We, Robots

The idea of robots being able to surpass humans intellectually is quite frightening. This notion is definitely relevant to humankind in a growing technological era. As people, we pride ourselves on innovation and discovery. However, the issue becomes that in attempting to discover new technologies we lose some of our desire to continually make ourselves better and instead focus on continually making technology better.

In bringing robots into our world, we substitute man made activities with ativites that can be completed by technology. We lose the sense that we have to accomplish things for ourselves. We become content and lazy and ultimately stuck in our ways. On the other hand, without new technology society stagnates. Without technology there's no new iPhone to stimulate the economy, there's no new medical device to save a life, and no new discovery to spark more innovation and motivation among entrepreneurs and the scientific community.

Technology holds a place in our lives and we cannot turn back from what we've started. However, we have to be mindful of the consequences technologies, such as robots, place upon our society and ourselves. Like everything, robots are a tradeoff.

project 5 updates

For project five I want to focus on an ad campaign. I think that this will be most effective because it could actually be used to persuade people. Combining ad campaigns with social media is most effective so I will also be creating a twitter page for it as well.This corresponds to my topic from project 4 because I'm using the same topic and basing my project on ways to persuade an audience most effectively.

comic strip

http://www.raypeatforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1532
the potato side of life comic

The comic represents time by showing the changes that have occurred since technological innovation. In showing the normal potato confused by his vegetable counterparts it represents the world moving to a different time- a time of genetically modified foods.

The comic represents motion by using similar colors and repetition throughout the 3 part sequence. In doing so your eye naturally moves from the left (beginning) of the comic to the right (end) of the comic.

The comic does not represent sound other than the "voice" of the potato talking.

gmos + project 5

My topic is the genetic modification of food. I want to use multiple collages to create a marketing campaign against the use of GMO food crops. This would be powerful for my topic because it would aim to target the consumers that would be directly affected by consuming GMO's.

The right way to email- professors + parents + friends

Email one ---->

SUBJ: BUS 1010 SECT 9: Notification of permanent removal from class

Dear Professor Tumblin,

I'm currently in your BUS 1010 class on Friday at 9AM. Due to recent issues financially, I will be removing myself from this university permanently. As a result, I will no longer be a student under your instruction. I will be officially leaving the university on April 9th. This is a personal decision and in no way reflects my feelings toward you or the university as a whole. I hope that you understand the terms in which I have decided to leave. I am happy to answer any questions you may have for me and agree to complete the assignments until my departure.

Sincerely,
Devin Ostermann
C19382337
dosterm@g.clemson.edu
(540)287-1352


Email two ----->

SUBJ: College Updates

Hi Mom & Dad,

Recently, I have been having issues adjusting to life in college. The decision to leave Virginia was a difficult one for me as I'm sure you remember. I think that my decision was prematurely made and unfortunately, I regret coming to Clemson. As a result, I will be dropping out after this semester. I plan to take a year off and attend community college back home before making my next step to a college in Virginia. I have been considering dropping out since the beginning of second semester and have made a plan for my living arrangements and lifestyle changes after I leave Clemson. This decision was extremely difficult for me and I hope that you can understand my reasoning. I would appreciate your full support during this confusing and stressful time. Please call me when you get this so we can discuss it further.

Love,
Devin


Email three ---->

SUBJ: I GOT TO MEET CHANNING TATUM!

Ok, so I didn't meet Channing Tatum, (sorry) I just wanted you to actually open this email because who actually emails their friends?

Krissy I have SO much to tell you.. I finally dropped out and I'm SO excited to be back home! Clemson just wasn't the school for me. It was super hard to keep up with my work and I didn't feel like I fit into the typical crowd there. I'd rather just go somewhere near home and not be in debt for the rest of my life at a school I only halfway like.. anyways call me ASAP!! I want to hear your updates too. :) Love you twinsey!! <3

XO,
Dev


An email I've sent to a professor previously ---->

SUBJ: Dig Pitch/Exam time conflict
Hello,

I'm in your MWF macroeconomics class and I noticed an issue with the time the class is scheduled to take the final exam. 

