Blog Reflection

I've never been much of a blogger. Of course I have a facebook and all but it's really not the same since blogging involves a lot more writing. Honestly thats a good thing though because the world probably doesn't need another facebook. It also makes it more interesting because people have a lot of great ideas and interests out there that are fun to read about. I had a pretty good time posting even though it was all about english class. Having said that, I probably wouldn't do any blogging normally.
The previous posts I've written haven't even been that long, probably an average of two paragraphs. They're mostly anayzing subjects or talking about my opinions on writing. I think that the lack of a length requirement is one of the best things about blogger because that way you can add as much or as little detail as you want. It appeals to groups with all different levels of writing experience. Also, depending on the topic, some subjects will take more time and thought to analyze than others so blogger really opens the door to writing about anything you want.
The online aspect is practically a given in todays world. If your work isn't online, how can you expect to get your ideas out there? I'm not sure how people gain a following on blogger but I think it would be cool to have people reading all of your work. I'm sure you have to follow other people in order for them to follow you back. If you can find some topics you're interested in though I think that would be really fun. It's basically like sharing your hobbies with other people. That's why blogging is fun though and why tons of people do it every day.
... And here's Messi

Global Climate Change

I have decided to write about global climate change for the commonplace essay that we will be working on for the next few weeks. It's a topic that is very important to me and I think that it will have major impacts in the next 100 years. My interest in this topic didn't really evolve from a specific experience as much as a growing realization of the effects of climate change and the implications it holds for the future of humanity.

I enjoy spending time outside and it frustrates me when I see things like piles of garbage or contaminated water so I think some of my interest comes from experiencing those things. I've also always enjoyed animals and knowing that we share the world with every other species on Earth makes me feel like we should be protecting it more. I hate the thought of animals dying simply because of careless human waste practices. Additionally, I did some research on global warming for an environmental class last quarter and I was astounded by the effects it could have on humans as well. With exponentially rising sea levels and a decrease in both fresh water and food production, an ever increasing human population will eventually reach the point where it can't be supported by the resources available to us. The consequences of this will of course start with increasing prices of everything ranging from food to gas. Then we will continue to pack into a smaller and smaller space until there just isn't room left. These implications have gotten me thinking more and more about the climate and I hope to spread the message with this essay.

Secondary Sources

As stated in some of my other posts, I chose Vincent van Gogh's painting The Starry Night as my primary source. It is one of his greatest masterpieces and I think there is a lot of information that can be extracted from it.
Secondary Sources:
Vincent van Gogh: The Drawings - Various authors
The Skies of Vincent van Gogh - Charles A Whitney

These sources (along with probably 1 or 2 more) will allow me to expand my theory about the emotion of van Gogh's art. They will give me information on his art's emotion and how this emotion can be found in other works. These sources will also give me a look into van Gogh's personal life which I believe has a strong link to his art since he often used his emotion to create his masterpieces.

Distinguishing claims vs evidence can be difficult sometimes. They are both very similar except that claims are assertions without any factual support while evidence is an undisputable fact. Obviously, one would want evidence to be able to prove a point or at least be credible. This is an important difference because just stating claims will get you nowhere in an argument. Statements that can't be backed up are nothing more than lines of text that take up space on the page.
In the case of my own academic writing, this distinguishment can be the difference between a research paper and a fiction paper. I could make claims about my writing all day and not get anywhere. In order to make sure they are using credible facts, one must be sure that they clearly explain the evidence and show how it relates to the topic at hand. This is very important when dealing with secondary sources so that the link between the topic and the evidence is seamless.

ARP Primary Source

I plan on working on Vincent van Gogh's painting The Starry Night for the analytical research project. It is one of my favorite paintings and I think there is a lot to be said about both the work and van Gogh's reaction to his work. He painted it in 1889 with oil on canvas and it depicts the view he had from his room in southern France.  He actually painted it from memory during the day time which is funny since it's a night time painting. The emotional van Gogh said a lot through his art even though he was often upset with his own work. I'm looking forward to analyzing the painting and comparing it to today's art scene.

One of the most striking parts of the painting is the swirls and lights he created the sky out of. It gives the sky a greater resemblance to the universe and the swirling multitude of galaxies that it contains. A fair amount of the painting is also taken up by the tree outside his window which has some sort of meaning that I'm sure I'll find more about as the research continues. My favorite part about the piece is probably how he used the blue for almost everything. It give the painting a calming effect and I think that it is undoubtedly one of his best works.