Liz Benton

Final Post

2007-05-09T10:56:00.000-06:00

Throughout this course I do not feel as if my writing as a whole has grown or changed much at all, other than the fact that I had to learn to integrate websites and multimedia elements into my writing to post it online. I felt that this was a detraction from actual writing skills and abilities and that this was the only aspect of this course that I really struggled with in terms of writing. It was a big challenge for me to just incorporate a hyperlink or picture for additional support and clarification of an idea as opposed to explaining what was going on. This was a concept that I struggled with throughout the duration of this course because it dose not encourage critical analysis or much in depth thinking. Also, I had to learn to write for a totally different audience- both of the English 1020 classes and anyone else who chose to view my blog online, not just the teacher. Additionally, I felt as if the fact that the course was geared more towards online posting rather than turning in hard copies of papers that this detracted from my grade because my layout was not always perfect. I feel that this also detracted from my writing as a whole because there was too much focus on the media aspects and not enough emphasis on just old fashioned writing.

Here are some examples of my struggling to incorporate hyperlinks into my writing for my blog posts; there is little improvement throughout the semester because the idea of it still seemed obscure to me. This is the most obvious in my essays that I have written for this class. When incorporating hyperlinks I chose simple, non-creative places to put them so it seemed as if they made more sense. My first essay that I wrote, the observational essay, was about horse breeding and the sales pitch that is made, I researched some of the places in Colorado that offered such services. “In Colorado, there are three prominent breeding facilities that offer breeding to exceptional stallions; Plum Creek Hollow in Larkspur, Colorado, Crooked Willow Farms in Larkspur, Colorado, and Middle Fork Ranch in Lyons, Colorado.” (Observational Essay) As you can see, I placed the hyperlinks in obvious places so they made sense. For my second essay, the reflective essay, I wrote about my boyfriend being in the National Guard and how that impacted our relationship. “When Tad and I first began dating I knew that he was in the National Guard and that he would ship out to BCT (Basic Combat Training) after we graduated from high school.” (Reflective Essay) Again, I incorporated the hyperlink in an obvious location.

The only essay that I wrote where I felt I incorporated hyperlinks for further clarification, not just to put them in my essay to fufill the criteria for it, was the last essay we had to write, the rhetorical analysis essay. I analized a political cartoon that compared President Bush to the Grim Reaper. “Recently President George W. Bush called for a troop surge in Iraq, wanting at least 20,000 additional troops to be deployed and those who are already there to spend an additional three months there; with the U.S. death toll as high as it is, Bush’s plan for a surge is being faced with a tremendous amount of scrutiny.” (Rhetorical Analysis Essay) Instead of just placing the hyperlink in an obvious place, I strategically placed it where someone could click on it and read an article about the troop surge and why President Bush is calling for one. Also, further on in my essay once I got more in depth with my analysis of the politcal cartoon, I incorporated another hyperlink that was used purely for additional support and clarification of the point I was trying to convey. “Additionally, a lot of people currently blame and associate President Bush for and with the death toll in Iraq and do not support his plans for a troop surge.” (Rhetorical Analysis Essay) This sentence with the hyperlink ties in the other term that I hyperlinked at the beginning of the essay and provides a link for people to go and learn about the current death toll in Iraq and how it related to President Bush being portrayed as the new Grim Reaper in our society.

Overall, I do not feel that I grew much as a writer throughout this course. However, I did slightly learn how to incorporate hyperlinks and write for an online audience, but how often am I going to need to do that throughout college?

Rhetorical Analysis- President Bush the new Grim Reaper??

2007-05-02T21:33:00.000-06:00

With everything that is currently going on in our society, particularly concerning politics, there are many things that are under extreme scrutiny at this point in time. Currently, the Iraq War is one of the most controversial issues that is under attack from every angle. Recently President George W. Bush called for a troop surge in Iraq, wanting at least 20,000 additional troops to be deployed and those who are already there to spend an additional three months there; with the U.S. death toll as high as it is, Bush’s plan for a surge is being faced with a tremendous amount of scrutiny. This political cartoon created by Gary Markstein utilizes symmetry, juxtaposition, analogy, cultural resonance, pathos, and ethos in an effort to convey a position and feeling about the war in Iraq.

The fact that this political cartoon addresses current and prominent events in our society makes it easier for the reader to understand what the main focus of it is and why this political cartoon in particular is full of cultural resonance. Without the knowledge of the Iraq war, or what the proposed Iraq Surge Plan is, this political cartoon would have little to no meaning to whoever read it. Additionally, the Grim Reaper is a commonly known symbol and representation of death in our society which adds to the political cartoon’s cultural resonance and is a key element to understanding the full meaning of it. Also, the text in this political cartoon, “Sir, there’s someone outside who’s a big supporter of your Iraq Surge Plan” allows the reader to know the time period in which this event is taking place and makes it easier for other connections to be made. Additionally, the text serves to add an explanation of the visuals by adding a little bit more background information to it.

The frame on the left has President Bush himself sitting at his desk in what is more than likely the White House with a man talking to him, who one could go so far as to assume is one of his many advisors, telling him that he has a visitor who is a supporter of Bush’s Iraq surge plan. To the left is the frame with the Grim Reaper sitting on a chair waiting to go in and see President Bush.

