Blogs for the week of 1/23/12

1. "Race for the Prize" by the Flaming Lips lyrics; What is the theme of the song as you see/hear it. Write a paragraph FOR YOUR BLOG that uses rhetoric and one fact (a lyric from the song) to persuade as to what the theme of the song is. You may also want to talk about the musical elements that add to the theme.
2. "Sixteen Military Wives" by the Decemberists  lyrics; what is the song talking about (subject matter)? What is the theme (about what is the audience supposed to think)?   THIS IS TO BE POSTED ON YOUR BLOG
3. FOR THE BLOG write a contrast paragraph on the effectiveness of the two death penalty essays. Which of the two - Mencken or Kroll - do you find to be more effective in persuading you and why?

Fallacies in Famous Speeches

Look at one logical fallacy in either Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention" or JFK's "Inauguration Speech"; FOR THE BLOG write the following: 1) write a quote from the speech that commits a fallacy. 2) Tell what fallacy it commits and explain why it is guilty of committing that logical flaw. 3) Explain why a speech that blatantly commits so many fallacies can still be so effective and so famous.  

Propaganda Journal

Video Selection: "Destination Earth" ; What is the overt message in this ad? How do we know this? What is the covert message in this ad? How do we know that? How is this propaganda (include and be specific about how it uses the specific types of propaganda we have read about)? Explain. THIS IS TO BE BLOGGED


This track goes out to Ogg and his people martians on Mars:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v--IqqusnNQ&ob=av2e - David Bowie "Life on Mars"

The Clash "Clampdown" listening journal

The Clash "Clampdown" & lyrics: Look at the lyrics to this song. What are they about? How do you know (what is your proof from the song)? What musical elements (volume, tempo, instrumentation) helps to push your lyrical interpretation of the song? Find me something in the song that relates to propaganda, persuasion, deception, rhetoric, or argument and explain it. THIS IS TO BE BLOGGED.

Propaganda, Persuasion, Rhetoric, and Argument

http://www.overalltech.net/pub/Quotations-Propaganda.pdf THIS IS AN ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BLOG: Choose four quotes that you like and understand from this document (identify them by number you don't have to write them all out). Choose one of the four quotes from this document to analyze. Don't just pick the first one. You need to find one that you understand and can analyze in depth, using real world or personal examples as support for your views. Be sure to relate what they are saying to what we are talking about in terms of propaganda, persuasion, rhetoric, and argument.

I was digging on this tasty little nugget all break. It is the theme to a sketch comedy show called Portlandia. It eased my grading woes, putting me in the right state of mind to do some work and may due the same for your back-to-school homework hesitancy.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DkslcOhytU

Final Brave New World Post

For the final Brave New World journal. I would  like you to create three questions: two related solely to BNW that pose open-ended questions about the text as a whole that are not definititvely answered in the text (think theme, why the author did something a specific way, purpose of the ending or the fate of different characters, what he is saying overall about this kind of society, etc.). The final question should be about both 1984 and Brave New World as a whole dealing with similarities/differences in the approaches to the utopian idea, the possibility of these state coming to be, the choice of protagonists, the fears of the authors, etc.

Please don't pose a questions straight from the prompt. For example, "What are the similarities and differences between Orwell's utopian ideal and Huxley's?" Instead, use those as a jumping off point to give me something more specific and creative.

Enjoy some Sigur Ros http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xow2gnVTUjs . I always imagine this music to be playing in Brave New World. It is sung in a made up version of Icelandic that is both beautiful and perplexing at the same time. The video is fantastic, with the music over top of a special needs theatre group performing a play about the elements with the music as the backdrop. If your immaturity will not allow you to watch the video without laughing turn it off (and I feel sorry for you).

Brave New World Blog #2 (Ch. 7-13)

As you read through Brave New World there should be questions that you pose to yourself about how their society works, what possible conflicts may arise, the motivations of a character or characters, the purpose of the novel (what the author wants you to think about), etc. Write out three thought provoking questions that you posed while reading. Then, hypothesize the answer based on what you have read. That means you should have some citations. These answers are not proven yet, but they are not unsubstantiated either, meaning you can't fully prove them, but your answer is based on something specific that you have read. The answer to each question should be at least six sentences...or enough fully discuss, support, and explain your idea.

First Brave New World Reading Entry

Answer the following questions from the first 6 chapters of Brave New World: how have they created equality or conformity? How have they reduced conflict, specifically in regards to religion, relationships, and individual rights? How have they created or forced happiness/conformity? Make a claim about this society as either a utopia or a dystopia based the rest of your blog entry. Please be specific and remember that all answers to these questions should be claims, those claims should be backed by support, and that support should come from textual evidence (quotes).

This is due by midnight on Sunday 11/20. If you are going to KYA be sure to post before you leave.

While writing check out the song "Soma" by the Strokes...an obvious reference to the book if you listen to the lyrics. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsbBH93Grp0

Or check out the Smashing Pumpkins' "Soma" about not feeling, but not necessarily an overt reference to the novel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OFIF6X4S-w

Final 1984 Blog

For your final 1984 blog you need to assess the ending of the book. Has Big Brother won? Why/Why not? Propose a way that the One State can be brought down. What do you think happens to Winston Smith at the end of the novel? Support your answer with analysis of specific quotes from the text.

This final post is due before midnight on Tuesday.

1984 Blog #2

In "Book Two," Winston Smith is torn between his personal guilt over commitment to his job and his traditional trust/belief in the One State, and his overwhelming curiosity which is fueled by other relationships and a yearning for something more/better. In  your opinion, why is Winston having a difficult time buying in to what Big Brother and the State are selling? Explain and support. Are his small acts of defiance (questioning) a form of protest? Why/Why not? Compare/contrast Winston's small rebellion to a more current act of rebellion within the United States (think Tea Party Movement, Occupy Wall Street, Anti-War Protests, etc.) in all facets - what they are fighting for, who they are rebelling against, the way their protests seen by the government, the way their protests are seen by the masses.  Ultimately, the purpose of this blog is to examine how Orwellian we have become.

It was not Galileo, or Thoreau, or Joyce, or even Lady Gaga that made the ultimate statement about non-conformity. Check out Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4SKL7f9n58 . The video is pretty creepy too.