Thursday, November 7, 2013
Pencils to Pixels
According to the article "From Pencils to Pixels" the computer is the gateway to literacy. This is somewhat true. Although most people use the computer to read and write, it can also be the reason people become illiterate. Computers can cause people to stop thinking for themselves. They become less analytical and lazy readers. Writing is a form of technology because it can be used to accomplish goals, organize data and ideas, and communicate. The pencil is a form of technology because it is a tool. In Plato's opinion, writing things down was bad for humans because it caused people's memory to be inadequate. He also argued that the written word was not interactive. Written word is good because one can really take time and think about what message they want to send. It also is a good because everything can be recorded and saved. Writing can be bad because it can cause people to be less interactive and most of the time people do not think before they speak. He may have only supported it because his family was in the pencil making business. He did not say much about pencils, however, he did make it known that he was not a fan of inventions such as the telegraph. When he made the best pencil he could make he felt that there was no point in trying to improve it any more. The telephone changed the way people talked. This was mainly because people could not speak in private or use body language to communicate with one another. However, it allowed people to talk more often. Technology made it easier to commit fraud but at the same time it made it easier to detect fraudulence. New technology can be scary and it can change the way we do things. Though we may be skeptical, we have to give technology a chance or else there will be no progress. The technology that scares us may end up being the very thing that changes the world for the better. That may not always be the case but we have to give it a try and hope for the best. This article describes literacy as the ability to adapt to, use, and understand technological advancements.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Yancey
There are some challenges and/or opportunities of writing in the 21st century. One is developing new models of writing. Designing a new curriculum supporting these models and creating models for teaching that curriculum are challenges as well. Writing is a technology that exists in spite of the challenges faced such as being a woman, being black, being young, and cultures that hate writing.
Yancey's main argument is that not only do we need to write more often but more freely as well. We also need to come up with new, more interesting ways to teach people to write more and enjoy doing it. Writing, especially when writing freely, allows people to do whatever they want. It requires a lot of hard work and innovation. However, reading can be a lot more pleasant. I find them both unpleasant. Writing is associated with testing and essays. Most people don't enjoy either of these things. It is also associated with long hours of brainstorming, hard work, and writer's block. Process writing is the process in which authors follow to write papers. Some parts of this process are drafting, peer review, editing, and publishing.
Self sponsored writing is a writing that belongs to the writer instead of an institution. When I write posts on Facebook or Twitter I am creating a self sponsored writing. Other than that, I do not do any self sponsored writing. The 21st century is the Age of Composition because everybody is doing it. Most people create blog posts, or compose things on social networks. It is the Age of literacy because the definition of literacy has changed. Literacy has a broader definition and mostly everyone meets the requirements. The definition of literacy has changed, therefore the way we teach people to be literate should change as well. Much like some of the articles we have read, literacy is not only defined as the ability to read and write. It is also defined as the ability to interpret, analyze, and apply.
Yancey's main argument is that not only do we need to write more often but more freely as well. We also need to come up with new, more interesting ways to teach people to write more and enjoy doing it. Writing, especially when writing freely, allows people to do whatever they want. It requires a lot of hard work and innovation. However, reading can be a lot more pleasant. I find them both unpleasant. Writing is associated with testing and essays. Most people don't enjoy either of these things. It is also associated with long hours of brainstorming, hard work, and writer's block. Process writing is the process in which authors follow to write papers. Some parts of this process are drafting, peer review, editing, and publishing.
Self sponsored writing is a writing that belongs to the writer instead of an institution. When I write posts on Facebook or Twitter I am creating a self sponsored writing. Other than that, I do not do any self sponsored writing. The 21st century is the Age of Composition because everybody is doing it. Most people create blog posts, or compose things on social networks. It is the Age of literacy because the definition of literacy has changed. Literacy has a broader definition and mostly everyone meets the requirements. The definition of literacy has changed, therefore the way we teach people to be literate should change as well. Much like some of the articles we have read, literacy is not only defined as the ability to read and write. It is also defined as the ability to interpret, analyze, and apply.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
cognitive surplus
The article is about spare time people have and the way it should be used. When people have spare time on their hands they should do something that requires thinking. When this happens it is called cognitive surplus. Literacy in this article is being defined as having the ability to understand things without having to dig below the surface of what something actually means. Literacy is not said to be the ability to dig deep and analyze the literal meaning. People should be able to know the information and how to use it as well.
This article is important because it stresses the importance of using our time wisely. In our spare time we should exercise our mind and be creative. We should try to come up with new ideas and solutions to problems we are facing.
