For this blog I picked to write on Vincent Van go’s “Starry Starry Night.” I picked this because I felt that it applies to large audience. Some background on the painting and Van go the painting was the scene from Van go’s mental institution bedroom. Van go was thought to be bipolar and at the time he lived in they didn’t know much about the dieses. Therefore Van go was thought to be crazy. How this applies to us as the audience and our day and time?
Van go’s painting were very color based, in his paintings the colors blue and yellow mean faith and hope. The painting “Starry Starry Night” is covered in blue in yellow. The other interesting thing about this painting is that it is more sky than earth. This is often to be a sign that Van go was looking to the heavens for guidance’s. I believe that because Van go was truly in a time of despair and trial his emotions were very much on the surfaces and it was easy for him to apply those to his work. I believe that everyone at one point and time has had some trial that was more than they could take and as a result they looked to the heaven for guidance. I know that I when I look at Van go’s work that it brings back all of the times that I have recalled on my heavenly father for times of trials. It tells me that there is still faith and hope in times when we I may not feel that way myself. I feel that if Van go’s “Starry Starry Night” can make me fill this way then it can do the same to any of one else.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Tags vs Logs: The big fight -- Cant we all gat along Thoughts and perspective
I enjoyed reading "Tags vs Logs: The big fight" that was brought in on our expert blog feed. It seemed to really answer my questions regarding the trade offs between cookie/tag based systems vs server logs. It make me think ;
Why is it that that the big companies who do hosted web analytics services seem to be either tags or logs. It seems that both seem to have their respective strengths and weaknesses. The above cited article had the tags vs logs fight 3.5 tags to 3 logs. not a clear winner. Why is it that the major web analytics companies don't use both the tag and log information to create a better picture of your site?
Some possible obstacles are:
1. This admits that there is value in server logs.
2. Comparing the two sources of information for the same metrics will never be the same. this will perhaps cloud the confidence of the data
3. You will still have the pain of implementing 2 solutions to answer the same question "what is going on on my site"
Why is it that that the big companies who do hosted web analytics services seem to be either tags or logs. It seems that both seem to have their respective strengths and weaknesses. The above cited article had the tags vs logs fight 3.5 tags to 3 logs. not a clear winner. Why is it that the major web analytics companies don't use both the tag and log information to create a better picture of your site?
Some possible obstacles are:
1. This admits that there is value in server logs.
2. Comparing the two sources of information for the same metrics will never be the same. this will perhaps cloud the confidence of the data
3. You will still have the pain of implementing 2 solutions to answer the same question "what is going on on my site"
English TA Intros The Power of the SUn
The Power of The sun
Sunlight is one of the most dependable, predictable, not to mention the most powerful sources of energy mankind has ever known. It has for millions of years sent its life giving energy down to us here on earth. The energy of the sun is what allows for weather, and makes photosynthesis possible, the lowest common denominator or lifeblood upon which all terrestrial ecosystems depend on. What if mankind could harness the same power source from which the sun derives its energy? What if there was a way to produce electricity the lifeblood of our lives and economy in a way that created little to no air or water pollution? What would be the effect on the health of American citizens if we understood the benefits of nuclear power?
//End
In this intro I tried to use the funnel method. Starting big and broad and then narrowing it down. I think that I did not effectively narrow down in a linear fashion. My funnel was to broad until it got down to my WATCO which is to narrow. I guess that I was not able to achieve the funnel At best I think that I was able to get sort of a plate shape with a hole in the middle.
Sunlight is one of the most dependable, predictable, not to mention the most powerful sources of energy mankind has ever known. It has for millions of years sent its life giving energy down to us here on earth. The energy of the sun is what allows for weather, and makes photosynthesis possible, the lowest common denominator or lifeblood upon which all terrestrial ecosystems depend on. What if mankind could harness the same power source from which the sun derives its energy? What if there was a way to produce electricity the lifeblood of our lives and economy in a way that created little to no air or water pollution? What would be the effect on the health of American citizens if we understood the benefits of nuclear power?
//End
In this intro I tried to use the funnel method. Starting big and broad and then narrowing it down. I think that I did not effectively narrow down in a linear fashion. My funnel was to broad until it got down to my WATCO which is to narrow. I guess that I was not able to achieve the funnel At best I think that I was able to get sort of a plate shape with a hole in the middle.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
English FW Google Analytics Setup
Today I am trying to get Google analytics set up on this blog. I am not quite sure how I am going to get it linked in I think that I may be able to just copy it into the bottom of the post. So for this blog entry I wanted to discuss how rediculous UVSC is my wife Kristi attends and will be graduating from them this semester and she is on the final stretch . She needs to take a class called senior seminar this class is a class required for all fine arts majors, and in it a teacher will help them setup and plan for and help mentor them in thier final show. Due to politics in the department Kristi is not able to take the class from the teacher that she wants. The powers at be do not like or approve of the qualified teacher that Kristi desires to take the class from. The Next best choice is Dr Perry the powers at be dont like him either but say that he will "do". The end result of this mess is that Kristi is signed up for the class under one teacher (SUE) who has given permission to Dr Perry to work with Kristi and then relay the grade that she earns back to Sue. Perry is really a good man and he is working around the politics and says that kristi can work with who she pleases and they will give the grade that she earns to him. The end result is that Kristi is working with a teacher so that that teacher will give the grade to another teacher who will forward that grade to yet a 3rd teacher who will then enter it into the computer so that she can graduate. Having mini devotionals is one thing but I am sure glad that i am attending BYU
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
English RA Honda Accord Wagon ad
The add that i am analyzing is made by Honda. And it is on you tube. I recommend that you watch it before you read the rest so that it makes more sense. You can locate the TV spot at this link. I am not sure how to link a video off of you tube.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=g2VCfOC69jc
Summery: (if you are un able to get the link to work) There is a long array of domino style cause and effect one stage barely having the momentum to lead to the next phase. So you are left rooting for each stage to "go all the way". Each of the dominoes if you will were made of car parts supposable y from a Honda Accord. the video ends with a button on the remote for a Honda accord wagon style car. And it closing the back hatch and rolling down for the climax of an accord sign showing. And the words at the end are "arnt you glad when things just work"
Target audience:
The upper middle class consumer who is in the market for a new 4 door sedan. From the video it shows the drivers seat on the right side and the voice is in English so I believe that it is in England or some English speaking country other than America. The target is someone who probably lives in a less rural more city environment because they tend to gravite more towards trucks and larger vehicles. It is catering to people who are probably younger because older people are more likely to go and get a Audi, BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes, something a little fancier for their retirement. It is interesting that they chose to show a wagon style vehicle because they are less common than a normal sedan. Wagons are almost like pre minivans so i believe that this add is targeting women ages18-3 kids. And they don't like to work on cars. ie they like to have thier cars "just work".
