Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Individual Blog Post #2
Why Newspapers Will Continue to Milk Their Current Business Until They Die
Individual Blog Post #1
Don't Steal Music, Pretty Please
This article is a kind of older one from when iPods were first coming out. The issue at hand is music being stolen, and how it would be encouraged even further with MP3 players. It’s kind of funny to see how it was such a big deal back then, people being sued for using Napster and other programs that allowed free downloading of music. Now, several years later, the problems are solved a little bit. I don’t think that they’ll ever get rid of every program, but now there is iTunes and other online music stores to give people an affordable opportunity to “do the right thing”. It is also more convenient for people to download using iTunes since it automatically puts it on the device.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Japanese Internment Memorial
All is Well.
The first thing that caught my eye was the scene towards the beginning of the piece. It includes a ship with people getting off it, going through the immigration office, and then sitting in a large kitchen with many family members eating a happy dinner. I liked this scene because it reminded me of my family. I have a pretty big family and we always eat a lot at every occasion. The last part of this scene just seemed very realistic and like something that I could personally relate to. The part that I can not relate to, however, is that of the people getting off the ships. Both sides of my family have been in the United States since the early 1800s, so I never got to see the bright faces of family members and friends, hoping for a new beginning. This scene is important because it gives the main background that people are coming over to a new country, when everything is good and peaceful.
Advertising in Art.
The second thing that I noticed was that there was a scene of a downtown area with all kinds of shops selling things. I also found it kind of interesting, especially since I am an advertising major, that on the shop’s windows were signs for Coca-Cola and Pepsi. I wouldn’t have expected to find brand names on a piece of artwork like this, but it just goes to show that strong brands go through everything and at the end of it all and decades later, they are standing strong. In this same scene there are busses loading people to take to the internment camps. You can tell that this was probably somewhere that used to be fun to go to and perhaps spend some free time, but it was so quickly turned in to a place that many of those people would never want to see again. This scene is important because it is the place where their whole journey started. It also portrays the shock and utter disappointment the people had.
Push for an End
Finally, the last couple of feet of the piece were my favorite. They had gotten used to this lifestyle in a sense, and it seemed like it didn’t really bother them as much as it should have. They were also gracefully shown accepting an apology and depicted as the bigger people out of the whole situation. I was amazed that they still kept up some of their regular activities that they participated in before going to these camps, such as the Boy Scouts. I love the fact that they set up classes to both keep them entertained and learn. This scene is important because it shows a little bit of how life still went on for them while they were in the camps and that there was finally and end to it all.
I think that we as a nation are constantly learning and have become very careful about using politically correct terms that are constantly improving. The whole reason we study history is so we don’t repeat the mistakes that we have made, and to learn from them. I like to think that this day in age we have come to accept all people, no matter race, age, gender, or sexual orientation. I think if something like this did happen in today’s age, the country, if not, the world, would be in an uproar.
Despite being trapped in prisons for which they did not deserve, they still smiled, laughed, and played. Despite this, they still strived to learn. And most of all, despite all of this, they still saluted this flag.
Finally, the last couple of feet of the piece were my favorite. They had gotten used to this lifestyle in a sense, and it seemed like it didn’t really bother them as much as it should have. They were also gracefully shown accepting an apology and depicted as the bigger people out of the whole situation. I was amazed that they still kept up some of their regular activities that they participated in before going to these camps, such as the Boy Scouts. I love the fact that they set up classes to both keep them entertained and learn. This scene is important because it shows a little bit of how life still went on for them while they were in the camps and that there was finally and end to it all.
I think that we as a nation are constantly learning and have become very careful about using politically correct terms that are constantly improving. The whole reason we study history is so we don’t repeat the mistakes that we have made, and to learn from them. I like to think that this day in age we have come to accept all people, no matter race, age, gender, or sexual orientation. I think if something like this did happen in today’s age, the country, if not, the world, would be in an uproar.
Despite being trapped in prisons for which they did not deserve, they still smiled, laughed, and played. Despite this, they still strived to learn. And most of all, despite all of this, they still saluted this flag.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Extra Credit: Personal Obituary
Hot and cold was her life. Having divorced parents usually does this to children. One weekend would be spent with her dad in the hot hills of Carnegie dirt bike riding, and the other would be on the icy slopes, snowboarding with her mom. She spent a lot of time on extreme sports, always looking for a new thrill. Skydiving fulfilled a small part of that desire, but was an expensive one-time-only adventure.
Cooking was another field that interested her. She always tried new things to make for dinner, usually with somewhat success. Her secret wish was to own her own bakery after attending culinary school.
Since the cost of culinary school is so high, she attended San Jose State University full time instead. She majored in advertising because she took a few classes in high school and loved it. Finally in college, she discovered that the advertising classes were not quite what she had been hoping for. There was a lot more business than she was expecting, and not nearly enough of the creative aspect that she was expecting.
Kindergarten was when she first got in to art. She loved all the art projects they got to do, and coloring was always her first choice during free time. Her parents and family praised her crayon pictures and encouraged her drawing to blossom.
