Bridget: The Debate

So I watched the presidential debate and the end result is that it really didn't do much to sway my opinion one way or the other. I still think Mcain is too old and too conservative and too much like Bush to effectively dig America out of the financial hole we're in and I still think Obama might just be the CHANGE we need to turn this country around and prevent us from falling into the next Great Depression.

This was the first presidential debate I ever watched and, to my surprise, I actually thought it was quite humorous because of the fact that McCain and Obama didn't even want to speak to each other at first. I felt sorry for the Jim Lehrer having to work so hard to literally force what started out as two people talking directly to him into an actual debate. The funniest part was when McCain made the "you think I can't hear" comment because he is soo old he's probably going to need an hearing add soon if he doesn't already use one. Also, I know it's a debate and I should have expected each candidate to try and take blows at one another when ever they could, but what the heck???? I would have rathered watched 2 grown men effectively and accurately attacking the issues instead of each other. At some moments, I really felt like I was watching 2 little kids arguing over their tonka toys. Another thing, what was with McCain and all the little stories he had about his past? DUDE... You have 2 minutes to answer the question.. PLEASE get to the point and quit with the "back when I was a youngster" stories. It's not even like they were interesting. However, when he did get to the issues, most of his spiel about our financial crisis and his stance on the war were completely predictable. It's like give me something I haven't heard before... please? Obama's points were the same way, but at least he is such a charismatic speaker that I was compelled pay attention everytime he spoke. It also helped that what he was saying made sense!!! After this debate, the only thing I can hope for is that America see who is truly capable of running this country. I hate to say it, but let's be serious, McCain is too close to death for us to honestly think that he is going to be able to fix everything that is currently wrong with our country and Palin... well, let's not even GO THERE!

Band 2 Presentation: The Photographic Message?

Roland Barthes is a brilliant man who’s genius is sometimes far too great for the likes of college students like us to understand or even begin to grasp at first glance. This is why we as a group are thankful that we were able to delve into the inner workings of Barthes the structuralist, rather than the Barthes Band 1 had, which was Barthes on acid. However, no matter what state of mind he was in, his texts are still very difficult to break down into meaning without some dedication and serious critical thinking skills. Therefore, our group really had to keep one question in mind when trying to create this presentation: So what does it mean??? 

Our discussion focused mostly on the photographic message as well as the significance of memory work. We defined the photographic message as the denotation and connotation we get from pictures and its surrounding layout. We discussed whether a photograph can actually be denoted or if we are only allowed connotation. We also investigated Barthes notion of six connotation procedures. The first three (trick effects, pose, objects) must be separated from the last three because the connotation “is produced by modification of the reality itself, of, that is, the denoted message.” While the other three (aesthetic, photogenia, syntax) reside on a more subconscious, historical plane. However all six do benefit from the status of the denotation in that the viewer may not always see the photographers preparation prior to the moment the picture is taken. All in all the most important point is that we all see these images differently because our own personal historical and cultural experiences.

After reading, our group came together to discuss what he was really trying to say. This proved to be very helpful because what one of us didn’t understand, the other was able to explain. We brainstormed ideas for what to do and immediately decided that there was no better way to explain Barthes notion of this photographic message, than with the use of photographs. Then, we went on to decide that having each of us focus on a specific section to present would be the best way to formulate our presentation. It simply made the most sense because one is always better at breaking down and fully understand one section of something rather than trying to become an expert at the whole entire thing. This separation of sections also allowed us to add our own individual flavor and personality to our sections and then come together as a group to make it all flow together through language and imagery to create our own interpretation of Barthes’ photographic message.

Bridget eased the class into the presentation with the introduction and the photographic paradox, Jordan gave them some context using imagery to explain connotation procedures, and Chase brought it home with text and image and photographic insignificance. Each group member did their best to draw meaning from their respective texts and translated that meaning to their classmates. Of course, we each needed help from one another along the way as we hit little bumps in the road, but nothing completely deterred us from our goal.

Our photographs did a fantastic job of driving each point home and the connections we made to Kuhn’s, further confirmed and illustrated Barthes’ message.

Now that it’s over, we just hope we were able to accurately and interestingly answer the question we began with for our class. Now the only question left to ask is… Do know what it means? If you do, then we have effectively done our job.

Bridget Post 3: From Work to Text?

