ENG001:Section09

2007-12-10T17:44:00.000-06:00

Toby Keith, “should’ve been a cowboy”: This video cuts from Toby singing to an old style western movie. The entire video is shot in cepia style coloring. the style gives the video a true feeling of the west. The video gives a romanticized picture of the west that I have always dreamed of. The silhouette at the end of the video with the cowboy on horseback is mesmerizing. It gives a very stereotypical look to the cowboy image. I think Toby and I share the same dreams of the open range, a time of freedom. This video reminds me of old westerns I use to watch with my grandpa. Toby mentions Gene and Roy referring to Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, two famous cowboys. To many people, these names may mean nothing, but to grandpa and me these names are gods. Watching Roy Rogers sitting around the campfire and playing his guitar was one of the coolest things to me when I was young. Then there was Gene Autry flying in on his horseback doing tricks. Westerns are about chivalry and pride. In the video Toby is in a showdown with another man. His pride will not let him back down from this challenge. In the end of the video he also saves the girl from the outlaws. Who would not really want to be a cowboy on the open range? This is something my grandfather and I both share and I hope to keep it with me my entire life.

Disturbed, “Land of confusion”: This music video has an old cartoon style like Johnny Quest. The video cuts from a military force, to rioting people with a masked leader, to a group of politicians. This is like the famous G.I. Joes. They always have a new problem or a new force to recon with. For me, waking up early on Saturday morning to watch the new episode of G.I. Joe was a big deal. It is not just any cartoon. It is a grenade throwing, rifle shooting, action packed cartoon. This is an all around boys’ show. I was always changing the channel so my mom would not see the guns on the television, because that would give the wrong message to young boys. As children we did not care what we watched. Today’s cartoons are filled with realistic high-resolution graphics and a lot of smoke and mirrors. They are not like the old cartons the actually had a cartoon felling to them. We no longer have the Wonder Twins and Justice League. Now the cartoons actually move their mouths and you can read their lips. In the old days you were lucky if they even moved their mouth. To me cartoons are no longer cartons. They are moving away form the traditional styles I am used to. I want those Saturday mornings with my brother, sitting on the couch sharing mom’s comforter, eating our captain crunch. It is not about the new or old style of cartoons. It is about the memories you can create from them. It is about two brothers connecting because of a poorly drawn solider.

Hellogoodbye, “Here (In Your Arms)”: Most everyone can relate to going to summer camp. The video starts out with Camp Holadios. Then the video focuses on all the aspects of camp life. This is not what caught my attention. The scene that really stood out to me was a short one where there is a boy selling pogs. You may say what the heck are pogs, but they are probably the greatest invention in the world. They are little round cardboard discs. You stack them in a pile and then you hit them with a slammer. The slammers were round but usually metal or hard plastic. In the video there is a scene where one of the counselors slams the pogs and they go everywhere. This is a game that became very popular when I was a younger. The coolest thing about the pogs was the slammer. There were many types of slammers. There was the all-metal ones with etching in them. There were the plastic ones with cool pictures on them. There was also the ultimate one that looked like a cookie. This one was so great because you could stick it in milk and it would not get ruined. This may sound weird but that’s what the guy said who tried to sell it to me. Pogs were a cool fad that died out quickly. It was not about the crappy little disc, it was about being young and caught up in the latest fad. I miss the good old days of bad fads.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers, “Californication”: This video starts off with a loading screen. The rest is shot like a Nintendo sixty-four game. The video cuts back and fourth from the band playing to the video game. This brings me back to the fourth grade when everyday after school I would play my friends on N64. The games were like the video. We had a snow boarding video game called 1080. We would play it for hours. The music video has a lot of different references to old games, like the water scene where he is swimming under water. This made me think of Zelda. The scene where he is running through the woods reminds me of James Bond 007. These games are not the most technologically advanced games in the world, but they were revolutionary for their time. Before this there were really no three-dimensional gaming systems on the market. At the time all the depth of the games mesmerized my friend and me. Looking back on it now and seeing all of the advancements in gamming today it is hard to see why we were so amazed. It is never about how great the games were. It was about having fun with your friends. In the video the band is going through different levels of the game and experiencing things that might not happen in real life but could. For example when a band member is attacked by a bear. This could happen, but probably wont. Video games are an extension of ourselves and it was a place for me and my friends to be someone else.

