Hair, Hair, Hair

I have been researching for my final project for this class and I have discovered fascinating things about hair color, that I didn't even realize existed!

Apparently, redheads seem to have the most sex out of any other hair color. I found this quite shocking! I naturally assumed that the blondes would be having the most booty because of the stereotypical promiscuous tan blondes in bars that will go home with anything.But, not the case. The fiery redheads are pulling in more tail!!! Fascinating!

More movie stars that are natural blondes choose to dye their hair brown, because brunettes are taken seriously when it comes to casting more serious roles. This does seem to make sense. While blondes may have more 'fun' they are seen as airheaded, goofy girls, that can't make up their mind about anything. Poor blondes, they do get the short end of the stick sometimes.

While natural brunettes in the entertainment industry want to sexify themselves and have 'fun' they will dye their hair blonde. This can be said for some of the Playboy bunnies, because although Hefner married two brunettes, he prefers blondes as girlfriends and as the ladies in his mansion.

What of black haired ladies? Not much has been said of them yet, but I can say as an observer that women with black hair give off a very tough appeal. If they have pale skin it seems to wash them out and make their hair look even darker than intended. If they are tan, their hair seems slightly lighter. Just think of actresses that have black hair.. for example Angelina Jolie or Catherine Zeta Jones. Jones has a more ladylike appeal to her, where Jolie has the sexpot attitude and the tattoos to boot.

I must go forth now, and research, only to report back later, of course. :)

My Final Project

I am pretty excited about this final project. :D
I got the ok from my professor last Wednesday.... and, my topic is hair color. Why do blondes have more fun? Are redheads really all that spicy? And, are brunettes as seductive as their hair alludes to?

I think hair is a fascinating topic for both sexes.. male and female. We all change our hair for various reasons. I know I highlight my hair whenever I can because my natural hair color is mousy in the winter, and too dull for me to look at. I have highlighted it blonde, red, dark brown, and I have even dyed my bangs blue when I first started dating my boyfriend! He used to have a little blue mohawk when I first met him... now he is a full set of hair because of his job. It's just amazing how much people change along with their hair.

When I look through old photos of me, I often wonder what in the hell was I thinking? Sometimes I'm more blonde, more brunette, and this year, I have more of a reddish tint to my hair. I like changes when it comes to hairstyles, and I want to dive further into the reasoning behind it, and share it with my professor and classmates. I bet they will all relate to this topic.

Just think... when was the last time you cut/colored your hair? And, why did you do it? Sometimes girls cut their hair after a break up because they want a change. Be someone new after an experience like that. I personally prefer shorter hair seeing as I am too lazy to take care of longer hair. I also like red in my hair, whereas my Mom hates it.. she prefers me as a blonde.

Interesting, no?

So, next time you look in the mirror...just picture yourself a few years ago instead... what was your hair like? I bet you anything it was completely different, just like you were.

Fun stuff. :)

Thoughts on Module 6

Here are my honest thoughts on Module 6.
We had to create two separate flyers convincing Latino/a students either graduating high school or just transferring from a community college to chose English as either a major/minor and take classes here at Illinois State University. To say the least, I had no idea how to even go about this project.

So, I tried to get to work with the Adobe program.. InDesign CS3. Of course my personal laptop doesn't carry such an expensive program, and much to my chagrin neither do the lab computers at the library. Their version is too old. I was very upset when I got there and realized my document refused to open. Very frustrating. :(

I then ventured to the Stevenson computer lab where my Visible Rhetoric class takes place only to find the door was locked, I had to ask a janitor to open it for me, I was ever so thankful that he was around and willing to let me in.

I realize that I am not a big fan of InDesign or this project to be quite honest. I don't understand any of the little tabs or cursors surrounding the page, everything just seemed so confined. I spent a half hour just making mistakes and wanting to scream. Needless to say, I hope I completed the project correctly, but it is evident in the final product that a noob did all she could with it. You can tell it isn't professional work by any means.

This was by far my least favorite module out of all of the previous 5. I actually liked the first 5, and I can only hope I'll enjoy the final project. Anything, other than InDesign.

I guess that's all I have to say for now. My next post will be about the final project and what I plan to do with it.

Module 6- And The Mentalist (not the show)

I was wrong. I do have another module to complete before this class ends. Hooray! Hopefully I will do well on it and it shall bring me a most wonderful grade. One can only hope.

I guess I shall blog about the show we all went to in the Brown Ballroom at ISU. There was a man there who called himself a 'Mentalist'. I've heard of the t.v. show, but never watched it. It seems like a load of hogwash to me. Although, I do believe in women's intuition of sorts, that's as far as that goes.

