Anna Hofmockel wrote a blog called An Inconvenient truth: Advertisements and Children , which was about the recent rise in childhood obesity and the fact that thought is was majorly linked to the negative influence of food advertisers. I responded with: You claim that the rise in obesity is due to food advertisers selling
unhealthy foods, but what about those who market health foods? I was
talking to my my friend's mom who is in the food advertisement business
and she was talking about the fish company she helped. The name of the
company was "Saucy Fish" and she instructed them to place their fish on
black rather than white Styrofoam to make it look more appealing, and to
package the fish with perfectly portioned sauce along with specific
cooking instructions. Now, people who had been on the fence about buying
healthy fish because they weren't sure how to prepare it had access to
easy and tasty fish. Also, she talked about how much she enjoys her job
because it is interesting to her and she loves what she does, not
because of the amount of money she makes. So I think before we write off
all food advertisements, we should take into account those that are
actually doing good rather than bad for our society.
Toby Klein wrote a blog called An Inconvenient Truth: Rape Screws Everyone, where she talked about rape/sexual assault and how it affected everyone involved, as well as some of it's negative affects on victims and statistics of rape. I responded: Toby, I could be wrong, but I thought I remembered you sharing a story
last year about one of your friends who had been raped and decided not
to press charges. I am asking because this blog seems very personal and I
can tell that you feel very strongly about this topic. The title of
your blog is rape screws everybody but you then go on to say that the
rapists and predators don't think they have done anything wrong, so in
what way are the screwed? I just want to know your opinion on the topic,
because to me it seems that someone willing to do something so horrible
to an innocent person would have to be mentally unstable, and therefore
would have been "screwed" from birth, but by a force that was
completely out of their control. I agree with you that rape is a
terrible, terrible thing, I just would like to know what your
definitions of "screwed" and "everybody" are. If my memory is correct
and your friend was a victim of sexual assault then I truly hope that
she is doing well, and I am extremely thankful that she has a friend
like you to help her through such a horrible experience.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
iMedia: Holding On
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8fHlVm429g
This week in class we have been talking about poetry and what makes a poem, a poem. Someone brought up the idea that rap is a form of poetry, and while I agreed, I also thought it wasn't just rap that qualified as poetry, but all music. The song I have chosen to talk about is "Holding On" by David Gray. I picked this song because I felt that it was one the best examples of music being interpreted as poetry. When we talk about what makes up a poem we usually think of diction, variation and repetition, enjambment, stanzas, irony, paradox, imagery and rhythm. This song especially utilizes rhythm and enjambment in a incredibly beautiful way. None of the lines form complete sentences, and each one seems to be a piece of a thought that is thrown out into the open. Along with that, is the rhythm of the poem, some lines have specific intentional pauses after them and others just blend into the next without a truly defined end. These two things work simultaneously to create a beautiful poem, really, the only reason it is called a song is because it is set to music. However, often times poems seem to have their own tune too, sort of like a subtle soundtrack. It seems like poetry and music are much more closely related than one may first guess.
When we understand that music and poetry are really the same thing, it opens our eyes to the fact that poetry can be found in anything and everything. Nature creates poetry, just listen to rain or a calm breeze. Typing is poetry, just listen to the ebb and flow of the keys clacking. Walking, breathing, living are all poetry, just listen to their dynamics and feel every emotion, image, paradox, and irony they create. Every moment is special and beautiful because they give us the opportunity to learn and grow, which really is the whole point of poetry. When a poet writes a stanza or a sonnet, it because they want to teach something and they want something to be felt. Words were not meant to be wasted on those who are unable to see past their surfaces. So, the sooner we understand that the universe is just one big poet writing out the verses of our lives and desperately screaming at us "LEARN FROM EVERYTHING I GIVE YOU" the better and richer our eternity's will be because we will have taken everything in stride and gained true experience from every precious moment.
As you read the lyrics, or listen, to this song, think about what they mean to you and what you can learn from them. This is one of my favorite songs because of its beautiful message and symbolism, but different things hold different messages for different people. So take this songs personal meaning for you, and carry it forward into all that you do.
"Holding On"
By: David Gray
Baby now don’t look back
Don’t let those feelings start
Don’t let the line go slack, when you’re
Pulling it all apart
How to describe the sky
Or dismantle a beating heart
Baby we’re holding on
Here we are holding on
Baby we’re holding on
To the world
Seeking assurances
Some kind of guarantee
There has to be more than this, oh now
More than the eye can see
Holding the lanterns high, while we
Sink with our vanity
Here we are holding on
Guess we’re just holding on
Baby we’re holding on
To the world
Now I’m gonna love you
Like the spring bursts from the ground
Unfurling from the ground
Unfurling from the ground
Faces of buildings, trees
All that is stone, inert
Here in these empty streets, well it
Silently does assert
That we are just passing ghosts, honey
Vapors of joy and hurt
And here we are holding on
Baby we’re holding on
Yes we’re just holding on
To the world
Here we are holding on
Baby we’re holding on
Here we are holding on
Yes we’re just holding on
Here we are holding on
Baby we’re holding on
Guess we’re just holding on to the world.
