RA "No sense of place: The Impact of Electronic Media on Social Behavior"

No sense of place by Joshua Meyrowitz argues that the accessibility of electronic media has led to the blurring of social distinctions. Since social rules are based largely on context and electronic media removes much of that context, social rules and roles are also broken down.

Some examples of context. For the speaker on TV program: who is the audience? For the TV audience: what rules govern my response or even interest in the privacy of my home?

Given that the publisher is Oxford University Press, the audience is more scholarly, but it seems also addressed to the layman, rather than a specialized group of PhDs.

The author introduces himself informally by recounting a personal experience. Then he follows with a couple of social theories which, despite strengths, he felt did not entirely succeed in describing social change. He proposes a synthesis of those theories. So at once, the author is presenting himself as an academic, but also an approachable everyday college graduate.

Being a full length book, I did not have time to review the entire argument. However, from the brief description of the introduction the arguments and topics seem typical of sociology/psychology (gender roles, socialization and power structures are the three main applications of his theory.) The book does have a chapter on applying the theory, and comparing the results.

The conclusion argues that the development of a placeless culture (as result of the electronic media) generates a culture more similar to that of nomads. Interesting, although it seems a stretch. (Then again, much of sociology seems that way to me, so...)

Since the book was published in 1985, it would be interesting to compare his predictions with a society that now has in addition to television the developments of e-mail, cell-phones, and youtube.

Published by Oxford Press.

RA "Testing Huntington"

Testing Huntington is four professors' inspection of the consequences of Hispanic immigration on American identity. The basic structure of the argument comes down to this: Hispanic immigration does not threaten the American national identity because Hispanic immigrants, even by the most recent data from the most Hispanic areas demonstrate a generational assimilation into mainstream American culture and language.

The article structures much of its argument refuting a book by Samuel Huntington which asserted that Hispanic immigration posed a threat to American identity. Note that, with the exception of one professor (Kathryn Pearson,) all writers are from UC Berkeley whereas Samuel Huntington is from Harvard. Also Mr. Huntington is in his eighties, versus the younger doctoral candidate status of two of the authors. Both culture, academic tradition, and age separate the two groups. This is evident as they introduce the argument: they take care to quote the words "Anglo-Protestant" and "heaven on earth" on the first page.


The article contains a fairly thorough evaluation of data sources. The US census is criticized for changing its surveys from one census to the next making it difficult to compare changes over time. Other surveys and sources are referenced and evaluated. The weaknesses of each survey are briefly discussed. The reasoning argues that while the number of immigrants has grown beyond expectation, the patterns of acculturation have not changed: third generation from immigrants seem to be more similar to mainstream culture than to their grandparents' culture.

To make their argument complete the article acknowledges that some of Huntington's concerns may prove correct in the future: however the current data do not support it. Instead they point to mainstream culture embracing multiculturalism which would mean much the same thing, however as a cause of the "embrace of multiculturalism among elites." While perhaps true, the argument is more on the side of pathos here than logos.

The rhetoric is relevant to the topic, as well as seeming typical of academic writing. (Actually it seems much chattier than most academic papers, but much more toned down than most rhetoric for which Poli Sci professors are renowned, especially coming form Berkeley. It is complete in that it considers both sides of the issue while presenting one side in the stronger light. The authors acknowledge that their data do not accurately reflect the Hispanic population in the USA as the data excludes the illegal immigrant population. However they discount this population as being relatively secluded and non-voting hence non-important to overall cultural change.


It's a good article, good reference point to find data sources and arguments.

FW Continued

Fireplaces are natural magnets for small boys. The large wood stove at home was a great example. Dad had welded steel pipes and a fan into it to blow out hot air. The dryers at the swimming pool were generally too high for me to reach and even when I got Dad to hit one for me the air didn't really reach me either. But this wood stove: at my size you could stand in front of it and get hair, swimsuit and everything else dry all at once. You could even flick water on it and watch it skitter and pop across the top. The stove had one problem: for short arms the doors were too hot and too heavy to open without getting burned.

The fireplace at Grandpa's farmhouse on the other hand had only a screen to keep the sparks from jumping out onto the carpet. One morning there after breakfast I wandered into the living room. The fireplace was still glowing and, what was better, no one was around to shoo me away from it. After a little while I discovered that the poker, while heavy, made a good sword and the bellows were good for getting flames from the coals. A mysterious knob stuck out above the fireplace just within arms reach with a bench. But the knob only made a quiet metallic scraping sound. The girls sounded like they were starting something in the kitchen so I wandered outside before I could be conscripted into running errands.

A little while later I returned to see the girls all standing outside with towels and wet hair and a haze around the house. And something smelled horrible. While they had been doing perms I had stoked up the fire, then closed the damper (effectively closing the chimney) before wandering outside. At that point Grandpa was inside checking things out.

