Trick 17. An article on rising student loans.

   I'll be summarizing the following article  http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.ohiou.edu/ehost/detail?sid=0cc540da-cbe7-4f92-8bac-315e6fb91f2d%40sessionmgr111&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=66834553 for my final essay which covers students using mass media and social networking to start "Occupy" movements in their own colleges.

    The title of this article is very fitting and every single person reading this blog falls within its borders.  Titled simply "I Owe U", this article covers the rising costs of student loans coupled with the falling amounts of work for students graduating with massive debt.  It starts off explaining the situation of a young student named Amanda Vodola, who like many of us, is loaded down with student debt.  She is with the majority in that she has finished her major in English but still is not able to find a job to help her pay her bills.  Her 6 month grace period is coming to an end and she'll have to start paying her student loans back, all of which come up to $30,000.

     The students of 2011 graduated with the title "Most Indebted Class" and yet the students of 2012 are already looking to over take it from them.  The average loan has reached $27,300 and the total for the country is expected to pass over $1 trillion.  A great comment the author, Kristina Dell, makes is that you can't walk away from these debts like General Motors did.  The government won't be there to offer you a golden parachute or bail you out.

     The next section covers what many believe to be the advertisement to college.  That through getting a better education will lead to a better life.  They don't realize that the cost of college has increased over 538% over the past 3 decades.

     The scary part of this article is that even if you do graduate, you have amassed so much debt that your degree or even the school you went to might not be enough to get you the job you want or need.  Included in the article are students who's debt peaks at over $160,000.  Those students realized to late what they were getting themselves into.

Trick 16. A Working Hypothesis

     Not really sure if we were to write an actual paper using a working hypothesis and the steps in the book, or just talk about what we plan on doing using the steps.  I will attempt to do both.

I chose to cover the letter http://www.huffingtonpost.com/santhosh-mathew-phd/the-universe-will-end-in-_b_993722.html  Which the author argues he believes the universe will end in ice.   I agree and disagree and will attempt to provide evidence for both scenarios.

 -  Background:   I have extensive knowledge about Astronomy, cosmology and the theories discussed in the paper.  I know the main points of both parts of the topic, however as for the actual scientific reasons, I'll have to research more.

 -  Method:  I have a few college level books already in my possession, as well as video documentaries.  I will also be using the OUC library and the writing assistants provided inside.

 -  Sources:  Same as above.

 -  Timeline:  As long as I feel comfortable with my progress, I can take as much time as needed.  I want to make sure my sources and information are correct and up to date.

 -  Significance:  To educate anyone that might not already know the destiny of our universe and its hundreds of billions of galaxies that inhabit it.

Fire or Ice?  A Discussion about the End of the Universe.

    Everyone knows that the universe will end some day.  Not everyone contemplates how it will happen.  Current cosmology believes that it will be by either fire or ice.  On one hand, the evidence shows that it could expand and then start to collapse in on itself.  Over time all the matter in the universe will slowly be drawn back together and crash back into a reverse Big Bang.   The other hand shows that the universe will continue to expand until we are alone in our own little Milky Way galaxy.  The light from other galaxies will be so far distant that we will never be able to tell that we were never alone.

     I will be discussing the letter http://www.huffingtonpost.com/santhosh-mathew-phd/the-universe-will-end-in-_b_993722.html that Mathew Santhosh wrote.  In this paper I will discuss both sides of the debate.  Ultimately I believe both sides to be correct, but through research, I will hopefully convince the reader to choose one or the other.

Trick 15. Abuse and suffering.

Joshua Jordan
Stephen Morrow
English 151
17-Oct-2011

Combating Addiction: You are not the only one that suffers.

Introduction: Ethos and some logos.
Addiction is obviously a serious problem,  not one that everyone should have to face,  but certainly one that you should pity if you’ve had someone close to you suffer through it.  Both of these articles will show you the destruction it can wreck on you, your life, your loved ones, and your career.  The first will show the effects it can have on your family while the second shows what addiction will do to yourself.  It is a disease.  One that at best, you live through and recover.  However, at worst, it can destroy your life or your family’s.  It leads into serious depression that only seems to feed itself through the consumption of more alcohol.  This disease has been defined as both mental and physical.  Mentally because of the aforementioned depression and physically because of the dependency that can build up, the damage it can do to the body (both short and long term),  and cumulative toxic build-up.  It’s always hard for an alcoholic to admit, at least publicly, that they have the problem in the first place.  It has a huge social impact, and as such, the sufferer doesn’t want to be seen as a bad member of society.  A lot of the times, they will actually deny they even have a problem in the first place.  Thinking that they can always stop when they want to is another common sign of an addiction.

