Individual Blog Post #5

This Nike ad is one that hated when I started watching it. I have no tolerance for horror films and this advertisement looked exactly like one at the beginning. However, as the advertisement continues to play, you see the women continually gaining distance from the mass murderer. Finally, at the end it says, “Why sport? You’ll live longer.” This advertisement is fun because it pokes fun at the typical ending of most horror films. It promotes physical fitness, humor and most of all, their product. However it still has a half naked girl running through the forest but at least this advertisement has many aspects that appeals to both sexes. When all said and done, this advertisement is one of my favorites.

Individual Blog Post #4

Dettol is a brand that produces hand sanitizers. This ad is very creative and effective in many ways largely because this ad truly makes you want to purchase their product. The image is a collage of different objects that people typically interact with everyday. The images form together to create a hand shaped structure. However, when looking closer at the images, there are several objects that are not at all sanitary and instantly gives you desire to wash your hands. However, there are many situations in which you do not have access to a sink and thus, you would want to use hand sanitizer. This image is stunning visually, creatively and conceptually.

Individual Blog Post #3

The new Valspar Paint commercials are absolutely stunning. The concepts behind these commercials are that you can match a paint swatch in the Valspar collection to any part of nature. The images are spectacular because they show the best aspects nature. One shot is of a collection of fall leaves blowing in the wind and the next is of tall glacial mountains surrounded by freezing water. The next scene shows ocean waves smashing into strong static rocks followed by a shot of miles of rolling sand dunes. All of these images have a square cut out of them to demonstrate how anyone can literally take sections of nature home with them. The idea is simple and beautiful which makes these advertisements unforgettable.

Fish out of Water

Jennifer Bilek
MCOM 100W
November 19, 2008

Global Warming is a Reality

Global warming is a controversial topic in society today. The specific issue addressed at the Rotary Club on the top of the Fourth Street garage was if global warming was caused from human activities. This debate started at 7:00 p.m., November 18, 2008, and lasted until 8:30 p.m.

There were two people debating on the “affirmative side” stating that global warming is not caused by humans and two people on the “negative side” stating that global warming is caused by humans. The debate style was cross examination with each side receiving a chance to present their argument and then allowing the opposing side time to rebuttal. This continued for the entire hour and a half.

The debate began with the mediator introducing the debaters and their qualifications. She then told the audience to “keep an open mind” and not to think about who was winning or losing the debate but rather to listen to the points that were being made.

The debate opened with the affirmative side defining what global warming was. At this point I felt rather confident that I could stay open minded. However, as the debate continued, I felt myself slip back into my original opinion on the topic.

The affirmative’s strategy to prove that global warming was not caused by humans was to state that the data collected was “inaccurate.” Dennis Haller, the lead debater on the affirmative side, said that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a report that comes out every five years with data collected from around the world and reviewed by hundreds of scientists, was “worthless and should be thrown into the trash where it belongs.” This narrow minded mentality and disrespectful nature to this highly regarded report was very disheartening.

The points Dennis and his partner Bob Kower made throughout this presentation were equally as disappointing. They continued to state that all of the evidence proving global warming was misinterpretations or examples of poorly designed data collecting. The evidence that they did provide was quickly disproved by the negative side which made me loose faith in the affirmative side’s argument.

The negative’s side had pages upon pages of graphs and diagrams proving that humans are the main cause of global warming. They explained everything clearly and with precision. They opened their debate by stating how science cannot guarantee that humans are the cause of global warming, but how the certainty level has raised significantly over the last ten years.

The negative side finished off the debate by showing a chart of what our future could be if we were to continue down the road we are currently traveling. This left a very powerful impression on the audience and made them think critically about how they treat the planet. The negative side started strong, continued to provide relevant and impressive data and finished with a lasting thought. This is the mark of a great debater because I left the event with full confidence of the negative side’s argument.

Individual Blog Post #2

This commercial for Diet Pepsi Max is one of my favorites of all time. This is not only because I find it incredibly funny but also because of the quality of the execution. Pepsi is a product that can be aimed at a variety of different races, sexes and ages. By choosing this song and by having multiple celebrate showings, it is very obvious that they are aiming to attract a younger crowd in this advertisement. This song and dance comes from a movie titled “A Night at the Roxbury,” a cult classic from 1998. One of the main characters in this movie is Steve Koren, who makes an appearance at the end of the advertisement. The combination of all of these elements makes this advertisement memorable, funny and entertaining.

