Self-Reflective Essay

One of the biggest things that has changed for me and my writing is my attitude about writing. At the beginning of the semester I was a big shocked by the format of this class and that everything, all of our weekly writings, and even our bigger projects were posted on our blog. As a person who is not the most computer savvy, it initially was a bit frustrating to have to put everything online. I also was not sure how I felt about everyone in the class as well as anyone on the internet, reading what I wrote. A lack of confidence I think. My attitude about writing in the blog sense has become broadened. In every writing class prior to this one, all of my writing was turned into the instructor on a hard copy and he/she was the only person to read what I wrote. One thing that this style of writing has forced me to get used to is all of the things that computers can do, whether you want them to or not. For example, when I first began writing and posting on my blog at the beginning of the semester, the format of my writing looked horrible once actually posted,
"Anthropologie does a great job at applying a central rule for website design taken from
the Adobe website. “Get to know your audience and design for them.” I am a firm
believer after having worked for the company for a while that it does indeed know its
audience and makes it a priority to design for them whether it is in the
store, catalog or
the website."(The Culture of "Anthro"). As it is easy to see the flow of the lines are very messed up and the post visually, without even reading it, lacked cohesion. I have learned the quirks of the blogging website and that my pieces need to be adapted to fit the site. Merely copying and pasting from a Word document did not suffice.

Another aspect of my writing that has changed a bit since the beginning of the semester is that this class at UCD has affected my writing outside of the classroom. I think this too has a lot to do with the fact that all of my writing has been done online which at this point in my life is very applicable. So much of what I do not only for this and other classes, but life in general, is online. A specific example of how this class has effected my life and writing outside of the classroom is that for our weekly posts, especially the free writes, I was much more aware and kept my eyes and ears open constantly for something I wanted to write about. One example of this was one of the more recent free writes that I posted about group work. I began my post by saying, "I am not sure why in every group I have ever been assigned to in school there is a person that seems to not care one bit whether he/she actually participates and contributes to the group?"(Group Work). I wanted an interesting topic to write about and as the assignments from week to week in this class evolved I found myself thinking about them in other classes and how I could apply them to my other classes as well. The quotation above on group work is in reference to the group I was working in for my Business and Professional Speaking class. Another way that this class has affected my life and more importantly my writing outside of the English classroom is with all of the other things that I have to do on the internet on a daily basis. Whether it is e-mailing, facebooking or online research, our posts that we have done in this class have made me much more conscientious of my writing and other activities online.

Finally, I would like to touch a bit more on how my writing has changed during the period of the semester. Outside of all of the things that I learned because of an online style for posts, I have learned much about different styles of writing. Prior to this class I had never written a rhetorical analysis in the formal sense of the term. Initially, it was a rather difficult task as it was something very new that I had never dealt with previously. However, I am grateful for the opportunity to have written this paper as it has broadened my idea of English class a bit. I am very used to many other styles of writing that it seems like every English class prior to this one utilized. It has been good to be introduced to something new so that as a writer I have been able to grow.

The School Shooting Board Game

April 20, 1998 was a day most local Coloradans will not soon forget. It was the day Eric Harris and Dillon Klebold walked into the Littleton high school armed with guns, and bombs planted around the school. At the end of the horrific day at Columbine they had killed 13 of their peers, one teacher as well as themselves. They terrorized countless others. This was not the first incident of school violence ever to occur in the United States but one that opened many eyes in the nation. Since 1998 there have been several other incidents of school violence ranging from only threats, all the way to schools to deaths among students and teachers merely going about their daily business as students and teachers in the school environment. The most recent act of school violence happened when a young man in Virginia massacred 32 innocent victims on the Virginia Tech campus before killing himself. Each time something like this happens, the nation is in shock and attempts to figure out the reasons for what would make someone commit an act so terrible. The political cartoon entitled, “Sleepwalking in America” by Chris Cagle argues that in America today, these acts of school violence come and go in a trivial fashion, much like the nation is playing a board game, it is inevitable that these acts of violence will happen again, because the process never changes.

Cagle uses logical appeals by stating with text, as well as visually, to make his argument that the school violence is a vicious cycle that seems to take on the same characteristics each time one happens, only until the next comes along. From a surface level argument, each piece to the game board is a different thing that happens in our nation whenever a school shooting hits the headlines. The first thing that happens according to Cagle’s cartoon is that the nation is in “horror and shock”, then the “reporters report” while everyone sits in front of the television or computer screen to hear about the progress of the story. “In the year following the massacre at Columbine High School, the nation’s fifty largest newspapers printed nearly 10,000 stories related to the event and its aftermath, averaging about one story per newspaper every other day”(Newman, 49). The “reporters reporting” is a huge aspect to these incidents as was noticed with the latest VT Massacre as well. NBC received a letter as well as a video from the killer and put the pictures on the news. This was a cause of much anger on the part of the American public but more so those affected by the shooting. It is the act of the reporters to either tell the truth or feed the public propaganda to get ratings up. Cagle also employs other squares on the game such as “NRA fires back”, “Yada Yada, Politicians do their thing”, “anniversary noted” and finally a space that says “forgotten” until the next. We are all so familiar with all of these terms, which sadly are a reality and have been the cycle that we have seen each time there is another incident. It is all just one big game that the nation plays over and over again.