Description and Analysis for Ad 1
In the first advertisement, http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/aa_ceara_family?size=_original, we have a very disturbing picture of a man, the father figure of a family, who is over looking the edge of a broken highway,  possibly contemplating suicide.  His head is downcast, as he’s probably thinking his life is downtrodden.  In his hands, he’s holding a rope.  If we follow this rope, we find that it is tied to what would have to be his family, all huddled together in fear for their father and husband.  The mother has her arms around her daughters, possibly trying to comfort them or maybe protecting them from the truth about their father, trying to not let them know that their father is living with the problem.  We even have “man’s best friend” sitting alongside the family, as even the family dog has been pushed away and can’t even provide comfort for the crest-fallen father.
Backing up a little bit away from the family, we see the darkened skies overtop of the family, representing tough times.  This reflects their feelings as a whole, not just the fathers.  When one member is suffering, they all do, together, something the father has seemed to forget.  He doesn’t realize that committing the suicidal act that’s going through his mind will drag them all down to his level of hell.  Again, this is represented by the rope thats held in his hands, but not tied around him.  By not being tied directly to him, it’s meaning becomes clear that it’s his decision.  If he jumps, he’s taking them down with him by his own decision.  He’s not being forced to ruin their lives by any means.
In front of the father, we see a gap in the highway.  He believes the answer is on the other side, but the gap is just to far for him to jump.  The end of his disease, the fix for his family, is just one big step thats to far away.  He thinks it cannot be done.  It’s simply impossible.  But the answer is just like the incomplete highway.  The father thinks it’s impossible.  But his knowledge of how to overcome his problem is just like the bridge, incomplete.  There is always an answer.  This comes to us in the image of the AA, or the Alcoholics Anonymous symbol.  This symbol is dead center of the ad, to grab our attention.  It even comes complete with it’s own ray of light shining down over the father, offering warmth and enlightening his path. It offers hope to those that suffer from this disease.   The symbol is in fact surrounded by bright light and luminous clouds.  This easily represents a guardian angel of sorts.  Watching over families like the one in the picture.  Offering hope and solutions to a problem that seems impossible.

Description and Analysis for Ad 2
Abuse can be defined in many different ways and aspects.  It can be viewed as one thing or another.  There is both physical and mental abuse.  From an outside source, or from within.   http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/kenilworth_clinic_inner_struggle_woman, shows a woman who’s back is shredded by her own hands as evidenced by the blood on her fingers and nails.  Her body is all twisted and she’s obviously in agony.  She is causing her own pain.  This is evidenced by the text on the ad “When it is you against yourself.”  While everything about this picture shows physical abuse, you get the feeling its more about mental anguish.  We don’t know what this womans problem is, but whatever it is is tearing her up inside.  We understand this due to the damage we see on the outside.  Most people that have an addiction are like this person.  Whatever hell they are going through in their mind always shows up on the outside.  It affects their lives, their jobs, their families.  All of those things suffer as well.  The woman is also alone.  She doesn’t have anyone else in this ad.  She has nobody to help her, nobody to understand or to offer support.
But like this ad shows, there is always hope, always help around the corner.  This ad gives us words of support by letting us know that you don’t have to be the victim to your addiction.  It doesn’t have to rule or ruin your life.



Conclusion and comparison
While you might look at the second ad and not understand what it has in common with the first one, both ads show people suffering from addiction.  It has ruined their lives.   It has hurt them to the point that they are hurting themselves, and to them, there is no way out.   In the first ad, the father is so far gone he is contemplating suicide and he knows that he can’t even ask his family for help.  He feels that he is all totally alone.  He is a lot like the woman in the second ad.  While we don’t see her family, she believes that she is alone.  Even the border of shadow around her shows that she believes she’s the only one in the world who understands what she is going through.  For people suffering from addiction, feeling this way is common.  They know there is help, but they feel that the help is either too far away,  it won’t work, or that they have to get themselves out of their own problems.  This thinking does not help, as evidenced by the fathers downcast face and the woman’s shredded skin.
But ultimately, there is help.  Through either the AA symbol we saw in the first ad or the clinic’s web-site address on the second one, help is out there.  Knowledge is the best way to help these people.  These ads help put that knowledge out there.  Their message is clear, “You are not alone in your problems.  There are people who can and will help you.  You do not have to suffer alone.”

