Obama Infomercial Well Received By Media

Last night Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign aired a thirty minute infomercial, a way to address voters that hasn't been seen in this campaign. The cost to run this program nation wide on many leading networks was around four million, a number that puts Obama's financial advantage in perspective. Many viewers and writers had positive comments about the show, and thought the feel of the ad may have caused it to be more effective. As stated by The Politico it, "weaved together American iconography -- images of amber waves of grain, pickup trucks and American flags -- with portraits of iconic voters, testimonials from politicians and one business figure, footage of Obama speeches and direct appeals from the candidate"(1). The writer of this article felt the composition of the film really added to its effectiveness, by bringing shots of an average American into the homes of viewers and how Obama will affect everyone's life. Without this composition and smooth editing, the program wouldn't have been nearly as effective because it wouldn't cause people to stop what their doing and watch it, and it wouldn't tell so strongly where Obama stands on issues. A writer from the Washington Post, Tom Shales wrote the program was, "a series of seamlessly blended segments"(1). Tom Shales noticed how the editors of the infomercial compiled the clips, making the film both interesting and informative. By understanding film analysis techniques, much more can be gained from watching seemingly normal programs such as the one aired by the Obama campaign.

"Campaign News." “USNews”. 30 Oct 2008. 30 Oct 2008 .

Film Review: "Pride and Glory"

After reading the review of the film "Pride and Glory" given by Sean O’Connell I wanted to go and see the movie myself. He describes the film as standing out from all of the other cop movies that try to replicate CSI or other thrillers, and loves the solvable mystery it presents. Without giving much plot summary, O’Connell provides many comments that explain what made the movie, in his mind, exceptional. O’Connell explains, “'Glory' methodically lays out its details, revealing minor surprises instead of forcing major twists”(1). Through the analysis of the themes and plot points in the film, O’Connell intrigued me to watch the movie by explaining what made the movie interesting to him, such as the twists and surprises. His analysis continues to include the composition of the footage, where he praises director Gavin O’Connor and cinematographer Declan Quinn. O’Connell gave them credit, “for diving into slummy tenements and low-lit police precincts, as well as modest suburban homes which officers could afford on an NYPD salary”(2). The description plants an image that gives us not only a better idea about the way the main characters in the film live, but also the feeling that goes along with most of the film. The dim lighting that was described is usually a more suspicious atmosphere, which makes sense in a movie such as this. This review made me want to watch the movie, due to its elaborate analysis of plot on shot composition. If you have thought about seeing this film and want an opinion, I would recommend reading this article.

O'Connell, Sean. "Pride and Glory." "FilmCritic". 2008. 23 Oct 2008.

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Post 4

I read an article in the Star Tribune this week titled “Lucinda finds her ‘Honey’”. The songwriter Lucinda Williams had a career of unhappy, depressing songs, she released and album full of happy music. She has just been engaged, and said that her new fiancé has changed her life. The story reminds me of Siddhartha and Buddhism, in that she has finally found enlightenment in the form of her new companion Tom Overby. However, she still has a few things to learn if she wishes to reach true enlightenment through a Buddhist path. When asked about her new “happy” music she replied, “It’s not like I don’t have bad days anymore”(E1). She seems to understand the first and second Noble Truths, that suffering exists and arises from unsatisfied desire, but she doesn’t seem to see the third and fourth, that there is a release from suffering, and she can attain enlightenment. I believe these to be the more important of the two, because they dictate your view towards life. If life is lived with the attitude that there is suffering, but you can’t do anything about it you will be miserable. Lucinda does know that enlightenment may be found in more than one way, a common belief to Buddhists. She explains one of her songs, ‘Real Love’, was, “actually written before I met Tom”(E13). While Tom may have been her biggest source of enlightenment, she has seen it though others as well. For stumbling upon an article in the newspaper, this had much more to do with Buddhism and Siddhartha than I expected.

Riemenschneider, Chris. "Lucinda finds her 'Honey'." Star Tribune 19 Oct. 2008: E1, E13.