The subject matter for this week was pretty complex, but by the end of the week the both ladies of M.C.C.K08 and Kate helped me really grasp the true meanings of Barthes  piece. As always, Barthes did a good job of confusing me as he tried to explain he differences between work and text, but I have finally come to a point where I think actually "get it". Like Band 1 said, when I first read From Work to Text, it was hard for me to think of the word "text" as being more then just the words themselves, but once I got rid of that automatic association, I was able to really delve into what Barthes said text truly is in relation to work. At first, I thought that if work is simply the thing itself, that which you can read, touch, or feel, then is text is simply the readers comprehension of it, their meaning, however, now understand that there is so much more to text and the network of things that gives every text continuity, plurality, and abstraction. From what Barthes said and Band 1 explained, I understand there really is no true, absolute meaning of any "text" because there is no closure to it. Just as I am typing these words down for others to read, analyze, and draw meaning from, I am keeping in mind that their meaning may be totally different from my own because text has no Father or affiliations. Therefore, once I complete this blog can I really even say that it's mine? I guess not, because if text has no author then the words on this screen no longer belong to me. Yes, I wrote them but the aren't "mine" and the message I am trying to get across might be completely lost to some. When thinking about it in that context I have to wonder what's the point? Why bother to try and explain anything to anyone through text when there is no guarantee that they are going to comprehend it in the way I want them to anyway? And if text is a network of things working together to make meaning, who exactly is responsible for that network and the way it is woven together? Am I the maker of that network or does society determine what text is and isn't and how we should comprehend it?No matter what the answers to those questions might be, I still think I play a huge role in the way this text shall be read and comprehended, even if it is in an unconscious manner. Yes, I am conscious of what I am saying and of what I mean, but the underlying network the this text is creating as I write it unknown to me. 

I think the image I chose this week relates to the subject of text, but from a different direction. I chose it because it connects what Barthe was saying about text to somehing I can relate to today. In the minds of most, if not all people my age, the word text is associated with the beloved act of text messaging. Since text messaging is such an important part of the average young adults life today (as is very evident in this image), I have to wonder how Barthes' notion of text applies to the text of a text message. Does that too, have no closure, is living, and continuous? Is it also author-less and open to interpretation. What about the language of text messaging? Would LOL or TTYL mean something different to you than it would to me or someone who lives across the country? What do you think? The only thing I am sure of is that the world wouldn't be the same with out it.

In attempts at knowledge and understanding it must be realized that frustration and confusion are part of the game. I encountered this head on when attempting to distinguish between text and Text. Leading to even more frustration is Barthes assertion that the Text is not to be thought of as an object that can be computed. Then what the hell is it, an idea? I find that although vague, Barthes realizes that a strict dictionary definition is unsatisfactory in the deeper meaning of this abstract almost all encompassing idea of text is. Perhaps it is crucial to note that Text both is and is not simultaneously. Text is a container full of definitions. Therefore its understanding is based on fluctuating instances of piercing emotion in which the reader doesn’t necessarily comprehend the Text but instead feels it moving through them.
Barthes explains that while a work is displayed the Text is demonstrated. With this idea in mind I chose an image of text fluctuating on the page. I feel the idea of Text leaping off the page is very helpful in identifying the importance of how we interpret the Text. I felt that band one’s assertion that the Text is abstract and irreducible helped me to understand the relevance of Barthes’ argument for Text. While I was trying narrowly define the notion of Text, band one articulated how the Text was not important as a strict definition but instead as a collaborative effort find the true meaning of our unconscious understanding of media.
We also discussed memory work and its significance in understanding our own repressed memories and ideas. Memory work is an effective way to tap into, not only are subconscious but to a certain extent the Barthes’ idea of Text. Because memory work focuses on pinpointing this piercing it can also help us to find Text and that which it encompasses. While we are focusing on the unconscious mind and its interpretations, it is important to note that all are efforts are strictly conscious and cognizant. That said I argue that we can never truly these abstract concepts. However it is yet to be realized whether these attempts at knowledge will lead to a better society or are just futile efforts to define the indefinable.

Chase Blog 3

After reading from Work to Text I was even more confused about the subject matter, but once the lovely ladies of Band 1 explained it to me, it became more clear.  When just merely looking at the words Work and Text, one would think the work is made up of the text, however, he would be wrong.  Text is much more than writing, it is a collaborative abstract that cannot be pinned down.