Trick 14. Analysis of an Advertisement.

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/aa_ceara_family?size=_original

Content
   The add is selling the consequences of suicide from alcoholic depression.  By committing suicide, your dragging your family along with you through your troubles.

Message
  By committing suicide, your dragging your family down, you might as well be killing them yourself.

Character and settings
  The father figure, who is depressed by his alcoholism is about to commit suicide.  However he his holding a rope that is tied to his family in his hands.

Theme
  Suicide and the effects on your family

Medium
  Picture, art.

Historical Context
  The country was Western looking, the time line is current.    Gender wise, the male, which is the supposed head of the household.

Word and Image
  No written words other than  AA

Layout
  We have a simple add with only the AA symbol showing dead center to grab your attention.  Almost as if it was in a thought bubble.  The father is dead center as well, to grab your attention.

Design
  The colors are neutral to focus more attention to the subject..  The dark clouds are for brooding over the family and the AA symbol has a ray of sunshine to show that its a lifeline of sorts.  As if a guardian angel.

Voice
  Alcohol affects your own balance, but it knocks over not only you.

Rhetorical Appeal
  This is definitely designed to produce an emotional response of guilt to the reader.  Maybe sorrow or sadness for the family.  either way, it plays off the ethos of the reader to get their attention.

Strategy of Development
  There is a story.  The father figure is contemplating suicide to deal with his issues.  He is suffering from depression due to alcoholism and is seemingly realizing that if he does this, he'll take his family along with him.

Cultural Resonance
  Western civilization.  Probably a higher percentage of suicides.

Trick 13. Learning from others.

  In this installment on my blog, we'll be discussing "The World's Local Bank: An Approach to Consumer Alienation in a Globalized World" by Andrés Cassinelli.  As far as can be considered, this essay was pretty near perfect.  The structure was amazing and the context well written.  The author went into great detail, covered every aspect, featured the ad that their essay covered in an easily accessible location, and showed how this affects their life.  The biggest thing that I noticed, and that I can learn from was the thesis.  It was stated openly and also in detail within the beginning.  It really shows how it should be done and the best way for me to understand concepts is to see examples in person.  So I will be able to look back on this essay and kind of use it as a template for any future papers I have to write.

  Another impressive feat was that nothing in the paper was repetitive to a noticeable degree.  Every line was written differently from the previous which lead to it feeling fresh and kept your attention.  The author also brings about how important humor is to the average person.  They were right when they said that humor changes the ad from informative to entertainment.  Something people are more likely to remember.  I'll try the same thing in the future.

  One other feature I as impressed with, that I notice a lot of people are guilty of, myself included, is when they take their idea, and when describing it, they go back and forth.  They jump from one point of interest and go to another only to jump back.  This author just kept going straight forward and grabbing all the details at once.  This gives the feeling of a very defined paper that has been tested and written many times to get right.  It comes off as very professionally done.

Trick 12. Comparing schools web sites.

   The sites that we will be comparing are the Ohio University of Chillicothe (http://www.chillicothe.ohiou.edu/) and my high school, Huntington (http://www.edline.net/pages/Huntington_High_School).

   When looking at the two, the Huntington page is very basic, and visually its abrasive to the readers eyes when compared to the Ohio Universities much more neutral tone of browns and dull greens.  First impressions, the HHS page only has one opening picture, that of the school itself.  The left hand side has the basic information a student would need with their account, classes, and other shortcuts.  All in all, a very basic and unimpressive website.

  Now, compare that to the OUC site and its much more impressive.  The overall tone with dull browns, greens, and black texts make this site much easier to read and understand.  All the sidebars are much more fleshed out, easier to read as well, and help the viewer navigate better.  This gives a much more professional experience.

Trick #10. Body Images.

  This blog is in response to http://www.johnriviello.com/bodyimage/dolls.html so that you have an idea of what I'm going to be discussing.  Feel free to add any comments below.

  While the issue of body image may still persist, I don't think its nearly as prevalent as it used to be.  When growing up, nobody I ever knew wanted to be like Barbie or Batman.  The images on the website are just simply part of our past.  My generation, all the boys and some girls in my grades knew that Batman, and all other superheroes for that matter were just that, fiction.  We never aspired to look like them.  I never heard any girls talking about how they wanted to look like Barbie growing up.  No guys ever compared their girlfriends to Barbie's body and wished they were more similar.  We realized they were looking like that for our entertainment.