Repetition:
The repetition of "at least they're doing something" is very important because it goes back to cognitive surplus and what that means. The phrases "at least they're doing something", cognitive surplus, and "better to do something rather than nothing" actually tie in together and are equal in importance. They all give the same message in different ways which lets us know the point the writer was trying to get across.
This article is important because it stresses the importance of using our time wisely. In our spare time we should exercise our mind and be creative. We should try to come up with new ideas and solutions to problems we are facing.
Repetition:
- fad
- cognitive surplus
- transform society
- at least they're doing something
- looking for the mouse
- taking advantage of the surplus
- better to do something rather than nothing
- information society knows without really knowing it
The repetition of "at least they're doing something" is very important because it goes back to cognitive surplus and what that means. The phrases "at least they're doing something", cognitive surplus, and "better to do something rather than nothing" actually tie in together and are equal in importance. They all give the same message in different ways which lets us know the point the writer was trying to get across.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Digital Intimacy
Nowadays social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow us to build and keep relationships with people. These relationships can be strong or weak. They can also be built or maintained with friends, family, or even "strangers". Social media sites allow you to have an appropriate relationship with people you have never physically met.
When Mark Zuckerberg created the news feed his intentions were to make it easier for users to keep up with their friends' lives. They would no longer have to search each friend and browse their accounts. It also allowed them to find out about things going on in their friends' lives before it became old news. Although this was a breakthrough for Facebook, it affected the literacy of the users in a negative way. It goes back to the article "Is Google Making Us Stupid", people no longer had to think for themselves. They did not have to search for information or even think about how to find it. The news feed put everything right at their fingertips.
Ambient awareness is like getting to know someone through the subtle things they do or say. Each little thing they do makes you more familiar with them and their everyday lives. These things are not directed at you they are just noticed by you. They are like tiny puzzle pieces that end up revealing who the person is. Even though these puzzle piece are tiny they are all important. When something is missing you will definitely notice. I experience ambient awareness in instances where something may be wrong with one of my followers and I will know because they will tweet less or not at all. An ambient update is an immediate update of a person's life taken directly from social media. For example, you're sitting at home on your computer and your friend posts about her new boyfriend and their first date. I would not say there is a downfall of ambient awareness but it definitely changes the way people communicate. People no longer have to ask "How have you been?" or "How was your weekend?" because they already know. Ambient awareness allows people to jump right into conversations about specific things or events. They don't have to wonder what to talk about they simply start talking.
People's reading is getting lazy and becoming less significant. Because of this, the fact that social media posts are skimmable is a good thing for the social network itself. However, it is a bad thing for the literacy of the people. While reading we skip over things and when we do read them we simply decode the information and move on. We no longer analyze or look for deeper meanings in the things we read which is steadily decreasing our literacy.
Our relationships with our friends or followers on social networks are not as personal or deep as our actual friends. This is why the relationship is referred to as "weak ties" and the friends or followers are referred to as acquaintances. These relationships help us because they allow us to have more relationships at one time.
People that are 20-something feel pressured to stay connected to Facebook for a couple of reasons. One, they want to keep up with everything that is going on with everyone. They want to be up to date on the gossip instead of being the last to hear about things. Also, 20-something year olds want to make sure that they are not the topic of negative conversations and posts.
This article describes literacy in the 21st century as a way of understanding people through the subtle things they do and their posts on social media websites. It means using posts as clues to who a person is. This added to my definition of literacy.
When Mark Zuckerberg created the news feed his intentions were to make it easier for users to keep up with their friends' lives. They would no longer have to search each friend and browse their accounts. It also allowed them to find out about things going on in their friends' lives before it became old news. Although this was a breakthrough for Facebook, it affected the literacy of the users in a negative way. It goes back to the article "Is Google Making Us Stupid", people no longer had to think for themselves. They did not have to search for information or even think about how to find it. The news feed put everything right at their fingertips.
Ambient awareness is like getting to know someone through the subtle things they do or say. Each little thing they do makes you more familiar with them and their everyday lives. These things are not directed at you they are just noticed by you. They are like tiny puzzle pieces that end up revealing who the person is. Even though these puzzle piece are tiny they are all important. When something is missing you will definitely notice. I experience ambient awareness in instances where something may be wrong with one of my followers and I will know because they will tweet less or not at all. An ambient update is an immediate update of a person's life taken directly from social media. For example, you're sitting at home on your computer and your friend posts about her new boyfriend and their first date. I would not say there is a downfall of ambient awareness but it definitely changes the way people communicate. People no longer have to ask "How have you been?" or "How was your weekend?" because they already know. Ambient awareness allows people to jump right into conversations about specific things or events. They don't have to wonder what to talk about they simply start talking.