Rise Against, “Give it all”: The video starts out with this group of people suiting up in all black to go out and vandalize. The video cuts back in forth between the band playing in a subway car, to the people vandalizing. This brings me back to the times when I was in high school and the guys and I would drive around and do stupid things. In the video they climb up a billboard and spray paint on it. There is also a scene where they marker on a random ad on the street. These are all random things that my friends and I would do. Through the entire video they are running from place to place like they are in a panic to be caught. There is always that thrill factor. You are always worried about being caught. That is what makes it so exciting. The thrill that if you got caught you could get into big trouble. Like in the video, we never did get caught, but there was always that potential. I think the subway scene shows how exciting and chaotic it can get. You can really feel the adrenalin pumping. In the end of the video all the people that were wearing black put on suits. They go back to their regular boring jobs and life goes on. The thrill they experienced goes away. For my friends and me we never talked about it outside of the night. It was always understood to be quiet. The thrill may go away, but the memory remains forever.

Eve 6, “Here’s to the Night”: The video starts out with some friends watching a video they recorded of a party. The video cuts back and fourth between the party and people watching the video. I can remember a lot of good times with my high school friends just hanging out sitting around the house laughing for no real reason. In the video there is always someone filming everything going on, that one guy who will always catch you on camera when you are doing something stupid. The best one is of a girl drawing on a guy who has passed out. You always have the great memories that you can recall at the sight of an old friend. For instance the bigger guy in the video that is dancing and pulling off his shirt. This is a memorable time one that will stick with anyone who was at the party. I can recall many of my friends doing stupid things at parties like jumping into pools or off balconies. It is not about the stupid things you do. It is about “the night we felt alive.” It is about having those memories with your friends and being able to share them with one another. Even though we all move on, friends will always have those memories to look back on and remember the times when there were no real worries. It was a time when we were carefree and could just have a good time with a group of friends.

Linkin Park, “Numb”: In everyone’s life there comes a time when you’re a told to conform to the norm. Whether it is your parents, school officials, or employers, everyone at one time or another has been told how to act or dress. The video cuts from the band to a confused girl who sees the world in slow motion. The lyrics coincide with what the girl is thinking and feeling. She feels like she is not her own person. In today’s world there is a lot of pressure from parents and authority figures to follow their example and do what they do. Everyone wants to be his or her own person. They “want to be more like me and less like you.” This is a quote from the song which means I want to have my own expression and be like myself, not like what other people want. The trick is to listen to what people are saying and use only what can apply to your life. You need to be your own individual. I can remember my mom always pushing me to do great in school. I wasn’t the strait A student she wanted, but I worked hard and did the best I could. The thing was that I was satisfied with what I had accomplished and that makes me my own person. The girl in the video found herself through her painting in the end. I found myself through hard work and not grades like my mother wanted.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Snow”: This video is filled with relationships. It is about the friends you meet and rely on. One line says, “When I sit alone come get a little known, But I need more than myself this time.” This means that he realized that he needs other people in his life. He cannot find who he really is by himself. People need to create friendships and know they can rely on them. Sometimes it takes that experience with others to realize your true self. Everyone needs to have someone in his or her life to have fun with, or someone that they can talk with. This is something that I have done since my time here at Wesleyan. I have created those friendships. I think people can hide behind things and not let themselves be open to help. They put up a front of having this perfect picture like “snow”. The line where they say, “Running through the field where all my tracks will be concealed and there's nowhere to go”. This line explains it perfectly. People use this perfect image to hide who they really are. People do not feel like they can be themselves. They feel like the need to up this “perfect wonder”. My time at college has made me learn that I do not need that perfect front and I can be the real person I am. I no longer need “snow”. I can accept myself and who I am through my trusting friendships.

2007-11-15T23:12:00.000-06:00

The music video I selected was Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics. This is the oldest video I can remember watching when I was little. I can recall hearing the song on the radio first. Then one day when I was watching the television this video came on. I remember watching it and thinking Annie Lennox was a man, with her bright orange hair. She also had on a suit. This really bothered me. Little did I know that she was a British music artist. I can remember thinking she looked really mean and if I met her she would beat me up. Yes, I was really scared of her. I think the reason why I watched the video was the beat and the song. The synthesizers they used really drew me into the song. It was like nothing I had heard before. I was use to all the old country hits. I can recall seeing the cows in the video and wondering why they were placed there. Now, looking back on the video I come to realize that I still do not know why the cows are in the video. The only thing I can think of is that is what she was dreaming.

When I was little I did not really watch music videos. I listened to the radio a lot, but I never watched the videos. For some reason when this video came on the television I was hooked. I started to watch a lot more music videos. Music videos began to materialize the lyrics I had listened to on the radio. To me it was interesting to see what they had in the different videos. I always had my own picture in my head before I saw them on the television, so it was fun to compare them to what the artist had done. Each song is everyone’s own interpretation.

