Thomas B. Andersen's English Blog

[tbaenglish]

Task 1 and 2

Task One

Link to article

Brief summary

This article is about Marquez's life, ranging from how his parents met, to how he became a successful author. There is also a lot of content about his inspiration on his stories.

This article gives a good view into Marquez's life, quite interesting really, and I like the way he was "inspired" to do well in school.

Task Two

The last chapter finished the story of excellently, although the last few pages were a bit gory for my tastes and Marquez's use of words are very intriguing, a bit too much for my tastes.

As to why the piece has become a "classic" piece of litterature, I think it is because of the web of both hidden and plainly visible meanings in the story, but also because he was also a respected author at the release of the story, so it could get the attention it deserved. Honor was once very widespread, therefore there is some link of universality, but there is of course also the bishop, which symbolizes catholic beliefs, which is widespread still today. The characters are all likable, in one way or another. Eg. Santiago Nasar is likable, because of his good nature and his charm and because he is a funny, while Bayardo San Roman has both good and bad characteristics, for example, he is a "a mediator of fights" and as a contrast, he believes he can get everything that he wants, so he is spoiled. An example of this is "When I wake up remind me to marry that girl." All the characters have different personalities and seems unique, and can therefore also relate to many different people, thereby making it even more universal.

[tbaenglish]

Viral Video

This video went viral, because of the three major factors. 1. It is a (relatively) known person that posts the video.

2. It is an impressive feat, because the puppy is so young.

3.The majority of people think it is cute.

[tbaenglish]

Guerrilla Marketing

This is an advertisement for the Copenhagen zoo, where they have edited the design on one of the local buses.

It is telling about the one of the interesting animals you can see at the zoo.

It uses a bus to make it go around. It could be put on other vehicle as well. Such as a train or a truck.

This specific strategy is to make as many people see it as possible and then maybe someone would take a picture of the 'interesting' bus and posts it to a media site, thereby spreading the advert.

The way guerrilla marketing achieves success is to make something usual which catches the eyes of people in one way or another, and then they tell about it to friends, families and what not. It doesn't have to cost a whole bunch of money to make something interesting and unusual and I think this way is a much more effective method to advertise than to use traditional mass production of advertisement signs, because of the simple reason that it is interesting.

[tbaenglish]

The Bandwagon Effect

The so called bandwagon effect is something I can relate a bit to, but mostly in the opposite direction. For example: A lot of people think about fashion clothing and shoes, I honestly don't care much. I have 1 pair of shoes and I don't feel like I need more than that, while Taddeo has 4 pairs of shoes or something like that. The same goes about looking at celebrities, it is uninteresting, yet a lot of people follow their stories and the newest gossip about them.

The uniforms which are used here in England was set to counter the bandwagon effect, so that the less rich people weren't forced to buy their children the new fancy clothes, boots or whatever. But it is still a problem, because it is hard to counter the 'need' (or should I call it greed?) for new technological wonders such as the iPhone * insert the number we've reached*.

[tbaenglish]

Adam Curtis - My Encounters

I took a peek at the links, which were given, and some of the things I encountered were intriguing, while others were not so.

The one about personal life (privacy), I think that it is annoying to get to know about details of other peoples affairs and honestly all the gossip media today is plain boring, disgusting even. To continue on this note: the movie 'Every day is like Sunday'  clearly represents most of the media we face today, and as I said before, I think it is quite boring.

If we took the title literally... I wish it felt like Sunday everyday. :p

[tbaenglish]

This is Noam Chomsky. Chomsky is an American philosopher, logician, linguist, as well as a well known activist.  "The internet could be a very positive step towards education, organisation and participation in a meaningful society." - Noam Chomsky I think what he is saying is interesting, because I deem this quote to be relevant to my homework, but also because the internet is now used everyday by almost anyone with access to it. Also it is true that the internet is being used in education as well as being a place for being social.

http://youtu.be/-96ioKzDZd8

This video clearly shows the humour of many a person, apparently including Noam Chomsky.

[tbaenglish]

This is an advert about gender equality that women are also needed in the world, not only men and therefore should be treated better, as equals.

[tbaenglish]

Winston Churchill (Their Finest Hour speech)

If I was a British citizen during World War II and I heard this speech, I would probably be scared witless, but also be opposed towards Germany, when I’d hear “I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin”. I think I’d also feel hope about the future, because of Churchill saying “Hitler knows that he will have to break us on this Island or lose the war, if we can stand up to him…”The use of the metaphor “moving forward into broad, sunlit uplands,” sounds very positive and inspiring enabling me to show strength in the dire times. “Let us brace ourselves to our duty” would make me feel more obliged to go to work. But alas I am not a British citizen and therefore I will try to imagine myself in Danish shoes. Denmark was occupied by Germany during the war and we did not suffer ‘severe’ casualties, we mostly lost Danish people because some of Denmark was taken into Germany a few hundred years earlier (they were forcefully enlisted in the German army). Back to the point: I would be scared of Britain losing the war against Hitler and I would be horrified, but maybe also a bit relieved that the French lost against Germany, maybe some of my family was on the German frontline, who knows? Even though Denmark was only occupied things was getting worse and worse, because of rebels against Germany in Denmark and eventually the government in Denmark resigned their duties. In all honesty I find it hard to imagine what I would feel. Probably anxious, probably frightened, probably, probably, probably…

[tbaenglish]

He starts of by repeating something that the people know, which the people answers back to him. He represents himself as a servant rather than a ruler. 1 very important thing (i believe) is that he stands in the crowds rather than on a lone platform to, kind of, "lower" himself down to a level that makes him more "normal". He uses hand movements to try to get a quietness so he can speak. (though the crowds didn't entirely quiet down. :p) He takes about the freedom and the democracy they have achieved and he thanks them. He is good at this.

[tbaenglish]

War - Edwin Starr It is a protest song against the Vietnam war as a response to what the media has shown about the war. Below is a picture of soldiers carrying a fellow soldier away from the fray.

[tbaenglish]

JGB - I Shall be Released

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFiIJ4vW2IU

[tbaenglish]

You found it!

If you see this post, you've probably gotten the url for my tumblr, and therefore I consider task 1 as officially done.

Thomas