Representing "The Other"

This is a photo I took a few years ago on a trip to Europe. This particular photo is in London of a guy that started preaching to my friends and I about why we should follow and believe in Jesus. Claiming no position as to whether I agree or disagree with him, but this guy was extremely funny. He was dressed in black spandex with a cape, was overly animated and had many bags and other materials with him. After listening to him preach and sing for about half-n- hour I decided to take this picture with him because I wanted to remember him and the fun he brought to our day.

It’s human nature to want to capture photos of a vacation to have and look back on to remember the fun times. Photos allow to us look back on moments of the past and feel as if we are still there. Seeing a photo can bring back memories of where they photo was taken, what the person was doing at the time and how the person felt when the picture was taken. I have not seen this photo in years, but as soon as I saw it I remembered my friends and I laughing so much that our stomachs started to hurt. I also remember not having a good day until we ran into this guy and then being happy for the rest of the day.

If this guy were to take a photograph of me he might add a cross or some other religious symbol to the photo. He might even go as far as to take the photo in or around a church. If he had to add a caption to the photo it might say ‘Jesus Instead.’ The entire time this guy was speaking to us he said “Jesus Instead” after every sentence, phrase and line in a song.

This exercise will change the way I take travel photographs because instead of my photos focusing on the people I am traveling with and  the scenery of where I am, I will try to focus on the native people of where I am traveling. I had to use a photo from almost three years ago because all my pictures of more recent trips were all of myself or the people I was traveling with. I will also change the way I see “the other.” When traveling I tend to focus on the way I am perceived in different places, but not the way the people are perceived in their home.    

Photoshop Photo!!

I used a picture of my best friend and I with our families after our high school graduation. To alter this photo I used the features in Picnik. I Altered the photo by adding the words “Congrats Tiff and Tee” to show our families pride in our accomplishments. In America it is seen as a big accomplishment and often celebrated when a child graduates from high school especially when the family is of another ethnic or cultural background. Both my friend’s and my family emigrated here from Jamaica so for us to “beat the odds” and accomplish something as mediocre as graduating from high school it was a big deal. I also decided to add those particular words, with our names, because it is common in American culture to celebrate a person’s accomplishments by announcing who has accomplished it and what they have accomplished.

I also added a border around the photo to make it appear to be a framed photograph. I decided to add this feature because often photos that capture big moments in a person’s life is typically framed and placed on display for all to see. In American culture, a photo capturing a memorable moment, such as a graduation or a wedding, is normally framed and put on display in the house for family, friends and all guests to share the memorable moment.   

FIVE FOR FIGHTING LYRICS - 100 Years

FIVE FOR FIGHTING LYRICS - 100 Years

100 Years by Five For Fighting

100 Years

The song 100 Years is about the growth of a person. The song starts out at 15; this could mean that a person’s life truly begins at age 15. It could also mean that the most important decisions and the decisions that affect a person’s life begin at age 15. The second line ‘caught in between 10 and 20’ is to show that they are no longer a child, but not quite an adult yet either. The third line represents a 15 – year – old being ambitious and setting goals for the future, but not taking action to reach these goals at that time.

The next part of the song represents the young adult phase of a person’s life. Age 22 is typically the age when most young people graduate from college. This is also the time when a person wants to live life to the fullest and be as adventurous as possible. The line ‘Making our way back from Mars’ does not mean that this person is an astronaut that traveled to Mars, but is a person that has enjoyed life to the fullest without a care, but must get back to reality and being responsible.

The song goes back to being 15 years old and the reference that a 15 – year – old still has time to make life-long decisions. ‘Time to buy and time to lose’ does not mean a person can physically pay money for time, but refers to the idea that a person does not have to know exactly what he/she wants to do with his/her life at the age of 15.

The song then goes into the next phase of life. Once again life never stops so a person is only 33 for a moment. At 33 a person is identified as an adult, but in the plural form. Unlike 22, at 33 a person has responsibilities, usually children, and thinking to start a family. Next stage is 45. At 45 a person is trying to figure out what happened to their younger years. At age 45 most people are also worried about turning 50 and getting older. Ironically, even though people are scared to turn 50 and get older it is socially accepted that once a person is 50 years old he/she is suddenly wise.