2007-11-14T20:10:00.000-06:00

The video I chose was Barbie Girl by Aqua. This music video just makes me want to kill myself. This is one of the most annoying songs I have ever heard. The only thing that is remotely good about this video is how funny it is. Ken is bald and has a tattoo and Barbie has black hair. This upsets me. Barbie is blonde, and Ken has a full head of hair. Not that I really care, but it displeases me that they would change these key factors. You cannot change the Barbie icon. Barbie is the perfect stereotype of perfection. I also don’t like the fact that there is a song about Barbie in the first place. Who really makes a song all about Barbie, and that in and of itself is annoying. Barbie should not get her own song. She already has everything else.

The voice of the musician is high pitched and annoying. It is like one of your little brother’s friends that will never leave you alone. You feel like you cannot escape it. The voice and the look of the fake unblond Barbie do not match each other. This makes the video that much more unbelievable and aggravating.

To me this video is creepy. It is really scary how close the costumes and the scenery match Barbie. This video is set up like a Barbie toy ad. When she kisses the horse that really freaked me out. It was too much like the commercials you watch on cartoon network, where the doll moves by itself. When I watch this video, I get a sense like everything in it is really plastic. In that sense the video does a good job of portraying the plastic Barbie doll, but it is also weird because there are real people in this really fake world. It is totally unbelievable.

2007-11-11T17:11:00.000-06:00

The music video I chose is twisted transistor by Korn. I had another video picked out, but I decided I wanted to go with something funny. If you know Korn you might be asking yourself how could it be funny. Korn is a more heavy alternative rock band. What makes this video funny to me is that Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Lil Jon, and DB are in this video. These guys are famous rappers. To see these rappers pretend to be Korn is hilarious. Throughout the whole video they are making fun of the real band members. Like when David Silvera is supposed to be auditioning for “sexy beast cologne,” the two men who are auditioning him keep yelling at him “perfect just what we were looking for.” Every time I watch this video it cracks me up and I cannot help but laugh.

Another thing I really like about this video is the fact that it is not set up in a traditional way. The video is set up like a documentary. They play the song, but throughout the video the producers cut the words out and put dialogue into the video. It is like you are watching a making of the video. The dialogue scenes are hilarious. They use an intern throughout the video to make it that much more funny. One example is when the intern gets arrested. The manager goes over to the cop car and starts to yell at the cops. He says “that’s my intern. He is earning college credit for this mate.” The reason this is funny because the intern is arrested because he is on a bus full of prostitutes. Why would the manager be yelling at the cops? It is funny because the manager has no ground to try to help the intern. I do not know if anyone else who watches this video will think it is funny, but I believe it to be hilarious. The documentary style and role-playing are what sets this video apart from traditional music videos.

2007-11-11T16:44:00.000-06:00

This is a commercial was made by the Department of Economic Development for the Nebraska state government. It is a sales pitch for how great our state is. The television commercial uses a lot of visual, textual, and audio aspects to make you want to come to Nebraska. Nebraska as a vacationing spot appeals to the family based vacationer who wants to have fun and enjoyment for the entire family.

For the visual side of things, the commercial appeals to one’s pathos. The commercial uses an emotional appeal of happiness to get the viewer’s attention. The commercial keeps showing the people doing different things together. It shows people riding bikes through a thick brush of tress with mountain like hills in the background. It also shows a couple going to a vineyard at sunset, drinking a glass of wine, and sitting next to a field of grapes. These are things that most people would see as fun and relaxing. All of the things in the clip are places and events that anyone could relate to in some way or another.
The commercial shows the average American ideal. One example of this would be going camping and sitting around the fire. People do not want to think about making house payments or taking out the garbage. They want that relaxing feeling that these images portray. The commercial does not show anyone getting upset or not having fun. It only shows the good side of things. It shows these perfect events happening almost like in a dream. This helps to show how Nebraska is a family oriented state.

For the textual side of the commercial there is a lot of in your face and easy to remember things that appears on the screen. The author uses logos to portray this. Throughout the entire spot at the bottom of the screen there is a phone number and a website to visit. This is a good technique because sometimes you miss the website or number when it only appears at the end of the commercial. Keeping it on the screen for the entire time makes it easier for someone to remember. In the commercial, the author also uses big, bold, yellow, words that flash on the screen. This is a good technique to grab the attention of the viewer. This makes them focus more on the visual side. That is what they want to sell to make you want to come to the state. They use different sizes of text to make the viewer more attentive. Like on the bottom of the screen the text is smaller but clearly readable. Then when the words come on the screen they are big and bold. This makes the viewers focus their attention to what new thing has come up on the screen. At the end of the commercial, the words appear on the screen “Nebraska, possibilities…endless.” In some ways this is too cheesy of an ending. The consumer will not agree with this, but this statement is set up to be the commercial’s thesis statement. Through the entire commercial every visual and textual thing represented is an argument for the words “Nebraska, possibilities… endless.” That is why they use the bold words to tell you about a new argument. I think this commercial does a great job of proving their point with the great visual displays. People are more likely to respond to a visual representation of a subject matter, rather than just reading about it.