   While on the website, Batman's measurements were made out to be impressive and almost impossible to achieve, you would have to realize what he does every day.  He would have 0-5% body fat solely because all he does in the comics is fight crime (massive cardio right there) and lift weights.  You have to be in shape to do what he does.  I used to get a kick out of people trying to argue the way males look in comic books or video games.  Always the perfect build, no fat, ripped pecs.  But the same people never took into consideration the lifestyles they must have lead.  You think gladiators in the ancient Roman arenas had noticeable amounts of fat?  If they did, they didn't live long.  Look at the gladiators of today, the fighters of UFC.  Very lean and muscular.  While not my favorite fighter, Frank Mir is a perfect example here.  He has extremely low body weight for a guy who weighs in at around 260 lbs. for a guy who clocks in at 6'3.  Here's something to look at.

   So on Batman's case, now we understand why he looks the way he does.  Story wise, that's how he is in the comics.  Figurine wise, it speaks to our inner nerd when we were growing up.  We want the big and strong heroes.  In Barbie's case, as I said earlier, no girl I ever knew growing up referenced themselves to her.   I've had plenty of female friends who aren't happy with the way they look, but not to that degree.  So as for that extreme case of body image, I do not believe still exists.  But it definitely does on some level.  Now I'm going to go back and play that Flash Player movie again.  It's quite comical, and frankly, that model is in fact pretty hot prior to her being "Barbified."

Watching People Negative Description

     Once again, I found myself sitting outside surrounded by people I hardly know.  Watching people I don't know at all.  A photographer was bothering people taking pictures and asking questions.  A few flat, green, metal benches down, some unlucky people were fighting against the constantly blowing wind to keep their papers in order while they read them.  The heat beating down on everyone outside was getting to be unbearable as several of them wiped the wet sweat off their foreheads.  Students plod out the doors, looks of worry across their faces as they wonder if they will pass this quarter or even understand what they just learned.   A large, disgusting beetle of some unknown kind landed on my notebook interrupting me from my observations.  It couldn't even show courtesy as it landed on its back after flying through the air.

Watching People Positive Description

     There I was, sitting outside.  Surrounded by friends.  Observing the people and events around me.  One one side, we have a smiling, red haired photographer taking pictures for whatever project she was working on.  She engaged in polite conversation to everyone she added to her roll.  Down the row of shining green benches, others sat quietly in contemplation as they studied their papers in the warm sunlight with the breeze blowing gently behind them.  Students walk out the doors, looks of contemplation as they leave with the new knowledge they gained today.  A bug flies lazily through the air before setting down gently on my notebook.  It soon took an unscheduled flight as I flicked it through the air with a hidden smile on my face.

Trick # 9

     Creative practice.  In this trick, I was asked to look at two advertisements and define what I thought about and saw in both.  The first advertisement was for a Saab car which was given the likeliness of an aircraft going down the highway.  To resemble a plane, the cars doors are open to give the idea of wings as well as the car moving quite fast.  The car itself will appeal to readers who, like me, love speed shown by the car moving down the runway extremely fast giving the appearance that it was about to take off.   The title of the advertisement was below and read "Air-crafted" as if the car was made tougher than a normal vehicle.  The phrase also represents that the car was designed to be faster and more aero-dynamic because it was invented by aeronautical engineers.  Overall it definitely comes across as a sports car.

     The second advertisement shows the highly recognized face of Kermit the frog in the foreground while the vehicle, a Ford Escape Hybrid is sitting in the background on top of a mountain.  This could possibly give the appeal to children as well as the adults who remember watching Muppets while growing up.  It does seem funny though that while trying to sell the SUV, the advertisement doesn't really give much info about it.  Almost as if it was secondary in nature (no pun intended).  Kermit is given a phrase, "I guess it is easy being green", which to most people would be kinda funny to attract the attention of the passerby.  So here we have an SUV sitting in a natural setting, overlooking a mountain pass, while dirt and bushes abound in the picture and Kermit is advertising the eco-friendly side of the vehicle.

