Aristotle's ingredients for persuation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbgHbzrL3d0&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKRboUG4yq4&feature=player_detailpage

Reflection 102

My college career has been a roller coaster. I have been attending college off and on for at least ten years. Taking one class at a time was not getting it done for me, so I decided to add to my school load this semester by adding a second class. That extra class was English 102 and I though it would be a piece of cake. I had always done well in English and other courses that required writing. This class took every free moment I had and then some. I don’t have any regrets, I am glad to have been challenged by this course and the material that we had to provide. It had been so long that I had forgotten many of the writing tricks I had learned in the past. I did manage to complete every single assignment and I could not have been able to, without the help and patients from my husband and children.
I have learned several useful skills in this course. Many of which I will continue using in the future. I enjoyed experimenting with gloster and xtranormal looks interesting but my favorite was the online school library database. I believe I will use all of these helpful sites in the future. I have also learned a new style of writing. I am still not sure if I have master the analysation process and it was a huge challenge for me. I am excited and as to get used to this new form of writing and I plan to implement it in my daily life, possibly by continuing my blog.
I have always enjoyed recreational reading and I found White Noise to be a very interesting book. I knew that the content of the essay needed to be analyzed then digested, to figure out what the meaning behind it. It reminded me of one of my favorite books, the Catcher in the Rye. It was a very strange book with lots of hidden meanings. Both books were extremely interesting reads that, have and will continue to stayed with me.
I believe I have met the expectations of this class. I have always been very confident with my work, but this class has really improved my writing techniques and point of view. I have really pushed myself for ideas and writing topics in this class. I am actually surprised by how I feel on certain topics and I think it has a lot to do with this class. I have learned a new style of writing, that depended on my ability to think outside the box. I have had to look at things from different prospective and I like it. It has matured me in a way because I put a lot of thought into every post. I tried harder than I had in the past, not just because I knew my peers would see it and read it, but because I am at a stage in my life were I want to say what is on my mind.
Since reviewing our syllabus I noticed that it states how time consuming this class is. I had forgotten all about that. I will say that the biggest challenge I had in this class was keeping up. Even though I tried to get organized and get ahead, It seemed impossible. For example, I started this post on Monday, it is Saturday night and I am still adding to it. There were times were it took me all day Sunday to complete my assignments. I guess that is the price I am paying for not buckling down right after high school.
I have absolutely no complains or regrets with this class however. I have enjoyed every assignment, reading and posting. I have enjoyed reading my fellow peers post as well. It was interesting to see how similar or different everyone’s opinions were. This has been an amazing experience overall and I believe I am a better writer for it.


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A Good Reader

      According to Nabokov, a good reader is a re-reader that has imagination, memory, a dictionary, and artistic sense. A good reader is all of those things and more. I believe that a good reader is also a person that has common sense, critically thinking skills and has an open mind.
      A good reader should read first to commit to memory. A good reader should reread with imagination and a dictionary, in order to be exposed to new content and define any words that may have been confusing to them the first time through. A good reader should also use their artistic sense and critical thinking skills to ask questions. A good reader should use their common sense be open minded enough to accept other people's opinions and evidence. Finally a good reader should be able to critically analyze the evidence to make their own conclusions with their own critical thinking.

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Technology

My life is no any different than anybody else. After fifteen weeks of reading, writing, blogging and research, I have found that technology can be helpful. I have always been a more hands on learner, attending classes to get all of my questions answered. Now thanks to the internet and its resources I can contact my professor thru email and have my questions answered. We are all busy with our home, work, social and school lives. It was necessary to combine my school life with my home life in order to complete this class and the other I am taking.
The technology that was most useful for me was the access to the school library online. I never realized that we had access to that technology. I used it for several of my assignments that I would not have been able to complete without it. As I continue my education whether online or in person. I believe that accessing the school data base will be the most helpful to me and every other student out there.
The technology that allowed me to do work from home at any time of the day was the greatest gift I could ask for. Though it has not been easy, as a working mom that was determined to finish her classes, it has been worth while. I believe that the biggest challenge I had was completing all of the assignments’ ahead of time. I always planned on getting started earlier in the week so that I could spend time with my family during the weekends. That really never worked out as planned. I would always end up spending my weekends in front of the computer. Both my children ages five and three would always asked me why I always had homework. “One day you will understand”, was my answer.