The main focus of this commercial is set up around its audio and visual. This commercial is set up like a puzzle. Without all the pieces, it will not work. The author uses different pieces of this puzzle like the sound and the visualizations in the commercial to carry his piece. The author uses the cause and effect rhetoric style to implement these two things together.
The author’s use of narration in this television spot makes everything he says not understandable to the viewer. One example of this is when the narrator says, “ you could find reds and whites in our fields of greens.” To the ordinary person this phrase is more like a riddle than a statement for a sales pitch. When the viewer hears this they try to make sense of what the narrator is saying. Because of this, they cannot associate this phrase with having a fun filled trip with the children. They are trying too hard to figure out the phrase.

The author uses visualizations to help carry the television ad along. One example is a couple at a vineyard. The clip starts with a far shot of the couple sitting at a table next to an olive field. Then the camera zooms into the couple’s glasses hitting each other for cheers. After that the glasses move out of the shot all you see is a vine of grapes. When the viewer watches this on the screen they think of a romantic dinner with tcheir significant other or going on a date with someone. When you watch this scene you do not realize why the camera shows just a close up of the grapes standing alone and not go back to the couple, or why the couples glasses get a close up of its own.

When the author brings the pieces of the puzzle together they become clear and precise. When the author says “reds and whites” the camera zooms in on the glasses. When the narrator says “in our fields of greens” the camera is focused on the vine of grapes. You as a viewer realize that the reds and whites in a green field are types of wines that are made from the grapes in the fields. Without this narration and visualizing the commercial does not make sense and the viewer is lost. When these two elements are included in the commercial, it creates synthesis for the people watching the commercial. The author uses these things of puzzlement and then counterbalances them with visual effects that make everything flow.

Another aspect of the commercial is that the author uses narration and speaks directly to the audience throughout the commercial. The narrator says, “ There is more to Nebraska than you have ever imagined.” When most people imagine Nebraska all they think of is as flat land with nothing to do. Most people talk about their drive through Nebraska, but it is never a vacationing spot. I think when the narrator talks directly to the audience it makes the viewer more focused on the commercial. It gives them a sense of involvement. The scenes in this commercial would appeal to a person’s emotions. The author uses pathos. When a consumer is looking for a place to vacation they are looking for a place they can have fun with the entire family. The vacationing spot needs to have something for everyone to do. This commercial shows different aspects of Nebraska that most people do no think of.

This commercial is definitely selling itself to a certain audience. The music during the whole commercial sounds like some old tape I would watch at my grandma’s house. The music is more geared toward the older aged consumer, rather than the younger consumer who would not be able to go on a vacation by themselves. This commercial is trying to sell itself to the middle-aged consumer who probably has a family and goes on big vacations. The commercial appeals to them because they see these families on the screen having fun and they want that same experience for their family. They are trying to show Nebraska in a family oriented way. Almost every one of the scenes shown with the exception of the vineyard there is a family doing stuff together. The vineyard scene would be geared to a parent’s night out.

The author uses ethos in this commercial to create his credibility. This commercial does not really say who is the sponsor besides Nebraska itself. It gives itself credibility by the website and phone number to call. The website is www.visitnebraska.org and the phone number is 877-Nebraska. These in and of themselves gives the author credibility. I believe most of the credibility that this commercial has is implied with all of the different elements and how they come together. One example of this is all of the visual aspects and the text written on the screen. Another form of credibility given by the author is the sound of the narrator. He has a deep laid back voice. It is a voice you can trust. If it was a high pitched squeaky voice I believe this commercial would lose some of its credibility.

I believe this commercial does exactly what was intended to do. It forms its own thesis and gives points to support that. I think it supports it thesis very well giving visual, textual, and audio examples together to form a one-minute commercial. The author takes all the different pieces of his puzzle and creates synthesis with them. This synthesis is what carries the commercial through the entire television spot. This is a great example of how to appeal to a particular audience. This commercial truly supports itself in showing that Nebraska is a family oriented state.

