Thanks for a great semester!!

Thanks, everyone, for contributing to this class blog and making it useful for our class discussions--I hope you learned something by reading and responding to your peers in this digital space. Thanks again for a good semester and best of luck on your finals!

--ejfleitz

there are two opposing views regarding powerpoints, one positive and one negative. Tufte beleives that powerpoints are useless boring ways that everyone uses, where there is no creativity or ways to get a simple point acrosss. Byrne on the other hand beleives they are useful where yo can display numerous slides of helpful information on a certain topc to help get a point a cross, or for something educational.

PowerPoint-Tim Fisher

Each writer describes how PowerPoint effects the audience who is listening. Tufte feels that watching a powerpoint presentation is one of the most boring experiences in life, while Byrne feels just the opposite. These writers just completely disagree with the entire topic.

Powerpoint

Both Byrne and Tufte are using the specific criteria of content. On one side, Byrne thinks that the content is a positive thing because it is entertaining. He said in the essay that the large amount of slides you can have is a good thing. But Tufte does not think so. He says that since so many people use power point from such a young age and for everything, that it is boring and you cant put useful information on the small, useless slides. The same exact criteria is argued positively and negatively.

Gangsta-Tim Fisher

Througout this essay, all Dyson really discusses is the long, colorful history of rap music. While he does spend quite a bit of time describing the meaning that the lyrics carry, and what kind of history they do have, I just don't see any evalutation in this. What I do think it is, is his description of the brand of music he loves.

I don't think Dysons point of his essay is to evauluate rap music on artistic principles. It seems his point is to look back at where this style of music came from and what exactly started it. He talks about how its music has history and some form of meaning behind it. Rappers use emotion and sometimes poor language in their music, which Dyson says lets people stereotype about rappers.

Gangsta Rap

Dyson's real purpose for writing this essay seems to be in order to describe how rappers are representatives of the black community. The lyrics in rap songs tend to focus on the conditions of life in the ghettos and of the black community. This essay seems to be more of an evaluation of the rappers themselves rather than the actual rap music. The evaluation tells more how the rappers themselves are personal representatives of the black community, but they sometimes exaggerate the conditions of life of the black community.

Dyson: Gangsta Rap

Looking at the entirity of this essay, i noticed that Dyson is not necessarily evaluating Rap but giving the backround information on the history and ideas of he rap community. In some cases their are forms of artisitc principles but mainly the idea of backing up the ideals that come from rap musicians and their music. I dont necessarily agree with the idea that male and female bodies are a commodity, because the people who put themselves in these situations are making more money then we can believe.

In the situations list in this essay, Dyson does a good job of explaining raps problems with morals and the medias opinion on the damages and problems arising with the industry. Overall i think Dyson did a wonderful job of evaluationg many different standpoints, but i think that jumping from topic to topic, and not really staying with one idea. None the less i really enjoyed this essay

Gangsta Rap & American Culture

Dyson's real purpose in writing this essay is not to evaluate rap music on artistic principles, but it is something more. Dyson evaluates the will, the images, and the culture of the black society. He talks about the need for hip-hop to come about. Gangsta rap gave hip-hoppers the chance to reveal their tragic and difficult lives. They could "represent" themselves. Then Dyson talks about the image that gangsta rap reveals. Rap describes black men as sexual outlaws and women as ho's. This is the stereotype of the black sexual identity. Then there is the culture, for many practices of the black society women are not treated equally, this is also the way it is in black church. Basically, all the critics before have criticized the sexism and misogyny of gangsta rap, but it has been evaluated by Dyson that gangsta rap is merely the truth of the black community in lyrics.

Gangsta Rap

I do not think Dyson's real purpose is to evaluate te music on artistic principles. I think Dyson is evaluating where the music came from and how the music originated. He mentions how for some people rap music is hard to listen to because of all of the name calling. Rap music also sets up for people to stereotype due to the words the music uses and the images. He also mentions that some rap songs have history behind the song. Some artists show their feelings and explain their life and let out their anger in a song.

Gangasta Rap

The point of Dyson's essay is not to evaluate or criticize Rap music on a artistic level, but to look at the underlying causes for Rap music and it's origins. The aspects that Dyson focused on were the forces that help Rap emerge, negative and positive black images, and harmful truths and beliefs that are practiced in society and in the black community.

Dyson first looks that the time period in which Rap was born. He claims that the conditions of the 70's and late 60's were the forces that help Rap to become what it was. It emerged as a voice for black people who were suffering during that period. Dyson also goes on to say that Rap was a way of "representing" where you came from.

Secondly Dyson talks about the images associated with Rap music. He believes that the sterotypes of black men as "sexual outlaws" and black women as "ho's" is burried in narritives and ancent sterotypes of black sexual identity. In ancient times black male and female bodies were viewed as commondies and object, and that is how they are now reflected in Gangsta Rap.