Cagle also uses visual images to make the logical appeals more vivid. He uses the idea of analogy very strongly in his appeals, making the analogy that the events of these school shootings have become just like a board game for all involved. Visually, there is no color in the cartoon but rather just a round object, which makes the game board in the shape of a skull. It never appears to have a definite stopping point because it is round. This in itself makes an argument that there is no end in sight. The cycle goes around in circles and begins in the same place where it is left off. Cagle also uses the visual aids of dice, a spinner and bullets that appear to be the game pieces. These are all trivial aspects to the game. One rolls the dice and does not know what will be landed on. The person spins the spinner and it is a hit or miss as to who or what is to blame; the music, T.V., Hollywood or video games, there is never a definite answer after a shooting, which is what the use of the spinner conveys. The final piece of the game board has a smiley face and stars on it. This is the piece that says, “forgotten”. These visual pieces contribute to the logical argument but also lead one to Cagle’s appeal to pathos.

The emotional appeals of the text are probably the strongest appeals that Cagle enforces. He uses these horrific events of school shootings as being analogous to a trivial board game. This is meant to strike a chord emotionally with the audience. The smiley face at the end, as mentioned above, acts to make the entire thing okay. It is all over, the anniversary has been noted and everyone can now forget about the entire event. Publishing this cartoon directly after the VT Massacre makes one think about how all of the others like this have ended up. After enough time everyone can just move on and forget until the earth is shaken with another tragedy. In the direct aftermath of the Massacre, seeing all of the brokenness of the families, all of the loss of life and the truly insane act that happened makes one not want to forget. It makes one emotionally attached to the victims and their families and makes the world realize how fragile we are as a people. Do we really want this to happen again? Do we want to forget and remain in this vicious cycle, or do we want to change the game?

Cagle appeals to the ethos of the audience, which is mostly the American public, by using the ethical issues that are in the forefront of everyone’s minds in the aftermath of these tragedies. One of the first issues that is always debated is the NRA wanting to maintain the right to bear arms against those who want tighter laws for gun control. There are always arguments for both sides of the coin with these issues but ethically does it ever help the country one way or the other? Perhaps it is the not the guns at all or the items on the blame spinner; Hollywood, T.V., video games or music, as all of these things have been pointed to before and still nothing has changed. Perhaps it is the ethical responsibility for human beings to treat one another like human beings. Cagle is suggesting the audience go beyond this “blame game” and do something that will affect people who clearly are lacking a sense of being loved in this world, to be respectful of other lives that we are sharing the earth with.

These issues of school shootings are not just a game to be played. There is no dice to roll or spinner to spin to decide whom to blame or what space to land on. Rather, Cagle is arguing that this in fact is what the nation does each time a school shooting happens and that it is all now very trivial. He uses many rhetorical appeals to logos, pathos as well as ethos to make his argument. Cagle’s cartoon truly makes one think whether anything will ever change in how these shootings are dealt with, or is it a trivial game that continues to be played over and over again?

Works Cited:

Newman, Katherine. Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings. New York:
Perseus Books Group, 2004. pgs 3-49.

Group Work

I am not sure why in every group I have ever been assigned to in school there is a person that seems to not care one bit whether he/she actually participates and contributes to the group? Why is it that there is this attitude of complacency among at least on person in what seems like every school project group? Does it not give these people some sense of guilt for letting the other members of the group do everything as the complacents just slide by and barely pass the project?

As I was assigned to my group for my Business class this semester initially I was very excited as it was what seemed to be a great group. Everyone seemed to be on the same page with everything, all dedicated to the final project and to doing it well. This initial meeting however, was without the sixth member of our group. It turns out that he was absent many many times from this class and in turn from our group. It has been a constant struggle for the group to get this person on board. Finally, one lady in the group stepped up to cover his aspect of the project just in case he would not get it done. She has done most of his research and is basically spoon feading him the material that he needs for his portion of the presentation.

The group as a whole is in the final stages of our project and two days ago this person approached me to ask me what he was supposed to be doing. After explaining that he needed to start initially with the research stage he showed up to our next meeting with nothing done.

I am not sure if there is just a severe lack of desire to do anything in school for this person. I am not sure if it is just that he feels like because he is in a group it gives him all the more reason to do nothing. Whatever the reason is, I think the group should have the ability to kick people like this "off the island", out of the group. It should not be our responsibility to watch over this person to make sure he is going to contribute something.

I realize that this phenomenon of group work will be something that I am going to have to deal with for the remainder of my education but also in the work place. I absolutely see the value in working as a team but I am just not sure why in every team there is a person who chooses to make it a trying experience for everyone else?

