DTC 355 - Comics, and, Myself as a Technorhetorician

Comics

Despite the fact that I found it very difficult to read through McCloud's comics this time around, I do find his argument to be a decent one (and by that I mean a true one). Technology is constantly evolving and changing to suit our needs and fantasies; it changes with our newest discoveries. From what I gathered, McCloud is arguing that the evolution of the comic through time is due to our development of different technologies. From the tomb and cave drawings to the screens on our computers, comics have existed in many forms. Comics, McCloud defines, are "juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence" (McCloud 200). Though I could argue that not all comics are more than one frame, this is a fantastic definition.

When it comes to the medium in which comics are presented, whether on a wall in a cave or in the comics section of the newspaper, the only thing that changes is the way in which comics are viewed. As McCloud shows, comics have been presented on the screen in the digital world where they "remain a still life" (McCloud 229). This comic still life however, is explored differently on a screen or on the Web. You can click to turn the page, or use the hand tool to drag a .pdf file back and forth. You can zoom in to see the detail. With the constant new discoveries and developments of digital technology, the way in which we explore comics can and will change. With one of the newest technologies being touch screen interaction, users can touch their fingers to a comic and move it across the page to continue reading.

In the last few pages of McCloud's comic, I became confused on whether or not he thought comics had a place in the world of digital technology or if he thought comics were going to explode like the splitting of an atom and disappear. I don't see comics going anywhere at this point, but maybe McCloud is losing hope for his favorite medium of communication. Comics may be presented in different ways but their purpose remains the same.


Myself as a Technorhetorician

Throughout the course of DTC 355 we have read many texts--some good, some bad, and some... very boring (sorry Paul). Once I graduate from WSU, I plan to find a career in some sort of design whether it be print or digital media. A few of these texts that I think will be imperative to keep in mind as I continue to develop as a technorhetorician include:

1. Robin Williams' "Non-Designer's Design Book"
2. Rudolph Arnheim's "Pictures, Symbols, and Signs"
3. Nicholas C. Burbules' "Rhetorics of the Web: hyperreading and critical literacy"

Williams' book really lays out the most important concepts of design. I consider myself a designer, and already knew what a good design looked like (or so I would like to think). However, reading a book about design principles put a name and purpose to everything I do. CRAP, my new favorite acronym, (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity) helps me (and will help me in the future) make conscious decisions about design. Thank you, Robin Williams!

Arnheim's "Pictures, Symbols, and Signs" will also help me in the future when I am placing images in my work. Different images have different purposes. The way Arnheim defined the three functions of an image really hit me and, as Williams did, will help me give purpose and direction through my choices in design. I will be able to make a conscious choice whether or not to use a picture, a symbol, or a sign.

Burbules is one of the authors I really enjoyed reading from. Links are incredibly important on the Web and I certainly will be making some of my own in the future--whether it is on my own personal site or for clients' pages. As Burbules discussed, links are more than just to move the user from A to B and there are many methods to make this move possible. I certainly wont be using catechresis in my links (unless there is a purpose!). Metonymy though, I will use. This cool new word I'd never heard of, will now be something I try to use when making links.



Works Cited

McCloud, Scott. "Reinventing Comics."

DTC 355 - Hook and Sturken

Hook's Dream House

I feel that Hook's high school art class assignment on which she was instructed to design her dream house, did infact take the attention away from "political realities, from class, race, and gender differences" (396-400). On the surface, these things are removed by placing the quality of fantasy on the dream house and by removing the dream house from the context of the designer's life and background. It is my assumption that the art teacher did not know an extensive background on each student, therefore taking away the context and the underlying motivation for the design of each dream house. Hook explains her realization that her dream house infact did illustrate the economic standing of her family; her dreams were the result of "class-based longings" (396-400). She explains that her dream house was designed in a way that was greatly affected by the house she grew up in. Though someone looking at the plans for her dream house might not gather this information, Hook knows it is there.

[Side note: Why exactly does Hook feel so inclined not to capitalize her own name?]