Psychic power though? I just don't see it. I think everything this man did was pre planned and equated in his head. The visible rhetoric component of the show had to do with the audience members that he would frequently choose. He always went with women, young freshmen girls, and one little boy was allowed on stage. Why no freshman boys? Is it because they are rumored to be more skeptic? Where a young, naive girl will just go with the flow and say 'oooo' or the 'ahhh's' when due? I can't help but think he knew this. Or maybe was just some creepy flirt... and if that's the case.. that's kinda disturbing.

The show had some moments where I questioned the reality of psychic powers... such as when he guessed about this boy this one girl was sitting next to. Then again, he could probably say that to any girl in the audience and assume she came with a 'boyfriend' or someone of romantic significance. So maybe he is trickier than I give him credit for. My professor and a few of my peers were discussing how we think he cheated. We think that he could see through one of his blindfold tricks. There is no possible explanation as to how he knew what the girls drew... or how he could tell what they were holding in their hands.

I guess the Mentalist... shows the sexist side of the magic world, which is pretty sad if you ask me. If he wanted to come across as more believeable he should have had both sexes participate in the act. Freshman girls and guys. But, maybe he was just looking for some female support or something.

All I can say is, I'm glad the show was free. Like I said it had some cool elements, but overall, sort of disappointing.. to the skeptical eye. A.k.a. me.

Until we meet again. Only one more project to go! Then, the final one!

Wow, this semester has really flown by. :)
Signing off,
Me

Module 5

This is our second to last module, because the very last one is our final project. Which should be exciting, but at the same time, I rather liked doing these little internet projects here and there. The more I learn from this class, the more I like it. Maybe it's the laid back atmosphere, or the fact that I can do most of my work outside of the classroom as opposed to in? Or, maybe it's because this topic can pertain to any and everyone. I just like the idea of Visible Rhetoric. :)

For Module 5, I got to play with photoshop! Hooray! I realized that I am not very talented with new programs, because I am quite computer illiterate for the most part. But, after awhile, I got the hang of it and created some really wild stuff. I did have trouble uploading my images to blackboard though, which is a shame because the very last image I wanted to portray was by far the most powerful. :( Se la vie, right? That's the unpredictability of technology.

I'm not sure I have much else to say here. I guess the value of photoshop is huge when it comes to advertising execs across the country who want to create a strong message or persuasion. Plus, this application allows for wonderful amounts of creativity.. and you can pretty much do whatever you like with the little icons in the side bar.

So, go forth... take photos.... and create persuasive arguments based on the visible rhetoric of our everyday lives. :)

Module 4

Well, since we have the assignment in our blackboard folders, I don't see the need to evaluate myself and my group members for our completion of Module 3. I know that all of us put an equal amount of effort into the entire presentation and it was fun just working with Heidi and Ross. :)

As far as Module 4 goes, I am an avid television watcher, which probably isn't the healthiest of activities, but one can still learn alot. Or, observe alot. Such is the case with Wife Swap, which is what I want to mold my Module 4 project around. I want to concentrate on the idea of stereotyping in today's media, and especially in that show in particular. It cracks me up how obvious everything is.

For example, there was one episode with a loving Southern family from the Louisiana bayou, and an uptight Vegetarian family from up North. Guess what? Wife Swap!!! The wives were sent to live in environments completely opposite their own and raise children that most likely don't give a damn about them.

The end results were pretty impressive seeing as the Vegetarian wife gave up her inhibitions to try fried alligator. And, she liked it. It was grand.

I want my project to focus on the visible rhetoric of this show, and how it portrays families in Southern states compared to that of the Northern states. The stereotypes are most definitely extreme and completely unrealistic to actual families that reside in both of these regions of the U.S.

The best part is, stereotypes, extremes, and generalizations, make for awesome t.v. I, admit, that episode was hilarious. And, I stuck around to watch it.

The question is, knowing all of this, would you watch? ;)

News On Module 3

My group and I plan to meet before our powerpoint presentation concerning the color 'red'. This of course will be a most difficult endeavor because both of my group mates are parents and have significant others/children to tend to. I completely understand, and am not worried with our progress thus far. Heidi had a great idea to start up a doc website via Google and from there we update our powerpoint slides online! I didn't even know such an application existed! Pretty cool, huh?

Anyways... I can give a slight preview on the color 'red'. I was lucky enough to research sports teams and colleges that incorporate red in their culture. As far as sports are concerned it is rumored that red teams are favored by the referees and allowed a higher point average overall compared to opposing teams of different colors. Also, red is used to intimidate ones opponent with its loud brightness.