People's reading is getting lazy and becoming less significant. Because of this, the fact that social media posts are skimmable is a good thing for the social network itself. However, it is a bad thing for the literacy of the people. While reading we skip over things and when we do read them we simply decode the information and move on. We no longer analyze or look for deeper meanings in the things we read which is steadily decreasing our literacy.
Our relationships with our friends or followers on social networks are not as personal or deep as our actual friends. This is why the relationship is referred to as "weak ties" and the friends or followers are referred to as acquaintances. These relationships help us because they allow us to have more relationships at one time.
People that are 20-something feel pressured to stay connected to Facebook for a couple of reasons. One, they want to keep up with everything that is going on with everyone. They want to be up to date on the gossip instead of being the last to hear about things. Also, 20-something year olds want to make sure that they are not the topic of negative conversations and posts.
This article describes literacy in the 21st century as a way of understanding people through the subtle things they do and their posts on social media websites. It means using posts as clues to who a person is. This added to my definition of literacy.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
The Internet and the Way We Think
Although the title of the article is "Is Google Making Us Stupid?," the words "What the Internet is doing to our brains" directly under the title tell us what this article is really about. This article claims that the Internet is affecting us in several unsuspecting ways. It is making us read less and also lazily. The Internet is even changing the way we think.
There was a point in our lives where some people could read really long articles or tons of books without any problems. Now, they find themselves losing concentration, fidgeting, and skimming anything that is more than a few paragraphs. This is because of the affect the Internet is having on our brains. Sometimes people stop reading books all together and only use the Internet simply because it is more convenient. Also, there was a time when people had to spend hours in the library going through several books just to get research done. Now the Internet allows one to find that same information in a few seconds.
The Internet is very useful and extremely convenient, but unfortunately, it is changing the way we think. It is unfortunate because it is making us become decoders of information. We are not thinking as deeply into the things we read as we used to. Which can make us less innovative, creative, and it also makes of lose the complexity of our thinking. When used in the article "Is Google Making Us Stupid? as well as "Socrates Nightmare" the word "illiterate" is used to describe a particular way of thinking. In addition to those things, the Internet is also making us illiterate.
The claims made in this article are backed up by friends, professionals, and also written sources from the past. He mentions the research of the 1960's media theorist Marshall McLuhan as well as Maryanne Wolf, a developmental psychologist. All of the evidence used in the article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" is very effective and some even tells us the answer to the "so what?" question. There are two answers to this question in this article:
"It is clear that users are not reading online in the traditional sense; indeed there are signs that new forms of “reading” are emerging as users “power browse” horizontally through titles, contents pages and abstracts going for quick wins. It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense."
“What if I do all my reading on the web not so much because the way I read has changed, i.e. I’m just seeking convenience, but because the way I THINK has changed?”
There was a point in our lives where some people could read really long articles or tons of books without any problems. Now, they find themselves losing concentration, fidgeting, and skimming anything that is more than a few paragraphs. This is because of the affect the Internet is having on our brains. Sometimes people stop reading books all together and only use the Internet simply because it is more convenient. Also, there was a time when people had to spend hours in the library going through several books just to get research done. Now the Internet allows one to find that same information in a few seconds.
The Internet is very useful and extremely convenient, but unfortunately, it is changing the way we think. It is unfortunate because it is making us become decoders of information. We are not thinking as deeply into the things we read as we used to. Which can make us less innovative, creative, and it also makes of lose the complexity of our thinking. When used in the article "Is Google Making Us Stupid? as well as "Socrates Nightmare" the word "illiterate" is used to describe a particular way of thinking. In addition to those things, the Internet is also making us illiterate.
The claims made in this article are backed up by friends, professionals, and also written sources from the past. He mentions the research of the 1960's media theorist Marshall McLuhan as well as Maryanne Wolf, a developmental psychologist. All of the evidence used in the article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" is very effective and some even tells us the answer to the "so what?" question. There are two answers to this question in this article:
"It is clear that users are not reading online in the traditional sense; indeed there are signs that new forms of “reading” are emerging as users “power browse” horizontally through titles, contents pages and abstracts going for quick wins. It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense."
“What if I do all my reading on the web not so much because the way I read has changed, i.e. I’m just seeking convenience, but because the way I THINK has changed?”
