causing the tree to risk it's life because it is so windy that the tree could fall down or lose branches? Maybe that's it, and maybe the positive thing that the tree gained was  the beauty of it's leaves glistening in the sun because of the wind. But no, it doesn't make sense because it doesn't justify what the tree is doing and that's his point exactly.

3 images from a painful glimpse into my writing process - chel white

The heart and knives were very memorable. The image of just his heart pounding had an intense feeling attached to it, but then a circle of knives started to surround the heart with a stabbing sensation. It showed his personal pain and gave a way for the viewer to connect to the piece. So what if it's cliche.

The baby clowns in the mirror are burning in my eyes. Clowns automatically scare me so to have the author's head replaced with many different miserable clowns, baby clowns as a matter of fact, in a mirror, scares me to death and will probably haunt my dreams.

The fingers doing jumping jacks was a great visual accompaniment to White talking about actual jumping jacks. The metaphor of the hands doing laborious physical activity fits perfectly with describing writing. Whether you're actually writing with a pen and paper or typing, your fingers are doing all the work.


what's the difference between Chel White and billy collins presentations on what writing is like
Chel White has a more negative view of writing that will lead to positive outcomes. White is not afraid to go into the dirty details of the writing process and how it affects him.

http://www.lumeneclipse.com/gallery/14/white/

A sentence starts out like...

a seed on the ground, but not one that has been carefully planted. Instead. one that has been blown to the ground by the wind and just hopes to be picked up by the Earth's arms and formed into a full blown flower. It has no control of where it will end up but wants to be meaningful and beautiful. If the seed becomes a planted idea and continues to grow, it may need to overcome storms and squirrels who try to stop its development. Turning into a flower will be the seeds end of the journey until another seed from the flower falls off and starts its own journey to be significant.


sentence = traveler

you can't see where you're going

order in which the meaning is presented. syntax

freewrite

I don't necessarily think it's strange that cell phones have been turned into a primary usage for text messaging and emails. The primary function of a cell phone may be to make calls but everyone wants their phones to be capable of everything imaginable. Text messaging has become a new form of communication that in some situations, is superior to calls. In certain emergencies text messages are discrete enough to contact someone if you are in trouble. On a less serious note, most conversations are not worth the call. The meaningless "hey" "hey what's up" "how are you" "i'm good, what about you" conversations would just take up valuable phone minutes and money.

3 Questions From Everyone's Blogs

1. Why can't we both be the bread and the knife?

I think this is a wonderful question. It's so simple but when you think about the answer, that's when things get complicated. "You are the bread and the knife" Billy Collins reassures that he is not the bread and the knife. Why not? Why is not one person the bread and one person the knife? How can one person be both the bread and the knife that cuts it? To me that's exclaiming that the "lover" in the poem is their own worst enemy and overall, seems like an insult. That would explain why Billy is so concerned with making sure you know he is not the bread and the knife, as if he is above and superior to that metaphor. It almost gives off a selfish vibe to Billy Collins, like he does not want to share his metaphors.

2. Do you feel that cliche metaphors are ineffective at conveying strong meaning?

This is interesting because it is quite clear that Billy Collins thinks that cliche metaphors are useless in describing love, but I disagree. Love is something so broad and unexplainable that no one has the right to say what is and isn't true about it. Metaphors describing love are probably one of the most used things in the English language. Love has been compared to a vast majority of different feelings, objects, and events ranging from war to butterflies so who is to say that cliche metaphors don't work in describing love? I think that anything can convey a strong meaning if you truly believe it.

3. Were you trying to gain a positive, or negative response from the audience?

I think that Billy Collins was trying to just get any reaction he could from his audience. Love is always going to be a controversial topic so by choosing to talk about love in a sarcastic manner, Billy unleashed many possibilities for positive and negative reactions. I personally, respond both positively and negatively. I agree that it seems nonsensical to describe love with such meaningless words, but at the same time, there are no other words that better describe what love is.

Six reasons why this paper’s argument MOVES me to think in new ways about its object and its subject.

