Extended Comment (left on Truman's post about Segways)

Even the name “Segway” suggests the prestige of the product, therefore the upward mobility of the consumers who purchase Segways. “Seg-“is a Latin root meaning to cut or to separate. While way is synonymous with the word path. Therefore, Segway suggests that the owners are unlike non-Segways owners—establishing a class difference. On Segways website, the product is advertised as an alternative to driving: a product for “green living.” Segways are more notably used as an alternative to walking—conflicting with goal of its advertising. The idea of going green has become popularized by the introduction of products that claim to save or help the earth, when in actuality those products are still contributing to pollution. Actual means of green transportation are viewed as a lower status in some areas, transportation such as walking, biking and public transportation.

Although the products suggest upward mobility as Truman mentions in his post, that mobility is limited. The Segway may provide security with better vision for patrolling and a possible edge of faster transportation, than that by foot, but as Chris mentioned, security is only efficient if the population of people in a given area is minimal. Congested walkways prohibit the Segway users from ‘gliding past’ others. This product claims to be an alternative means to commute to work, however most people who ‘commute’ to work do so by car because they travel far distances from their home—otherwise they would simply be ‘going to work.’ The Segways does not compete with the speed of a car—only going 12.5 miles per hour—or the range of a car—12-24 miles. A video on Segway’s page titled “Take Control of Your Commute,” one users asserts that a Segway has “changed [his] life” by giving him the freedom to explore his hometown, yet he relies on mixed transportation—the subway and the Segway—to accomplish this.

Close Encounter

This is a photo I took of my sister Christine (we are twins—which explains the close resemblance to myself) and my father while visiting the city. Since my family does not have our own digital photag following us around capturing candid moments, many of the photos we have are posed. I enjoy pictures that are unexpected; however I do not enjoy feeling as if I am an “outsider,” by being the one taking the pictures. We frequent San Francisco quite often, so the sites we saw were nothing new to us. The costal wind was blowing as it usually is in San Francisco. I strategically placed Alcatraz in the background, yet I didn’t bother moving my family (minus a few members) around the pole: we were one of many families documenting our day by photo. Although I have had my digit camera for quite some time, I have yet to full understand the capabilities of the different settings. There is no viewfinder, only a two inch wide screen to take the picture, which I directly hold in front of me, only to check to see if the individuals are in the frame.

This was not the photo I intended on taking. The photo intent was quite posey. Yet this is not what I captured at all. During mid-pose, my sister and my dad react to a seagull that flew too close to them. Although I find the photo charming and quite hysterical, I took a series of photos, following this one, until I captured one that everyone was satisfied with. Although I took multiples photos, I kept this photo along with the “good” photo, so I could remember this moment as well.

A photo captures a single moment in time of the people in the photo and a portion of their surroundings. It does not capture what occurs before or after the photo is taken, nor does it capture what occurs outside of the photo. With the invention of digital photography, photos are instantly viewed, critiqued and discarded by the person taking them. This is a luxury we once did not have. Whether photos are posed, or are candid in nature, photos are kept because our satisfaction with them, because they successfully capture a part of our own history that we want to remember—even if we are not in the photo.

Political Image

“Having lost his image in a presidential campaign years ago, Dean has become the laughing stock among many political communities and the general public… an outburst of raw and true emotions during a rally…Howard Dean was scorned for acting the way he did, but he was merely showing his enthusiasm and vigor for the presidential race.”— From Howard Dean is human by UWP 101 Saelee



Howard Dean’s demonstration of raw emotion during a 2004 presidential campaign speech may have seemed unprofessional, but the general public and political community rejection of Dean was in response to his display of his own quirkiness. Dean’s conduct was considered different; he was too dissimilar. His enthusiasm caused him to seem unrelatable—perhaps somehow how unreliable. I guess no one wanted to go to New Hampshire, South Carolina, Oklahoma...or Washington D.C. to take back the White House with Howard Dean.

Unlike Dean, Bill Clinton’s eccentricity was welcomed by the public. He has charm and charisma—enough to entice white house interns. Although different from standard politicians, he was accepted and was considered a president that was identifiable to many Americans. During the current presidential campaign, Bill Clinton came to Davis on behalf of his wife, Hillary Clinton. As one UC Davis student confessed, he was there merely in support of Bill—although he was not running for any political position—like many, he came to see and hear a former president.

Conversely, some individuals reject presidential candidates who are void of personality. Candidates generally worry about their image in the public eye, careful not to stray from behavior that is conventional, or exemplify behavior, which may seem too illustratory of their personality—vulnerable to rejection. In this year’s democratic campaign, Hillary Clinton, unlike her competitor, Barack Obama, came off as rigid and awkward. Attempts of changing this conception of her failed, as she seemed uncomfortable, impersonable, unfriendly, and even two-faced. Her attempts to integrate with certain ethnic and social groups and the American public were not seen as genuine. She was criticized for changing her personality among certain people in order to fit in.



Pre-Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore was known as a boring presidential candidate in the 2000 elections—attributes such as his monotonous voice and stiffness in the media highlighted this conception of him. Had he not “fallen out of love” with politics, joined the 2008 election, he would received positive feedback from the public. Why the sudden change? Gore hasn’t; just his interests. Is what we see really what we get? Does the media portray the candidates in a certain light, emphasizing misconceptions? Are our views of people skewed because we follow popular consensus?

An Advertisement for Kanye West or Vodka?

Rather than looking at the entire ad, I will examine one photo. Perhaps I will evaluate the entire ad in the next couple of posts.