The juxtaposition of the two frames in this political cartoon creates an analogous symmetry between them. The symmetry is created through the positioning and size of President Bush sitting as his desk and the Grim Reaper sitting in the hall waiting to talk to him about his proposed Iraq Surge Plan, which in turn provides for the analogy of the two. By doing this, the analogy suggests that President Bush and the Grim Reaper share the same sentiment when it comes to the Iraq Surge Plan, which is also supported by the text in the frame on the left with President Bush. Additionally, a lot of people currently blame and associate President Bush for and with the death toll in Iraq and do not support his plans for a troop surge. However, this is not just a recent issue that has come up. “In the fall of 2004, with no end in sight to the war in Iraq and the number of killed and wounded American soldiers climbing toward 10,000 (1,000 dead and over 8,000 injured), the basic questions of war and peace became major topics of debate in the presidential campaign.” (Magstadt 289) This just supports the analogy between President Bush and the Grim Reaper that is presented in this political cartoon.
Furthermore, the colors utilized throughout the entire political cartoon are not those of a bright palate. They are duller and monotone, which contributes to the more negative feelings associated with this political cartoon. Also, the coloration is fairly symmetrical between the two frames of the political cartoon. The chair that President Bush is sitting in and the Grim Reaper’s robe are the same color and even account for the desk. And the person who, in the left frame, is telling President Bush that there is someone outside to see him is portrayed as a shadow in the right frame next to the Grim Reaper. In addition to those symmetries, the windows on the left and the wall on the right are of similar coloring too. This furthers the analogy between President Bush and the Grim Reaper because it highlights similarities between the two.

In addition to cultural resonance and analogous symmetry, this political cartoon also utilized ethos and pathos. Ethos is used because President Bush and the Grim Reaper are two figures that people can easily recognize which in turn relates the political cartoon to current events. However, it would be challenging to put two-and-two together if you were unaware of current events, or if somehow you were unaware of what our president looked like, or what the Grim Reaper symbolizes. Pathos is used because of the emotional response that is evoked when looking at this political cartoon, a response that is potentially full of anger, sorrow, confusion, blame, or numerous other emotions that accompany both death and the war in Iraq. Also, the war in Iraq has been the cause of thousands upon thousands of deaths of both Americans and Iraqis which is why it would be logical for the Grim Reaper, the symbol of death, to be labeled as “a big supporter of [the] Iraq Surge Plan”. Without the Grim Reaper and the implications that its image contributes to this political cartoon, most of the meaning would be lost.

This political cartoon is a prime example of how our society as a whole feels about President Bush’s decision to send even more troops into Iraq, especially when the death toll is already so high and the support for the war is not as strong as it was at one point in time. The Grim Reaper is used as visual support for the deaths that are constantly occurring as a result of Bush’s decisions and is labeled as “a big supporter” of the war. All in all, this is a very powerful political cartoon that catches the reader’s attention and is fairly simple to understand.

Works Cited

Magstadt, Thomas M.. Understanding Politics- Ideas, Institutions, & Issues. Belmont: Stratford Publishing Services, Inc., 2006.

Post 17- Freewrite #3!

2007-04-22T17:27:00.000-06:00

I spent my day horse shopping, which I know does not sound that exciting to most people, and sometimes it does not even sound exciting to me. Horse shopping is kind of like buying a new car- you go into with an idea of what you want; the size, color, price, brand, etc. and you almost never go with the first car you drive until you have gone and driven other cars to make sure that it is the best car you can get for your money. Well, horse shopping is exactly like that. You go into with how much money you are willing to spend, how much training you want the horse to have, how big you want the horse to be, what color the horse is, what breed it is, etc, etc.

Today was the beginning of a LONG process for me, but the first horse I rode, Blue, is the one I like the most so far, but so far I have only tried out two horses. I get to spend my week riding as many other horses as possible, then I get to go back and see if this horse still stands out to me. I went into this process with a very specific mold in my mind of what I want in my new horse and Blue had every quality but one… He is a grey which means more maintenance because he is a lighter color. But, in all honesty, just like car shopping, color should be the least of your worries if it performs exactly how you want it to.

I guess I will see what this week brings with other horses and hope that I find one that I fall in love with so I can get ready for the show season and go out and show.

Post 16- Freewrite #2!

2007-04-22T17:22:00.000-06:00

I am hoping to transfer to the University of Denver next year and am currently waiting to find out whether or not I have been accepted. I was supposed to find out by Friday, April 20th, but apparently not. According to the registrar at the University of Denver, my transcripts from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center for my fall 2006 grades were never sent. Delightful, is it not? I am not going to lie, I am more than just a little irritated that I get to wait even longer to find out whether or not I have been accepted. It has already been a month, which according to the transfer coordinator at the University of Denver, is almost twice what the normal decision making period is… So, with that logic, I should have found out already.

The reason I want to go to the University of Denver is because I am a Political Science major, focusing on the pre-law aspects of it. I want to continue on to law school after all of my undergraduate work is complete, and the University of Denver has my top pick as far as law schools are concerned in my mind. However, that is not the only thing that attracts me to the University of Denver for my undergraduate work. The University of Denver is located in one of my favorite parts of Denver- you are close enough to downtown that it only takes five to ten minutes to get there, yet far enough away that all of the hustle and bustle of being in the city is gone. The campus is amazing, it is absolutely gorgeous and perfectly situated within the neighborhoods of the area.

So, I guess I will keep my fingers crossed and hope that I find out whether or not I have been accepted quickly so I can plan for next year.