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
@NickiMinaj
Although Nicki Minaj is portrayed as a stuck up, rude, self centered human being in media her instagram account begs to differ. You may have heard many rumors and seen many videos of Nicki Minaj's wild behavior but what if you didn't? What if you only saw Nicki Minaj's instagram account? Nicki Minaj uses her instagram like the average person in some ways. These ways include entertaining, showing off, and sharing "selfies". Some of her instagram posts may lead people to believe that she is friendly, humble, and loving while others portray her as a self proclaimed sex symbol, sarcastic, and her own number one fan.
Nicki Minaj uses her instagram to entertain, show off, and share selfies. She entertains her followers by posting funny and relatable pictures. These posts include pictures about things people do or should do in many different situations. There is a post of Johnny Depp that reads, "If you love two people at the same time, chose the second one, because if you really loved the first one you wouldn't have fallen for the second." and in her caption she asks for her followers opinion of this. Posts such as these may make people forget that she is a celebrity or make them realize that even though she is a celebrity she is still just like everybody else.
Almost everyone uses instagram to show off and let the world know how wonderful their life is. Nicki Minaj definitely does this and she does it quite often. There are many posts of her awards, her luxurious possessions, and her amazing body. Nicki Minaj shows off in a way that suggests that the things she is flaunting is not even a big deal. The fact that she is not stressing how great her things are shows that she is used to such luxuries. For example, there is a post of Nicki Minaj's large estate with a nice foreign car parked outside. Her caption simply says "No place like #Home". Also, the world as well as Nicki Minaj knows how popular her figure is. She posted a picture of herself poolside in a bikini and the caption reads "Have a nice day" as if she did not notice how good she looked. Nicki Minaj shows off without making it obvious which is what most people try to do but usually fail.
Every now and then Nicki Minaj posts photos and videos with her friends, family, and idols. These posts show her having fun and behaving as a normal and loving person would. The media makes it seem like Nicki Minaj is one of those stuck up celebrities that would have that "I don't take pictures", "Get these children away from me", or "I am better than everyone else" mentality. Her instagram account begs to differ. She is shown hanging out with her friends and playing with little children. Most of her friends appear to be normal people and she makes videos having fun with little children. Nicki Minaj also posted a video of two normal girls dancing in the street. In the background of this video you can hear her saying "wow" and "that's amazing" which lets people know that she does not think she is the best because she can still be impressed.
Although all those things are true about her instgram account she remains true to her rapper identity on instagram as well. She shows how successful she is, promotes her music and products, and shows how great her lifestyle is. She also posts pictures with captions that are quotations from her songs. There is a post of Nicki Minaj racing her shadow which suggests that she is her own competition. She says things related to this in several of her songs. In one song she says "Competition, why yes I would love some".
Nicki Minaj's instagram account shows Onika Maraj as well as her alter ego Nicki Minaj. She posts photos and videos of her family and friends and sometimes seems like a normal person. She also shows off her lifestyle and promotes her music and products. Though all of this is true, Nicki Minaj's instagram account contradicts the way the media portrays her and gives audiences a better idea of who she really is.
Nicki Minaj uses her instagram to entertain, show off, and share selfies. She entertains her followers by posting funny and relatable pictures. These posts include pictures about things people do or should do in many different situations. There is a post of Johnny Depp that reads, "If you love two people at the same time, chose the second one, because if you really loved the first one you wouldn't have fallen for the second." and in her caption she asks for her followers opinion of this. Posts such as these may make people forget that she is a celebrity or make them realize that even though she is a celebrity she is still just like everybody else.
Almost everyone uses instagram to show off and let the world know how wonderful their life is. Nicki Minaj definitely does this and she does it quite often. There are many posts of her awards, her luxurious possessions, and her amazing body. Nicki Minaj shows off in a way that suggests that the things she is flaunting is not even a big deal. The fact that she is not stressing how great her things are shows that she is used to such luxuries. For example, there is a post of Nicki Minaj's large estate with a nice foreign car parked outside. Her caption simply says "No place like #Home". Also, the world as well as Nicki Minaj knows how popular her figure is. She posted a picture of herself poolside in a bikini and the caption reads "Have a nice day" as if she did not notice how good she looked. Nicki Minaj shows off without making it obvious which is what most people try to do but usually fail.
Every now and then Nicki Minaj posts photos and videos with her friends, family, and idols. These posts show her having fun and behaving as a normal and loving person would. The media makes it seem like Nicki Minaj is one of those stuck up celebrities that would have that "I don't take pictures", "Get these children away from me", or "I am better than everyone else" mentality. Her instagram account begs to differ. She is shown hanging out with her friends and playing with little children. Most of her friends appear to be normal people and she makes videos having fun with little children. Nicki Minaj also posted a video of two normal girls dancing in the street. In the background of this video you can hear her saying "wow" and "that's amazing" which lets people know that she does not think she is the best because she can still be impressed.