This week in class we have been talking about poetry and what makes a poem, a poem. Someone brought up the idea that rap is a form of poetry, and while I agreed, I also thought it wasn't just rap that qualified as poetry, but all music. The song I have chosen to talk about is "Holding On" by David Gray. I picked this song because I felt that it was one the best examples of music being interpreted as poetry. When we talk about what makes up a poem we usually think of diction, variation and repetition, enjambment, stanzas, irony, paradox, imagery and rhythm. This song especially utilizes rhythm and enjambment in a incredibly beautiful way. None of the lines form complete sentences, and each one seems to be a piece of a thought that is thrown out into the open. Along with that, is the rhythm of the poem, some lines have specific intentional pauses after them and others just blend into the next without a truly defined end. These two things work simultaneously to create a beautiful poem, really, the only reason it is called a song is because it is set to music. However, often times poems seem to have their own tune too, sort of like a subtle soundtrack. It seems like poetry and music are much more closely related than one may first guess.
When we understand that music and poetry are really the same thing, it opens our eyes to the fact that poetry can be found in anything and everything. Nature creates poetry, just listen to rain or a calm breeze. Typing is poetry, just listen to the ebb and flow of the keys clacking. Walking, breathing, living are all poetry, just listen to their dynamics and feel every emotion, image, paradox, and irony they create. Every moment is special and beautiful because they give us the opportunity to learn and grow, which really is the whole point of poetry. When a poet writes a stanza or a sonnet, it because they want to teach something and they want something to be felt. Words were not meant to be wasted on those who are unable to see past their surfaces. So, the sooner we understand that the universe is just one big poet writing out the verses of our lives and desperately screaming at us "LEARN FROM EVERYTHING I GIVE YOU" the better and richer our eternity's will be because we will have taken everything in stride and gained true experience from every precious moment.
As you read the lyrics, or listen, to this song, think about what they mean to you and what you can learn from them. This is one of my favorite songs because of its beautiful message and symbolism, but different things hold different messages for different people. So take this songs personal meaning for you, and carry it forward into all that you do.
"Holding On"
By: David Gray
Baby now don’t look back
Don’t let those feelings start
Don’t let the line go slack, when you’re
Pulling it all apart
How to describe the sky
Or dismantle a beating heart
Baby we’re holding on
Here we are holding on
Baby we’re holding on
To the world
Seeking assurances
Some kind of guarantee
There has to be more than this, oh now
More than the eye can see
Holding the lanterns high, while we
Sink with our vanity
Here we are holding on
Guess we’re just holding on
Baby we’re holding on
To the world
Now I’m gonna love you
Like the spring bursts from the ground
Unfurling from the ground
Unfurling from the ground
Faces of buildings, trees
All that is stone, inert
Here in these empty streets, well it
Silently does assert
That we are just passing ghosts, honey
Vapors of joy and hurt
And here we are holding on
Baby we’re holding on
Yes we’re just holding on
To the world
Here we are holding on
Baby we’re holding on
Here we are holding on
Yes we’re just holding on
Here we are holding on
Baby we’re holding on
Guess we’re just holding on to the world.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Metacognition: Poetry
This week we started the poetry unit and began the task of writing our own poetry. For the past few days I've had a phrase stuck in my head, and I didn't know where it came from or why it was there. But today when we were sitting in class listening to TED and the mocking bird poem, I suddenly realized that I had been fixated on the beginning of a poem. As quickly as I could, I wrote down the sentence and then my thoughts just took off. I felt like I couldn't stop writing, and soon my poem was finished.
After I read through my poem, I thought about Mr. Allen's quote "To what degree do I understand that which I am about to reject". I realized that I had been too quick to disregard this idea that had been stuck in my head because I hadn't taken the time to understand it, I couldn't comprehend how it could have any significance to any part of my life. Instead, I was just getting annoyed by how fixated my brain seemed to be on it. If I had just realized that my subconscious was trying to give me a creative idea I could have been finished with my poem earlier, but no. I chose to be stubborn and reject my own creativity because I wasn't sure how to understand it.
As I continued to think about it, I realized that I do this a lot. On multiple occasions I have had an idea or a word or a theme stuck in my head but I have completely disregarded it because I figured that it wasn't relevant to any tasks at hand, and I think that this may just be part of my creative process. I think that my subconscious creates ideas to complete a project and then once the rest of my mind recognizes it, it is processed until the project is finished. Unfortunately, this probably isn't the best strategy because it often leads to frustration and writers block. But at the same time I think that it also allows for huge revelations, which in my opinion is the most important part of learning. If you aren't making any personal discoveries, then you aren't really learning. You are just going through the process and having information thrust upon you, rather than absorbing information. My creative process is what enabled me to join academy, and hopeful it is good enough to take me a great deal farther throughout the rest of my life.
After I read through my poem, I thought about Mr. Allen's quote "To what degree do I understand that which I am about to reject". I realized that I had been too quick to disregard this idea that had been stuck in my head because I hadn't taken the time to understand it, I couldn't comprehend how it could have any significance to any part of my life. Instead, I was just getting annoyed by how fixated my brain seemed to be on it. If I had just realized that my subconscious was trying to give me a creative idea I could have been finished with my poem earlier, but no. I chose to be stubborn and reject my own creativity because I wasn't sure how to understand it.
As I continued to think about it, I realized that I do this a lot. On multiple occasions I have had an idea or a word or a theme stuck in my head but I have completely disregarded it because I figured that it wasn't relevant to any tasks at hand, and I think that this may just be part of my creative process. I think that my subconscious creates ideas to complete a project and then once the rest of my mind recognizes it, it is processed until the project is finished. Unfortunately, this probably isn't the best strategy because it often leads to frustration and writers block. But at the same time I think that it also allows for huge revelations, which in my opinion is the most important part of learning. If you aren't making any personal discoveries, then you aren't really learning. You are just going through the process and having information thrust upon you, rather than absorbing information. My creative process is what enabled me to join academy, and hopeful it is good enough to take me a great deal farther throughout the rest of my life.
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