The third point that Dyson makes is that while Rap may be a bad representaion of the black community, the white community failes to address the underlying issues if these songs. Dyson's views Rap music as a cry for help and saids that communities should try and help fix the problem instead of being transfixed by the vulgor language.

These three points help to strength Dyson's point that Rap originated in real issues and truth.

Gangsta rap

Dyson's real purpose is not to evaluate rap music on artistic principles. Instead, he is evaluating it based on moral principles and values, and he focuses on its role in popular culture. The reasons that he gives against rap music have a basis in moral values, which is understandable considering his profession as a Baptist minister. However, I think that the deeper purpose in writing this essay is to examine the background of gangsta rap and to look at how it is related to historical and modern portrayals of black men and women. He is criticizing those who are against rap music only on grounds of its content and the actions of its performers. He encourages readers to take a closer look at the context of rap music and to consider its good qualities.

Rap

Dyson's real purpose in writing this evaluation is to evaluate the origin of the music. He discusses where the music came from and how the roots of the artists are what makes rap what it is. However, he also discusses the negative aspects of rap in such that it stereotypes and often puts people down. If people hear names such as bitches and hoes in the music, they are going to think it is okay to call people those names. Dyson is showing the crude material that is throughout rap music, but that is not all he is doing; he is also showing the positives of the music and how it tells some true stories and allows the writers to express where they are coming from and express themselves through music in a healthy way. This evaluation explores every side of the issue.

Gangsta Rap

Dysons real purpose in this essay is not to evaluate the music itself, but to evaluate the origin of the content of the music. It goes into depth of where it started, and how it possibly evolved into what it is today, not excluding the fact that the music does contain crude material. Dyson does not put down rap music entirely, but he doesnt defend it completely either. It is a great evaluation in the sense that it hits all of the bases. The positives, negatives, and everything in between.

Response for Friday: Dyson and Gangsta Rap

3. What is Dyson's real purpose in writing this essay? The kinds of criteria he uses should give you some sense of this. Is it an evaluation of rap music on artistic principles, or something more?

--ejfleitz

Fast Food

I'll be the first one to admit, I like my fast food. I eat it probably 2 times a week and I usually go all out and eat a large sized meal. None of the new, healthier options that Crane mentions are something that I would try. As much as I eat fast food, I never seem t gain any weight, so t doesn't bother me too much. I say eat what you want and if you eat a lot of fatter foods, just do some exercise and burn some of the calories off

Fast Food

None of the "healthy" fast food items that are being produced interest me. I still eat whatever I feel like, and I always plan on eating whatever I feel like. But unlike the fat 2/3 of America, I refuse to let that food takeover and give me rolls. If you are constantly eating the wrong foods and watching your calories rack up, exercise. I'm not talking about going for a hard, power walk. I mean real exercise where you plan on sweating. If you can run 4 miles at an easy 7 minute mile pace, you'll burn nearly 600 calories. 600 CALORIES! That's a complete meal that you just eliminated. So instead of just whining about how fatty fast foods are, just accept that that's what they are always going to be like, to do something to burn them off.

Mcnasty

I think that the most convincing part of Crane's argument is that he speaks from personal experience. Crane personally tested healthy food from popular fast food restaurant and then defended his claims with some study results. Crane doesn't base his argument on purely on other people's arguments, he uses practical information (taste, looks, etc.) that anyone could deduce. I personally think that this information makes his argument stronger and makes his article more convincing. If he only used test results to make his argument, then his paper would be boring and wouldn't be extremely reliable (or at least not to me) because some test results can easily be refuted.

Mcnasty

Of all the things in the article that stand out to me, the main point comes from the burger statistic about healthy food. How can a company say they want something to be "made to order" and also be healthy. As americans the food we order off the menu, is usually beautiful made, and put together flawlessly. When we recieve the food, it is a mess of sloppy burgers and burnt fries. Anyway you look at it, healthy food should look as good as its supposed to be for your body. Overall i think that if people are going to go to a fast food resturante in hopes to eat a healthy meal, they should turn around and walk away. You cant expect to eat healthy food at a place that sells cheeseburgers for a dollar.

McNasty

I was surprised to see how fattening the "healthy foods" at fast food places were. It wasn't too hard to believe though. I think it is a little obserd that fast food places even need to pretend to be healthy. People blame fast food for their gaining weight, but in reality, they choose to eat there. I know people are busy, but I think it is a bit ridiculas to blame fast food. Instead of getting bent out of shape about how unhealthy fast food's "healthy" foods are, they need to realize that they are still choosing to eat it. On the flip side, I do think it is sort of dishonest for fast food places to trick people into thinking they have healthy food when they don't. Then again, what can you expect in a market economy?