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Posted on January 9, 2015, in AP Language. Bookmark the permalink. 33 Comments.
Room 37 Online 
This is where you put your precís and comment.
Rhetorical Precis:
The Beatles in their album, Abbey Road, informs us that the true naming of the album, was simply just the matter of time management. In fact, their original name for Abbey Road was supposed to be Everest, but since they were eager to get the album cover shoot over with so they named it after the street they were on at the time, Abbey Road. Each song on this album had a deeper meaning than the lyrics alone. For instance, John Lennon’s, “Come Together” was written for Timothy Leary who was an LSD experimentalist, and decided to run for Governor of California. The campaign slogan, “Come Together, Join The Party” had to do with the drug, LSD. In the end, Leary wasn’t happy with the song lyrics and decided against it, which triggered John to add the song to the album. This particular Beatles album, Abbey Road, was and still is one of the most popular albums of all time, still regarding the true meanings of each song.
Personal Commentary:
I personally enjoy this album and everything about it because each song has outstanding music and incredible lyrics(regarding and disregarding the deeper meanings).
Rhetorical Precis: Spencer Whitney, a sports writer, in his article “Leave Marshawn Lynch Alone” gives his opinion to why Marshawn Lynch should be left alone and not be fined for not talking to the media. Whitney supports his claim by giving evidence of Lynch getting his own teammates to talk to the media instead of himself. Also another piece of evidence Whitney gave is of Lynch in a press conference for Super Bowl 49 which is “Hey, I’m just here so I won’t get fined” which also proves that he doesn’t like talking to the media. His purpose in writing this article is that Whitney believes that the NFL should pay less attention to players who really don’t want to talk to the media and to start focusing on bigger issues in the NFL like Domestic Violence, and the good that the players do like Lynch giving back to his community in Oakland instead of the bad or less important things that players do. The intended audience is preferably the heads of the NFL but the people to also to inform us on what should change. Personal Thoughts: I believe that Spencer Whitney is making a good point in this article to really inform us on this on going issue that NFL has in just blowing things way out of proportion, and I believe that this article right here is a good start.
Sol Rapson
Persistence of Memory
Rhetorical Precís
Salvador Dali, an eccentric artist, in his painting which consists of oil on canvas, Persistence of Memory, implies surrealism to “systematize confusion and thus to help discredit completely the world of reality”, time is the theme here. Dali shows that time is the theme with the melting watches to the decay implied by the swarming ants, he uses his “usual paralyzing tricks of eye-fooling to paint his work” with “the most imperialist fury of precision”. His purpose is to share his dreams with us, and combine his dreams with reality, he puts the golden cliffs near his house(in real life) in the background. Dali intended the audience to take away this meaning that time stops when in a dream state, however he intended to provoke thought in his audience, and the audience is anyone who can dream.
Commentary:
The Persistence of Memory is an oil on canvas painting created in 1931 by Salvador Dalí that now proudly hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The painting has a setting of a barren desert landscape. There is a small canyon in the top right corner, and a vivid lake next to it. The golden cliffs in the top right corner are are those on the coast of Catalonia, Dalís home. The painting conveys the meaning that time stops when in a dream state. You can tell the painting portrays a dream state because of the surreal shapes and vibrant colors.
Movie#1: Forrest Gump
Robert Zemeckis, in his critically acclaimed movie Forrest Gump, implies that “life is like a box of chocolates”.Besides having his main characters speak this line throughout the film, Zemeckis gives various examples explaining this theme. The movies tell a story about the life of Forrest and he never knew what was going to happen to him next but he learned and lived through every twist and turn. The purpose behind Forrest Gump was to show and explain how life is. It shows the highs and lows of real life situations. Forrest Gump is intended for all to see, enjoy, and learn about life, love, and loss.
My commentary: I enjoyed watching this movie. I can clearly see why so many people loved this movie. It blows my mind that Tom Hanks was just another Skyline Titian and went on to be one of the greatest actors. It kind of an inspiration.