The Office- Diversity

Jo Chemo, Spoof Ad

Most everyone in this culture is familiar with the animated camel better know as "JO Camel", the advertising technique used by Camel cigarettes. Why a camel? I really do not know why this is the choice of the marketing directors at Camel cigarettes but it has been a rather affective one in that everyone knows "JO".
This ad is a spoof on the Camel ads and shows all of the camels in the hospital on Chemo because all of the cigarettes they have been smoking have given them cancer.
This ad utilizes a few very clear rhetorical strategies. The first that seems to be the most obvious is the us of cause and effect. It demonstrates how the use of Camel cigarettes are often times the cause of cancer thus making patients require the use of Chemo for survival. This is the biggest strategy of the add that appeals to the pathos of the audience. It is in many ways a very comical ad but appeals to a very serious situation. Most people have at one time or another been a smoker, known someone that smokes or at least are around a smoker every so often. Most people have felt the effects of smoking, whether it be as drastic as actually having cancer or not. Nonetheless, there are not many positive effects to smoking. This appeals to pathos as people can relate emotionally to the consequences of smoking.
Finally, this ad uses the original Camel ads as a social commentary in a huge way. As I mentioned before, most Americans are familiar with "Jo Camel" which allows the people who see this ad to understand its message. If this ad were in another country where Camel cigarettes were not sold there would be a disconnect to where the people would have a very difficult time understanding the advertisement.

Calvin Klein Ad

This add, taken from the Unofficial Calvin Klein Ads Archive shows two women with what appears to be a couple of guys behind them. The women are dressed very modestly with clothing that is fully covering their figures. The sex appeal is this ad is very different than the sex appeal that one would see in most advertisements today. This picture is from the nineties judging by the appearance of the clothes although the actual year of the picture is unknown. The clothing is very flattering yet not immodest and does not compromise the dignity of the ladies in the picture.
While viewing several of the pictures on the Calvin Klein website, it is interesting to see the progression of the clothing even from just ten or fifteen years ago. It would appear that more often than not the models become more seductive with fewer clothes on their bodies as the years progress. The use of sex appeal is very much a temporal idea which makes me wonder what advertisements will look like in another ten years?
I find this ad to be effective even without the blunt use of sex appeal. I also find it to be quite appropriate to all eyes of all ages. However, in regards to some of the other advertisements, I cannot say the same.
I think that this ad appeals to pathos in several ways. It is interesting to see that although quite modestly dressed the ladies still have guys standing behind them. This would appeal to emotion and make a person think that even though the women are dressed modestly it does not make them ugly or undesirable. They are beautiful with all of their clothes on which would appeal to the emotion of women whose mind set tends to be the opposite.

Analysis

The element of size in the photograph is a powerful statement. The size of the tree trunk in the center of the picture reaching all the way to the top and bottom of the image creates a sense of grandeur to the photograph. It is in the very middle of the image and takes up much of the forefront of the picture. The other part that takes up much of the rest of the image are the green leaves which are mostly part of the tree. The sticks of the ground which came from the tree are what make up the large part of the bottom half of the photograph. The magnitude of the tree and its elements make a strong statement regarding the little girls. The girls are in the foreground of the image and are rather small in comparison to the elements of the tree and the forest.

I think that the artist is trying to portray a sense of innocence and lack of power pertaining to the little girls. The fact that one is asleep on the other's lap in the midst of the grandeur of the forest, conveys that they are merely little girls. The argument that I think this is trying to make is that although human, they are only small girls and lack an understanding or the wisdom for survival amidst the large elements of nature. The message would be that humans still have somewhat of a sense of weakness although in a position of power over many aspects of nature. The human body is human and in many ways is powerless like with the little girls.

Reflection

This photograph makes me think that the little girls are far away from home and have stopped to rest for awhile. As the day lingers on the girls are becoming more fatigued and have to stop for a nap. It makes me think that they are a bit scared to be away from home by themselves so one girl decides to stay awake while the other rests her eyes. They are quite young and probably thought that it would have been fun to wander out into the forest to play until they realized that they no longer knew their way back home. They decided to rest beside a tree in so that they could conceal themselves somewhat from others would someone else come into the forest. The girl who is keeping watch has a look of melancholy and maybe a bid of sadness as she is thinking about what to do next. There is probably no food around or an adequate place to shelter the two young girls and the girl is probably feeling a bit worried. It makes me think that maybe there are feelings of neglect stirring within the little girls as no one has come to find them yet. Perhaps the reason they left their home in the first place was neglect as well, the lack of feeling loved from parents so they began to wander hoping to find something else, something that would love them better than where they came from. Perhaps they decided to run away.