Post 15- Freewrite!

2007-04-15T22:37:00.000-06:00

Recently I was informed that due to the injury my horse Luna suffered in February, 2004 that she will not be able to be used in the manor in which I intended at the time of her purchase… So, now I get to do the whole horse shopping thing all over again, only this time I get to go all out! For those of you who did not already know this about me, I horseback ride VERY competitively. I show in the jumper division through the Colorado Hunter Jumper Association that holds shows almost every weekend throughout the summer.

My goal for this show season is to compete through level 4/5 jumpers which is 3’9”-4’ fences, so to do this, I need to buy a well trained horse. The show season begins in May, so at this point in time I have all of two weeks to find a new horse and start showing, which is not an easy task. My horse Luna that I have right now is a nice imported German Warmblood that was bred to jump, so I am looking for something of the same caliber, only a little bit bigger and a lot more experienced. However, the only drawback is that Colorado is not the best state to buy a horse of this nature. So, for the first two weeks of my summer I am going to be traveling to California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Wyoming to look for horses, sounds crazy, I know.

I am hoping that by the middle of May I will have a horse that I can show at the level I want and do well with because it has been awhile since I have actually shown.

Post 14

2007-04-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

Post 13

2007-04-08T21:51:00.000-06:00

This advertisement, which is meant to be a spoof of a Calvin Klein underwear advertisement with a nice, buff guy with a perfect body, is the reality of life, as the advertisement says. In turn, this advertisement utilizes a few rhetorical strategies. Across the chest of the not so appealing man, the advertisement says “REALITY for men” utilizing narration, analogy, comparison and contrast, and classification. The narration aspect is the words “REALITY for men” across the mans chest because it, instead of selling the product, tells a story of what most men look like in real life. The analogy is the “selling point” that not all men look like they do in all of the Calvin Klein advertisements. There is a comparison between this advertisement, with the not so attractive man who is overweight with a hairy chest, to the usual Calvin Klein models who are attractive- or at least their bodies are and they are in good shape with no hair on their chest, this is also the element of contrasting the two. Additionally, the classification used in this advertisement is the fact that it places men in what is a more normal category for them than the usual Calvin Klein advertisement that does nothing of that sort, it instead holds men to a much higher standard of appearance which just is not the case.
Additionally, this advertisement appeals to emotions, ethos, in the sense that it is comical more than anything. How often do you see a male who is not in tip top shape in an underwear advertisement, whether it is serious or not? However, as I have previously mentioned, it does a good job of placing less emphasis on the fact that most male models are fairly attractive. So, in that sense, this advertisement is a good thing because it brings people back to reality and the fact that not everyone has the perfect body.

Post 12

2007-04-08T19:41:00.000-06:00

What is the product, sex or underwear? In this day and age sex sells and Calvin Klein is notorious for using sex appeal to sell their products and this advertisement is no exception to that fact. The image used in this particular advertisement is that of an attractive woman who is slim and in good shape laying on a couch wearing only a bra, panties, and a pair of jeans that she is in the process of taking off. Who is this advertisement going to appeal to, men or women? Men. This is a result of the sex appeal being utilized by Calvin Klein in their advertisement. Had the advertisement not said “underwear” underneath Calvin Klein, it would have been challenging to determine what the product was. In retrospect, Calvin Klein also has advertisements of attractive men in their underwear or a pair of jeans without a shirt on. These advertisements are used to appeal to women instead.
Since one of the keys to successful advertising is to catch people’s “eyeballs.” Obviously an effective strategy to doing this is through provocative and suggestive imagery- specifically suggestive displays of scantily clad models. In fact Calvin Klein’s initial advertising campaigns utilizing scantily clad youth provoked allegations of child pornography. As a result, Calvin Klein was forced to reconsider their advertising strategies. This demonstrates that simply being risqué is not enough. Advertisers such as Calvin Klein, Victoria’s Secret, and Abercrombie and Fitch are no longer content with the implication of sexuality but are pushing the envelope in an effort to stand out and are creating more and more raw and explicit images. This trend has continued to evolve and given the fact that the models still have some of their clothes on allows advertising sex appeal to escalate to a new level.

Post 11

2007-04-01T22:44:00.000-06:00

The woman in this photograph is placed exactly in the center of the photograph, with a darker background that does not have very good lighting, and all of the lighting focused on her. The contrast of the light against the dark makes the woman stand out more than she would have had the background been just as well lighted as she is. So, as a result, this brings the main focus of this particular photograph to the woman who looks most upset. The dish in which she attempted to bake whatever she was baking and her apron are the only two, well lighted items in this photograph which places a lot more emphasis on them than let’s say the background. Having the dish that the item was being baked it places more emphasis on the darker, burnt top of the baked item because of the drastic contrast in the colors. By doing this, it is conveyed that the dish that the woman was trying to bake obviously did not turn out as she had hoped it would, which in turn places more emphasis on the woman being upset as a result. The message is also that the woman who was trying to bake the item is upset because it did not turn out like she had hoped. The potholders and the woman’s shirt look as if they match, which is a little odd, but provides for more emphasis on the baked item. The fact that the woman and the background are in proportion makes the photograph more visually pleasing, at least to me, because nothing is awkwardly large or out of focus.