Although all those things are true about her instgram account she remains true to her rapper identity on instagram as well. She shows how successful she is, promotes her music and products, and shows how great her lifestyle is. She also posts pictures with captions that are quotations from her songs. There is a post of Nicki Minaj racing her shadow which suggests that she is her own competition. She says things related to this in several of her songs. In one song she says "Competition, why yes I would love some".
Nicki Minaj's instagram account shows Onika Maraj as well as her alter ego Nicki Minaj. She posts photos and videos of her family and friends and sometimes seems like a normal person. She also shows off her lifestyle and promotes her music and products. Though all of this is true, Nicki Minaj's instagram account contradicts the way the media portrays her and gives audiences a better idea of who she really is.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Beautiful Tattoo
It has been said that your social media life is as permanent as a tattoo. Everything someone posts on social media sites will be there forever and anyone can see them. When I say anyone I mean employers, teachers, parents, pastors, friends, family, ANYONE. This may seem like a bad thing to most people but not to me.
My Facebook page says a lot about me. Posts such as "Walk with me Lord" and "An incredible God deserves incredible praise!" lets people know that I am very religious. I have a great relationship with God and I thank and acknowledge him for the many things he does for me. I also have many posts of me at church with family as well as friends. This says that not only am I "talking the talk" but I am also "walking the walk". I do not post statuses about God or my religion just to look good. God is number one in my life and that is reflected on my Facebook page.
Other status posts such as "I miss Muh and PawPaw :(" shows people that I am a very family oriented person. There are many pictures of me smiling with my family and enjoying family events. "Me and my PawPaw was matching at church tonight, I put a big smile on his face but he still wouldn't let me kiss him! Lol smh, I love this man so much!!!!!" This shows just how much my family means to me. The amount of exclamation points at the end stresses how much I really love my grandfather. This particular posts also shows that not only am I religious, but my family is as well. I think this can also give people an idea of how I was raised.
"I've been doing homework since Wednesday, guess that's what imma be doing for the weekend too. Trying to make all A's :)" This posts shows others that I am a very determined and hard working person. I sacrificed my weekend in order to work towards my goals. The smiley face emoticon at the end says that I do not mind working hard if it helps me reach my goals. While others may complain or pout about having weekend homework, I had a smile on my face because I knew how much it would benefit me in the long run. This posts also lets people know that when I set goals I set them high and I do what I have to do to reach them.
Social media posts can change a person's life for the better or worse. In my opinion, my posts are good and they truly reflect who I really am. If they change my life it probably will be a good change. I do not feel pressured to act a certain way on social media sites but I know not to posts things when I am angry or sad. Those feelings can lead to misleading and embarrassing posts. Just like any other posts those posts are as permanent as tattoos and no one wants ugly tattoos.
My Facebook posts are a very accurate representation of who I am. If they are as permanent as tattoos then they are beautiful tattoos and I am very proud of them. I do not mind if my pastor, family, friends, employer, teachers, or potential employer sees them. My posts may not affect my chances of getting a job but if they do they will probably work in my favor. I believe this because my posts show that I am family oriented, have a good relationship with God, hard working, dedicated, and determined.
My Facebook page says a lot about me. Posts such as "Walk with me Lord" and "An incredible God deserves incredible praise!" lets people know that I am very religious. I have a great relationship with God and I thank and acknowledge him for the many things he does for me. I also have many posts of me at church with family as well as friends. This says that not only am I "talking the talk" but I am also "walking the walk". I do not post statuses about God or my religion just to look good. God is number one in my life and that is reflected on my Facebook page.
Other status posts such as "I miss Muh and PawPaw :(" shows people that I am a very family oriented person. There are many pictures of me smiling with my family and enjoying family events. "Me and my PawPaw was matching at church tonight, I put a big smile on his face but he still wouldn't let me kiss him! Lol smh, I love this man so much!!!!!" This shows just how much my family means to me. The amount of exclamation points at the end stresses how much I really love my grandfather. This particular posts also shows that not only am I religious, but my family is as well. I think this can also give people an idea of how I was raised.
"I've been doing homework since Wednesday, guess that's what imma be doing for the weekend too. Trying to make all A's :)" This posts shows others that I am a very determined and hard working person. I sacrificed my weekend in order to work towards my goals. The smiley face emoticon at the end says that I do not mind working hard if it helps me reach my goals. While others may complain or pout about having weekend homework, I had a smile on my face because I knew how much it would benefit me in the long run. This posts also lets people know that when I set goals I set them high and I do what I have to do to reach them.