It Gives You Wings


1. "Our nation dances to the beat of a fast drum." This metaphor creates astonishing imagery and makes me want to know what they're going to be talking about.
2. Relaying the significance of their arguments back to their first claim. Example :"red bull drinker can charge through life. it is an embodiment of power, strength and domination - characteristics appropriate for a country considered the strongest in the world."
3. Relating argument to instances people will be able to relate to(needing energy for busy lives)
4. Using questions to connect with the reader.
5. Personal statements supporting arguments.
6. Lots of examples with descriptions explaining an argument.




Apple's iPod: I've Got the World on a String (Shaped Earphone Chord)


1. "the iPod has become a cultural icon, itself symbolic of the desire to have the world at one's fingertips in a world of media oversaturation" Great claim and interesting point makes me want to continue reading.
2. Specific examples create great imagery.
3. "slimmer than a deck of cards" Nice metaphor
4. Future predictions are interesting.
5. broad to specific intro works
6. being able to create personal media is a great point that seems to be pushed aside most of the time.

Six reasons why I am inert and UNMOVED by this paper’s argument.

It Gives You Wings


1. 2nd paragraph is very assertively written to the point that it becomes repetitive and difficult to concentrate on anything but the words Red Bull. It takes away from the arguments within the paragraph.
2. Obviously stating the meaning behind Red Bull's slogan makes me disinterested.
3. Reasons of support for the "american's are stressed" argument seem too narrow. It can be expanded to a bigger picture of life, not just work and family. Life is stressful, and limited examples lead the reader to think those are the only causes of stress.
4. The door close argument can be great but is a little confusing. Needs a little more explanation to relate back to the fact that red bull creates instantaneous results like we want.
5. Personal experiences are packed into one paragraph.
6. The last sentence of the essay is the start to a great conclusion but the rest of the paragraph lacks significance because you are just restating things you've already said instead of expanding your argument to a greater thought.

Apple's iPod: I've Got the World on a String (Shaped Earphone Chord)

1. Starting off with facts instead of your own words claiming your argument doesn't motivate me to read on. 

2. Tendency to list.

3. Supportive arguments to initial claim are not very clear.

4. word choice weakens arguments for example, hipness, cool, indie..the mass use of words in air quotes becomes in-affective because it is being over-used.

5. Conclusion starts off stating another argument and is over a page long...

6. Needs to be brought full circle back to original claim.

Response to Will's essay formatting arguments

"Paper specificities are based off societal norms."

Yes I agree that MLA and APA formats are based off specifications that society has decided are appropriate.

"Color is seen as setting certain moods"

Brightly colored texts would create inferences that they are being used to label something or categorize the text. That is the first thing I would think if I saw different colored text in an essay.

"When writing a serious paper, the reader? should not see what the writer is feeling by visuals, instead, the writer should paint a picture with words the more professional a paper looks, the easier it is to follow."

Focussing on the imagery that is being created within the words is important. Visuals need to be created in the mind, not directly through visual representations of colors.

We have good reasons for making certain choices about the medium we use for our writing. We don't want to fail papers for stupid reasons such as formatting. Most professors won't accept papers that are not standard MLA or APA formats. I have more important things to do than rebel against formatting. Formats exist for organization purposes. MLA and APA are for essays but every kind of writing has a different format. In TV/Film alone, there are multiple formats of scriptwriting, each of them having a different use or purpose. It all comes down to organization and writing language. 

Blog post #2

In "Litany," Billy Collins avails of a series of metaphors for a lover to communicate to his beloved.  However, many of these deliberately fail, stray off topic, or seem lunatic.  Write six questions (the right questions, of course) that you have for Collins about his poem and his rhetorical strategy.

What made you think you could make another poet's poem better?

Why did you only rewrite the first two lines of the poem?

What comparisons would you think would be appropriate to describe love?

Why is "the bread and the knife the crystal goblet and the wine" used? Is it referring to a religious matter?

Did you just look at all of the objects and things of nature around you and compare them to love to prove a point?

Why do you think the original author chose these specific comparisons? "you are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun"

In your ideal communicative situation, how would you best present your argument?

