Words and/about Music

2004-04-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

Camille Paglia on Marshal McLuhan and the NOrth American Intellecutal Tradition.

A review of Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP.

Same review, Mike Ross, new Eminem LP (The Show), same concerns.

2003-11-12T16:38:00.000-08:00

I thought the PowerPoint project was the most fun thing we've done so far. It's nice to do things where you learn but still don't have to bust your butt with the same 'ol writing.

2003-10-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

My piece of advice for Chapter 14 would be to create topic chains so the reader knows where the writer is going.

2003-10-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to catch up on my blogging. Anyway, a tip that I had come up with from reading the student essays was to watch and record the sources that I use as I come across information that I want to use. This way I don't have to try to find a cite again later on after I decide to use the source. This eliminates a lot of time and frustration.

2003-10-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

A tip that I picked up on from reading chapter 14 was to start with a good thesis statement and to stick with it to have a paper that is well organized. A paper that is well organized will save a lot of confusion and will make for better reading.

2003-10-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

Hi! I was just looking back at the sylabus and realized that I was supposed to post a note about a strategy I use to reading difficult material. I always look at any pictures that are provided first and try to figure out the gist of what is going to be said so I have a general idea of what I should be looking for in the reading.

2003-10-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

After reading chapter 14, the best advice that I found would be to pick a pattern of organization that relates to your particular purpose and establishes that purpose to the readers.

2003-10-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

Feel free to ask a question on the blog while email is down.

2003-10-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

A strategy you could use when reading difficult material is to skim through the whole thing right away and pick out the stuff you understand.

2003-10-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody,

My technique to reading over these indepth articles is to think about the title and what to look for from there....then i skim....and skim....and then look at what looked important from the skimming....Have a good weekend!

2003-10-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

As you are doing research and trying to decide what kind of article you have found, you might want to consult the Colorado State University guide to Scholarly, Trade, and Popular Magazine articles.

The University of Texas at San Antonio has a similar guide.

2003-10-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

If you're lookin for more databases.... on the library web page, you can go to WEB/WinSpirs at the bottom of the page.

2003-10-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

The tip I came up with after reading the essay is to use notecards with souces cited on them to help with your organization and it also saves tons of time.

2003-10-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

The tip I came up with after reading the essay would be to gain alot of reputable sources... this way it shows that a lot of research was done and that the readers don't have to think twice about the credibility.

2003-10-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

The tip I came up with after reading the essay is to cite your sources as you gon not to leave if after you write the paper. Also use sources that support what you are writing about.

2003-10-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

2003-10-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

I thought I would follow up on my "Johnny Cash made the first punk album" post with a link to TruePunk.com. This site has a section called "articles;" if you want to look at examples of informal commentaries, these articles work pretty well. A lot of the recent articles have been trying to define "punk," and defining a slippery term is one kind of commentary, one kind of a search for a pattern or meaning.

I actually called myself a "punk" once or twice when I was a student in college, even though I wore the same plain clothes I wear today. I listened to some punk bands, my brother was hard core punk (mohawk, chains, tatoos--I mean HARD CORE), and I definitely listened to the "alternative" scene that was emerging at the time. "What is punk?"--that's a good question. Someone should write about it!

2003-10-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

My tip after reading the student essay is to include a substantial amount of quotes from reputable that help to back up what point you are trying to make. This helps the reader to feel that they are reading a well-researched paper and not the rantings of an uneducated person.

2003-10-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Raquel, thanks for the filter of a great site! I found this review of a Johnny Cash album that actually backs up a quip I made in class--that JC was the forerunner to gangster rap. This reviewer says JC produced the first punk album--in 1969.

Everybody should check popmatters.com!

2003-10-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

“Commentary Essay” Responses:

1. One of the largest issues that interest me right now is the case being brought upon L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Another issue I might interested in tackling that fits inside that the genre of music would be that of does certain types of music contribute to certain types of personalities and characteristics of its listeners.

2. The easiest answer would be to search the internet via the deep web as well as the surface web. Also, I would probably use the writings of many critics who have dealt with the topic through articles in different musical genre’s magazines. (i.e. Source or XXL for rap and hip-hop, Rolling Stones for more pop and rock, etc.)

3. One thing I find to be unclear in this assignment is that of the casebook part. How would this look after it was assembled? What do these six commentaries look like?

Responses provided by fellow classmate Brandon Smith

2003-09-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

If any of you are interested in finding valid, and in depth reviews on specific artists use www.popmatters.com. That's where I've gotten the majority of my information to back up my own review.

2003-09-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

I just found a review of two new books about Elvis. This review is pretty academic, although he doesn't use the specific criteria approach, and doesn't even seem to review the books much. You might be wondering, "What the...?!", but I point this review out to suggest the really wide range of possibilities within the genre.