     Interesting that both cars are played off of what makes them unique, because it wouldn't work the other-way around.  You wouldn't get the same message if you had a Muppet talking about the Saab on a mountain, nor would you get any message of seeing an eco-friendly SUV on a runway.  All in all though, both advertisements priority is to play to your appeal and get your attention fast so that you read each one carefully.  The Saab, while fast, powerful, and sleek, has a black overtone to play on the fact that people relate dark with power, rebellion, temptation and mystery.  The Ford on the other hand, has a colorful outlook, with nature, frogs, mountains and a very blue sky.  The over all tone ends in a bright outlook that grabs peoples attention with its cartoon like behavior.  Both, mystery and humor grab peoples attentions.  They obviously know what they are doing.

Trick number 8. My first essay.

I added the comics in this discussion at the bottom since my actual printed essay will look entirely different.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was a large debate over the prejudices in America’s history.  In both this cartoon by Jill Parker and the second cartoon by Steve Greenberg.  Both comics deal with a very serious issue of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal that happened recently.  While, for the most part, Americans don’t think about this policy since it doesn’t affect the civilian population, this policy has in the past and up until recently affected our soldiers on many levels.  Both artists send the same message that soldiers really didn’t care about the policy in the first place.  That to them, the most important factor was that they are a soldier first before everything.  They have an important job that cannot be interfered with petty things.

In the first cartoon, by Jill Parker, you have a decorated soldier stating that after everything was said, all the changes made, that they can finally be who they want to be, a soldier.  It’s possible that this cartoon soldier is also saying that because the policy was repealed, he no longer has to worry about hiding his sexuality from his superiors.  That now, he can focus on being the soldier he wants to be.  Maybe hiding was causing him to not “Be all that you can be".  It’s quiet possible this is the effect that many soldiers are having.  So by repealing the policy, they can finally focus on the more important things.  With the smile on the soldier’s face, he is relieved and happy with it.  The soldier’s words also show pride.  He’s proud of what he does.  He’s proud that his country, the country he is serving is moving beyond basic prejudices albeit slowly.
The second cartoon, by Steve Greenberg reflects the message of the first one by showing us two coffins draped with the American flag.  It goes on to show us that neither person cared about the others sexuality even to the end of their lives.  This is a powerful image in and of itself.  The one soldier shows that he didn’t ask.  He felt that it did not matter about a persons sexuality as long as they stand shoulder to shoulder.  The other shows that he “Didn’t Tell” because he felt that he doesn’t need to.  He’s performing his duty all the way to the end.

One more aspect of this image is that the American flag is showed prominently by taking up a large section of the comic.  This represents a few things.  It shows that our country is again, moving beyond simple prejudices and seeing everyone as equal regardless of race, sex, or preferences.  They are even in both their countries and their own eyes.  Both coffins are side by side.  They stood shoulder to shoulder together in life and now in death.  I was asked about the encroaching shadows but actually, when I see them now, I prefer and believe that they are in fact, receding.  This repeal is brightening our view on the subject.  And these two in the image are leading the way.  The old beliefs are being pushed away with the shadows of our past.

Another point that this image makes is that they might not be coffins.  They could be statements showing that now, America has split the policy in two.  On one hand, the box on the right “Didn’t Tell” because there was no need for it.  It’s a persons freedom to live the life they want to live.  They should never be subjected to the prejudice or judging of others.  So on this hand, you have a persons freedom.  On the other, you have the newer view not asking in the first place. That finally, America is realizing that it doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t change who the person is, or what they are doing so there is no reason to ask.  Accept who people are and move on.  This definitely reinforces the view of the shadows retreating as it represents our country moving on and becoming all the better for it.

The shadows are also representing something besides showing how our country is improving.  They also serve to focus the readers attention on the subject at hand.  By using a neutral color, the tan, for a background and the black of the shadow for the outer edges, this emphasizes on the objects themselves.  And by giving them the bright colors of the red, white, and blue of the flags, that just pushes it even further.  Given that the messages written at the bottom of each flag are in black and white, this just all but screams out for your attention.  Showing that this is a very important subject that every reader should know exists.

The subject at hand, the policy that split our military into factions has caused problems in the past.  When this policy first came into being, December 21, 1993, almost 14,000 soldiers were discharged under the category of homosexuality as reported by http://www.military.com/news/article/2011/dont-ask-dont-tell-policy-is-history.html.  This was something that showed the narrowness of our country in a time where we should have been showing the world why we are the best country in it.  We should have been striving to be standing on top and yet we allowed ourselves to fall from grace.  It would be almost 18 years, and 3 Presidents before we corrected our stance on this.  While a step forward in the right direction, it is still only one of many other problems our country still has.  But this shows we know how, and can, take the right path.