Sometime later I sat down in an overstuffed chair placed in the middle of the living room at one end. Grandpa was at the other end standing in front of the fireplace with a stern look on his face. Grandma was sitting to one side saying "Now, Fred, don't be too hard on him." Which really didn't help but terrify me the more. My memory ends there (nothing interesting followed I suppose.) And that is how I got into trouble with everyone at the farm.

FW Nostalgia and Perspective

The farmhouse. North behind the house the ground slopes down into a gully. The frog pond sits stagnant at the bottom. Five minutes walk up the road brings you to the dairy. West from the house are the lilac bushes, the tool house, and the corral. South sits the potato cellar, another corral, and the huge gas tanks for the machinery. East the driveway leads out to the single road where a pinto pony stands, made of welded barrels and a mailbox for a head,painted all white and black. And in every direction miles and miles of fields grow to the horizon.

The place is nostalgic in my memories a vanished place of childhood. Now everything has shrunk. A taller perspective and a couple of decades have somehow stolen away the wonder. Climbing the horse gate is no challenge anymore. But in memory it's still a wondrous place. With memories comes the wonder of perspective: how in teh world did I not get into more trouble for everything I got into? The realization that being the first grandkid gets you rather spoiled. Having three teenage aunts who love having you around and always help cover for you doesn't hurt either.

Still what in the world was I thinking when I clogged the sink with cheese curds? Vicki my youngest aunt and favorite babysitter was kinda exasperated with that one. Putting Maria's* plastic cup in the oven and cranking it up to high? Was that to warm up the water or because I couldn't reach the sink and thought it would clean it? In any case it didn't turn out the way expected. Standing eye-level with the glass in the oven door we watched it melt down and envelop the rack before somebody noticed the smell and came running. The only thing that I really got in trouble for though was the fireplace incident. (To be continued...)

*Maria was my baby sister, followed me everywhere and was never quiet, not even for a second.

TA Brainstorming areas to look at for media paper

Media and technology

media and society

media and stories and culture

media and customs: influence on manners from year to year and decade to decade

media and families: communications, traditions

media and politics: youtube

sub areas:

publishing
books, magazines, news, braille, rebel newspapers in China
radio
news, opinion,
TV
news, opinion
cinema
documentary, narrative, art
Theater (again is this media?)
Art
painting, installations, architecture (is that really media?)
music
recording, iTunes, classical and pops live performance,
gaming
driving the research in computer science and simulation, multiplayer, role-playing, simulation
internet
youtube, blogs, news, reference, wiki, collaboration, Picasa/Photobucket
Cell Phones
texting, photographs, rings...
Financial Exchanges
Stock Market, Business, Effects of internet on functioning

Other areas of interest
How media affects opinion and portrayal of other areas (research, politics, business)
Taxes, refunds
Attitudes towards knowledge and social networks
Trust

RA ADD and Marriage

Source: http://www.adhdmarriage.com/node/80

WATCO dealing with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) in marriage?

Audience: spouse(s) interested in dealing with ADD in their marriage. Generally a couple that is experiencing stress due to ADD in one form or another, and is reading about this on the internet blog. (Or a student that needs to do an rhetorical analysis, and thought it looked interesting.)

Argument's introduction begins with a definite contract, a set of questions to be addressed: how to get my non/ADD spouse to admit/deal with the problem.

Ethos of argument: the author is an implied expert (the site appears to be a counseling site, although the author is not given a title.) She does introduce her topic by mentioning that last night she gave a talk on ADD, and was answering questions.

She describes potential scenarios for each spouse, and how each spouse might feel, to help the audience feel that she understands them. Admits in some scenarios that she doesn't know the best way.

Pathos: Presents things in a logical step by step manner designed to help the audience feel confident in following the suggestions.

Logos: Notes that the important thing in treatment be that it works: it should not be important how. Recommends learning more about ADD on both sides, and being patient.

The points presented boil down to three or four things:
First, to learn about the disorder.
Second, to do something about it.
Third, to resolve issues in an unemotional/peaceful way.
Fourth, to be patient with impatient/ un-understanding spouse.

The argument is sufficient in addressing the questions and potential obstacles or objections to her suggestions. The suggestions are typical in form of psychology / counseling advice: very nonabrasive, suggesting common sense toneto it. The usual manner of addressing things for I have no real way of judging accuracy, other than observing that her suggestions seem reasonable. The arguments seem simple enough to motive readers to some sort of action, based on their initial inclination to find out more.

FW Little bit of film analysis

Somebody told me that I am Legend was about this zombie plague that swept earth. Ummm, yeah. Didn't sound like something I wanted to see. Somebody else said Will Smith was acting. Pursuit of Happyness was pretty good. So I went.