2003-09-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

By: Dustin Belle
English Composition 1
Kevin Brooks
September 28, 2003
Nickelback – “Silver Side Up” Review
Nickelback released their second album Silver Side Up on September 11th, 2001, which gave many people something to listen to across the nation. Their first song from the beginning, “Woke Up This Morning”, gave everyone a form of release with many hit songs to follow like “How You Remind Me” and “Never Again” brought the album to platinum in the year 2002. They were given many awards as they attended Billboard Music Awards, The Grammy’s and the American Music Awards.
The band sounds modern rock and you can relate them to similar bands like Staind, Fuel, a touch of Creed and possibly a sense of Days of the New. The Canadians quartet singer Chad Kroeger is by far one of today’s well-known rock singers doing covers with Saliva for tracks from Spiderman and producing a dynamic duo with Santana. If you see the band in concert it is simply riveting as Chad’s voice sounds through loud and clear with feeling and the band backs that all up with their crazy guitar rifts.
The tracks on “Silver Side Up” all relate to the usual as most bands do, concerning woman, depression, alcoholism, and domestic abuse. “How You Remind Me” is a prime example of depression and alcoholism mixed as the lyrics from the song tell of how a woman has got him depressed and he tries to find help or feeling of peace at the bottom of an empty bottle. This by far is their most famous song so far and carried them through the genre year of 2002. Definitely a 5 out of 5 star song.
Their next hit “Never Again” follows domestic abuse as they talk about a wife killing her husband at the end for reasons of hate, depression, and domestic abuse. The song brings in alcohol as a problem and how the man takes his anger out on his wife while intoxicated. The song sounds horrible but it really is a good song to listen too and puts out an example of what few people experience in life. I rate the song a 3 out of 5 stars so far.
If you don’t own the record or haven’t heard all the songs then you will find out from just hearing it from the radio waves that Nickelback’s songs rock, an dif the main ones that they play discourage you because of the reasons of depression and alcoholism or abuse, then there are other songs that rock as well that deal with love and things like that.
This band is a must see in concert because you’ll feel as though you can relate to many songs and everything I have heard so far is that you will go home wanting more and find that they rock even more then just hearing their record over the waves of radio or your stereo. The band simply is intoxicating and with more to come you can only know that their next record will rock just as the second did. Overall, I give the record a definite 10 and is one of the best records with all around good sound and feeling for everyone to take seriously or just to have fun with listening too.

2003-09-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

This website has everything you need to know about Blink 182. It also has the albulm i am reviewing "Take off your pants and jacket."

http://www.blink182.com/home.asp

2003-09-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Whenever in doubt, always ask the instructor for help.

2003-09-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

This is all you'll need to find out what you want about nickelback.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/Nickelback/

2003-09-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

www.defleppard.com

This website includes a lot of useful information about the band, but especially about the particular album I am reviewing.

2003-09-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

This website dips into the bios of both artists in the group as well as giving information towards their latest compilation that was released a couple of days ago.

www.outkast.com

2003-09-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

This website is all about Simple Plan.

www.simpleplan.com

2003-09-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

This website is Dave Matthews Band's official website and has everything about the band.

www.davematthewsband.com

2003-09-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

This website has news and a biography on Michelle Branch.

2003-09-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

This website gave a lot of information about Garth Brooks' history and insight into his music

2003-09-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

Check out the beatles website
www.beatles.com

2003-09-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

This website has everything you need to know about Trapt basically. Official site.

www.trapt.com

2003-09-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

This is a tribute website for AFI. This has a bit of background on the band and their CD Sing the Sorrow, as well as some pictures that give interesting insight to the sensuous plane of AFI.

2003-09-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

Here are the tasks you need to do in exchange for pushing back the due date on the draft:

1. Write a filter-style entry on the weblog about one source related to your review. A filter style review should contain a URL and a brief account of why this link is relevant to you.

2. Don't come to class on Friday, but take the survey about weblogging, and stop by my office if you want to pick up your review or talk about the academic review.

3. Come to class with a good draft of your review on Monday--5 points per page for the draft. Be detailed in your analysis, and systematic in your application of the categories. Include material from at least one secondary source.

2003-09-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

A good review on Nirvana's Nevermind is at this website:
http://www.epinions.com/musc-review-6459-1A2BE5A3-3A3F8409-prod4?sp=irev

This review explains some great details about Nirvana's CD Nevermind and what Nirvana wanted people to take from their lyrics. It goes into some depth about the entire CD and it also picks apart some specific songs. He also says what each individual band member put into those songs.
The reviewer states some good opinions that I agree with 100%.