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Revision

http://blogs.thegrangeschool.net/mfl/files/2010/02/blog-image-revising.jpg

                                                        The ostrich brief blog post

              I'm supposed to review the writing process I took on this essay, well this essay took twice as long as the others did. I am not as happy as I usually am after completing an assignment. I put a lot of thought and effort into this project and it just felt blah to me.
              I titled this paper the ostrich brief because the whole thing took on a bit of a conspiracy theory feel to it, I thought calling it a brief would bring back memories of that conspiracy movie The Pelican Briefs. I named it Ostrich because first it is also a bird but mostly because when they get scared they bury there heads in the ground and I intended that to be a representation of buying into the hype or propaganda.
              The first few days of the week I photocopied articles I thought would work for my thesis. I highlighted then underlined passages I thought I could use. I rewrote the thesis with some minor changes. I had to change what I was saying a few times as evidence came about changing my the theories or discrediting them.
               I had to take several breaks as the material was dry and depressing in most cases. Postmodern writing is art but I don't think it's my kind of art. Topics were interesting but tedious much like this blog. My family life was interrupting constantly and pushing me a bit hard this time.  used three sources by DeLillo and three other sources as well.  I'm glad I read this book it has been a bit enlightening for me. I will probably never read a postmodern book again but I am glad for the experience. It was hard setting aside time to reread curtain parts as it was hard to follow the first time.
               Must have tools for this project included two iPhones, an iPad, an iMac desktop, and two POS laptops one still running vista yay. Most helpful app during this project is the dictionary and thesaurus app. The ability to define or substitute words on the fly was important, I could not have completed this task in the time I had otherwise.
                Revision is important because writing projects take on a life of there own and often lead you to places you never thought you would go. Stoping and reviewing and getting a fresh look always yields fruit. I was lucky enough to have my husband reread most of what I wrote as he had a fresh look at all the data.

Aloha from Hawaii.  I love online classes!

When Jack and Murray visit the "most photographed barn in America", Murray has the revelation that nobody has actually seen the barn.  They have been exposed to the propaganda and have become part of the mob mentality surrounding the barn. This is  the underlying topic of the novel.  Every other story Jack narrates within this novel related to this concept.  Mass propaganda is a distraction of reality used like smoke and mirrors in the illusionist tricks to obfuscate what is really going on. 

 

John N. Duvall, "The (Super) Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated Mediation in DeLillo's “White Noise"

     Basically this essay is describing America as a fascist state. It is not run exactly like Hitler ran Germany, but our county is fascist thru the media, television, advertising etc. Right know, our lives are ran by all of the different social networks that are out there. I have been Keeping up with the Kardashians’ more than keeping up with what is going on in my own neighborhood.
     “TV is a problem only if you forgotten how to look and listen” (55). We have obviously forgotten how to look and listen, we don’t watch TV with our critical thinking caps on. We watch it for pure entertainment value, even though there is important information transported thru the tube. Making viewers even more prone to fascist propaganda.
     Like the band Tool’s famous lyrics “great big festering neon distraction, destine to keep you all occupied” The media being the distraction for all the population to miss all of the important information, making us more incline to unimportant/skewed view points.


Don DeLillo, "White Noise" Viking Adult, NY1985.
John N. Duvall, "The (Super) Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated Mediation in DeLillo's “White Noise" (pp432-455)

WHITE NOISE......

I believe I am not the only one that is confused about this book.  I had to re-read "WHITE NOISE" before i even got to the end, i thought I had missed something important a long the way and that was why I was a bit lost.  After reading some of my fellow classmate's blogs I came to the conclusion that it was not just me.  I know Professor Cline warned us by telling us that it was going to be a hard read, but this I did not expect.  I have not finish the book, I decided to take a break today and finish it tomorrow.  I already have plans to read it a second time.  For the most part I am really enjoying the book and I am looking forward to the ending. 

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Letter to my Editor

                                                                                March 10, 2013
Dear Laura Cline,
It has been a great privilege to be among your students. I have learned and experience many great things while fulfilling your assignments. My biggest challenge has been the blog, learning how to master it, has also been my greatest achievements. Before this class I would never have thought to create a blog and now it is a point of pride to show all of my friends and family. I have always been a creative person and I enjoy this new medium for my artistic outlet.
I have always considered myself a well read person, but taking this class has open my eyes to new subject matter to explore. I would never have experience Melville or Swift in my current occupation or field of study. In my past, I have focus in argumentative writing and not analytical, which I think it is obvious by my choice of topics.
My goals for the second half of the session is to keep improving my grammar and analytical skills. I would also like to expand my library with traditional literature. I hope to be surprise by even more interesting traditional and unconventional literature, and continue expanding my critical thinking abilities.
                                                 Thank you for this opportunity,
                                                  your student,
                                                   Myrza Lamper.