Legend is about loneliness. True, the film creates plenty of suspense. The camera's point of view seems like the point of view of somebody external to Neville (the main character.) Because he is the last sane inhabitant in a mostly abandoned New York, you keep expecting the camera to see something that Neville doesn't. Something startling to crank up the suspense. But you never do. Instead you gradually see more and more of the picture through successive flashbacks. But while the suspense mounts for the audience, that tension is coming to understand Neville's position rather than setting you up to watch him get it. The shots, while having a creepy third person feel, are a reflection of how Neville feels watched rather than you knowing something he doesn't.

At one point you see Neville fearfully searching for his dog in the dark. There's evidence that something else is there but he pushes on. Eventually you realize Neville doesn't fear for his life. Rather he is terrified of losing his last friend in the world.

That scene shifted my perspective. The film went from horror to drama: watching a man doggedly grasping what is left of his faith, his civilization and finally his family as they tear away from him piece by piece. The eerie is not eerie just to terrify the audience: rather each event becomes an obstacle to the protagonist, to be explained and overcome.

Even though the camera follows Neville, bits and pieces in the background hint at things that Neville must ignore. The camera never focuses on those hints but the audience sees them. A plaintive piece of graffiti reads "God still loves us." Newspaper clippings report mass graves. Neville traps a victim, but then is caught the same way. The climax gains a note of tragedy for the audience.

The final voice-over establishes that the point of view throughout was history looking at Neville's efforts. However "documentary" and "heroic" are a tough mix. Legend had potential to exceed the title of 'just a zombie flick' and kind of got there. It's definitely more action than a Shyamalan film but has more pathos than an action flick.

TA Issue analysis

Topic: Bilingual marriages

Potential WATCOs

WATCO bilingual marriage on social involvement in democracy?
(Exploring the idea that "diversity" and "social involvement" are often opposing forces in sociology. Still not entirely comfortable with the idea and arguments, so moving on.)

WATCO bilingual upbringing on education of children in bilingual families?

Claim: Bringing up children bilingual will be worth your efforts.

Arguments Pro (BF = Bilingual Fluency):
BF is an asset in workforce.
BF connects children to both sides of the family,
BF preserves their heritage and culture.
Effort will improve communications between spouses: studying and teaching non-native language will make parents more fluent as well.

Arguments Con:
Requires constant effort on part of parents.
May require special schooling.
May require money to pay for resources.
May require moving between countries on a regular basis.
Knowing only the dominant language wil often be enough.
Knowing two languages (in US at least) may separate child from other children.
Bringing up a child bilingual from birth can have undesirable consequences (inability to distinguish between languages initially; only those who know both can then communicate with the child. Have seen one or two instances of this.)


WATCO spouses speaking different native languages on marital success and satisfaction?

Pro:
More effort put into communication may force better communication and patience between the two.
Know some good examples of couples where have worked successfully, despite a still present language barrier even after forty years.

Con:
Friction due to cultural misunderstandings can lead to problems, divorce.

RA Diversity vs Social Capital

WATCO Swedish minority on social capital in Finland?

Audience: Swedish speakers as well as sociologists in general (the abstract has a copy in Swedish at the paper's start.)

Background:
Social capital is defined as the trust and involvement that is necessary for the operation of democratic governments (among other things.) The author notes that other researchers have found that diversity has a negative effect in general on social capital, yet that does not seem to be the case with the Swedish speaking minority in Finland.

Claim: Due to social involvement and cultural traditions, the Swedish minority is in a pretty good situation in relation to the majority, in contrast to most minority groups in the world.

Ethos:
Ms. Back immediately gives a copy of the abstract in Swedish which is more a gesture of courtesy and identification than necessity: the majority of citizens in Nordic countries speak English fluently. This will be especially true of the college-educated researchers likely to be reading the paper.

Pathos:
Among other things listed as vital to the Swedish speakers' success is their history. While this may be true, it also will be appealing to those who work to preserve their cultural identity that preserving that identity is part of what provides for their position in the world.

Logos:
The majority of the paper cites various studies, facts and figures to support the conclusions. Swedish is officially a national language of Finland, although only spoken by about 6% of the population: so in principle it should be equal to Finnish. The author then goes on to argue that tensions between the Finnish language movement and Swedish speakers are less because the movement was apparently spearheaded by the Swedish speaking class. She also argues that the tight knit social organization of Swedish speakers helps extend a network of trust that helps facilitate Swedish involvement in politics (which naturally helps protect Swedish speaking interests.)

The study is not entirely complete to me. Some facts are presented without reference as common knowledge (then again the audience is not me but sociologists in general.)

The reasoning is typical of academic papers. The author attempts to clearly define constructs and measurements, and acknowledges where there is no consensus in the field for some constructs (what exactly constitutes and ethnicity for example.)

FW

Yes is must be coherent.

No it cannot be in Russian. It is an English class.

(But what if it has good English grammar?)

English grammar requires English words.

***

Qiang, how is it that you get three times as many notes as the rest of us put together?

You call this a note? Look at this!