2003-09-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

Jamie's Review

What can you say about Eminem that hasn’t already been said?! He is one of the most popular, yet controversial rappers today. One of the characteristics that have people so interested in him is that he is a white rapper.
Eminem, whose real name is Marshal Bruce Mathers III, burst into the music scene in 1999. He was introduced into the industry by Dr. Dre. Dre was so impressed by Eminem’s free styling that he called Eminem to meet with him. Dre signed on Eminem shortly after their meeting and they have worked together ever since. They sometimes refer to themselves as the “dynamic-duo.” In 1995, his first album, Infinite, was recorded. This album was not very well-known and is not sold anymore. In fact, Eminem refers to this album as more of a demo CD. The response to Infinite was not very positive. He used this as inspiration for his second album, The Slim Shady LP, which was released in 1999. On this second album he “lashes out on everybody who talked sh*t about him.”
In 2000, he released his third album, The Marshal Mathers LP, which became just as popular as his second album. The Marshal Mathers LP is also filled with songs of anger and rage. Many people are so interested in Eminem’s music because he uses it to express himself. He is saying what everybody else in the world wishes they had the guts to say. In 2002, Eminem recorded his fourth solo album, The Eminem Show. Eminem has shown he is very talented and expressive in all three of his albums. He is a rapper who does not just speak the words on his CDs, he also sings them. Many rappers do not sing on their albums, which is one reason some people do not like rap music. That is not the case with Eminem.
Because Eminem’s second and third albums were as popular as they were, some people may have been a little skeptical about how good his fourth album would be. Eminem proved the skeptics wrong. The Eminem Show was just as good, if not better, than his earlier work. Eminem sings a song on this album called “Without Me.” This song is about what he thinks would happen if he disappeared from the music industry. The song and video won MTV Awards for Best Rap Video and Video of the Year. The Eminem Show won the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2003 and was also nominated for Album of the Year. On the Eminem Show, Eminem continues to express the many different emotions he feels for the people who have ever done him wrong. It’s interesting listening to how much emotion he has on this album. His love for his daughter is expressed on this album with the song “Hailey’s Song.” Hailey also sings with her dad on The Eminem Show in the song “My Dad’s Gone Crazy.”
Eminem has proven himself worthy of praise by topping the music charts. He has shown that the color of your skin does not determine the type of music you can sing. In fact, Eminem has become so big that he’s bringing in new artists and helping them get their own record contracts. Just being seen with Eminem seems to increase an artist’s publicity. Eminem has featured artists such as Snoop Dogg, Dido, and 50 cent. He also recorded an entire album with the rap group D12.
Eminem has always been known for expressing exactly how he feels with his music, which is no different in his new album. He’s going to sing whatever he wants, it doesn’t matter what the critics or the public say. In fact, he insults the critics in his song The Real Slim Shady with lyrics such as, “[critics:] so Slim, what if you win, wouldn’t it be weird? [Eminem:] Why so you could just lie to get me here.” He sings exactly how he feels. He does not sugar-coat anything he has on his mind, regardless of other people’s thoughts, feeling, or beliefs.
Although he has become very popular with the younger population, there is a large controversy about his music among the adult population. In his songs, he talks about drugs and killing, plus uses excessive profanity. He sings songs with lyrics like “b*tch, I’m gonna kill you…” and “everybody in the house with a half an ounce, not weed, I meant coke…” He also refers to his mother as a slut and a drug addict in a lot of his songs, examples include words like “just bend over and take it like a slut, okay ma” and “my mom does more dope than I do.” He does not have anything nice to say about his mother and he is letting her, along with the rest of the world, know it. His mother, Debra Mathers (Briggs), sued Eminem for $10 million. She would have settled for $2 million, but Eminem wouldn’t accept this (BBCNews.com).
There are many people who feel like Eminem degrades them and their beliefs through his lyrics. In fact, DeAngelo Bailey, a former classmate of Eminem’s, felt that Eminem degraded him in his song “Brain Damage.” He sued Eminem for $1 million in the year 2002 for his lyrics, “I was harassed daily by this fat kid named DeAngelo Bailey. An eighth-grader who acted obnoxious, ‘cause his father boxes. So every day he’d shove me into lockers.” (United Press International, Aug. 9, 2003)
Among those who do not approve of Eminem is Peter Tatchell, a gay rights campaigner. He believes Eminem is a homophobic. However, Eminem featured openly- gay artist Elton John in his Grammy performance in 2001. They received a standing ovation for their performance of Eminem’s “Stan.” The Sheffield University Students’ Union has banned anything in relation to Eminem from their premises. Also, politicians in Ontario, Canada don’t approve of his lyrics because they believe they promote violence against women (BBCNew.com). The fact that Eminem sings about killing and beating his ex-wife, Kim, has led them to believe this. You can hear a woman, who is impersonating Kim, in the background of one of his songs screaming because Eminem is beating her and yelling at her.
People have even tried to blame some of the violent acts, mainly the acts committed by juveniles and young adults, on Eminem. They say his lyrics promote violence, and they are putting ideas into young people’s minds. I do not believe that is fair. He was not where the crime took place telling the violator to shoot up his or her school or to rob the liquor store, whatever the case may be. The criminals in this world have minds of their own and the ability to think for themselves. He is not the music they listen to that commits the crime.
Eminem has even added movie star to his career. In 2002, he starred in the motion picture 8 Mile along with Mekhi Phifer and Kim Basinger. The movie relates a lot to Eminem’s real life, growing up in Detroit just trying to make it as a rapper. It was a huge hit. Eminem won an Academy Award for best song in a movie for the song “Lose Yourself.” It was his first nomination for an Academy Award.
The Eminem Show has had a huge impact on the music industry and the listeners, along with his other two albums. Although some adults strongly dislike Eminem’s music because of his use of cuss words, and talk of violence and drugs, this has not been the case with many critics. Eminem is and forever will be one of the most popular and most talked-about artists of all time. The Eminem Show has sold millions of copies, along with his earlier work, and I’m sure his future albums will show the same ratings.

2003-09-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

You can find sample notes for Wed.'s class on the course website. Hope these help.

Kevin

2003-09-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

A site that I am finding helpful for my next review is this one. I'll have more about it later.

2003-09-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

My review is posted on my website www.hannahswordsofwisdom.blogspot.com If you're curious about Steven Curtis Chapman check it out.

2003-09-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Advice from Chapter 16:

When researching, most think information on the internet is the only info available to them. Don't stop after searching the web, look for additionial info in encylopedias, books, magazines, newspapers, or interviews.

2003-09-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

My review is in the classroom discussion board.... I put it in the "what is literacy".