The best way I can express ideas is through digital media so I would create a digital short, or a commercial representing my argument about iPods and society. I would only need about 2 or 3 minutes to visually argue my point that iPods are a great example of how humans rely on technology. I think that "A day in the life" narrative that used some of Apple's advertising techniques while visually showing how our society depends on iPods is the best way to get my argument across.


I picture a person waking up to alarm clock that is an iPod in an iHome playing music.

You see them leaving the house holding their iPod and putting their headphones in as they leave the house and start their run. A different song plays while they run.

Cut to: person putting iPod in speakers and turning on music. This is either in a neutral room or they bring it to the bathroom while they shower so they can sing along in the shower. The song changes again.

Cut to: person dressed and ready for work, getting in their car. They plug in their iPod and a different song starts to play as they drive away.

While at work - think of a workplace that they'd use their ipod for something, maybe they connect it to a computer/projector or speakers or something during a presentation

Other ideas:

I love the idea of using the iPod speakers to "John Cusack" someone's window serenading them with the iPod's music. Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes needs to be playing.

During each scene I see a flash in the middle of the iPod "look" with the bright colored background, black silhouette and white iPod.

The song can either change every scene, or it can be one song that adjusts to the certain scene's feel.

Kuakas

When a writer starts a piece of work with a first person narrative storyline, I find it difficult to stop reading. It is such a personal way to begin a story that the reader gets pulled into the writing. Don Stap definitely takes advantage of this strategy in, "Flight of the Kuaka," beginning in the midst of Wetlands in New Zealand. I felt as if I was there with him, up to my own knees in mud and overwhelmed by whatever was going to happen with these birds. As Stap goes on, he introduces more characters into the picture and it becomes more clear that they are studying the flight patterns of bar-tailed godwit, which apparently looks like this:

For some reason, I thought the godwit would be more colorful, probably because of the colorful descriptions Stap offers. Even though he is constantly giving facts and scientific information about godwits, particularly the one they tracked, E7, he carefully places these statistics and observations within the story. I absorb the information better because it's being presented to me in the form of a story. It's easier to remember details like the godwit consumes as much food as it possibly can before it migrates on what is known to be, "the longest nonstop migratory flight for any bird" because as far as they know, it doesn't stop to eat, drink, or sleep during the eight days of it's journey(108). I didn't just push these numbers and facts aside like I normally would because Stap found a way to give these words actual meaning.


Along with his storytelling strategies, his words are descriptive and metaphoric, creating beautiful imagery. Right from the beginning, he gives us pictures like, "Having given up all pretense of grace, I wave my arms about with each step, as if I'm on a tightrope."(106). It's impossible to not see him in the middle of the wetlands, struggling to balance as he treks through the mud and tries to avoid manure. Being able to tell as story in a way that the reader can actually picture what's going on the way the author wants them to, is a difficult task. However, I think that Stap does an outstanding job of getting the interest and attention of the reader and telling us a story through his words.

Definitions and Metaphors

mark each time lehrer offers a definition how elaborate is each definition what does the sequence of these mean in aggregate

game room - small room, about the size of a large closet, containing a desk and a chair

marshmallow task - This task forces kids to find a way to make the situation work for them. They want the second marshmallow, but how can they get it? We can’t control the world, but we can control how we think about it
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTfAkVsE

In adults, this skill is often referred to as metacognition, or thinking about thinking, and it’s what allows people to outsmart their shortcomings.
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTflfE7x

“strategic allocation of attention.” Instead of getting obsessed with the marshmallow—the “hot stimulus”—the patient children distracted themselves by covering their eyes, pretending to play hide-and-seek underneath the desk, or singing songs from “Sesame Street.” Their desire wasn’t defeated—it was merely forgotten.
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTfx8v8Y

This takes little effort, since smiling faces automatically trigger what’s known as “approach behavior.”
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DThZLPDB

have you found any metaphors in this text did you expect to find metaphors or metaphoric language in a scientific text?