Rhetorical Précis:
Simon & Garfunkel, a folk rock duo, in their final album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970) uses a song of the same name to express the way the there will be someone there through tough times to help “you”. Simon & Garfunkel do this by using the “bridge over troubled water metaphor” stating that they will become the “bridge” that could help you out if you find yourself in “troubled water” or a sticky or tough situation. The purpose of the song is to show people that they should look to close and trustworthy friends who are willing to lend a hand when they need assistance. The folk rock duo uses the song to speak to those who have been having problems by telling them that they’ll be “on [their] side when times get rough”.
Commentary:
My father has always been a fan of Simon & Garfunkel, his favorite album being Bridge over Troubled Water. I’ve heard “Cecilia” so many times, I’m surprised I’m not named after the song. I have listened to a lot of Simon & Garfunkel and compared to their other albums, Bridge over Troubled Water is the one that I know the least amount of songs from. I enjoyed the album very much, which doesn’t surprise me as much of their music has the classic, calming guitar strumming associated with folk rock. I’ve always really liked “The Only Living Boy in New York” and “Cecilia”, but their other albums such as Sounds of Silence and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme have always been my go-to Simon & Garfunkel albums. Still, the guitar is aurally pleasing and the lyrics are just as thought provoking.
New York Times journalist, Paul Krugman, in his opinion article “Twin Peaks Planet” suggests that the world is in danger of another financial crisis due to the ever-growing wealthy elite class and the rising middle classes of advancing countries. Krugman uses a metaphor comparing “twin peaks” to those emerging classes and between those twin peaks, he points out, there lies a “valley of despond” in which people people in the 20% percentile of world income distribution are found. He puts a lot of emphasis on the bad economic standings of the advanced-country working class and the little help they receive from their leaders in order to convince people that the current global setup does not accommodate all of the world’s population. Krugman, by using semi-formal tone, aims to inform everyone in the world no matter their social class.
I find this article to be true and very close to how I see the world today. I’ve learned from history classes how the wealth is very unevenly distributed within the population of a country and the world, and it is to no surprise that it still holds true in contemporary society. I think Krugman does a great job giving the visual of a “twins peak” and zooming in on the valley between the world’s two fastest growing classes. I believe, like Krugman suggests, that there are problems laying ahead of all of us as long as the world continues to function this way.
Rhetorical Precís: Francis Ford Coppola, award winning director of the crime drama “The Godfather” implies that the loyalties of family can change the views of a man. Coppola supports this claim by showing a war veteran, Michael come home to his family of gang members; after coming back home he begins to change and become like his father. Coppola’s purpose is to show who you become can change by the actions you decide to choose and the people who you keep in your life. The director of this movie creates a formal relationship with and older audience.
Personal Commentary: Even though I’ve heard that this movie was an all time great, I never got around to it but I’m glad I did. The movie was slow at some parts but they built intensity. I was intrigued throughout the movie, and I liked how Coppola developed each character. I personally liked how Michael said he would never become his father but became the next Don.
Opinion
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/01/10/when-satire-cuts-both-ways/freedom-of-speech-not-freedom-from-consequences
Rhetorical Precis:
In his article “ Freedom of Speech, Not Freedom From Consequences”, Yousef Munayyer, a Palestinian-American writer and analyst, argues that writers, artists, and publishers have the right to freedom of speech, but should also expect that provocative expressions will result in unforeseen consequences. Munayyer supports his argument by providing examples of how satirical artists like those from Charlie Hebdo have suffered consequences from publishing provocative expressions and by including personal experiences of receiving hate mail for defending the rights of Palestinians. His purpose is to make his readers aware of the potential risks and consequences of freely expressing themselves in any way they choose even if it is provocative and offensive in order to explain the causes of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris. Munayyer is writing to his readers that believe writers and artists should have the right to freedom of expression and speech without suffering any consequences regardless of the content.
Personal Commentary:
While I do agree that writers and artists who publish provocative expressions should expect negative consequences, I believe that those consequences should not be violent or involve murdering. People should respond to things they don’t agree with by publishing their own opinion or counter argument. They should not send death threats or murder those who publish offensive statements, but rather look for more peaceful alternatives. The terrorist attacks in Paris threatened freedom of speech and expression and should not be tolerated. People should continue to publish images, statements and articles on controversial topics and should be able to express their own beliefs through peaceful and nonviolent ways.