She worked for many years, but only held a few jobs. Her first job was at an ice cream shop, where she eventually became manager. Since her favorite food was always ice cream, this was probably the best job she could hope for. When she grew out of that job, she became a nanny. This helped prepare her for what having kids would be like, and made her decide that she should wait a little longer to do so. When the family moved to another state, she got a job at a restaurant as a server. When she proved her good work ethics, a bartending position was offered by her managers, which she greatly accepted.
She led a full, exciting life, always trying to find the positive side of all situations.
Cooking was another field that interested her. She always tried new things to make for dinner, usually with somewhat success. Her secret wish was to own her own bakery after attending culinary school.
Since the cost of culinary school is so high, she attended San Jose State University full time instead. She majored in advertising because she took a few classes in high school and loved it. Finally in college, she discovered that the advertising classes were not quite what she had been hoping for. There was a lot more business than she was expecting, and not nearly enough of the creative aspect that she was expecting.
Kindergarten was when she first got in to art. She loved all the art projects they got to do, and coloring was always her first choice during free time. Her parents and family praised her crayon pictures and encouraged her drawing to blossom.
She worked for many years, but only held a few jobs. Her first job was at an ice cream shop, where she eventually became manager. Since her favorite food was always ice cream, this was probably the best job she could hope for. When she grew out of that job, she became a nanny. This helped prepare her for what having kids would be like, and made her decide that she should wait a little longer to do so. When the family moved to another state, she got a job at a restaurant as a server. When she proved her good work ethics, a bartending position was offered by her managers, which she greatly accepted.
She led a full, exciting life, always trying to find the positive side of all situations.
Coffee Shop Exercise
The espresso machine whined a high pitch scream into the air as the hot chocolate inside the metal tin reached its boiling point. The dimly lit café was drowned out by the screeching sound, and the other occupied table halted conversation and glared at the annoyance.
Once the decorative porcelain cup was placed on the smooth stone surface of the tabletop, the details could be seen. Yellow and blue ribbons patterned the white of the cup and matching saucer. A nugget of sweetness, a piece of biscotti, garnished the drink.
“I can’t believe he’s backing out of plans with your family!” a young woman at the nearby table says. “Hasn’t he had these plans for almost a month?”
“Well, you can’t exactly plan for a funeral, you know” the other woman says over the rising steam of a cappuccino. “I have such mixed feelings. He’s such a nice guy, and I understand that he wants to be there for her, it is very hard loosing a grandparent after all. In turn I want to be there for him, and give him the freedom to do what he feels is right, without getting a guilt trip from me. I’d feel selfish asking him to not attend the funeral, whether he knew this lady or not.”
“But he didn’t know her. And besides, you are his girlfriend, not her. He should be putting you before everyone, especially his ex-girlfriend.”
The two women continued to analyze the pros and cons of this sticky situation for a staggering 28 minutes before the yellow and blue ribbon laced cup ran cold and empty.
Once the decorative porcelain cup was placed on the smooth stone surface of the tabletop, the details could be seen. Yellow and blue ribbons patterned the white of the cup and matching saucer. A nugget of sweetness, a piece of biscotti, garnished the drink.
“I can’t believe he’s backing out of plans with your family!” a young woman at the nearby table says. “Hasn’t he had these plans for almost a month?”
“Well, you can’t exactly plan for a funeral, you know” the other woman says over the rising steam of a cappuccino. “I have such mixed feelings. He’s such a nice guy, and I understand that he wants to be there for her, it is very hard loosing a grandparent after all. In turn I want to be there for him, and give him the freedom to do what he feels is right, without getting a guilt trip from me. I’d feel selfish asking him to not attend the funeral, whether he knew this lady or not.”
“But he didn’t know her. And besides, you are his girlfriend, not her. He should be putting you before everyone, especially his ex-girlfriend.”
The two women continued to analyze the pros and cons of this sticky situation for a staggering 28 minutes before the yellow and blue ribbon laced cup ran cold and empty.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Copy Edit the World: Movie
I was watching a movie the other night that had subtitles. One line said,
"No, No one should know of this."
The second "No" should not be capitalized.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Drinking Coffee Elsewhere
I read the short story “The Ant on the Shelf” by ZZ Packer first. I felt like I was right there sitting in the car with Spurgeon and Ray Bivens Jr. all the way from jail to the March. I loved the details used, from the bird’s personalities, to the way Lupita spoke. On the other hand, I was disappointed by the ending. I felt like the story was climaxing with Spurgeon at the train station having no money left to get home, and then it just ended without telling me what happened next. Anything could have happened to him. I decided to try another story in hopes of a good ending.
The second story I read was “Every Tongue Shall Confess”. This story did an excellent job at using flashbacks. They were appropriate and purposeful. Packer was successful in making the flashbacks flow in and out. I felt like I really got to know Clareese Mitchell through the background information in the flashbacks. The ending was not quite fulfilling enough for me. I felt like I had a pretty good idea of where Packer saw the story going with Cleophus attending Clareese’s church, which I didn’t get with the previous story.
I feel like I didn’t get much from reading these stories other than a reminder of using details more frequently and that flashbacks work well every now and then. I was frustrated by the lack of endings and they made me feel like I read all those pages to not even get a conclusion. It was nice to have the endings open so that the reader can decide what happens, but I would like to have read more and heard Packer’s view on what she thought would happen. However, I did like the way I was “shown” not “told” details.
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