Expressing Thought Through Technology

I found communicating by the use of the moodle to be somewhat confusing at first. I didn't really like the idea of posting my papers and assignments to the moodle, basically because I wasn't used to it. As the semester went on I found the moodle to be somewhat helpful as a way to keep my assignments more organized. The moodle is an important tool to help an individual learn how to use technology as a way to communicate.
Today technology is the main source of our communication. We use cell phones, computers, and other technical equipment to provide information to people faster. Learning how to use this equipment hands on while at school can help these processes in the long run.
The project that I found to be the most beneficial and interesting was the radio show assignment. I enjoyed interviewing individuals about a certain place and it was interesting to hear their stories. Using all of the communication techniques on this assignment helped me realize which one was more fit for me. I would say that this assignment was my favorite because I was able to work in a group and do different tasks.

Communication Through Promotion

Visual communication is another form of communication which allows an individual to express his thoughts with images. In this case an advertisement helps promote a beverage using a certain image. Images are a good form of communication because they can attract or appeal to individuals. Using images can sometimes work more affectively on getting a point across where words just don't.
For alot of people images help them make a decision on whether or not they should purchase an item. In this advertisement the meaning is not all in the beverage but it also is hidden within the story of the advertisement. This ad. does a great job in communicating in several ways not just visually. When promoting an item it is important to know who will be viewing the ad. In this case people who understand visual communication can get the "big picture" of what the ad. is trying to evoke. Those who are good at putting story lines together can create a story of their own to what is taking place in this ad. as well.

Bacardi Limon

There are many different strategies used in this add to strike the attention of the viewer. This advertisement is promoting Bacardi Limon which is a citrus rum. By just looking at the bottle of rum, one might think the beverage is delicious by the bold yellow colors portrayed. This really helps a person imagine how good the lemon rum tastes, the ad really keys on getting the viewer to use his/her senses. The bright bold yellow letters and other objects really help emphasize the lemon flavoring used in Bacardi Limon. These bright colors really stand out amongst the dark atmosphere of the night club which helps attract attention to the lemon flavoring.
The dark mysterious night club theme with bright bold yellow lights featured in the ad. really adds to the atmosphere for dancing and socializing. This ad is selling their alcohol by giving people a mental image of what could happen if you consume this product. They use sex to sell in some ways by showing attractive people getting together while drinking Bacardi Limon. This helps give people a false sense of hope that alcohol can lead to a good time, and if you’re lucky, you might become the lime light.
This ad of Bacardi Limon would probably be found in a majority of sports magazines such as ESPN or Sports Illustrated. Another place where Bacardi Limon would be advertised would be in certain fashion magazines where the ad would try to appeal to upperclass folks. Having the individuals in this ad wear the most fashionable clothes would tell those studying the advertisement that Bacardi Limon is only consumed by the most up to date, upperclass individuals with money.
In the outside world this ad would be flashed all over college towns on billboards and downtown areas where the bars are located. This ad could also be found in other nice parts of large cities where the night clubs seem to be bouncing. Basically any area where a large portion of individuals come to drink is where this ad would be promoted. It is more of an expensive drink so the people that made the advertisement are focusing more on those with money that want to have a good time. I would also say that this ad singles out women more than men just because women consume more malt beverages and mixed drinks rather than beer. The ad proves this by making the woman the focal point, showing her glancing at a handsome man which tells the viewer that she has a shot with this guy.
The glass in the center of the page with the woman’s reflection looking back at the man holding the glass is probably the most interesting thing to me. The reason why this reflection is so crucial to the advertisement is that it lets the viewer’s mind wonder what the story is behind this mysterious woman. The large mirror in the background also helps the viewer see what is going on. In the mirror the woman is standing behind the man looking at him; but he can see her by watching her through the glass. The interesting thing about this is that she might not know she can be seen by him. On top of the page of the advertisement the slogan of Bacardi Limon; mischievous, mixable, magical gives us some understanding of what this image is trying to get across.
I believe this ad is trying to attract young adults by showing young adults drinking the product. The ad also shows a party atmosphere which is supposed to represent the life of a young adult. Attractive, well-dressed individuals are portrayed in this ad, so you could say this ad tries to attract a certain social group or class. In this ad gender does not matter as long as they are attractive; but one could say that it pinpoints males because of the woman that is being submissive in the reflection. Men might also think that drinking gives them a better shot at getting with a woman, so automatically they are targeted.
How this ad achieves logos is by the placement of their images. The glass in the center of the page draws your eyes to the center towards the reflection of the beautiful woman. This reflection makes you wonder what is going on and your eyes glance up the page towards the mirror where you can finally see what is going on. Bold yellow images also help your eyes find the way around the page. This ad works in sequences starting at the center of the page; then your eyes get drawn towards other areas of the page, which helps you understand the big picture.
This ad uses pathos by getting the viewer excited about consuming alcohol. In the night club scene the viewer gets a sense of confidence; which alcohol can give someone who normally does not socialize on occasion. When you look at this ad your attitude suddenly becomes positive; so this ad is very affective at getting one’s attention. Alcohol is portrayed as a confidence booster and may even give people a chance to become someone they always wanted to be.
I think this ad advocates alcohol as an essential tool a person needs while meeting new people in new places. Alcohol is the conscience that leads a person to places they’ve never been before. It gives a person a chance to become someone of respect, and the life of the party. This ad does a nice job in making the viewer think that everyone is drinking this product so they should try it.

