Commercials

                                        Men’s Women

The Surface Meaning:    The ad uses a “lovely” well-dressed girl to draw the attention of a slightly shabby young man that normally wouldn’t approach a woman like her. Luckily for him, Chicken McNuggets can do more than just taste good. They can also serve as the conversation starter he needs.
The Advertiser’s Intended Meaning:    The advertiser is trying to portray the Chicken Mcnuggets as a cheap, enjoyable meal. They are the perfect treat for a memorable moment.
The Cultural or Ideological Meaning:    The commercial uses dim lighting, giving the McDonald’s the feel  of a fancier, much more expensive restaurant. It is made for the dingy fast food joint to seem like a classy place with romantic appeal. The man offering advice is made to be an older gentleman, giving off the impression of wisdom and experience to underscore the brilliance of his chicken nugget idea. The young guy is suddenly confident enough to approach the girl. He has the perfect tool to sweep this beautiful woman off her feet for a low price.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7faQMTu3bcU&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL819D4077A21A5848   

                                       Women’s Women


The Surface Meaning:    The ad shows a young mother singing her daughter to sleep as she drives in her nice car, ready to enjoy a girl’s night out.
The Advertiser’s Intended Meaning:    The advertiser is trying to show that the Dodge Journey is an excellent car for a loving mother who likes to go out and have fun occasionally.
The Cultural or Ideological Meaning:    A caring mother will provide comfort and protection for her children. The ad shows the love the woman has for her child as she gently sings her daughter to sleep. Doing so, the ad emphasizes the safety of the Dodge Journey. The woman’s husband thanks her, showing that she is happily married to a man that is willing to help care for their children, leaving the woman worry-free. The camera pulls away to reveal the woman’s friends in the car, all asleep from the woman’s lovely lullaby. The mother has power. The ad shows that this is the car for a well put together woman such as the young mother.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niHV9IWiXkQ


                                        Men’s Men
               

The Surface Meaning:     The ad looks into the dreams of a married couple. Starting off with the beautiful, peaceful fantasy of the wife, the ad then switches to the exciting, manly dream of the husband which of course has to include the magnificent Kia Optima.
The Advertiser’s Intended Meaning:    The advertiser depicts the car as a “dream car”. The Optima is car for a real man that wants a break from a quiet life to enjoy some chaos.
The Ideological or Cultural Meaning:    The husband is driving on a racetrack surrounded by young, scantily dressed women, cheering him on and making him seem desirable, attractive. The ad plays ‘”Kickstart My Heart” to show that with this car, life is a party. Of course there is a giant sandwich, possibly connected to the joke that the wife needs to make her man a sandwich. The ad also throws in plenty of other manly ideas such as lumberjacks and rhino riding to add to the masculinity of the car and to emphasize that the Optima is indeed a dream car. The ad finishes with the man breaking into his wife’s dream and whisking her away from her fantasy hunk because her husband is all the man she needs.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHZbXvts0LE&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLE0BECAA9ECC8DC07


                                      Women’s Men


The Surface Meaning:     The Aquafina commercial shows the love story of a young woman, starting at the very beginning and showing the role of the bottled water.
The Advertiser’s Intended Meaning:     The advertiser uses this sweet, simple love story to emphasize the purity of the Aquafina water.
The Ideological or Cultural Meaning:    The ad attempts to appeal to women by using a simple, sweet love story, making sure that the Aquafina is present throughout the tale. The woman stealing the man’s bottled water is when the couple first meets. This gives the Aquafina a romantic connotation every other time the water appears. The water is now a significant, eye-catching piece of the ad. The Aquafina is there when the man proposes and when the couple’s daughter takes her first steps. The ad is directed towards women who are susceptible to a good love story. The uncomplicated relationship is as pure as the Aquafina.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCB4e2EE6Zk

My Bucket List

The Scarlet Letter
By: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hoping to expand upon my list of classics and honestly interested in this tale, the book seemed like a reasonable reading candidate. The general tale is known by many even if the specifics are not, kind of like The Wizard of Oz. This book just seems like a book someone must read in their lifetime.

