I love your ideal day beginning with breakfast in bed! I think that would actually reduce tardiness. Your CD ideas are wonderful -- I particularly like your titles, which are clever, catchy, and capture the relevance of your songs well.

The Unexpected

My ideal university would involve fewer course requirements per semester so that the work load wouldn't be as demanding and so that each student could really focus on those particular subjects and succeed at them. It would also give students more one on one with their teachers and actually get to know them. I feel like the more time you had with teachers the more comfortable one would be with coming to them for help which could significantly improve their grades. Additionally it would be nice if only classes that dealt with your major were required and if the classes population was decreased. I also would like it if no classes started before 10 and ended past 9. It would allow your brain and body to function properly and actually be mentally prepared for class. 

My ideal day involving a university would be to wake up and have room service that delivered breakfast first of all. Then it would be to walk right outside and have your car parked out there so you don't have to walk or fight to find a parking spot. Next it would be to walk into class and have the teacher greet you by your first name. My ideal day would also involve us as the students getting involved with one another and becoming familiar and comfortable with talking and working together. It would also be to have fun in class learning material that actually contributes to your major. Then after class was over it would be to have a nice break and go get something to eat and socialize for a bit before the next class. 

Jesus Is My Homeboy

I felt like they were mocking. The pictures and they way in which the first t-shirt dressed Jesus as a gangster didn't look to me like just a way to express one's religious beliefs. I felt the second one was mocking as well, and yes, i did see them as a parody. I have a religious background and still as of today religion plays a big role in my life. Therefore having this experience i feel like i see these images differently and offensive. My faith is important to me and its something i cherish so to see things that even lean toward degrading it i get offensive. So i can definitely see why those that are religious would be offended by these t-shirts and images.
T-shirts without the pictures might would lessen the effect but i would still find the slogans offensive. Depending on who was wearing them and their reason for wearing them would also have an effect on how i would view them.
In his article Paul Mitchell mentions the fact that Christians find these slogans and images offensive but farther down in the article he says, "Sadly, I even know Christians who wear them." This statement is a complete contradiction to what he is arguing. If he wanted to fully support his stance then why would he include that statement. It only serves to weaken his argument.
Both of these T-shirts use their overall design in a mocking nature of the actual message. Both shirts read "Jesus is my Homeboy." The first shirt creates Jesus in the light of being an equal to the one wearing the shirt by putting him in regular clothes and by having him holding up a peace sign. Jesus is seen to be something that is revered or at least he should be. Even those who are not religious or believe in Jesus should have enough respect of the religion to not be so condescending. The second shirt, although it does so Jesus is a more religious light by having the halo around his head, is sending a mocking message by having this great religious figurine and then such a laid back slogan as to call him their "homeboy." Even if the wearer of the shirt(s) may not find them offensive I think anyone who understands who Jesus truly is or who those who believe in him believe he is , they would find the wording and the symbolism used in the t-shirt as offensive.

Blog # 8 CD Songs

Song title: "The world is hungry feed it"

Genre: R&B Ballad

Explanation: This song would address the issue that there are many starving people in the world and those that are more fortunate should take the initiative to help fix the problem of world hunger. It is a growing problem and we as a people should reach out and help those that are not as lucky and fortunate. 

Song title: "Heatin up"

Genre: Rap

Explanation: This song would address the issue of Global Warming. It would describe the problems of how green house gases are rising and its causing an unnatural rise in temperature. The genre of rap would be best for making this song because the fast pace of lyrics makes including a lot of detailed information on a not so popular subject. 

Song title: "Don't Hop the Fence"

Genre: Country

Explanation:  This song would address the issue of immigration control, focusing on the border of the United States and the country of Mexico. The song would go into detail about how illegal immigrants hurt the economy and can take benefits and funding away from legal citizens. The flow and seriousness that can be associated with the country genre would help to emphasize the point of the song.

Song title: "Pennies a day keep the education away"

Genre: Rock

Explanation: This song would address the issue of child labor. The title of the song best describes that the children in these south east Asian areas are working for only a few pennies and are unable to get a proper education or live in healthy conditions. The genre of rock would should how serious the subject matter is but still present the issue in an appealing matter, in order to gain awareness.

Song title: "No Job, No Home, No Life"

Genre: Metal

Explanation: This song would address the issue of the current state of the economy and the recent large amounts of jobs lost. The title of the song shows the progression that happens after losing a job and how eventually you feel like you have no life because you have lost so much. The genre of metal is good for this song because the angry lyrics and raw emotions of the song can be expressed through the loud and angry music.