Social media posts can change a person's life for the better or worse. In my opinion, my posts are good and they truly reflect who I really am. If they change my life it probably will be a good change. I do not feel pressured to act a certain way on social media sites but I know not to posts things when I am angry or sad. Those feelings can lead to misleading and embarrassing posts. Just like any other posts those posts are as permanent as tattoos and no one wants ugly tattoos.
My Facebook posts are a very accurate representation of who I am. If they are as permanent as tattoos then they are beautiful tattoos and I am very proud of them. I do not mind if my pastor, family, friends, employer, teachers, or potential employer sees them. My posts may not affect my chances of getting a job but if they do they will probably work in my favor. I believe this because my posts show that I am family oriented, have a good relationship with God, hard working, dedicated, and determined.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Run This Town
If one looks closely at the lyrics of Run This Town by Jay-Z one may notice a quite interesting story. Overall the song tells the audience that they, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Rihanna, are taking over. It also tells stories about their lifestyles. In the beginning of the song Rihanna knows that something big or chaotic is about to happen and she can sense it. She is not scared, in fact she is going to be a part of the chaos. She asks the question "Who's gonna run this town tonight?" and Jay-Z answers her saying "We are. Yeah, I said it: We are! This is Roc Nation...". This line is perhaps the most important line in the song. With this line Jay-Z lets the world know that Roc Nation is taking over. In this song the word town is used as a metaphor for the music industry. The way he said it shows that he knows without a doubt that their attempt to take over will be successful. One may say he was being a bit cocky. Throughout Jay-Z's first verse he advises everyone to join them and informs people of the characteristics of Roc Nation's members and lets us know that Roc Nation is like his family. ("All black everything"). The girlfriends and wives of the Roc Nation members are compared to blackbirds. This does not mean they are like birds that are black. Instead, it is saying that they are dedicated to their men in a way that some may call "ride or die". But Jay-Z did not want to give anymore information about Roc Nation until people proved that they were worthy enough to receive it.
"Life's a game but it's not fair. I break the rules so I don't care. So I keep doing my own thing, walking tall against the rain. Victory's within the mile. Almost there, don't give up now." Life is being compared to a game where most of the players are cheating, bending the rules, and even breaking them. She does not care because she is one of those who cheat and break the rules. Rihanna does not follow the crowd nor does she care about what others think of her. She is doing whatever she has to do to get where she wants to be. Roc Nation has almost completely taken over so they are going to go even harder now that they are closer to victory.
"You can call me Caesar...". Jay-Z says so much in this line. He is comparing himself to Caesar, one who's most famous quote is "Veni. Vidi. Vinci." (which means I came. I saw. I conquered.). He is letting us know that not only is he the leader but that he and Roc Nation has taken over. They have conquered the music industry. In the rest of this verse Jay-Z teases his competition for thinking that they are competition. He lets them know that are not competition at all and they will never be as good as Roc Nation.
Although Kanye West's verse is like the rest of the song in many ways, it is also very different. At the start of the verse he makes it known that it is a big difference between his lifestyle and the lifestyle of the average person. He also tells us that his whole family deserves fast and expensive cars instead of normal cars such as volvos. By family he could mean his relatives or he could mean Roc Nation because Jay-Z also called Roc Nation his family in a previous verse. "Police escorts, everybody passports. This the life that everybody ask for." Here Kanye is stressing the status of him and Roc Nation members. They are so important that they are escorted by police. He also lets us know that he is living the good life, the life that everybody wants. "This the fast life, we are on a crash course." They are living life with no regrets, doing whatever they want to do, and doing what they have to do to make sure their life is as good as life gets because they know that whether you enjoy life or not it is going to end. Throughout the rest of the verse Kanye tells us that he could have just settled for a normal lifestyle but instead he chose to rap so that he could make money, flaunt it, and live the lifestyle that he wants. He knows that if he keeps showing out he is only going to attract gold diggers but he does not care because all he wants is sex. At the end Kanye again begins to talk about Roc Nation's status and the fact that they are running things. "You trippin' when you ain't sippin', have a refill. You feeling like you run it, huh? Now you know how we feel.". When people get drunk it may make them feel like they are on top of the world. Here Kanye is saying that the feeling you get when you are drunk is how they feel all the time. They do not have to drink or anything because they have taken over. Roc Nation has taken over and is indeed "running this town".
