Tuesday, August 8, 2012
Anybody hear the "synathroesmus" in ths clip by Colbert?
And 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:
Tuesday, July 31, 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):
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.
***
Sites for free images:
Here are some more free stock photo sites:
You can also use your own photos.
Some interesting groundbreaking slide show styles:
Ty Jacobsen also made we aware of this presentation about NIN's Trent Reznor:
Here is a short video on Power Point presentations that supports the Presentation Zen approach (h/t Teo Stoica):
***
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.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Seth Godin Clip
Notice how Godin starts his talk 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.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
More on creativity and how it works.
Very interesting ten-minute you tube on this theme of whole brain and how humans make meaning--or don't:
Monday, July 23, 2012
Chiasmus of the Day
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." Albert Einstein
***
Bush as genius of the "identity strategy":
will.i.am version of "yes we can".
Here are two commercials sent by Trevor Bell. Which figures of speech do they illustrate?
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Class 10 Clips:
Class 8 clips:
Wednesday, July 18, 2011
Quote of the Day
“The passions are the only advocates which always persuade. They are like a natural art, the rules of which are infallible; and the simplest man with passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent without.” --Francois de la Rochefoucauld
Clip of the Day: Hans Rosling
Monday, July 9, 2011
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
***
Take what this guy says to heart. It's not just about bosses; it's about the way you run your groups:
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.
***
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 July 5, 2012
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.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
BTW: Here's the link to the online version of the article "Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups", which you can access through your UW student library account.
***
Daniel Pink on Motivation: Is it all about the money, or is it about making a difference?
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.
***
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.
***
Figures of the Day
Anadiplosis: using the AB, BC, CD structure to lead to a compelling punchline idea. Used by Otter in the student court scene from Animal House. Another example:
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.
Hypophora: a rhetorical question that is immediately anwered by the speaker:
Is this any way to run and airline? You bet it is.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Most dysfunctional teams in history--link.
More on Decorum:
Text for Pacino locker room speech text here
Film Clips used in Class #5:
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Clips used or referred to in Class 4:
***
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.
***
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.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
One of the great American commonplaces is that America is the land of opportunity and social mobility. Is that really true? Here's what Nobel Prize winner in economics Joseph Stiglitz says about it in a Salon interview. Substitute the word "commonplace" where LP says "myth".
LP: There’s a persistent myth that America is still the “land of opportunity.” Why is that myth so prevalent, even in the face of so much evidence to the contrary?
JS: Well, there are two reasons for this. One of them is that the myth is so much part of our sense of identity as Americans that it is devastating for us to give it up — for us to say we are less of a land of opportunity than old ossified Europe. It was one of the things we were most proud of, and clearly, it’s not true. When you have something that’s so inconsistent with your self image, it’s really, really hard to face the facts.
The second reason has to do with the nature of evidence. Everybody know examples of people who make it from the bottom or the middle-bottom to the top. And our press talks about them. The media calls attention to the successes. But when they call attention to successes they don’t say this is one of a million or one of a thousand. In fact, the reason they write about it is because they are so unusual. If most people did it, it wouldn’t be an unusual story. So, in a sense that’s how our media works. It encourages us to think of the exceptions as the norm.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Here's the link to the article, "Why Won't They Listen" in the syllabus I said you were to read for today. I talked about it in class without refering it, but you're still repsonsible for it on the quiz. Read it, and then look at the Study Guide questions I have posted about it.
Monday, June 25, 2012
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.
***
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.
***
Clips used in Class #3:
Friday, June 22, 2012
Good article in Wall Street Journal entitled "This Embarrasses You and I" on why correct usage matters.
Thursday, June 21, 2011
Links to Class 2 movie clips:
***
Up in the Air takeaway:
When dealing with sensitive situations in which you want to talk about someone else's behavior or attitudes that bother you or that you want him to change, learn from the Clooney character's "approach":
***
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.
***
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." "Most poliiticians are corrupt hypocrites." "Corporations don't care about people; they only care about profits. "
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 anxious. 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?
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. Clooney to Jim: "I may not be the best one to talk about this."
Antithesis (syncrisis): 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."