Rhetorical précis:
Aaron Chatyerji argues in his article “Don’t look to States for New Ideas” that states are like the testing grounds for these policies that can be replicated by other states or even to become a policy at a federal level. The way Aaron Chatyerji comes to this conclusion is by giving examples that the states have been taking policies from other states, modifying it slightly or not at all, and using them. His purpose of this article it to show how uncreative the states politicians are believing that the policies are a “one size fit all” but in reality it depends on each locations and what the state features, in order to changes politicians thinking process. Aaron uses examples of what they are doing wrong to get the politicians to alter their ability to take laws from other states instead to use their creative minds to make fitting policies that best fit their state.
Personal Commentary:
I found it real interesting how states are using each other’s policies but in ways that it would not fit into their society. It opens my eyes to how the politicians think and how lazy they are when it comes to thinking of new and creative policies that would be appropriate for their region. On the news I always hear about the states is in the process of passing these policies and I always thought that they worked really hard to develop it, but after reading this article I now see that many of the laws we “taken” from other states. Also looking at laws passed here and used at other states that just don’t work. It is ridiculous how politicians just take on these policies without noticing how their states differs for the other state.
Rhetorical Precis:
In his article “Race, the Police and the Propaganda”, Nicholas Kristof asserts that the cause of deaths of African-Americans are a result of racial bias embedded within the police force. Kristof creates his argument by comparing the statistics of deaths of black males and black police officers proving that racism exists within the system and by describing the death of a black 12-year-old boy based on a 911 call about someone carrying a “probably fake” gun. He uses evidence such as statistics of whites and blacks caused by the police force and abuse black police officers face in order to prove that racism is deeply rooted in society. By varying the perspective of the article, Kristof is able to connect with people on either side of the conflict to consider everything regarding the problem.
Personal Commentary:
I found this article interesting because it considers both sides of the story and brings in evidence to make readers really think about the problem before believing one side. He talked about the issues of racism while remaining neutral and really made me think about deeply rooted the issue of racism really is. It made me look through both sides of the conflict and take into consideration how innocent police feel about being generalized for being racist and how innocent black people feel about being accused of being violent based on the actions of a few.
Precis: In his article “France, the Crucible Europe”, Ross Douthat claims that the political and cultural tragedy that occurred in France will continue to not only affect France but also other western European countries. He supports this claim by showing what effects this has on France then providing examples of how it affects other European nations. The author’s purpose is to show how much of an impact this attacked had France and the affect it had in disrupting Europe’s plan of consolidating politically with north and south Europe. The audience for this article would be for politicians and people of France and other nations.
Commentary: I enjoyed reading this article because it opened my eyes on how much of an impact this attack had. Before reading it, I just assumed it was a regular attack on a nation but after reading it, it opened my insight to seeing it as more than that because of the dynamic that it left behind on not only the people of France but also other nations.
Rhetorical Precis: Bob Dylan, an American singer-songwriter, in his album “Time Out of Mind”(1997), asserts that his career was on the rocks and he needed to write more original material for his comeback. Before the release of “Time Out of Mind”, Bob Dylan had not put out any original work for seven years. The songs in the album are dark and powerful, the eerie beats matching with menacing lyrics, in order to give the audience a glimpse of his heartbreak. “Time Out of Mind” is directed to a lost lover, a young Bob Dylan at the early stages of his career, letting his audience know that he longs for them back and it’s not dark yet but it’s getting there.
Personal Commentary: This album was very heartbreaking to listen to. The only song I’ve listen to beforehand was “Make You Feel My Love”. In a way, it was like Bob Dylan pouring out all his hidden feelings and hinting that he is effortless. The song, “Not Dark Yet” stood out because his words were so raw and dark, making me sympathize with him.
Zachary Katzman:
Rhetorical Précis: In his article “France’s 9/11,” Dominique Moisi, senior adviser at the French Institute for International Affairs (IFRI), argues that France must recover from the recent attack on France’s satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo by “uphold[ing] the values that have made it a target” while maintaining responsibility. Moisi compares the massacre to al Qaeda’s 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, describes the similar unification of France’s population following the incident, and concludes that France should proceed “firmly and clearly” but must avoid extending the issue, as President George W. Bush did by beginning a war in Iraq. Moisi’s purpose is to connect the 9/11 attack to France’s massacre in order to suggest a more effective method of recovery. His intended audience is not only the French population, which must recover, but also the rest of the world, so as to help us learn from our mistakes.