Post 3: Buddhism

I wanted to find out more information about Buddhism after starting my research project, so I read a section of the book World Religions that I found at my house. This book looks at many different religions, but I read the twenty-page section pertaining to Buddhism. After reading doing my research project, I had one main question: What happens to the Buddha after he dies? All other people are reborn, and I found out that the Buddha probably was too, but he, “dissuaded his followers from speculating about his existence after death”(64). This quote made me think that the Buddha didn’t want people to think about his rebirth, because that would be changing the person’s focus. It would no longer be a life focused on devotion and the Eightfold Path, but only following the Buddha himself and not his teachings. A second question I had was about monks and how they got into the Sangha, the monks following the Buddha. Kids starting at, “the age of eight, a boy may be accepted as a novice, then full membership of the Sangha is conferred by a higher ordination at about the age of 20”(72). I still don’t know how the children are chosen, but this seemed like a very long process to become a monk. Reading about Buddhism provided a different view on the novel Siddhartha, since now I have a clearer idea at what he is striving for. I believe that even though he didn’t join the Sangha with Govinda he was still finding the enlightenment on his own, and will possibly attain it by the end of the novel.

Bowker, John. World Religions. New York: DK, 2006

Question 2

Odysseus is a hero for the modern time due to his perseverance, loyalty and tactics, both of which are traits in heroes of our time. Odysseus shows how devotion is important to him when he arrives at his house after years of travel. Odysseus, disguised as a stranger, asks his men if they would fight along side Odysseus if he returned. The cowherd and swineherd both say that they would, and this loyalty impresses Odysseus. In a separate situation, the goatherd shows how he isn’t loyal to Odysseus when he steals the weapons from the storeroom to help the suitors in the final battle. Odysseus reacts by cutting him to pieces, showing his hatred for traitors. In both of these examples Odysseus is not shown directly being loyal, but his reaction to loyal men shows that it is a quality he values very highly. To succeed in the past and present, it is necessary to have someone you can count on. A modern hero needs to know the importance of loyalty, and Odysseus certainly shows that he knows how important it is.
Another important trait that Odysseus has that is important to modern heroes is tactics. Odysseus is known as the great tactician, and the title is not awarded without merit. Countless time Odysseus escapes a situation by coming up with a grand plan, almost always executed flawlessly. When Odysseus plans to kill the suitors he involves the nurse, the cowherd, the swineherd and Telemachus, all with their own specific instructions. His plan works well, and all the suitors are killed by a mere five men. Odysseus does this again when he has to plan for the concealment of the murders taken place, and tells the bards to play marriage music and for everyone to dress as for a marriage celebration. This plan tricks the town’s people, and works successfully. These tactics shown by Odysseus help him get through many situations alive and with ease, an important ability for a modern hero. They also allow him to accomplish the seemingly impossible, what every hero is able to do. Odysseus would make a good modern hero for his loyalty and tactics, important qualities for heroes in both the past and present.

Post 2

After Sarah Palin was announced as John McCain's running mate, many Alaskans were proud to see their state represented on a national scale. However, after just a month of campaigning, Alaskans are starting to see her as more of an embarrassment than they had hoped for. Many Alaskans, "Now cringe when she opens her mouth"(1). Although Palin may represent the state, it is not in a fashion that many of the residents appreciate. She made comments that go against what they remember of her actions. A Alaskan native Mark Burnhill commented, "I am very hopeful that she doesn't embarrass us more than she already has"(1). While keeping political beliefs out, it seems that many people are disappointed with Palin and her actions compared to there initial hopes. This initial optimism followed by disappointed can be compared to The Odyssey. Penelope and Telemachus expect Odysseus to return home after they hear the war has ended and are excited for his arrival, but are disappointed that he hasn't returned for many years. This story, however, ended with Odysseus returning, and all disappointment was forgotten. From the article, we can't see if this will be the case with Palin as well.

Volz, Matt. "Alaskans cringe after month of listening to Palin." Associated Press 02 10 2008 1-2. 2 Oct 2008 .