I own a small jewelry business, Devin Ashton Designs, and have been invited to pitch my business in front of possible investors as well as well known business professionals and seasoned entrepreneurs. My creative inquiry instructor directed me to the opportunity and believes that I have a very good shot at winning the pitch. In winning the pitch I would receive prize money that would be extremely helpful in growing my business and taking it to the next level. 

The event, Dig South Wild Pitch, takes place May 1st in Charleston at 11:00 AM. I planned on traveling down the night before and taking part in other activities in the conference before pitching on Friday at 11. The issue is that I'm supposed to be taking your macroeconomics exam at 3PM that same Friday. Since the event is in Charleston I won't be able to make it back in time for the exam. 

This pitch is an incredible opportunity for both me and my business and if there is any possible way to reschedule my exam to an earlier date I would greatly appreciate it. 

Please let me know if this is possible. 

Thank you,

--

Devin Ostermann

C19382337

dosterm@g.clemson.edu

5402871352

Free write GMO paper

     GMO's are my topic for the paper that we just got assigned. It's super annoying because the first thing my roommate said was "Wow I definitely support GMO's don't you?" OK how about no because they don't label them on the products you're eating so you're just blissfully ignorant to the fact that they exist in the first place. GMO's are kinda like another way the government can ultimately control us. After all, our food supply dictates our health, our longevity, and overall quality of life. Some choose the path of believing that what they don't know won't kill them and others have a fear of the unknown. My roommate that supports GMO's would rather be blissfully ignorant to the possible harmful effects of GMO's being used for our food supply while I would much rather be aware of the possible effects. America and Canada both don't label foods that contain GMO's .. but most other countries around the world do. If the US government is concerned that the labeling of GMO products would cause a downturn in the economy because people stopped buying those food items they should look to the countries that do label these products as an example. The problem is that the US government knows that americans will demand products without GMO's when they see that products have them and they will possibly reject GMO's as a whole. It's scary because GMO's are pretty new yet they have a decent portion of control in the seed markets for food production. Its disconcerting that more testing by government run agencies like the FDA haven't taken a stand to further test these products. The problem is big monopoly companies like Monsanto assert their power on the government and have conflicts of interest with many lawmakers. As a result, companies like monsanto get away with not testing their products and other issues such as suing farmers that choose to not use their modified seeds. The documentary food inc is what got me interested in this subject. They focused a lot on monsanto because of its power and strange double dip in both the food production and pesticide markets. It's frightening that these companies aren't monitored more closely by the federal government and that more information regarding their practices isn't readily available. This gap in information makes it seem like something is sketchy or wrong that they're trying to hide even if they really aren't. You would think that if GMO's were completely safe for us that the government and monsanto and companies like monsanto would advertise that in order to get more americans on board with the idea. Instead, the companies and the government are going out of their way to provide information or test the products leaving doubt in  the back of many americans minds. The struggle to attain knowledge isn't something that we run into frequently in america so this roadblock serves as a red flag. They're hiding something, its just a matter of what their hiding that is what we don't know. It seems impossible that the only solution to the growing population and subsequent increase in demand for food can be solved by GMO's. Suddenly american farmers are shutting down their family farms but huge corporate companies are prevailing? Something is up with that, and its frustrating that because of the efforts of these corporations and the federal government we don't know what the something is quite yet.

Project 4 topic/project 1 sentences

     For project four, I intend on writing about how genetically modified organisms are harmful to our health and should be outlawed. I am not certain about this topic, but I have watched documentaries, such as Food Inc, that have peaked my interest on the topic. I believe this topic would be enlightening for a majority of people because the fear of the unknown is always intriguing to people. The topic is relevant to this period of time as well and directly affects most everyone's life in America. 

    In project one, my opening sentence was Miuccia Prada once said, "fashion is instant language." As an opening sentence I believe that this quote was perfect for introducing my topic. Overall, it conveyed what the goal of my paper was- to prove that fashion is indeed a form of language. I might change the follow up sentence to be slightly more thought provoking, but overall I'm satisfied with my opening sentence and believe it serves its purpose well. 

