How things mean

Album covers:

1.       What do they suggest?

The first album cover of the girl suggest that her songs might be provocative and sexual. The other two with the guys suggest that their music will be mostly rap and inappropriate for kids due to explicate lyrics.

2.       How do they suggest it?

The body language of the girl is provocative, and her facial expression is luring you in. The guy’s posture is very intimidating which makes them look tough.

3.       Which elements of each image work on the viewer in various ways?

For the girl viewers are drawn in by her sex appeal. While the men look as if they’re about to drop the most fire mixtape of 2015.

Symbols of Patriotism:

1.       What do they suggest?

They suggest patriotic images of the USA, Great Britain, and France.

2.       How do they suggest it?

The eagle is associated with feelings of freedom and pride, the American flag makes you associate freedom with America. The bull dog is the national dog of Great Britain, he is standing on their flag looking very noble. The words in the third image mean liberty, equality, and fraternity and is the national motto of France, these words are etched into the wall showing that they are concrete ideals of the country.

3.       Which elements of each image work on the viewer in various ways?

The positioning of the dog and eagle convey strength because of their stance on the page, and the words as well convey strength because they are carved in stone.

                                           

Thesis Statement: The images use important and celebrated symbols of their countries to convey patriotism, strength, and ideals.

·         The eagle is associated with feelings of freedom and pride, the American flag makes you associate freedom with America.

·         The bull dog is the national dog of Great Britain, he is standing on their flag looking very noble.

·         The words in the third image mean liberty, equality, and fraternity and is the national motto of France, these words are etched into the wall showing that they are concrete ideals of the country.

·         The positioning of the dog and eagle convey strength because of their stance on the page, and the words as well convey strength because they are carved in stone. 

Tim Wise; “Use Of The N-Word”

http://www.timwise.org/2005/05/a-double-standard-worth-keeping-race-and-the-differential-power-of-the-n-word/

1. What arguments does the author make?

    The author makes all arguments toward the position of not verbally using the N-word. Multiple arguments are brought up from playground examples such as “I can talk about my mother, but you sure as hell better not talk about my mother!” Another example that Tim Wise used was about a particular comedian Jeff Foxworthy and his jokes regarding “rednecks.” He argues that because Jeff may somewhat fall into the category of group that he is making fun of, it is seen as acceptable. On the flipside, if Jerry Seinfeld was to use these same jokes in a standup routine, it would be inappropriate. His main position is that white people should not use verbally the N-word, however it is at the discretion of black people to use freely.

2. How persuasive do you find the argument?

The argument is very persuasive. Tim Wise supports his stance on the topic with plenty of evidence. Wise is clear on why this issue is important, while giving his view of how it should be handled. He explains more than just the white man's point of view, and explains the point of view of a black man. The medium allows him to express his authority with a strong tone.

3. What is the author's stance?

    The stance the author takes is that he believes it isn't his place to determine how and when it is acceptable to use the word due to him being a white person. Although he does take a firm stance that it’s not his place to determine the above points, he does voice very clearly that if you’re not black you shouldn't use the word.

4. Does the publisher bring a certain stance to the work?

    His speech was part of Boston College’s FACES organization, which is designed to promote awareness about discrimination and racism. Boston College is interested in race relations and wants their community to be a part of discussions like this.

5. Do you recognize ideas you’ve run across in other sources?

    To my limited knowledge on the subject, Tim Wise brought up some new original and very persuasive ideas to the table to help illustrate his point. Some of the more generic things he said about Mark Twain and his use of the N-word in his book Huckleberry Finn I had heard before.

6. Does this source support or challenge your own position - or does it do both?

    I am in agreement with Tim Wise and his statements of when it is appropriate to use the word. As a white person, hearing other white people say the N-word sounds very inappropriate and out of place (being that this is not the 1950’s anymore). His examples only furthered my own belief/stance on the subject, and I think this was a very informative and explanatory video.

7. What can you tell about the intended audience and purpose?

    The purpose of the piece is to educate and offer some solution on who/ how the “n-word” should be used. The intended audience is students and faculty members who attend Boston College. He also aims to further educate people like who are fans of his writing, take a particular stance on the subject, or raise awareness of his opinion on how the topic should be dealt with. Also, since Tim Wise’s video is on youtube, it can be intended for the general public and anyone who is interested in being involved in the topic.

