Michelle Obama Convention Speech
Ann Romney's Speech
Sunday, May 20, 2012
David Rose in a TED talk on pitching to venture capitalists like him. The whole thing is worth watching, but you can start at the five- minute mark if you want to save some time (h/t Billy Rex):
Saturday, May 19, 2012
This group from last year had a good opening and a good way of demonstrating how their product worked. It's worth taking a look. Here's the link.
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In JH on p. 220 he uses the term "climax" for for the figure of speech that uses the AB, BC, CD structure. The more precise term is the "anadiplosis", which he identifies correctly in the sidebar. So in the interests of precision, I will henceforth refer to the figure I taught as 'climax' as 'anadiplosis'. Here's an example to refresh your memory:
Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
It would be more accurate to say that an anadiplosis is a type of climax. A climax would be any sequence of words or ideas that are organized in order of asceniding importance. I found the following passage that makes the point niclely:
"There are only three things I really care about," [Arthur Merivale] added, with the air of one who is half in jest.
"They are?"
"Cricket--and a career--and--and you"' . . .
[Muriel] picked another plum and continued chaffing him.
"It's really nice to know for certain that you approve of me. Still you are dreadfully, painfully honest. Just think where I come in the scale of your affections! First the bat, then the bar, and then--poor me!"
She laughed brightly at his discomfiture.
"But the scale was crescendo," he pleaded. "'You' was a rhetorical climax."
(Cecil Headlam, The Marriage of Mr. Merivale. Knickerbocker Press, 1901.)
Another type of 'climax' is is the 'auxesis':
It's a well hit ball, it's a long drive, it might be, it could be, it IS . . . a home run."
(American baseball broadcaster Harry Carey)
"Jeans that can lengthen legs, hug hips, & turn heads"
(Advertisement for Rider Jeans)
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Sites for free images:
Here are some more free stock photo sites:
You can also use your own photos.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Some interesting groundbreaking slide show styles:
Ty Jacobsen also made we aware of this presentation about NIN's Trent Reznor:
Sunday, May 6, 2012
More on creativity and how it works.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Anadiplosis of the Day
Here is a short video on Power Point presentations that supports the Presentation Zen approach (h/t Teo Stoica):
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Business Plan Parts. I've processed clips from previous student presentations to provide models for handling the different parts of the presentation. None of these will be flawless, but each has virtues that I hope you can learn from.
Tuesday, May 1 2012
Very interesting ten-minute you tube on this theme of whole brain and how humans make meaning--or don't:
Monday, April 30, 2012
Chiasmus of the Day
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." Albert Einstein
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Bush as genius of the "identity strategy":
Here are two commercials sent by Trevor Bell. Which figures of speech do they illustrate?
Seth Godin Clip
Notice how Godin starts his talk with P.U.N.C.H. He starts with something 'novel'-- a story about the guy who invented sliced bread. Note he also takes a cliche--"this is the best thing since the invention of sliced bread"--and uses it to make a point that sets up the development for the core idea of his talk.
Notice also how he uses the phrase "pay attention". There's a pun there, but he's also using it effectively as a rhetorical repetition.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Here's the Lebron clip we watched in class:
Here's the response from Cleveland fans to Lebron's clip:
Here's a Michael Jordan clip you might find interesting:
Yes We Can. In class I excerpted a part of Obama's speech after his primary defeat in New Hampshire to provide an example of the use of the 'epistrophe'. This is one of Obama's best rhetorical moments.
Here's the original speech. You will also see that he uses the yes-we-can repetition also as an 'anaphora'--beginning sentences and clauses.
Here's the will.i.am version:
Saturday, February 4, 2012
(h/t Amy Smith)
Class 9 Clips:
Class 8 clips:
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Remote Area Medical is not the Dr. Hotz Model for delivering healthcare to people who can't afford it, but it gives you an idea why something like it is needed, and not just in southern Georgia. From Sixty Minutes.
Here's another link with information about Remote Area Medical.
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Quote of the Day
"Centrism in accommodation of nihilism is no virtue." Blog Commenter.
One way to make your messages more memorable is to take cliches and famous quotes and flip or twist them. This quote is clever because it takes a famous quote by Barry Goldwater and fllips it. Goldwater's quote:
"Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice."
An example of cleverly taking a cliche or adage and flipping it is the famous quip by Dorothy Parker:
The adage: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
Parker's quip: You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think.
(There's also the pun: horticulture = 'whore to culture'.)
Sunday, April , 2012
Motivation: Is it all about the money, or is it about making a difference?
I've assembled all the film clips that appear on the slides in the right column below the links for the slide pdfs.