"Life's a game but it's not fair. I break the rules so I don't care. So I keep doing my own thing, walking tall against the rain. Victory's within the mile. Almost there, don't give up now." Life is being compared to a game where most of the players are cheating, bending the rules, and even breaking them. She does not care because she is one of those who cheat and break the rules. Rihanna does not follow the crowd nor does she care about what others think of her. She is doing whatever she has to do to get where she wants to be. Roc Nation has almost completely taken over so they are going to go even harder now that they are closer to victory.
"You can call me Caesar...". Jay-Z says so much in this line. He is comparing himself to Caesar, one who's most famous quote is "Veni. Vidi. Vinci." (which means I came. I saw. I conquered.). He is letting us know that not only is he the leader but that he and Roc Nation has taken over. They have conquered the music industry. In the rest of this verse Jay-Z teases his competition for thinking that they are competition. He lets them know that are not competition at all and they will never be as good as Roc Nation.
Although Kanye West's verse is like the rest of the song in many ways, it is also very different. At the start of the verse he makes it known that it is a big difference between his lifestyle and the lifestyle of the average person. He also tells us that his whole family deserves fast and expensive cars instead of normal cars such as volvos. By family he could mean his relatives or he could mean Roc Nation because Jay-Z also called Roc Nation his family in a previous verse. "Police escorts, everybody passports. This the life that everybody ask for." Here Kanye is stressing the status of him and Roc Nation members. They are so important that they are escorted by police. He also lets us know that he is living the good life, the life that everybody wants. "This the fast life, we are on a crash course." They are living life with no regrets, doing whatever they want to do, and doing what they have to do to make sure their life is as good as life gets because they know that whether you enjoy life or not it is going to end. Throughout the rest of the verse Kanye tells us that he could have just settled for a normal lifestyle but instead he chose to rap so that he could make money, flaunt it, and live the lifestyle that he wants. He knows that if he keeps showing out he is only going to attract gold diggers but he does not care because all he wants is sex. At the end Kanye again begins to talk about Roc Nation's status and the fact that they are running things. "You trippin' when you ain't sippin', have a refill. You feeling like you run it, huh? Now you know how we feel.". When people get drunk it may make them feel like they are on top of the world. Here Kanye is saying that the feeling you get when you are drunk is how they feel all the time. They do not have to drink or anything because they have taken over. Roc Nation has taken over and is indeed "running this town".
Thursday, September 12, 2013
From Flappers to Rappers
The Article "From Flappers to Rappers" was very interesting and I enjoyed reading it. The Article is about the soundtrack to the movie The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby was set in the 1920's , the era of jazz music. Audiences expected the soundtrack to consist of only traditional 1920's jazz but instead it consisted of a blend of contemporary music and traditional jazz. The notion to blend modern day hip-hop and jazz came from Luhrman after meeting Jay-Z. The two men wanted to old and new. This seemed to be a good idea because the movie and hip-hop share a lot of characteristics. These characteristics include money, power, sex and violence. It also allows the audience to visualize the past through modern beats.
The mood of the music affects the mood of the movie in many different ways. First of all, the mood of the music intensifies the mood of the movie. The music gives the scenes of The Great Gatsby just the right amount of drama. In some scenes the mood of the music makes the mood of the movie more dramatic. There are some instances where the music reflects the mood of the movie perfectly. An example of this would be the song "Young and Beautiful" to reflect the unfortunate romance between Gatsby and Daisy. This mirrors the artist's persona. Also, Jay-Z's song "100$ Bill" affects the mood of the movie in all the right ways because a particular scene from The Great Gatsby inspired the song itself. It is almost like the song was pulled directly out of the movie.
The movie The Great Gatsby adds a new spin to the music because the story gives audiences a new interpretation of the lyrics. Also, the movie is set in the 1920's when jazz was the most popular genre of music. Because of this each song is modern day music but with a hint of jazz. This gives the music a unique sound and makes it more interesting because it is not typical contemporary music.