2003-09-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

My review is on my personal weblog, check it out...

2003-09-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

My review is my personal website, go see!

2003-09-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

Dartmouth College has an extensive essay/guide called What is an academic paper?". This piece defines many of the important features of academic writing, and does so in contrast to the habits and strategies of writing for high school. A must read!

2003-09-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

My new review is on my personal weblog...Check it out.

2003-09-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

Go see my review on Michelle Branch.

2003-09-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

We are talking about editing in class today; you can find lots of guides online. A nice succinct guide is the "11 Rules of Writing." You might need some explanation of a few rules.

2003-09-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hey, I posted my review on Amazon.com. It was Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill. Go check it out!

2003-09-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

I was looking for some notes online and found a pretty nice breakdown of the writing process, essay/paragraph types, topic and thesis statements, etc. from Rockvalley College (great name!!). The site endorses the 5 paragraph theme approach to writing rather than a genre approach to writing (the approach our textbook supports), but most of the other material will match up pretty well with Call to Write.

2003-09-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder: I asked everyone to share one piece of advice from Chapter 16 in Call to Write--the chapter on research. So far, Becky, Amy, Brandon, and Michael have all offered good advice. Please add to our collective knowledge asap.

Let me add my two cents: "Perhaps the most important point to make about notes is that they need to be complete and accurate. You can avoid the last-minute hassle of running back to the library to check a fact or a statistic by making sure you record it accurately in the first place" (555-56). And of course, if you filter a website in a weblog, you won't lose track of the link!!

2003-09-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

The Three Depths of The Web:

Surface Web:
I found that the surface websites were the most specific and current of the three depths. The information was readily available and sorted through previously, and ranked in order of relevence to my subject thanks to the search engine google.com. There were many different aspects of Beyonce, my music review girl of the hour, such as fan remarks, free downloads to preview here new CD, pictures, including some that apparantly feature her naked, tour dates, and remarks, opportunities to look at previous CDs by Beyonce and/or Destiny's Child, as well as discussion boards. The best sites that I found for long, in depth reviews using the surface web was dotmusic.com, nme.com, and flakmag.com. Interesting things came out of those sites, all of which seemed credible being that they were fairly well known .coms. The negative aspect when searching this shallow is all of the junk that has to be sifted through in order to find appropriate and useful information.

Deep Web:
Although it is no doubt thorough when researching a topic such as nuclear power, when using Infotrac, ProQuest or E-Library, they do nothing more than cover the very broad genre of music that I was researching. Even the R & B, rap, hip-hop genres were slightly difficult to track down, and were made evident to be off the beaten path. I found it difficult to navigate whenever a question was raised as to how to go about researching Beyonce- Dangerously In Love.

Libraries:
I found this to be an extremely unhelpful resource for this specific topic that I was searching for. Although this has potential to be helpful in other tasks that require information considered to be an academic mainstream topic.

2003-09-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

The surface web, google, offered more options and information about Steven Curtis Chapman that was more related to the individual CD’s that Steven Curtis Chapman has done. It also tended to bring up more web sites devoted to selling me his music. It also offered more sites that were offering free downloads, or message boards that were in some obscure way related to Steven’s music.

Infotrack gave me some good information. I found a specific site that even had a little to say about the same CD that I am doing a review on. It tended to have well known magazine articles as well as more newspaper articles regarding Steven and his work and background.

Declaration by Steven Curtis Chapman (Sparrow). On this twelfth album from one of the most celebrated artists in Christian music, you'll hear the joy of being a Christian ("Declaration of Dependence," "Live Out Loud") as well as a cry for deeper faith to face life's trials ("God Follower," "Magnificent Obsession"). Steven's guitar-driven pop is taken up a notch as he incorporates modern rock influences into many of his songs. But you'll also hear a few of his signature ballads, such as "When Love Takes You In," inspired by his family's journey to China to adopt seven-month-old Shaohannah.
http://web7.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/522/816/36204551w7/purl=rc1_ITOF_0_A81827015&dyn=3!xrn_14_0_A81827015?sw_aep=ndacad_58105ztrn

The library didn’t have anything related to Steven Curtis Chapman. It wasn’t that surprising, he’s a fairly newer singer and he is also a Christian singer, most people don’t follow them as closely as other famous singers. When I searched for contemporary Christian music I didn’t find much that would relate either. The top title that popped up was called “From Night Clubs to Christ.” That kind of info doesn’t help me much. It was still kind of interesting, but rather unhelpful.

2003-09-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Some advice that I liked from Ch. 16 was that you need to keep an open mind while do research. Also not to abandon your views because someone claims to be an expert in the field that your researching.

2003-09-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

In the surface web there is a lot of fan based websites. It contains mostly very basic information about the artist. The surface web contained information about what the artist was doing right now or in the future. It contained tour dates and other things like that. Also it had samples of the music that Michelle Branch has produced.

Infotrac contained more reliable information about Michelle Branch. It seemed you got more into who she worked with and other artists that she was compared to. The different periodicals and newspaper articles gave in depth reviews and more on what her music was about. Also some of the articles talked about what influenced her lyrics and music style.

I didn’t really find much about Michelle Branch in the NDSU library’s holding. The library did have her first cd and a different cd, which she did with Santana.