Personal Commentary: Moisi’s article addresses this issue using an interesting approach. Comparing the incident to 9/11 drew me (and probably other Americans) in. It’s an effective way to get France to think about how to respond and a good way to get Americans (and others) to think about how they have reacted to similar issues. We get a chance to reflect on how we might have acted better.
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/France-s-9-11-6005239.php
Rhetorical Precis
Charles M. Blow, visual op-ed columnist for The New York Times, “Tamir Rice
and the Value of Life” argues on the unconscionable level of human depravity on
the part of the officer who shot, Tamir rice, also connecting it to similar happenings.
Charles Blow explains that there was a call to the to 911, on november 22, about a “guy” in a park pointing a gun “ that was probably fake”.Tamir was shot by one of the officers Timothy
Loehman, within “ 1.5 to two seconds” of arriving at the park, stated Blow. Tamir’s sister who happened to be nearby, rushed to her brothers aid, but was stopped by one of the officers, tackling her, and putting her in the back seat of the police car. Leaving the 12 year old Tamir
laying on the ground, with a bullet wound in his abdomen, as the police officers seemingly did nothing to try to help him , even though he was still alive. This lack of aid toward towards Tamir, was not only in his case, but in many others, After officers chocked Eric Garner, no one tried to administer, CPR, the same for When Daron Wilson shot Michael Brown, he did not attempt to see if he was ok, in any way, the list goes on. Charles Blow’s intended audience was conceivingly the social media, as his last words were “ The world must be made to acknowledge that Tamir Rice’s life mattered” who else better than the media to do so.
Personal Commentary
I never really knew the whole story when it came to Police killings, such as this one.
After reading this article and watching the video it gave me a new view of things, and
made me want to look into similar cases such as this one.
Rhetorical Precis:
Roy Lichtenstein, an American painter, in his painting “Drowning Girl” implies that some women have too much pride to be dependent on a man. Lichtenstein shows this by having the women in the painting crying and being wrapped up by waves while saying “I don’t care! I’d rather sink — than call Brad for help!” His purpose is not only to show the independence of a woman and not wanting a man to take that away from her, but how she might risk certain things while trying to maintain her pride. With this piece, Lichtenstein’s intended audience are the women that can relate in hopes they might realize there is a difference between someone who is trying to take away your self-reliance and someone who is just trying to help.
Personal Commentary:
Lichtenstein’s painting caught my attention because I can see how it relates a lot to women of different ages today. Men can be seen as always having to come to our rescue and I think us as women are trying to change that. We want to let people know that we can be our own hero, but I think we forget that sometimes we do need help. Women need to remember that needing help sometimes does not make us look weak or incapable.
http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3ADE%3AI%3A5|G%3AHI%3AE%3A1&page_number=1111&template_id=1&sort_order=2
Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT, a rock duo, in their rock album, Oracular Spectacular, claims that people should living life on one’s own terms and breaking free. Goldwasser and VanWyngarden support their claim by writing lyrics such as “This is our decision, to live fast and die young. We’ve got the vision, now let’s have some fun. Yeah, it’s overwhelming, but what else can we do? Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute?” from “Time To Pretend” and “This is a call of arms to live and love and sleep together/ We could flood the streets with love or light or heat whatever… The youth is starting to change/ Are you starting to change? Are you? Together” from “The Youth”. Their purpose for writing these songs and putting out this album is to inspire people to start living their life, not following the demands of others and doing what makes them happy. MGMT writes for everyone as their lyrics are relatable to everyone who has ever thought about rebelling or breaking free.
I absolutely love this album! I have always been a fan of MGMT but I have never in my six years of following them, sat down and really listened to their music and thought about the lyrics and what they meant. I always just liked the way their songs sounded like, but now that I have gotten the chance to really understand the meaning to each song and the purpose of the album, I have gained a new respect for the group. After listening to this entire album and analyzing the lyrics, I now feel the need to do the same to the rest of my iTunes library to uncover the true meaning behind my favorite songs.