Individual Blog Post #1

Jennifer Bilek
MCOM 100W
November 12, 2008

A new advertising trend that I have noticed is that companies are beginning to use cell phones as an advertising medium. I received a Payless shoe store advertisement in the mail with a twenty percent off coupon inside. Below the coupon was a label that said, “Send this coupon to your cell phone and begin receiving early notice of future sales and exclusive offers.” I think that the concept of using cell phones to advertise is both a great and horrible idea. From the advertiser’s perspective, I think that this could be a fantastic resource to explore. From the consumer’s perspective, I am not looking forward to the day when advertisements begin popping up when I want to make a call. The way that Payless lets you choose if you want to receive these messages is a great idea because only the people who really want to get the information will receive it. It is a positive for both the company as well as the consumer.

The Picture in the San Bernardino Sun Telegram

Jennifer Bilek

MCOM 100W

Research Project

October 29, 2008

My Journey to Track down a Picture

My first step when trying to track down a picture that ran in the San Bernardino Sun Telegram was to call the newspaper. I went onto their website and found the number for their customer service line. I picked up the phone and dialed the number. I waited on the phone for close to fifteen minutes until a woman answered my call. I told her that I was looking for a picture that ran in the 1960s about a band called “Fly by Night Company.” She told me in a very confused voice that the San Bernardino Sun does not keep a record of newspapers that old. She told me the next thing I needed to do was to go down to my local library and have a librarian pull up the microfilms.

I wrote an e-mail to Paul Kauppila, the librarian for our department who did a presentation during one of our classes. I wrote him a very lengthy e-mail describing the assignment and asking him what my next step should be. He e-mailed me back with loads of complicated information. This is what he wrote.

-To look at the microfilm, you will most likely have to travel to a place that has it or request it through Interlibrary Services. You will need to be very specific about the dates you want. Details are below, including some important details about the newspaper:

-UC Berkeley has the Sun from 1966-1974. During the 1966-1974 period it was simply called The Sun, according to WorldCat.

-It gets even more confusing - there was an afternoon paper (remember those?) called the San Bernardino Evening Telegram, and according to the record, on holidays and Sundays the two papers printed a joint edition called the Sun-Telegram. So it’s possible that your article is in the Sun-Telegram and not the Sun - but only if it was a Sunday or a holiday. Unfortunately, the Sun-Telegram from those dates is only at CSU San Bernardino and at California State Library.

-I found out that in 1968, the National Orange Show ran from March 7th through March 17th. That narrows the dates down for you - at least, assuming the article was published in 1968, which we are still not absolutely sure of.

-But at this point, my next move would be to search the Sun microfilm for those dates. You could go to Berkeley or you can check with our Interlibrary Services people to see if they can borrow the microfilm from another library.

At this point Loa Phan found the image that ran in the San Bernardino Sun Telegram. I decided to try looking online for more information on the National Orange Show. I found their website and I looked through the different links to help me find any information about any previous shows. However, I could not find anything of value.

Next I went looked for some records on the Doors and who played with them. I found a DVD that has clips and segments of many of the performances they did during 1968 and it said in the description that it featured their performance at the Orange National Show. It did not mention anything about “Fly by Night Company.” It is selling for $14.88 on Amazon.com as of October 27, 2008.

Word count: 547

Focus Story Structure Exercise

Jennifer Bilek

MCOM 100W

October 22, 2008

Focus story structure exercise

Chrysler Workers Face Desperation

Bill Klisch has been laid off from his job at Chrysler, leaving him and his wife struggling to make it threw the upcoming months. “My wife is handicapped and she’s supposed to have an operation,” Bill stated. “Our medical coverage is running out. Tell me what I’m supposed to do.”

Unfortunately Bill is only one of the over 44,000 workers who were laid off from Chrysler. These workers have been unemployed for five months and next week they will receive their last supplemental unemployment check. They will be receiving 95 percent of their take-home pay, however, after next week, they will have to live on state unemployment benefits.

Despite the hardship these workers are facing, they decide to put on a mock funeral on April 1 to draw attention to their misfortune. Fifty workers, along with their spouses and children attended the mock service, including Henry Westoff, a 44 year old man who is one of the many people faced with this tragedy. Westoff states, “They’ll give us our jobs back after we’ve lost everything. They don’t care.”