Architecture as a cultural practice.

Architecture is a cultural practice in every way, shape, and form. The materials we use are a reflection of our research. The style and structure of our buildings and dwellings are a result of our opinions on style or what looks good and the development of our knowledge in what works.

The Compton Union Building (CUB), for example, is a reflection of our current awareness (or you could call it an obsession) of the environment and what we as humans are doing to it. The CUB renovation used materials from the original CUB to "recycle" and they have implimented a system that should save energy throughout the building. The current culture of most Americans includes environmental awareness; our culture has created the "Green Movement." This building is a reflection of that.

Additionally, in Marita Sturken's essay The Wall, the Screen, and the Image: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, she describes the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.. The architecture of a memorial can be a reflection, a snapshot in time, of what culture cared about. In this case, the Vietnam Memorial represents a gash in the ground, a "black gash of shame" in our culture(Sturken 401-416).

Works Cited

Hook, Bell. "Black Vernacular: Architecture as Cultural Practice." Visual Rhetoric in a Digital World. Comp. Carolyn Handa. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004.

Sturken, Marita. "The Wall, the Screen, and the Image: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial." Visual Rhetoric in a Digital World. Comp. Carolyn Handa. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004.

Is Cornell Scream-ing for Attention?

Don't laugh, I thought it was a clever title. Maybe you don't get it. But who really cares anyhow, here's what's up:

So apparently I live under a rock. Otherwise the advertising for Chris Cornell's new R&B influenced album took a road I don't roll on too often.

Two weeks ago, Cornell released a new album, Scream, produced by the one and only Timbaland. (If you are unfamiliar, he has produced the likes of Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, and Missy Elliott--the man is pretty well-known in the pop world.)



Alright so here's the deal. I haven't heard the album yet, though I fully intend to. Cornell's title track and first single "Scream" is so catchy I can't stand it. Timbaland sucked me in with those sweet beats of his. When I first heard the song about a week ago.. (on my favorite radio station 107.7 TheEnd), I couldn't help but wonder if it was a remix. After the song was over the dj so kindly informed Seattle that it was not. In my mind I'm thinkin', "What has he done?! A whole album of Chris Cornell on a pop extravaganza? Hmmm but I sorta ...like it. The man is CRAZY!"

I could ramble about how I so dearly miss Audioslave and Soundgarden and how I wish I could hear Cornell rock his vox like nobody's business. I could call him a sell-out. I could call him selfish and greedy for attention, calling on one of the top producers to make him a pop star. (In my own healthy opinion, "rock god" is a much cooler title than "pop star", but who asked?) Finally, I could call him a conformist for taking some anti-aging drugs and poking botox needles into his face... Oh, he just has incredible jeans--I mean, genes? Right-o!

In conclusion, "Scream" = my new guilty pleasure.

Watch the music video (which Timbaland so shamelessly appears in) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBjBFEByEDE

Btw, that's some sweet album art.

U2 - No Line on the Horizon

It's been a while since I've written an album review; there just hasn't been a whole lot released lately that I've been genuinely interested in.

When I heard U2 had a new one hitting the stands, I was excited for one reason:

New album = World Tour.

(Which, if you haven't taken a glance at the column on the right, would enable me to check "See U2 in concert" off on my Bucket List.)

OK, now to the review.

I wasn't too interested in hearing the new album--for Pete's sake I wasn't even aware it was released this week, ..nor did I know "No Line on the Horizon" was the title. I was sitting in class yesterday when a friend of mine pointed proudly to the screen of his MacBookPro, "Look what I got. It came out on Tuesday." He had listened to it once through (which is how it's supposed to be done, people) and then listened to a few songs here and there. Overall it sounded like he thought it was one of those albums that grows on you after a few listens.

My friend bought the digital album on Amazon for $3.99, so I decided I'd have to try it out. Why not? I grabbed my Sony headphones, flipped on the noise-cancelling switch and sunk into the couch to take a ride out to "The Horizon." (Okay, that was cheesey.)