                                                                              March 10, 2013
Dear Laura Cline,
It has been a great privilege to be among your students. I have learned and experience many great things while fulfilling your assignments. My biggest challenge has been the blog, learning how to master it, has also been my greatest achievements. Before this class I would never have thought to create a blog and now it is a point of pride to show all of my friends and family. I have always been a creative person and I enjoy this new medium for my artistic outlet.
I have always considered myself a well read person, but taking this class has open my eyes to new subject matter to explore. I would never have experience Melville or Swift in my current occupation or field of study. In my past, I have focus in argumentative writing and not analytical, which I think it is obvious by my choice of topics.
My goals for the second half of the session is to keep improving my grammar and analytical skills. I would also like to expand my library with traditional literature. I hope to be surprise by even more interesting traditional and unconventional literature, and continue expanding my critical thinking abilities.
                                                Thank you for this opportunity,
                                                your student,
                                                 Myrza Lamper.

                                     

Myrza Lamper
Laura Cline
Eng.102
03 March 2013


     The purpose of Swift’s text is to scorn the landlords, the Whigs and the Tories of the English Parliament into feeling shame for the treatment of the less fortunate(Moore, Pg692). Swift used the burlesque form of satire successfully. He basically proposed that the poor should raise their children like cattle, to be sold for nutrition and clothing (Swift, pg 6). He accurately argued the ethos, logos and pathos modes of persuasion convincingly. Swift believed that the poor were a drain on the state and that, ethically they needed to find a solution to the problem. He also believed that it logically made sense to turn this drain into a positive contribution to the common wealth.(Swift, pg3), and used the burlesque form of satire to make the appeal to pathos. Claiming it was in their own best interest to be used for food and clothing (swift, pg10).


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http://www.jstor.org/stable/25501737

Guess Who is Coming to Dinner?

Swift identifies the problem in his society as being inhumane to the less fortunate. He begins by describing and agreeing with society on how beggars and their numerous children are a drain to society. He comes up with a proposal, a solution to societies problem. His solution is barbaric and purposely meant to shock his audience. Swift, hopes that by logically linking the common feelings towards the poor with his barbaric proposal, he will shock the audience into realizing that their feelings towards the poor are equally as barbaric as his proposal.

I think his suggestion is serious. He feels that the people of his country are treating the poor like they are less than humane. if they are less than human, then they are animals and he goes into detail describing the poor as animals being prepared as food. He has to treat the subject seriously in order to shock the audience into seen his point.

His solution is so illogical that it is absurd. First, he describes In good detail the situation of the less fortunate, obviously appealing to the sympathies of the audience. Finally, he then transitions into a sarcastic proposal in the attention to make people feel guilty for their lack of compassion.



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Survivor Cheese

       First, I was captivated by the music in the commercial. It is one of the reasons I did not skip this advertisement to keep searching. Second, I wondered what was going to happen to the mouse while he was nibbling on the cheese. It happened, he was strapped and squeezed by the mousetrap. Finally, the  mouse overcome the trap. Overall, the combination of the music, imagery and the comedy made this commercial enjoyable, even if I was unclear as to how it had anything to do with the selling of cheese.
       It wasn’t until applying the rhetorical triangle model to the commercial that I began to understand the scheme. The mouse is the ethos, or cheese expert. After all the Western media has always painted the mice as cheese cynosures. His willingness to risk death is a testament to the tastiness of the cheese. The music in this case is the pathos. Each song gave credence, it underscored all of the thinks that were happening in the commercial, making the events more believable and sympathetic. I really felt bad for the mouse when the song by the Doors, THE END began playing. As soon as the EYE OF THE TIGER by Survivor started I just knew everything would be alright. The logos is in this case is anti-logic, we know that eating cheese does not make you stronger. The logic in the commercial states that a mouse , an expert on cheese as one would say, risked death by eating the cheese and because he ate the cheese he had the strength to overcame the mouse trap. The mouse’s strength is a metaphor for the strength of the taste of the cheese.
      I found that I am susceptible to pathos, the music was what attracted me to the commercial. I think the commercial was successful. I do want to go out and buy this particular type of cheese. I know it won’t make me strong, but I like strong taste in cheese.