My group also noticed that red is seen alot for food advertisements. Just think of Jimmy John's, McDonald's etc. These logos incorporate red to further their business and draw attention to it. People don't necessarily want to enter a restaurant that doesn't draw their attention right away. If the signs are bigger and the colors are brighter I imagine the public responds better. Just my theory though.

I guess that's all I have to say about Module 3, thus far. I am curious to see what Module 4 will entail.

We out. :)

Color- What Does it all Mean?

So. Our third module is the study of color, and the affect it has on our own personal lives, as well as that of societies. For example why is purple so often seen in religious atmospheres as the color of royalty? Why not blue? Why do we have white dresses for weddings? I was actually told that a few centuries ago, wedding dresses used to be black because it was a 'funeral' for the parents of the bride in giving up their 'virgin' child. Loss of virginity provoked the blackness, which is kinda cool, and creepy, all at the same time.

For this particular blog I was told to answer a few questions concerning this module that I need to start working on. First, I will do a light overview, then get right to it. Here goes nothing. :)

We had to take a few online tests here are the websites in case anyone wants to take them : http://www.testcafe.com/color, http://www.saunalahti.fi./jawap/colour/colortest.html, http://www.lifecolorsonline.com/lifecolorslite.html, and http://www.webtickle.com/search/?query=color&sel=0

Some of the websites are slightly faulty. I took the first and third tests. Here were my results: my aura is magenta and my life colors are fire-earth related or basically I am seen as red. These results shocked me because my favorite color in the world is blue, so I thought I would have more calming colors define me, but this is apparently not the case. I am more of a firecracker than I imagined. I guess those that know me well can judge that for themselves.

Now, here are the questions to be answered.My group and I compared our color results.

1. Are they appropriate? Realistic? Completely off base? -

Honestly, I think some of the questions have nothing to do with color whatsoever. It felt like I was taking a myspace quiz asking me what alcoholic drink I am, or something along those lines. It just didn't feel realistic and I expected more of the questions to relate to color. As in red-passion, anger, blue-calming, flow that kind of thing. It was just a mumble jumble of questions here and there. I don't think my results were off base, just shocking is all.

2. Do you colors complement on another? Or at odds with one another?

My group and I compared the colors. My aura was magenta, Heidi's is purple, and Ross's is yellow. (hopefully I got the right). For the third test with life colors: I was fire earth, Heidi was sky fire, and Ross was green. So, although our colors seem to clash, I think there are similarities throughout. It seems that Heidi and I complement each other more than Ross and I do. She is in the purple realm, whereas I exist within the magenta realm. Two colors that have some shade of purple involved. She and I both had fire, whereas Ross had more calming colors.

3. Do you think this will affect your work together?

No. I don't rely on aura tests to determine my ability to get along with someone, or their ability to get along with me. I think we will be fine. We met at the beginning of the class and sit next to one another, and compromise well. I am not worried with the color test results.

4. Do you think these tests are an appropriate way to analyze color?

I already answered this earlier, and said no.

5. Do you think it properly analyzes color associations? Mood? Color psychology?

I do not think so. The questions were based off of situations and how I might react to them, that is not necessarily mood, but more character related. I think the questions should have asked how would I feel if.... this situation happened. Then, the test results would feel like they make more sense.

6. Do the tests reflect cultural associations with specific colors?

I think these tests certainly tried to, but need gradual improvements before this question gets a yes. The questions didn't really have much depth to them, I would think that colors associated with cultures would need alot of depth in order to compare and contrast.

My group decided to do the color red. We are going to research the significance of red, and why it is so important in certain collegiate realms. I guess the results will speak for themselves in due time.

Signing off for now.
Me. :)

Typography

In class last week we discussed the significance of typography. I enjoyed it so much that I even blogged about it in my myspace account and some of my friends commented on it as well. Typography has always fascinated me because I consider myself to be a visual learner. I enjoy seeing and then doing, not the other way around. I love how many different fonts there are to choose from, I just find it fascinating that depending on mood, what message one tries to convey, or just for the hell of it, one can switch things up a bit and change their font. I think school atmospheres certainly restrict this sort of activity because they want to keep assignments and the like uniform... which in my opinion is booring. Also, some fonts might be harder to read than others, and if it is say a final essay for a class, and your grade depends on it, I guess I'll stick with Times New Roman, to ensure a passing grade, as opposed to failing it due to creative rebellion. Our next module is due this Wednesday actually, it is essentially about the visible rhetoric of typography, obviously. We get to choose a poem or a song and then play with it in terms of font. I chose I Carry Your Heart With Me, by e.e. cummings, because that is one of my favorite poems. I can't wait to funk it up and see what I can do with this project. So far, so good.. .I'm still getting accustomed to the Mac computers that we use in our visible rhet class, I am more familiar with the old fashion PC. But hey, if technical writing is the field that I will go into after college, I have a sneaky suspicion, that the Mac will be my new best friend, or worst enemy.... depending on many factors at once.
Well, I can't think of much else to blog on, so I will get cracking on my module and other assignments as well.
Until we blog again. :)

Missin from the Powerpoint

After discussing what I forgot to add in my powerpoint cultural identity map.. I have decided to list some of the aspects here.