2007-10-20T20:28:00.000-05:00

Fake Ids, when you here this you usually think of your older brother’s friend who makes you one out of the back of his car. Maybe you think of the movie Las Vegas Vacation when Russ gets a fake id from some guy right off the main strip. For the law enforcement in Nebraska, fake identification cards no longer seem to be a problem. We now have new drivers licenses that are harder to duplicate. The problem now is that people are bribing the DMV clerks to issue them a real drivers license instead of buying them from your brother’s friend. Now the problem is real ID’s are being made with the wrong information. To me this is a very big problem because it is not just changing the age on a driver’s license. Illegal immigrants are going to the DMV to get new identities. The clerks are using other people’s information for the illegal immigrants. It is not just immigrants using this, it is also sex offenders not wanting to register. It is a very scary thought to know that if these people are picked up by the police, they will not be recognized as sex offenders. A driver’s license is not just to show you can drive. Stores check them when you write a check or use your credit card. Stores also use them to check a person’s age to see if they can buy alcohol. The police use your driver’s licenses to check you when you are pulled over. I think Nebraska really needs to crack down on the employees of the DMV. We need to have better screening for the people who are hired. We also should look at how much these people get paid. Most of the employees are under paid, so the bribes are every enticing to these clerk’s. I also believe that Nebraska needs to have better regulations on how they handle the department of motor vehicles. This is a problem that needs to be dealt with soon. It is amazing how easily people can be swayed with money.

2007-10-17T22:59:00.000-05:00

After I wrote my last free write on my brother Leo, my other brother, Noah, wanted me to write one on him. It was funny because my brother was playing a game called Halo and he asked me about my writing class. This made me remember of all the times we would play Halo. It is our favorite game and we can play it with each other. Halo is about aliens trying to take over the world. You play as Master Chief who is a Spartan and he has to stop the aliens. It is one of the few things that we both enjoy doing. I remember all the times we would stay up for hours trying to beat the next level. We would get so into it. We would scream at the screen. My mom would think that a real war was going on in our basement. We would call out commands like GERANDE!!, lookout, and regroup.
For us the game was a matter of life or death. When Halo two came out, my brother and I went to the store at midnight to get a copy. We stood in line for about an hour. We had to preorder the game about four months in advance. After we got our copy, the next day we had to call the school and say we were sick. The real reason was because we stayed up so late playing the game that we were too tired to get up. These memories mean a lot to me because this was a way for my brother and I to connect. He is more of the bookworm who does not play any sports and spends all of his time inside. I am more of the outdoors, got to keep moving sort of person who spends all of my time with others. So for me playing video games with my brother was not just beating the next level, but a way for us to be closer to each other.

2007-10-14T12:07:00.000-05:00

I chose to talk about immigration in Nebraska. We are one of the top ranked states for population of immigrants coming in. One of the issues I found was about immigrants learning English. It has become a problem for hospitals and other places to be able to communicate with their patients. The doctors cannot understand what the problems are with their patients. The hospitals have considered hiring translators to combat the problem. The only issue with this is that there are more than 60 languages spoken in Nebraska. The hospitals do not have the funds to get translators for all of these different languages. The Lincoln Literacy Council was set up to help illiterate Americans learn and speak English. Now its main duty is to help teach immigrants English. I believe this is a great thing for the new immigrants to this country. A lot of jobs now require you to learn English if you are an immigrant. I believe what the council is doing is really great. If we want immigrants to be able to assimilate to the United States and our culture we need to have more programs like this for them. Many people like to complain about immigrants not knowing English, but if these people would just stop and take the time to help them, they could see some of the struggles these immigrants are having. Volunteers and donations run the council. They have over 262 volunteers that help to teach immigrants English. The number of immigrants that are learning English and go to the Lincoln Literacy Council exceeds 1000 people. The number of immigrants that want help is even more. I believe this is a major issue in Nebraska and is one that needs to be looked at more closely. I believe that Nebraska should offer more classes like the Council does. The problem is only going to grow worse.

2007-10-10T17:59:00.000-05:00

I was trying to figure out what to write about, and then it hit me right in the face. He is about three feet tall and two years old. You cannot understand what he is saying. He likes playing cops and robbers. It was my little brother of course. He ran up to me when I was typing on my computer. He threw his blanket over my head and started to tackle me. I could not resist playing with him instead of writing for class. After I finally got him off of me, he picked up a toy gun and we started to play. He would pretend to shoot me and I would fall to the ground like he wounded me. Then he would run up to me and fall over me like he got shot too. He thought it was so funny. We did this repeatedly for almost an hour. If I did not want to stop he would have kept going on for hours.
I love playing games like this with my little brother. One time he was under a blanket in the middle of the living room laughing. I walked over to him and peeked under the blanket to see what he was doing. I said “Leo...” He said, “I am hiding.” I said “from who?” He said “ah…from you.” Then he burst out laughing. He told me to hide under the blanket with him. I did and we sat there very quiet for 15 minutes. Finally I said let’s go find someone. He thought that was a good idea. We ran around the house trying to sneak up on people. When we would get close he would explode with laughter every time. I will always have these memories of my brother. He is so innocent and he is easily entertained. I like the fact that he always wants to play with me every day when I get home from work. My little brother means a lot to me. I would do anything for him.