Rhetorical Precis
In the article “The world the Superpowers made” Jeremi Suri describes on how the cold war started and how countries were influenced by the United States and the Soviet Union. Jeremi introduces the cold war by informing us on how both sides had different ideas on which system of government should the countries of Europe and Asia should develop. His purpose of this article was to inform us on the significance of this war and how something half around the world is still significant to us. This article is primarly for young people who dont know much about the cold war.
Personal Commentary
I have always been interested in on important events in history and how the world we got into came to be. I also like to see how the U.S influences other places around the world.
Article-http://www.history.ac.uk/ihr/Focus/cold/articles/suri.html
-Ulysses gonzalez pd.4
In American photographer Robert Franks’ photograph “Funeral”, the devastation and grief of those who have had a loved one that passed away is illustrated. Frank depicts sorrow from this photograph by capturing a moment in which all shown persons are looking down at the ground and appear in deep thought by the way they rest their heads, hands, and eyes. By this picture, it is apparent that Frank intended to draw out the despair in those photographed to allow viewers to relate, as death is a tragedy that could occur in anyone’s daily life and possibly enable sympathetic feelings. Robert Frank has no precise audience, rather, he targets anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one in which the audience is a notably large variety and size.
When I was looking for a piece of visual art I instantly thought of photographer Robert Frank. I discovered him about two years ago and his name and several photographs have clearly stuck in my mind, as I greatly admire his work. I had an idea of what picture I was going to use; I looked up his name already predicting I would choose to write about another one of his pictures “Elevator”. I clicked on a link to a review of his book “The Americans” and the first picture that I was shown was “Funeral”. I had never seen this picture before but immediately I was mesmerized by it. I couldn’t make myself scroll past it.
Rhetorical précis:
Salvador Dalí, a Spanish Catalan artist, in his oil on canvas painting titled The Persistence of Memory, suggests that memories represent what happens in a person’s perspective and is therefore unique to each person. Dalí expresses this by using paralyzing tricks and painting clocks, an object commonly associated with time, in a limp state, a decaying pocket watch, and a thin fleshy beast draped on the floor. His purpose was to use his abstract art to convey that memory is what each individual makes it out to be in their own perspective even if it coincides with solid objects being flaccid or time bending to fit their timeline. With this painting, Dalí seeked to confuse and open his audience’s minds by making them see reality and memories in a new light.
Commentary:
When I was looking through the choices of art we could use The Persistence of Memory looked the most interesting to me because 1. it was aesthetically pleasing and 2. I could not quite understand what everything was and 3. I wanted to try to decipher what everything meant. Looking at the piece of art and then reading blurbs about it was confusing. The blurbs often contradicted what I thought and made me change my viewing of it a few times, but sometimes it made things a bit more clarifying because it identified objects in the picture. At first, I thought it meant time and memories (like the clocks) withered and eventual went away, but then I remembered the title. Then, I thought it had to do with perspective and unique individuals, but now I am leaning towards the silliness of reality and how malleable it is. So, like Dalí expected and aimed for, I am baffled.
(P.S. You did not make the book list public yet.)
Vicky Ly
Rhetorical Precise
The movie, Sound of Music, shows that love can conquer the obstacles in the way. Throughout the movie, the main characters continues these banters and flirtatious behavior. Though one is engaged and the other is on the path to becoming a nun, they both realize despite the complication they are in, their true love for each other is what matters the most. This movie also takes place during the Nazi era, therefore, the main character choose the option to take care of his family and treasure the moments he has, risking his life, and running away from joining the navy for the third reich. By showing these factors of love, it proves that no matter in what condition, having someone you love will conquer the fears you have. This movie can connect with mainly two different audiences; those who connect with romance, and those who has experienced tragedy of leaving their homes during the Nazi era.