Post 10

2007-04-01T22:22:00.000-06:00

The first thing that caught my eye when I looked at this photograph of a women holding something that she had tried to bake that had not turned out how she had hoped or expected, was the look of disappointment on the women’s face. She looks as though she is about to cry. This is not the normal reaction one would hope for after taking the time to bake something (note photograph inserted), but if you look at the baked good, it is obvious that something went wrong in the baking process. The top of the baked good looks as if it is almost black, but certainly burned. The expression on the women’s face is obviously in reaction to this mishap in the baking process. I know that I get upset when the items that I am trying to bake do not turn out as planned, but normally I do not look this upset unless I am baking for a specific reason. So, maybe she was trying to bake a romantic dinner for her and her significant boyfriend, maybe she was trying to prove that she could indeed bake, or maybe she was just baking to bake and it did not go as planned. Any of these are options. Also, the apron that she is wearing looks like one of the aprons that you would see in an older television show, maybe this is to make her look like more of a modern day homemaker or to make a statement about the baking and cooking abilities of some women.

Post 9

2007-04-01T22:05:00.000-06:00

In this photograph taken by Caitlin Atkinson, there are many elements of it that stand out. For instance, the background- the stove, the counter, the utensils, the kitchen- are all blurry and the only things that are in focus in this photograph are the women and her outfit and the baked good that she is holding. By doing this, it places a much larger emphasis on the women, particularly her facial expression at least that is what I noticed the most. There are not too many bright colors in the kitchen, and the background of the photograph is darker than the women and her baked good. By doing this, even more emphasis is placed on the women. The potholders look as if they match the shirt that the women is wearing, whether this was intentional or not, or whether or not they do actually match I do not know. Maybe this is to place more emphasis on the women, as she is the main focal point of this particular photograph, so it would make sense. The look is her face is either one of shock, anger, or disappointment, but it is certainly not the face that is made when something turns out well. It is also unclear as to what she was trying to bake and for whom she was trying to bake. This element ads some uncertainty to the photograph that makes the viewer wonder more about the situation at hand in which this women tried to bake something.

Reflective Essay- Military Madness

2007-03-18T18:33:00.000-06:00

I wear one of his dog tags around my neck everyday as a reminder, not just of him but of how much he cares about me. It is a small piece of what consumes his time and takes him away from me for months on end. But it is my piece, my memento of his affection to keep me company while he is gone. Long distance relationships are hard to maintain and rarely survive as it is. Now imagine if the two of you are headed down opposing paths in life and do not necessarily support the other’s decision. This is what Tad and I go through on a daily basis.

When Tad and I first began dating I knew that he was in the National Guard and that he would ship out to BCT (Basic Combat Training) after we graduated from high school. I never really thought that it would have an effect on our relationship. Maybe this was because, at first, I had little faith that our relationship would last long enough for it to matter. I thought of it as just another one of the many pointless high school relationships that would end in six weeks or less.

There are days that I wish I knew then what I know now about being in a relationship with someone in the military; the amount of time you spend alone, the amount of undying and unwavering support you have to show and cannot expect in return, and how much of an effort it is to hold things together. When Tad and I first began dating I had no clue how much I would be alone. First there is BCT (Basic Combat Training) which is three months and next comes AIT (Advanced Individual Training)- his “crash course in anatomy” as he puts it that lasts five months. After this there is the ever looming chance of being deployed to Iraq for an undetermined period of time. The training alone is a total of eight months, which is more than one half of our entire relationship, even by the time he gets home. When he was home for exodus in between his training sessions, I asked him what he hated the most about the military and he quickly responded with, “The fact that it keeps me away from you so much.” This statement could not be truer. Throughout our relationship I have spent more time alone than with him.

There is a false sense of support that I have to show for him while he is not here that is never easy to do. I have to put on a happy face and be encouraging even when I do not want to. It is not that I do not support him 100% and wish the best for him, it is the fact that I do not support his reasons for joining the National Guard and neither does he on the hard days. He knows that I have a hard time accepting his reasons for enlisting, but still, I have to be the one to tell him that everything will be alright and that it will all work out when he calls and tells me that he is having a bad day and that he wishes he had never enlisted. Half of the time I have no clue what he is talking about because he uses military jargon that I do not understand. As time goes on I am finding that more and more of it makes sense to me, but it is so hard to tell him everything will be alright when I do not know what he is really talking about. On the flipside though, if I am having a bad day I get the occasional “That is unfortunate babe, I hope things get better”, but most of the time it is the cold “Do you have any idea how good you have it compared to what I am going through here?”. There are days when I cannot deal with it and just respond with an equally cold, “You chose this for yourself, no one made you do this,” then I feel horrible for saying it and have to revert to being falsely supportive. I think now I just sound like a broken record when he calls and things are not going well. My automatic response is, “That is too bad babe, things will get better, just hang in there, you are almost finished.”

Before my relationship with Tad, I would have never considered myself the type of person to get involved in a long distance relationship, let alone a long distance relationship with someone in the military. I always thought of long distance relationships as a downhill battle that only prolongs the inevitable demise of the relationship. I thought that one person would always put in more effort than the other and eventually they would just give up. Now I will admit it, there are days when I feel this way about my relationship with Tad, especially when he called one night and we were in a fight and he told me, “I know that you have put at least twenty-times more into our relationship than I have and I just hope that you do not give up on us. It is hard for me to be gone so much and deal with everything that I am dealing with and I do not know what I would do without you.” After he said that I began evaluating our relationship and everything I do for him and everything he does for me. This is when I learned how long distance relationships actually work sometimes. When you care enough about someone, and if your relationship is strong enough to endure all of the trials and tribulations of being separated from one another, then there is little that will damage it.

