Comics Theory

As an English major, I sort of surprised myself by getting really excited about a fairly non-linguistic aspect of English Studies.  In several Writing, Rhetoric, and Culture courses I have encountered Scott McCloud's comprehensive text on comic theory, Understanding Comics.  Before college, I never read comic books or graphic novels, and even scoffed a little bit at the idea of them as legitimate literature.  Since studying several in an academic setting, however, I have fallen in love with the genre, and I find myself referring back to McCloud when I encounter something new in the form.  For my presentation I'll be talking about the key points to comics theory and the specific language of the medium.  Hopefully, my excitement about the subject will be contagious and maybe even broaden the literary scope of some class members.

"Knowing What to Do"

In the fourth chapter of his book The Design of Everyday Things, Donald Norman discusses a variety of non-user-friendly devices that could be more effectively utilized if the designers had considered physical, semantic, cultural, and logical constraints rather than emphasizing aesthetics or production costs.  I found his discussion of "The Problem with Doors" particularly interesting--I hadn't considered the different visual cues intended to indicate how the door functions, but frequently fail.  As it so happens, there is a door to leading out of a walk-in freezer in the Diner at the University of Puget Sound that confuses me nearly every time I go in search of milk for Cellar milkshakes!  It wasn't until reading Norman's discussion of door mechanisms and visual cues that I realized that the problem could be solved by the addition of a panel indicating on which side the door opens.  This situation is very much like the light-switches in Norman's laboratory, where everyone had gotten used to the poor design and have to work from rote memory rather than an intuitive design.

"The Grammar of Fun"

Tom Bissel's New Yorker article is a somewhat interesting profile of Cliff Beszinski, design director for Epic Games, and the video game industry.  I found the language somewhat troubling, because I lack the expertise the comprehend much of the gaming lingo.  The profile of Beszinkski is well-cultivated, however, including multiple facets of his complex personality.

Comparative Review: SIGG and Camelbak water bottles for the busy everyday user

Do you sometimes find yourself running around without a moment to stop and think all day?  Are you so busy that you sometimes don’t have time to take breaks for basic needs like sustenance and hydration?  The truth is, there are many of us living this busy American lifestyle, and it is easy to get so caught up in the business of our own lives that our physical health and wellbeing suffers.  By carrying a water bottle during the day, however, we can keep that easily refillable source of hydration nearby and increase overall health with that little lifestyle adjustment.  Since researching different types of water bottles is not high on the list of priorities for businesswomen or well-rounded college students, I have taken the time to compare two viable options on the basis of, convenience, appearance, health benefits, and material quality.  Here are the contenders: SIGG standard one liter metal bottles and the Camelbak .75 liter plastic bottle.

For most busy Americans, convenience is the most important factor in purchasing a water bottle.  Both SIGG and Camelbak offer screw-top lids with carrying loops.  The bottles can be attached to bags with carabiners at this point.  Another consideration for carrying water bottles, however, is weight.  While Camelbak plastic is lightweight, metal SIGG water bottles can be quite heavy on their own—so the SIGG is heavier when full, but also has weight when it is empty, while the empty Camelbak is almost weightless.  Another feature of the metal SIGG to note is its ability to retain temperatures.  Because of the medium, cold water in a SIGG will stay colder longer than in a plastic Camelbak.  This feature has a flipside, however: in warm climates the SIGG can get very warm and stay so.

One must also consider the drinking opening options for both bottles.  The standard SIGG bottle has an open neck with a screw top.  Although this option is more convenient than the ubiquitous Nalgene with its gaping opening, the standard Camelbak lid is even more preferable.  The Camelbak spill-proof lid is also a screw top, but includes a straw feature so one does not need to unscrew the lid every time one takes a drink.  Although some may consider this appearance immature, as a spill-inclined individual, I value this feature above the more sophisticated look of a pure screw top.  Appearance is important to most consumers, and both brands offer personalization in the appearance of the bottle.  Both SIGG and Camelbak offer a variety of colors and patterns for their water bottles.  While Camelbak offers both solid and translucent bottles (plastic or metal), SIGG offers all solid colored bottles (metal only) but a wider variety of personalized patterns.  A consumer who values individualization more than the practical purposes of the water bottle might prefer SIGG’s multitude of options.  However, there are other factors to consider when purchasing a water bottle besides convenience and appearance—health benefits or risks are important considerations as well.

Both SIGG and Camelbak offer a variety of sizes of water bottles.  The volume range for SIGG is .3 liters (or approximately 10 ounces) to 1.5 liters (50 ounces).  Camelbak offers bottles from .5 liters (16 ounces) to 1 liter (34 ounces).  While SIGG offers a significantly larger range of volumes, this feature should not be a primary deciding factor unless you are looking for a particularly small or large water bottle.  Most people would prefer something in the Camelbak range anyway, and any of these bottles are easily refilled.  If you work in an office of a college campus, for example, you probably spend most of your day near enough to a drinking fountain to take a thirty second break to refill every couple hours, rather than running to the fountain every few minutes for a refreshing drink.  Hydration is important to overall health so having a water bottle easily accessible all day can be a real help!