    My concluding sentence was "traditional authored works are powerful, but fashion speaks." This statement is somewhat vague and not very powerful to end with. I wish that I would have called the reader to action with a sentence such as "The language of fashion is one that is interpreted by the audience; its power determined by the viewer itself" or "Let fashion come alive by realizing the full potential of fashion as a form of language." I believe these statements are stronger in wrapping up the conclusion and leave the reader with an idea of what I (the author) expect for them to accomplish after reading the paper. 

Why work is a blessing

     In a world that's becoming increasingly technology based manual labor is something that is rare and valued. The concept of "made in America" developed only after outsourcing and the rise of technologic advances that cut out the middle man. Work keeps economies alive. We see downturns in economies when work is hard to find and hard to keep. Work, therefore, can be seen as the backbone of America and other countries around the world.

     Besides being the backbone of America, work is also a way to support one's family. The income from work allows people to attain their wants and needs. Manual labor is an important source of work to many people especially in impoverished countries. Infrastructure program improvements run by and paid for by governments allows people that would normally not have work to have a reliable source of income. As a whole, work supports economies around the world and allows people to support themselves and their families. In this way, work is a blessing.

Project 2 reflection

    For this project the hardest aspect was choosing the direction of the visual. At first we wanted to compare and contrast the positive thoughts from society about pageants compared with the negative. We found that there were very few positive things society had to say about pageants in general when they dealt with kids. We decided that it would be most effective if we compared the physical/on the surface aspects of pageants to the emotional and mental effects that pageants have on children. By splitting Eden's face we were able to compare her natural and glitz state. Overall, after finding the initial direction the project went pretty smooth and working with Morgan was very easy and we worked well together in coming up with a powerful visual.

     I was surprised that I found the audio portions of the projects more impacting to the overall message. With our project I think that the audio presentation really furthered the message Morgan and I were trying to convey on the poster. I think that the audio following the initial presentation of the poster helped solidify the detrimental emotional and mental effects of beauty pageants for young girls. All in all, I'm glad that their were both audio and visual elements to this project. It really portrayed all angles of the message and covered all elements.

School as a sanctuary

      For most individuals school is a chore. It's seen as a mandatory activity forced onto the population of kids 16 and under. However, for some children school is an escape from a hard home life. While this was not the case for me, I believe in some cases this is absolutely true. For these kids school is a safe haven where their good actions and efforts are noticed and rewarded.

     Specifically, fine art programs provides a direct outlet for children. Music, theater, & art classes allow expression and release. In a time where these programs are often being cut because of dwindling budgets, school boards need to keep this in consideration. The outlet of fine arts is valued by many students, but specifically the students that need an escape from their everyday life.

What the beans?

       As if genetically modified crops aren't already scary enough, the company Monsanto intimidates people and skirts around the law. It's terrifying that a company responsible for producing toxic chemicals, such as Roundup, now have a tight grip around the food industry as well. Government run facilities are already frightening because the government can hide as much or as little as it wants to. Monsanto seems to have the government in the palm of its hands, working the justice system to get more and more farmers to comply. 

     All and all the American people should have more of a say when it comes down to the food that they are eating. A 4 to 5 vote in Congress should not justify a monopoly in any food industry. Companies like Monsanto will continue to grow in power and size if precautions aren't taken and eventually it'll be too late to reverse the effects it has already had on soil crops. Unfortunately, Monsanto's power is spreading and will continue to spread if the American people don't take a stand against genetically modified crops.

Project one reflection

     Project one seemed like a breeze. I figured I'd be able to knock it out in a night, but when I started I realized it would be more challenging than I originally anticipated. I was grateful that my project one assignment for English 1030 wasn't "how monuments are rhetoric" like some of my hall-mates, because that would have truly led to my ultimate demise. I struggled to accurately express fashion through words in the way that I have grown to value it. To me there is no question that fashion speaks and it's honestly hard for me to understand how anyone could think fashion isn't a form of authorship.