The image I chose for this entry can be easily interpreted if you were present for the throwing of the yarn during Band 1's lecture.  I chose the image because I feel it represents each of the threads of yarn that we threw.  Sound, touch, language, and the multi colored 'anything' yarn are all represented in this image.  The sound of the water and the storm, the touch of the hand, the words mixing with the sky and anything else than can be connoted from the image. 

The image is a work of art but the connotations from it go beyond just a physical thing.  This image does have an author and was a conscious creation but at the same time the author's unconscious is coming through and the meaning expands beyond just an image. The image is structured but the connotations can take any form in the inspirations the viewer gets from it.

A text is so hard to pinpoint just like a feeling is sometimes from an image you view, as Kate said in lecture, you know it is there but you just can't grasp it.  When I think about text in this abstract way that is how I feel, I can understand what Text is or is supposed to be, but I can't fully grasp the whole text because it is always changing and mixing and weaving through my subconscious and evolving into new ideas.

Bridget Post 2

So this week, we have been talking about semiotics and "The World of Wrestling” in class. Therefore, today I decided to talk more about "The World of Wrestling". For some reason, I really liked this piece because I felt like it took a topic that was of no interest to me and made it really interesting by forcing me to look at the sport in a whole new light.
Like Kate said in class, the piece was basically an example of semiotics in action. What interested me the most was how Barthes referred to wrestling as this intelligible spectacle that represents justice. The lines between how it actually does this are somewhat blurred in my mind, but I can kind of see where the justice aspect of it would come in.
Like Barthes said, amateur wrestling involves wrestlers who play these characters that represent different morals of life. However, being that these characters are somewhat larger than life, and in the real world good doesn’t always conquer evil, nor does those who are good get rewarded while those who are evil have to pay for their wrong-doings, I want to know what exactly is it that makes people love wrestling so much?
Personally, I couldn’t sit through an entire match because to me, it is still barbaric whether what’s happening is real or fabricated. Yet, there are millions of people who can’t get enough of something that they know probably wouldn’t take place in that manner in real life. I guess it all comes down to the notion that people simply like fantasy. We love that we live in a society that allows us to drift away every now and then into a place where our problems don’t matter for a little while. We can be who we want to be, feel how ever we want to feel, and take solace in that fact that someone has to pay even if it is for just a moment.
We like to be entertained. We like to be able to submerge ourselves in situations that take us from reality and make us feel as if we are living in a somewhat just world.

Barthes said wrestling harbors the ultimate symbols of defeat and suffering, but how exactly does it do that? Yes, you have these characters that play the hero and the villain, but they are just that…. CHARACTERS. People who will walk away from the wrestling match and return to their normal lives as fathers, sons, and brothers. I guess this is why Barthes says the sport is intelligible, because amateur wrestlers are clearly good actors. They know when to turn it on and when to shut it right back off, and that in itself is a very interesting and intelligible thing for one to be able to do.

The photo that I chose for this week probably seems as if it doesn’t connect with what I have been discussing, but I just wanted to point out that in Barthes’ piece, he only refers to male wrestlers. Even though the sport is predominantly male, I still would like to make sure women are not left out of it. I have heard much too often that wrestling is a man’s sport, but there are many women who are just as passionate about it. I strongly believe that we women can do nearly anything a man can do and probably even better in some cases so in conclusion, I pose the question… “Girl’s can’t what??????”

Until next time...... :-)

Chase Blog 1

Creating the blog turned out to be a lot easier than expected. I was expecting to have to type in HTML codes and create it from scratch, but when our group met, Bridget already had the template up and on the site with our group picture already in place. I think the group picture is a comedic take on the education system today, and in a way reflects some aspects of society. I chose my individual image because it connects through the idea of education but also comments on where a majority of our generations aspirations lie. Many young people still pursue a college degree, but in a subconscious or maybe even conscious way, they would trade it all for fame and fortune. If one were so lucky to rise to fame, I seriously doubt he would choose to finish his schooling. The american dream has taken on new aspects in our culture today, the media has change every facet of our lives in some way and controls the masses. I guess the point I am trying to get across is that while continuing education is still a main choice many in this country choose, the aspirations of today's youth do not lie in learning to be a chemical engineer, physicist, or botanist; most aspire to fame and glory.