The Fault in Our Stars
John Green
This realistic fiction novel would be a change from the fantasy tales that I normally end up reading. Although very depressing, this love story about two teens plagued by cancer will be realistic, a break from the sometimes overly ludicrous. Even if the description of the book may not be the most enjoyable, the story does appear to be well written.

The Joy Luck Club
By: Amy Tan
This book tells the tale of four Chinese mothers, and their difficulties as they try to raise their children in America. The book has the appeal of divulging insight into a different culture and the ability to reveal the struggles of a newcomer's struggles as they try to incorporate themselves into the new society.

The Kite Runner
By:Khaled Hosseini
This story about the friendship of two boys with completely different lifestyles, having been published in a multitude of languages, must have plenty of pros. This historical fiction will not just be an intriguing tale but also provide information from a different viewpoint.

Grendel
By:John Gardner
An eye-catching title, I immediately wondered if this story was at all related to the creature from Beowolf. Upon discovering that this was the case, I began to try to recall the character to my mind. I came up with nothing and now wonder who or what exactly Grendel was. The setting of the tale should be somewhat familiar, but with a difference in style.

Memoirs of a Geisha
By:Arthur Golden
Another historical fiction, this book takes place in Kyoto during WWII. While it is not based on the war, the story is bound to have interesting conflicts due to the period of battling. The book will not only give insight into different cultures but a different time period.

The Hobbit
By: J.R.R. Tolkien
Having seen the enjoyable Lord of the Rings movies, the books should have some merit of entertainment for me. While the ending won't exactly be a huge surprise because the book is a prequel, the tale of Bilbo Baggins and his role with the ring is a mystery. After i have read the book, I will then be ready to see the fast approaching movie.

Dune
By: Frank Herbert
This tale has the appeal of science fiction. This series appears to be highly exalted. A whole new world will be explored within these pages. Science fiction tends to be filled with unique ideas. Whether these ideas are agreeable or not of course will vary from person to person but one must first read the story to form an opinion.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
By: Stieg Larson
An adventurous, hopefully fast-paced book, this story should be good for a simple, enjoyable read. Having had enough backing to be made into a movie, this mystery must have plenty of good reviews. This book seems like it would be a nice book to sit down with to just read and relax.

The Notebook
By: Nicholas Sparks
A popular love story written by a well-known author which was made into a popular movie, I'm drawn to this book out of pure curiosity. I've somehow managed to have never seen the movie and now I want to know, why does everyone seem to like this tale so well?

Forgiveness Overboard

The Captain.

The Officers.

The Survivors.

Had I been a passenger on the Titanic, could I forgive any of these people? A large portion of these people acted out of arrogance. Nothing could possibly sink such an outstanding creation, built by man. Careless, these people were unprepared and in the end, they suffered for their superior attitudes. They could be forgiven according to their further actions. Fear makes people stupid. To an extent, the actions of these people should be ignored. Everyone aboard is going to act irrationally, forgive-ably...to an extent. Those that allowed their panic to overtake them and to do whatever it takes to make it out alive, could not call for forgiveness.

Who Will You Be?

"What would have been the sense of it anyway? Not one of us was going to escape from this death hut."


     Hopeless and downtrodden, Simon fails to see the point in elaborating upon his dream of Karl, the dying SS man, to the doctor. He did not need another person to proudly tell him that he had done the right thing in running away from the pleas of a dying man. That would not appease Simon's conscience. It would only magnify just how desensitized the world has grown around him. The prisoners show not even the slightest amount of pity towards the soldier, bringing them closer to resembling the animals that they have been treated like for so long. 

      No matter what a person goes through or where they are, it is always important for that person to remember to keep true to their character. People have to remember what makes them who they are. When people lose track of that, they lose everything. No longer individuals, they just follow the crowd, monotonously moving from day to day. They can no longer think for themselves and lose what makes them unique. Simon cannot wholeheartedly believe the general opinion of his fellow prisoners because he has still kept his individuality and his will to think. He realizes that the SS man was still human and while he did perform some terrible acts in his lifetime, he had not been pure evil. The man had been a small child at one point, growing and learning like everyone else. The solider was haunted by his actions. If he did not deserve forgiveness, did he not at least deserve some sort of feeling? Could he not have the smallest ounce of pity instead of the frightening sentiment of "one less" felt throughout the camp? The emotion illuminates all the pain the have felt and are unable to overcome, making their opinions even scarier.