The Role of argument- summary

On the contrary to what most people believe, an argument is not just about disputes our disagreements. An argument "refers to any way that people express themselves at all." Taking a position about a topic is also considered making an argument for something. Arguments can vary from one context to another.  For example, the way you make an argument with people from two different countries can change the words you choose to persuade one versus the other. You must use different tactics to appeal to different cultures in order to prove your argument valid. Whether you realize it or not, every argument begins as a response to some other/bigger argument. Arguments are always a continuous dialogue with others. It is important to always pay close attention to the source of an argument. Where the argument is coming from tells us a lot about its stance. The source can also effect how willing we are to accept what it says. At the center of an argument lies "what's at stake." Asking questions like "how can the issue be defined?" "how much does it matter?" and "what actions should be taken as a result?" can help you identify not only what is at stake, but the main point of the argument. When making an argument of your own, a claim needs to be arguable/ worth arguing. It must take a position that others can have different perspectives on. Therefore, a statement or a expression of personal taste simply will not do. Almost anything can be an argument. The clothes you choose to wear argue for your sense of style, and the food you eat can argue for how healthy your diet is.

Think about your writing, page 70

Recently I have written a paper examining lung cancer ads and the visual elements included in them. However, I also take a stance on why these ads are important because they inform readers about how their choices as well as others, can be potential causes of cancer. My motivation for writing this paper is clear because I state in the first sentence that smoking is a dangerous habit, and is the leading cause of lung cancer. I also states that "These ads are very important in contributing to society today because they emphasize how important it is to take care of your body and keep track of your health." Also, in each of my body paragraphs, I discuss how it is important to take the right precautions to avoid lung cancer (such as not smoking or getting an exam done to make sure nothing is wrong) before it is too late.

Yes We Can

This video has many contributing factors that make Obamas speech even more powerful than it already is. First of all,  a mixture of singers and actors are in full screen or next to Obama while he was giving his speech. This extra group of people sang or spoke the presidents speech along with him making his words more impactful and memorable. The fact that these people were celebrities also made an impact because these stars are seen as important influential people and if they are standing by Obama, viewers may want to vote for him more. The video had a black and white filter on the whole time creating that serious and determined tone for the topic of "yes we can." Words such as "hope" and "yes we can" were sometimes written in bold across the screen to help emphasize, and bring the speech back to the roots of its ideas. Over all, the music, text, singers, and voice overs, did an excellent job of conveying the message to viewers that yes, we really can.

Look to see where and how positions are expressed around you-pg. 66

  
It appeals to me and others because it is funny and using comedy is a good way to get your point across when it could be offensive to others. Using Dr. Phil in this meme adds to the comedy appeal because Dr. Phil is usually very serious and doesn't regularly use comedy, he is also very straight forward with people and doesn't hold back when telling them what is wrong with their lives. "Your're fat" is the biggest words on the page catching the readers attention first, this statement is also in all caps and is white with black edging making it really stand out. To revise this meme for a different audience it could be put into video form, it would be different because the visuals would be moving which would catch the viewers attention differently.

Bibliography:
"Funny memes life-of-a-student". Meme. Why are you stupid? 22 June 2015.
"Memes Vault Funny Memes Randomly Picked". Meme. Imgzz.info. 1 November 2015.
 "You're Fat" Meme. Pinterest. 28 May 2014.

This is where i stand

It is just human nature for people to take a stance with their own opinions and share them with others. In the last few days I, as well as the people around me, have taken a position on several different things. Yesterday I explained to my mom why Wednesdays are always a hard day for me. I texted my best friend convincing her to listen to a few songs that I liked and explained to her why they are good. Also, I explained to my mom that I haven't had enough nutritious meals in the last week and we need to have healthier food in the house. These examples are all about me explaining to others that "this is where I stand" so that they can understand where I am coming from. On the contrary, there are many times in a day where someone around me takes a position. In a single day, many stances can be taken. My dad may explain that there are too many clothes piling up and that I need to put some away. Or that we haven't watched a movie together in a long time and we should watch this particular one because we would both like it.