2003-09-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

When dealing with the services provided by a surface web, I found that the resulted information was rather helpful. For this, I confided in the services of Yahoo’s search engine to research my topic of Chingy, an up-and-coming artist in the hip-hop/rap genre. From observing the content in the first ten results given to me, I found that they give some of the more recognizable and distinguishable websites towards the topic. The first result was his home website, which logically would provide you with the most information and links relating to your topic. The next three results are all "sub-sites" from big names companies in music, such as MTV, VH1, and Yahoo's new music section Launch. These results were then followed by a couple sites informing listeners/viewers of his lyrics to a couple of songs on the album. Rounding out the first ten results, is a website that allows visitors to post their definitions of many urban terms. In my search's case, they defined what Chingy could be defined as. It was rather interesting. The downside to a surface web search can be that all the results give you much of the same information though, which can be frustrating.
As I looked through the deep web, my results diminished greatly. I looked around in the deep web of ProQuest. A positive I found while dealing with this search engine's findings was that all were from credible newspaper sources and this was evident in that the results would print the newspaper's name in bold print to let us know where the information was coming from. Also, all the results were comprised of articles, not just information scattered around pictures and cool graphics. On the other side of the spectrum, a negative I found was that the results, rather than dealing more with references about my topic, I was given references to my topic. This means that in the first ten results I received, they dealt more with other artists and/or the hip-hop genre in general as opposed to talking about Chingy. They did although highlight every time his name was talked about in the articles. But what's the point if the article is not really talking about him.
While searching through the university library, I had no actual findings. I had to broaden my search to the hip-hop genre, where the information I received there wasn't that helpful either. In all, I would probably recommend the surface web to access information. The deep web and library holdings will become more helpful when you are looking for a topic of more attention in the world as opposed to just in the music world, more precisely the hip-hop genre and one of its new artists.

Insight provided by Brandon Smith

2003-09-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

Advice from Chapter 16:

When attempting to focus a search, use Boolean operators like and, or, not, quotation marks. It offers a more specific search for your topic.

2003-09-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

From the text in Chapter 16, I want to give the following advice to my classmates and I:

If you are researching a topic for a paper or just to obtain unknown information with the services provided by a search engine, never stop searching just after one search engine has generated some sites relating to your set topic. Continue to search because different search engines cycle through libraries of different websites. This helps you increase the diversity of opinions and helps insure the topic's credibility.

Thoughts provided by Brandon Smith

2003-09-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

CHAPTER 16:

The advice the I found says that how you read depends on your purpose and where you are in your research process. For example, in the early stages of research, you might want to do a lot of skimming but once you've figured out your direction, you'll want to read more in depth and gather the information.

2003-09-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

I have added students' individual weblogs to our class blog-roll--that's what bloggers call the long list of people they link to. If you would rather not have your last name listed, or if I have mis-spelled your name, let me know and I can make the change.

For those of you not on the list, let me know if you have an individual blog to share.

If any of you want to learn how to make your blog roll, just ask me or check the "support" section of blogger.com.

2003-09-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

My review is done. Ichose to review Saliva's back into your system album. Check it out here.

2003-09-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll, it's Brandon...still actin' a fool, anyways...

I posted my review on Amazon.com on the Neptunes compilation...it should be seen in about 5-7 business days from 9/10/03.

2003-09-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

I posted my review on my weblog

2003-09-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

When you first hear auidoslave most people think either sound garden has replaced everyone but cris Cornell or rage agenist the machine has gotten a new lead singer. Well that’s actually what happened. For how eccentric the lead singer and the band are they came together to make a fairly really good progressive rock band. Most of the songs no the album are less draggy and make more sense than sound garden and there not the communist rap rock that you might expect from rage.
But when you look at the big picture with vocals form Cornell and the mad scientist guitar you expect form tom morello. It makes a huge impact that leaves the listener want more.

2003-09-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

April's review on Transplant was very good. It was descriptive enough so that you could get a sense of what they are all about. Also you it was easy to decide if you would be interested in this group.

2003-09-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

I've posted my review on Amazon, titled Stripped

2003-09-12T12:32:00.001-07:00

I've posted my review on amazon.com for the CD "Flaw - Through The Eyes" but it take 5-7 days to be reviewed and submitted.

Peace out. Don't put clorox in your cereal.

2003-09-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

Check out my review of Alabama's Roll On cd at Amazon.com. It is great!!!!!!!!!!

2003-09-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

Check out my review on Alabama's Roll On cd @ amazon.com

2003-09-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

You can find my review on my weblog.

2003-09-12T12:25:00.002-07:00

Go see my review!

2003-09-12T12:25:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone. I posted my Review on Amazon.com It is on the CD August and Everything After by Counting Crows. Here is where I posted my review....

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000003TAP/ref=cm_rev_all_1/102-9236871-2089757?v=glance&s=music&vi=customer-reviews

2003-09-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! I just posted paper on my new and improved web site.

It is at "I originally bought Michael W. Smith’s CD, This Is Your Time, for its title song. I know, I know, it’s not always a wise idea, but I did it anyway. I had a few surprises coming my way—some not so exciting, but others that were exceptionally fun."