"No Line On The Horizon" was as boring as its album cover.

There was nothing to it, no substance, no golden moments. It was flat. Stale. It was Boring. Plain. Unoriginal. Did I say it cost $3.99? I had to use every ounce of self restraint not to skip through every track on the first listen.

With the exception of the second-to-last track, "Breathe", there were no guitar solos. Bridges barely existed on this album. When songs are 5 and 7 minutes long, ideally there is a bit of contrast somewhere. But there was nothing. The intros were long and gave me anxiety. Not only did Bono pull out the talking-but-sorta-singing act (which drives me nuts), he pulled lyrics out from where the sun don't shine. And I don't know if this is just me, but I felt as though Bono's ego was so oversized you could actually hear it.

I get the feeling this one was overworked, overproduced and maybe...just maybe, they tried too hard to be mainstream. You'd think after 11 studio albums, U2 wouldn't feel the need to impress anyone--just make your music, man!

DTC 355 - Clarity-Brevity-Sincerity

The C-B-S model, clarity-brevity-sincerity, represents clear, truthful, and to-the-point communication. This theory of human communication was, at first, a difficult concept to grasp. I might have been thrown off by how unrealistically it represented the communication I've experienced; but then I read on. Lanham goes on to explain that the C-B-S model may be a great theory to recognize, but it is “less useful in practice" (140).

I fully agree with Lanham on this point. The C-B-S model can be an accurate model for a small amount of communication, but I think the majority of human communication leans more on the side of rhetoric; rhetoric being the way in which we conduct an argument. The fact that this model exists, just helps us recognize what rhetoric is and how we utilize style and argument to communicate because we have something to compare it to. Humans do not communicate with full clarity, with full brevity, nor with full sincerity. Lanham points out that his theory "leaves out much of what it sets out to explain--human behavior. And if it does not work as a theory of behavior, still less does it work as a theory of expression" (Lanham 141).

People, sometimes unfortunately, don't always tend to speak with utmost brevity. Personally, it is just against my nature to not have descriptive words flying around. My friends tell me I am the worst story-teller they know. I tend to include the most unnecessary details that usually have nothing to do with the storyline. So I like to paint the whole picture? "Get to the point!" they tell me.

In any case, the C-B-S model model may be a great theory, but it doesn't work too well in practice. I am sure there are cases where it works, but the majority of humans generally have a bit of style, a few extra words here and there, and perhaps not the whole truth in their use of everyday language.



Works Cited

Lanham, Richard A.. The Economics of Attention: Style and Substance in the Age of Information. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006. 130-156.

DTC 355 - Burbules and Links (are cool)

First and foremost, (after reflecting for a minute on Burbules and links), I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the reading. I have never thought about links in the way Burbules presents them, and I think now I am able to further develop my website to incorporate some of these ideas. There is a lot more to links than just moving from A to B!

Links conceal and reveal exactly what the link is pointing to. When you have a link on a page, the link is hiding the destination. When the link is clicked on, the destination is, or should be, uncovered. In some situations, certain links may be more concealing of what they'll reveal than others. Burbules identifies eight different types of links in "Rhetorics of the Web", one of these being Catechresis. Catechresis as a type of link is where "any two things can be linked" (Burbules 116). For example, a link placed on the word "hippo" could take you to a website for trees. This is how some links can be more concealing than others.

Catechresis is the most concealing of the types of links Burbules identifies. One located further up the scale could be a metonymic link. Metonymy is "substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself" (Metonymy). An example of a metonymic link could be an image of a crown or the typed word "crown" as a link to a website about the kings of France.

Burbules did a fantastic job of making the me think about links in a different way. Next time I click on a link or create my own, I will consider the type of link it is and think about how it could be different or why the designer/author might have chosen that particular method of linking.



Works Cited

Burbules, Nicholas C.. "Rhetorics of the Web: hyperreading and critical literacy." Page to Screen: Taking literacy into the electronic era. Ed. Ilana Snyder. London: Routledge.