Personal Commentary:
I’ve never been too keen on movies that are before the 2000s but this movie has changed my view on that. Knowing Julie Andrews as an actor helped me choose this movie to watch and I’m glad I did. I like how they used the story of an Austrian captain and his family to bring out the irony of freedom they were suppose to have during the Nazi era. This movie also sho
Category: Historical Event/Article
Rhetorical Precis:
Katharine Lackey of USA Today, the author of the article, Paris attacks: What we know today ,informs us of the reactions as well as the escalation of not only France but nations worldwide concerning the recent attack against French writers and cartoonists. Lackey implies that although it occurred in one country, the amount of international support demonstrates common interests against terrorism and and support of liberties, which united over 40 countries. She develops her article with a recap of the tragic event and then explains the large demonstration in the capital; she does a good job supporting her claim by quoting testimonies of how world leaders feel about this. The purpose for Lackey to write this article was not only to keep the public informed about the current events following the French terrorist attack but to show the great relationship among countries is part of both politics and morals which was demonstrated through the rally in France exposing Lackey’s belief in freedom of assembly to protect other rights. The audience of the article is for everyone, especially those interested in politics and current events that affect America.
Personal Commentary:
I personally thought the article was eye opening, because I was originally shocked when I heard about the attack against a French media outlet. I immediately thought that freedom of speech and expression were to be left alone and respected. Although the satire was a little imposing, it is simply expressing one’s feeling. This article restored some faith in humanity although it directly relates to a terrorist attack. Seeing world leaders and avid support worldwide was satisfying. People from around the world travelled to France to rally but many also did it locally whether it was New York or even closer to me, San Francisco. Lackey does a great job stressing the bond and support of many for common interests.
Source:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/01/08/french-terror-suspects-manhunt/21429427/
Rhetorical Precis:
The author Sylvester Stallone wrote the script for the movie “Rocky” (1976). The genre of this movie is an action, sports, and drama story that represents that perseverance can over come any obstacle, and even if you get knocked down you just have to get back up. From the start Sylvester Stallone portrays Rocky as a man who still practices boxing even though he’s clearly not interested in it as he should be. Although Rocky who practices here and there to maintain his skills does not want to be a big time boxer, his ex-trainer believed that “he could of made it big.” When the current champion Apollo Creed visits the Philly boxing scene he takes interest in Rocky and decides to give an unknown boxer a chance at the title. After long vigorous training Rocky is ready to fight the champ. By putting this story in the life of an average guy, it appeals to everyone who is facing struggles to understand that anything is possible with the right mindset and determination.
Personal Commentary:
This movie was very low budget apparently. The scenery and cinematography was something to be wanted but in all it was great. The story was a very inspirational story that made me want to watch the next rocky movies. Im actually surprised that I’ve never watched it before.
Category: Opinion
Tim Kreider, an essayist and cartoonist, in his opinion article “When Art Is Dangerous (or Not),” he argues that political cartoons and movies can have a real world impact on a nation’s politics; art used in this case is a real and powerful attack and threat to the violently suppressed.Tim Kreider introduces his idea that art can be used as a potential threat against powerful leaders and he backs them up with opinions, past events, and the news; using the propaganda movie “The Interview,” which pokes fun at North Korea and its leaders ability, he explains that it has the ability to cause international crisis such as the massacre at Charlie Hebdo (satirical magazine) in Paris, where two gunmen killed much of the staff in the office.His purpose is not only to show that art in the form of a movie has the power to exploit the brittleness and fragility of ideologies in the cult of North Korea, but also to praise America for having a flexible system that can accommodate criticism without any chaos occurring.The author is targeting towards politicians, the public, and nation’s government to show the actions of North Korea as childish and to point out their weaknesses.
This made me realize that a movie can be used as a powerful weapon. American cartoonists are not doing anything outlandish to get them shot, but it’s enough to cause international crisis. Satirical works are most effective when it’s most intense. People’s speech are free to speak when they have no effect, but once the speech is perceived as a real threat, the government starts to worry and try to stop it. North Korea restricts its technology and internet access to prevent its people from discovering the corrupt system they are under. This makes me happy that I live in America where freedom of speech is allowed.