Communication Through a Window

The purpose of this group assignment was to take pictures of objects around Iowa State University campus. This assignment helped both oral communication skills and writing skills. First we had to find objects that looked interesting to us and take pictures of them. Second we had to create a story to go behind each photograph, this helped our communication through writing. Third we had to be able to present our story line to the class by presenting our final project.
Through working in a small group I developed teamworking skills to go along with my communication skills. I learned how to be creative with the photographs that we took; plus I was able to communicate the reasons why we took the photo. I found this meaningful because I have always wanted to know what goes through someone's head when they take a picture. I learned alot about myself and was able to understand more about what attracts my eye.
I really enjoyed this assignment because I was able to socialize with someone else about the work I was doing. It was interesting to have two different opinions on what object we wanted to focus our project on. Teamwork helped create a stronger presentation because we each had an area of communication that we were strong in. Any area that I was weak in my partner made up for and vise versa.

Understanding the Expression of Writing

There are many purposes behind written communication, these purposes are to elaborate on thought and emotion. Written communication is a way to express language without having to orally present it. Written communication helps oneself to identify his thoughts on paper. This technique can improve other parts of communication as a whole such as oral.
In this essay I wanted to express my feelings and views on a place that I hold very dear to me. Writing my thoughts down was easier to me than having to orally present my information. By writing about this special place I was able to connect more to my topic and was able to really pour my emotions down on paper. This assignment really helped me understand the affects a place can have on an individual, such as myself.
In this essay I was able to give reasons why I love my church. The purpose behind this place essay was to give a certain warmth to outsiders reading about it. I wanted to give a good background on the people that attend my church and the positive qualities my church has to offer.