Observation

The large tree trunk is what consumes most of the photograph by Polixeni Papapetrou from the Foley Gallery, and slices it in half. It is the size of the little girls in the photo put together. The greenery lies in the backdrop of the whole picture which leads one to focus on the little girls at the bottom of the picture, the focal points. One is sitting erect against the tree in her beige collared shirt and jumper. She is acting as a pillow for the other little girl resting her head upon her lap. The little girl is resting with her eyes closed in her white collared shirt and brown jumper. Her hands lay relaxed on her lap as if she had not a care in the world. Both little girls have long brown hair and appear to be no older than seven or eight years old. They are laying atop the forrest floor which is covered in sticks and do not have shoes on their feet to protect them from the stickers of the sticks. It is a dark forrest with no one else around and it would appear as if night were approaching quickly. The sun is barely peering through the thick green leaves, which tower over the little girls.

Reflective Essay: Filippino market vs. American grocery

My friend Bridget and I walked into the open-air market in Maramag, Bukidnon, Philippines on an afternoon as we did several times each week to shop for what we thought to be the necessary groceries for the group of us. As we approached the market in the motorella, a motor cycle attached to somewhat of a buggy, the taxi’s of Maramag, I tried to take a deep breath and work up the courage to make yet another trip that week for groceries. As we did not have means to store food in our house with poor refrigeration and little critters that enjoyed our food often before we did, our trips were rather frequent to this colorful market. We handed our motorella driver seven pesos for the ride and walked up the stairs, immediately greeted by the smiles of some familiar faces.

This was the “grocery” store for the time that we lived in the Philippines. It was where we bought all that we would need for a day or two. The items that we purchased would include rice, meat, vegetables and fruit. Those were the only options. There were no frills or extra things that we would sometimes happen upon, but merely these simple ingredients for sustenance. Surprisingly, rice became a staple in our diet before we knew it.

Consider the idea of filling up on rice every day for survival, assuming there is enough of it to go around. Rice actually expands in the stomach and makes one feel more full than most other foods. In most parts of the United States rice is not an every day staple in our American diets. Most of us eat it maybe a few times a month. In the Philippines rice consumption is quite the opposite as it is harvested in abundance. As a developing country, luxuries are few especially when it comes to food. Many of the people that live there eat rice most days. Fruit, meat or vegetables are eaten on other days when the budget allows. We were only visitors for a year in the Philippines and did not ever starve as many of the Filippinos actually do. The diet of the Filippinos is very different than the diet of most Americans. As Americans we are rather spoiled when it comes to food.

At the market, we would begin with the fruit, to me the best part of the whole market, and purchase a few bananas from one vendor, a pineapple from another and some mangos from the last vendor. Next we moved along to the vegetable vendors. As we tried to find the best price for the things on our list, we were surprised by little mice that on occasion would crawl out from some vegetable piles or small lizards running here and there atop the food. The vegetable selections were few as well, as all of the vendors carried the same things and most of which were foreign to us. This made it hard to know how to prepare meals!

The meat, the last and worst part in my opinion, is where we had to go next. The hanging carcasses of cows or pigs were before us with every piece of the animals available for purchase out on the counter tops. The trick was to know which pieces were familiar and how many kilos we needed. We ended up buying a kilo of chicken, mostly the breasts, as well as a kilo and a half of pork chopped off of the pig with the butcher’s massive machete, right before our eyes. It was placed on the scale, and put in the plastic bag for us to take home, unsure of what part of the pig we just purchased. We carried what seemed like the basic necessities back to our house in the motorella and were done with our shopping for maybe a day or two.

It is amazing how different the shopping experience was while we were in the Philippines compared to grocery stores in the U.S. No one was buying food to make big elaborate meals, or to stock up for several days but rather just to survive for a day or two until the wages came in for the next day or two. It is also interesting to analyze the sanitary conditions of the market as opposed to our grocery stores. What would one think if there were hanging carcasses of dead animals, or small little rats that crawled around on our food, at the grocery store?

Growing up as a child and still today when my family or most families that I knew went to the grocery we stocked up for a long period of time and filled the pantries at my house. Not only did we fill the pantry, but we filled the refrigerator, deep freezer in the garage and the freezer in the kitchen. They were all full, sometimes to the point where nothing else was going to fit. Shopping for groceries was not for survival like in the Philippines, but we stocked up like something was going to happen to us before we were able to get to the store again. Costco and Sam's Club were frequented as things are cheaper the more you buy. Is the hoarding that we do in the States, just because we have the means to, really necessary? After living in the Philippines I would have to without a doubt in my mind answer no to this question. However, it is the American mentality to buy, buy, buy more stuff, more food, even though it is not actually necessary. Our malls are bustling with people purchasing new clothes and trinkets to add to our collections and sit in our large walk-in closets. The temperature controlled, sanitary grocery stores keep their shelves stocked full for us to buy more food than sometimes is even healthy for one person to consume. There are more choices for any item imaginable lining our grocery shelves so as to give Americans as much as possible. In the Philippines if you were able to find one kind of one thing it was a good day.