Since I have almost 12 years in the military, I thought it would be good if I included my view on the policy itself.  I never agreed with the policy itself.  From day one, it slaps the Constitution in the face.  It blatantly encroaches onto every American’s rights to live the lives they want to live without judgment.  It goes against everything our country has told and showed the world that we are about.  From my experience, it doesn’t matter what your sexual preference is, as long as your willing to do your duty, as long as your willing to stand shoulder to shoulder, as long as your willing to stand up for what you believe your country is about and watch my back while I watch yours, I don’t care.  It’s as simple as that.  I found both these cartoons to be very close to the truth as far as I see it.  Most soldiers don’t care if your gay or not.  Fortunately most of us have moved beyond it.  We understand the importance of our job.  We understand that our training gives us an advantage that most civilians never see.  Or understand.  We spend a lot of time beside everyone we serve with and this has allowed us to move on.

Unfortunately America is a big place with a lot more people in it than our military.  So its going to take a long time for the rest of the country to catch up.  Ultimately I agree with the first cartoon.  It doesn’t matter.  All that matters was I was a soldier, like him, and I’m proud of it.  The second cartoon is something I believe represents our country.  It’s evolving.  It’s changing.  And so far, for the better.  I realize that our country has bigger problems, but one small step at a time.  Allowing gay people to openly serve shows how much we’ve improved and maybe one day the rest of the world will follow in our steps.

This is one subject that every American, civilian or military, should take notice of.  One that they should take part of and strive to understand.  And in the end, we need to keep those shadows away.  Keep the light bright and always be moving forward to improve this great country that we all share.

Trick # 7 part 2.

The whole “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was started on December 21, 1993 and ended on September 20, 2011 after President Obama, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Admiral Mike Mullen which set the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.  The policy was designed so that gay soldiers could not openly join the military but at the same time prevented military personnel from discriminating or asking about a soldiers sexual preference.  The policy was originally formulated in 1981 under the Department of Defense titled under the Directive 1332.14.  According to http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/military_history.html

Nearly 17,000 men and women were discharged under the category of homosexuality.   Both comics done by Jill Parker and the second by Steve Greenberg both show cases that our soldiers ultimately don’t care about the policy.  They don’t care what your sexual preference is.  It’s ultimately about serving with the soldier next to you.  Putting your life in their hands.  They have a job to do and it’s important for the mission and our country that they do it.

Trick #7

Common denom.  --  The don’t ask don’t tell policy and a soldiers view of it

Thesis – our thesis is on the American military policy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.  They share a point of view that not every American soldier cares about the sexuality of others. 

1. Observations:  Soldiers don’t care about serving with other people with different sexual preferences

2. Both cartoons focus on the subject of the American militaries “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the soldiers viewpoints.

3. How do we know this?    Cartoon #1, the soldier is declaring that above all else, no matter the situation, he is an American soldier first.  Cartoon #2, shows two coffins with signs stating Didn’t ask and the other shows didn’t tell.  The flags on the coffins show that they were americans that gave their lives not caring about the policy.

5.  What do we find interesting about these cartoons?  We find it interesting that the soldiers don’t appear to care about the policy on the same level that politicians or civilians do.  The soldiers understand that you have to serve with one another and will put your life in their hands.  They understand the importance of not allowing this policy to interfere with their job.

How does it tap into larger social or cultural issues?  There has always been controversy between having gay or straight people serving in the military.  Hate crimes have always been uncommon within the country. 

Thesis --   The two cartoons both share a common idea that the average military person does not care about the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.  That it does not matter what your sexual preference is. When you decide to serve, you serve as an American soldier.  And that no matter if you are gay or straight, when you enter the military and you die, you die an American citizen.

Trick # 6

  

Topic:   Don’t ask, Don’t tell.

Story:  The cartoon shows two caskets draped in American flags.  The story shows that neither soldier that gave their lives, cared about the others sexual preference. 

Audience:  The cartoon was produced in Los Angeles, California.  It was published on the author’s website.  The cartoon was conservative in nature.

Author:  Steve Greenberg is an editorial artist who has won awards or honors nearly every year.  They include runner-up in the 2008 Fischetti Editorial Cartoon Competition as documented in http://greenberg-art.com/About_the_artist.html

Argument:  The message of the cartoon is showing that even though both soldiers laid their lives down for their country and each other, they didn’t care if one of them was gay.    This is implied by one of the coffins stating “Didn’t ask”

Composition:  This cartoon is a single frame image.