The last stage starts at 67 years old. According to the line ‘Dying for just another moment,’ after a person turns 50 years old, every year after that is just another year closer to dying. This line also refers to a person worrying about being able to just live another day.  

This song overall is a metaphor for life and the different stages of life. The song is meant to inform people that even though you may live to be 100 years old live still goes by fast and you must make every moment and every year count.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR-qQcNT_fY

PR Logos

This image was originally created as the logo for the public relations national organization, Public Relations Society of America. The only way the image has been altered over the years is the colors and size. In the new image the colors focus on the "P" and "R" relating it to public relations, also called PR.

This image is not used as a metaphor. It does not compare anything to the profession of public relations or to the name itself. This could be used as a metonym because when someone says PRSA or sees the this image,  it could refer to the profession of PR and not necessarily the actual organization. This image is not ironic nor is it an allegory.  

War is natural!!

 

Topic Sentence (Claim): War is a natural action that is normal to human nature.

In Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag makes the argument that “War has been the norm and peace the exception.” Sontag is arguing, the way war is depicted in images it is seen as normal behavior for humans. She includes an example from Leonardo Di Vinci and how he portrays combat in a photo. Di Vinci ordered to “Make the conquered and beaten pale, with brows raised and knit, and skin above their brows furrowed with pain….” With this explanation Di Vinci explains exactly how he portrays war with specific details of the war scene and the bodies of alive and dead soldiers. In addition to the idea that war images depict it as normal is the argument that photographs of war or tragic incidents are “beautiful.” Even though the scene itself is gruesome and horrific we the viewers’ describe the details of the image and how the artist captured the moment as beautiful. Along with photographs these ideas are represented in films as well. For example, Clint Eastwood’s film, “Letters from Iwo Jima,” supports this idea throughout the film with the Japanese soldiers’ dedication to continue the war even though they knew they were all going to die. Also, the Japanese soldiers’ commitment to continue fighting on behalf of their country and Emperor shows that war is a natural reaction for human beings everywhere. The Japanese felt the need to defend their country and protect their island to the very end even if that meant committing suicide instead of actually surrendering and appearing weak. The suicide scene goes with the beauty argument as well. Eastwood showed each soldier breaking the seal on bombs, holding them to their chests, and blowing themselves up, ending with the bloody aftermath. Though the gruesome details may be hard to watch they also serve as the beauty of the scene. Being able to see every soldier take his own life in honor of his country and the Emperor makes the viewers’ sympathize with the soldiers making this a “beautiful” scene.             

Seeing is BELIEVING!!!

Argument:  My facebook persona reveals that I am a vibrant, outstandstanding person that enjoys life.

Claim 1: My facebook pictures are accepted and appropriate for any subculture I belong to.

                Support: The pictures that either I have posted or my friends have tagged me in are all pictures of the times I spent with family or friends. My photos on facebook mostly reveal that I am a college student enjoying life. They show me smiling around family and friends and just enjoying where I am in my life right now. They do not show any pain, heartbreak, or difficult times which means that I do not allow anyone or anything to take away my happiness or enjoyment. My photos also express that I love fashion and I have a distinct style that reflects my unique personality. When I begin the search for a job any potential employeer can view my photos and will not find any trace of illegal or inappropriate activities. My parents' friends can also view my pictures and see that I am a regular college student that likes to have fun with my friends, but still enjoy the time I spend with my family. I pride myself, not only on my image of my daily life, but also on the image I portray of myself on social networks, such as facebook.  

Claim 2:   Peronal information withheld from social websites have an effect on my persona.    

                Support:  With my facebook persona I have decided to exclude any intimate relationships or any personal conflicts. If I am involved in an argument or confrontation I do not publish post updates or videos about it. Deciding to exclude those details, my facebook friends can conclude that I am an all-around happy person and I will uplift anyone’s mood that is around me. They can also infer that I do not approve of or take part in any form of conflict that will serve as a detriment to my friends, family, or career. My wall is open to just about anyone, my profile pictures can be viewed by anyone, and my audience is anyone that can find me on the internet. Because of the wide scope of people that can view my facebook, I keep the information on their limited to information that is easily accessible, other than on facebook. My relationship status is always set to single just to keep ny personal life private. I also do not include personal information that may cause potential employeers to have a negative view of me, especially before I have an interview.