These kids wrestled with temptation but found a way to resist.
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTdnQDzc

The initial goal of the experiment was to identify the mental processes that allowed some people to delay gratification while others simply surrendered.
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTdvMhuN

Mischel argues that intelligence is largely at the mercy of self-control
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTf5rgHg

He talks with a Brooklyn bluster and he tends to act out his sentences, so that when he describes the marshmallow task he takes on the body language of an impatient four-year-ol
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTfLEAI8

“At the time, it seemed like a mental X-ray machine,” he says. “You could solve a person by showing them a picture.”
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTg7nJMB

“In general, trying to separate nature and nurture makes about as much sense as trying to separate personality and situation,”
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTgejRo6

In other words, people learn how to use their mind just as they learn how to use a computer: through trial and error.
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTgmcSoZ

such as pretending that the candy is only a picture, surrounded by an imaginary frame
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTgvia2D

“All I’ve done is given them some tips from their mental user manual,”
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTh0CshJ

According to Jonides, this is how self-control “cashes out” in the real world: as an ability to direct the spotlight of attention so that our decisions aren’t determined by the wrong thoughts.
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DThJOWjm

“The only way to defeat them is to avoid them, and that means paying attention to something else. We call that will power, but it’s got nothing to do with the will.”
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DTiAQgTi

Lack of meaning

"In thinking about a certain idea, many sentences and ideas can be drawn by using detailed words within this idea."

When I read this sentence, I cannot figure out what they are talking about. It reminds me of the film Breathless because of the way it goes in circles and over-all is about nothing, which is how the majority of the dialogue in Breathless was written. But, that was done un-purpose and I'm almost 100% positive that the author of the sentence above did not intend to write meaningless words. If I were to make an assumption as to what this sentence was trying to say, it would be along the lines of, "Sentences can be formed by thinking of ideas." However, I really don't think that was the point of this sentence either. Honestly, I have no clue what that person was trying to say. Things that make this sentence hard to read and process include the structure of the sentence and the word choices. The word idea is used three times in this one sentence, yet I have no idea what it means. The structure makes you believe that many sentences and ideas is the subject that is "thinking about a certain idea". Another thing that makes the word choice so unclear is the fact that they used "idea" to describe the word "ideas". "Ideas can be drawn by using detailed words within this idea." What idea? Is this an opening sentence that is supposed to be explaining whatever will succeed it? There is no introduction or explanation for anything said in the above sentence.

what other people don't understand

"He still flinches at the naïveté  of graduate students who based their diagnosis on a battery of meaningless tests." 

            Mischel has spent a good amount of his life devoted to studying psychological science and diagnosing someone from the results of pointless tests, really bothers him. Say you were to observe someone trying to do something that you know how to do perfectly well, extremely wrong. For example, say you were walking through New York City at night and you were to observe a person trying to take a picture, but the flash on the camera is clearly not on. Now, wouldn't you get frustrated if you saw this same person continuously take the same picture and not figure out how to turn the flash on? I know I would. To me, that is something that is particularly simplistic, so it angers me to see someone clearly using the camera incorrectly. The same idea can explain how Mischel feels about graduate students who base their diagnoses on incorrect, "meaningless" tests. These frustrations are very normal when a person cares about a subject very strongly. In this case, Mischel agonizes over his fellow researchers' rushed results because he deeply cares about these studies and wants to have an outcome that has reliable evidence to support it. A real diagnosis can be made more wisely by a combination of analyses based on observations. This eliminates a "one size fits all" style of testing and conclusions. Having the experience that Mischel does in this field of study, gives him the knowledge of creating tests that are meaningful and accurately measure what they are supposed to be testing, resulting in proper diagnoses. Many of these graduate students Mischel refers to, are most likely analyzing their data incorrectly and using the wrong kinds of tests because they lack experience. In Mischel's eyes, they are wasting precious time analyzing inconclusive data and drawing meaningless conclusions. This directly affects Michel because it can hinder his dependable results instead of supporting them.

iPods + American Culture and Society ♫

Music has always been a definitive part of American society. As times change and technology advances, ways to have music be a part of your daily life increase. The invention of iPods is a prime example of just that. A portable personal music player that was not bulky like CD or walkman player changed the way society was able to share and distribute music. iPods redefined the music industry. The small players could be taken anywhere and could hold albums upon albums of your favorite bands and musicians. Now Apple did not just stop at music. They broadened their players to read video files. But why just stop there? Apple has expanded their iPods to be able to download applications and access wireless internet. They now have truly captured modern American society in a device that fits in the palm of one's hand.