Forgiveness's Breaking Point

   What is the limiting barrier of forgiveness? When a person acts out of anger or greed,selfish motivations, the act then becomes unforgivable. People cannot let there emotions drive them into an act that would harm others. People always have a choice and whatever their situation, they do get to decide their fates. They have to weigh between their morals and their own wants. A person must then live with their decision. 


   Of course, there are always situations that truly deserve forgiveness. Ex: "A doctor assists terminally ill patients to commit suicide." While this act is ghastly, we must remember who is carrying out the act and the background to the situation. These people are in pain and don't want to drag out the pain to live a few extra months in misery. The doctor has more knowledge about what these people are going through than the average person. This doctor is acting in an almost altruistic manner, feeling strongly for his patients and carrying out their final wishes.

Needing a Little Smile

The sky is blue.
That makes me happy,
if someone gave you a hand,
wouldn't you be too?

A delicate chain,
easy to break.
A flightless bird,
looking on with longing at those that soar.

A kindly hand,
needed to help.
To prevent the pain
that we can live without.




I'm a poet
and didn't know it.

Defensive Anger

Troublesome people can be found anywhere. They are the type of people that others will pointedly avoid to lessen their problems. When such instigators cannot be dodged, they must be skillfully dealt with in a way that diffuses approaching calamity. Curley of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is one of these characters. Through his aggressive, unchanging personality, Curley's insecurities are revealed which drive him in his hot-tempered battle for superiority.

Curley's strong aggression is unveiled the moment he makes his first appearance. His first glance at Lennie is "calculating and pugnacious". Curley commands the room, daring someone to step out of line. He speaks to Lennie with a superior, harsh tone, itching for a reason to fight. Curley's poor attitude and eagerness to fight cause him to have the reputation of an "angry little man" who "just don't give a d*mn". It's clear to everyone that he is trouble. People want to avoid Curley because he has a short fuse and to ruffle his feathers would lead to a less than satisfactory end.

Without wavering in his personality, Curley is rather static, stubborn. Regardless of the outcome, Curley will "alla time" choose to "[pick] scraps with big guys". Curley is willing to overlook the any of the injuries he sustains in the process. What is important to Curley is the feeling of accomplishment he obtains after a fight. Angry about his broken hand, he is more than happy for an excuse to "shoot the guts out that big bastard". Curley is not swayed by the death of his wife but is instead given a reason to hurt Lennie. Curley wants revenge and he will not give up his chance in order to stay with his wife's dead body. 

Curley's more prominent characteristics are molded by his insecurities. Curley is always jittery when it comes to his wife who seems like "she'd clear out for twenty bucks". He is always looking for her. He is not fully convinced of her trustworthiness and with good reason. Curley has not know his wife for very long and she is never around when he wants her. Much of the time, Curley will turn to violence to ease his agitation. When he does fight, "he don't take no chances". Curley will pick out the larger men, which he has been observing beforehand, looking for weaknesses such as the fear he ambitiously hopes to root into others. Knowing that he looks more impressive in the eyes of others whether he wins or losses in a fight against someone much larger than him, he has not the slightest of worries.

Curley's violent behavior labels him as unwanted among the workers on the ranch, although it's not for the reason he hopes for. While he hopes to state his dominance, Curley is in reality building up an animosity which is directed towards himself, adding to it with his single-minded need to fight which springs from his small stature. Curley shows that, while it may not necessarily be justified, the tempers of those so ill-adjusted to socializing with others can actually spring from something. These people may be so disagreeable due to some type of insecurity or experience. It comes from something deeper than their being a "bad" person. These people still have characteristics that a "good" person has, they just may not always exhibit those traits quite as often.