Although rice in many ways does not provide all of the nutrients that one needs to remain as optimally healthy as we human beings could be, is it better to have more than we need piling up on our shelves, in our kitchens, often times being thrown away after exhausting its shelf life? Is it better to eat so much that one’s health is in jeopardy when there are people who eat only rice, if it is available, everyday? These are two very different lifestyles and cultures, but to say that America is better off because there is more, more, more of everything and because grocery stores are sanitary would be a fallacy that I myself am not willing to make. They are different.

"Amazing Grace"

I recently saw the movie “Amazing Grace”. It came out in some theaters very recently but I believe I heard that it is only in around 800 in the whole country. The radio talk show hosts were saying that it will not make much money because there is no sex and not much violence in the film, which is also why it has made it to so few theaters. The reviews that the talk show hosts were giving of the film were very positive and the trailer looked like it would be entertaining so I decided to give it a shot.
The film takes place during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, mostly in England. It tells the story of William Wilberforce, an active politician in British parliament, and his struggle with only few supporters to fight for the abolition of the slave trade. He becomes very close friends with an ex-captain of a slave ship who converted to Christianity and wrote the song “Amazing Grace”, probably one of the most famous songs of all time and in my opinion a great song. The song is incorporated into the film a few times but it is played right before the credits, which to me was worth the price of admission.
In my opinion this film was excellent. It was so refreshing to see such a wholesome movie with little to no cussing, no sex, no violence, yet it was very entertaining and uplifting. It is a bit disheartening to me that it will not make much money because as a society we are entertained by the “crap”, that makes its way into most movies. Some movies that have good moral content end up rather cheesy with bad acting but this was exactly the opposite, with great acting and an entertaining plot. I strongly recommend everyone to maybe go out on a whim and support a good film.

Super Squirrel

The squirrel who can save the day...but can't find his own lunch.

I think every college student can agree that squirrels around campus just arent like squirrels anywere else. Upon sitting in the very same spot to eat my lunch for the past several weeks I have encountered all types of squirrels. Fat ones, slow ones, fearless ones, and yes, even super ones. Now most squirrels are fearless, but one day I encountered something immaculate. As I sat eating my lunch feeding a squirrel half my sandwich to see how close I could get him, something strange happened. The squirrel looked me in the eye and seemed to wink. It was like he knew that I knew something. I had no idea what was going on and I dismissed the though because there is no way an animal could communicate with me. After the wink, he came closer and pulled back the hair on his chest. To my suprise her revealed his super-squirrel costume. I couldnt believe my eyes. I remember thinking, "what could he possible protect the squirrel world from?". I mean he was sitting here begging me for food and he calls himself super? If he were really a super squirrel he could probably get his own food. What would he save other squirrels from...Nut thefts?

Analysis of Stereogum

The blog that I was assigned to analyze was stereogum.com. I am an ignorant blogger and prior to this class never gave it much consideration. It happened to just be something I would hear about every once in a while. As an unfamiliar blogger it is needless to say that I am also unfamiliar with and had never even heard of the stereogum blog site.


It is a blog where people can comment on random celebrities, such as Brittany Spears, some current cultural aspects in American culture, random bands and other things that to me do not seem to have a common thread other than that they all are things or people most Americans know of. To me, many blogs are a waste of time to talk about random things like those mentioned above although that is my personal opinion. This blog in particular is not appealing to me at all, maybe it is that I am not interested in blogging in the first place, but visually it is a bit annoying.


There is an advertisement constantly blinking on the top of the home page, the message of it is hard to decipher. The home page has the latest posts. It appears that most all of the post on the home page have a Youtube video incorporated into the post. The rest of the site does not appear to follow this suit. I am not sure if it is just the topic that is being talked about lately that everyone feels the need to incorporate Youtube into their posts, but they add a lot visually as well as audibly to the site. To the right on the home page are the links to the comments that everyone discusses, followed by a list of MP3s that are available to be downloaded.


This blog differs from my own in that stereogum is a site with no real focus but to talk about random things. My blog is a school assignment, which means that the things posted are not anything and everything but has parameters. Each post on my blog has specific guidelines where as those who go on stereogum probably enjoy blogging and are able to write and post about whatever they want. It also is different from mine because it is very clear that there are very many people who visit this blog where mine is a bit less well known and not as appealing to a general audience. It would be difficult to incorporate any of these things into my blog. I feel as if there are not many things that could be incorporated at this point as my blog is for a very different purpose than stereogum.

The House of Representatives: Formal or Chaotic?

All of the business men and women, senators, representatives, tour guides, office hands, and students coming to tour the building appear to know where they are going. The capital building is one of the most recognizable buildings in Denver because of its grandeur and beauty that lines the cityscape. As I walk through the doors I peer upwards feel like my gaze could continue forever until it finally reached the top of the dome, what seemed like miles away. It is so big. Beautiful paintings of all of the governors to hold office in the State of Colorado line the circular room.