Word of the Week #8

Jennifer Bilek
Word of the Week #8

Word: trenchant

Source: Machan, D. (2008). New Look, Same Mission. Smart Money, 17(6), 16.

How it's used: "it's got a new look that helps you navigate the site better by creating a clear division between our trademark investing stories and our trenchant advice on spending."

Definition: (adjective):
1. keen, sharp
2. vigorously effective and articulate.
3. sharply perceptive

Your Sentence: My french teacher told me that it was too hard to memorize all of phrases we learned the day before the test so I took her trenchant suggestion and I got an A on my test.

Word of the Week #7

Jennifer Bilek
Word of the Week #7

Word: consolidated

Source: Machan, D. (2008). By the Seat of Their Pants. Smart Money, 17(6), 62.

How it's used: "Putin, 56, consolidated state influence over the country's oil giants during his presidency from 2000 to the middle of this year."

Definition: (verb):
1. to join together into one whole
2. to make firm or secure
3. to form into a compact mass

Your Sentence: I took all of the vocabulary words I had learned in my classes and consolidated them when writing my final paper.

Query Letter #2

Jennifer Bilek

MCOM 100W M/W 12-1:15 p.m.

October 20, 2008

The Salad Bowl of Improvement

Many of my family members, close friends, as well as myself, have fallen victim to the curse of obesity. It is no surprise that the United States has been struggling with obesity for many years. However, it took shocking statistics such as childhood obesity tripling over the past two decades for the government to step in and help reverse this nation wide epidemic. Now that Gov. Schwarzenegger has passed the bill forcing restaurant chains to place the calorie content on their menus, people will be slapped in the face with the reality of the high calorie foods they are consuming. This change will have two ultimate outcomes. People will continue to eat as they did before or they will learn from it and begin making healthier choices. Conversely, restaurants could panic from the possibility of plummeting into bankruptcy from the reducing number of customers, or they can benefit from this bill by altering menu items to accommodate people who strive to eat healthier foods. Ultimately, this bill is about more than another rule for society to accommodate, it is about learning about how to treat our bodies properly by providing the necessary nutrients that the average American is severely lacking. I just pray that this bill will be the first piece of lettuce in a salad bowl of improvement.

NPR Radio Interview Analysis

Jennifer Bilek

MCOM 100W 12-1:15pm

October 15, 2008

Interview Analysis and Techniques

The interviewer knew some information about the author, Leslie Chang, before the interview began. She had read Chang’s non-fiction novel entitled “Factory Girl” which is set in China. The interviewer focused on finding more information about the protagonist in Chang’s novel. The interviewer asked about the protagonist’s age, lifestyle and cultural differences compared to the United States, such as the rise in prostitution.

The interviewer started asking questions that were very simple and easy to answer. Then she progressed onto in depth questions about the novel and began to incorporate her own opinions and speculations within the interview. She did this in a very professional way which made Chang feel comfortable and encouraged her to explain many points more thoroughly. She also asked Chang to elaborate on many sections of her book. This was the interviewer’s main tactic to encourage Chang to talk more about specific topics in her novel.

The interviewer had a very direct strategy for this interview. Every question was asked in chronological order in relation to the novel. This gave the listeners a synopsis of the novel through the descriptions presented in the interview. This also made it easy for Chang to know the exact section of the novel the interviewer was asking about.

The relationship between the interviewer and the interviewee was very friendly while staying professional. I sensed that Chang was very comfortable around the interviewer because she conveyed her answers in a causal yet confident way. This demonstrates the great deal of experience from the interviewer because she was able to gather difficult information while staying respectful and considerate of Chang’s feelings.

What I learned from listening to this interview is how vital it is to do research on the person you are interviewing ahead of time so you know what type of questions you should ask them. It is difficult for many people to open up to a complete stranger and talk about their work, but if you know what to ask, an interview can become very successful.

Word of the Week #6

Jennifer Bilek
Word of the Week #6

Word: barons

Source: Slenske, M. (2008, October). London Calling. Best Life. 5(8), 80.

How it's used: "Though he grew up in Ireland and Wales, Timothy Everest moved to London at the age of 20 and took an apprenticeship with Tommy Nutter, the last Savile Row tailor to the Beatles, Mick Jagger, and various boardroom barons."

