Andrew's Blog

2003-12-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

In English 1101 the class was required to keep a weblog; popularly called blogs. These entries were relatively short reflections of what we observed from personal reading or personal experiences. The overall class goal of course was for the project to serve as a way to increase our skills at writing. More personally I thought of these blogs as a way to try and re-familiarize myself with the style of writing I had left since I quit writing for the local newspaper. My personal belief is that this new style and type of publishing has increased my abilities as a writer and broadened my horizons for future posting of my work. The ability not only to practice writing but to learn a relevant medium is what makes me say that I have learned something important in this class.

One entry I made which I though showed an increase in my skills was the blog entry where we had to discuss an evaluation argument. In this blog I discussed an article about increased attendance of African Americans at UGA. What I really liked about this entry was the way I quickly divided the topics and discussed each without bias. The first paragraph discussed the problem, the second the solutions, and the third contained some of the consequences. I have often been told that when I write I have a problem carrying on and I was proud of my ability to not place my own opinions in my post.

Another entry which I enjoyed writing was the blog about the lesson of Walter Benjamin. I enjoyed not only writing about Benjamin but also reading him especially. His works contain a deeper essence like what you would expect to see in Thoreau. Benjamin’s writing about storytelling made me think a lot of my own family. I was able to add a personal note about personal experiences with my family. I felt that adding this detail enriched the purpose of the writing despite my personal dislike for a person writing about their experiences off handedly. The reason it enriched the story is that I feel that I was able to relate it to the writing in the form of an argument without trying to use it directly as a replacement for actual meaning.

A blog that I felt like I was able to accurately depict my actual feelings about something was the blog about our topic for the second paper in class. My paper was about the movie Cool Hand Luke, a 1967 Stuart Rosenberg film staring Paul Newman. In this blog I was able to write with the liberty of opinion and fact. This is something that is almost unattainable in the world of news. In news you have to be the best of the best to write editorials about your opinion, whereas blogs offer the opportunity to instantly publish your personal view be it good or bad. In this blog I directly stated facts about the movie, things about the movie that appealed to me, and a few other off-handed facts.

The final blog which I enjoyed writing was the blog about Camera Lucida . This text was an eye-opener not only for the medium of technology, photography, and their relationship to time, but it also presented a chance to write about a text I didn’t entirely enjoy. Despite my problems with Barthes’s world views I found the book to be on the most part enjoyable. The further class discussions we about the significance of his mothers picture and the ever reminding factor of our own human frailty and mortality drove the final point of humans need to be remember in my mind. My final conclusion about photography from all my blogs is that humans take photographs as a way to preserve self in an everflowing stream of time.

One blog I did not have such an easy time writing was my first blog. As I wrote this blog I still had the new student gitters and was not entirely inclined to write as much about myself or to seem as outspoken as I really am. It seem strange that the blog I feel was my worst was my first, but at the time I really did not feel like writing in front of the calss, much less writing about myself. Since that time I have become accustomed to college life and the other students in my class and I have dropped the earlier fear which was on the whole a rather silly reason to not be writing at my best.

2003-12-08T08:58:00.000-08:00

A presentation that I found to be informative was the group which blogged about food at Georgia Tech. I was suprised by the apparent dislike for the vegetarian cusine found on campus. Not being a vegetarian I am not able to comment on what is or isn't good in this particular area of dining. Having always eaten at the dining hall I can understand this groups wish to eat away from the traditional and not so appetizing food they serve. After this group presented I really felt like I had a much better understanding of the facts about eating out at Georgia Tech.

2003-11-11T02:13:00.000-08:00

Reloaded is a text by Tara McPherson discussing the use of the Internet as a medium for media and more specifically corporate control. She discusses how corporations are considering ways to make the Internet another realm where they can offer a TV substitute with limited interaction. If any such site exists now and is making money it won't last in the long run. In fact most sites on the internet are not going to make it in the long run. This is one of the basics of the medium. The internet is dynamic, it will not change with the times, the times change with it. The amazing power that the internet commands over our lifes now is only a foreshadowing for the future.
She also discusses how the medium presents the viewer with the concept of passing time. There is more to the popularity than what she elaborates on. A user can also create... and even an average person can become an enigma, phenomena, etc. Several very successful websites are made by ordinary people. One such site is a simple video made in flash about the end of the world. The video itself didn't take long to make... but for a short period it was one of the most viewed peices of the internet comedy culture. It has since then slipped into obscurity. This constant flow which she relates to time is more closely related to the constant flow of users new creations and societys preference for what they wish to view.

