First Blog

  I t seems there are two types of people roaming through Earth; one that likes eating meat, and who could not care any less for the animal, and the other that refrains from eating meat out of compassion for the animal. That is it. There is no other type. However, relying solely on these two types does not provide sufficient reason or data to determine if eating animals is wrong in the first place. Therefore, instead of looking at the statistics of carnivores compared to herbivores found in the human population, we need to think a bit more irrationally. Humans are a type of animal, and in the natural world, animals eat animals for one reason- to survive. However, humans are special, in that they can choose to eat only a diet consisting of plants, and they can survive just as well as any other person. Therefore, there can be only one conclusion. Eating animals is not wrong, per se. However, what is wrong is the practice and process the humans put the animals through to "ready"...

       H ello, and welcome. If you ended up here, chances are, you wanted to listen to some music. Or you simply came back from part 1. Either way, I came back with another selection of songs for us to analyze and enjoy together again! Last time, we looked at songs that tell a story, and through the story, our perceived emotions are evoked. This time, we will look at instrumentals that have no particular story, but still manage to have the listener (that's you and me) feel a certain way. So buckle up, because you're in for a treat.      L et us begin by listening to this first. If you recall, last time I helped guide you and decipher the different elements to the instrumental that cause us to perceive certain emotions. To change things up a bit, this time, I won't tell you what you should be feeling or what the elements the producer uses to achieve their aims are. All I will do is provide description of what we hear. Let's see if you can accurately pic...

  I recently had an opportunity to watch the film Fresh , and its primary focus was to educate the American public about the issues in the industrialized food industry, and where the food comes from exactly. In the first half of the film, the director highlighted all the problems and concerns that can be found within the food industry. Things like mistreatment of animals, unsanitary conditions, inefficiency in getting rid of waste, etc. Factory farms and concentrated animal feeding operations are the two main sources that produce "cheap" animal products. It so happens to be that they are also the two sources in which the most problems lie. In the second half of the film, the director shifted focus from the industrialized food part of the industry, to the natural and safer part of the food industry. The fact that natural food grown "normally" was more delicious and nutritious was a key point in the second half, and local farms and manual labor was showcased as an alt...

       H ave you ever listened to a piece of music with a particularly happy or sad tone to it, which also ends up affecting your overall mood? You don't even need to be able to relate to the overall message or underlying meaning of the piece to have particular emotions evoked. These are called perceived emotions . Music, with the help and use of perceived emotions, is a powerful tool used in communication pertaining to emotional capacity, but it's not limited to just that. For example, take a young man or woman who had gone through a heart-wrenching break up recently. This person may choose to listen to sad or relatable songs about the break-up to better cope with the situation, and to prepare to move on. Or, happier songs may be chosen instead, to uplift and encourage the saddened individual. Music often tells a story. If you don't believe or understand what I am even saying, let us try a little experiment- but with instrumentals instead!   ...

       T he Mayhem: Bag of Fast Food ad is interesting, in that it sends a global message to drivers. Of course, it is still an ad, so it is going to sell a product for consumers. The way it does it, though, is unique.      F irst off, the ad begins with a man representing "fast-food trash," and he is thrown out the window. Right off the bat, the author is trying to give the audience a feeling of imminent danger, since the man is now on the street, as "trash." In addition to that, by having a human play the role of "fast-food trash," the author is indirectly using the man to represent the audience who risk driving without Allstate, to portray the dangers and unpredictability of the road that they face. The ad aims to sell auto-insurance, so it makes sense that the author of the ad wants to promote a lifestyle where people do not need to worry about problems that may arise while driving, as long as they have Allstate. The ad is targeted towards everyon...

       H ave you ever read a book that not only leaves you thinking about the lesson long after you finish reading, but also encourages you to incorporate the moral of the story into your own life? Whether you answered yes or no, fact of the matter is that I have experienced exactly what I described when I read The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. I will attempt to provide a brief overview of the story as context before I get to the moral.     T he main character of the book is a sailor by the name of Edmond  Dantès. He was a very bright and cheerfully happy young man, and he was also very naïve. Edmond was very successful, and he was going to be promoted to captain of the Pharaon. In the time the book takes place, being the captain of a ship was quite rewarding, financially. He also had a very beautiful fiancé, whose charms were revered by the townspeople. Basically, he had a very good life ahead of him. Naturally, such a person who "has it ...