Definition: (noun):
1. one of a class of tenants holding his rights and title by military or other honorable service directly from a feudal superior.
2. a member of the lowest grade of the peerage in Great Britain: a nobleman on the continent of Europe of varying rank: a member of the lowest order of nobility in Japan.
3. a joint of meat consisting of two sirloins or loins and legs not cut apart at the backbone.
4. a man who possesses great power or influence in some field of activity.

Your Sentence: Tiger Woods is the most famous baron in the golfing world.

Mystery Character

Jennifer Bilek
100W MW 12-1:15pm
October 13, 2008

Mystery Character

He is known for his scratchy laryngitis sounding voice which is commonly projected at a very high decibel. Although he is predominantly white, no one would dream of calling him Caucasian. He has an extremely short temper and has been caught in many occasion yelling in public. His wardrobe consists of one blue shirt and one blue hat. He doesn’t own a single pair of pants but he still raps a towel around his waist when he gets out of the shower. Who is he?

Word of the Week #5

Jennifer Bilek
MCOM 100W MW 12p.m.
Word of the week #5

Word: actuarial

Source: Alonso-Zaldivar, R. (2008, Sept. 30). One-in-four chance McCain may not survive 2nd term. Associated press.

How it’s used: “It’s actuarial math.”

Definition: (Adj):
1: relating to statistical calculation especially of life expectancy.
2: a person who calculates insurance and annuity premiums, reserves, and dividends.

Your Sentence: When diagnosed with cancer, I asked the doctor how much longer I would live according to his actuarial expertise.

Journal #2

Jennifer Bilek

MCOM 100W 12-1:15 MW

September 29, 2008

So Close Yet So Far

September 25, 2008

Newspaper (San Jose Mercury): By Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Jennifer Loven.

Length: Twenty-one paragraphs.

Sources: six sources.

Pictures: There is one picture of protesters located outside of New York Stock Exchange.

Article Analysis: The article starts off on a very positive note, stating the bill almost passed. However, a few paragraphs down showed the harsh reality of disagreement. The article stated that the presidential candidates were invited to the private meeting, “aimed at showing unity in resolving a national financial crisis, [but it] broke up with conflicts in plain view.”

TV (CNN): This was “Lou Dobbs” section on CNN with guest speaker Congressman Brad Sherman.

Length: Four minutes and thirty-three seconds.

Sources: Four sources.

Article Analysis: This was in interview with Congressman Brad Sherman asking his opinion on the economic bailout. He states that he finds several things wrong with it and how the president cannot come to a compromise to get the bill passed. This interview differed significantly from the newspaper article because it gave much more in-depth information. It also showed Sherman’s opinions on many of the subjects, unlike the newspaper which was designed strictly to provide information without giving any biases.

Web (WashingtonPost.com): By Dan Balz.

Length: Sixteen paragraphs.

Sources: No direct quotes.

Article Analysis: This article is very informal and sarcastic. The first sentence asks readers what type of president they want. The following paragraphs make Bush and McCain look like fools compared to “the cool and reserved style of Barack Obama.” He goes on to say that the bailout crisis is giving voters an inside view on how these candidates would run the country if they were to be elected. The web information was similar to both the newspaper and the TV broadcast. It showed the distinct differences between the candidates like the newspaper did but the information was told through one person’s opinion much like the TV spot.

Pitch Letters

Jennifer Bilek

MCOM 100W

September 24, 2008

Los Angeles Times

Dear Editor,

Most people walk into work with a steaming cup of coffee and today’s newspaper fresh off the press. Doug Rose, however, is escorted to his desk by his loyal black Labrador, Marvina. He sits down in a row of technicians, waiting for the sound of the church bells two blocks away to tell him his work day has officially begun. He places his fingers on his keyboard, feeling around for the J and F keys, translating every indentation for the letters they stand for. Doug Rose is blind.

Word of the Week #4

Jennifer Bilek
Mass Com 100W M/W 12pm
Word #4

Word: Quintessential

Source: Fleming C. (2008). The Authenticators: ESPN, 11(19), 80.

How it was used: “A Hunt auction at 2008’s MLB Fan Fest, scheduled for before the last-ever All-Star Game played at Yankee Stadium, would be the ideal setting for this quintessential piece of Bombers history.”

Definition: (noun)
1. The pure and concentrated essence of a substance.
2. The most perfect embodiment of something.
3. (In ancient and medieval philosophy) the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water.