2007-10-06T16:28:00.001-05:00

I began walking on a path through a garden. This was not just any typical flower garden. It is filled with meaning. On the walkway sat engraved bricks with different names. They represent the people that helped create or gave support to the Sunken Gardens. These names were filled with wonder and mystery, just like the flowers that sat in the garden.

The first name you come across on the path is “Bruce H. Fisher Papa Bear 46-04.” In front of his name stood giant elephant leaves. The leaves are big enough that I could wrap one around my head. They have a feel of a plastic, like the fake plants that you can buy from the store. They have every shade of green in them, but there was mostly a dominant light green tint. When you move in closer, the leaves have little bulging veins all over them. They look as if they are made of marble, except they are green. Each of these enormous leaves is attached to a long dark purple stem. The stems are soft and have a rubbery feel to them. When you bend them, they spring back into place. There is only one leaf to a stem. The leaves are clustered in groups of 10 to 30 leaves in a group. They have a strange and unknown smell, but it seems so familiar to me.

After taking a close look at the elephant plants, I moved further along the path and came across the name “Laura Marie Peterson.” In front of her name was a small pink flower. This flower had hot pink petals. When I touched them, they felt like they had little whiskers on them like my cat Smokey. On the inside of the flower is a dark brick red inner circle. On the innermost part of the flower is a little ball of yellow, which looked like a little fuzz ball. The flower could fit in the palm of my hand. There were only a few of these delicate flowers. These flowers shared their glory with a purple plant that sat below them. This purple plant is very small, no higher than my shin. The plant had a shade of royal purple to it. The leaves on it are folded in half and look like little birds soaring through the air. They have a feel of rubber like the gloves doctors wear before performing surgery. They have a smell of sweet plums.

As I moved along the path some more I came across the brick “In loving memory Laurie D. Fritzer.” In front of her name are morbid looking plants. There are no other ones like it in the whole garden. They look like giant weeds. In the mix of all the colors in the garden, these bland white and sickly green plants sit out of place, yet no other plant could have sat in the same location. The white on the leaves makes it look like they have been frosted over. They have the feel of a scruffy beard that needs a good shave. They have the smell old wilted leaves, like the ones you rake up in your yard in the fall. Once you get over the feel and look of these deathly weeds, they begin to grow on you. You can see their role in the garden.

As I walked farther, I came across the name “The Reed Family.” In front of their name stood a motionless pond with only the ripples of swimming fish coming to the surface. Beautiful periwinkle lilacs surround the pond. The lilacs create a fence around the pond to separate it form the garden. In the pond, there were giant stones and large Koi fish. Above the water were lily pads and a single white flower. This white flower looked lonely. It was sticking out of the pond magically. It had a long green stem and the flower had white petals. The flower swayed back and forth as the fish swam near it. This was probably the most interesting flower because it was not in an ordinary flowerbed or any other planter. The flower just sat in the middle of the pond.

As I moved on, I found the last name on the path “Carry and Mary Arth, Laura, Susie, Bill.” The first thing I noticed on this path was a bed of flowers with the colors white, purple, and gold. These flowers all felt damp, like it had just rained. The colors of the petals were at extremes of each of the colors. There was a very bright purple that looked surreal in the sun. Then there was a blinding white that made me feel ashamed when I touched it, like I was going to get it dirty. The gold looked as if it was touched by King Midas himself. This bed looked different in the garden because there were so many colors in one place. In the rest of the garden the colors were broken up, but here they were in one outstanding group. These flowers have an extreme smell just like the colors. My nose started to tingle like I was going to sneeze. I could almost taste the pollen.

As I walked on, I came across a statue that was named “Rebecca at the well.” Next to the name were baby blue flowers with yellow centers. These flowers were tiny. The petals were the size of the fingernail on my thumb. The baby blue flowers had the smell of fresh water, because they grew in the middle of a waterfall. The flowers sat on large boulders alongside the fall. They looked as if they were on a high mountain in the middle of a large open plateau. These flowers made me feel like I was in another place, like in the countryside near a river. I jumped the gate surrounding the waterfall to feel the little flowers. They had a feel of red velvet, like the red shoes my little sister use to wear.