Tuesday, August 8, 2012
Anybody hear the "synathroesmus" in ths clip by Colbert?
And 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:
Tuesday, July 31, 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):
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.
***
Sites for free images:
Here are some more free stock photo sites:
You can also use your own photos.
Some interesting groundbreaking slide show styles:
Ty Jacobsen also made we aware of this presentation about NIN's Trent Reznor:
Here is a short video on Power Point presentations that supports the Presentation Zen approach (h/t Teo Stoica):
***
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.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Seth Godin Clip
Notice how Godin starts his talk 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.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
More on creativity and how it works.
Very interesting ten-minute you tube on this theme of whole brain and how humans make meaning--or don't:
Monday, July 23, 2012
Chiasmus of the Day
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." Albert Einstein
***
Bush as genius of the "identity strategy":
will.i.am version of "yes we can".
Here are two commercials sent by Trevor Bell. Which figures of speech do they illustrate?
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Class 10 Clips:
Class 8 clips:
Wednesday, July 18, 2011
Quote of the Day
“The passions are the only advocates which always persuade. They are like a natural art, the rules of which are infallible; and the simplest man with passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent without.” --Francois de la Rochefoucauld
Clip of the Day: Hans Rosling
Monday, July 9, 2011
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
***
Take what this guy says to heart. It's not just about bosses; it's about the way you run your groups:
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.
***
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 July 5, 2012
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.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
BTW: Here's the link to the online version of the article "Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups", which you can access through your UW student library account.
***
Daniel Pink on Motivation: Is it all about the money, or is it about making a difference?
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.
***
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.
***
Figures of the Day
Anadiplosis: using the AB, BC, CD structure to lead to a compelling punchline idea. Used by Otter in the student court scene from Animal House. Another example:
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.
Hypophora: a rhetorical question that is immediately anwered by the speaker:
Is this any way to run and airline? You bet it is.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Most dysfunctional teams in history--link.
More on Decorum:
Text for Pacino locker room speech text here
Film Clips used in Class #5:
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Clips used or referred to in Class 4:
***
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.
***
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.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
One of the great American commonplaces is that America is the land of opportunity and social mobility. Is that really true? Here's what Nobel Prize winner in economics Joseph Stiglitz says about it in a Salon interview. Substitute the word "commonplace" where LP says "myth".
LP: There’s a persistent myth that America is still the “land of opportunity.” Why is that myth so prevalent, even in the face of so much evidence to the contrary?
JS: Well, there are two reasons for this. One of them is that the myth is so much part of our sense of identity as Americans that it is devastating for us to give it up — for us to say we are less of a land of opportunity than old ossified Europe. It was one of the things we were most proud of, and clearly, it’s not true. When you have something that’s so inconsistent with your self image, it’s really, really hard to face the facts.
The second reason has to do with the nature of evidence. Everybody know examples of people who make it from the bottom or the middle-bottom to the top. And our press talks about them. The media calls attention to the successes. But when they call attention to successes they don’t say this is one of a million or one of a thousand. In fact, the reason they write about it is because they are so unusual. If most people did it, it wouldn’t be an unusual story. So, in a sense that’s how our media works. It encourages us to think of the exceptions as the norm.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Here's the link to the article, "Why Won't They Listen" in the syllabus I said you were to read for today. I talked about it in class without refering it, but you're still repsonsible for it on the quiz. Read it, and then look at the Study Guide questions I have posted about it.
Monday, June 25, 2012
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.
***
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.
***
Clips used in Class #3:
Friday, June 22, 2012
Good article in Wall Street Journal entitled "This Embarrasses You and I" on why correct usage matters.
Thursday, June 21, 2011
Links to Class 2 movie clips:
***
Up in the Air takeaway:
When dealing with sensitive situations in which you want to talk about someone else's behavior or attitudes that bother you or that you want him to change, learn from the Clooney character's "approach":
***
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.
***
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." "Most poliiticians are corrupt hypocrites." "Corporations don't care about people; they only care about profits. "
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 anxious. 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?
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. Clooney to Jim: "I may not be the best one to talk about this."
Antithesis (syncrisis): 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."