As walk in with the crowd, I attempt to follow the signs around the building and run into a lady who seems to know what is going on. She is a short middle aged lady, with short blond hair, a very professional look about her and a clipboard in hand, which to me implied that she might know a bit about this beautiful building and the happenings that take place there. “Mam, do you happen to know where the House of Representatives is in session?” I asked her. However to my disappointment, she in fact did not know as much about what was going on as I had anticipated. She replied, “I really don’t, however if you go up the elevator to the gallery, you may audit either the Senate or the House as they are always open to the public.” I thanked her and with some direction proceeded up the elevator to the gallery. The gallery was on the third floor of the building and in looking upwards the building still appeared to continue forever to the top of the dome.



The first gallery I came to was the House of Representatives. Upon entering, I sat down next to four or five others, who all had gray hair, and peered down with a birds-eye view upon Colorado’s House of Representatives, already in session. There appeared to be so much hustling and bustling going on below that it was a bit difficult to know where or who to look at. My eyes were bombarded with middle aged to old men and young vibrant ladies in suits, sitting, standing, walking, and moving from place to place within the large meeting gallery. Papers were being passed this way and that way, laptops were being typed upon and there did not actually appear to be much order at all to this meeting of state political representatives. The thought occurred to me that probably there was so much commotion because they were in recess. Next thing I know one of the middle aged ladies in her beautiful suit stood at the podium and announced the names of five people from Japan who came to Colorado to observe for the day. A large applause broke out in the House and the guests were warmly welcomed.



At that point the Speaker of the House called for a recess, which caused me to wonder what was happening before if not a recess. The giant brass chandelier hung from the ceiling and gold railing after gold railing outlined the gallery. The U.S. flag stood erect in the front of the room standing as a symbol of the great country that is known to be home for so many. It was next to the flag for the state of Colorado, much like a boy scouting function or a professional sporting event.



As the Chairman of the House, a large African American man with a low masculine voice came over the microphone situated in the front of the house with the desks and chairs in a half circular shape before the platform. He announced that the assembly was ready to resume. The Majority Leader announced a long list of bills that the representatives would be dealing with during the session. The large chairman pounded the giant wooden gavel like the ones seen in movies and announced in his deep masculine voice the order of the bills. “Is anyone paying attention?” I wondered to myself. Each time a new bill was brought to the assembly he announced and gave permission for the representatives to speak. The first item announced was for the clerk to read the House bill 1126. As if he were an auctioneer, the clerk announced with a nasaly voice the title of the bill. His voice moved so fast that I am not sure anyone even knew what the words were coming from his mouth, had the representatives not had the bill previously given to them. “Did anyone else hear what he said?” I looked around to see if anyone else was laughing at how ridiculous he sounded but sure enough I happened to be the only one. It must be a normal occurrence that everyone else is quite used to. House bill 1126 was shown on the overhead screen in black letters against a plain, white background. The floor was then open for discussion to clarify physical therapist’s work on clients. The bill stated that the clients could be someone other than a human being. The department of Health and Human Services was trying to allow the physical therapist’s to be able to work on animals. Once again I found myself snickering a bit, in utter disbelief that this was actually something being talked about in this formal venue. Representative after representative exited their large wooden desks and big green chairs to approach the podium and discuss this crazy bill. The sound of the gavel was heard throughout the large room from the Chairman’s hand. “I’s” were heard in one accord from the representatives and the bill was passed. The only people that actually seemed to take much interest in this bill and all of the bills for that matter were those at the podium speaking about it as the rest of the house continued in its chaotic manner. It is a wonder how they knew what they were saying “I” for.


The lull of voices continued throughout the morning and no one really ever seemed to pay much attention to the business being discussed from the podium. It made me think back to the lady who I tried to get directions from when I first arrived. Does anyone know what is going on around here? One representative was reading his newspaper for the entire morning, others carrying on private conversations as the giant wooden gavel pounded over and over again as bill after bill was discussed and “I” after “I” was shouted from the crowd. What was once thought of as a formal meeting, in which important matters were discussed, turned out to be not so formal and the issues were mostly not so important, such as whether or not physical therapists could practice on animals. It seemed to be just another day for our state lawmakers.

Randomly Selected Words

Randomly Selected Words: apple, built, Copenhagen, druthers, eutrophic, finagle, gorget, hyrax, impunity, jequirity, kinfolk, ligule, mugwump, neglect, ooze, parasite, quadriga, rebozo, shepherd, tempeh, urbanize, venial, wife, xerosis, zoolatry

