E Ross AP comp blog

juxtaposing-images.doc

The first article I read about the fog of war was written by Christopher Kelly. He talked about how the movie targeted both sides of the political spectrum- both liberals and conservatives, and how that was in itself the most effective approach. It is pretty impressive to have a movie that can be accepted by both political sides, and I agree with this idea. McNamara tries extremely hard to prove himselve as valid and stands behind the idea that Lyndon Johnson was the real perpetrator. He contradicts himself so much that it is as if his contradictions are what show his truth. He argues that during times of war, to accomplish freedom and unity, our leaders do unspeakable things that are completely necessary.

The second article I read was by Jonathan Rosenbaum, who was highly critical of the Fog of War. He even remarks on how the movie’s website seems to provide more information than the actual movie itself- which was a little bit of a harsh statement in my opinion. He also talks about how little he got from McNamara’s statements. I don’t think I agree with this reviewer as much, because I think he forgets to include the images, footage and documents that are involved throughout this film that really make it informational and worthwhile. This reviewers attitude was completely off from mine, and part of me wonders if this reviewer has had a significantly better involvement with the times this movie depicts.

“Real reading is not just hoarding fodder for cocktail chatter, it’s crawling, phrase by phrase, through a text and finding yourself surprised or disappointed or ruined or bored with every other line.” Author Sam Anderson explains that he gets away without reading the books he reviews. Even though the book he is trying to review is titled, How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read. He begins by complaining how boring it is to actually read a book. He establishes his persona as a humorous and, interestingly enough, credible person.

This sense of humor can be seen when Anderson decides to analyze the author’s picture on the back cover. He takes time and description to point out that he’s French, probably full of himself, and to insult his style and general expression (“My God, he’s about to think!”). Next, he gives us a little background on how he got to where is today. “My signature move is a mildly orgasmic “Mmmmm,” which manages to suggest several things simultaneously: agreement, disagreement, ambivalence, and above all that my familiarity with the book in question is so deep it’s become muscular and sub-verbal, less a literary opinion than the visceral appreciation of a jaguar for the dawn.” When he finally got to it, he claimed that he had actually read the book.

“It is impossible to read the compositions of the most celebrated writers of the present day without being startled with the electric life which burns within their words.” Shelly defends the purpose and power of peotry by relating poems to human nature, and the emotions and actions poetry seems to be able to cause that other acts of writing and such can not. Shelly explains, “The most unfailing herald, companion, and follower of the awakening of a great people to work a beneficial change in opinion or institution, is poetry.” This is her claim. That poetry gives people the opportunities that other works of art can often fall short of contributing to. That this art, poetry can open up the mind and the soul in an undefiably amazing sense of circumstance in order to let an individual’s emotions flow. To conclude, Shelly remarks that poets are the unacknowledges legislators of the world. She comments on how poets seem to slip beneath the throws of the rest of the world’s priotities, and she is out to change that.

The second semester of senior year describes the time in which the individual accomplishes extensive tasks without fully considering, recollecting, or initially putting forth any significant signs of effort into thier work. The college applications are in, the acceptances sent, and the opportunities for a second semester senior’s future bold. The time in which the senior has remaining of high school must be spent in an appropriate manner dedicated towards taking advantage of the experiences high school has to offer, while the real world does not. The priorities of acadamia from junior year shift to the more exciting experiences of senior year, including the extensive planning of our last school dances, bubble shooter, useless electives, and maybe even a small recognition of determinance towards completing graduation requirements like the CE and online health credits. Life as a second semester senior moves fast, and the mystery of our future must reflect in the school-wide goal to simply live in the moment. This fact occurred to me yesterday when I realized that we have eight remaining weeks until graduation - only two months. And then I considered the typical day of a second-semester senior.
Its first period. Math. Susan can unfortunately imagine the perils of boredom she will have to face in the next hour and a half, for this is one class in which the day’s activities are always the same. Her teacher makes an effort to talk the least amount he can possible, and the class understands nothing. THe test is take home, the homework answers found in the back of the book. This is her early morning.

The slides that correlate with the text enhance the readers understanding of the events and their meaning throughout society during this period of time. I thought the images were really interesting to look at, especially the ones taken by Forman. I have taken a few photography classes before, and i understand how difficult it sometimes is to know if you have gotten a good shot, and the mystery of what pictures you took when developing film in the darkroom. It was especially interesting to compare the discussed picture of the american flag with other similar pictures, in other historical time periods.

The best photograph Forman took I think was the one of the falling woman and child. It is clearly amazing for Forman to have gotten this shot, and it really captures the energy and the emotions of the woman and the child. I am unfamiliar with the second picture Forman became famous for - with the violent youth attacking the african american lawyer; I am actually very unfamiliar with the story. This picture captures a lot of emotion, and I think editors made a good decision when choosing to publish this image nation-wide. It showed that the nation had more problems of race than they thought they had overcome.

The author’s analyzation of the two portraits was detailed and well researched, as Canaday references family letters and backgroud history, taking into consideration the known attitudes and personalities of the painting’s subjects. Historical context of the paintings also influences the readers understanding, and even knowing how long it took the artist to complete his work ( especially the first which had taken 36 years!!). I think Canaday’s interpretation gives the reader an opportunity to reflect with a higher appreciation for the works, as the two simple portraits immediately become more complex with hidden detail. THe second family portrait had a more somber and less welcome, exciting scene. Including the fact that the family was still in mourning for one of their children. There are two girls in the family, and while one seems attached to her father, another seems more faithful to her mother or nurse. I think I like the first, bigger, more unorganized family portrait better than this second one. I like the sense of energy found around the center, motionless woman.

hen I first saw this picture I was immediately drawn to the different colors, which seem to pop out from the monotonous background. It took me a second to realize that the bright colors were in fact clothing, and the figures they adorned were hiding girls. I wondered if the picture had been photo-shopped to make the colorful fabrics stand out more, but then realized that the grey background had not been modified, as it was a simple rock or slate wall commonly used for building homes in the region the picture was taken – Morrocco. It is interesting that the clothing the girls are wearing include some of the same fabrics and designs ranging from girl to girl, and I wonder if this means they are related, or these are the mot popular fabrics of the day or the area, even whether they are simply friends and wanted to create their outfits together. The picture is unique as you cannot see any of the figures’ faces- they are all hiding their faces into their hands and clothes. The picture is almost startling in its use of unorganized color – a mind game that takes a simple moment to understand. I think it may have been possible that it was unnatural for ladies in this region to be photographed so casually; or there may even be the possibility that the women are simply camera shy. This may have not been the last photo the photographer took of the women – they may have warmed up to the camera, but the fact that the photographer chose to publish this version of the shot that leaves much more information out of place gives the photo so much more mystery.