Lyrics for "No Job, No Home, No Life"

I watch all my friends just lose it,

and I'm hoping I wont be the same.

It starts with no job

but then the dominoes start to take affect,

Next your home and family struggles,

there's no escape,

Cause we've got no job, no home, no life,

everything's been taken away.

Video: The video for this song would show the progression of having a healthy secure lifestyle with a job, and then show the start of a domino chain falling. The events that coincide with the dominoes falling would be shown such as the loss of a job, not being able to afford a simple house payment, losing your house, having no food, and living in a shelter with others who have lost everything. The video is very dramatic and captures the anger of the song.

Cd title: One issue, infinite consequence

Album Cover: The cover for this CD would show a pair of hands open to receive. The background color would be a light gray to make the hands stand out more. The pair of hands would represent the readiness to accept help and change based on all the issues in the songs on the CD. The title of the album would be in large bold white lettering on the top of the album.

"Truth About Steroids" Response

     This video was very shocking to me because it seemed to promote the use of steroids. However, the program only interviewed healthy weightlifting men. The argument that was formulated was weak because they failed to take into consideration regular use of steroids by women, young people, and elderly people. Despite the lack of range of people interviewed, I think that anabolic steroids may be used responsibly by individuals not in high school, collegiate, or professional competition if used according to a prescription. A physical examination should be required before a person begins use and there should be a minimum age. 

     I think athletes on all levels and in all sports that use steroids are creating advantages for themselves that can be impossible to compete against and are unnatural. Athletes that use steroids are also setting an example of using an shortcut to success. I don't think steroids should be used by athletes in any level of competition or any sport and they should be tested for regularly to ensure this.

     Steroid usage is a problem in this country not just because of the amount of use but also the use by people of younger ages. There is a pressure in our society for people to perform at a young age, and adolescent use of steroids is a sign of this.

Paraphrasing

Because many use too many direct quotes in their papers students should try and look at the material once and rephrase the ideas as they are taking notes. This will allow the students to avoid overusing direct quotations.

   The first article is arguing that the the image of action figures is sending the wrong message to younger boys. It is influencing them to think that they have to be as bulk and muscular as these dolls are. Even those these dolls are unrealistic they are giving off the wrong impression. These younger boys often feel that they have to or need to look just like these action figures when in fact the dolls measurements are no where near precise. Boys too often develop eating and body disorders due to the image that these dolls are giving. There has been discovered many body disorders that is being contributed to these dolls. Along with time these dolls are becoming more and more unrealistic. There muscles and body image are becoming bigger and bigger. Body disturbances that boys have are being said to be a product of these action dolls. 

   The second article is arguing that action figures are just plastic toys that have no effect on the way that younger boys are perceiving themselves. It argues that boys eventually stop playing with them thus implying that they have no impact on their body images. This article sees no harm in the unrealistic body measures that these dolls take on. Kim Franke-Folstad sees no reason that one should be concerned that these action figures are portraying a bad picture for its participants. He feels that boys are always wanting to become muscular with or without the influence of action figures. He argues that these dolls have absolutely no effect on the eating and body disorders that the first article attributes them to. 

   The tone of the first article is much more professional and creditable. It does a good job at portraying ethos. The author uses many references and statistics. He also gives a whole list of references at the end of the article. He gives you many dates and years to go by so the audience gets a clearer picture. For example he gives you the details about the action figures body styles changing with the year. "It developed a new body style from 1973 to 1976 as the GI Joe Adventurer with kung-fu grip and lifelike body." He also gives you body measurements and how they would be converted to a real man's body which makes it more realistic and relatable for its audience. 

   However the tone of the second article is way more laid back and merely just rambles on. The author gives no statistics or references as to his argument. He gives his audience only his opinion to go on. He doesn't give any support for his opinions or reasons as to why he thinks that action figure dolls are just plastic and do not affect young boy's body images and how they perceive themselves. The author shows no creditability. He uses his opinion way too much and should be backing it up with some kind of facts. "For years, I've been defending Barbie against accusations that she promotes an unrealistic body image for little girls." The author should have used statistics to reinforce his opinions. 

   The assertions made in the first article were more reliable to me. They persuaded me a lot more than the second one did. Because the first article gave facts and references it was easier to relate to and was more realistic than the second article was. When i was a little girl i was really into Barbies. I played with them most of the time and could even go as far as to say a little obsessed. My parents never really told me i couldn't play with a certain toy but they were always stressing the fact that i needed to be a lady so they did influence me to play with Barbies and dolls to maybe keep me away from the more violent toys and action figures. 

