Happy Hunger Games

Since I never actually read Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games until yesterday, clearly I never really understood the hype over the whole series. But I was so wrong. I literally couldn't put the book down yesterday and basically tossed my social life out the window by purchasing the next two books already. The plot itself within this book is fascinating. Given who ever would come up with a plot about making teenagers fight to the death to get food for their village is a little messed up, but still. It plays up Darwinism, fate, and luck. Those things together are so interesting because you really don't know how it could all play out. The ideas of the book are so basic too, it’s hard not to be completely captivated by the story. Pitting humans against one another for food, leveling us with the behaviors of animals in the wild. I think it’s really cool and is a huge reason why the book was a huge success. I also like how Collins right off the bat acknowledges a forming relationship between Katniss and Peeta. In the back of your mind, you can’t help but keep reading to see what happens between them because at the end of the Hunger  Games event, there’s only one winner. So how could their friendship or romance play out?

What I love the most about books like The Hunger Games is that for the first time in a long time since the Harry Potter Series, it got people to read. Not enough people read “for fun;” it’s almost always school related lately. I can’t even tell you the last time I read for fun, honestly. Reading this book made me appreciate reading for fun again. I really did forget how enjoyable it can be and I plan to read more books on my own over the summer now. The power of a book is ridiculous. 

Media's Influence

I was listening to some music today and came across some pretty astounding lyrics that I never really thought about before. On Pandora, I just happened to be listening to some Kid Cudi and notices some shocking lyrics. In his Pursuit of Happiness, Cudi says, "I don't care, hand on the wheel, driving drunk I'm doing my thing." Kid Cudi's a pretty influential rapper to a lot of young kids today. Like any celebrity, kids look to see what Cudi's doing and then try to mimic that. I think the fact that he's talking about drunk driving in his song his awful. I mean I get it, people have their personal choices they make. Sadly I can't say I've never driven drunk, and I know it's wrong and it's not too fun in the moment. It's actually pretty scary. But endorsing drunk driving through your own song? Now come on, that's not okay. Do what you want and live your life, but you're sending out an awful message. It's not like anyone's like "yeah I do meth, I'm the shit" and is trying to endorse meth to the general public. Cudi's basically telling kids that drunk driving is a cool thing to do, regardless of the life-threateneing risks. He's giving kids permission to go out and do something that could potentially kill them. That doesn't make Cudi that cool to me anymore. In fact, he's kind of a douche now. Driving drunk really doesn't make you sound cool. It's pathetic that Cudi would think he'd have to rap about that to try to get some badass credibility. Just stick to  rapping about weed, because that won't actually kill you.

Daniil Kharms

In one of my classes I’m taking this semester, I’ve been learning about soviet Russia’s means of war and daily life propaganda from a wide specter of the Russian society. An author I’ve found incredibly fascinating is Danil Kharms. His style of writing is absurdist theatre, something I had absolutely no idea existed. It is based on the idea that it’s really not supposed to serve any particular purpose. In fact, there really isn’t that much substance to an absurdist text in general. People have been racking their brains for years trying to figure out what the hell Kharms was talking about, but to no avail. I love this style of writing because of its very nature: go crazy, be creative. Given, Kharms’ short stories are pretty disturbing and horrifying, but I think I’ve actually been able to give a few some meaning. I mean, they had to serve some significance to my class, right? Here’s a link to a cite encompassing the gist of his works, but I’ll also post a really short story of his that really sums up what he’s all about. As it turns out, the Soviets HATED Kharms. Their whole thing was to have a solid, conservative, factual consensus of every aspect of their lives. The fact that they couldn’t hold writers like Kharms down is fascinating to me.

            There’s not much that can be said about Kharms’ rhetoric or personal style of his writing since it’s literally brain diarrhea. But I think the kairos of this absurdist literature and theatre is so cool. It’s as if Kharms wanted to mess with the Soviets on purpose. It’s hard to say if his writings or plays were effective, but his target audience was children interestingly enough. How could a child possibly endure this type of writing?  I’d get so many nightmares. Was he trying to brainwash kids? I have no idea and I kind of don’t want to know; he creeps me out a little bit.

http://www.sevaj.dk/kharms/kharmseng.htm

Die Rhetorik der Deustschen

Inventur

Von Günter Eich (1907-1977)

Dies ist meine Mütze,

dies ist mein Mantel,

hier mein Rasierzeug

im Beutel aus Leinen.