Being in a relationship with someone in the military is a daily battle to hold it all together. There are things that you have to get used to in order for it to work and so many things that you have to learn to tolerate. However, it is possible for it to all work out which is something that I never thought was possible until Tad.

Post 8- Free Write

2007-03-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

I was not really too sure about what I wanted to do this free write on, so I just chose what has been on my mind lately.

Spring break is coming up and with it comes my trip to San Antonio, TX to go see my boyfriend, who is currently down there at Fort Sam Houston for his medical training for the National Guard. I have not seen him since he was home for 14 days in December for exodus, his break in between basic training and AIT, which is where he is now. It is kind of weird to think that I will be going to see him, instead of just waiting for him to come home. What is even weirder than that is thinking about the fact that he has been away at training for what will be almost half of our entire relationship by the time he gets home from AIT.

I feel kind of bad though, I am looking forward to going and seeing him but at the same time I have a feeling that it is only going to make things harder until he gets home. He graduates on April 30th from AIT and I am going down to San Antonio, again, for it- but I think that going to see him a month before he graduates is going to make that last month seem like an eternity. Even more so than that though, I am worried that once I get down there he is not going to be the similar to the guy he was when he left to go down there. When he left for basic he was totally different than when he came back, but he changed for the better there. He came back more responsible and respectful. I have no clue how he could have changed this time, I have talked to him every single day since he left January 1st, but it is still my biggest worry because, what if he has changed to the point that he is nothing like he was when we started dating? What do I do then?

I guess I get to think about all of this between now and when I go, I am probably just freaking myself out about nothing. We have been together for a year and half now, we went through basic training with it’s one, if any, phone call a week and letters for communication, so this should seem like nothing compared to that, right? Who knows? I am confident that everything will work out in the end and I am hoping that I have nothing to worry about. I should just be happy that I have a boyfriend who is willing to fly me to come see him for one night and that he cares enough to do that.

Post 7

2007-02-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

The lonely grove of Aspen trees, a fine black and white photograph by Ansel Adams. Based on the other trees in the photograph, it is possible that the photograph was taken in fall because there are no obvious leaves on any of the trees in the photograph and it looks as if there are leaves coating the ground surrounding the grove of Aspens. The photograph does not provide enough scenery, or any other clues, to suggest where it was taken. It is possible that the photograph was taken in Colorado seeing as Ansel Adams is well known for his photographs of western landscape. The three aspen trees that are in the front look the biggest and are the clearest to see because of the black and white photograph and the shading that it automatically has. It looks as if it is possible that the photograph of the aspen grove was taken during the day because there is a hint on light on the upper left side of the prominent aspen trees that can been noticed even though it is a black and white photograph. The background in the photograph seems to blend together a lot because of the shadows and the fact that it is darker in the background and if there was a flash on Ansel Adams’s camera, it was unable to reach that far into the darkness. This effect makes the few Aspen trees that are easily seen stand out more than they would had the picture been taken in color or in brighter light than it was.

Post 6

2007-02-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

The blog “we make money not art” was created by an artist-engineer who is also a teacher that focuses on the intersections of design, art, and new technologies. The first thing that you see when you go to the website is a pink bar, stretching across the top of the page with a break in it for a search bar. In the title, we make money not art, all of the words but art are a lighter pink, making it harder to read than the word art this is in white and stands out clearly from the background. I am not sure why the title is laid out like this, but possibly to place an emphasis on the word art since the creator of the blog is an art teacher.

The blog is laid out in a fairly simple manner; black text on a white background in a simple font, making it easy to read everything. The page is divided into three columns; the main one on the left is the column that contains the major content of the blog, including numerous pictures in each blog. The second one in right next to the main column, this ones contains contacts, links to events, sub-categories that are within the blog, and a place for people to sign up for daily updates. The second column is not as bland as the main one is, it contains colorful text that catch the readers attention. The third column is for advertisements or websites that support the blog itself.

After looking at this blog, it is obvious that pictures do help to captivate and maintain the reader’s attention; it provides a brief break from focusing just on the words of the post. The hyperlinks that are incorporated in the blog, and in every post of the blog’s page, are not easy to distinguish from the rest of the writing. They are not underlined or in a different color from the rest of the font, they are instead just in bold text which, without scrolling over with my mouse, I would have never assumed were hyperlinks but just bold words within the post for emphasis. Also, the three columns are of very different lengths. The main column of the blog is extremely long in comparison to the others; the second column is longer than the third. The staggering in the length of the columns is rather unappealing.

In comparison to this blog, I like the overall layout of mine a lot more. I like the fact that the columns are equal length and the blog itself does not continue for what seems like an indefinite amount of time, like the main one seems to in “we make money not art.” I do like the fact that the blog incorporates a lot of pictures; it makes the blog more visually appealing and stimulating. Also, after realizing that the bolded words were indeed hyperlinks, I realized how helpful it is to have numerous hyperlinks that take the reader to websites that are related to the original post that may enhance the reader’s understanding of the post. It was interesting to see what a blog that is frequently visited looks like in comparison to those that we have made for the class.