Word and Image:  This cartoon is a hybrid that relies on both image and text.  The text shows that the two soldiers don’t care about the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, and the image refers to them giving their lives for their country.

Imagery:  The drawings are realistic as they are meant to show seriousness.

Tone:  The comic is entirely serious as it shows the nature of the subject and the cost of it.

Character and setting:  The components show two objects, both coffins.  There is no other way to break them down.  The flags draped over them show they were military.

Cultural Resonance:  This cartoon refers to the recent repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal of this year.  The symbols used in this cartoon show that the soldiers don’t care.  The audience would be narrow as it only applies to our military.

Trick # 5.

Topic:  Don’t ask, don’t tell policy.

Story:  A soldier is declaring that he doesn’t care about the policy.  He is a soldier and his job is to continue doing what he was doing.

Audience:  It was produced in America.  It was a newspaper originally.  This was a conservative comic.  It has a laid back approach to the audience.  The tone is direct and to the point.

Argument:  The message is that this particular soldier does not care about the don’t ask, don’t tell policy. 

Composition:  Single frame cartoon.

Word and Image:  While the visual isn’t necessary, it does allow the viewer to get a complete understanding of the cartoon.

Imagery:  he represents the average American soldier.  Does not rely on caricatures.  The cartoon does refer to present events.

Tone:  The comic is serious in nature.

Character and setting:  the cartoon features a person.  The imaged person is white, no age is immediately obvious.  Gender is male.

Cultural Resonance:  It does refer to the event of the Don’t ask, Don’t tell repeal.  The symbolism is the American military.   The symbol speaks to a narrow audience. 

Trick 4

     Discussion of Cyana Chilton's Essay titled "Drugs to Death in a Political Cartoon"

     Now this was much more complicated than our previous assignments.  The first thing I did was get my view of the political cartoon listed inside of her essay and then compare it to her description.  This allows me to see how the author thinks and gives me insight into their style.   I could not have been more wrong or further off.  This was a very complicated read and I was totally taken aback by how much information the author got from this simple cartoon.  Chilton was seeing things and how they interacted that I would never have seen even if I had stared at it for a week straight.  The basis behind the image and her thesis was that the Mexican government was unable to do their job in protecting their country and economy from the drug cartels.  While from the image, I received that the cartels were responsible for many deaths in the country, and thinking that the deaths could literally be referencing people, it also had the chance to represent the country itself.  Or the economy.  With the pinata titled "Mexico" and the skulls spilling from it, this could easily cover several ideas.  And the amount that Chilton came up with was simply astounding.

     Chilton's main argument from her interpretation of the cartoon was that the cartels were solely responsible for the problems that the country was going through.  I don't necessarily agree.  I believe they are a large part, however, the inability for the government to either want to, or capable of actually doing something places some of the blame on their shoulders.  The reason I think that the cartoonist himself does not believe that the cartels are solely to blame lies in the cartoon itself.  You do see a large amount of skulls spilling out of the busted pinata, however it is not completely destroyed.  It is not split in half.  This represents that there is still a chance to fix the problem and that there is still hope.  At least this is how I interpret it.

     While Chilton does seem to believe that the cartels are the main problem, she goes on to bring up a point about another major player.  The amount of drug users in the United States.  Unfortunately she doesn't go into to much detail, but I think this warrants some space.  These people are the ones keeping the cartels in business.  They are the ones that allow the problem to continue to rot the Mexican people and government.  There's a strategy, when wolves are causing problems, you don't shoot the wolves.  You go after the rabbits.  When the rabbits are gone, the wolves will leave.   The strategy should be the same.  As long as they have buyers, the problem will always exist.

     Overall, the essay was a very interesting, and intense read.  The structure was sound, she started off by explaining the cartoon in her interpretation.  This is exemplified by the fact that she actually includes the cartoon on the first page within the same paragraph that explains it.  She follows this up by showing actual research into the subject matter.  This is of course important as it fills several key points, such as the logos and ethos together.  While this was a rather long read, combining elements together makes it easier for the reader to grasp more of the topic at once time and keeps their interests.

    To myself, this read was pretty important.  It represented multiple things.  As I stated above, it was a complicated read.  So it challenged me.  It also showed me that you shouldn't take the message of a cartoon so quickly and that you should strive to combine and understand as much as you can.  This was also a great example of structure and will provide an excellent reference in the future.  The author also taught me to always look for more.  All in all, very enjoyable.