2003-09-12T12:20:00.001-07:00

Link to Review of All-American Rejects

Read it here

2003-09-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

What has to be the best country cd is Garth Brooks Greatest Hits. This cd has it all. This cd takes all of Brook’s best songs from all his cds and puts them on one impressive cd.
Some of the songs that are at the top of the list include, Thunder Rolls, which is faster song and sounds awesome with the thunder in the background. One other great song is Friend in Low Places. Without a doubt, Friends in Low Places, is the ultimate party song. No matter what you are doing this is the best song to listen to. This song is just fun to listen to.
Overall I rate this five out of five. The Greatest Hits cd is a must have.

2003-09-12T12:19:00.001-07:00

Link to Review of Aerosmith's Greatest Hits

Read it here

2003-09-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

I posted my review on amazon.com. The title of my review is "I love it!!"

2003-09-12T12:16:00.001-07:00

Read my review of Christina Aguilera's latest CD "Stripped" here.

2003-09-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

I posted my Chingy-Jackpot review on Amazon.com, incase someone wants to check it out the first line goes a little something like this...

"Chingy possesses the new sound of the south, mixed with a west coast beat."

2003-09-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

Check out Michelle's site.

This, at least by the end of the semester, will be the masterful works of Michelle. Please check out my site as I will add to it wthrough out the semester.

2003-09-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

Christina Aguilera has broken away from her pop princess image in her latest CD entitled “Stripped”. She can no longer be compared to teen idol Britney Spears, but rather to the divas of our day, such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. She has a rare talent of captivating listeners with her strong and powerful vocals. She lets her voice be the number one seller for her CD. Stripped has a variety of songs that is sure to please everyone. Many of the songs like “Dirrty” and “Fighter” have an upbeat rhythm making you want to let loose and dance, while others like “Beautiful” are more serious and from the heart, sure to calm and soothe the soul. She sings of more mature matters, such as self acceptance and relationships, something everyone can relate with. Christina really connects with, and feels the words of her music and this is definitely heard in her album.
Another bonus to the CD is the featured artists. Christina pairs up with Lil’ Kim for the song “Can’t Hold Us Down” where they sing of the power of women, an instant mood booster for any woman. She and Redman also join together for the song “Dirrty”, a raunchy but still awesome song to put you in the mood for just about anything.
“Stripped” is a five star album and every song is a chart topper. “Stripped” is guaranteed to entertain.

2003-09-12T12:06:00.001-07:00

Evanescence debut album, Fallen, created a unique sound that is all their
own. Through the variety of emotion their songs produce, they can appeal
to a variety of genres. Their music style is a mixture of rock and new
age. This combination makes it is difficult to place them in one
specific music type. The band has a hard base beat in much of their
music, but the female lead singer adds a lighter touch, making a unique
blend of melodic sound. It is hard to compare them to other artists
because of their unique style, but their hard beat is similar to Creed
and Godsmack.
Only a couple of songs are original on this album. The rest of the
songs seemed to blend together. It sounded like a lot of the same things
over again. The two songs that I liked were Bring Me to Life featuring
Paul McCoy and My Immortal. Both of which are good enough to be on the Daredevil
soundtrack. I liked these two songs because it showed their ability to
adapt to the different music styles.

2003-09-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

Counting Crows- August and Everything After

The title speaks for itself on this cd. Counting Crows hit it right with
the CD title August and Everything After with their laid back music and
deep lyrics. It is perfect for the change of summer to fall…and
everything after.

Their hit song “Mr. Jones” got the most publicity, but it is the one song
that is different from the others. The other songs that stand out are
“Sullivan Street” and “Perfect Blue Buildings” having their more morose
lyrics and leave you wondering the meaning behind them. The rest of the
CD’s songs are in between Mr. Jones’ rock and Perfect Blue Buildings’
slower deep lyrics.

The Counting Crows’ music reminds me of such musicians or bands like Dave
Mathews Band, John Mayer, and Jack Johnson, which music I can find myself
listening to at those late night bon fires or any other mood I’m in. But
the others don’t have what Counting Crows have. This is a must have CD
that you will never have to press skip on your CD player because there are
no weak songs. It is a five star album and a must have.

2003-09-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Evanescence debut album, Fallen, created a unique sound that is their
own. Through the variety of emotion their songs produce, they can appeal
to a variety of genres. Their music style is a mixture of rock and new
age. This combination makes it is difficult to place them in one
specific music type. The band has a hard base beat in much of their
music, but the female lead singer adds a lighter touch, making a unique
blend of melodic sound. It is hard to compare them to other artists
because of their unique style, but their hard beat is similar to Creed
and Godsmack.
Only a couple of songs are original on this album. The rest of the
songs seemed to blend together. It sounded like a lot of the same things
over again. The two songs that I liked were Bring Me to Life featuring
Paul McCoy and My Immortal. Both of which are on the Daredevil
soundtrack. I liked these two songs because it showed their ability to
adapt to the different music styles.

2003-09-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder: I would like everyone to publish their reviews via a commercial site (amazon.com, bn.com, or a music site that allows readers to publish), OR, I would like you to start a personal weblog, post your review there, and put a link in this class weblog.

You can easily start your own weblog in Blogger. If you want to add a comment feature to your individual entry, go to QuickTopic.com and sign up for an account there. Discuss QuickTopic

2003-09-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

1. Yes I know how to use word processor, I know how to scan pictures, but i do not know anything about document design programs.
2. I use email and instant messenger quite a bit, I know how to send attachments, I do it a lot when I am sending emails, I have been in chat rooms before but I would rather just instant message people. I don't know what MUDS or MOOS are. I use the internet most of the time for getting information most of the time for school.
3. I think that the intenet and the new forms of electronic communication are great. Talking to people over the internet is so much easier then having to call everyone everytime you have to talk to them.
4. I am sure that there are many programs out there that i have never used or never even heard of for that matter and i would really like to learn how to use some of them and get some experience using them.

