I may have had the most boring spring break of all time. I spent my spring break at home in beautiful Indianapolis, Indiana.
Although boring, my break may have been the most relaxing time I've had in years. There was one day that I had to wake up early, by early I mean ten-thirty. Every other day I woke up at around ten.
I did get a chance to catch up with some friends also. Luckily a lot of my friends' breaks coincided with mine. My friend Joe offered me a one day job working for his parents. I was reluctant to take (I didn't want to throw off laziness theme), but luckily I did and made $300.
Besides that, I went to a couple Butler games with friends. I love going to Hinkle to watch the games. There is so much history in that building, and the crowd noise there is deafening.
Well if you've read down to this point you can begin to realize how boring my break was.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Universal Healthcare... Universal Problems
A popular notion sweeping across the political landscape of the United States is the need for some type of healthcare reform. Numerous politicians, predominately democratic, have called for a “universal” healthcare system. The term universal healthcare has mildly different meanings to different people. Generally speaking though, universal health care refers to “a government effort intended to extend health care coverage to all citizens, and sometimes permanent residents, of a governmental region.” These ideas were the same ideas shared by Senator Barak Obama in a speech given to the Families USA Conference in Washington D.C. on January 27, 2007.
Over the past few years an increasing number of politicians and citizens alike have shown interest in the government of the United States adopting a universal healthcare system. Movies such as SiCKO and other written propaganda have only bolstered this side of the argument. With the growing popularity of the argument, some presidential candidate’s have run with universal healthcare as a major component of their platform. Barak Obama supports this theory and is running under the basis that if he were to be elected he would institute such a policy.
A manuscript of the aforementioned speech is available at http://obama.senate.gov/
speech/070125-the_time_has_co/ . Obama’s pathos oriented speech has moved many people, but there are a some fundamental flaws not addressed in his speech. Being a charismatic leader is an important trait for a candidate, but voters must use their head instead of their heart. Interestingly, some in this country seem to vote based solely on pathos inspired speeches, forgetting the ethos aspect or lack there of. This is the flaw that I find in this speech. Barak Obama has nearly no experience in the healthcare industry, and has been a politician or working toward being a politician his entire adult life. Although there is a glaring lack of expertise behind his thoughts on healthcare, Obama clearly has consultants to aid him on his opinion. These consultants, however, are employed for one reason only, to sway the vote in favor of their employer.
A key component of Obama’s speech is his appeal to a less wealthy audience, who have virtually nothing to lose by a fundamental change in the healthcare system of this country. In particular, this speech was given to a group of members of Families USA. This organization is an influential healthcare lobbyist in Washington D.C. Obviously, Senator Obama would receive a warm reception from an audience comprised of such universal healthcare advocates. In addition to this audience, the manuscript was posted on Obama’s campaign website. Obama’s supporters, mainly democratic, are the primary audience of the website.
The greatest problem with the speech is that Obama acknowledges know adverse effects of his proposed legislation. The democratic audience, which the speech is geared toward, traditionally has been in favor of legislation aiding those less fortunate in society. This is where Obama’s use of pathos comes into play. While Obama regurgitates some numbers (that may or may not be true) given to him by his consultants, the overriding feel of the speech is that there is a great injustice in this country.
Nothing will rile voters into voting like an injustice against them, and the person promising to change this will reap the rewards. In actuality the president has little say in whether a universal healthcare system will be enacted. Actually, Obama has a greater influence in the Senate than he ever will as president. In the Senate, Obama can actually vote on such legislation.
Generally speaking, Obama’s speech was merely a ploy to receive votes, nothing more, nothing less. Candidates in both parties do this on a daily basis. They tell their contingent what they would like to hear, and in return they receive votes. Whether or not this legislation is ever passed into law is of no concern to me. I merely would like to point out the degree of pathos used in the campaigns of politicians across the country.
