Blog Post 5

Many images show a grand landscape scene that spans across a desert or an ocean or the mountains. Some show details of nature, such as the intricate veins of a flower in the dewy morning. I chose a rather different sort of image. At first glance all a person would see is two pandas sitting on a rock chewing on a bamboo plant. A closer look at the details reveals that this picture is actually filled with illusions...and more pandas.

The artist thought through each intricate detail to include as many hidden pandas as possible. He also created it so that the hierarchy in the image would reveal the two main pandas as the central focus and most important part. A lot of emphasis is placed on them initially to hide the appearance of the other pandas. This was done with contrasting colors against a mostly monochromatic background.

There are also significant patterns. This is what distinguishes, yet hides the hidden panda faces. The repetition of bamboo reads seems unimportant, but reveals two hidden pandas on either side when taking a closer look. The rocks and leaves also have similar patterns, but use dark and light shading to create the face of the pandas. Even the fur of one of the main pandas is shaded to form another's face; however at first glance it looks like the folds a normal animal's fur would make if it were in that position.

I think this picture is a very good example to look at and analyze because it encompasses many of the design elements talked about in our reading, but also challenges the mind to look for all the details that a first glance would miss. These details that have to be searched for in pictures with hidden images help the writer to be more descriptive in their writing and mold the image in the reader's thoughts more completely.

Blog Post 4

"Move Along," a song by the All American Rejects sends a powerful message to its listeners. It talks of "losing yourself completely" but still getting up everday and moving along. When paired with the this video, the combination of genres makes it unforgettable. It does this in many ways.



When the song starts off the music and lyrics are paired with images of an unhappy person at different places. He is at work getting yelled at, a doctor with no purpose, and a man in an unhappy marriage. These images emphasize the real meaning of the lyrics. The monotonous look on the man's face also balances out with the quick-paced song.

There are many symbolic things as the video progresses. To show how unhappy the married man is, the video shows him sitting home alone with a wine glass. The camera angle makes the wine glass seem much bigger than it really is. The effect of the glass being big is symbolic of having to drink a lot, a habit that is picked up often by people who are depressed or whose lives aren't going well. Another part that is symbolic is the random images that appear during the verses. A picture of a phone off the hook, for example, shows that a person might be feeling so overwhelmed or swamped and is just having a really hard time.

This brings the video to the chorus. During the chorus the makers of the video used a really cool technique. The images flash quickly with the speed of the percussion beat in the background of the music. This is not only cool to look at but gives the lyrics "move along" in the chorus meaning when the pictures are "moving along."

Finally the song comes to the bridge, and the point of the song is realized. It shows the upset man falling backwards off the diving board into an empty pool, almost as if he has given up; however, the makers of the video then cut to a scene of him falling into a sea of hands, and save him. He gets up and performs the heck out of the rest of the song, which helped to emphasize its main theme since he got over his sadness.

Blog Post 3

One of the reasons people venture to youtube is to be entertained by a humorous, witty, or unbelieveable video. This video of clips from The Office provides us with such entertainment. But why does is appeal to us so much? Does it have to do with the filming? Is the chemistry between Jim and Dwight so magically appealing that we are drawn to this clip? And are there more factors and details in the video that make up why it is such a success?



The first aspect of this video has to do with the way it was filmed. Since the media is video and the genre is comedy, the makers of this clip can assess what characteristics make it different from others. First of all, they have no music in the background such as in other shows or videos. I believe that this makes the viewer focus on what the actors are saying. It also gives that unsettling atmosphere of a slightly awkward office. Some other unique aspects to the clip are that there are scenes where the actors give a little monologue or "confession" to the camera, making it seem like they are talking to or involving an audience.

The actors themselves play a big role in making this video unique. They have great timing with all of their lines. Jim, in particular can keep up a straight face through an entire prank, adding to the funniness of the fact that Dwight doesn't really know for sure what is going on. The chemistry between the characters is a facet of the clip that really pulls it together. It keeps the attention of the viewers becuase each person is so unique. In contrast, they also embody stereotypical characteristics, such as nerdiness.