Andy Li
Category: Historical Event Article
Rhetorical Précis:
Topic: The Typewriter
The article History of typewriters, typing, and QWERTY keyboards by Mary Bills begins by enlightening what a typewriter is: a small machine with type keys that produced characters one at a time on piece of paper inserted around a roller. It goes on to explain who had invented the machine, Christopher Sholes—an American mechanical engineer who invented the first practical typewriter in 1866. She also includes how the modern QWERTY keyboard was implemented. Because of how types were jamming, James Densmore suggested splitting up keys for letters commonly used together. The purpose to write this article was to reflect on how modern keyboards and printers today were branched off from. The typewriter was an innovative piece of technology which sped up the process of businesses and printing phenomenally. The audience is for everyone as it is simplistic and easy to read, a type of “the more you know” type of information.
Personal Commentary:
The specific bit about how the QWERTY standard keyboard was especially interesting as I hadn’t ever thought about why the keys on the keyboard were laid out in this order and how also I could not think of any other order it could be in. The direct order of the alphabet was the first idea, but then continually looking at the keyboard it became increasingly difficult to imagine how typing would be like in that way. It’s interesting how something arbitrary became a standard mode in today’s society.
The Editorial Board, 19 journalists that composes voices of the board, published an article “Raise the Gas Tax to Fix America’s Roads” claims that gas prices should be raised back to the price it was in June to benefit our safety on the road. The Editorial Board proves that by stating facts and statistics, such as the federal cutting tax of 18.4 per gallon on gas and 24.4 per gallon on diesel, which is leading the highway trust fund to running out by May 2015. Their purpose is to advocate for better roads to create less traffic and fatalities in order to develop a safer drive to our destination. They are aiming for the consumers of gas, drivers and people with economic interests.
The Editorial board changed my point of view on the decline of gas price. It shifted my thought of the change to be good because I’ve learned that the high gas tax will help improve the roads and bridges. They persuaded me to think that the decline of gas price will lose the highway trust fund, which will decrease the chance of developing a safer road to drive on. The increase of gas price will impact on the public; mainly the 99% because they are low income and the rise of the gas price will deduct the amount of money for them to pay for their rent, leading to the outcome of being homeless. It will also impact the economy because people have to pay more, which will benefit the government to use the money to finance the public.
1/11/15
Rhetorical Precis:
In the article “Has Jerry Brown gone too far on green energy?”, Peter Asmus argues that Jerry Brown, Governor of California, will succeed on making the state dependent on green energy instead of fossil fuels. Asmus supports his argument by listing what he believes to be the Governor’s top priorities and strategies for change within the next score, mentioning Europe as a role model for green advocates, and pointing out that Alaska has saved money from also going green. The author spotlights the fact that other places in the world have successfully converted to renewable energy in order to persuade the audience that Jerry Brown’s attempt on making California green is an excellent one with great potential. Asmus develops a trustworthy relationship with his readers, presumably Californians, by discussing Germany and Alaska turning to green energy and their advantages of doing so.
Commentary:
I felt as if the author was promoting the Governor and his new Public Utilities Commission president just as much as Brown’s proposition for the state. This somewhat made me question Asmus’ credibility along with the lack of support as to why he believes the list of targets for change are Brown’s.
Precis:
Vincent van Gogh, an artist from the Netherlands, in his painting “The Starry Night” asserts that nature in its rawest form holds extraordinary beauty. This is shown by the paintings focused centered on the night sky, displaying various colors, textures, and intensity to display the beauty and complexity of nature, specifically the night sky. The artist’s purpose is to show the beauty and contrast between the nature’s night sky and man’s village. The painting establishes an intimate relationship with people viewing his work.
Commentary:
I think that nature and its beauty is perceived by everyone differently. With that being said, I believe that the artist depicted his view of the night star well. When I see the painting I see the night sky as a fascinating and complex scene.
http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=79802
Entry 1: 1/ 10/ 15
The Rhetorical Precis:
A writer of the highest quality is how Melvin Burgess is described by “ The times of london”, is described in his action and adventure book “The Hit” of a new drug that is on the street of Manchester and everyone is buzzing about it, it’s the ultimate high at the ultimate price. In the book we follow the story of Adam, his girlfriend and a few others that go through a series of events that ends up in the death of the bads ones and the story to end in a good way. Who knows that luck was on the side of Adam that helped “battling to bring down the corrupt capitalist regime”. A story for those of ages 14-18, the plot has its twist and turns for the audience anywhere won’t stop the reading.