Over the past few years an increasing number of politicians and citizens alike have shown interest in the government of the United States adopting a universal healthcare system. Movies such as SiCKO and other written propaganda have only bolstered this side of the argument. With the growing popularity of the argument, some presidential candidate’s have run with universal healthcare as a major component of their platform. Barak Obama supports this theory and is running under the basis that if he were to be elected he would institute such a policy.
A manuscript of the aforementioned speech is available at http://obama.senate.gov/
speech/070125-the_time_has_co/ . Obama’s pathos oriented speech has moved many people, but there are a some fundamental flaws not addressed in his speech. Being a charismatic leader is an important trait for a candidate, but voters must use their head instead of their heart. Interestingly, some in this country seem to vote based solely on pathos inspired speeches, forgetting the ethos aspect or lack there of. This is the flaw that I find in this speech. Barak Obama has nearly no experience in the healthcare industry, and has been a politician or working toward being a politician his entire adult life. Although there is a glaring lack of expertise behind his thoughts on healthcare, Obama clearly has consultants to aid him on his opinion. These consultants, however, are employed for one reason only, to sway the vote in favor of their employer.
A key component of Obama’s speech is his appeal to a less wealthy audience, who have virtually nothing to lose by a fundamental change in the healthcare system of this country. In particular, this speech was given to a group of members of Families USA. This organization is an influential healthcare lobbyist in Washington D.C. Obviously, Senator Obama would receive a warm reception from an audience comprised of such universal healthcare advocates. In addition to this audience, the manuscript was posted on Obama’s campaign website. Obama’s supporters, mainly democratic, are the primary audience of the website.
The greatest problem with the speech is that Obama acknowledges know adverse effects of his proposed legislation. The democratic audience, which the speech is geared toward, traditionally has been in favor of legislation aiding those less fortunate in society. This is where Obama’s use of pathos comes into play. While Obama regurgitates some numbers (that may or may not be true) given to him by his consultants, the overriding feel of the speech is that there is a great injustice in this country.
Nothing will rile voters into voting like an injustice against them, and the person promising to change this will reap the rewards. In actuality the president has little say in whether a universal healthcare system will be enacted. Actually, Obama has a greater influence in the Senate than he ever will as president. In the Senate, Obama can actually vote on such legislation.
Generally speaking, Obama’s speech was merely a ploy to receive votes, nothing more, nothing less. Candidates in both parties do this on a daily basis. They tell their contingent what they would like to hear, and in return they receive votes. Whether or not this legislation is ever passed into law is of no concern to me. I merely would like to point out the degree of pathos used in the campaigns of politicians across the country.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
"Anda's Game" vs. Comic Version
The most glaring difference between the two versions of the story to me was the comic's extremely dark tone. Maybe it was simply the illustrations that made the story seem a little more serious and real life.
I think that the morose tone of the comic was brought to life through the use of dark colors. Especially the use of dimly lit rooms much like Anda's bedroom. In addition to the literally dark condition of the illustrations, the gruesome details of the deaths dealt to the "noobs" gave the tale a dark twist.
In addition to the darkness of the comic, a prevelent theme that I noticed was the stark contrast between the characters portrayed in reality versus the game that they were playing. Anda was made to look like almost the most innocent character that the author could possibly draw. Whereas, Anda's in-game personna was that of a heroine/badass.
A positive aspect of the comic was that it was much easier to follow. The out-of-game to in-game transitions were much clearer when looking at the accompanying pictures. In the first version I found it difficult to follow those transitions.
All in all, I found the comic to be a much more lucid and readable than the text version.
I think that the morose tone of the comic was brought to life through the use of dark colors. Especially the use of dimly lit rooms much like Anda's bedroom. In addition to the literally dark condition of the illustrations, the gruesome details of the deaths dealt to the "noobs" gave the tale a dark twist.
In addition to the darkness of the comic, a prevelent theme that I noticed was the stark contrast between the characters portrayed in reality versus the game that they were playing. Anda was made to look like almost the most innocent character that the author could possibly draw. Whereas, Anda's in-game personna was that of a heroine/badass.