Let's compare the handwriting. Maybe we can see if it really was the same person.

***

Good, you spelled my name right.

***

Are you sure this is coherent?

Sure, it's as coherent as any collage of sound bites.

***

Hey, just to let you know, I found another piece of meat going bad in the fridge.

This has not been a good week.

You're lucky, you don't have a sense of smell.

No he does. He could smell when I used bleach to mop the floor the other week during clean checks.

Yeah, well, bleach is more of a sensation than a smell.

***

I wish that your car survives you learning how to drive with a stick shift.

I wish that all the wishes come true.

(I wonder if she gets tired of that, being the youngest, and having to say that every year, and not being able to make up one of her own?)

***

Good night all.

Let's pray first.

...

RA

Location: www.cggc.duke.edu/pdfs/051606_Testimony_of_Vivek_Wadhwa.pdf

WATCO enacting legislation now to correct perceived crises in US engineering education and competitveness.

Claim: Current

Audience: U.S. House of Representatives

Ethos:
Mr. Wadwha establishes his credentials first off as an engineering professor at a prestigious university and an experienced entrepreneur and businessman.

Pathos:
Wadwha does adjust his address to his audience of politicians. When he lists the applications of engineering, he lists off political hot-topics, rather than technical hot-topics e.g. environment, health care, and renewable energy sources.

Logos:
Most of the argument relies on presenting research that the quoted numbers of graduating engineers from China and India in comparison with the U.S. are not entirely accurate. He makes three arguments. First, the numbers are overreported by the Chinese government. Secondly the actual proportion of Chinese engineers to populace is less than the USA (the implication being that there is plenty of needs to meet for China; competing with US business is just one possiblity for them.) Lastly he argues that the quality of Chinese and Indian engineers is generally less than that of US engineers. Companies still turn to the US for innovation.

Wadwha acknowledges that his data is insufficient to argue for one course or another. The arguments are fairly typical for engineering and economics, although somewhat adjusted for the audience. In light of the fact that I cannot find this document on the US government website makes me suspect that it wasn't all that effective.


A little more on that last bit. The curious bit about this document is that it is hosted at Duke University, but I was unable to track down a copy on the US House of representatives website, which makes me wonder if it wasn't prepared and then never given, or if somebody had it removed for political reasons?

FW Write now!

Please forgive me if I brag a bit on my family. I'm proud of them. I used to think that everyone was like them. But time and reflection have made me realize that they're rather unique.

Take Grandma for example. She dropped out of high school to attend BYU back when campus was still below Maeser hill. Graduated with a degree in chemistry and was contacted by Los Alamos to do work for them. I suppose they figured that a mormon girl from southern utah was a pretty low espionage risk. Curiously we never knew about her work until a few years ago when she go a letter informing her that it been declassified and she could talk about it. You never know. And she's still going strong. She asked for (and got) a table saw for her eightieth birthday this last summer.

Then there's her grandchildren, mostly college educated. The occasion several nights ago was goodbyes to two of them. One grandson is leaving for Afghanistan, the other to serve as an LDS missionary. Both brothers from a family of thirteen kids. There's another brother/friend that has been unofficially adopted into the family. As he puts it, they fed him once and haven't been able to get rid of him since.

It make one a little reflective to see the soldier leaving for Afghanistan. There is his son, a year old, and his wife with one on the way. And he'll most likely be gone for over a year before he returns. "What if?" thoughts cross the mind: "What if he dies? What happens to his family? How would that be for his son?" True, his particular job doesn't require him to be in the action as much, but the danger is there nonetheless. His wife grew up in the military, and knew he was a soldier when they married. But it's as radically different kind of a life as being LDS is from the rest of the USA.

The missionary is excited to go. He too is a little reflective, understanding that he'll never come back to the world he's leaving. When he returns, his younger sisters will be in college. There's a very real possibility that other siblings will be married, and that he will have more nieces and nephews. And then there's the extended family, back to Grandmas siblings and their descendants. It's between four and five generations when you get the whole lot together. He's started using facebook to keep in touch better. Not that we don't see each other at the reunions, or write each other a few times a year, but it's nice to be more current.

Even without daily contact, it's the family that keeps us together. Inevitably the branches will grow too large to keep together, especially as the older generations die. But there's a level of trust in the gospel and in a common dedication to each other. Hundreds of people, many who look familiar, but I really don't know b name: it makes me wonder sometimes. But it also is a great security to know that I can rely on them.

RA Song KOHb by Lube

Reference: You can find a few decent renditions of "Kon" on Youtube. If you can find a store that actually sells it locally, let me know. Need some bass capability to get the full effect.

The lyrics are a little clunky in translation, but should give you the basic idea of the song.

Song description:
The title of the song translates as "Stallion"
The narration describes riding out into the boundless fields and forests of Russia, until dawn. It describes enduring hard times and seeing a better year ahead. The feel is nostalgic. The album was released in 1993, as the nation was experiencing violent economic and political upheaval.

