Monday, November 19, 2012
No Impact Man Blog
No Impact Man was an ambitious project. I have to admit I am a little bit prejudiced against the environmentalist stereotypes that undergo these sorts of projects, mostly because I feel like many of the members of the movement are inconsistent with one another, the message is impractical, green products are a scam, and the people involved are just a little nuts. However, this was an eye opening experience and at the end I found it to be interesting and parts of it to be humbling. At the start of the documentary you can tell the dad is the one whose idea it was to do the project. I sympathize a lot with the wife because her life really got turned upside down. She lost television, coffee, favorite foods and luxuries like the beauty salon. She had to start using cloth diapers for her daughter and basically live a campout lifestyle, which she was not very fond of. It was easy for me to sympathize with her cravings for everyday commodities for most Americans like television, fast food, and coffee. But revealing scenes showed just how much waste we produce and where all of it ends up, which really does drive home the point that the issue can't really be ignored. Furthermore, the growing experience the family shared throughout the year was pretty moving, they learned to depend on each other for pretty much everything which is a radically new concept for our society today. The family made a significant transformation in regards to their lifestyle and the environment but they also bonded as a family in a way that they would not otherwise have been able to do. They got to meet some interesting people and added many unique experiences to their lives. I'll bet the guy who showed him how to grow his food has gone on some wildly fascinating trips. Overall, the project inspired me to be more open to practical changes as well as to be more patient with the whole idea of being environmentally friendly in general.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Pg. 504 Writing I
Writing I
The waitress first appeared to me to be keeping her composure. She could be tense or upset or just sort of so so feeling but whatever she is feeling, it appears to be well masked behind an overall presentation of professional service. After reading the poem, I am even more certain of how the waitress first appeared to me. I remember working in a 5 star restaurant. The customers were awful, ignorant and completely unaware of the blissful lives they lived. The chef was temperamental and demanding, and the tiny staff just had to grit and bear the most ridiculous requests from either the chef or the customers with a smile. The author of the poem understands this situation on some level, but all she can do is give "a large, sentimental tip" and be on her way...thinking about every waiter or waitress that has ever served her.
The waitress first appeared to me to be keeping her composure. She could be tense or upset or just sort of so so feeling but whatever she is feeling, it appears to be well masked behind an overall presentation of professional service. After reading the poem, I am even more certain of how the waitress first appeared to me. I remember working in a 5 star restaurant. The customers were awful, ignorant and completely unaware of the blissful lives they lived. The chef was temperamental and demanding, and the tiny staff just had to grit and bear the most ridiculous requests from either the chef or the customers with a smile. The author of the poem understands this situation on some level, but all she can do is give "a large, sentimental tip" and be on her way...thinking about every waiter or waitress that has ever served her.
Area Man To Run Naked Through StreetsTonight No Matter Who Wins Election
The article I chose is a satirization of the American voter. It is based on a fictitious Omaha man who has made a tradition of streaking through his city's streets after the results of the Presidential election have been announced. It is basically making fun of the way Americans involve themselves in politics these days. Nobody really learns the facts, follows the candidates, debates, and developments of the race, and then makes an informed decision. They mainly just pick a side based on how they were raised or on a couple of the many issues that are being discussed and lose their interest as soon as the race is over. It really doesn't matter who wins the election when the people are as ignorant and apathetic as they are depicted here.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Pg, 538 Seeing 1 and 2
Seeing 1
Deresiewicz does not really give a precise definition for the working class. Basically it is the group of people who are not poverty stricken but not wealthy enough to be completely self-sufficient. He asserts that the working class in America is not treated well enough. They make up eighty percent of the nation's population, are therefore vital to the success of the economy, and still they are overlooked as if they do not even exist. Deresiewicz uses this metaphor of an "invisible class" of people throughout his essay. He examines the values of the working class versus those of the middle and upper classes and argues the working class prejudices are no worse than any other social class's. He furthermore states that the working class has the virtues of being "prudent, thrifty, and industrious". He also uses several examples from TV shows, movies, and politics to show how the middle class is underestimated and overlooked.
Seeing 2
The primary audience of this essay is the middle and upper classes. This essay would have a different tone if it were directed at the working class, urging them to stand up and demand fair treatment. The author would have had to use different examples and techniques to appeal to the working class as well.
Deresiewicz does not really give a precise definition for the working class. Basically it is the group of people who are not poverty stricken but not wealthy enough to be completely self-sufficient. He asserts that the working class in America is not treated well enough. They make up eighty percent of the nation's population, are therefore vital to the success of the economy, and still they are overlooked as if they do not even exist. Deresiewicz uses this metaphor of an "invisible class" of people throughout his essay. He examines the values of the working class versus those of the middle and upper classes and argues the working class prejudices are no worse than any other social class's. He furthermore states that the working class has the virtues of being "prudent, thrifty, and industrious". He also uses several examples from TV shows, movies, and politics to show how the middle class is underestimated and overlooked.
Seeing 2
The primary audience of this essay is the middle and upper classes. This essay would have a different tone if it were directed at the working class, urging them to stand up and demand fair treatment. The author would have had to use different examples and techniques to appeal to the working class as well.