Pro-ana websites and blogs should be shut down because of the negative message it sends to all of its viewers. It gives its readers and participants the idea that it is ok for them to feel this way and by writing how they feel and having others agree with them makes their thoughts ok. Instead of encouraging those that are having these feelings to seek help it encourages them to post their feelings and thoughts online so that others can see what they are experiencing. By them seeing that others are feeling the same things makes them feel that they actually fit in. They want people to understand how they feel to a certain degree but they also like having that little "dirty secret" that only they know about. In the reading Clairgirl says, " I kind of want people to understand, but i also like having this little hidden thing that only I know about, like-- this little secret that's all yours." I feel like the pro-ana websites encourages the kind of thinking that its ok to keep this kind of secret but in actuality it is not. Its not healthy in any shape or form. People with this problems seriously need professional help and if they are being told that its ok to feel this way they are putting their lives at stake. Davis from the reading says, "When young women get into the grips of this disease, their thoughts become very distorted, and part of it is they believe they're unique and special. The sites are a way for them to connect with other girls and to basically talk about how special they are. And they become very isolated. Women with eating disorders really thrive in a lot of ways on being very disconnected. At the same time, of course, they have a yearning to be connected." Women that are feeling isolated and disconnected do not need other people that are experiencing the same things to be their guide. Its like the blind leading the blind. These sites provoke them to continue in their ways. Therefore instead of talking to others about how special they think they are they should be seeking out professional help to get their lives and health back in shape. 

I think that pro-ana websites and blogs are a positive thing and should be encouraged. It promotes support and lets girls know they are not alone in the situation. It builds friendships and trust. People with these diseases need a support system and these sites provide that. "The members of a few sites send bracelets, like friendship bracelets, as a symbols of solidarity and support." This sort of act lets these women know that they have support and that they are not the only ones experiencing these feelings and thoughts. It gives them hope that they are not outcasted as they feel they are. It makes them feel better to know that they are part of a group and not isolated. Futurebird says, "What I'd like people to understand is that it is very difficult for people who have an eating disorder to ask for help. What a lot of people are able to do is to say, well , I can't go to a recovery site and ask for help. I can't go to a doctor or a friend and ask for help. I can't tell anyone. But I can go to this site because it's going to make me worse. And instead what I hope they find is people who share their experience and that they're able to just simply talk." These sites provide better support than recovery sites would. Recovery sites sometimes look down on people for saying certain things but when logged in to a pro-ana site you can voice your feelings and not have to worry about being judged about how your feeling. These sites simply validate that these girls are not abnormal and at this time in their life is what they need. They need to know there are others out there that feel the same way and are going through the same things. These sites are a positive thing that can help these girls realize they are not crazy and that they are not alone. 

I think that these pro-ana sites and blogs can be a good thing as well as a bad thing. While it promotes support it also doesn't encourage these girls to seek out professional help. These feelings are dangerous and could possible lead to death. On the other hand these sites lets one see that they are not alone in this world and that they have others out there that know how they feel and can relate to them. "A place where a group of for the most part very unhappy and in some part very angry girls and women come together to support each other in sickness rather than in health." These sites lets one's own uniqueness and individuality come through and encourages them to feel comfortable with themselves. Although these sites can be supportive they cannot give these girls the help they sincerely need to get better. 

Fallacies

Strawperson: "Nurses are kind people. They always want to help people and make them feel better. "

Either/or Reasoning: "Either your occupation should nursing or nothing at all."

I was really surprised at how derogative the ad was. It  brutally criticized the joggers and made them seem useless. It painted a picture of how better and more important runners are in how it stated that the they are always the ones that find the dead bodies and how much they contribute to society. The discrimination of this ad stood out to me the most. It greatly looked down on joggers and aggressively down sized them. The fact that it would criticize one group of people just to promote a product greatly shocked me. 

I personally not being a runner considered this ad to be degrading. I think that the company should have took into consideration how non-runners may be offended by their ad and not buy the product. 

I found the text of the "We are not joggers" campaign to be some what disturbing. I do not see how you could take the evolution of the human body and turn it into we are meant to run. There are a lot of people in this world who use the advantages of being the most evolved species for other uses than simply running. I feel that the creators of this ad took certain subjects from the humans' historical past and greatly twisted it to fit the cause of running. The statement "if you weren't already a runner you would have never have been born" is just simply ridiculous. All of the sayings included in the presentation are very biased. I will give the campaign credit for its layout. It is interesting and eye grabbing. 

