Sub#4: New Mayer vs. Old Mayer

John Mayer's music has been full of intricate guitar solos and bluesy harmonies for his past few albums. He recently underwent throat surgery last September, and then started recording his new album, Born and Raised. John Mayer commissioned Martin to create a custom guitar which Mayer says makes "organic cowboy guitar sounds." It seems as though John Mayer's new guitar sound will be completely different from the way it sounds in his previous albums.

The sounds of John Mayer's new teaser for Born and Raised are twangy and bright which contrast his music on Continuum. This teaser, "Shadow Days," hints at a drastic genre change from bluesy rock to country or southern rock which might be a way for John Mayer to modestly brag about his musical talent. "Shadow Days" seems to be just as intensely impressing as previous songs, but some fans are so critical that a country sound may be a wrong turn. Mayer's throat surgery could have just caused him to decide on a new life path, but judging by Mayer's egotistical reputation, he probably wants to prove his aptitude. Mayer's song, "Bigger Than My Body," might just be describing his larger than life ego.

In "Shadow Days," John Mayer seems to be contradicting most peoples' opinions of him when he sings,

"I'm a good man, with a good heart
Had a tough time, got a rough start
But it finally learned to let it go
Now I'm right here, and I'm right now
And I'm hoping, knowing somehow
That my shadows days are over
My shadow days are over now."

John Mayer's raw, raspy vocals give his previous albums a sense of freedom and independence, which can also be contributed to a career in country music. Mayer still incorporates complicated musicality into his new song, so truly musically enlightened listeners will understand his change, even if it is drastic in others' opinions. He could just be recording a country album to explore different genres. Many artists through the years have strayed from their original sounds to attract more fans or give themselves a little variety.

Submission #4: Blog Assignment

Good Claims

1) Vivir, Soñar, Leer

The radical range of color schemes, discombobulating object scale, unusual item combination, and drastic angling of geometric shapes combine to form a divine harmony in the middle of a flustering discord. From drastic reds and harsh blacks to soft pinks and peaceful blues, the colors of the rooms create a dramatic range of mood from breathtaking to calming.

This claim is like a "one-two punch" that almost completely describes the colors and moods of the rooms on this website.

2) Books for Dummies (like me)

This opening scene is pivotal to the rest of the film because it already sets the stage for the theme of horrific deaths by sharks. The frantic movement of the kids and the thundering suspense of the music conveys this sense of carnage and trepidation so that the audience might pee their pants in fright.

Not so good claims:

1) Well.. I can't really find the claim on this one..

2)"The whimsical vividness of the collection of drawings and pictures is just plain astonishing."

Foggy Wednesday

This foggy Wednesday
Is looking like an "ehh" day
I guess whatever..
--Jonny V.

Short List

1) Older John Mayer vs New Teaser "Shadow Days"
-J Mayer's older music from Continuum and Heavier Things had a rockier feel, but his new song has a country sound.

2) My Fish Tank
-Compare different species, and how they interact

3) "Buddy Holly" music video by Weezer
-Compare Happy Days and the song/video.

Sub #3 Middle School

Middle school is a long and grueling process of torturing kids until they either break, or become a typical rebellious teen. Breaking a preteens includes throwing kids into stressful situations such as making it to class on time, school dances, school sports, and the new social life that kids must adhere to.

This podcast highlights some of the main conflicts that preteens have during middle school situations. There is a girl who has trouble wearing her new clothes and shoes to school right away due to fear of being belittled. She received new moccasins which she and her friends now love, but was afraid of wearing them for a while. She was broken into worrying about every other girl's opinion of her appearance. This is a true problem that many middle schoolers face.

The awkwardness of middle school dances is also highlighted in the podcast. There is a girl who was asked by 5 boys to the dance. She had originally planned on going to the dance with a group of friends, so she was not sure how to respond to the boys. Of course, it was ridiculous to never give the boys any straight answers besides "I don't know," but the girl had never been in a similar situation before. The kids at the dance all had a new experience that they would either love, or hate. Middle school is an embarrasing time for most kids, and most students have to endure similar situations.

Podcast Response: Middle School

I listened to most of this podcast to realize that most middle schoolers must have similar experiences. The entire duration of the podcast had me laughing and reminiscing because of the funny events that i shared with the kids in the podcast. There was a section about a girl who wouldn't want to wear her new clothes right away because she was afraid people might judge her too much. Personally, I've never worried about something like that, but I can see a girl having similar problems.

One of the main points made in the podcast was that middle school is a time when kids find out their true personalities. This isn't really a good point, because you're always going to change ideas, but middle school is definitely a start. Judgmental groups of friends will always stay judgmental, and there will always be independent people who stray from the norm.

Short List #2

I've been thinking about writing an article about the interactions between the fish in my aquarium. They all react a little differently to food and to each other. There are a few different species in the tank, so the relationships differ vastly.

I'm also thinking about writing a piece on a music album. Maybe a new one that I checked out from the library yesterday or maybe one that I already have. Either way, I think this would be a good topic. I could possibly describe the storyline through the songlist and how the moods change.

Sub #1 Comments

"In addition to the whole video that complement the title very-well, we have this "player" trying to make his way to the top and that is what explains the title "Fly Me to the Moon". He wants to get to the top so that he can be with the people being with the "stars" the famous people. And then there are many people getting in his way, which is the thing that is trying to kill him/ bring him down! And once he makes it to the top he is rewarded with many gold coins and a crown hat. This symbolizes his achievement!



Every time I click the link to this video I just cannot help but watch it, it has a smooth but chill beat to it that draws my attentions to it… this video has brought me to wonder about more sonic animation videos that may grab my attention as this one did."

This is a submission posted by a student from another Ety class. They focused on summarizing the video and explaining their direct reaction to it such as "Every time I click the link to this video I just cannot help but watch it." They did a good job of telling what happened in the text, but this assignment needed to be analyzed at a deeper level. The writer could have told how the main character in the video felt when he reached the "stars" or how the others in the video reacted to his success. Again, this is a good summary, but not a very strong analysis.

Reader-- Picturing America

Picturing America’s Postwar America page is a collection of pictures dating from 1946-63 of post-WWII events and common life for Americans. These photos help clarify how people lived in America after the war. There are captions along with the photos that tell a little about what is going on, and they help create a connection between viewers and the things in the pictures.

The whole website still looks similarly to a textbook, but it brings a little excitement to viewers by introducing a human aspect instead of reading a history book. The connection gives a viewer a strong sense of patriotism that does not always accompany a person after reading a history textbook. Seeing peoples’ faces while they stand in fallout shelters helps to convey the fear caused by nuclear warfare. It’s an overall interesting page that would be eye-catching to Stumble Upon.