My Church

A place that has played a significant role in my life and has influenced my decisions up to this point in my life has been my church. In this place I find comfort and people who I can relate to. The church that I have grown accustomed to has become like a giant family to me. If I have a problem or need someone to talk to, I feel that I can approach anyone in the church for support.
My church has a certain warmth to it. As you walk in you can just feel the warmth from the people inside as they smile and greet themselves to you. Immediately a stranger is welcomed in just like they have been a member of the church for several years. I know it is only human for people to judge; but one thing that is great about our church is that we treat everyone as equal. No one is perfect and as a member I can second that, so everyone in the church loves to see new visitors.
I love the friendly environment our church displays. I am excited to get up on Sunday mornings to see family, friends, and to praise our creator. Music that fills the sanctuary adds to the excitement of Jesus’ second coming and the promise of a life better than the present one. On Sundays you can hear the excitement in everyone’s voices as they sing to God. When I see over 200 people raising their voices to the heavens it gives me a promising feeling.
My church has become a place in my life that has grown to me. There are times in my life where I feel like I am not good enough to go to church, especially if I have done something stupid the night before. But one thing is for sure is that I will be welcomed the same every Sunday no matter what, people are always there with arms wide open and are there to forgive those who need guidance. That is why it is always easy to show up there on Sundays; I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!
I believe that church has made me a better person today. I have learned a lot about loving, caring, and supporting those in times of trials. Church has helped me focus more on people and what really matters in life. I think being Christ-centered has helped me realize my place here on earth and how I can contribute in a positive way to those around me. There is always someone out there looking for a friend or someone to talk to and I feel that is what I do the best. Church all together has made me a more well rounded person.
Church in general makes me feel whole and content with where I am in my life. I feel good with where I am in my journey of life and I know God has a plan for me. Church has helped give me the confidence to spread the good word of Jesus Christ! So I feel like I have a purpose in this life something many people search for but don’t know how to get.
I feel very fortunate to have a church like mine where every member is like family. Every time I go back home everyone wonders how college is going; everyone cares so much about how things are going for me. Sometimes it feels as if they care more about my life than their own. I have to admit I don’t think about others like most of the members do in my church; which is quite selfish of me. It goes to show the unity we have amongst the members at our church.
I have many goals for the future of my church. I would like to get involved in leadership positions or just by being an active member. I feel that getting involved in my church is important, especially after everything that they have done for me. I believe that I owe that to my church and community for their active support in my life’s activities.
By coming to Iowa State University I have devoted myself to becoming involved in many activities and leadership positions. This will help prepare me for my future plans either in church or in the agricultural field. My church is always looking for those who want to volunteer their time to help others and Iowa State is helping me move in that right direction. Being able to manage my time well here at college will also help prepare me for managing my time well in both my job and helping the church.
Meeting people is one of the most important aspects of life. By meeting people you can broaden your horizons and theirs. You can even change someone’s life by giving them hope, by friendship or just a positive attitude. Every time you meet someone there is a purpose behind it; it is our duty to figure out how we are going to react to the situation we are given with that person. Opening up to many new people here at college can only benefit you in the long run, so get out and be social!

Reflecting About a Place In Our Environment

Places in our environment affect everyone in and around them. Whether we realize it or not, we are always in one. Places that directly affect us are those that are the most memorable to us. These places may consist of someone special that you’ve met, an event that helped change your life, or just a place where you ended up randomly.
A "place" is anywhere an individual is at any given moment in the environment. "Environment" is collectively all the places around us as a whole. Being present in a place means being in a certain area of the environment. Places effect everyone within the environment, negatively or positively, however, there is always a place that benefits us in some way.
Place and environment has always been in my life, without it I would not be myself. A place shapes an individual, and in my case it has shaped me to who I am. My current views and opinions have been created by the places in the environment that I have grown up in. As a result, I have learned that places can affect what a person believes in.
Environment plays a vital role in our communication skills because we learn from those places and individuals who surround us. At a young age, we learn to communicate to those in specific places; this helps improve our communication skills. We become comfortable with the individuals in our given area and this gives us confidence in our communication. Depending on our environment, we may become stronger in our communication skills than others. In a way, our environment helps enhance and hewn our communication skills.
In my situation I have grown up in a community that is very open with each other. At a young age I would visit with the older folks about things that were happing in their lives. Orally I became a strong communicator, I was very open and comfortable with expressing my thoughts by visiting with individuals. In my opinion, the environment really does affect how an individual learns to communicate; especially how they learn to communicate to others in a new environment.
I have grown this year in my communication skills and writing skills with help from working within groups and writing essays. I have learned to become more aware of my vocabulary in writing essays and during oral presentations. I have learned to fill in those blanks where I don’t know exactly what word to use in a certain situation. Improving my writing skills has played an affect on my oral communication skills by helping me find that certain flow in communication.
Working in groups has influenced my communication skills the most. I learned how to work with others that I did not necessarily know that well; this helped me learn how to communicate in different ways. I also thought peer-responses helped with my writing skills by helping develop new ideas for me to think about. I liked the respectful criticism that the peer-response allowed. This helped me see what others thought and how I could change my paper to make it more presentable.
At the beginning of the year I would say that oral communication was my strongest asset. I am not usually afraid of standing up in front of people to present a project or give a speech. I find myself struggling when it comes to writing, I didn’t usually use a wide variety of vocabulary. This made my work seem almost repetitive and boring.
The group project that helped my skills the most was the electronic project where we had to interview individuals about a certain place. This helped my oral communication skills the most because we had to give a presentation of us recording our voices. As a group we had to develop a script of what we wanted to say on the recorder. In my opinion this was the best project because we got to go out into the world to interact with other individuals.
Being apart of this class has helped improve my communication skills in many ways. I have learned how to interview people and translate their words into my own piece of work. Learning how to write an elaborate essay or paper is another aspect that I have improved on. Orally I have had to learn how to communicate to others while presenting information. All of these highlighted points of communication are essential in everyday life, and I can honestly say that my skills have improved.