2003-11-02T04:27:00.000-08:00

In Camera Lucida, the author Roland Barthes discusses photoragphy as a medium. Unlike previous readings this text takes a more concentrated look on the roles of people involved in a picture. He mentions the three ways a person can be connected to a photograph. A person can be the subject of a photograph or a person can observe a photograph. Barthes relates his experiences as both of these postions, however he states that he has no knowledge as the person taking the photograph. I found it interesting to consider a person who does not understand the role of a photographer.

Another interesting topic Bathes mentions is the discovery of a picture of his mother. When he looks at the older pictures of his mother he realizes he did'nt know her. Of course he knew her when he was writing, but he starts to think about who she used to be and how he did'nt know the woman in the photograph. I have never thought of old photographs in this aspect. Whenever I've looked at older pictures of people who I know it's just not a thought that crossed my mind. I think this was a good text to show that there are always new ways to consider what we take for granted.

2003-10-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

The American Memory Project is a website maintained by the library of congress to preserve early films. All of these appear to be from Thomas Edison, I'm not sure if this is because the library of congress is trying to preserve his films in particular or if it is because most of the films that are left are from him. It is true that his production company was the largest movie company of the times which ofcourse means that it would have made most of the early films. Either way, these films are important to us as Americans. They help to relate a different time period to us. By watching these films people are able to better understand the views of the times. One such example are the films which show people from the country being unsofisticated enough to understand the concepts of film. This would have been a semi-popular subject of the time seeing as how it occured after the Hatfield and McCoy fued. This was a time in which people from the rural south in particular were being classified as "hillbillies" or basically a group that was uneducated and of generally lower class="links" align="center">

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2003-10-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

The visual text I plan to discuss in my paper is the movie Cool Hand Luke. The movie is a 1967 Stuart Rosenberg film staring Paul Newman. It is a representation of the lives of prisoners in roadside chain-gangs, which were often used in the south during the early 40’s. The main character Luke (Newman) is a new addition to a chain gang, but he quickly shakes the foundations of the establishment. Luke is the man who will not conform. His rebellious makes him an attractive character who appeals to almost any audience. The movie ends with Luke being killed because of his refusal to corporate with prison officials. One famous line often quoted from this movie is when the prison boss says to Luke “What we got here is… failure to communicate.”

I would like to write my evaluation on how this film is a representation of biblical values. Luke certainly fits the character of a modern day messiah. I think that this is a movie everyone should watch. It has the amazing ability to be a fun movie to watch while simultaneously teach about human values. It shows one of the great struggles of the human spirit. Luke becomes an idol who you viewers wish to emulate. It displays the human part of criminals which can be applied to any person thought of as sterotypically bad.

2003-10-03T00:55:00.000-07:00

Technology has certainly affected the way we remember events. Photography in particular is something which people spend endless amounts of time researching and perfecting. Magazines are devoted entirely to the artistic quality of photographs. Some pictures are so powerful that they inspire people to change. The ability to change people’s perceptions of the world is one of the greatest powers a person can hope to achieve. However, other people abuse photography. They seek to create a false sense of memory about an event by creating poses to be recorded. The time they spend taking these meaningless “family photos” detracts from the experience of the event. (I’m sure everyone has seen a photo album that has the same people in the same pose behind any variety of backgrounds.)

Something as simple as a photo can be infinitely complex or totally meaningless. It’s impossible to judge photography as a medium. Every picture in a roll of film starts of blank. It’s the person behind the camera who creates the persona of the picture. It is this person who makes a picture good or bad. They are the person who can make a picture have value.

In my family there are examples of both good and bad photography. My father is a terrible with a camera. He insists that we assume the same familiar poses, with the same forced smiles. There are no memories recorded on this film. But, who is to say it’s bad, it makes him happy and it obviously works for millions of others. My mother, however, has had her photography published establishing her as good photographer. She told me once that something important for pictures is to take the photo when the other person isn’t aware they are being watched by a camera. The essence of life can be seen in her pictures. But, that’s only my opinion. Since photography is really a form of expression like any other kind of art quality is determined by the audience.

