what I like to read and what could help for next year

as far as outside reading, I enjoy reading a lot of classics. I also enjoy mythology and epics. As far as recommending outside reading, Sherlock Holmes has multiple short stories that could show the inductive and deductive style of reasoning that was presented at one point in class. Also, it's Sherlock Holmes. He's cool.

I also think that Poe is always a classic (sometimes cliche) but everyone seems to enjoy it.

I also really like a lot of Mark Twain's short stories. They're clever and easy to read.

Stupidest Invention?

One of the Stupidest Inventions has to be the Flatulence Deodorizer.

The Flatulence Deodorizer is nothing more than a pad containing activated charcoal cloth that is worn on the anal region of a person. It comes with adhesive to stick it to the underwear of a person and hold it in place. The inventor says you can cary it easily around in a zip lock bag for when it is needed, and could even be made into disposable or washable versions. He states that the slim profile of the deodorizer is unnoticeable and comfortable, making the discomfort of farting a thing of the past.

So, if you could get used to the idea of "I'm wearing a strange fart pad in my pants," it could be ok. Or, like most people, you could learn to hold it or excuse yourself to the bath room. If one thinks that they really have a bad farting problem, it could also have something to do with their diet, and that might need to be considered.

Overall, the idea that someone wasted their time and the patent office's time to create this invention is a little sad. It is not a consumer good that will change the face of the world, further our understanding of physics or make life more efficient in the workplace and home. Sure, no one likes a stinky fart, but seriously... you'll probably sell more farting machines than fart protectors.

Scott's Video

Scott's video takes us through is post grad experiences as he chronicles his life abroad with the Piece Corps in Armenia. He also takes us into the process of researching organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity. He shows what then organization does, what their goal is, and shows how to find whether this is overall good and if it makes a difference; the pro's and con's. The main point of his video though was to show that even in our own community you can find sub-standard living conditions. He encourages everyone to go out and do something to try and make a difference, while showing you can complete this at home and abroad.

Scott stated that he always felt as if he had to go abroad to help. He lived for two years in Armenia, have some pleasurable and some difficult experiences. What he learned from that experience was that he had to listen to he community, and that there is never a right or wrong solution to something, just different. Upon coming back to the states he became aware of many new things that hadn't been apparent to him before. He thought about going abroad again helping with other organizations, but didn't find anything to his satisfaction. Just walking around Flagstaff he was able to find houses in disrepair. Even in Flagstaff, there is always help needed at food banks, homeless shelters and even humane societies and second chance shelters for animals. It doesn't matter where we are, there is always something to be done. What matters is if we do something or not.

visual

Plato and The Allegory of the Cave

The primary theme of Plato's Allegory of the Cave, is mankind's perception of reality. Plato was one of the founding theorists for the idea of the soul, the realm of ideas/forms and the philosophy of Neo-Platonism. Plato argued that the things we see and perceive are products of our experiences and understanding of what is presented to us. Whether or not what we see or experience is the truth, it is what we understand. This is what happens to those watching the shadows. The shadows are an image of something true, but is not truth itself. What he encourages his readers to do, is look beyond the world of nature (the wall with shadows), and towards the sources of perception (the realm of ideas and rationality). Once one is able to do that, they have the potential of going "outside" and seeing "the one," the real truth in the world. we might be blinded by the light at first, but if we allow ourselves the proper patience, we will see what is outside of our mind set and frames created by the cave. The hard part, after one realizes and learns some of the greater truth is convincing the others left in the cave, for they are content in their ignorance.

Fight Club is a film mentioned earlier in this course, but this time Edward Norton's character will be used with his views of reality and perception. His character, we find out later (spoiler alert!), is schizophrenic to a certain degree. His alter personality becomes his close companion, and through him he learns the basic elements of the human character and society. He has to put certain evidences into context though as he realizes his own new world and life that has revealed so much to him has falsities in itself. He has to conquer his alter personality, and becomes enlightened on another level than what he had started out as. Like the allegory of the cave, Norton broke away from the chains and started learning the elements that were making the shadows in his culture. he realized that there was more than just this though, stepped outside and figured out he was two people in one body.

the Boondock Saints

The 1999 action hit The Boondock Saints, is chock full of themes and undertones. Revolving around the story of two Irish brother's living in south Boston, they take it upon themselves as a calling from God to cleanse the city of the violist filth that corrupts and destroys the moral fabric of the world. They take on the local crime syndicates and eventually find alliances and moral support through the FBI and other mob underlings. Controversial in their means, they are met with both support and criticism. The theme of family also plays in when they meet their father. It is also acknowledged that their prayer is only for them and members of their family to say. So, main themes are family, religion, crime, trust, and culture.

Rhetoric in the Union

We chose to do a poster advertising for study abroad.

Author: the center for international education, located in Tinsley Hall.
Audience: students that are passing by or have been thinking about studying abroad themselves (I highly recommend).
Purpose: to capture your attention, help peak your interest and hopefully convince you to go visit them and get information on studying abroad.

Ethos: The C.I.E. has experience in helping students study abroad, and many of the employees have studied abroad themselves
Logos: the poster states that it can help benefit and enhance your life, and it also gives you all of the contact information.
Pathos: The emotion is captured in the girls face on the poster... it's a mixture of happiness and fear as she feeds the kangaroo.