GM Fastline Blog

This blog's audience consists of those individuals who own or want to own a GM vehicle. This blog is a place where a person can get educated about the vehicle they own and other good tips on how to improve their vehicle. The GM fastline blog is a place where a person can get on and can participate by asking questions to other bloggers or to specialists. Being able to discuss your problems, add comments and ideas make this blog very appealing.

The overall purpose of this blog is to be welcoming to those viewers who want to talk GM products. This blog is also a place where individuals can get on and just be able to explore what it has to offer. I believe GM meant for their blog to be used as a guide for those who could become potential customers. This is a good way for GM to throw out new designs or ideas and be able to get direct feedback through comments.

There are many appealing factors to this blog. There is bright green in the background of the blog which draws you to the page; but it is not too flashy so the viewer doesn't get distracted. GM made this blog very approachable where people can post comments, watch videos, and other links where viewers can continue to search for what they are looking for.

This blog differs from personal blogs because it offers so much more. More information, links, and videos where personal blogs don't have connections to other links. I would also add that a blog like this has a purpose behind it, a purpose to reach out to customers. The GM blog is much more complex than the simple put together personal blogs one person throws together. GM has several individuals who help piece their blog together to help make it more professional.

Yellowstone National Park (Advertisement)

I was attracted to this advertisement of Yellowstone National Park because it sounds like an appealing place. I like the fact that Yellowstone is a controlled natural habitat for all different types of animals; yet it is still a place where wildlife are free to roam. I chose this ad. basically because I knew that Yellowstone is one of the most popular national parks in the country if not the world. I personally love wildlife and the beauty of Yellowstone so therefore I was pulled into the ad.

This advertisement is very appealing to anyone looking for a nice relaxing time. Anyone who wants to learn about how our country started and how it looked before it became settled, will enjoy what Yellowstone has to offer. If it is scenary that an individual wants Yellowstone has that as well with the Black Hills, geysers, and other beautiful landscapes throughout the country side. This ad. is meant to attract all types of tourists and those that just want a nice family vacation.

This ad. is conveying how Yellowstone is a huge promoter of wildlife and their habitats, in allowing people to view and enjoy wildlife no matter what background a person may be from. The ad. also gives a sneak preview into the history of Yellowstone National Park and the activities that can be enjoyed there. This ad. also gives facts on why Yellowstone attracts more tourists than any other natural wildlife habitat. This ad. provides well-rounded information to those who might not be aware of what to expect before visiting the park.

The purpose of this ad. is to try to attract you to Yellowstone National Park. The ad. wants to educate the viewer of what Yellowstone National Park has to offer. It also gives good environmental reasons why Yellowstone thrives, which also attracts those who want a respectable place to visit.

Yellowstone National Park is an environment full of rich traditional practices. It is a perfect place to come for spiritual relaxation for those who are intact with the creation around them. Another attracting characteristic that Yellowstone provides is that it is home to animal species a person wouldn't find anywhere else, at least not in a friendly environment as this.

Wal-Mart Better for U.S. Jobs?

Wal-Mart has been a hot topic to debate on in recent years. The main issue of discussion is if Wal-Mart is really benefitting people here in the U.S. or is Wal-Mart having a negative effect on America? Wal-Mart does both good and bad for our country. They have cheaper sale items which attract a large percentage of America; but take jobs away from many small local businesses.

The main problem the U.S. has with Wal-Mart is it's lack of supporting local businesses. Wal-Mart not only puts people out of work but shuts down manufacturing businesses that once thrived. Wal-Mart dominates this country largely due to the fact that they have trade contracts with China, helping China to improve economically. Wal-Mart receives very few products from companies around the U.S. if any, and if those companies can't find business they slowly shut down.