2003-09-26T04:42:00.000-07:00

In an editorial about increasing African American attendance at UGA, Todd Young uses an evaluation argument to defend his views on education. He starts by explaining the current problem. His problem is that African Americans are not equally represented by population at Georgia’s largest university. It is easy to display that this problem is relevant by an examination of the entering freshman class. Only 277 of over 5,000 entering freshman are black.

He then evaluates which of three solutions would be the best solution to the problem. One solution is implementing a system of affirmative action. This would solve the problem by making a percentage of every freshman class African American. However, this would create new problems with cost and quality of the freshmen class. Another solution would be to fund more money into need-based scholarships. This would help the large percentage of African American students who are economically challenged.

His final solution which he states is most important is that the state should improve the quality of K-12 education. He discusses Georgia’s low test scores and classroom performance. He states that an increase in the education of not only African Americans but all students would increase college enrollment. He ends with a comparison of UGA to UNC. Despite a lower percentage of there population is black the percentage of black students who are freshmen is twice UGA’s. His evaluation of these three solutions support his argument that increasing education would increase African American enrollment in Georgia colleges.

2003-09-19T03:29:00.000-07:00

Riverbend is the penname of a woman is post-war Iraq. In her blog she uses personal narrative as an alternative opinion on current Iraq from what is displayed on American television. Narrative allows for a writer to focus on their personal experiences rather than trying to quote outside sources. This works particularly well in the example of war type blog. This is because someone involved in conflict will always have a more relevant view on it. Her personal experiences of fear since the US occupation of Iraq serve to justify her statements that the US is not working for the good of her country.

For her readers to acknowledge her writing as an effective argument they must first identify with her ethos. This requires that a reader believe that the writer is actually a woman living in Iraq. If this were not true the basis behind all her arguments would have no founding. Her choice to be anonymous does not help to convince readers that she is the real deal. Other readers question her well developed English. She offers the explanation that she was schooled abroad and that Iraq is full of people like her.

Assuming that she is an Iraqi citizen then her blog serves as a perfect example of narrative which has the possibility of changing a large number of opinions. She writes in a very controlled non-insulting manner which leaves an American audience questioning what they have been told about her countries current conditions. Her voice helps to fill a wide gap in the lack of knowledge of what decent Iraqi citizens think of forced American rule.

2003-09-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

(This is beside the point, but I believe you could teach a whole class on Benjamin alone. Few writers have sentences that potent. The only writing I can compare is Walden or Nature the famous books from Thoreau and Emerson. Every paragraph is packed with meaning and insight.)

In Storyteller Benjamin describes the writer Leskov, simultaneously he also narrates his feelings about the death of storytelling. I find that Benjamin's definition of storytelling is in decline; storytelling is no longer the relevant medium that it used to be. However, I have to ask, is storytelling essential or even productive? Perhaps it is necessary to observe the death of his story telling from a different, positive view.

I agree that the popularity of novels was the start of the death of storytelling. I disagree that largescale printing caused the novel's popularity. It was not the availability of books, rather the increase in literacy that started the trend of writing and reading stories instead of saying them. Increased education started the decline of storytelling. The use of human memory for keeping relevant stories isn't as noble as it is open to error of memory. Spoken word becomes twisted with time, but written word is concrete.

For the purpose furthering human knowledge storytelling's time has past. Great achievements are no longer aided by "axioms" or "experiences" such as those interpreted by verbal stories. Dissention of unchanging and pre-interpreted information such as that found in newspapers is what is needed for progress. Not that verbal stories don't have a place.

As I first stated, I believe that Benjamin's definition of storytelling is in decline. However, I think verbal stories and great storytellers still exist. But they live in cultural history not current progress. To say that storytelling is declining means Benjamin never spent time with an Irish family. My brothers and cousins were taught to sing "seven drunken nights" when we were young. I think that is a perfect example of storytelling. Something passed down through time with its own cultural value and lessons which aren't damaged with change. Irish family's sing, but every culture has its own way of passing itself on otherwise they no longer have a cultural distinction.

2003-09-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

After reading Rebecca Blood's “weblog handbook”, specifically the section about ethics, I felt both a sense of brotherhood and disagreement. Having once had a job in the journalism industry there are certainly many points I can agree with. However, I find that in general the ideas that she is suggesting will simply not be applicable in the world of blogging. What she is setting out to do is create a code of ethics which bloggers will follow, thus making blogs a more reliable source of information. I believe this is a partially good idea.