Pg. 154 Seeing 1 and 2
Seeing 1
Welty uses a very loose structure, one like that of a child. She recounts running to the little store for her mother whenever she needed someone to run errands. The way she reminisces about making the journey is childlike in nature, the reader can feel the excitement she is experiencing when she tells the story. She also abruptly goes off on different tangents, recalling conversations and a few songs from her childhood. She appeals to the reader's since of touch, smell, sight, and hearing, trying to get them to experience the same thing she is when she revisits her past. This reinforces her childlike approach, causing the viewer to see through the eyes of her younger self. This is evident by the way she describes the shelves, food, and especially the toys.
Seeing 2
The storekeeper appears very neutral in this photograph. His face is not expressing any particular raw emotion, although he does seem content. He is in the center of the picture with a shadow cast across the left side of his face. The items around him are brought to the viewer's attention by the lighting. There are bananas hanging from the top right corner. a photograph of a girl dancing in the top left of center, and a telephone hanging on the wall. There are no customers or other employees. I think this is because she wanted to portray the store owner as the sole proprietor of the little store, the one who cared about it the most.
Welty uses a very loose structure, one like that of a child. She recounts running to the little store for her mother whenever she needed someone to run errands. The way she reminisces about making the journey is childlike in nature, the reader can feel the excitement she is experiencing when she tells the story. She also abruptly goes off on different tangents, recalling conversations and a few songs from her childhood. She appeals to the reader's since of touch, smell, sight, and hearing, trying to get them to experience the same thing she is when she revisits her past. This reinforces her childlike approach, causing the viewer to see through the eyes of her younger self. This is evident by the way she describes the shelves, food, and especially the toys.
Seeing 2
The storekeeper appears very neutral in this photograph. His face is not expressing any particular raw emotion, although he does seem content. He is in the center of the picture with a shadow cast across the left side of his face. The items around him are brought to the viewer's attention by the lighting. There are bananas hanging from the top right corner. a photograph of a girl dancing in the top left of center, and a telephone hanging on the wall. There are no customers or other employees. I think this is because she wanted to portray the store owner as the sole proprietor of the little store, the one who cared about it the most.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
pg. 178 Seeing 1 and 2
Seeing 1
Sanders builds his argument by examining us culturally. He asserts that we have been taught, quite simply, that moving is good, and staying put is bad. He backs up this assertion with examples from his personal life experience, examples of American cultural icons such as cowboys, explorers, and immigrants of all types. He quotes other migrant authors as well as uses current examples of our migrant culture such as our national infrastructure and highway system. Sanders uses all of these things to construct his argument that being rooted in a place and community is better for us individually and for our species and environment as a whole than the migratory philosophy that built our nation. His tornado story at the beginning of the essay is very vivid visual of how determined a particular family was to stay faithful to their home. That kind of dedication and care is what Sanders believes we need to undo the damage that constant mobility has done to the human race and the Earth.
Seeing 2
The tone of Sander's essay is persuasive. He wants to counter our cultural standards of immigration and constant relocation with a lifestyle based on being rooted to a center, a homeland. He cites authors who support the trend he intends to counter, as well as spiritual leaders of both east and west that agree with his argument of community and connectedness. He uses personal experience, cultural trends, and even historical and religious allusions to further illustrate his point. His tone is not dry or scientific, but rather an interesting balance of facts and descriptions explaining where the philosophy of constant migration has taken our world versus where the values and benefits brought on by the care and dedication of those who have the "stay put" mindset can take us.
Sanders builds his argument by examining us culturally. He asserts that we have been taught, quite simply, that moving is good, and staying put is bad. He backs up this assertion with examples from his personal life experience, examples of American cultural icons such as cowboys, explorers, and immigrants of all types. He quotes other migrant authors as well as uses current examples of our migrant culture such as our national infrastructure and highway system. Sanders uses all of these things to construct his argument that being rooted in a place and community is better for us individually and for our species and environment as a whole than the migratory philosophy that built our nation. His tornado story at the beginning of the essay is very vivid visual of how determined a particular family was to stay faithful to their home. That kind of dedication and care is what Sanders believes we need to undo the damage that constant mobility has done to the human race and the Earth.
Seeing 2
The tone of Sander's essay is persuasive. He wants to counter our cultural standards of immigration and constant relocation with a lifestyle based on being rooted to a center, a homeland. He cites authors who support the trend he intends to counter, as well as spiritual leaders of both east and west that agree with his argument of community and connectedness. He uses personal experience, cultural trends, and even historical and religious allusions to further illustrate his point. His tone is not dry or scientific, but rather an interesting balance of facts and descriptions explaining where the philosophy of constant migration has taken our world versus where the values and benefits brought on by the care and dedication of those who have the "stay put" mindset can take us.
Dorothy Allison
I had to read through this particular excerpt a few times to really grasp the scenario it was depicting. It is apparently a lower class family, dealing with all sorts of trials and tribulations, and the narrator seems to be the only one that is competent to care for such a dysfunctional family. She describes the difficulties they face, both physically and financially. However, lots of her attention is placed on the children. Also the final two paragraphs give more insight into the narrator's thoughts and emotions. She is the one capable of cleaning up the mistakes of both the children and her sister, the only real competent parent figure in the excerpt, and yet she cannot have children. Furthermore she tells the reader what she would like to say to her sister, but that she won't because it wouldn't make much of a difference anyway.
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