Get a closer look at all the features that make up .Mac, and see how they work in this collection of Quick Tours. Hear Built to Spill recorded live in a full concert from Washington, DC with the Santa Cruz jam band Camper Van Beethoven. Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark is Scandinavia's most fantastic city, and part of the most dynamic region in Northern Europe, the Øresund Region. In its early history, druthers was primarily a southernism. Eutrophication is caused by the decrease of an ecosystem with chemical nutrients, typically compounds containing nitrogen or phosphorus. Finagle a Bagel has moved into our new World Headquarters in the Auburndale section of Newton. Later, particularly from the 18th century onwards, the gorget became primarily ornamental, serving only as a symbolic accessory on military uniforms. In ancient Egypt hyenas were domesticated, fattened and eaten, and in turn humans have on occasion become food for hyenas. The possiblity of committing crimes - from common robberies to rape, torture, murders - without having to face, much less suffer, any punishment. Although castor and jequirity beans are an uncommon cause of poisoning, they remain significant because their toxins are among the most lethal naturally occurring toxins known today. This includes not only a site for families to put their web pages, but also for other activities and organizations that support a moral, Christian family lifestyle. The ligule appears to be a continuation of the leaf sheath and encircles or clasps the stem as does the leaf sheath. After the election was over, mugwump survived for more than a decade as an epithet in American politics, and the Mugwumps themselves continued many of their associations as reformers well into the 20th century. Child neglect, which is 63% of all substantiated cases of child abuse, is the most common form of child maltreatment reported to child protective services. I often wonder if my motivations for my major life decisions are made in faithful dependence on God or foolish ideas of my own. Parasites have been around since around 1999 and have gone from an obscure issue of interest to computer security professionals to the single most common threat affecting internet users. Genesis, the first fully digital-IP based entertainment and internet solution specifically developed for the hotel industry today leads the way with over 100,000 fully digital Genesis rooms and sets new standards in digital technology. Honoring the wisdom of ancient ways and diverse cultures, indigenous babywearing and traditional birthing lore. Located in Berkeley Springs, the award-winning company, originally named Tom Seely Furniture, employs more than 100 skilled workers and sells furniture throughout the U.S. Tempeh has been a favorite food and staple source of protein in Indonesia for several hundred years. I have been meaning to write a "mission statement" for this website and my work in general, but have been too intimidated by my own perfectionism to start anything. One class of sin leads to the loss of eternal life, but eternal life can be regained if a fellow Christian prays that the sinner be forgiven. Here are tips to save you taxes during eight major life events, excerpted from our newly revised booklet "150 Ways to Save Taxes Through Life's Transitions." Simple daily routines, such as bathing and towel drying, may actually remove moisture from the skin. Our experienced and certified team will offer plenty of TLC to your four-legged family member when you are not home.

The focal point of the William Hung performance on American idol is the interesting singing and dancing that he gives for all of the American public to enjoy. As a member of the broader online community, this video seems to serve two purposes. The first is to poke fun at the performance of William Hung. The second, seems to serve all of those die-hard American Idol watchers who want to appreciate the rich history of American Idol screw-ups. The additions of Chinese and English subtitles were affects added by the person who posted the video on YouTube. The subtitles were not present in the actual tv show and seem to help the viewer understand exactly what William Hung is saying. The strange part is that even when Randy, Paula, and Simon talk the subtitles remain. There may be a point to the Chinese subtitles but it seems fairly redundant to have English subtitles for people who speak English well.
There are a few things that make it obvious that this is online video. First, you can't tell any facial expression from anyone because of the quality. Its hard to really evaluate his "dance moves" or even the overall quality of his voice. On the television you get a more intimate feel for what you are watching and there is some sense of being able to feel like you are there. The quality really removes any intimate experience from the video. The second thing is the fact that the subtitles have mismatched words and they only really cover about half of what is said. If this video was shown in a theatre or on tv, there would be a sense of professionalism. The video has a very amateur feel to it.
I'm not sure how many people realize what American Idol did for William Hung. His bad performance and steller attitude has landed him gigs at NBA arenas, he threw out first pitches at many baseball stadiums, and has even appeared on the Ellen Degenres Show. So regarless of the quality of the video or even the quality of his audition, William Hung has indeed used American Idol as a launching pad for his career in entertainment. Many people who audition for American Idol and fail, feel defeated. William Hung left knowing that he did all he could. His attitude was the difference and he left satisfied. With no professional training, he walked out that day a star. I leave you with a question. Watch the video and decide for yourself. Was William Hung's voice as bad as Paula Abdual's outfit? I dont think so!