What stood out the most from all the images in the advertisement was the photo of hip-hop/rap artist, Kanye West. This photo was unlike all the rest—required more thought. The other images in the collage depicted unattainable possibilities in life—male pregnancy (by conventional Western definition, ignoring the pregnancy of Thomas Beatie), honest politicians (or knowing when politicians are truthful), luxurious and thrilling public transportation, cheap rent…etc. Upon examination of the poem: the reasons for which the photo of the rap artist was among the others images in the collage became clear.

Known for his innovative lyrics, his high-end clothing with an urban twist, his controversial on-camera comments, his confidence, Kanye West is most famously known for how he emerged into the music scene. West recorded his album “College Drop-Out,” all during which his jaw was wired shut. Unlike all the images, the photo of West was not fabricated to depict this idea. Doctors and West’s peers believed this injury, a result of a car accident, would immobilize him. Instead, he learned to overcome this “disability” and produced an album, which was nominated for a Grammy. West took the opportunity to challenge himself to continue his passion for music. In doing so, he challenged lingual conventions; epitomizing the “what if and why not”, that Absolut vodka idealizes.

The advertisement solicits the idea that the vodka itself defies conventions itself with style. The ad suggests that upward mobility and advances exists only “in an Absolut world.”

The Pedal Desk

Part bicycle, part podium, and completely out of the ordinary, the pedal desk is a collaboration of recycled parts and the efforts and ingenuity of UC Davis students. Initially constructed as a class project for sustainable living,--funded by the UC Davis Sustainable Living Initiative, the pedal desk is designed to demonstrate that electrical power requires physical input—something not consciously and infrequently considered. Although many are oblivious to the inconvenience of energy—we are well aware of where that energy goes. The pedal desk conveys the effects of the lifestyle that most Americans live.

Technologies, such as cars and segways, allow us to be mobile yet relatively stationary. The pedal desk, however, provides the ability of mobility while fixed on the seat of the bike/desk. Next to the “try me” sign on the desk, another post reads “Empowering legs to power laptops.” The ability of one’s laptop to function while using the pedal desk is restricted by the user—assuming the battery power is nonexistent. Besides encouraging people to try the pedal desk, the product itself encourages users to become aware of energy consumption. The freedom of powering appliances is restricted by the ability to produce that power. Much of the electric power used in the United States still comes from nonrenewable energy, because of its convenience. Sustainable living encompasses the awareness of this depletion of resources, while advocating the use of renewable energy. Work is required to consume watts (energy in one of its many forms) by means of powering appliances as does it to burn off calories that you eat (energy yet again).

Obesity is a major problem concerning many Americans. The American culture is fueled by convenience. Although technology has its many benefits—convenience as one—it can also attribute to sedentary life style. The freedom and ease of transportation and social networking without leaving home, restricts physical health of sedentary individuals. The pedal desk is an invention that allows users to move and stimulate their legs muscles—along with their fingers and brains.

Sustainable living has a somewhat hazy definition better demonstrated by the many efforts that encompass it, singly unified by their objective-- to maintain availability of resources for future and current generations. Whether switching a standard light bulb to a longer lasting, “energy-saving” (more adequately put “reduced consuming”) light bulbs or opting an apple in place of a bag of chips as a snack, both types of activities serve as a more efficient use of energy resources—our environment and our bodies.

Sustainable Living…
Intrigued? Confused? Some links to further these feelings.
http://www.grow-our-own.co.uk/
http://ecoliteracy.org/education/sustainability.html
http://eartheasy.com/homepage.htm

Lingering Thoughts On Theory

Yesterday evening, I watched a rerun of Oprah promoting the Dr. Suess book-turned-movie, Horton Hears a Who. Briefly describing the movie, Oprah coins, “Just because you cannot hear, see or touch, something, does not mean it doesn’t exist.” This statement reminded me of the development of accepting the idea of atoms. In Classics 10, Greek and Roman mythology, I learned of Greek philosophers, who simply stated that everything is comprised of tiny particles, arbitrarily calling these particles, atoms, long before microscopes and scientific research could prove so. In attempt to understand the world around us, we create theories, explored through either science or language. In Classics 10, I also learned about Greek myths, in which the actions of the Gods, explain both the hardships and fruitfulness in life. Yet no Greek citizens actually witnessed Zeus or Aphrodite while drinking at symposium--perhaps in a drunken stupor. I do not view theories as facts, rather, explanations for something not quite rationalized by anything else and not yet falsified. Both science and philosophy, initially look at something as a whole, then pull it apart, and more difficultly piece everything back together.

First Blog

Upon arriving to school, I glanced at my phone. 9:38 AM. I had a few minutes before class commenced. I sauntered to the Memorial Union to pickup my books before class. English. The subject I dread the most. I have always struggled with writing: probably because as a child I was immersed in a household where Farsi and broken English were spoken. However, I have taken three lower division writing courses at Davis and have become more comfortable with writing. Browsing through the English section on the ground floor of the bookstore, I was unable to locate my books. I was unprepared—I could not recall which section I was in. I glanced at my phone again. 9:50AM. As I darted to UWP, my heart started to pound inside my chest cavity. Beads of sweat materialized on the palms of my hands. I have never had any apprehensions about a class before. Perhaps my nerves were on the fritz from the night before.
…
I walked to the bookstore to search for my books again. Upon investigation, and assistance from an employee, I found them. The line to the registers stretched past the notebooks and binders. As I waited, the girl behind me strummed her fingers along her purchases, reminding me of the translator in class, heavily tapping the keyboard as he typed. I had focused on his typing. This distracted me somewhat, but also calmed me. I had a long way to go before I reached the registers. I flipped open New Keywords. Evolution was the first word I saw.