"Metonymy." WordNet. 2006. Princeton University. 1 Mar 2009 http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=metonymy.

DTC 355 - The Power of Capital Letters... and Punctuation, with a bit of Goffman too.

a. Solomon, Punctuation, and Capitalization
Just as punctuation marks "[move] words along in proper timing and with proper emphasis" (Solomon 289), capital letters have the ability to add tone of voice and importance to words. When thinking of capitalization, some people may think of correctly capitalizing the name of a person or place, the first letter of a sentence, or certain words in a title. When I think of capitalization, I think of words or phrases that are all in capitals. These words or phrases have affect, are a part of design, and may enhance or decrease readability. For example, IF I WERE TO WRITE THIS BLOG IN ALL CAPS, YOU WOULD PROBABLY BECOME RATHER IRRITATED AND GIVE UP. Because I capitalized this sentence, all voice and flow is lost--even with the punctuation. The tone of voice, however, is loud and obnoxious. The format greatly decreases readability--readability being the ease at which the reader can move through the words. Much of reading is not all in the combination and order of the letters, but also in the shape of the word. If you noticed when you read the above capitalized sentence, you probably read it with a bit of choppiness and monotone. This is because your eyes must pause an extra split-second to gather all of the information (the letters) in each word. Furthermore, the capitalization of the first letter of a word brings concreteness and importance to something.

In regards to a new punctuation mark, I believe that all the punctuation marks we need, exist. I am fully able to express myself and add voice to my writing through the use of the available punctuation. I can ask a question, scream using exclamations and capital letters, create an awkward ...pause, and perhaps (create sidenotes or clarification). What more could I need?


b. Goffman and GenderAds
According to Goffman, there are many ways in which social weight is illustrated through advertisements. The women smile the majority of the time while the men are usually serious; men are usually depicted as bigger, taller, stronger than women; the women are nuzzlers by nature; and, women's hands are often used in presenting products (Goffman 28-80).

In advertising today, these many qualities can be found. In the Cheerios pictures below, nuzzling and smiling by the woman are two apparent Goffman-identified qualites. The man in the family picture on the right is barely smiling and he is also slightly separated from the mother and children, which can be read as the head of the family or, the security figure.

Go to http://www.cheerios.com/ to view this image at a larger size.

As the roles of men and women have begun to merge or mix and match, advertisements are still following qualities that Goffman has identified. Men are still depicted as security for women, the power in the room. This is not always necessarily true, even in Goffman's time. However, the principle of size is and status of a person is. Whether the viewer admits it or not, the relative sizing in advertisements always means something--the bigger the better.

In advertising today, many of the same qualities that Goffman identified are still present.

Works Cited

Goffman, Erving. Gender Adverstisements. Harper Torchbooks,

Solomon, Martin. "The Power of Punctuation." Visual Rhetoric in a Digital World: A Critical Sourcebook. Ed. Carolyn Handa. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004.

DTC 355 - This is my embarrassing story

My name is Katy and this is my embarrassing story:

Just about everyone I know has been through an awkward stage. (Some still haven’t come out of theirs, but that is an entirely different story.) My awkward stage had a full mouth of metal, frizzy hair, and an embarrassing lunchbox.

Now that you have a nice visual of the main character, let’s dive into the pathetic puddle of my embarrassing story.

During middle school, my growing years, I ate some rather large breakfasts. On this particular morning I ate three bowls of milk with honey nut cheerios. I know that sounds backwards, but I like my milk and I like a lot of it. In any case, I brushed my teeth and headed downstairs to wait by the door for my friend and her mother to pick me up. We were going to go see a movie together!

As I tied my left shoe, I heard a honking from the driveway—Robin’s mother always honked when she arrived. I opened the front door and breathed in the refreshing winter air, “Bye Mom!” I yelled, skipping off the porch towards Robin’s car.