A positive aspect of the comic was that it was much easier to follow. The out-of-game to in-game transitions were much clearer when looking at the accompanying pictures. In the first version I found it difficult to follow those transitions.
All in all, I found the comic to be a much more lucid and readable than the text version.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Anda's Game
I found the story to be very informative since I really have no understanding of the concepts of internet gaming. I honestly had no idea that money can be made in the game and in return made in real life.
I found Anda's addiction to the game to be extremely believeable. I know people who I would say have a gaming problem... I can hear it down the hall all night. These people screaming into their headsets.
I have not, however, ever learned about anyone who actually got a disease from intense gaming. I think that there must be an almost physical addiction to gaming. If someone to ignore there symptoms and allow themselves to become a victim of a disease, one would think that would try to stop.
I found Anda's addiction to the game to be extremely believeable. I know people who I would say have a gaming problem... I can hear it down the hall all night. These people screaming into their headsets.
I have not, however, ever learned about anyone who actually got a disease from intense gaming. I think that there must be an almost physical addiction to gaming. If someone to ignore there symptoms and allow themselves to become a victim of a disease, one would think that would try to stop.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Media Projects
Group #2
Improvements: Could have included another song or two.
Already Good: Nice mix of videos that you took and other pictures.
Group#3
Improvements- Could have added a few more elements besides just the interviews.
Already Good- Each of you had a great speech about your reason for being here.
Improvements: Could have included another song or two.
Already Good: Nice mix of videos that you took and other pictures.
Group#3
Improvements- Could have added a few more elements besides just the interviews.
Already Good- Each of you had a great speech about your reason for being here.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Out of Class Essay Two
Hockey blogs are a dime a dozen on the internet, but finding an independently written hockey blog is another thing. Most of the blogs around the internet are written by a paid writer, and written for a website looking to make money from them. “Hockey Rants” is an exception to the norm. Jes Golbez’s blog provides a refreshingly biased view on the day to day happenings in the world of hockey.
Among the independently published blogs around the web “Hockey Rants” is one of the most up-to-date and interesting sites out there. For many months in a row Golbez has posted one fresh article every single day. These articles usually pertain to a certain hockey player, nuance of the game, or even a subject completely off of the topic of hockey. In many instances the author uses this blog as a platform for his rants (hockey related or otherwise), hence the title of the blog.
One of Golbez’s recent off-topic blogs entitled “Super Tuesday Smatterings” was a commentary regarding his thoughts on the American electoral process. The opinions expressed by Golbez were surprisingly, well, opinionated. This Canadian’s take on the whole election was refreshingly anti-American, providing insight on a foreigner’s view of the beloved United States. A blog may be the best opportunity for a writer to express his right to free speech, and does Golbez ever take advantage of this.
The style of writing utilized by Golbez is definitely geared toward a young audience, throwing in some WTF’s for good measure. He seems to take the “I don’t care” attitude as well, which is typically attributed to the younger crowd. Although the writing style is biased and opinionated there still remains solid information about the game.
Every single posting is informative in some way, whether there is talk of a game that happened the previous night or a an interesting trend to look for. As long as the author’s commentary can be taken with a grain of salt, the posts can be quite thought provoking especially to Americans, especially when he’s bashing who he calls “yankees”.
As for the esthetics of the webpage, there is something left to be desired. The chosen background is almost as boring as the times new roman font. A redeeming characteristic of the blog is the liberal use photos, videos, and links. Nearly every post includes a photo or a video, most of which are extremely humorous.
From the hockey fan to the blog zealot “Hockey Rants” is utterly readable. Agree or disagree with this crazy Canuck, there will always be something to ponder. Check out the blog at http://jesgolbez.blogspot.com/.
Among the independently published blogs around the web “Hockey Rants” is one of the most up-to-date and interesting sites out there. For many months in a row Golbez has posted one fresh article every single day. These articles usually pertain to a certain hockey player, nuance of the game, or even a subject completely off of the topic of hockey. In many instances the author uses this blog as a platform for his rants (hockey related or otherwise), hence the title of the blog.