The sunken gardens are a great asset to Lincoln. The gardens may have no practical use, but it is filled with exploration and wonder. You can see teenagers getting their senior pictures done, an old couple taking a stroll looking at the plants, and newly weds giving their vows to each other. These are just some of the few uses of the gardens.

I use the gardens to find peace for myself. The gardens are a great symbol of who we are as a state. The gardens are filled with so many different things, but they all come together to form something beautiful. The gardens show all of the people of Nebraska as individuals. The flowers are a representation of the people they sit next to on the path. Each brick signifies an individual. Each flower has its own characteristics that make it stand out from the rest. Some flowers smell sweet. Some have an old wilted smell. The flowers in the garden make me question what is real beauty. While the morbid looking plants are not my favorite, they are beautiful in their own way.

Everyone one of the persons listed on the bricks has his or her own distinct identity. Some people are short. Some people are tall. People from all races can come and live together just like the flowers in this garden no matter what they look like or how they fit in. We can all find our role in the garden of life.

2007-09-22T14:42:00.000-05:00

This video reminded me a lot of Nebraska. I believe college football is a big part of this state. This state in many cases is defined by its football. This video sparks visualizations about this state. It reminded me of going downtown on Saturdays and seeing almost every person wearing a red shirt. It brought back memories of taking three hours just to get through downtown Lincoln on game day. This reminded me of all the games I have watched with friends and family. I thought of all the Friday nights I went to the store to get supplies for the big game the next day. With all of the spectacular catches and excellent runs, this video has made me want to jump out of my chair and try to recreate these plays in the middle of the library. This video made me scream at my computer. Run! It reminded me of how emotional people get when they watch any kind of sport on television. It made me think of the time I went to my first football game with my dad. He explained all the rules of the game to me as we watched. After the game, he bought me my first jersey. Watching this video made me feel proud to be a Nebraskan. As good as all the memories and thoughts are of Nebraska football, football is sometimes all people can care about in this beautiful state. This video shows great accomplishments, but it also shows how obsessed some people can get. Our state is sometimes only recognized by football. In one of the interviews, someone said that the work ethic of the players was built by the work ethic of the people. I believe that this is a good quote. It made me feel like football may be over done, but it was built to be great by the great people in our state.

2007-09-19T19:54:00.000-05:00

When I was thinking about this assignment, I was not sure what place to select as a place in the public sphere of Lincoln. I was riding home from work and I drove by it. It suddenly came to me at a stoplight. The Sunken Gardens would be a wonderful place to write about. It is a place I often walk around there to clear my head. This is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit. When you first pull up the smell of flowers hits you. It is the smell of a fresh bouquet just purchased from the local market. The smell is strong and usually makes me sneeze, but it never makes me want to leave. When I am walking around the gardens I see different tiers with many flowerbeds on them. I am not sure what kinds of flowers are in the beds, but I can remember how they look. There is one kind that is not even a flower. It is some kind of plant. The plant looks like giant elephant ears. I have to laugh every time I see them. There are also big rose bushes. These are my favorite because they smell so good. It reminds me of the warm feeling I get inside when I smell my mom’s freshly baked cookies. I like the rose bushes because they are not perfect like the ones you see in the store. They are all intertwined and rugged. There is even more then one flower on a single stem. Another feature at the Sunken Gardens are the ponds. They are in the center of the gardens and in the lowest part. When you first see them, the water looks really murky. When you look close, you can see the coy fish swimming in the water. You cannot see the whole fish, only brief glimpses of them shining in the sun. These are just a few of the great things the gardens have to offer. This is my favorite place to visit and it always cheers me up.

2007-09-16T13:59:00.000-05:00

Freshly cut grass, newly painted lines, and a clean plate, these are just a few things Haymarket Park has to offer. It is a place filled with wonder and amazement. I called and asked if I could have a tour. They said that they would be happy to show me around. When I arrived, two grounds keepers were waiting to be my tour guides. I could tell they were excited to see me and get out of their daily routine. They first started by showing me the skybox seats and the press box. The press box was a little disappointing. There was nothing in it except little nameplates to show were certain people sit. The skyboxes were nice. They had air-conditioning for when it was too hot to sit outside. After that my tour guides showed me the looker rooms. To my surprise there were players in it. The Saltdog players came and talked with us for about a half an hour. They talked about the stadium and about the team. The lockers rooms were nice but reeked of body odor. However, it was all worth it to hear from the players. Next the guides took me around the stadium and showed me the burms. This is where you can sit and watch the game on the side of a hill for discount prices. To me these seats had some great views of the field. My guides then showed me all of the concession stands. They were filled with chips, pop, and all sorts of junk food. My trip was a lot of fun. When I was little I saw the stadium being built. I even went to the first game ever played on the field. These are memories I will always have with me. So I jumped at the chance to go tour the place I have been so often, but new little about. This was a fun and exciting experience that I will remember for years to come.