Once we hit the road, all three of us were cracking jokes and laughing up a storm. The Bell family is gifted with humor; they have a way of making anyone and everyone laugh, no matter the setting. My favorite moments are usually when one of them is doing an impression or speaking in a silly voice.

We were too early for the movie to wait in the theatre, so Mrs. Bell decided to buy the tickets and then take us on some errands she needed to run. We went across the way to a hardware store, down the street to a drugstore and then a few blocks over to REI where Mrs. Bell had an item to return. For this errand, Robin and I sat in the Jeep because it wouldn’t take too long. Besides, we were having too much fun being silly in the car.

We laughed and laughed until our stomachs hurt. There would be a moment of silence, and then we would look at each other and burst back into laughter for no reason at all.

At one point the car became quiet and I said to Robin, “I have to pee.”

Again, we busted up laughing. Here and there I would snort and the laughing cascaded further. We laughed until the only sound coming out of our mouths was the air leaving our lungs.

“Ah! I have to pee!” I yelled, crossing my legs as tight as I could to hold it in, my bladder about to burst.

“Go inside to the R-E-I baa—b-b-baaathroom! Ha ha!” Robin could barely speak.

As Mrs. Bell opened the door to the car, I jumped out of fright and immediately felt my legs heated with, well, you know. Needless to say, a little puddle formed on the leather seats.

“Mom! Look! She peed her p-pa-paaants! Ha ha!”

Mrs. Bell might have been more frightened than I was. Ready to cry, I hopped off the seat as she found a spare towel in the trunk to wipe up my mess. Because we had already bought the movie tickets and show time was in 10 minutes, Mrs. Bell wouldn’t take me home to get a change of clothes. Instead, she walked me to a store called LimitedToo. If you are unaware of this store, you should be thankful—the sight of it as a not-so-girly-middle-schooler made me pretend I was about to throw-up every time I saw it. There are far too many hearts and flowers, and far too much pink for anyone’s sanity.

Mrs. Bell hurried into the store while I wobbled like a penguin and Robin giggled behind me. Mrs. Bell was on a mission to find a cheap pair of underwear and some pants to replace my smelly, wet, and not to mention, uncomfortable ones.

To my dismay, the only pair of pants left in my size were hot pink. I could deal with the pink underwear, but pink pants? Mrs. Bell, come on!

Mrs. Bell paid for my new pants and underwear while explaining to the cashier that I wet my pants and would need to use the dressing room to change into the purchased clothing.

I left the store embarrassed for what I had done, and embarrassed that I had to be wearing those awful pants for the rest of the day.

And that’s why you should always go potty after eating three bowls of milk for breakfast.

DTC 355 - Foss and myself on rhetoric

Rhetoric, as defined by Foss in Contemporary Perspectives on Rhetoric, is "the human use of symbols to communicate" (1). Foss further describes each of the important terms in this definition to elaborate on the meaning. Because I find the word human not needing an explanation, I will skip right to symbols.

Symbols are everywhere. They are letters, numbers, shapes and pictures. A simple hieroglyphic character is a symbol. The grouping and ordering of these symbols are what gives them meaning; sometimes symbols standing alone have a meaning in themselves as well. This grouping of symbols is the part of rhetoric that is doing the communicating. Foss describes communication just as another word for rhetoric; however, he states, some professionals would disagree (4). I, on the other hand, would have to agree with Foss.

When it comes to defining rhetoric, the first term that occurs to me is infact, communication. Not only is rhetoric communication, but the style of which this communication is being conveyed. The rhetoric I use on a day-to-day basis, for example, would include symbols grouped to create words like "dude", "awesome". Though there are definitely exceptions, this rhetoric is generally used by a younger population. While I studied abroad in Florence, Italy last semester, the rhetoric I used there was completely different than what I use now. In Italy, depending on who I was speaking to, my rhetoric would include simple words and phrases in English, or simple words and phrases in Italian. While speaking with locals I would have to speak slowly picking and choosing my words wisely to be sure there would not be any misunderstanding from my style of communication. When writing an email to my mother or a professor, the rhetoric I use will be very different.