The first model of the iPod had six different generations and was called the Classic iPod. After the classic came the Mini which had two generations. Then came the Nano which had six generations and then the Shuffle that had four generations. Finally, the latest model of the iPod is the Touch which has already had four generations, the last one just released in September of 2010. Each iPod model has a short and sweet phrase or catchy slogan to go along with it. The advertising techniques for the iPod is brilliant. They are modern and clearly target a young audience.

Commercials for iPods are technically and aesthetically pleasing. By using bright colors and contrasting that with silhouettes of lively, dancing people, apple was able to create a party like atmosphere while also creating mystery and intrigue with the silhouettes. The iPod itself, along with it's headphones are always white, making sure to stand out. Popular music is always the soundtrack of these artistic commercials and the only text you see is simple. They have a short and sweet and to the point concept. Early commercials just had "iPod + itunes" and they always end with the apple symbol. Another example of this is a commercial specifically for the iPod shuffle. They give it a catchy and metaphorical slogan by simply saying "Life is random" and then following with "iPod shuffle $99". I have personally never owned an iPod, but if I have always wanted one. If I had the money to spend I would without a doubt purchase one.

Apple is obviously in tune with it's buyer. They are very aware of how american culture relies on technology. As a society, we strive off of having the newest gadgets. They consume our daily lives. Apple is extremely successful in keeping up with the kinds of technology that society will obsess over. I use obsess because it is always a frenzy when it comes to iPods. It is as if you are not a human if you do not own one. It is extremely evident just through the concept of iPods that American culture values technology. We wouldn't be able to function to our full potential without it.

"You can shine"

            The Pantene commercial we viewed in class is full of metaphors and symbols to get a main point across. I think the goal of the commercial was to promote Pantene as a hair product that can cause you to "shine" and fulfill your true potential. By using Pantene, you can overcome hardships in your life. 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 of her disability. However, she finds a way to put her life back together like the taped violin and still creates something beautiful.

Another example the commercial uses to promote success while insinuating about the hair is towards the end, when the girl is playing the taped up violin. During that sequence, a montage of her playing on stage and her looking out and playing in the field is used to emphasize the opportunity that awaits her. This is when a shot of a butterfly emerging from it's cocoon appears. The butterfly seems to have one true meaning, but it was brought to my attention that Pantene's logo used to be a butterfly, which has now just turned into half of it's logo, so it no longer looks like a butterfly so much but you can tell it's half a wing. Before realizing that, the butterfly seemed to represent the girl's new found freedom. The cocoon could be a metaphor that symbolizes the girl's strength to overcome adversity and do something that no one thought she was capable of. Also, the butterfly can represent the girl directly, saying that she, or her hair is beautiful and free just like the butterfly. She is emerging and growing into something beautiful. Interestingly enough the butterfly then flies off into the open field symbolizing a new life and new opportunities for the girl.

The street performer represented a mentor character for the young girl. He is clearly struggling and trying to make his way through life as a street performer. The story of the commercial relies on his character to provide wisdom and inspiration. The first thing that came to mind when trying to describe him was Yoda from Star Wars. His characteristics are not only similar but the way he gives advice to the deaf girl is very similar to Yoda. He inspires the girl to keep going, even when everyone else tries to make her give up. For example, when the group of boys attack them on the street, the girl then realizes that she needs to play in front of that huge audience to prove them wrong. By teaching her life lessons such as "it's okay to be different," the old man symbolizes someone that most people hope to meet at some point in their lifetime. He helps the girl "shine" to her full potential. Pantene was tricky with these carefully placed metaphors and symbols. They successfully pulled off  making a four minute long commercial that seemingly had nothing to do with their product, until the viewer looks deeper into their subliminal messages.

I really love the picture I used for my background.