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For you accountants who think you might want to consider another career after getting your midterm grade, take some advice from the vocatonal guidance folks at Monty Python:
Michael wins by changing the subject:
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Quote of the Day:
“This lamentably common use of comprise as a synonym for compose or constitute is a wanton and indefensible weakening of our vocabulary.”--H.W. Fowler
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Usage Tip: Compound Adjectives
A compound adjective is an adjective that comprises more than one word. Usually, hyphens are used to link the words together to show that it is one adjective.
Examples:
Please request a four-foot table.
It is a 6-page document.
Her fifteen-minute presentation proved decisive to the outcome of the case.
Claire worked as a part-time keeper at the safari park.
That is an all-too-common mistake.
The student decided to attend a school with a good legal-research-and-writing program.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Well-written paper, ok; badly-written paper, not ok. No hyphens after 'ly' adverbs.
Monday, April 16, 2012
As we'll see in future classes, advertizers use rhetorical technique all the time. Here's an example fo the 'anadiplosis' we discussed in Week 3:
Thursday, Aprill 12, 2011
Take what this guy says to heart. It's not just about bosses; it's about the way you run your groups:
Grammar Tips
More on Semicolons: Use a semicolon between independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb (e.g., nevertheless, however).
INCORRECT:
They browsed carefully through reference, however, no clear answer appeared.
Heroes have fallen on hard times; for instance, the men of Dale.
CORRECT:
Spelling bees were her specialty; nevertheless, she failed to spell “urbiculture” correctly.
J. M. Barrie is most famous as the author of Peter Pan; however, I prefer his ghost story "Farewell Miss Julie Logan".
Life is long; the work of a scholar, however, is never done.
Why is the however in the first senctence correctly preceded by a comma and not a semicolon?
Life is long; the work of a scholar, however, is never done.
Why is preceding the however with a comma in this sentence incorrect?
They browsed carefully through reference, however, no clear answer appeared.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
To prepare for the Day 6 Quiz, be sure that you check out the study guide, the link for which can be found in the right column (scroll down). There will be a question about punctuation, and I will emphasize the readings assigned for Days 4 & 5.
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Hilda Black Tips
Hilda was a client in the past, but she chose not to use your tax prep services this year. She tried to save money by preparing her taxes herself.
You have the conversation in question recorded, so there is no dispute about what actually was discussed in the phone conversation in April.
A tax-deferred account is one in which income can be sheltered until retirement. If you put $2000 in an IRA, for instance, you don't pay any tax on that amount in the year that you shelter it. But you will pay a tax when you withdraw it when you retire. You don't pay, though, if you move it into another similar shelter.
You need to find a proactive approach. Don't be defensive or reactive.
Your grade on this assignment will depend more on the effectiveness of your sentences. Show me you've learned something from our discussion of sentences in class.
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Best way to keep problematic words correctly in mind is to memorize model sentences like the ones listed below to use as a template.
The dog often lies here by the fire.
The dog is lying by the fire.
The dog lay by the fire for over two hours.
The dog has lain by the fire since breakfast.
The counselor's advice affected my thinking about dropping out of school.
The CEO effected significant changes in budgetary policy within a week of taking office.
His chewing me out had quite a negative effect on my motivation.
I don't like your affect, you ill-tempered, surly grump.
The team comprises fifteen members.
Fifteen members compose (not comprise) the team.
The team is composed of (not comprised of) fifteen members.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Most dysfunctional teams in history--link.
More on Decorum:
Text for Pacino locker room speech text here
Film Clips used in Class #5:
Saturday, April 7, 2012
What was the basic rhetorical mistake that the Mariners' front office made last week in its letter concerning the Sodo location for the new NBA arena. Why does the Mariners' organization seem so clueless? Good article here for some background.
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Can you catch the mistake(s) in this sentence about the Masters golf tournament this weekend?
Dufner doesn't have the cool quotient of Couples, who he'll meet for the first time Saturday, but it doesn't mean he's oblivious to where he is.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Memo Punctilio Assignment
Basic Evaluation Criteria: link here
Analysis Hints: Use the Problems, Goals, Audience format I put up on the board and just fill in the blanks.
Outline hints: You need to have at least two major subtopic headings structuring the body of your outline. These subtopics should be equal in importance. The biggest challenge in this part of the assignment is envision how you will make this document into a useful tool. I'll have more to say about that on Tuesday.
Remember, your goal in this assignment is to create a document that will be more useful or helpful for your boss than the original article.
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Obama's Gifford Speech in Arizona:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
A model of "demonstrative" rhetoric.
You can find the text here.
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Clips used or referred to in Class 4:
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Here's a link to the study guide. I'll be updating it after every class.
