Weekly Blog Post 4

The music video for "American Ride" by Toby Keith addresses many issues in American society today. In one context the video takes some very recent and very controversial topics for our society and almost dismisses them as a part of American culture. This is done with the lyrics "I love this American ride". He is almost saying that all of these things and the controversy surrounding them give our society an identity of sorts.

In another context Keith could be using a satirical voice in relationship to these issues. I do not know if I would go so far as to say he is making fun of Americans, but in a sense he is. He calls out some of the more ridiculous obsessions and intrigues of some people of this country and exploits them. He mentions television shows and scandals. Keith specifically mentions Desperate Housewives and the Trump scandal. People religiously watch some television shows and we all know that the entire nations chomps at the bit to get a glimpse of a good, juicy celebrity scandal.

This song and video made by Toby Keith would not be complete without referencing politics. He takes jabs at both former President George W. Bush and current President Barack Obama. There are many more political references but these two were more controversial and stick out more in the video.

This video is packed with references to current events. I have watched it multiple times and each time I pick up another innuendo or reference to something. While this video was very controversial, I think it is a Great video to take a look at and analyze it. This video is even more interesting if you look at it in multiple contexts like we were asked to. This opened my mind up to things in the video that I had not thought of in that way before. On the surface this song is a feel - good American pride song. However after some thinking, you will find that there is much more to it than that.

Weekly Blog Post 3

I have created and tested the links to my classmate's blogs.

Weekly Blog Post 2

The Web 2.0 video really made me think about writing in a way I have not thought about it before. I have never stopped to think about the things being discussed in class now. I would simply write to get an assignment done. However you must consider your audience, the context, and the message you want to convey each and every time you write. More than anything this video shows just how much writing has changed. In previous years, a simple essay would suffice a project. However, now, it is expected of writers to include some sort of media along with words. This ranges from pictures to videos to interactive powerpoint presentations.

While the medium has changed vastly, the some principals of writing with a pen and paper are still there. The internet and computers have simply made the process easier and faster. Our papers are still our work. We come up with the ideas and put them on paper. The papers are still revised however now we do not need to make multiple drafts. Changes can be made simply by clicking where you want to change something and doing just that. These concepts can even be applied to the newer forms of writing. Videos are edited so that the final product is seamless and gives people the most viewing pleasure. This video itself has two other drafts, a first draft and a final draft.

Another thing all this technology is doing for us is that it is allowing us to go deeper into a subject faster. One could no nothing about a fairly complex concept and in a matter of fifteen minutes know a great deal about it just from using a search engine and doing some research on websites that search brings up. The internet and computers are supplementing our day to day doings. They help us to streamline and do things more efficiently. In the end, we are still doing the work and doing the writing.

Weekly Blog Post 1

"Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs."---David Ben-Gurion

This quote really struck me after I had read it. There is a lot of truth in this statement. The past is only what you choose to make it. You can leave out the parts of your past that were tough, embarrassing, or that you just do not care for. There is nothing to stop you from adding things either. The thing of it is is that when you write about you, no one will be the wiser. Only you know the true you and what you have done and where you have come from. Everyone else only knows what you tell, write, or show. This does not always have to be a negative aspect. Many stories and books are based upon a mere shred of truth. These truths and actual events serve as the building blocks for great and creative writing. In fact many stories or books would be very boring and quite similar if it were not for this creative aspect. Even though this is stretching the quote to its limits, I feel that this is an important aspect of writing. The point is that creativity and great writing is often made up or is an actual truth stretched and manipulated beyond recognition even to those who were there.