Monthly Archives: January 2014

2 Possibilities for Paper 1

Possibility #1: P90X

Use of ethos: – Tony Horton, a fitness trainer guides you through each of the workouts, his body is a chick-magnet, people trust him (just look at his body)

Use of logos: – the product makes sense to the consumer, there are no tricks to the workout plan, it is practical because you exercise in the safety and comfort of your own home.

Use of pathos: – Tony and his crew persistently motivate you with passionate emotions, you feel like you are getting one-on-one interaction through your TV

Ideologies:  – the program is a top-seller in the world, Tony even states that there is a 90-day guarantee or your money back, he repeats how “muscle confusion” is the secret to your eventual body transformation, the DVD set targets all parts of your body and you will see and get results!

Commonplaces: – everyone wants to be fit, healthy, and motivated in their lives

Possibility #2: Snuggies

Use of ethos: -the narrator boasts about how warm and convenient it is to wrap yourself up in a Snuggie, you trust the company

Use of logos: -you don’t feel like turning up the heat and wasting money so it seems logical to add layers instead, when you go to sporting events outside and want to be warm, ease of doing things with your hands and legs since there are sleeves for your arms

Use of pathos: -they appeal to you (the consumer) as well as your entire family, the infomercial is set inside a home (symbol for warmth)

Ideologies: – “the blanket with sleeves”, easy to clean (machine-washable), easy to carry wherever you go, made of “ultra-soft fleece”

Commonplaces: -nobody likes being cold and the Snuggie becomes the solution to all of your problems!

 

Food Food, and More Food.

 

Snow Crab Legs

My mom knew instantly that I was a special child with a unique passion when she came across me watching something out of the ordinary in elementary school.  I was watching one of Emeril Lagasse’s cooking shows, “Emeril Live”.  I would rarely make any noise in the family room as my mouth watered and my stomach craved the dishes that he had fixed in front of his live audience.  Whenever his signature shouts of “bam!” or “aw yeah babe” or “let’s kick it up a notch” came up on the audio of the TV, I sometimes felt like I was viewing an infomercial for a workout DVD plan.  As the youngest child of three, I was always sitting on the kitchen counter watching my mom cook dinner for the family.  This could be one of the causes of my fascination with the art of cooking.  At one point of in my life, I had even considered becoming a chef at a high-end restaurant (it still comes up in my mind every so often).

I have never realized how lucky I was to be able to taste all of the different kinds of food I have had:  Italian food, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Mediterranean… the list goes on forever.  Having tried this wide variety of food, I never understood the constant complaints from fellow students and friends about not liking the taste of particular groups of foods (i.e. vegetables or fruits) or a particular culture’s food.  My parents always encourage me to try new foods because trying new foods ultimately leads to understanding more about a people’s culture.  Even when it came down to literature and composition, I learned from my high school teacher that when characters sit around a table and share meals, the meals are much more than meals.  Characters that share meals could be eating ravenously and be portraying aspects of sexual acts, symbolizing a type of unity between people, or even representing a character’s family lineage and history to the other character(s) in attendance.

The art of cooking must be perfected after several attempts that may or may not be pretty.  I have experimented with cooking foods that did not turn out visually appealing, let alone appetizing.  Other meals that I have made were definite home runs and have caught me by utter surprise.  No matter what one does, practice makes perfect.  There is nothing better than putting in the time and effort toward a masterpiece or train wreck that one can call one’s own.  At the end of the day, the project will put a smile on your face.  As an introductory blog, I wanted to talk about random topics that came across my mind, but as the blogs continue I will focus on specific dishes from Taiwan and how they are prepared.  Maybe I will get you to try out some of these foods in my blogs or even get you to make them yourself!

 

2 Possible Passion Blog Topics

1) I have loved playing and watching football since middle school.  It was something completely different than my original favorite sport, basketball.  Practice took time on the field as well as off the field such as running, lifting weights, and even studying the playbook for hours at a time.  The impact that football has had on me and my determination has been astounding.  I feel that football could be a great possibility as a Passion Blog topic.

2) It comes in so many different shapes, sizes, and flavors: food.  If there is one thing that my parents have taught me, it is that food brings the family together.  My parents never complain about how their kids are picky eaters because we have never had that problem.  Now that I reflect upon the past, I realize that I had taken the meals I had for granted.  There was always a pungent scent swaying toward my upstairs bedroom.  I would sprint downstairs to the kitchen in anticipation for dinner.  I’m in college now and appreciate more than ever, the time and effort my mom took cooking and fixing delicious meals for the family.  Dining commons food is okay though because the ice cream is nice (that’s an understatement).