In every situation, every person may use a different style of rhetoric. The above mentioned are only a few that I might use on a day-to-day basis, excluding Italy of course because I am no longer there. Rhetoric is our use of symbols to communicate in every way.

"The art of using language, especially public speaking, as a means to persuade" (Rhetoric).

"The style of writing, the art of composition such that the
written piece comes to serve a particular purpose, whether descriptive,
persuasive, or interpretive" (Glossary).

Works Cited

Foss, Sonja K., Karen A. Foss, and Robert Trapp. Contemporary Perspectives on Rhetoric. 3rd. Waveland Press.

"Glossary from the New Interpreter’s Study Bible ." 21 Jan 2009 <www.philosophy-religion.org/bible/glossary_new-interpreters-bible.htm>.

"Rhetoric." Wiktionary. 21 Jan 2009 <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rhetoric>.

I'm back!

After my fantastic semester abroad, I will be switching back to this blog to post for a class I am taking at WSU called Media Authoring. You will essentially be reading my homework assignments!

Go Cougs!

I leave in less than 24 hours. Whoa!!!

My friend Brady threw me a "going-away" party last night. It was me and the Microsoft-posse that I have grown so fond of. I will miss them all so dearly!

September is such a fantastic month in Seattle.. I wish I could be here for it. The fall weather is just absolutely beautiful! The warm winds, the trees swayin' like crazy, football on the tele! I'm so bummed I have to miss football season! When I was planning to study abroad I was thinking I didn't want to miss basketball season... but now I would miss out either way really. I love the sounds of football games, it's a weird comfort. The announcers..the crowd screamin.. the echoing calls from the refs,.. the little FSN ditty that plays every time the game is back..

Hmmm sigh. Hopefully I can find a way to watch or listen online :) Thank goodness for the world wide web, eh??!

It's gametime, yo. Cougs vs Cowboys. GO COUGS!

Thoughts

As I ready myself for my departure, I am experiencing a multitude of emotions. At first, I was full of excitement, then nervousness, then excitement again... Now I am feeling some sort of bittersweet something.. I've made some pretty cool new friends this summer and weaved closer bonds with others. I am so sad to leave them. I have to keep reminding myself that I am ONLY gone for 4 months and it's just like going to Pullman for regular school anyway just without Thanksgiving break. The Warmth by Incubus. I am sad to leave my family again also. They are so supportive of me and they are all so excited for this awesome opportunity for adventure I have ahead of me. I really am lucky to have such a fantastic family. I Can't Quit You Baby by Led Zeppelin. One day when I'm all grown up and moved out, I hope that my family is close to me still. I don't want to have to fly across the country to see them..That'd be like moving away from my best friends! The people that make me laugh and smile the most! Sigh. I am feeling creative, I think I'll paint something. Of course, after I take off my brand new black skinny pants that are the most comfy pants I have EVER owned! I wouldn't want to ruin them :)

I hope everyone is having a fantastic time enjoying life and taking advantage of every opportunity that comes their way. You only have one life....so live it well! Strip My Mind by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Holy granola, Strip My Mind's solo is so stinkin mind blowing.

Moving?

I am going to give WordPress a shot.

My study abroad to Italy starts in 10 days. This blog is moreso my random thoughts and discoveries...the WordPress blog will be about my travels.

If you'd like to follow my trip to Italy feel free to take a little trip on over to this blog I just created: http://katyharrison.wordpress.com/

I haven't decided what I'll do with this fantastic blog, ...I might not like WordPress and come back here..but so far WordPress seems much more organized and has some more user options that are appealing to me.. hmmm. We'll see!

Warped Tour 2008

Warped Tour, as always, was at The Gorge in George on Saturday. The place is so beautiful.. every time I go it never let's me down!

Firstly, here's a little list of the bands I saw (in no particular order):

Confide
3oh!3
Angels & Airwaves
The Academy Is...
Say Anything
Alesana
All Time Low
Reel Big Fish
Classic Crime
Cobra Starship
Katy Perry
Oreskaband
Gym Class Heroes
Story of the Year
Family Force Five


I know there were more, but that's all I can remember at the moment. Also, Four Years Strong and From First To Last both played at 11:something AM so I wasn't able to see them--we arrived to the gates at about 5 til noon... I also wanted to see Dr. Manhattan but they played when I wanted to see another band.... Lame.

Confide was a good live screamo band. There are some really bad ones out there...You have to even out the screaming with some good melodies and singing, maybe some good heavy beats and double bass.., otherwise it's just difficult to keep listening. They had great stage presence and put on an enjoyable show, though coming back and listening to their MySpace was a little disappointing. Sometimes bands are just way better live.

30h!3 I highly recommend if you are into some good quality white boy electro hip hop.. huh? Yeah. It's pretty bumpin. With those contagious beats it was hard not to dance. Not to mention their humor... You can tell those guys were a bunch of horny dudes making music about your typical rap topics.. they just did it in a way that wasn't completely serious; it was hilarious. I almost bought their cd, but I couldn't find their merch tent and had to move it to the next stage to see A&A. Track to check out: Don't Trust Me

I walked to the main stage for Angels & Airwaves thinking to myself that I shouldn't ruin the image I have of them by watching 'em totally suck live... But I was pleasantly surprised! Tom Delonge could use a bit more facial expression to improve his stage presence, but his singing voice was hitting the notes and sounded good so I didn't mind that much. A&A, in my opinion, had the most feel-good show at Warped this year. (Side note: I went to their tent to snag a Tshirt and their merch guy totally hit on me! Niiiiice :P haha)

Say Anything was fantastic!!! I had been looking forward to seeing them for a long time so I was hoping to not be let down. Alas, Max Bemis's total theater geekness and energy did him well--he was very fun to watch. Do yourself a favor and check them out if you haven't already.. Tracks to check out: Shiksa and Every Man Has A Molly

So those were the good ones...here are the "could have been better" bands (plus I'm getting bored so I'll wrap it up):

Alesana could have been better. I think they are too poppy for me.. I left about 2 songs into their set. The Academy Is... was lame. Boring. All their songs sound the same... Bleh. All Time Low I had seen before.. They always put on an energtic show, interacting with the crowd and movin' all over the stage. Quality live show. Not really my cup o' tea for regular listening though. Classic Crime (one of the few Seattle bands) wasn't too bad; I think I've seen them too many times. For Cobra Starship I just chilled in the back...My ride was in the pit and it was the end of the night. They weren't awful, but very mainstreamy. Katy Perry kissed a girl and she liked it. I wonder how many girls have kissed..girls just because of that song? I only caught her last song and thought it was pretty alright, though my friend who saw her whole set said she has a bad voice... Oreskaband was awesome! I'm not into ska at all, but this Japanese ska band blew everyone out of the water. An all girls 6-piece group, ..these energetic chicks were so funny and were very talented. Like others though, I was disappointed when coming back home and visiting their myspace page..They sound better live. Gym Class Heroes I caught about half their set from the lawn. I think I shoulda gone closer because I didn't enjoy it much.

And last but not least we have Story of the Year. They played on the well-deserved main stage. I saw these guys back in high school when their debut album Page Avenue was released. They were great, experienced, energetic... man I'm out of juices here. All in all they were enjoyable, sorta nostalgic (Until the Day I Die).

YEAH WARPED TOUR!

My family is so stinkin' cool.

With the birth of two new cousins (left Cedar & Tesa), I have seen my extended family a whole lot more than usual these last few months. I wish we all lived just a little bit closer so we could hang out more like this. I love it! My extended family is so stinkin' awesome....we are so lucky. We all have so much love and respect for each other.. Fantastic humor is always present.. Little cousins running around screaming with laughter.. There's always incredible food to enjoy..