Observational Essay; The Sales Pitch of Horse Breeding

2007-02-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

Horse breeding is becoming more popular and competitive just as the sport of horseback riding is evolving into a more competitive and money driven sport. It is no longer solely about winning the competitions. A major part of the sport is the horse’s pedigree, what are its bloodlines, where the horse was bred, how the horse moves, how much the horse cost, and the list goes on and on. Owners and breeders alike strive for the perfect offspring. They hope to produce one that will become a champion and make a name for itself, a horse that other people will want. Because of this, there are numerous aspects that must be taken into careful consideration when choosing the stallion, the male horse that is bred to, for your mare, the female horse that is bred. For example, conformation, performance, height, previous offspring, breeding success, etc. are all factored into the breeding equation. There are many necessary steps in the process of choosing the proper stallion to get the desired results from breeding. The most important step in choosing the proper stallion is going and viewing the sales pitch given by the stallion’s owner that showcases all of the positive assets that the stallion has and explains why the stallion is superior to others. This is similar to a commercial you would see on TV, only it is produced in equine terms.

In Colorado, there are three prominent breeding facilities that offer breeding to exceptional stallions; Plum Creek Hollow in Larkspur, Colorado, Crooked Willow Farms in Larkspur, Colorado, and Middle Fork Ranch in Lyons, Colorado. Although these facilities do not primarily focus on breeding, their websites place a strong emphasis on their stallions and their abilities to catch the attention of potential breeders. Crooked Willow Farms is the best known facility of the three. It is well-known for producing high quality offspring during the breeding season. Matt Davis, who runs Crooked Willow Farms, has mastered the essential sales pitch of the Crooked Willow Farms stallions to potential breeders.

Upon my arrival at Crooked Willow Farms, Matt Davis was waiting outside the parking area to greet me. He welcomed me with a warm greeting, and then proceeded to begin his sales pitch. He asked some questions about my mare to try and figure out which stallion would be the best match for her. He also asked about my breeding goals; what breed, how old, how big, what is my primary reason for breeding her, what do I hope to get in the offspring? After he asked all of the questions he had and heard my responses, he stood there thinking, looking around the facility at the different barns and rubbing his hands together, as he processed all of my information. After a moment he responded with, “I think that Acord III will be your best bet. He is our most sought after stallion who throws the best offspring. But, if you would like, you can look at Chaleon, he is the second pick by breeders at our facility.” We decided that I would look at both of them, just to see which one I liked the most and thought would be the best mix with my mare.

We walked down to the lower barn to Chaleon’s stall and stood outside the stall for a moment while Chaleon was running around inside the 12’ by 14’ stall. He was quite agitated because all of the other horses around him had been put outside, and he was just waiting his turn. I tried to pet him to see if he was friendly and he nipped at my hand. Matt looked at me and said, “That’s another reason why I would recommend Acord. He is far more docile and personable, and he has a more even temperament.” After that, we turned and walked up towards the upper barn. Acord was out on turn out, so Matt told me to go into the barn where it is heated and make myself at home while he went to go get Acord.

A few minutes later, Matt returned with Acord at his side-the second part of his sales pitch. He walked into the barn and put Acord in the cross-ties and took his blanket off. Acord was body clipped, perfectly defining his build and muscle tone, to show off his best attributes. Matt looked at me, “While I’m cleaning him up a little bit for you, why don’t you try to get to know him a little bit. He’s really quiet, so feel free to walk around and look at him.” I let Acord sniff me before I began petting his muzzle, then I began to walk around him and look at him. As I stood next to him, his back loomed over my head. I walked around Acord and Matt began listing all of his accomplishments in the show world and the performance records of his offspring-the third part of the sales pitch. Matt got Acord brushed off and picked the ice out of his feet. We went into the arena for the most critical part of the sales pitch, a demonstration of Acord’s abilities.

This is the true selling point. Matt walked to the far end of the arena and put Acord on a lunge-line then headed back toward the center of the arena. Acord began going in circles around Matt, playing at first, then he settled in and began to show his true abilities. As he was lunging him, Matt was explaining every detail of Acord and his training. While he was talking, Acord settled in even more and began trotting around in a majestic, elastic, floating trot, his neck and back muscles accentuated perfectly. After watching Acord move in both directions, Matt and I walked back into the barn and put Acord away. On the way to Acord’s stall we passed a wall full of pictures and Matt pointed out all of the ones of Acord. Each picture demonstrated Acord’s spectacular jumping ability and form. We then talked more about Acord and what I thought of him and whether or not I though he would be a good match for my mare. Matt sent me home with a DVD showcasing Acord’s abilities and his offspring’s abilities; a reinforcement of what I had just seen in person.

The sales pitch is the most crucial part in the selection process of choosing the proper stallion for your breeding goals. It showcases the desired attributes that each stallion has to offer and allows the breeder to pick which stallion will be the best match for their mare. This process makes it easier for breeders to select the stallion that will give them the best offspring.

Post 5

2007-02-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

Randomly Selected Words:
Anadem, battlement, Cerberus, do, essentialist, fillister, gar, hysteric, implore, jug, kick, leadsman, mint, neither, officiate, propose, quasi, redemption, sentimental, thunderstorm, underestimate, versify, whisper, Xerox, yap, zither.

**Note: There are some hyperlinks within the sentences that are used for this, the first word in every sentence will take you to the webiste that it come from though.**

Anadem Publishing, publishers of medical information for health professionals and the public. A battlement, (also called a crenellation) in defensive architecture such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e. a short wall), in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. In Greek mythology, Cerberus or Kerberos (Greek Κέρβερος, Kerberos, "demon of the pit") was the hound of Hades, a monstrous three-headed dog (sometimes said to have 50 or 100 heads) with a snake for a tail and serpentine mane. Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (Diamond Offshore) provides contract drilling services to the energy industry worldwide and is also engaged in deepwater drilling with a fleet of 44 offshore drilling rigs. In philosophy, essentialism is the view, that, for any specific kind of entity it is at least theoretically possible to specify a finite list of characteristics —all of which any entity must have to belong to the group defined. The rabbet on the outer edge of a sash bar to hold the glass and the putty. They are olive-brown or deep green along the back and upper sides, with silver-white bellies. A person suffering from hysteria. To appeal to in supplication; beseech: implored the tribunal to have mercy. The Sun Developer Network Java User Group Program has joined the JUGs Community on java.net, so the SDN JUG search tool is being replaced by the java.net JUGs listing. Get ready for a terrific half marathon in a great historic town along a storied harbor; the event has become a New England tradition—and the New England Championship. The person using the lead line in taking soundings. Since Congress created the United States Mint on April 2, 1792, it has grown tremendously. According to the traditional rule, neither is used only to mean “not one or the other of two.” To perform the duties and functions of an office or a position of authority. Very few events in anyone's lifetime require as much thought and preparation as marriage. Usually bands have stuff about themselves on their home page, & we had stuff about ourselves up for a while in the beginning, but ever since the war started its all been anti-war stuff. Outlook Redemption works around limitations imposed by the Outlook Security Patch and Service Pack 2 of MS Office 98/2000 and Office 2002/2003/2007 (which include Security Patch) plus provides a number of objects and functions to work with properties and functionality not exposed through the Outlook object model. In 1765 Laurence Sterne travelled through France and Italy as far south as Naples, and after returning determined to describe his travels from a sentimental point of view. A thunderstorm, also called an electrical storm, is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its attendant thunder produced from a cumulonimbus cloud. There was a time, not that very long ago, that people would find the answers to their problems on their own. New products and recognition mark a successful year for versatile polymers. Whisper 32 is a very easy-to-use Password Manager for Windows 95 and Windows NT. The InterContinental Hotels Group is a global hotel company operating 3,500 properties, including such hospitality stars as InterContinental Hotels, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Indigo, Crowne Plaza and Staybridge/Candlewood Suites. Yap is the most intriguing island in Micronesia. The zither is a musical string instrument, mainly used in folk music, most commonly in German-speaking Alpine Europe.

Post 4

2007-02-04T22:58:00.001-07:00

While some people believe that stem cell research is against all moral, ethical, and religious practices and that it should not be allowed to be practiced or performed, others believe that it could lead to numerous breakthroughs in the medical community that could save lives. Stem cell research is a controversial topic that has been around for many years now in the medical community.
Stem cells have the surprising ability to develop into many of the different cell types that we have in our bodies as humans; for example, muscle cells, red blood cells, or brain cells. Stem cells serve as a “repair system” for the human body, as long as the person is still living when they receive them.
Through the use of stem cell research, it will become more evident why people are born with birth defects and inherited diseases, allowing medical professionals to seek a cure or prevention for these problems. It will also allow medical professionals to understand how serious diseases such as cancer are caused in a once entirely healthy human body and work towards a cure for it. In addition, stem cell research can be used for forms of medical therapy because both tissue and cells can be grown that are perfect matches for the person receiving them, so there is no risk of rejection. Because of this, it will be much easier for the patients on the donor list to receive important organs that they may need to survive; the current transplant list greatly exceeds the number of available and/or willing donors. It is also possible for the cells and tissues grown using stem cell research to be used in medical cases involving serious conditions and diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s and people with arthritis and people that have suffered from strokes.
There are many ethical issues that surround the topic of stem cell research. Many people are concerned with the fact that the pluripotent stem cells, the cells that are used for the research because they can transform into the many different cell types that we have in our bodies as humans, because they are taken from human embryos that are less than a few days old or fetal tissue that is 8 weeks or older. A lot of people are concerned with how researchers are going to go about obtaining the pluripotent stem cells from embryos and/or fetal tissue. There is a strict governmental supervision of the stem cell research to make sure that it does not violate any laws or rights.
Through the practice of stem cell research, people on the long organ transplant list will stand a chance of getting an organ that can save their life and, with the use of stem cell research; they will not have to worry about their body rejecting it or the possible organ for them not being a match. It will make finding cures for diseases that we once considered impossible a possibility. People suffering from cancer, HIV, hepatitis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions will be given a new found hope in surviving.

Post 3

2007-02-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

The issue of oil profits is an important one, especially now more than ever. The United States has become more dependent upon foreign oil than it has ever been. In the upcoming 2008 election, the candidates will each be faced with the question of what they are going to propose to do about this issue. Over the past few years, the notion of alternative fuels has been brought up more than once and is now being talked about more than before.

“Hillary Clinton on Oil Profits”, a title that is pretty much self-explanatory. The issue of oil and oil profits has been a key issue and topic of discussion since the 1970’s. It is a topic that all of the hopeful candidates in the 2008 Presidential election will need to address in one way or another; Hillary Clinton is among those hopeful candidates. Because Hillary Clinton is a candidate in the 2008 election, the public is curious about what her stand is on the oil situation, which is why this particular video clip is important.

At the beginning of the video clip, the first thing that you see is a blue bar at the bottom that says CSPAN in a red circle, displaying the day’s schedule for CSPAN next to it; this is the only thing on the screen for a brief moment. After that, there is applause, then Hillary Clinton’s speech begins and you can hear her speaking. There is a brief shot of members of the audience listening to Hillary Clinton give her speech on oil profits before the video clip switches to a shot of Hillary Clinton speaking, which is the focal point of the entire video clip. Hillary Clinton’s speech is the focal point of the video clip because it is a constant through the duration of it. Although the shot does not stay on Hillary Clinton giving her speech for the duration of the video clip, her speech is audible the entire time.

However, the video clip that can be found on YouTube is significantly shorter than the actual speech that Hillary Clinton makes on the topic of oil profits; it is only a thirty-five second clip. It is plausible that the person who posted the video on YouTube only posted the portion of the video that they supported, thought to be important, understood, or many numerous other possibilities. After watching the thirty-five second video clip of “Hillary Clinton on Oil Profits”, it is unclear whether or not the video clip begins at the beginning of Hillary Clinton’s speech or partway into it. In addition to these possibilities, the fact that the video clip is being watched online at a website, leads the viewer to question how much of Hillary Clinton’s speech is being shown in the video clip and to wonder what else she may have to say about the topic of oil profits. As a result, it is a challenge for the viewer to fully understand what is going on in the video clip that the person has posted on the topic.

Post 2

2007-01-28T13:40:00.001-07:00

There are many cultural contexts that play large roles in the understanding, organization, writing, and reading of The New York Times. When reading the articles in The New York Times the reader needs to have a basic or general knowledge of what is going in the world at that point in time, especially of current political doings and news. In addition to knowing what is going on in the world, it is imperative that the reader also have a basic or general knowledge of who plays what role in our society, or even the world for that matter. The reader must also have some knowledge of what has happened, what is going on, what is proposed to happen, etc and when these things have, will, or should take place. In addition to knowing when, the reader must also know where these events have, will, might, or should take place. Most important of all though, the reader needs to have at least a vague grasp on the reasons why these events are occurring in our world.

It is crucial to the understanding and comprehension of this website and all of its references that the reader is able to understand at least one of the who, what, when, where, and why of the article or video that they choose to read or view. If the reader does not understand at least one of these crucial cultural contexts, the reader will not be able to follow anything in the article with ease, or even have a vague understanding of what they have just read. If the reader understands the who of what they are reading or watching on the website then it is easier for them to figure out or at least attempt to piece together the other major components necessary for complete understanding of it. If it is the what that is understood by the reader prior to viewing something on the website, then it is easy to figure out the who, the when, the where, and the why. It is like this for the other crucial cultural components that are necessary in the understanding and comprehension of the content of what they are reading or viewing on the website; if the reader understands or has some knowledge of at least one then they are more likely to be able to piece together the others.

If the person who is either reading or viewing an article or a video clip on The New York Times website has no idea what is going on in our country, who is involved in what, what is happening where, why events are occurring, and other various things like that, then it is not possible for them to have a complete understanding or comprehension of the references of the website. As was mentioned above, the reader or viewer needs to have a vague knowledge or notion about or of at least one of the cultural contexts; the who, the what, the when, the where, and the why. If they understand at least one of these it is easier for them to pick up on the other ones and piece them together to form the bigger picture and have a better understanding of what is going on.

Post 1

2007-01-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend is in the Colorado Army National Guard and has been since he was 17, before we started dating. We have been together for almost a year now and he means the world to me; which is why it is very important for me to know what is going on in the world, especially when it concerns the military and their involvement in the war. He is currently in training so it is hard for him to get news and stay up-to-date with all of the news surrounding the war. He is told what the military is willing to tell him so he appreciates being informed about all of the issues. In order to keep both my boyfriend and myself informed I frequently visit the website for The New York Times.

The first thing that you see when you go to the website for The New York Times is the title in big, bold words at the top of the page as well as navigational tabs that will take you to specific sections of the website. After reading the title of the website, the website viewer’s eye is caught by the big picture below it in the center of the page that is linked to an important article in that specific issue of the paper. The picture is used to get more reader’s attention and get more people to read it. In addition to the picture in the center of the page, there are article titles in big, bold print with a one or two sentence excerpts from the article that are meant to catch the reader’s attention and get them interested in the article so they will click on the title to read to full-length article.

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page there is a large picture that happens to be a paused video clip. Below the paused clip are the different options for what video news headline you would like to watch, there is one for almost every section of the paper; politics, dining, style, etc. The reader can pick and choose which video headline they would like the view by simply clicking on the thumbnail of it. Below the video clips there are the top headlines from the week and around the world for reader’s to click on and read if they are interested in the article. As well as the video clips and bolded titles with excerpts, there are sections running down the left side of the page that the viewer can select, allowing them to navigate through that section of the paper.

The website for The New York Times differs from the print version of it because it is more interactive for the reader. The reader can view video clips of today’s most important headlines, view the most popular articles, or even look at past articles in comparison to more recent ones, among many other ways for viewing information. This is the website that I used to stay up-to-date with the news that is important to both me and my boyfriend, it is easy to navigate and find the information that I want.