Trick 3

        The poem I chose to write about today was Muck-Clump by Mark Halliday.  I believe the meaning behind this poem was pretty simple and straight forward.  Here we have a father who goes to help his daughter and after being corrected by his wife about the amount of cereal she eats, starts to think to himself that he is right and she's wrong.  He spends the rest of the morning contemplating how he will say "I told you so" but once he realizes that his wife was right, shows us that maturity is the right thing to do and just leave it behind you.  Move on with your day and be productive.


     There was also another feeling in the poem.  One that after his wife told him to give their daughter more cereal, that he starts to realize he doesn't really know his daughter all that well.  That he missed her growing up some.  She's bigger now.  Able to eat more.  Do things on her own.  He starts to think that time has gone by to fast and that he's been left on the side of the road.  He feels that he isn't really helping raise his daughter.  That everyone else around him is doing all the work.


     This point of the poem, from the first paragraph could be applied to just about anyone in today's society.  It's easy to just assume your right and when you find out your not, to get mad or get even.  But the better thing to do is to admit, even if it's just to yourself, that you were wrong and just move on.  Get it out of the way and then go do something.  As for the second paragraph, everyone feels like this at some point.  Once you have the epiphany and realize it, you can easily fix it.   It doesn't have to involve your kids if you have any, but anything else in your life.  If you feel that your not involved enough, then get involved.

Trick 2

     This blog will be in response to Richard Goldstein's "Cartoon Wars".  If your interested in reading the article itself, you can find it here:   http://www.thenation.com/article/cartoon-wars


    While I had my own thoughts about how cartoons should be held, viewed, posted and interpreted, I have to say after reading this article that my views have in fact changed somewhat.  Normally I'm a very "live and let live" kind of person.  However, the author does raise some valid points, even if he didn't mean to while doing so.  So in this post, I'll start from the beginning and discuss it as we move along.  The first topic that grabbed my attention was an argument I've seen before.  In the discussion about Sponge Bob and Patrick, James Dobson was raising hell stating that the show promoted homo-sexuality to a younger audience.  I do believe that people should be able to make their own decisions, and ultimately the parent can just decide what their kids can and cannot watch, I do believe that the FCC should regulate the amount of "possible material" that is put into shows watched by a large portion of the younger audience.  At least to the point where the kids will be old enough to make their own decisions and not be swayed one way or the other.  


     The reason I say this is that cartoons are in fact, and I only thought of this after reading the article, more dangerous than say a blog or a newspaper article.  Images are power.  They are easy to read.  Easy to understand.  Another effect they have is leaving a lasting and powerful memory to the reader.  For the life of me, I could probably not remember any number of passages in any of my favorite books that I've read over and over, yet can easily recall tons of Garfield comics that I've read as a child.  So in this aspect, cartoons should be regulated to some degree and should be given more careful thought as to who might be the viewing audience.  


     Even when moving beyond animated cartoons or comics, images are powerful in many other aspects of  life.  What if a political cartoonist drew a cartoon of some politician you've never heard of.  But in this comic, the person is given a derogatory demeanor and look?  You don't even know this person, yet you would subconsciously not like this person the next time his name showed up in another article.   Images have power in that they can change the way you see, think or feel about a subject even if you've never covered it or know nothing about the topic.


     But does all this mean that everything should be censored?  In some ways it should be regulated, but there are several layers of security that could be put on this.  Its ultimately up to the artist of the cartoon to decide what to do and what not to do.  He has to balance it between what he feels right, what he believes in or what brings in more money.  All depending on how he see's his career.  His publisher is the next layer.  They get to determine if the quality of the cartoon is too offensive or safe and from there where to send the cartoon or comic to be shown to the public.  They have to weigh how their targeted audience will receive it.  After all, their audience is what keeps their company going.  Don't want to make them mad.  And lastly, its up to the reader or viewer in what they perceive or want to see.   In the case of children's cartoons, if their parents are ok with them watching something, then that's on them.  In the case of comics, if the reader doesn't like them, then they have the option of just ignoring future ones.  So ultimately I would have to say that further censoring would be unnecessary at this time.


     As for me, there are very few things I would censor.  Mostly I wouldn't as that would impede on someones freedom of speech, however, anything used for harmful propaganda, racism, or any kind of personal attack, I do believe should be censored.