It is sung a cappella, which is a traditional form of music in Russia. The Russian Orthodox church allows no instrument but the voice in the temples and religious services.

Audience: Russian Populace, especially

The feel is patriotic and nostalgic.

The references and language are traditional, more of the old language and grammar that are in story books, rather than that of modern newspapers.

The theme of renewed hope and survival through tough times is a recurrent one in Russian culture, and familiar and comfortable to the audience.

The music is intense, swings from very soft to very loud.

The logic is simple: Russia has endured much worse, it still stretches from sea to sea, and is still great. The implication is that as the fields of the country are without bounds through the night, so Russia will endure through tough times without coming to an end.

TA Argument and Audience Exploration

WATCO admitting more international students to existing universities?

Enthymeme:
Admitting more international students will promote US economic prosperity.
Admitting more international students gives US students more opportunity to form networks that include contacts abroad. In increasingly international economy, an international network will help US businessmen to promote US business interests.

Audience:
Business school admissions offices, who may be strong on "diversity" but not as keen on international diversity due to the current political climate. Business school culture is naturally very organization oriented. Both students and faculty identify strongly with their own school, profession, and nation.

In form, the audience and the argument are similar to the Bologna Accord. The audience operates under a very territorial paradigm but could benefit from changing or opening that territory a little.

Possible appeals

Logos:

Perhaps appeal to "know thy enemy" so you can better compete with him.

The opportunities for foreign markets are immense. Take China for example: the construction of buildings and cities will continue at an incredible pace for decades yet. They can use engineering expertise, but if the leaders in their business world don't know the leaders in ours it's going to be an uphill climb for US businessmen.


Pathos:

Diversity is already a buzzword and goal among the major MBA schools. Surely international students are included in that definition.

It is easy for a relatively uneducated individual to outsource work to a 3rd world country. I know one acquaintances of mine who studies philosophy, who currently outsource parts of his startup business to workers in the Philippines. It takes someone more educated and sophisticated in business to actually find viable markets for US products overseas.

Ethos:

This is tough as a student. To them what do I really know? How much experience do I have in business? Although I can offer examples from personal experience and good research the best asset I may have is to present in a professional tone.


Weaknesses in the argument so far:
In truth, I need to actually know how business schools respond to international students, and whether or not "diversity" means international as well. At this point their attitude is an educated guess without much evidence.

FW Valentines Day Thanks

Someone expressed the idea to me today, that Valentine's day was a good day to express appreciation and thanks for the people that make life worth living. So, to explore that idea, here is a list of people who have made my life a little (or a lot) better this last year.

First off, and this sounds weird until you realize that I just spent three hours tonight juggling three chemistry labs simultaneously, I am grateful for my O-Chem teacher and TAs. Life's just a lot better with a teacher who brings old Beatles songs to play during lab. Helps you keep perspective.

An apartment ful of roommates who are good friends and love to go do stuff together.

Heather, and Heidi, because they asked especially to be mentioned here. And b/c they know how to dance, which is always nice at a dance (when you know even a few steps, it's just more fun.)

And that's all for now.

RA Bologna Declaration

Bologna Declaration

aka

• the Bologna Process
• the Bologna Accord
• the Bologna Process towards the European higher Educational Space

As you've probably guessed, the Bologna Process is not about making lunch meat, it's about standardizing education. The accord was adopted in 1999, and continues as the Bologna Process today.

Audience
Universities in the European Union and government agencies regulating those universities. The nations involved have rivalries over centuries, even millenia, and are fiercely proud of their culture. The universities addressed include the first universities ever in Europe.

WATCO standardization in European education?

Argument in short
The continuing effort of promoting a unified European educational system will promote a unified society in the EU. Specifically the regulation and actions of the Bologna Accord will promote a unified "educational space" which in turn will increase citizens' "mobility, employability, and the Continent's overall development," as well as "an awareness of shared values and belonging to a common social and cultural space."

Ethos
The tone is carefully diplomatic. To establish a friendly and yet authoritative tone the document notes that suggestions are representative of "authoritative experts" from all member countries and "very useful."

Logos
"There is growing awareness of the need." This phrase establishes the need as a fact. Additionally everybody knows about the need and supports doing something about it (implied by "political and academic world and in public opinion") Thus we should do something about filling that need.

Appealing to national pride, the Accord argues that since "the vitality and efficiency of any civilisation can be measured by the appeal that its culture has for other countries," the EU should promote an educational system that capable of attracting the same world-wide attention as its science and culture.

Pathos
"The situation in South East Europe" is given as a reason for unifying Europe. The genocide was then in the forefront of the media and fresh in people's minds across Europe and is still remembered almost a decade later.

Effective?

The Bologna Accord is typical of the series of agreements that are creating the EU.