Your sentence: Winning the first place metal in the national swimming meet was the quintessential part of my high school career.

Word of the Week #3

Jennifer Bilek
Mass Com 100W M/W 12pm
Word #3

Word Assurance

Source: Chris Isidore. (2008, Sept. 19). Will it Work? CNN Money.com.

How it was used: "Other experts said that while there are obviously big risks to taxpayers, the federal government has little choice but to provide the assurance to financial markets."

Definition: (noun)
1. A positive declaration intended to give confidence: He received assurances of support for the project.
2. Promise or pledge; guaranty; surety: He gave his assurance that the job would be done.
3. Full confidence; freedom from doubt; certainty: to act in the assurance of success.
4. Freedom from timidity; self-confidence; belief in one's abilities: She acted with speed and assurance.
5. Presumptuous boldness; impudence.

Your sentence: I was given assurance by my sister that it was safe to jump off the second story but my Mom caught us right before I jumped.

Telling Details

Jennifer Bilek
Mass Com 100W 12 M/W
Telling Details

I step over the threshold into a seemingly ordinary restaurant in downtown San Jose and to my surprise I am transported into another country by the aid of salsa music dancing in my ears. The walls that surround me are a symphony of color yet I am distracted by the aroma of fresh tequila spilt on the hundred year old bar. I look around the room and I notice a painting of the Virgin Mary looking down on me as I fully deliberate which sin I should commit this evening. I see the waiter walk by with a cocktail decorated by a wedge of pineapple and I decide to quench my thirst with a pineapple mojito. I look up at the painting, raise my glass, and enjoy every sip of the most delicious blessing on earth. As I pick the last piece of mint out of my teeth, I hit the dance floor, hopping someone will notice my subtle charm and offer to occupy the rest of my night.

Word of the Week #2

Jennifer Bilek
Mass Com 100W M/W 12pm
Word #2

Word: Precarious

Source: Paskin, J. (2008). What Your Fund Might Be Hiding: Smart Money, 17(4), 24.

How it was used: “And in these precarious economic times, such optimistic-sounding investments are all the range: Almost half of the funds advertising one of these so-called return strategies were launched in the past five years.”

Definition: 1. (adjective) Dependent on circumstances beyond one’s control; uncertain; insecure: a precarious livelihood.
2. Dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another: He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration.
3. Exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky: the precarious life of an underseas diver.
4. Having insufficient, little, or no foundation: a precarious assumption.

Your sentence: When looking for a new apartment, I felt frustrated because the high rent prices. The manager explained that the prices were a precarious consequence from the inflation over the last few years.

My Favorite Writing

Jennifer Bilek
Mass Comm100W M/W 12pm
My Favorite Writing

Although I do care about the environment and all living creatures here on earth, I am not the type of person who will cry over beached whales when it is broadcast on the news. However, this article did impact me much more than I thought it would. The article is entitled “The Pink Plague” and it discusses the sudden death of thousands of flamingos in Eastern Africa. The picture of the lifeless flamingo shown directly above the article was depressing enough, but it was the visual images that this author evoked that really impacted my emotions.

As I continued to read I began to yearn for a reason why these beautiful creatures were dieing so suddenly. The article provides a few speculations but does not contain any concrete evidence proving to be the cause of the misfortune. At first I felt very unsatisfied by this lack of resolution, but I began to realize that acknowledging the problem is the first step to solving it. This revelation is what caused me to choose this article as my favorite piece of writing because the majority of editorials are centered on the criticism of an event that has already happened and thus cannot be change. This article stresses a problem in a time where people can still take action and make a difference. This concept was refreshing and I hope to see more of it in the future.

Koenig, R. (2007, April). The Pink Plague. National Geographic, 211. 21.

Word of the Week #1

Jennifer Bilek
Mass Com 100W M/W 12pm
Word #1

Word: Inaugurated

Source: Filler, M. (2008). New Museums: The good, the bad, and the horribly misguided: Architectural Records Magazine, 196 (5), 51.

How it was used: “An almost audible sigh of relief wafted through the art world when Rafael Moneo’s Prado wing was inaugurated last October.”

Definition: 1. (Verb) To make a formal beginning of; initiate; commence; begin.
2. To induct into office with formal ceremonies; install.
3. To introduce into public use by some formal ceremony.

Your sentence: As of August 25, 2008, school was officially inaugurated for the fall semester.