"On average, 77 U.S. jobs were eliminated for each one of Wal-Mart's 4,022 U.S. stores in 2006," EPI said. EPI also stated that "during this time period two-thirds of the 200,000 manufacturing jobs that were affected were completely wiped out." This obviously goes to show the negative impact Wal-Mart is having on the jobs of individuals and the U.S. economy.

White America by Eminem

White America is a song that talks about how Eminem became popular. It gives examples of how Eminem worked his way to the top even when everyone had doubted him. Eminem sings about how he was never given the opportunity to rap just because his skin was white. By the tone of Eminem's voice throughout the song you can tell he has a point to get across to the listener.

This song also talks about some of the issues that are present today in our society. One of the issues that was pressed upon was segregation, and how our country is still so divided. I thought the rhythm of the song helped express the anger of Eminem using hard down beats. When I listen to the song it feels as if Eminem is right in my face, the emotion of the song is definitely intense.

I thought this song was a good song to pick just because it has great lyrics and a purpose behind each one of his words. This song seems to be uniting the different races that are present here in this country, giving hope to anyone who wants to be at the top. Eminem gives us a background on how tough his way to the top of the rap industry was. This gives individuals who listen to this song a positive outlook and an attitude of "If I want it, I can have it" sort of mentality.

I thought this song had meaning unlike alot of the rap songs that are out there. Eminem is known for having good lyrics and a purpose for what he does. I also enjoy it because it has a great rhythem and beat, which also makes the song attractive.

Grizzly Man

This film was about a man named Timothy Treadwell who loved his relationship with Grizzly bears. Treadwell lived his entire life for the bears, he even lived in the wilderness with them in Alaska. He devoted his life to protect the Grizzly bear from poachers and those who hunted them. Treadwell loved his rare and exotic life with animals, he even stated that this was the only work he knew.

Timothy Treadwell at a very young age was not really any different than any other kid, but his love for animals grew while he became to find out more about himself. It seemed as if he knew what his mission in life was, which was to live his life for nature and the bears. He tried to relate to the bears, their habits, their behaviors, and way of life. From that moment on he knew he didn't belong in human society, but was related to the bears as if he knew them personally.

After watching this movie you could just see Treadwell's passion for nature. During the entire movie you knew that he would do anything for the bears to protect them. I had a feeling that he would end up giving his life for the thing he loved which was the bears. Treadwell knew his duty in life and he fulfilled it even if others thought he was crazy by associating with them at such a personal level.

Treadwell's relationship with the bears was very real and beautiful. Even if an individual disagrees with what he did for a living you have to give him respect for never backing down to anyone. Treadwell lived for something larger than himself and for that I respect him. Treadwell found out what true happiness was, which was his freedom in nature and his relationship with the bears.

Luxury In Costa Rica

There are many improvements being made in Costa Rica to attract more tourists. "Some of these improvements include an $800 million, 65o-acre luxury resort in Guanacaste, on the Pacific Coast of the northern part of the country." This resort will be a place for eco-tourism, not only will it be an attractive area with beaches, wildlife areas, and valcanoes but a environmentally healthy area. This new resort will also feature many bars, restaurants, fitness centers, and spas. The idea for these types of attractions is to attract a wide range of people, especially the active tourist.

The main purpose for these new developments is to unite a tourist community. It will also be a way to create a safe and friendly environment for all life forms. There are also goals to plant more trees to preserve the wildlife that had been lost by earlier cattle ranches. There is also hope that by creating such a "hot spot" the rest of the area will thrive from local donations thanks to tourist money.

Midwest Renewable Energy Leader

"If Midwest farm fields are competing with Middle East oil fields, then we are doing something right," Governor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin stated. This is a huge compliment for those living in the Midwest knowing that our part of the country is producing the most renewable energy. Not only that but most of the country relies on the farmers of the Midwest to keep this trend up. As any individual knows along with the good news there has to be some negative news.

This negative is the excess release of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere that is released when power plants burn coal for energy. "Even though 22 percent of the people live in the Midwest region, they release 27 percent of all emissions in the United States," Doyle stated. Not only that but we here in the Midwest rely so much on coal for electricity that 71 percent of our electricity comes from such energy. This is compared to the average 49 percent of the rest of the United States.