 Konservenbüchse:

Mein Teller, mein Becher,

ich hab in das Weissblech

den Namen geritzt.

 Geritzt hier mit diesem kostbaren Nagel,

den vor begehrlichen Augen ich berge.

 Im Brotbeutel sind

ein Paar wollene Socken

und einiges, was ich

niemand verrate,

so dient es als Kissen

nachts meinem Kopf.

Die Pappe hier liegt

zwischen mir und der Erde.

 Die Bleistiftmine

lieb ich am meisten:

Tags schreibt sie mir Verse,

die nachts ich erdacht.

 Dies ist mein Notizbuch,

dies meine Zeltbahn,

dies ist mein Handtuch,

dies ist mein Zwirn.

This is a poem I read last semester in my German literature class that really stuck with me. Instead of wasting an entire page translating this for everyone, I'll just sum it up. The author, Guenter Eich, was a holocaust survivor. In this peom, Eich describes his daily life while living in a concentration camp. This poem illustrates to its readers the simplicity of life and the importance of the bare necessities one needs to live. The grammar is short and sweet as compared to the typical lengthy sentences one often finds in German literature. The importance of this grammar is that it highlights the idea of "simplicity." You don't need much to live, and this poem is certainly a testament to that. The title of the poem "Inventur" translates directly to "Inventure", which is exactly what the poem is all about. Eich lists, in a very simple way, the items he is able to live with in his camp bunk. He mentions items such as a hat, a razor blade, a jacket, a linen bag, a tin can he carved his name into, socks, a nail used for writing, and the list goes on. As you can see, he doesn't have much. What's interesting is Eich's emphasis on the fact that he has his name etched into a tin can. It makes that can his own; he finds beauty in having something left to his name that's so basic to mankind: a writing utensil. I've always liked this poem because the rhetoric is so impressive. Eich's use of simple writing really illustrates the significance and impact the holocaust had on his life. Eich's simplicity exaggerates the giant impact Hitler had on the world at the time. Read aloud, this poem, no matter what language you can speak or understand, screams "basic." There are so many natural pauses exactly where they should be, which carries over into such a somber vibe. Although in German, this is one of my favorite pieces of literature.

The Rhetoric of Being a Masshole

In lieu of the recent and heartbreaking loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl, I've decided to write about Boston. Boston is known for many things, some more famous than others. We're obnoxious sports fans, Brady-worshippers, terrible drivers, and everyone has that uncle that worked for Whitey. Just like any other city, we're loud and proud. But ever since I've been eight hours away from home at Penn State this year, I've realized just how different Boston is. What I tend to say as a colloquial expression is absolutely foreign here. I mean, God forbid i ever say "wicked." How does not one person out of a 40,000 student body not know what a rotary is? Or even a frap or beruit for that matter. 

As I was visiting Boston over Christmas Break, I noticed a certain picture taken from a magazine, blown up, and distributed by the mass to everyone in the city at the time. To say this picture was in high demand would really be an understatement. However, it’s one of my favorite pictures. Ever. As you can see below, it’s loud, it’s proud, and it’s aggressive as hell. It’s encompasses everything about my city so well. We are die-hard fans who love the sports a little too much. I think the “loozah” ties it all together so well. It illustrates our culture and pride and basically shows everyone what we’re all about. Win or loose, I love my city and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Welcome to Boston, loozah.

Renovating a Kitchen with Bud Light

As I was looking up past Super Bowl commercials the other day after our last English class, I started to notice the usage of kairos more and more. The purposeful details that particular commercials utilized were really effective in broadcasting their products to certain audiences. The commercial I chose was a Bud Light advertisement where a couple was getting their kitchen redone. Instead of refurnishing the kitchen, a case of Bud Light was put on the counter. Obviously the wife wasn't too happy and was expecting an actual renovation, but the funny part was that the husband was more than thrilled. Just putting the Bud Light case on the kitchen counter was enough for him. This advertisement really appealed to men because it mocked how women are really interested in home improvement details while the men couldn't really care less. The "host" of the show then goes on to talk about the landscaping being done to the yard. This landscaping is really just filling the yard with more beer. As a female, I thought the mockery of the home improvement shows was hilarious, so it appealed to me as well. This advertisement appeals to men because it highlights the simplicity of a man's thought; all you need is beer. It's a man's commercial, but the humor appeals to women as well. This advertisement discusses the commonplaces among most males but does it in a way that brings humor to the whole situation, which makes for a very successful ad.

Bud Light Super Bowl 2011 Advertisement

This I Believe