Looking through electracy, my image portrays how easy it is in our culture today to be into so many things. Ordinary people are able to publish whatever they want in blogs, have their own websites, publish papers and studies, and put their own music in circulation on the web. With reality shows taking up most of the air time, youtube videos, myspace, and facebook anyone can be a star. American culture is evolving into another entity to adapt to the technological changes and it is apparent through what we see in the media.

Bridget Post 1: *Our Blog's Aesthetic*

Writing through media... What exactly does that mean? Well, at this point I have come to understand that it can mean virtually anything you want it to mean as long it pertains to this notion of literacy, orality, and electracy. Which is essentially the embodiment of life as our generation knows it. This blog itself is an example of writing through media because it thoroughly combines the elements of literacy and electracy, while allowing us the opportunity to become authors of our own "mystories" that will be accessible by the masses to read, analyze, and draw their own conclusions.
My roll in the design of this blog was finding the image. Well actually the image found me and thus, became the icon around which our blog was created. This image was so appealing to me because of the irony it displays both through what it depicts and its play on words. It is something that we feel really exemplifies the state of education and learning in our society today. Just as Jordan said, we are interested in the question of how do you turn education into intelligent action? What does it really mean to be an educated person in a society that is constantly changing and advancing?
Obviously cats can't read,"edumacation" is not a real word, and "learn me a book" breaks the simplest rules of sentence structure, so where do you draw the lines between what is acceptable and what isn't? What's truly intelligent and what is not? The real and the fabricated? The literate and electrate? Can lines even be drawn at all? Who knows?, but we sure do hope to use this blog to explore the possibilities of it all.
We chose this simple black background because it meshes very well with our picture, of course, but it also gives of an air of traditional simplicity. Some of the most influential and powerful people in our history didn't need too much to get his or her thoughts across, and neither do we.
The image that I chose this week was another one that just found me and was our inspiration to name our blog "Mindsight". Since this blog is simply a documented insight into my mind as well as the other two members of my group, it made perfect sense to add that title to aesthetic we wanted to create. My image really relates to the freedom that we have to dream, be exposed to images, and draw our own meaning from it all. Yes, we live in a system where we are required to go to school and be taught whatever it is that they want us to learn, but this image gives off a feel that we don't have to simply absorb what others teach us. No, we actually have the intellect and the means to delve further, challenge things we do not agree with, find clarification for what we do not understand, and simply make sense of this complex world we live in.
What stuck out to me the most, besides the words, was how the man in the main portion image seems to be powerfully soaring over the ocean either not knowing that he is being watched by another or not caring. Whichever the case may be, this image exuberates what it means to have the freedom to choose your own destiny, draw your on conclusions, and interpret the world around you in any way you wish. And I hope this blog can be a testament of that freedom.
Finally, I, too, am interested in seeing what kind of responses we get for our thoughts. So if you have anything to say at all, please do not hesitate to post. This has been and will continue to be a learning experience for me and I hope it can be one for anyone who reads this as well.
I am finally a member of the world of blogging and I feel as if this is going to be a beautiful, FREE, and enlightening experience. Don't you? ;-)

Jordan Post 1

What is the importance of literacy? More importantly how does it affect our formal education? What knowledge is relevant and what knowledge is trivia? This blog is our attempt to analyze not only the superficial answers to these questions but also why they are so crucial to our current debates. My role in our blog’s design was coming up with the template along with Bridget. We chose black because it was easy to read and provided a natural background with the picture Bridget found for our defining image. Also the black background is very traditional and this being our first blog we chose to keep things simple. We decided on the picture because it dealt directly with some of the follies of education and the school system, as well as it being witty and humorous. I chose the Far Side comic for the same reasons. It pokes fun at not only at the system (gifted schools) but also at the student for allowing himself to be duped or short handed. The young pupil is obviously supposed to be able to read as evidenced by his book, but there’s something missing between him knowing and him acting on that knowledge. This is where we would like to start with our blog, how do we turn this education into intelligent action. We would like to place evidence that not only is our actual literacy important but how we go about use this privilege is just as if not more vital in our development. Finally how can we use mediums, such as a blog, to address issues and concerns with the direction of today’s literate masses? I am most interested to see what reaction we get (if any) to our band’s thoughts and ideas. Will anyone even be able to find our website? Will they be confused, inspired, dumbfounded or simply bored? I will say this, any and all criticism is welcome as we are new to the blogging phenomenon.