Given that representatives from all participating countries have signed the accord, we hope that the document is accurate in it's details.

The Accord remains relevant today in the Bologna Process. Universities have begun standardization and continue to apply to be part of the accord to access the promised opportunities.

FW Comment required

What would you like to read about on this blog?

Please pick some topics from the following list of ideas and thoughts:
Which is most interesting?
Which the least? (I enjoy a challenge sometimes. Maybe I can find a way to make something "boring" appear more interesting.)
Feel free to suggest scrapping the entire list in favor of something else, if that's your inclination.

Why working in engineering is like working in Latin: the sophistication of your communication is limited by how well you understand mathematics and statistics. However no one seems interested in speaking mathematics fluently. Imagine trying to write a novel in the simplest grammar possible. It may be requisite for kids books, but I don't think that great literature is composed that way.

Procrastination is a good way to manage bad habits.

Lessons from the experience of working as a Resident Assistant. (Things you learn about people watching the new students make their way through their freshman year of college.)

Thoughts on philosophy, e.g. "Most of epistemology goes out the window as soon as a three year old opens his mouth. Philosophy is bunk." (And why.)

The odds of getting an education. (Why sleep, nutrition, and low stress are necessary for genuine learning; and just how much the odds are stacked against any kind of genuine learning in college.)

Poetry (This will take some time, and no guarantees on quality.)

Personal stories from memorable incidents in my life.

Gripes and pet peeves. However these are rather too close to signing my name to a DUI (Daily Universe Idiotorial: Writing under the influence of an asinine gripe. I do that too much anyways.)

Things that I am researching in bioinformatics, and why they are cool (or why you should care.)

"Practical psychology" or thoughts on how different groups of people view things differently, and how it affects communication/work/etc. Or makes the world easier to understand, or helps you get a different perspective on things.

Writing done under the influence of sleep deprivation. (For example I asked my roommate just now about possible topics and got the following response: dating, girls, video games, and the cultural influence of Pacman.)

This seems like a good point to stop.

RA Norman Rockwell -- Freedom of Speech

Audience

Saturday Evening Post readership: a little better off, majority female, time to follow the serial stories of the post, and also the ongoing issues at town meetings. And by extension, would be concerned about the war effort. A religious group, and proud of the USA and its history.

WATCO buying war bonds on society?

Enthymeme: Buying war bonds will promote the value of free speech, which in turn allows the nobility of truth to shine through in society.

Ethos

The audience would be well acquainted with town meetings, and the various issues, contentious and otherwise that are typical of those meetings. The picture puts them in a familiar setting.

The composition of the picture is a tight triangle, leading the eye between three faces: two men in suits looking up to a man in plaid shirt and jacket standing between them. The picture calls attention to the man's ordinary workman's clothing in contrast to the suits of those around him.

The pamphlet, presumably describing the issue at hand, is stuffed in one of his pockets and folded back on itself showing his preparation in contrast to the two men who hold their books closed in their hands besides him. He is prepared.

Pathos

The face of the speaker is serene and noble. What he is saying apparently commands the respect and perhaps admiration of those around him. Several other people watch him, not turning their heads, but listening. Allegorically he is the U.S. standing for freedom in a war torn world: ordinary men whose must prevail because their cause is just, perhaps even divine. The rest of the world looks on them for support and leadership.

Logos

The traditional American value of free speech allows the truth to be heard. That truth is what leads the world. Buying war bonds will support the good cause.

STAR and Effectiveness?
The work is typical of Rockwell, accurate enough in my own experience (in dress and manner, the man could very well represent my own grandfather, who was involved in land issues and town meetings of one sort or another all his life.) Given the day, it was relevant. It still retains much of its inspirational power, although the question of war bonds has passed, the question of the value of free speech has not.

TA Revision for style - Political Commodity

Political parties provide a useful service to the voters: they simplify the process of selecting a candidate. Just as the task of running a national government is delegated to those voted into office (at least nominally: the bureaucracy keeps an element of constancy among the continually changing representatives, presidents, senators, etc.) The task of choosing the topics to discuss, the most important issues to the public, the tone of the political conversation is delegated to two large political parties.

They like to pretend that they sit on opposite sides of a fence (otherwise how could their existence be justified?) But in truth, you find that the same kinds of people, the same varieties of opinion make up both parties, if in different proportions. Like Pepsi and Coke: any truly radical differences in ingredients? No, just truly radically different followings.

The problem is that politics is not a choice between two brands of soda pop. Or at least it shouldn't be. But that is often what it comes down to when you register as part of a political party. The party feeds you politics in consumer fashion, and you are relieved from the messy details of really trying to understand ugly issues like economics (bad memories of that class.)

Revision

Political parties simplify politics. The task of running a nation, a state, or even the city you live in is delegated to some individual brave enough to undertake full time work to 'make things better.' Similarly political parties undertake the task of choosing which topics to discuss, what is 'vital' for the nation 'now,' and finding people to volunteer themselves for office.