2003-09-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

Literacy
I would define literacy as the ability to read and write. Having the ability to read and write is very important. We need to read and write everyday in almost everything that we do. We wake up in the morning and get the newspaper, you have to be able to read the news paper if you want to know whats happening in the world, unless your just gonna look at all the pictures. If you are going to attend school at some point in time you have to be able to read and write or you will never make it. The ability to read and write is needed everyday of your life, so you need to know how to do it.

2003-09-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

Top 5 List
5. Eminem: Just because he is white.
4. Ludacris: He just wants to know your fantasies.
3. Busta Rhymes: He is the fastest rapper ever.
2. Tu Pac: He was the greatest all time rapper.
1. 50 Cent: He parties like it's your birthday.

2003-09-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

Response to Questions on page 493

1. Yes I know how to use a word processor, scanner, and graphic programs. And I also know document design programs.
2. I use email and instant messaging pretty much every day. I have used anything from ICQ to msn messenger to Trillian. And have used different types of emails. Either from hotmail, college email, or my personal favorite from nameplanet.com before they started charging. I had jared@piepenburg.com.....how cool is that? And yes i know how to add attachments. I have participated in chat rooms.....but that was back in the day. And I always looked on the guillotine.com forum for wrestling opinions. I have know idea what MUDS or MOOS are. And most of the things I use for the internet are for information gathering. Whether for class or what to people have been up to or are going to do.
3. I think internet is the best thing. I think it is more efficient and cheaper then have to call all the time. You can talk to hundreds of people at a time. And you can email anyone in the world who has email.
4. I would like to learn how to get the programs that you can just speak into the computer and it types it for you. I would like to anhance my skills by just plain typing more papers. I'm so used to informal writing on the internet, so it is hard to type correctily because everything is shortened or abreviated when talking to people on MSN messenger or in emails. I don't think i know enough to teach others about these writing tools.

2003-09-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

1. I prefer to use a word processor rather than writing something out by hand. I have used a scanner and a graphics program a few times, but I haven’t had a need to use them very often. I don’t believe that I am familiar with graphic design programs.
2. I have used e-mail and instant messaging many times, but I don’t know how to send attachments. I don’t participate in chat rooms, listservs, newsgroups, or other electronic forums. I don’t even know what MUDs and MOOs are, so I don’t think I take part in them. I use the Web frequently for looking up information for school and just personal use.
3. I think the new writing technologies and the new forms of electronic communication are convenient and useful. I think they are great advances and that they really speed up the writing and communication process.
4. I would like to learn how to use the technologies that I haven’t had experience with, just to get an idea of what they are. I am comfortable with the skills that I already have, but I would like to learn more about programs and just general computer stuff that I don’t know much about so I can more easily use the writing tools that are on the internet and computer. A goal that I can set for myself would be to simply learn more about how to use the computer that I have. I know how to use basic email and instant messaging and I would be willing to show someone those things, but I don’t know much about any of the other writing technologies.

2003-09-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

Writing can be it can be as simple as a things to do list or as structured as a school report. It can be about any topic and can be done almost anywhere at anytime. I would define literacy as the ability to read and write. In my opinion, a person should try to learn as much as they can about reading and writing, because literacy is so important in today’s society. The ability to read and write is important in everyday life. We read cooking recipes, bills and receipts, newspapers, instruction manuals, and internet web pages. Reading and writing can also be leisurely activities and done just for fun. I can not imagine going through even one day without a basic idea of how to read. A person needs to be able to write to be able to make a living. Most jobs require a person to be able to write. A job application would definitely be a challenge to complete if a person didn’t have basic reading and writing skills. Even when doing something as simple as working at a grocery store, a person needs to be able to read and write. A person living in a culture different than our own may be able to function without being literate, but reading and writing skills would still be useful to that person. Literacy is extremely important and everyone should at least have basic reading and writing skills.

2003-09-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

Top 5 Pep Band Songs (Not that Anyone Cares)
5. “Pretty Fly”-The original song is annoying, but it can still be fun to hear a pep band play a song from a recent time period.
4. “Hey Song”-Extremely popular, but overplayed.
3. “Louie, Louie”-Simple and common yet entertaining.
2. “Sweet Home Alabama”-Almost everyone can recognize it.
1. “Hey Baby”- A singing pep band always draws attention in one way or another.

2003-09-09T11:53:00.001-07:00

1. I use word processor a lot. I have scanned images before, but I haven’t used any graphic programs. I don’t know how to use design programs.
2. Instant messages are a new thing to me, but I am starting to understand. I don’t know how to send attachments. I have only participated in chat rooms a few times. I use the web to look stuff up for many years.
3. My attitude towards new writing technology is simple. New technology is going to happen, so I have to just adapt to it.
4. I would like to learn more about e-mail attachment and how to use a palm pilot. I would like to learn more about computer programs. I don’t have that much knowledge in writing tool to share with other people.