The unexpected music adds a few great things to the movie. This blend of contemporary music and 1920's jazz gives the movie extra excitement. It could give the viewers the idea that maybe this movie is not gonna be predictable. The unexpected music highlights the most important scenes of the movie and makes the audience look deep into the components of the scenes. The lyrics may draw attention to certain parts of a particular scene or the entire movie. Also, the music makes the movie perfect for 2013 as well as the 1920's. This music was definitely a successful rhetorical choice and it fits in with the mood of the movie.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Process and Product / Invention and Arrangement
This writing process allows writers to be more creative. Instead of trying to create a perfect first draft writers just need to get some ideas down on paper. The writer does not have to begin with the introductory paragraph, instead, they can begin anywhere and arrange the paragraphs later. This helps prevent writer's block. It also tells writers not to delete their draft with each edit but to save each draft. Also, do not worry about grammar and spelling, write in the way that is best for you. After you have put all of your ideas on paper and corrected grammar and spelling errors (near the final stage) the essay will fall into place. The essay will more than likely be better than it would have been if the writer had followed a more traditional writing process.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Crossfire
Crossfire is supposed to be a debate television show, however, all of the rules of debate were broken on this particular episode. The arguments were very emotional. There was also an abundance of sarcasm. The "bow tie guy" repeatedly interrupted Jon Stewart and Paul Begala. He also raised his voice, used dramatic body language, and insulted Jon Stewart several times. Bow tie guy was very closed minded which is never a good thing. Jon Stewart interrupted the other men as well. Bow tie guy insulted Jon Stewart by calling him Keary's butt boy and stating that Jon did not ask the democratic representative any real questions. Jon Stewart stated that bow tie guy was thirty-five and still wearing a bow tie. This suggests immaturity. Paul Begala was wearing an American flag pin and he happened to be the most professional and well mannered. Although he was interrupted he never interrupted the other men. Jon Stewart stressed that the show was hurting America. He made his reasons for believing the show was hurting America very clear. Bow tie disagreed with him but never gave a reason for disagreeing. Bow tie guy was very aggressive.
Jon Stewart wore casual clothes and the others had on a suit and tie. This could mean that Jon Stewart was confident and had high self esteem. Bow tie guy's body language showed that he was getting very offended by the things Jon Stewart was saying and implying. It also showed that he was becoming frustrated. Jon Stewart obviously did not care about their opinion of him. Jon Stewart said that Crossfire was not a debate show but theatre. Based on this episode he was correct.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Writing Process
In high school I was super busy all the time. When I received a writing assignment I got started as soon as I could. My brainstorming took place in many different locations. Sometimes I would brainstorm during my lunch break at work or even at the end of a different class period. My drafts were always done with pen and paper. I did my drafts with pen and paper because it was something I always had no matter where I was. Although I used books from time to time, the internet was my primary resource for all of my information. The first thing I did was all my research. I had classes in the library which was very convenient. Research was very important and I took my time and did it. Sometimes there can be incorrect information on the internet so I would never rush through that part. After my research was complete I wrote a draft on pen and paper. This is something I still do because pen and paper are always available wherever I am. Following that I did a second draft which was typed. I tried to make the second draft as good as I could so that I would not have to change much in order to create my finished product. This is the draft I allowed people to proofread. My english teachers from previous grades helped me with this. Then came the finished product. I made sure my finished product was very neat and organized. I usually turned it in the morning it was due.
Now my writing process is a little different. Brainstorming takes place in my bed with some light R&B music playing. Ideas come from internet articles, books, and sometimes people. When I receive an assignment I begin immediately and work on it during any free time I have. The opening, conclusion, and citations are the hardest parts of the writing assignment. I always have a hard time with the first paragraph. Once I get passed that it flows until I get to the end. I am never sure of how I should end an essay because, in my opinion, the ending is just as important as the beginning. My high school teachers never really explained citations to us. They only gave us a website and basically told us to figure it out. That is something I usually lost points for, not because is was not done, but because it was done incorrectly. The rest seems to be fairly easy. My writing process begins with research. Throughout the day I write down any ideas that come to me no matter where I am. Next I create a draft which usually needs a lot of work. Then I make a second draft which I will have proofread a lot by several different people. Finally, I take my draft, fix any mistakes, and apply some ideas and suggestions made by the proofreaders. Once I am finished with that I have my finished product. I always try to complete and turn in assignments at least one day early.
Now my writing process is a little different. Brainstorming takes place in my bed with some light R&B music playing. Ideas come from internet articles, books, and sometimes people. When I receive an assignment I begin immediately and work on it during any free time I have. The opening, conclusion, and citations are the hardest parts of the writing assignment. I always have a hard time with the first paragraph. Once I get passed that it flows until I get to the end. I am never sure of how I should end an essay because, in my opinion, the ending is just as important as the beginning. My high school teachers never really explained citations to us. They only gave us a website and basically told us to figure it out. That is something I usually lost points for, not because is was not done, but because it was done incorrectly. The rest seems to be fairly easy. My writing process begins with research. Throughout the day I write down any ideas that come to me no matter where I am. Next I create a draft which usually needs a lot of work. Then I make a second draft which I will have proofread a lot by several different people. Finally, I take my draft, fix any mistakes, and apply some ideas and suggestions made by the proofreaders. Once I am finished with that I have my finished product. I always try to complete and turn in assignments at least one day early.
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