The values of being a real runner is significantly promoted in this ad. Real runners do not need music to pass the time. They truly enjoy the whole experience. It promotes determination and competition  in the fact that joggers may feel more determined  and motivated to out do the runners. It also promotes the values of citizenship. Runners may feel a greater sense of unity and  strive more to run down those less popular routes just so they can be on the lookout for anything that seems to be abnormal. 

I do see marketing advantages in dividing the runners from the joggers in the sense that the ad was so harsh towards joggers that it could encourage more of them to take up running, which would  lead to them buying the company's shoes. The company was tactful in the way that they used the the sense of division to promote joggers to move forward to running. 

In the first ad, I feel that the campaign was largely based on ethos. The company was trying to play on runners feeling of pride for being the better version of a "jogger." However, the company was also trying to play off of a joggers' emotion of feeling inadequate. If either of these emotions were promoted by this ad, it would cause both the runner and the jogger to want to purchase the merchandise. I think that the second ad was based more on logos. I think this because it is persuading consumers to be smart about not pushing themselves, which by showing the runner throwing up is logical. I think that this ad would have a larger audience that it would appeal to than the other. 

In considering which ad to appear in a magazine, i would choose the second Reebok ad. It is a simple ad that clearly gets the point across in not so many words. The Pearl Izumi's ad is too long, and I think readers would lose interest or be apt to not read it at all if they just considered the length. The Reebok ad is more effective in that it only has to make one statement. The picture does a great job at getting the point across. It is a great attention grabber. I also feel that this ad is less offensive, which in itself would be more productive for the company. 

America's Army offers America's youth unique opportunity

The rhetoric of the website for America's Army is very inviting and educational. It is obvious that the makers of the website want gamers to feel like they are having a unique experience. I think the object of this website and the game itself is to educate young gamers on the United States Army. On the website under the game features, the game is described by saying, "It provides players with the most authentic military experience available, from exploring the development of soldiers in individual and collective training to their deployment in simulated missions in the War on Terror." If I was a young gamer who enjoyed playing militaristic video games, I would want to play this one. Most people think of military operations as secretive, but this game allows gamers into a world where they can understand the process behind such military operations. One feature of the game is called "Real Heroes." This allows gamers to be introduced to veterans of the Army. It even offers special points for the meeting of these veterans. I feel that this promotes education, something most video games lack. The visuals of the website are what one would expect them to be, patriotic and militaristic. Although there are pictures of men with guns, at least they are soldiers with guns and not gangsters or terrorists as displayed in other video games. There are also visuals of American flags and other patriotic symbols. The intended audience of the website is obviously young gamers interested in playing the game. The website provides information on how to play the game and the unique features that the game provides. I also think that the website is geared to the parents of gamers. I think that these days, with all of the media coverage of video games promoting violence amongst adolescents, parents are more aware of what their children are being influenced by. Also seeing as how it has the connection to the United States Army, the web site has a reputation to maintain. The website would appeal to parents because of its recognition of military veterans. On the website, the production of the game is stressed, especially the influence of real life soldiers. If I was a parent I would be much more supportive of my child playing "America's Army" opposed to one of the main stream video games such as "Grand Theft Auto." In the "about" section on the website it describes the main emphasis of the video game as "through its emphasis on team play, the game demonstrates these values of loyalty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal growth and makes them integral in America's army." Althoughg obviously this rhetoric is biased to a point, if I was a parent who read this I would be impressed. I would tend to agree with Navy Veteran Boyle when he states that the website "indoctrinates the ideology of war." However, I do not see this as a negative thing. I think it is a positive thing that the Army is reaching out to young adolescents to educate them on the ways and the processes that are included in being a soldier. War is a very real thing in our society, and I think that educating youth about it is better than keeping them in the dark. If this video game is a tool for recruitment, then at least the gamers are being educated on what they would be signing up for. I do not think that this game promotes violence. I think it promotes involvement in the Army and defending America, neither of which I find to be negative. Although there is a section of the website that shows and describes different guns used in the game, I feel like if gamers were not playing this game they would be playing other games involving guns that do not carry the positive message that "America's Army" does. I do not think that violent video games are a good or positive hobby for youth. However, the reality is that youth seem to be attracted to those kinds of video games. I think that the Army realizes this and uses it as not only a way to educate youth on the army but also as a way to serve for recruit of potential soldiers. This could be seen in a negative light as exploiting young gamers, but I think that it should be viewed as a positive alternative to violent video games and the United States Army trying to reach out and educate the youth of America on things that are normally left in the dark to them.