Barletby; is everyone's ID

Barletby is everyman’s ID

Barletby and the other scriveners in the narrator’s office do not exist. Instead they are a representations of the narrator’s ID, Superego and Ego defense mechanisms. The narrator attempts to use his Ego defense mechanisms, Turkey and Nippers, to balance his ID, Barletby, in order to become a more efficient and industrious worker.
The narrator describes Nippers and Turkey, as having different work ethics. Turkey being a good worker early in the day but a drunk in afternoon (Melville par.6), and Nippers was a good worker in the afternoon and was very irritable and difficult to work with in the morning (Melville par. 11). The Fact that they were able to work well at opposite times insured that things progressed all day, but they could not work alone (Melville par.16).
Prior to Barletby’s manifestation, Turkey was suppressing the narrators’ ID during the early part of the day. By the afternoon, the narrator’s ID would have over come Turkey, hence the manifestation of Nippers. Nipper, as an Ego defense mechanisms, would then keep in check the narrator’s ID for the rest of the day.
Upon reception of the master’s office, the narrator’s work load increased (Melville,par.15). I believe this to be the catalyst for the narrators’ continued break with reality, in the creation of Barletby. At first the creation of Barletby proved successful. The first three days of his employment he worked non-stop day and night completing an “extra ordinary quantity of writing” (Malville, par18).
Barletby, as a manifestation, was the narrator’s last ego defense mechanism. . “I would prefer not to” (Melville, Par.21), becomes Barletby’s motto and the tool that the ID uses to take control of the narrator. His failure to suppress the narrator’s ID, lead to a series of events, concluding with Barletby transformation from Ego defense mechanism to an avatar of the ID.
“All who know me consider me an eminently safe man” (Melville par 3). “had no hesitation in pronouncing my first grand point to be prudence; my next, method” (Melville par 3). These two quotes lead me to believe that the narrator is the embodiment of the Ego making him the opposite of Barletby. In the narrator’s attempt to gain control of Barletby, the narrator is actually trying to gain control of his own ID. This tug of war continues for sometime. After repeated attempts by the narrator to get Barletby to become productive again, he concludes that it will be best to move locations leaving Barletby behind (Malville par.175). This ends the responsibility the narrator feels towards Barletby.
The landlord of the building the narrator used to conduct business out off, then comes to him asking for help in removing Barletby from the old premises (Melville par.189) This to me is a manifestation of the Superego using the conscience of the narrator to reconcile the ID and the Ego (Barletby and the narrator), brining them together again. The narrator’s failure to convince Barletby to be productive or to leave the premises eventually leads to Barletby’s arrest and relocation to the Tombs. The continued failure of the Superego in reconciling the Ego and the ID, leads to more and more obvious and desperate attempts. The evidence is presented in the text when the narrator feels guilt and is drawn to the Tombs to visit Barletby leading to the final show down.
The final shown down between of the ID and the Ego takes place between Barletby and the narrator in the Tombs. The Tombs are now a metaphor for another defensive mechanism of the Ego to control the ID. In the Tombs Barletby confronts the narrator, “ I know you and I want nothing to say to you” (Melville par. 220), being said by the ID towards to Ego, shows evidence of the surrender of the ID. The narrator argues that Barletby himself is to blame for his imprisonment(Melville par.221) .
Barletby maintains his it like qualities by having no rationalization for the things that have happened to him. The narrator shows that he is beginning the reconciliation process by again assuming responsibility for Barletby’s nutritional wellbeing. The narrator does this by paying out of pocket to the grub man for better quality food for Barletby (Melville par. 227).
The story ends with the death of Barletby from the lack of eating (Melville par.250). The way he died tells us that the ID was in full control stubbornly not eating because he preferred not to. Barletby’s death also signified the union of the ID with the Ego. The ID being in perfect balance with the Ego within the Superego makes it unnecessary for the ID to exist separately from the narrator.
After writing this essay I have found better understanding of Sigmund Freud’s ideas of the ID, Ego, Superego and how they work together. After carefully describing the evidence, I found that non of the scriveners in the narrator’s office ever existed. I believe Barletby was a manifestation of the defense mechanism of the Ego and transformed into the avatar of the ID. I also believe that Turkey and Nipper’s were also manifestations of the defense mechanisms of the Ego. Had they not failed, or the increased work load that came with the master’s office had not been a catalyst for a further mental break down, Barletby would have never been created. Furthermore, the death of Barletby to me signified the narrator’s healing process and showed the reunification of the ID and the Ego. The narrator did in fact succeeded in mastering his ID and became a more efficient and industrious worker.