One of Golbez’s recent off-topic blogs entitled “Super Tuesday Smatterings” was a commentary regarding his thoughts on the American electoral process. The opinions expressed by Golbez were surprisingly, well, opinionated. This Canadian’s take on the whole election was refreshingly anti-American, providing insight on a foreigner’s view of the beloved United States. A blog may be the best opportunity for a writer to express his right to free speech, and does Golbez ever take advantage of this.
The style of writing utilized by Golbez is definitely geared toward a young audience, throwing in some WTF’s for good measure. He seems to take the “I don’t care” attitude as well, which is typically attributed to the younger crowd. Although the writing style is biased and opinionated there still remains solid information about the game.
Every single posting is informative in some way, whether there is talk of a game that happened the previous night or a an interesting trend to look for. As long as the author’s commentary can be taken with a grain of salt, the posts can be quite thought provoking especially to Americans, especially when he’s bashing who he calls “yankees”.
As for the esthetics of the webpage, there is something left to be desired. The chosen background is almost as boring as the times new roman font. A redeeming characteristic of the blog is the liberal use photos, videos, and links. Nearly every post includes a photo or a video, most of which are extremely humorous.
From the hockey fan to the blog zealot “Hockey Rants” is utterly readable. Agree or disagree with this crazy Canuck, there will always be something to ponder. Check out the blog at http://jesgolbez.blogspot.com/.
Friday, February 8, 2008
In-class Essay 2
The majority of the writing that I have done has either been assigned or required for me to do. In ways that idea is similar to professional writers and in ways this is dissimilar to the work that they do.
Professional writers are in essence required to write just as I am. They are paid to produce interesting and broadly readable articles, books, etc. Although unlike myself they have chosen this career path for themselves. Naturally, those who would have chosen writing as their career would have a talent and interest in writing.
The writing required of many students including myself is usually a narrow based, almost rhetorical style of paper. Generally these papers are produced with some sort of a prompt or template given by an instructor. The point is that typically the authors of these kinds of papers are given little encouragement to deviate from their assignment.
Professional writing utilizes much more of an author's personal opinion about a particular topic that he or she is writing about. Given, many times a publisher or editor would require the author to follow a general topic or theme.
The barriers between proffesional writing and individual writing exist in the viewership of each medium. Professional writing is usually printed in large publications or in some other way distributed to an enormous audience. Individual writing has only recently gained a lareger viewership.
I wouldn't say that the average individual is losing power in the world of public discourse, but I would definitely not say they are gaining on the professional writing world. Although many blog-esque forms of writing are becoming more and more prevelent on the internet, professional writers are more common as well. Newspaper sales may be down, but at least that many people are obtaining news from a professional online source.
Professional writers are in essence required to write just as I am. They are paid to produce interesting and broadly readable articles, books, etc. Although unlike myself they have chosen this career path for themselves. Naturally, those who would have chosen writing as their career would have a talent and interest in writing.
The writing required of many students including myself is usually a narrow based, almost rhetorical style of paper. Generally these papers are produced with some sort of a prompt or template given by an instructor. The point is that typically the authors of these kinds of papers are given little encouragement to deviate from their assignment.
Professional writing utilizes much more of an author's personal opinion about a particular topic that he or she is writing about. Given, many times a publisher or editor would require the author to follow a general topic or theme.
The barriers between proffesional writing and individual writing exist in the viewership of each medium. Professional writing is usually printed in large publications or in some other way distributed to an enormous audience. Individual writing has only recently gained a lareger viewership.
I wouldn't say that the average individual is losing power in the world of public discourse, but I would definitely not say they are gaining on the professional writing world. Although many blog-esque forms of writing are becoming more and more prevelent on the internet, professional writers are more common as well. Newspaper sales may be down, but at least that many people are obtaining news from a professional online source.
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