1. emphasis on chocolate- I don't think I mentioned how I basically cannot live without a piece of chocolate daily. It cheers me up, keeps me in a great mood, and makes all of the stress in my life melt in my mouth and disappear.

2. where I live- I completely forgot to share my geographical background. I was born and raised in the Chicago Northwest suburbs, and lived a very sheltered childhood. College was a big culture shock for me, but the best experience in my entire life. I am so glad I went away to school and decided not to stick around for a community college near home. I am desperate to travel and one day I would like to live out of state just to see what it would be like.

3. I don't think I mentioned my goals after completing my studies at ISU. I would love to find a job with Technical Writing and then write creatively on the side. One day I would like to write a book, but given my writer's block throughout most of my education here, we shall see how that goes.

4. I didn't mention the importance of my family and friends in my life, how they have shaped me into the person I am today, and I know I can turn to them with anything and they will help me out.

5. I forgot to add how much I enjoy sitting around with a group of friends and drinking wine, or how I love Irish pubs and grabbing a pint there to relax after a stressful week.

I can't help but wonder why I forgot to mention any of the above in my powerpoint slides. They are certainly important aspects of who I am as a person, but as I was creating the project, it just slipped my mind! I forgot. Very strange.

Feminism

This week in class we discussed the term 'Feminism' and all of the nasty connotations that sadly enough come with it. I used to be like that. I thought that all feminists were just angry women that hated men and were crazed with the idea of women taking over the world. Little did I realize, that I have more feminist qualities than I was willing to admit. That's right. Me. I'm a little feminist, and I have had girls tell me this before. I see it as a compliment now. I believe that men and women are equal on all grounds and should be treated as such. I do not think that women should be paid less in the office or treated as sex objects either. We are all people and should treat each other with decency. Plus, I like boys, so the whole 'man hating' ideal really doesn't work with me, or any other feminist girls that I know. In fact, most of them, like myself have a significant other, or at least someone that they are 'seeing'. So, to heck with the stereotypes on feminism. Men shouldn't be afraid of us, they should embrace us because we see them as equals too. At least, I do. And, I can only hope the rest of the feminist clan believes the same notions.

What is Visible Rhetoric??

This is a very intriguing question. What IS visible rhetoric? I have a few uneducated theories, given that soon I will be educated in the concept after taking this class. I think visible rhetoric is political, cultural, emotional, and even economical in nature. It persuades the audience/viewer to believe something. Maybe to convince them of something they didn't agree with before. There are so many different types of visible rhetoric, it's difficult to categorize it. I see visible rhetoric with the LOVE campaign. Or, To Write Love On Her Arms ( a suicide prevention campaign) it's just a way to tell people in your life that you appreciate them. Don't take them for granted. That is in essence persuasion. Even if you don't care about those with emotional/mental issues, now the apathetic audience member/viewer might see things different. Especially in the manner in which the campaign is presented. The word LOVE on anyone's arm. Love is a powerful word and evokes emotion in most people. Just like HATE, WAR, or RACISM. Even in this type.. typography that is a form of visible rhetoric. The way I capitalize the words to get my point across? Another form. We all produce different versions of visible rhetoric more than we are willing to admit or realize. So, what is visible rhetoric, then? Well, I just wrote it to you.. don't just read inbetween the lines... look straight at the word and the answer is staring you straight in the face. :)

Beginnings

Soo... I guess I will blog literally at the hour of midnight. I think this class, will open doors for me when it comes to selecting a career after graduation. Now, if I only know what career is right for me, that would save me from all kinds of worry and grief. I took a rhetoric studies class my sophomore year of college and it was based more on the philosophy of rhetoric. We studied Nietsche (sp?) and others of a similar nature. Even Hitler is a rhetorical philosopher, he used aspects of speech and visual rhetoric to control an entire country. Scary to think what might happen if a crazy like that were to rise again. All in all, I haven't completed the reading assignment just yet, but will do so and be sure to blog about it accordingly.
And, I'm spent. :)