Logos: The appeal to logic is that if they have such small tolerances as to make this large multi step process just barely work then they know just what to do design precision and predictability. Which translates to a car who "only has to drive" will be more than capable of handling. doing something as simple as driving.
Pathos: This add plays on pathos or the emotions by providing a series of seemingly 50% 50% chances for the domino effect to fail. But Human nature is to root for the underdog and hope that it works so that we can see which step will be next. And in every situation the Honda engineers come through and it works perfectly. This creates an emotional bond with the viewer which at the end says we won this car really works and you are on my team
Ethos: I guess the creditability of the add comes down to the creativity in the dominoes pieces, the fact that there are actual car parts used. And I guess they made thier own parts, all of the parts look like that they are shiny and in good shape. The tolerances in each stage are very tight and precise. All of these things make the auto dealer seem creditable
Is the ad effective? I would say that it is for the most part. I am not in the target audince because I am a little more technical and can tell that this spot was not done in real life it was done on the computer, and that there are some rather simple Newtonian physics laws that are violated namely the conservation of energy. But for the target audience of women 18 to 3 kids I think that it is a very effective add because it makes me want to get a Honda for their reliability and their longevity. So I think that it is effective.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=g2VCfOC69jc
Summery: (if you are un able to get the link to work) There is a long array of domino style cause and effect one stage barely having the momentum to lead to the next phase. So you are left rooting for each stage to "go all the way". Each of the dominoes if you will were made of car parts supposable y from a Honda Accord. the video ends with a button on the remote for a Honda accord wagon style car. And it closing the back hatch and rolling down for the climax of an accord sign showing. And the words at the end are "arnt you glad when things just work"
Target audience:
The upper middle class consumer who is in the market for a new 4 door sedan. From the video it shows the drivers seat on the right side and the voice is in English so I believe that it is in England or some English speaking country other than America. The target is someone who probably lives in a less rural more city environment because they tend to gravite more towards trucks and larger vehicles. It is catering to people who are probably younger because older people are more likely to go and get a Audi, BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes, something a little fancier for their retirement. It is interesting that they chose to show a wagon style vehicle because they are less common than a normal sedan. Wagons are almost like pre minivans so i believe that this add is targeting women ages18-3 kids. And they don't like to work on cars. ie they like to have thier cars "just work".
Logos: The appeal to logic is that if they have such small tolerances as to make this large multi step process just barely work then they know just what to do design precision and predictability. Which translates to a car who "only has to drive" will be more than capable of handling. doing something as simple as driving.
Pathos: This add plays on pathos or the emotions by providing a series of seemingly 50% 50% chances for the domino effect to fail. But Human nature is to root for the underdog and hope that it works so that we can see which step will be next. And in every situation the Honda engineers come through and it works perfectly. This creates an emotional bond with the viewer which at the end says we won this car really works and you are on my team
Ethos: I guess the creditability of the add comes down to the creativity in the dominoes pieces, the fact that there are actual car parts used. And I guess they made thier own parts, all of the parts look like that they are shiny and in good shape. The tolerances in each stage are very tight and precise. All of these things make the auto dealer seem creditable
Is the ad effective? I would say that it is for the most part. I am not in the target audince because I am a little more technical and can tell that this spot was not done in real life it was done on the computer, and that there are some rather simple Newtonian physics laws that are violated namely the conservation of energy. But for the target audience of women 18 to 3 kids I think that it is a very effective add because it makes me want to get a Honda for their reliability and their longevity. So I think that it is effective.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Used Car Search
Used car buying is really something else. I have always enjoyed buying almost everything until yesterday, when I started looking for a used car. For most of the things that I have purchased up until now have been electronics/ books/ and a whole array of small items. And as always via the internet I am always able to find the best rock bottom price. And what you see as the price is really the true price. You don't have to go through a silly process or dance as i like to call it to arrive at a pre determined final sale price. One other benefit of buying items other than used cars is that once you have a SKU or part number and you know something is new you know what you have pretty clear expectations as to what you are going to get in the mail. With cars I am afraid that is not the case. There is a whole ranbow of range on the little word "used". Used as in it "works" if you like fighting to get it started and headed straight down the road. And "used" as in not new. Last night I went and looked ad a "used" car last night. It is a nice black 05 Toyota Camry with 32,000 miles it had been wrecked and restored. And looked to be in great shape it drove great but it had a clicking noise in the engine. I am not totally turned off to this vehicle I must say that I am still on the lookout.
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