post 3

2007-09-12T22:13:00.000-05:00

The story I picked was from the Lincoln Journal Star. This article disturbed me. The police only know that there was a shooting. This happened on the 1200 block of North Twenty-first Street. The police said there were no witnesses. The officer on the scene said the shooting was intentional, but she had no leads. This really bothers me because I once lived in that area. It is not the greatest neighborhood, but the people in our community should be able to feel safe no matter where they live. We should not have to worry about safety in their homes. We should be able to sit in our homes and have a relaxing evening. It is sad that in our society today people have to buy expensive alarm systems because of events like this one. I wish that it were like the good old days when no one locked his or her door. This was the time when people walked into each other’s houses just to say hi. You do not see these kinds of things in our society anymore. People are too paranoid to even leave their car door unlocked when they are out driving. It is weird to see how our society has changed because of events like the one mentioned in the Journal Star article. Sometimes I wish the media would publish more articles that display our society in a good light. I believe that the media today only emphasizes on the bad things in the world. The media does report some of the better things, but those take a back seat to deaths and crime. I believe that people would be less paranoid and less stressed if the media published some of the better articles too. I think sometimes the people need to know what good things are happening in the community. Not just the bad things.

post 2

2007-09-09T14:53:00.000-05:00

My journey to the National Museum of roller-skating was unusually rough. When I first drove past the museum, I noticed there was a parking lot in the back. I pulled in and parked. I did not think anything of this until I walked in and a saw a sign that said parking permit required. I realized that the lot was for the apartments next to the museum. This made me upset because there was nowhere else to park the car. So I then preceded to park on a side street a couple of blocks away. When I finally got into the building, it was a giant room filled with cubicles. I thought to myself, “Is this the right place? Did Mr. Ware give us a legitimate place to go?” I finally saw signs on the ceiling that read “Museum this way.” After following about five of those signs, I finally made it to the museum. The museum itself was just one room filled with glass cases. Inside these cases were roller skates and costumes from famous roller skaters such as Tara Lipinski. The cases also displayed old photographs of everyday people and their roller skates. It was interesting to see people from the eighteen hundreds in their suits and dresses wearing roller skates. The most interesting thing of the museum was the roller soccer team. This was fascinating because I have never heard of this before. I did not know it was possible to even play soccer while wearing roller skates. These things were interesting in all, but the place was dead quiet. The only noise that could be herd was the copy machines. This made the whole experience unpleasant. As I was leaving the museum I finally saw someone in the building. They just gave me a blank stare and kept walking. This was very weird. I felt like I was not supposed to be there because he did not say a word to me. The whole place was very strange. I do not think I will ever go back even though the museum itself had interesting memorabilia.

Post 1

2007-09-03T16:05:00.000-05:00

In reading an essay, I want to feel that I’m communing with a real person, and a person who cares about what he or she’s writing about. The words sound sentimental and trite, but the qualities are rare.
-Alan Lightman in “The Ideal Essay”

Alan Lightmans “the Ideal Essay” rings very true to me. When I read an essay, I want to feel like I am having a conversation between the writer and myself. I want to feel like this piece of writing was only meant for me. When this happens, this really gives the reader a chance to get a good sense of what the essayist is trying to convey in his or her piece. I like the line where Alan says, “the facts are important but never enough.” The writer cannot just state fact, otherwise the piece is not an essay and has no personal meaning. I think if the writer knows all of the answers, his work looses the sense of one-on-one conversation. There should be at least two sides to an essay. To get a true feeling of the writer you need to see his compassion and love for his subject. If a writer does this, you will be able to connect better with them as an individual. If his or her work only describes the facts you will never fully comprehend the writers love for the subject. When the writer is grasping for the answers in his work you begin to see the writer as a person. You will also be able to relate with them better. Alan said, “When I’m reading a good essay, I feel that I’m going on a journey.” I think this is what most readers want when the read an essay. They want to see where the writer is going and his or her journey to get there. If readers do not feel they are allowed to be a part of the essay and taken on that journey, they will not truly understand the essayist. I think this factor is what sets apart a good essayist from a bad one. Writers should be confident in their work and not afraid to show the reader their weaknesses. This is what makes them so interesting. This is what gives the essay humanistic qualities and allows the reader to relate with a piece.

post 1: Test Post

2007-08-30T09:37:00.000-05:00

First Post.