The two dominant political parties like to show that they sit on opposite sides of a political fence. This helps justify their existence. But, in truth, the same varieties of people make up both parties, if in differing proportions. Like Pepsi and Coke, ingredients do not differ radically. Just followers.

Deciding the course of a people isn't a choice between two brands of soda pop, you protest. I agree. It shouldn't be. But when you delegate understanding, or even trying to understand the issues, your choice is about as meaningful. "Whom do I prefer?" then "What stories does my party tell me?" One might as well say "Do I prefer Pepsi or Coke?" then "So what do the commercials tell me?"

TA (C effort)

To: Manager
Re: New software to replace the current reporting system

The old AQ reporting can soon be replaced with a new system using OLAP processing. This will allow faster report customization (and be more reliable.) Switching over to a new software setup will require a different skill set from the current LAMP model. The new programmer will have to be trained on the job; however the learning curve is guaranteed not to be the three month ordeal.

The software will require more time to develop. While it may not allow the exact same report format, it will be easy to update and keep an aggregate database over multiple years. This is good because those departments and programs that only graduate several people per year never get a report, because there are never enough respondents to be considered statistically significant (as well as enough to keep responses anonymous.) If it is easy to set up reports to work over several years, then getting reports for these departments will be relatively painless. Also more time can be spent looking at the data and finding useful correlations than slowly working with the existing software.

(Audience is a manager who directs research on the university programs. He has a little knowledge of programming, but is more concerned with the political implications of research than the research per se. He would love to customize reports and research for different departments. The software in question was created custom for the department, and is difficult to modify.)

FW Some thoughts at the end of the day

It's amber sunset behind the path. A stream flows past and cuts down the staircase of water falls, between the cliffs, and then out, on into the sea. Gulls cry and call above the murmur and boom of waves on the rocks. Cool breezes turn chilly with the setting sun, the water darkens and grays. The tide will soon be coming in, but at the base of the cliffs we wander looking for mussels before returning home.

But mussels are best found where the waves beat on rocks, and everywhere here is open sand or cliff. So maybe out there by that big rock, standing like piece of the cliff broken off? We wade across the stream, rolled up pants, cold water getting chillier as the tide comes in. A few morsels, but nothing large enough to take. Erin climbs up the rock, laughing and exclaiming when she slips. David takes off towards the other direction loping along on his tall legs. Dad goes on further, determined to find some mussels. Mom and the other girls are getting cold, and start to head back. It's getting dim.

We come to the stream, deeper and wider now, and get soaked going back. David runs up excited: he's found a good spot, a precarious bit of rock right around the edge of the cliff. Dad gets out his flashlight, hands a screwdriver to David for prying mussels, and I get the bucket. The girls head back up to the van to dry out and get warm.

Crouched on the outcropping they hack at the mussels while I stand with the bucket, watching for big waves in the blackness. Some slap up around our legs, and others simply wash over us. After the second one of those, we figure it's time to go while we still can.

Back in the van the heater's on high. We are all soaked, but warm. Wrapped in wool blankets and smelling like the sea, we drive home telling stories along the way.

TA Introduction Practice

What is the point of an animation major learning calculus? While a professional will probably use the practical aspects of calculus, practice is quite a different thing from theory. What use are mathematical proofs to an artist? The other point of view is that everything you learn about your craft can be beneficial to your art. Certainly there must be some benefit to understanding the principles behind the software you use? But then again, how much benefit?

---

The world gets smaller every day: by way of trade, immigration, and social movements. The need to understand the world only increases, yet the stereotypical American remains ignorant, proud, and uninformed concerning foreign culture. Unfortunately this stereotype still fits far too many people.

But how does one start to change a culture so centered on itself? Educational reform? The educational bureaucracy is a behemoth to wrestle, even assuming that you can get the proper legislation passed. By public media? Entertainment is a risky enough business, even without trying to sell something mostly unrelated to the common American experience. Economic incentives? Common "wisdom" has it that all the incentives are to immigrate to the USA and learn English.

Yet the fact remains that events in a foreign lands are having increasing impact on life in the US; and that all too often the American populace is sorely under-equipped to understand those foreign events.

---

A man I once talked to on the bus observed that it's difficult to retire. He worked as a construction worker; said that despite the physically challenging bit of work, he saw many workers, who'd come back to earn extra money. It wasn't really the money. It's just that, if construction's what you've been doing all day, every day for forty years long, it's tough to stop cold turkey no matter how much your body aches from aging and labor. Of course they're not chucking plywood up to rooftops or putting in ceilings, but there's plenty to do besides that. And there's lots of ways to keep the aches away and the body going...

He went on to comment on how many workers would use drugs in various combinations, herbal and prescription, legal and otherwise to keep themselves on their feet.