The goal for the future is to control this excess carbon dioxide that is realeased by coal that is burned for power. If our power plants can summin the carbon dioxide that is released we will have a very safe and effective way for energy consumption. This could possibly set us free from being so relient on foreign oil, which would only help everyone here in the United States.

"The Obligation to Endure" by Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson's essay on "The Obligation to Endure," is a very convincing argument about the harmful uses of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers on the environment. In her essay, she does a nice job in getting her point across using an assertive tone through her writing. Carson has a one-sided argument and she is very aggressive towards those who believe otherwise; she is very effective at stating her opinion.

Carson has a definite purpose in her essay and she establishes that right from the start. The point she is trying to get across is that using pesticides and other chemicals is an endless cycle that will never totally do what it is supposed to do. She says that the insects continually become immune to the pesticides that are used; which in return the chemicals and pesticides are made stronger year after year to do a better job the following year. This process she claims cannot be healthy to our environment nor to the living organisms within it.

Carson does a nice job at going after the jugular, she does not let up. She knows what she believes and she does not switch sides. I think she goes after the chemical companies and the farmers especially since they are the easiest to blame on the topic of applying certain chemicals. She only states her opinion on the topic so it seems to be effective; yet the stories of the opposition have a good reason for what they do as well.

The context of this essay focuses on today's problems of pollution so that the future may be improved. This is an effective way to point out the problems of today; giving those who apply chemicals on a regular basis a guilt check. One thing she fails to do in her essay is to give examples of ways these problems can be improved or fixed. If she gave specific examples on how to improve, the environment future generations could learn from the mistakes of today to help the environment benefit later on.

Look Up For Answers

Tradition is the first thought that comes to my mind as I look at this photograph. This tree has some age behind it and if it could talk it would have plenty of stories to share. I gave this photo the title "Look Up For Answers," partially because the picture makes you look up; but also because there is a deeper meaning behind it. The religious sense that God is the Creator and He holds the secrets of life.
Look towards the heavens for answers to life's questions through prayer. God will be waiting for you to call upon His name. This tree makes me think of my religious beliefs just because I am looking up towards the skies. The tree reaches towards the heavens stretching out its long branches praising the Creator. If you think of it this picture can mean alot of different things depending on the viewer that is the beauty of this photograph.

Action Steve

This picture represents the past and the history of Iowa State University. This bench shows its age, plus all those who have sat on it by leaving their mark behind. The words "Action Steve" are left behind for a new generation to ponder its mystery.
This picture goes to show that you never know how you will be remembered; or how you will leave your last mark. This picture does a nice job with catching your eye; right away you are focused at the center on "Action Steve."
This bench has stories we only wish we could hear. But the mystery lies deeper than in the story of the bench; who is Action Steve? Cy's secret enemy that got destroyed by the cyclone of state?

Swans of State

I loved this picture, we picked it because these two swans symbolize Iowa State University in a way. There hasn't been a day here at Iowa State that I haven't seen these two love birds floating around. I would say this definitely represents the beauty of Iowa State University. It also represents the tradition here on campus because these swans have been around a while.
These swans light up the picture like two heavenly creatures; they definitely catch the attention of the viewer. I also love how the leaves kind of enclose the picture, and surround the swans to pull your eyes to the center of the photograph.

New vs. Old

The title to this picture pretty much explains what this photo is all about. Where there has been life there is another generation in the midst. This picture also represents our topic; beauty and tradition. I look at this picture and the taller tree looks like it would be a father or mother to the new plant.
Here at Iowa State University the young tree is the new students here on campus. The taller older tree represents alumni and there experiences they had here at Iowa State. We as incoming students look to the older alumni for support and advice as we begin our adventure here. Once again this photo shows a variation of green, which shows the time of year we are in.

Flowers of Youth

We decided to take this picture because we wanted to capture the beauty that surrounds the campus here at Iowa State University. This picture goes well with our theme of beauty and tradition. These flowers represent a new year; a new beginning, which we can all relate to.
I like the water that is portrayed in the background as well; it adds color to the photograph. We selected this picture because of the way the flowers were the focus point. When I take a glimpse at the photo my eyes automatically shift to the flowers. This shot also shows the beauty of summer, and the promising season that lies ahead. These flowers rap up the beauty of the season as it draws to an end.