I leave for Italy in 23 days. These are the things I keep hearing from friends and family: "Be safe!" "Have fun!" "Be careful..." 'I'm jealous!" "You'll have a blast!!!" "Are you excited??"

My favorite little piece thus far is something my grandpa said to me:
"Have you heard the eyeball thing?"
"No gpa.., eyeball thing? What are you talking about?"
"You go in like you're going to kiss the guy,..." *his hands move up to hold the sides of my head*
"...and then you smash his eyes to the back of his head with your thumbs!!"
And then he mentions something about wanting to hear the guy sing and using your knee as well..... haha.

Alright! So now I know how to make a man scream in pain. Though I'm not sure I'd be able to stick my thumbs into his eyeballs and smoosh them backwards.... I might be too grossed out--unless I was actually scared and helpless then yeah, I guess I'll use it. Thanks Gpa, for that fantastic lesson in self-defense haha.


OH! and get this... My grandma, yes.. my grandma, is coming with me to the Radiohead concert in 2 weeks! DUDE! I HAVE THE COOLEST GRANDMA!

Setting Sun

I just came across a new blog... MVSW. I'm not quite sure what it stands for, but I like what they post....In any case, I am stealing a link from them so you guys can listen to a song they posted haha. How Long by Setting Sun. It's real good! You can visit their post to stream the song or download it below..I have yet to figure out how people are posting songs with the flash player... I need to look that up. Anyway, here's their post:

Setting Sun ~ “How Long”
myspace plays: 5,615
MP3 download
“How Long” sounds like Conor Oberst playing covers of Dinosaur jr songs. Setting Sun is the brain child of Gary Levitt who also plays in Quitzow and is based out of New York.

yetanothermusicweblog.com

My friend Gareth over at yetanothermusicweblog.com has posted a cool video and an idea he has about interviewing music bloggers, musicians, film makers..etc. Check out Gareth's recent post introducing the idea and get in contact with him if you are interested in participating!

http://www.yetanothermusicweblog.com/2008/07/who-are-you-yet.html



Who are YOU? yetanothermusicweblog from gareth irons on Vimeo.

But, Honestly

Foo Fighters' But, Honestly live at Key Arena in Seattle

Like I said, ..incredible.

Foo Fighters in Seattle

Ladies and Gentlemen! DAVE GROHL is a ROCK GOD!

Never in my life have I seen such an incredible rock show.. From the moment the first notes of opener "Let It Die" began, I was in some form of Heaven on Earth.

They played July 9th at Key Arena, home of the Soni....oh wait, nevermind. Anyway, Foo played some hard-rockin' tunes, a few acoustics, the hits, the emotionally moving songs..... Oh man, I can't even find the words to describe how absolutely beautiful this show was.

I will never forget it, I can promise you that.

Read the PI's review: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/370249_foo10q.html

Setlist
[Main stage:] Let It Die - The Pretender - Times Like These - No Way Back - Cheer Up, Boys (Your Makeup Is Running) - Learn To Fly - This Is A Call - Long Road To Ruin - Breakout - Stacked Actors
[Acoustic stage:] Skin And Bones - Marigold - My Hero - Cold Day In The Sun - But, Honestly - Everlong
[back to Main stage:] Monkey Wrench - All My Life
[Encore...the 5-song encore:] Big Me - DOA - Generator - Aurora - Best Of You

If I had to name favorites I would say the 1st three songs were stinkin powerful and blew me away.... Also Long Road to Ruin.... Skin and Bones was absolutely beautiful.... But, Honestly (I took video of this one--will post soon!)... and Everlong.... Best of You...

Okay, so I basically loved the entire show. You get the point.

In conclusion, Dave Grohl is a head bangin, power-house, god of Rock. Goodnight.

Joy

Svefn-g-englar by Sigur Ros Listening to this song, the thunder in the wide sky, the rain lightly drip-dropping outside the window... So peaceful.

I wanted to share this song with you, whoever you are. So here is the incredible music video performed by the Perlan Theater Group. It's beautifully done; an unexpected joy to watch!