RA "Strike a Blow for Democracy in Asia"

Audience

Readership interested enough in Washington politics to write, call, or otherwise sway the result of a vote.

Question

WATCO of limiting or removing ROL (rule-of-law) education aid to Cambodia?

Reasoning

Ethos

The State Department and the Asian Wall Street Journal are quoted as sources of authority. The author of the article implies that he is an authority as well, by evaluating the article as "correctly reporting."

Ordinary citizens rather than the dictatorial government of Cambodia are the ones requesting aid for ROL education.

Pathos

The article appeals to the disappointment of Vietnam. Argues that following current course would result in a similar tragedy.

Also appeals to dislike of dictator by presenting the US as being more of an obstacle to human rights education than the dictator.

Logos

Removing ROL education would hinder the development of democracy in Cambodia, because removing ROL would hinder the development of an educated populace.

There is no infrastructure or populace capable of supporting ROL. Visible progress has been made in restoring both populace and infrastructure by way of US aid.

Aid for ROL education should be provided regardless of the current form of government, because it is essential for the development of a democratic government. Likewise, it does not support a dictatorial government.

Sufficient

While the argument seems sound, the author, as director of a program likely affected by the change in funding, is left open to the criticism that he is protecting his job.

Typical

The argument uses resources that are typical to a newspaper format (with perhaps the exception of quoting another newspaper.)

Accurate

As director of a Cambodian aid program, the facts are likely accurate. The actual connection between ROL aid and the development of the infrastructure is only implied: he could be glossing over the fact that the most influential programs were not funded by the US government. However presenting that kind of evidence would not work in a newspaper article format.

Relevant

At the time of writing, both sides of congress were in the process of deciding how much to cut aid to Cambodia. Suspension of current funds was an administrative decision that could still be reversed.

Effective?

The article would be slightly more persuasive to me if it were written by an impartial spectator. However it seems sound.

TA Practice with Enthymemes (?sp)

• WATCO of raising the cutoff GPA at BYU?

Raising the cutoff GPA for admittance to BYU will increase students' tendency to whine about their grades.

B/C Raising the cutoff GPA increases the number of A students at BYU, of which a certain percentage are only A students by way of whining about their B+ scores to teachers.

• WATCO of appealing to the authority of "scientists" to prove a fact to a science major?

Using the authority of a scientist to prove a fact to a science major will likely be met with skepticism.

B/C Science as a discipline relies on arguments based on evidence and reasoning rather than authority. Thus a science major will be skeptical of someone who relies on their position of authority instead of evidence and argumentation in explaining facts.

• WATCO of never quitting on your mental health?

Never quitting and never winning is just stupid.

B/C Consistently failing and yet still trying to win is like intentionally setting yourself up for disappointment.

• WATCO of accepting food that you never intend on eating?

Accepting gifts that you don't intend to use establishes a junky relationship between giver and recipient.

B/C Accepting a useless gift just increases the junk you manage in your life, while establishing a precedent for yet another useless gift which can only hurt the giver.

RA Advertisement - Daily Universe back page, Tue Jan 15

Audience

Three audiences are addressed, each a subset of the previous.
First: BYU Students in general. They however are not concerned with the question.
Second: Marriott School students, who are potential applicants to Deloitte services.
Third: Winners of the National Tax Case Study Competition. Top students in one of the best ranked accounting programs in the US, they have taken days out of their studies to travel to and compete in the competition.

Question

WATCO a Marriot School graduate applying to Deloitte?
Structure

The advertisement consists of a full page with the following: a picture of four students, text congratulating the winners of the competition, the Deloitte logo with some technical small print.

Ethos

Deloitte is one of the prestigious "Big 5" accounting firms.

The ad establishes a personal relationship by naming the winners individually, as well as stating that “The people of Deloitte” are the source of the ad.

Deloitte also places itself on the same page as two winning teams: the implication is that Deloitte is also a winning team.

Pathos

Deloitte is gives the winners individual, campus-wide recognition for their efforts in a discipline with relatively little personal recognition. The winners will like that.

Deloitte does not mention (although it is implied) that Deloitte runs the competition. Rather the competition is referred to as National, rather than Deloitte, thus increasing the prestige of the winners.

The actual competition took place in November. The advertisement is running several months late, presumably to renew the winners’ recognition and remind them about the company.

Logos

None.

Effective?

Good at giving the winners warm fuzzies from recognition. The fine print at the bottom also gives them a chance to show off their knowledge of Deloitte’s organization by explaining it to their classmates.

According to an unverified document at http://www.econ.ucsb.edu/~harmon/recruitingcode.pdf Big Five companies will begin making offers to December graduates on Feb 15. This advertisement is a good way to prepare those graduates for offers.

The ad shows one of the students wearing a beard: a tip off to the BYU audience that the students pictured are models and not the winning team implied by the format of the advertisement. This lessens the personal touch.