2003-09-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

Literacy is one of the few things we do in everyday life, in the workplace, in the public sphere, and in school. Writing is literacy and literacy is writing. Writing is what makes the world work.
Writing is one of the other ways of communication other than talking. Writing has changed so much over time. In the early days not too many people knew how to read and write, and now days mostly everyone can. Writing is so important it has to happen. How we write has also changed by technology. First people only wrote on paper and now it is done on a computer. Through the internet, there are also other ways of writing such as e-mail. E-mail is the fastest way to write and send a letter.
Literacy is the ability to read and write. In order to be successful in the world today, you have to be literate.

2003-09-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

Top Five

5. Alan Jackson: I don't really care for his music, but since he sings with Jimmy Buffet.
4. Hank Williams Jr.: he is carrying on his family tradition.
3. Guns 'n Roses: is one of the greatest old rock bands of all time.
2. Kid Rock: has alright music, but is one of a kind because he is Hank Williams Jr's Son.
1. Willie Nelson: because he is an old hippie.

2003-09-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

1. I use a word processor for assignments, and once in a while for personal writing. I know how to both scan images and use graphic programs. I have also used document design programs a little.
2. I use email and IM almost everyday to keep in touch with people. I know how to send attachments. However, I am not part of any chat rooms, etc, and I don't use MUDs or MOOs.
3. I think writing technologies and electronic communication are both very easy and convenient. I think it's a great way to keep in touch with people, and good for things like communication about classes, etc.
4. Anything that makes communicating easier is something that I would like to learn about. I know most of the basics, like the Office programs. I would like to do more with document design in the future. I don't know that I would be a big help to anyone, as I believe that most people are at least at the same level of computer knowledge as I am.

2003-09-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the postings so far, everyone. I'm going to have some things to say about "literacy" in class, but I want to address the most common question I saw in the postings about technology use: what is a MUD or MOO?

To read a good comprehensive description, check out what Samantha Blackmond has written. Samantha is an English professor at Purdue University, she blogs, she teaches first year composition, and she uses MUDS and MOOs in her classrooms.

A quick answers is that at MUD (Multi-User Domain) and MOO (MUD + Object Oriented) is a bit like a chat room--people go to MUDs and MOOs to chat. But they are also much more than chatrooms--you could build yourself a fantasy dorm room in a MOO, add objects to your dorm room, decorate it any way you want, and invite friends from around campus or around the country to visit your pad for a conversation. The room would be entirely textual--your friends would have to read about what your place looks like, rather than see it--but think about what a different experience it would be to chat in space like that, rather than an undecorated, de-personalized yahoo chat space.

MUDs and MOOs have had a cult following since they emerged in the mid 1990s, but they have never taken off and become mainstream web technologies. They take a lot of work to build, and they aren't very visible. Weblogging has been a much hotter phenomenon because it is so easy to do and because they are more visible.

I noticed that most people IM and/or Email, but neither of those forms of communication leave a visible record on the web. People who like to build MOOs or weblogs are interested in putting themselves on the web--they want to share their hobbies, interests, lives, etc. I understand that not everyone likes to do so; if you want to stay private, these web applications probably aren't for you.

2003-09-08T09:14:00.001-07:00

Writing VS. Literacy

Writing in the most fundamental sense is the ability to bring letters, words and sentences together to get a point across. Writing is an action, not a necessarily a comprehension. It is what professionals call an intellectual activity. Writing is the message.
Literacy on the other had is the ability to read and write and a level that enables one to successfully interact and function. It involves comprehension, Reading, interpreting, understanding. It is communication. Quintessentially it is receiving and responding to the message

2003-09-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

Top 10 songs to play at a Strip Club

This may not be the most conventional topic, but it is definitely eye catching. This songs my not necessarily be explicit, but the way they are sung with so much style or soul, if you will, that they come off as extremely exotic, erotic and sexy. This “top ten list” is not to be disturbing but to be a serious compilation of songs.

1. “My neck, My Back” by Kia. This particular song is very descriptive of the most sensuous parts of a woman body. Not only are the sexual sounding interjections an epiphany, but the way she sings the song makes you imagine spiritual dancing.

2. “Bring me to Life” by Evanescence. This group has smooth and sexy into the same song. Listening to the song you can picture smooth snake-like seductive movements.

3. “Am a slave 4 you” by Britney Spears. This “innocent” teen pop star is not so innocent. So I am told, anything about the one-time catholic school girl can be related to sex appeal.

4. “Pink” by Aero smith. This is the most popular striptease song played, according to The Northern Gentlemans’ club in Fargo.

5. “Dirty” by Christina Aguilera. With this sharp crisp beat, it’s easy to visualize Aphrodite herself groovin’ to the notes of this tune.

6. “Magic Stick” by 50 cent feat. Lil’ Kim. This song is a little obvious by the title. It’s a well known fact that anything idolizing a man’s genitalia is flattering to him.

7. “Pour some sugar on me” by Def Leopard. Anything that can relate something tasty and sweet to the human body is a huge asset to sexual innuendo.

8. “Closer” by Nine inch Nails. 80s rock bands are terribly popular according to the Northern. Maybe it’s the strong beat or that the men that attend such places are familiar with the songs.

9. “Express yourself” by Madonna. Madonna was the sex goddess before Britney Spears. Her songs have always been tempting and smooth.

10. “Wasting my time” by BoomKat. This is by far my favorite pick. This song is about a man ignoring a woman, and what’s more intriguing to a man then a vulnerable woman, nothing.