I remember taking that picture. It had been raining for days and I didn't leave my dorm room at all during that time. I was stuck at a school that I hated and I was bored out of my mind. That's when I noticed how beautiful the rain can be. The way drops fell on the window and hit the lights outside gave me a feeling of encouragement that one day I won't be the person stuck inside, but instead I will be the rain, free and happy...and I'm finally getting to that point.

Looking Around The Classroom

My handwriting can be quite dreadful sometimes. I guess that's what happens when I take notes.

Crayons

First thoughts::
I was excited that my first homework assignment at my new school was to write three paragraphs in crayon. All my writing is mostly on my computer. I rarely even use a notebook anymore. So I thought that I had to write a draft of the assignment first before I write it with the crayon. I also rewrite a lot while I write so it would prevent there being scribbles and things crossed out all over the paper. I'm pretty sure I haven't used a crayon to write since elementary school so it was nice feeling like a child while writing seriously.

I actually thought I was not going to have enough room to write everything I had typed out so when I got to my last paragraph I stopped at a point that I could either end it or continue if I had enough room to, and felt like I had more to say.

A culture with only crayons as writing implements?
I would imagine that a culture that only had crayons instead of pens and pencils would learn to choose their words carefully as well as take their time when writing because it would always have the possibility of being beautiful.
I wonder, however, if anyone would even bother using the crayons to write. It may force the culture to want to use technology to more because of the tediousness of writing in crayon. Would there be an unlimited amount of crayons? Would resources be scarce? Crayons are small and get used up quickly. It wouldn't be very efficient to have only crayons as a way to record information. I wonder if words would turn into visual representations of what they wanted to say. Stories could be told in only colorful pictures.

Observations
I just keep thinking about how writing on paper has become outdated. Maybe it's just me, but it is so much easier and convenient to type up everything I write. I'm constantly rewording myself and deleting words and phrases. I used to wear down my pencils' erasers and I used to cross out lines at a time with pens.  On my laptop I can just copy and paste and edit my thoughts better. I only use writing implements to write notes and to sketch. I'm very big on fonts and a lot of times, I like to draw my favorite quotes or lyrics out in my favorite fonts. Being a TV/Film major I think it's extremely important to understand fonts and their differences and what certain fonts should be used for. Some fonts are appropriate for only specific kinds of things: titles, road signs, captions, etc. I think I only like to write things on paper when I want a hard copy of something. Those things are usually pretty important to me.

Everyday the current shifts.

Everyday the current shifts was the best way I could describe what my life feels like. I'm in the process of this huge transition and yet everyday something new and different still happens. Everyday can change drastically. It gives me hope. Tomorrow the current can shift positively. Tomorrow can be a new and wonderful day. Even if things are already pretty great, which right now they are. I got it from one of my favorite songs: Good Old War - My Own Sinking Ship. So many lines in this song relate to my life, some less now then they use to, which is a good thing. The first line of the song is, "What will be your story now?" I got a second chance. I got a new start at a new school, that will fix all my problems. No longer will I have to struggle to get something simple done. No longer will I have to fight to get the amount of production experience I want and need. Even though I'm still in the process of starting here, Hofstra has proven to me that they will help me get what I want out of my Video/Television & Film degree. I have two TV classes and one film class that I cannot wait to start because that will be the real start of my new story. 

Lyrics:
What will be your story now?
Today it's something far inside
Hurts your body, close your eyes
And I'll bring you back to here.
You are my own sinking ship
'Cause everyday the current shifts
And I picked apart your wasted lies
To get you back to here.
Oh it's the last time we'll fall in love.
Oh it's the last try to break apart.
You are not to blame.
Why can't I just be alright?
Why can't I invade your mind?
Some days we're just so far off
But I want you back right here.
Oh it's the last time we'll fall in love.
Yeah it's the last try to break apart.
Saying you are not to blame.
Can't remember your last smile.
I think I made it happen though.
Then I took you off to work once more,
But I just want you, I just want you, I just want you here.
Oh it's the last time we'll fall in love.

Yeah it's the last try to break apart.

Saying you are not to blame.

You are not to blame.

I Need To Post In Order To Format

blogger is weird

but i guess it can be great

I'm just so used to tumblr