Lotta information here, so read all the way through. There is a small chance that my blog will explode once I upload this vid-o-knowledge, so stand back. Protective eyewear required.

The Research Video:

I worked on a screencast of my research process last night (about 2 hours worth). It showed the choices I make, my workflow, organization, reliable sources, etc. I hit Save…and nothing happened. I’m stuck with a 4GB avi that doesn’t play. Live and learn. I spent the rest of the night working on the following video, which shows a segment of my research on “nerds” for the Twilight paper (which will be awesome, btw).

Some of you wished to have a copy available at home, so I’m posting it here. I’m going to add notes to the video later to make it more self-explanatory, but I think it is fairly clear now. Also, if you have any suggestions (video speed, information, clarification, etc) for this video or anything else you’d like me to record, let me know. This is a learning process for me.

My Fans! My Glorious Fans!

In addition to the screencasts, I thought I’d dive deeper into the social mediasphere. Since you all seem to be anti-RSS feeds, I’ve set up a Facebook page that will send you updates via your account. Just go here, inflate my ego by becoming a fan, and receive updates when I post to the blog. (I’ve connected my Twitter page to the feed as well, so if you are somehow on Twitter but not Facebook, follow me here.) This should be an efficient way of getting information to you guys outside of class, but we’ll see. It’s just a test. As always, if you have an idea about how to make this better, let me know.

In the second half of this course, we’ll be reading selections from Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces as we finish up our reading of Ovid. Be sure to read through book 10 before Monday.

Note: This video contains mild violence from the movie Matrix. Use your best judgment.

On with the show.

Yeah, it’s a commercial. But…FACES!

We’ll continue our discussion over your graphic novels tomorrow with a look at choice and plot.

We finished up our discussion of the excerpts from Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own today. Even after two days’ discussion, we still had difficulty coming up with a concise “punchline” for the work, so this is something we need to work on.

The handout you received contains information on Aristotle’s rhetorical genres and a breakdown of ethos devices. (Pathos and logos will follow as we move forward.) While rote memorization is not the best way to get a handle on how these devices work, do read over the list occasionally so you will recognize the devices when you come across them.

We’ll be discussing the three presidential speeches as we move through the handouts, as they clearly illustrate many of the concepts we’re working on. You can find the three speeches (and others) at AmericanRhetoric.com (great site, but watch for popups).

In case you missed the announcement: There will be no article analyses or index cards until further notice. We will pick them up again in the future, but right now we’ll be focusing on delving further into the devices and techniques behind the appeals.

Also, a surprised kitten:  YAY!

Gotta love Bones. In this scene, we get a great example of deductive reasoning followed by faulty induction:

We took an extra day to go over the outlines, so our new schedule looks like this:

Monday (10/14): Introduction to “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and Project C

We will begin an in-depth study of this turning point in our nation’s history by discussing what we know about the protests in Birmingham during 1962. I’ll review best annotation practices, then give you a copy of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”—one of the greatest rhetorical works ever written. You should read and annotate it over the break.

Tuesday (10/13): Presentation of final drafts and discussion

We will have a short dance party in honor of our success, and bask in the glory of a job well done. We’ll discuss the issue, content in the understanding that we can all have a thoughtful conversation about this issue.

Bring your final draft stapled with the outline and rough draft.

Wednesday (10/14): PSAT!

I’ll be so lonely…