Personal Commentary:
I honestly had so many common things with the main character adam, i felt like it could be me in his position and i knew who would fit in for the characters that were related to the main one. I loved that this book had soccer, drugs, romance, action, drama, murder, riots, rebellion, and so much others things in just one book. Even my girlfriend said this book was crazy and it was because the things in this book don’t really happen unless you have a new philosophy between the people.
Rhetorical Precìs:
Category: Opinion
Topic: Its How You Finish
In his article, “Its How You Finish”, Timothy Egan connects both the political and athletic realm together to create a humorously responsive reflection on the State of The Union Address which President Obama made proposals for a better Union in America, and the “miraculous” N.F.C Championship Game (in which the Seahawks scored 2 touchdowns in 44 seconds and strategically won the game that made them eligible in the Superbowl) ,and suggests “..[M]iracle finish last Sunday, and the lesson beyond pro football: It’s not about the miracle, it’s about the finish. Obama has been sleepwalking through the middle part of his presidency…..But eventually, if Obama’s finish matches the flourish of the last two months, the United States will resemble the country he envisioned on Tuesday night. Long odds make for better endings.” Egan explains his reasoning by observing both the republican view and Obama’s proposals, some of which, that were not able to be accomplished even before Republican’s gained control over the Senate,however, Obama has still been able to make Obamacare available for the poor and make the economy the strongest its ever been in years. His(Egan’s) purpose was to not only introduce to the
audience a new perspective of the President’s ideals and morals of America as well as the unsuccessful that has happened in the past, but to also bring a entertainment type of strategic gameplan for the future, (like a football team going for the win when many underestimated), to entertain the readers for a clarifying and enthusiastic understanding.
Personal Commentary:
This article was very humorous to me because he made sportsy,political-like metaphors that some how made complete sense when combining them. Egan convinced me to really see that it’s not how you start but its how you finish the game. Yes, Obama is criticized by many radical minded republicans.Yes he did have to fill in some big shoes as well as fix the crumbling economy Bush left behind. But within the years of his presidency, he has proven that his vision for America is genuinely being done. You could see it in the gas prices, gas is currently under $2! Obamacare is currently helping the poor with healthcare. These examples and so many more that Obama has been able to accomplish, even if democrats did have to be faced with some of the surly republicans reprimanding nature in the beginning (and the present), its not how you start its how you finish. Even if you loose or win, its all about the finish. Pretty inspiring!
Excellent analysis and commentary. Very thorough.
I really like this article 🙂
Rhetorical Precis for music, The Fugees- Killing Me Softly
The Fugees, a 90s music group of reggae, hip hop, and soul, made a version of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly,” where they sing how a young man, played a song that slowly kills a woman softly in an emotional manner. As the song says, the young man did this by playing a song that was exactly like the girls life, pouring out her life story in the song, strumming her pain with his fingers which he lets out musically in an instrument, the girl can feel her pain of her life, as he sings and plays the instrument. The Fugees apparent purpose for this song is to show how women feel when they hear a song that relates to the pain of their life, that speaks to them, or even describes their pain, and life moments. In this song the Fugees mainly reaches out to women across the globe who listen to this musical piece, who feel a certain way about certain songs that expresses their life’s pain and moments, this song can assert women what they feel, their emotions, when they listen to a song that describes what they go through in life.
Personal Commentary Paragraph
I’ve listened to this song since I was around 11 years old, forgot exactly where I heard it, but instantly fell in love with it entirely. Well the Fugees version I mean, the combination of soul and hip hop appealed to my ears, the rhythm, the words, and emotion put into the lyrics when they sang it was all powerful and moving to me. Little did I know my father also loves this song, he wishes for me to play this song at his funeral. Music is one of the few ways me and my father connect, so one day he overheard me playing the musical masterpiece, and we have a deeper conversation of what it meant, how music is what makes us human, how me and my father have fond of music that is other than what most people or teens listen to today such as rap, hip hop, etc, after that conversation with him, realizing we are both open minded when it comes to music or all sorts and genres, I feel in love yet even more with the song. It remains one of my favorites today.