The problem I find with what she’s doing is that she is making her code of ethics too much like what already exists in the world of professional journalism. That is not what the future of blogs should be. The beauty of blogs is their ability to display inaccuracy and opinion. In the Art of War Sun Tzu states that misinformation is sometimes necessary for both friends and foes. Tabloids are mostly lies, but their sales keep them in business. I don’t believe that blogs necessarily need to become another source of “reliable” news. I do think they should become a source of information.

Being the author of a blog shouldn’t mean that you have to stick to an agenda. There are more than enough outlets for that in the world already. Blogs should be more of a mental and emotional release. One of the great things about blogs that few people realize is that you don’t have to write to an audience. If other people read, they do so at their own discretion. There is nothing telling you that what you write has to stay on topic or even make sense. I think the ethics of blogs should be that an author stays true to their heart not others interpretations of their writing.

2003-08-29T01:44:00.000-07:00

Tom Daschle's Blog is the writing which I have chosen to discuss.

Tom Daschle is a democratic senator from South Dakota. He has used his blog currently as a memoir of his travels across South Dakota. The issue which would be considered his main argument on this site is the current health care crisis. The cases which Daschle describes are only problems found in his current electorage, however he states that health care is something that needs to be dealt with nationally by congress.

The style used by Daschle in his blog is a very serious yet informal style. His mentioning of fun and interesting things which he experiences help to make the writing informal. The topic that he is addressing however is one that must be discussed in a serious manor if the reader is to understand his position as a politician.

Healthcare is an easy topic to establish pathos with. The reason for that is because most Americans today have dealt with health issues or know of someone who has. Also people believe their healthcare should be affordable and readily accessible. For those who haven't had to deal with the problems of the current healthcare system Daschle wrote a somewhat depressing story in his second blog. He tells how a man had to let his wife die of cancer because they did not have the money to pay for treatment nor did they have health insurance. This certainly would cause most people to agree that healthcare needs to be addressed because of an appeal to their emotions.

His detailed accounts of the European and Canadian healthcare systems help in logos. He describes the simplicity of their systems and the relatively low costs. This makes people see the logic of moving to the kind of healthcare system that he promotes.

Ethos is found different ways in his blog. One is in the fact that he is an elected official. Most people reading his work already trust him based on this accomplishment. He also demonstrates a level of competence in his writing. On several occasions he mentions new things that he learns showing that he already has an understanding of the subject matter. He also relates how he is a source of knowledge on healthcare by describing his postion as a member of a conference committee appointed by congress to solve various medicare issues.

2003-08-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

My name is Andrew Mullinax. I come from a small town called Cartersville which is only 45 min north of the campus. My major is undecided engineering. I am the second oldest of four children. My older brother Jonathan died when I was fourteen. He was born with a terminal illness and had been given a terminal diagnosis at birth. My parents are divorced and my father is remarried.

During high school I became accustomed to being at the top of my classes. I graduated with a 4.0 and I made a 5 on my AP Calculus test. I spent a lot of time this summer thinking about how I might no longer be so close to the top. Really it doesn’t bug me if I’m not the best as long as I know I tried my hardest. I decided to take Calculus 1 over to try and maintain a higher GPA my first semester.

Drawing and reading is how I spend a lot of my spare time. If anyone would like to see my artwork I normally carry it with me. My favorite books are the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. I also enjoy Hemingway, Faulkner, Heinlein, and Jack London. I wouldn’t say that I favor any one genre of books; I will read anything that catches my fancy.

I spent this summer working two jobs. During the day I was a lifeguard, as well as, a swimming lessons instructor and a swim team coach. Then at night I was a cashier at Kroger on the third shift (11pm-7am). While I was at the pool one day I decided to practice my dives. As I went into a back gainer I didn’t quite clear the board and smashed my leg on it. When I got out of the water I looked down and saw my bone sticking out of my leg. That’s about the time I freaked out.

I managed to walk to the phone and call 911 and then with help from some other lifeguards I bandaged my leg. Fortunately my leg was not broken, although I did chip the outer layer off of the bone. I had a six inch laceration and had to get 21 stitches. My leg is better now, and I have an awesome scar to show off. I think it’s always good to include a stupid story of how you hurt yourself in any non resume self-introduction.