Today’s health-savvy water bottle user understands the risk of the chemical BPA (Bisphenol A), found in the process of making certain kinds of plastic and resins used to line metal food and beverage containers.  Although the FDA has not yet determined BPA a toxic substance, concerns have been raised in terms of its link to cancerous development, thyroid dysfunction, and neurological issues, and some retailers recalled products containing BPA.  In August of 2008, SIGG offered an exchange system for anyone owning a SIGG water bottle purchased pre-August 2008, to be replaced with a newer, BPA-free version.  Camelbak has never used metals or plastics containing traces of BPA, and even boast first to market with a BPA-free hard plastic water bottle, according to their CEO letter on the Camelbak website.  Camelbak also includes a “BPA-free” label on all of their water bottles.  Currently, however, neither brand includes BPA in any of their products.

There is more to the materials of the bottles than health risks, however.  Material durability is important; as consumers, we want to make the most of out investments.  In my personal ownership experience, both SIGG and Camelbak products stand up against the test of time, exhibiting only superficial deterioration.  The SIGG may acquire dents if dropped and the Camelbak scratches, but neither is likely to crack or break unless under severe duress.  Each product is clearly of high quality and will last with every day use.

Both SIGG and Camelbak offer high-quality products that are durable and healthy options—providing daily hydration without chemical leakage.  But for the typically busy, hardworking American, the convenience of the Camelbak outweighs the personalizing options of the SIGG.  While the SIGG retains cold temperatures longer than the Camelbak, the plastic Camelbak option is more versatile and offers the ease of its lightweight and spill-proof features.  If you consider yourself one of those busy individuals struggling to make time for basic needs, the Camelbak is the best option for you, available online (http://www.camelbak.com/sports-recreation/bottles.aspx) or at outdoor recreation stores like REI.

                                                       SIGG                                 Camelbak

Convenience                                                                               

Temperature                       very affected                        little change

Drinking opening               open neck, screw top           spill-proof straw screw top

Handle/carrying                  lid loop                                lid loop

Weight                                metal weight                        lightweight plastic

Appearance

Translucent/solid                 all solid                               some solid, some translucent

Colors                                 variety                                 variety

Patterns                               many                                   few

Health                                                                                   

BPA                                    no                                       no

Volume                               .3-1.5 L/10-50oz                .5-1 L/16-34 oz

Material Quality

Durability: dents/cracks      easily dents                          scratches

Critical Mass: Everyone listens to Walter Mossberg

Ken Auletta's 2007 New Yorker article about personal technology critic and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Walter S. Mossberg provides a fascinating profile of the biggest name in technology journalism.

I am intrigued by Mossberg's idea of a class war between techies and consumers.  Decidedly in the latter category, I appreciate Mossberg's ability to combine his expertise with the perspective of a typical consumer in order to offer a review useful to both the producer and the potential consumer.

As far as form goes, I appreciated Auletta's introduction of Mossberg's reputation and anecdote before jumping into his personal and professional history.  By the time I got to the third section of the article, I was really curious about how Mossberg came to be!  Additionally, I found the section about Mossberg's biases and writing flaws crucial to the balance of the article.  Bascially, Auletta followed the business profile article formula smoothly--keeping me engaged and anticipating what I, as a reader, wanted to know next.

With Luddite parents of my own, I am impressed that Mossberg has made a career of critiquing and even shaping the personal technology curve.  I was pleased to read that in addition to weekly columns, Mossberg keeps a video blog in which he responds to user/reader questions.  I suppose I appreciate the technology connoisseur contrast to my own relations who hark back to writing dissertations on typewriters whenever I complain of technology woes.

Comparative Product Review DRAFT: Sigg and Camelbak water bottles

What do people look for in a water bottle?

Fundamental concerns in purchasing a water bottle are convenience, health (hydration, no chemical leaks), sustainability/quality of investment, ability to personalize/accessorize.

CRITERIA

Health

-BPA

-Volume

Convenience

-Temperature

-Straw/open neck

-Handle/carrying

-Weight

Material Quality

-Durability: dents/cracks

-Sustainability

-Taste?

Appearance

-Translucent/solid

-Colors

-Patterns

-Stickers

The Dumbing Down

Emily White's article works on the same understanding as the articles we worked last week about the gradual fazing out of printed news.  White is not subtle in her opinion about the dangers of this trend, citing the "Blogosphere Fear" as a legitimate "terror that the blogs will get the story before the newspaper gets it" brought on by the increasing value of breaking news over anything else as well as the increased accessibility of news published on the web.

White's anecdote about Sheila Farr's "voluntary layoff"as a Seattle Times arts critic conflicts with my own understanding of the writing market.  Teri Ellison describes Farr as possessing a "gift for putting visual experience into language"--a skill many have explained to me as crucial in contemporary writing.  If even a well-established regular contributer with such refined writing tools cannot make it due to the circumstances and opinions White describes, there is little hope for my own future.