Plans to Observe Colorado's Congress

The place that I plan on observing for my observational essay is the State Capitol building as I plan to sit in on a session of our Colorado State Congress. The websites that I have found to provide some background information are the website for the Department of Personnel and Administration, the Official site of the State of Colorado, and the site for the Colorado General Assembly.
I cannot speak for most of my peers but as for me I am rather ignorant when it comes to knowing much about our State Congress. When we studied in school I always remember studying about the government on a national level with the three branches of Federal government, however studying the state government was not something that was frequented.
I think it would be very interesting to sit in on a session of the Colorado Congress. I have never sat in on really any congressional meeting whether it be local or on the national level so it is intriguing to be able to observe what actually takes place when our local public officials meet to discuss matters of the State.
The Official Site for Colorado offers a lot of general information about Colorado which is valuable for those that maybe are new to the area, as well as for Coloradans wanting to know more about our beautiful state, essentially the audience I will be reaching. Also on this page there are links about the state government. It sheds much light on who the actual elected officials are, their backgrounds and roles in our Colorado government. This information is useful for my observations. I will be able to know who the people are and what their specific positions are as I observe the session.
The website for the Colorado General Assembly also serves as a great tool to learn about the regular schedule for when the Assembly convenes. It also tells what information will be discussed during each meeting as well as who the featured speakers will be.
Another useful site for background information on the Colorado Congress is the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration. This department is the cabinet that serves as the business center for the state government. It is interesting to find out the business side of the government and all of the aspects that happen behind the actual congressional work.
These are all helpful sources as I prepare to observe the state congress in action this week. I think that probably my audience will think of this subject and maybe find it to be a bit dry and boring. I think that most of this idea that the state congress is boring comes from really a lack of knowledge as I stated previously. I hope to be able to share on some of the more interesting and exciting aspects of the state congress in my essay. However, as I have never actually sat in on a meeting, it could very well be boring as many of us probably think but hopefully my results are to the contrary.

"Anthro. Conventional or Not?"

The Anthropologie website to me is in many ways a very conventional site. It is
interesting to me how the conventions of creating a website have developed over time, which actually has not been that much time, and now there are do’s and don’ts to creating a good website. In the beginning of website design the main idea for creating a website was to make it as easy to use as possible. With the development of this idea there have now become certain norms of website design that people try to adhere to. The websites that stray away do so in ways that hopefully do not make the site less user friendly.
The Anthropologie website in many ways is a very conventional site. It has most of its menu icons functioning as drop-down buttons, which previously I was unaware to be one fundamental website convention. All of the buttons in the menu also look similar which allows the user to know without clicking that they all function with the same purpose. At the top of the home page there is a row of menu icons, which lead the reader to other information about the product. On the bottom of the home page it gives a row of similar looking boxes but only a bit smaller which are all menu buttons for contacting the company. One convention that the Dibbern website says is a commonality is underlining the words in the menu buttons. The Anthropologie website does not follow this convention but in my opinion I do not think that it makes it less user friendly.
Every website as well as every piece of writing has a focal point. To me if the focal point is hard to find or is not clearly evident, it makes the writing or the website much less organized and focused. The focal point on the Anthropologie website is the product. This makes a lot of sense, as this is the reason for the site, to sell the product. Even more so than the overall product, right now it appears to me that the focal point is more focused on new things for the season. We are coming into spring and the home page displays new apparel for spring. Also, the menu button that is a different color than the others is the one with the title, “new for the season”. The site is trying to draw the reader’s attention in this direction.
To me the website is very conventional and user friendly. For someone not so computer savvy, it makes the site much more appealing. It is in many ways very simple, each page does not display more than one or two items, which to me is beneficial because it does not overwhelm the user.

The Culture of "Anthro"

One website that I often visit is the website for the popular retailer, and my
current employer Anthropologie. Upon analyzing the website for Anthropologie, which is
something I have never really paid much attention to previously, I have noticed that
Anthropologie does a great job at applying a central rule for website design taken from
the Adobe website. “Get to know your audience and design for them.” I am a firm
believer after having worked for the company for a while that it does indeed know its
audience and makes it a priority to design for them whether it is in the store, catalog or
the website.
The Anthropologie clientele are the more affluent members of society as most of the prices for apparel as well as home decor fall in line with those of Nordstrom or specialized boutique’s that in Colorado one would find in North Cherry Creek. For example this yellow jacket is $228 which I would venture to say most of American society would consider this a lot of money for one article of clothing like this one.
The company also targets women between the ages of 28-43. This is applicable because the apparel would be probably too expensive for the younger crowd but too young looking for the old. I find it interesting however that the models for the clothing do not look like they fall within this age range. To me they appear much younger which could be a sales technique. It just seems to be a bit of a contradiction to have young models advertising the clothing when the target audience is older. Another trait for the Anthropologie clientele is that she is eclectic. She likes the new and latest thing different from anywhere else.
She also is targeted as an English speaker, as one can quickly notice that the entire website is in English and that the clientele is veered toward the American woman. There are no stores in Europe because the apparel is much like stuff that one can find in Europe. There is no market there. However, because the store is only in the States the website allows for accessibility all over the world.
I would say that overall the website is easy to navigate but there are some references that some would not understand from just eyeballing the site. For example one of the icons on the home page is for “the skinny”. To anyone not familiar with the Anthropologie clothing this is probably a foreign term. However, it refers to a style of jean specific to Anthropologie. There are few things like this on the site but to one unfamiliar with the company it would take trial and error to figure out some of the specific terminology.
To me the company does a great job identifying who its audience is and appealing to her needs with a colorful, visual website which makes it easy to shop and find what she wants from the comfort of her home.