     This presented new challenges for me because I had to take myself out of my shoes and try to pretend that I wasn't convinced fashion is a form of authorship. I had to do this because otherwise my argument wouldn't have been as strong. I definitely know a lot about fashion, it's something that intrigues me and that I've always been interested in so it was pretty difficult to take a step back and remember I might be arguing this topic to someone that isn't very fashion forward or inclined. All in all, once I found my voice and a strong thesis it all came together. I liked the open ended creative concept behind this paper and it definitely resonated well with me.

Arguments & Authorship

      An argument is a expression of views that are expressed in order to persuade someone that they are either right or wrong. Recently at Clemson there has been an outburst of students that say Clemson is racist and needs to make changes to building names, specifically Tillman, an iconic building on campus. The students argument relies solely on the fact that Tillman was a slave owner when he was alive. Recent issues on campus with fraternity parties have made these students even more dedicated in their efforts to make Clemson more racially accepting. The issue is a racial conflict. It is important because if Clemson changes the name of Tillman to please these students they will be showing efforts to be more diverse, however, if they do not Clemson will seem to value the school's history more than the angry students wishes. Clemson is in a tough situation but ultimately should do what is in the best interest of Clemson University as a whole.

     For my essay my topic is visual art like graffiti making artists authors as well. In many countries where free speech is a foreign thought graffiti translates the citizens struggles and thoughts when they cannot directly express them. Graffiti also breaks down language barriers. Because graffiti is art, the images are simply complimented by words so even if you don't speak the language you can still figure out what the author/artist was trying to achieve. Authorship can be defined in many different ways and artists and authors share many of the same goals for their finished products.

Making your own writing process (shitty first drafts)

     The first important paper I had to write was in third grade. I remember coming back from Christmas break and being bombarded with an assignment to write a five paragraph essay explaining our activities over break. We had plenty of time to write in class, but I sat. Weeks led up to the paper being due and I still sat. Nothing on my looseleaf but doodles of flowers and haphazard attempts at cursive. So, the day it was due I wrote it on the bus on the way to school. The "paper" that I turned in was nothing more than a less than impressive brainstorm. And now, after reading "Shitty first drafts" I realize why I was so stumped by that entire writing process I was introduced to and subsequently rejected.

      It's somewhat relieving to have an author say your first draft can be shitty. There's a sort of connotation when walking into an English class that everything you write will be that of an author. And I think that is exemplified by my third grade paper. Because I was told how my writing process should go I rejected the process as a whole. We're told to brainstorm, write a first draft, edit, and then turn it in our final paper. But in reality, authors don't just have one draft. And often times their first draft barely resembles their finished product. Authors find what works for them, what makes them tick, what air temperature, surroundings, and time of day produces their best writing. School systems should focus on what goes into making a good writer, because otherwise they turn students into robots that churn out essays. There's no individuality in the process that they require you to use. It's unfortunate, but easily fixable. By simply allowing people to write how they want to write the end result would be much more impressive and fulfilling.

Is everyone an author? And what's up with words?

     Authorship as a whole has been revolutionized with the introduction of social media and technology. We're taught that authors write books, movies, plays, and poems. But what does it mean when someone writes a very convincing and engaging email or a though provoking Facebook status? Or even this blog post just like many other blog posts circling out there in the cyber world right now. The answer is pretty simple. With social media, blogging, and technology absolutely anyone can try their hand at being an author. Anyone can be engaging, thought provoking, convincing, entertaining, and as a whole just a plain and simple good writer. With these new outlets we've seen a change in the ways in which people can show off their writing abilities. Blogging in particular has become extremely successful. Blogging now can even become means for someone making income and having a job simply by typing from behind a computer screen. All in all, as humans adjust to the changes that come along with technology authorship is adapting to these changes as well.

     When you think about it words are pretty strange to decode. If you just say one word over and over again it becomes meaningless. But there's something about words when spoken and written that change the way we think. Just by changing one word in a sentence you can completely change the way that the recipient of that sentence or reader of an article will feel. Probably the simplest example would be by switching the words hate and love. So instead of announcing "I love you" you now say "I hate you." And subsequently the person you're talking or writing to goes from being happy to most likely being sad or angered. Words effect emotion and human behavior. They shape the way we live our lives. And yet it's strange to think we are so effected by lines formed into weird shapes that are spoken in a combination of sounds.