One of the things that would make this video not so timeless, though would be the different references made to things going on in the world today. For example, in the clip where Jim impersonates Dwight, Dwight claims that it is "identity theft." Identity theft is a relatively new thing to sweep the nation, and in twenty years or so may no longer be a huge issue. Also, people who were from earlier generations and who are out of touch with society might not get the current humor.

Finally, I think some of the most important details of this clip lie in the editing. It was specifically made just for humor and had a certain theme--Jim vs. Dwight. Each clip was taken from a different episode and compiled just for this viewing pleasure.

Blog Post 2

Animal Cell Diagram

This diagram is one of a microscopic animal cell. It consists of the nucleus in the middles surrounded by organelles such as mitochondria, ribosomes, an endoplasmic reticulum, a cytoplasm, a cell membrane, and many other details within it. The purpose of this model is to simplify the explanation of the structure of an animal cell.

Diagrams, such as this one of the animal cell, are especially effective in a virtual environment. Since no teacher or professor is physically able to describe what each organelle looks like, the diagram helps to form an image to go along with the words written on the web about such parts. This is one of the functions of a diagram: ". . . a drawing or plan that outlines and explains the parts, operation, etc., of something. . ." (dictionary.reference.com). This diagram was originally taken from a website that had an explanation of everything accompanying it. It is taken a bit out of context when not supplied with that information; however, it is still discernable, to most people, to be a diagram of an animal cell. The parts just are not labeled and explained, making it just a pretty picture to look at to the non-science individual. I would say that the meaning of the diagram has not been altered because it is very specific to its topic. This diagram is not going to be confused for anything else, nor is it hard to understand what is going on in the model. However, it is the responsibility of the writer to explain the diagram when it is taken out of context. He or she needs to let the audience know what is taking place or what the model consists of for them to get anything out of looking at the diagram and studying it. There are no labels attached to the model, but the explanation that went with it in its original context helped it make sense to someone who was uniformed. Now, however, each cell part has no explanation. It would be a good idea to draw lines from each organelle and label them and possibly provide an explanation. This aids with writing and has everything to do with it. Diagrams make the actual writing go a lot smoother. The author doesn't have to describe in detail everything that is happening. Rather, he or she can refer to the model and the reader will get a better concept of the idea.

Blog Post 1

"A genuine essay feels less like a monologue than a dialogue between writer and reader. This is a story I need, we conclude after reading the opening paragraph. It will tell me something about the world that I didn't know before, something I sensed but could not articulate." (Atwan 32)

-Kathleen Norris

This quote by Kathleen Norris was one that stayed in my mind awhile as I continued reading through "Essayists on the Essay." The first part of the quote that talks about an essay being a dialogue rather than a monologue was especially striking to me. I hadn't considered the idea of reading a piece of literature that included me throughout the text. I feel that essays should definitely connect to the reader to even have a slight impact on them, and having a two-way essay is a good way to do that. People are generally more interested in a subject if they are involved with the discussion, even if only on a mental level, rather than if they are being talked at as in a giant lecture hall. Using this piece of knowledge would help essayists, I think, gain a larger audience of their work. The dialogue format also contributes to the reader's feelings, as described in the second half of the quote. A person is willing to hear about new and interesting things, and involving them in that discovery makes a wonderful experience as they read through an author's account or thoughts in an essay. Discovering new things about the world, or creative new insights never thought of before are very good subjects to catch a reader's attention, but sometimes the subject matter may be something the reader has pondered before, but never really delved into specifically (". . . something I sensed but could not articulate."). It is the essayists goal, according to this quote, to incorporate this conversational tone to really emphasize the details of the subject to its reader, so they can have words and a meaning to go with the subject they had pondered. Whatever the case, I think this quote is very important when considering what makes a good essay, and can help writers reach out to convey their messages to a public.