Barletby, the Scrivener

                                           Barletby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street



“Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance. If the individual so resisted be of a not inhumane temper, and the resisting one perfectly harmless in his passivity; then, in the better moods of the former, he will endeavor charitably to construe to his imagination what proves impossible to be solved by his judgment”. (Malville, 7,par 53)Passive resistance only works if people are earnest, this worked with Barletby’s Employer as he tried to help and understand him. However, it failed with the person that took over the building, office, ultimately ending with Barletby’s death in jail. The author is saying that most people are good at heart. When being presented with a challenge people find it difficult to give up, they would rather find creative solutions. I think that is what the author was trying to illustrate when he described the lengths and creativity that Barletby’s Employer was willing to go thru to reconcile his situation.
This must have been what Jesus Christ and Gandhi, were thinking when they began their movements that revolved around passive resistance. Not everyone agreed with their philosophies and many were angered by them as is evident by the assassination of them both..
Gandhi’s movement involved passive aggressive techniques that included non violence and hunger strikes, ultimately giving his life for his cause to a Hindu fanatic. Barletby, exemplifies this not aggressive non violent approached during the time when the constable was escorting him to the tombs and he offered no resistance (par 215) and by his refusal to eat after he is visited by his Employer in the attempt to show his displeasure for his current situation.
The text is rampant with parallels one could draw between Bartlbey and Jesus. “I sat awhile in perfect silence, rallying my stunned faculties. Immediately it occurred to me that my ears had deceived me,” (malville, 5, par 22.)
The employer was stunned by Barletby’s quite refusal, an affront to his authority, moved the employer so much that he decided not to take action towards Barletby in that moment. It was the lack of uneasiness, anger, inpatients or impertinence (par 25). This quote first reminded me of the similarities between Christ and Barletby, that is the way Jesus Christ responded to criticisms from the Pharisees. The second instance was when the mob of people from the Employer’s old building were attempting to have Barletby arrested (par215). Barletby, was calm even in the face of jail and his only friend denied knowing him or caring about him or having any responsibility to him (par190), just as Jesus was arrested and Peter denied him three times.
When the Employer washed his hands of Barletby and rationalizes that he had done all he could it was tantamount to Pilot’s hands being washed of blame for the death of Jesus. The final similarity lies in the ability of both men to have changed the lives of the people who knew them forever, no one who reads this can ever look at the less fortunate the same way, it is the ultimate indictment of the apathy we see in the face of the Me, Me, Me, country we live in where people care more about how much they pay in taxes without regard to the welfare of the needy. It reminds me of the beatitudes, were Jesus said, blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek for the kingdom shall be theirs.
　
　
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Herman Malville (1819-1891)

American Icon?

In this blog I will be illustrating the difference between summary and analyzing.  I will begin by summarizing   the new American mythology surrounding DC Comic book's character Superman.  I will give evidence that this character is an icon that stand for truth, justice and the American way. I will then go on to proof that he is an example of the American dream were and illegal alien is welcome in the United States of America with open arm and respect.               The story of Super man begins when he escape his home planet's destruction.  He was send to earth in a spaceship that was build by his father Jor el.  The spaceship lands in Kansas were he is discovered by his adopted parents Jonathan and Martha Kent. They raise him to be a respectful, hardworking American boy that leads his life by code of moral conduct emphasizing  truthfulness and obedience to the law. That little boy, Clark Kent, grows up to be a great reporter that struggles to balance his human life and his alien destiny. He Saves the world from utter destruction on several actions  even after giving his life in defending the planet earth was resurrected in order to save it a second time earning the label of savior to humanity.         After analyzing the American mythology of the icon superman i stumbled across some disturbing facts about im.  I was shocked to find that he is still to this day an alien who entered this country illegally.  Committed identity fraud by having a forged birth certificate and other i dentity documents.  Given that he has never admitted or received any punishment for these actions, one can argue that he in fact does not stand for truth or justice.  However, he does in fact in-body the American dream despite the aforementioned transgressions he is still one of a very few illegals to migrate to this country that has been welcomed  and treated with respect.  As is evident by his rating as the number # 1 Super Hero in America by a 2011 poll of most liked Super hero.    http://comicbooks.about.com/od/characters/tp/topsuperhero.htm

Burnley, Jack.  DC Comics Database. Superman Archives Vol. 1#6; image.  October, 2003.