Clips used in Class #3:
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Clip of the Day: Taylor Mali
After watching this clip read this article entitled "Arguing about Language" that discusses the criteria to evaluate whether changes in language are progressive or regressive.
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Can you find the mistake?
It's certainly possible that there was some other motivation -- there is such a thing as palace intrigue -- but for the most part it's safer to assume that in a crisis a president isn't going to appoint someone whom he thinks is making things worse.
Whomever from The Office
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Me, Myself, and I. "Don't say myself if you mean me or I. Me is a perfectly good and acceptable word. I think myself is misused so often because as people are speaking, they become uncertain about whether the word they want to use is me or I. They retreat into myself because they think that's correct in every circumstance." Read more.
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Rhetorical Words of the Day
Aporia and Dubitatio: Admitting that you don't know. Establishes that you're not an arrogant know-it-all, that you have doubts, that you're sincerely seeking answers. It invites the audience to start coming up with its own answers:
"I'm not sure what to think. I was really taken by surprise."
Or sometimes it can be used to express exasperation:
"I have no idea why he did that; it boggles the mind."
"I don't know about you, but I can't understand a word he's saying."
Dialysis: A yes/no figure of speech. Examples:
Husband: You seem a little put out with me this morning.
Wife: Put out, no. Furious, yesCo-worker: She says they’re using a new system.
You: New, yes. Systematic, no.
Litotes. Ironic understatement: She doesn't look a day over two hundred.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Proactive with Mr. Goodwin
Dear Mr. Goodwin:
I am writing in response to your August 15 email questioning the $108.00 in overdraft fees charged against your account. Upon receiving your email we investigated and learned that a miscommunication between you and the United Oregon Bank led to the automatic imposition of this fee.
In your email, you mentioned that you had instructed the United Oregon Bank to transfer $45,000 to your account here on August 1. It did not, however, make the transfer until August 10--which explains why on August 8 we charged your account for the overdraft.
We value your account with us, Mr. Goodwin. You have been one of our most reliable and valued customers, and we understand that miscommunications like this happen from time to time. On this occasion we are happy to refund to you the $108. But please contact United Oregon to be sure that they send future transfers on the date you specify.
Perhaps an overdraft line of credit would be appropriate if you anticipate this kind of miscommunication in the future. You might also consider consolidating your accounts in such a way as to make these transfers unnecessary.We’ll have one of our personal bankers contact you in the next week to see if we can help you to meet your banking needs in a more streamlined way.
Sincerely,
Note that this revision makes the misunderstanding issue the "crux", and adds a proactive dimension by seeking to flip the problem into an opportunity and move with Mr. Goodwin beyond the status quo ante.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Read for Discussion on Tuesday: "The Righteous Mind", by Jon Haidt. This is required reading.
Words of the Day
Commonplace: accepted values of a community summarized in adages, and cliches. "The children are our future." "Freedom isn't free." "Everyone has a right to choose." "I'm living the American dream."
Amplification: Word pile on: “Entertaining, thrilling, completely addictive, and a little scary.”Adding detail after detail to make your case, and when the audience thinks you're done, you say, "And that's not all--I'm just beginning to tell you how wonderful X is.
Tactical Concession: Instead of challenging your opponent's facts or assumptions, you concede that he is right. This has a disarming effect, and makes him feel that he has been heard and is well understood. You then either change the subject or use those facts or assumptions as the foundation for the argument you want to make. Good example: In Up in the Air, the Clooney character concedes that his brother-in-law-to-be is right about marriage being pointless. He changes the subject to focus on the real issue, which is whether he wants a future in which he is alone and scared. He changes the tense. This is how you felt last night when you were lonely; How do you want to feel tomorrow and the next day and the next?
Chiasmus: A figure of speech that structures elements cleverly in an ABBA pattern. You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy. Boy = A; Country = B.
Anthithesis (syncrisis is a type of antithesis): Figure of speech that compares opposites."Not that, but this." It can be used to redefine terms, change the subject, or reframe the discussion on terms more favorable to your argument: "It's not manipulation; it's instruction." "It isn't just a matter of faith; it's a matter of science." Also: "We support the victory; they decry the cost."
Prolepsis: Anticipating your opponent's counterargument: "Some will say . . ., but I say . . ." In the movie "All Quiet on the Western Front," a militaristic German schoolteacher tells a class of boys, "Perhaps some will say that you should not be allowed to go yet - that you have homes, mothers, fathers, that you should not be torn away by your fathers so forgetful of their fatherland...by your mothers so weak that they cannot send a son to defend the land which gave them birth."
Links to today's movie clips: