Mirror Mirror

            A long time ago, there was a beautiful Queen who ruled in far off land without a king by her side.   She came from a line of women who had dappled in the arts of sorcery and magic by herbal remedies and potions of drastic strength.  But these women and the families they lived in had always been poor and even outcast because of their special skills, despite the beauty that that only magnified with each new generation of females.  The Queen herself had been an absolutely beautiful child with deep violet eyes like the color of ink and luscious, perfectly curled hair the color of a strong mahogany.  Her skin was fair and soft like the silk her mother dressed her in as an attempt to gain the attention of a wealthier man that she could be married off too.  Her mother’s wish came true when the King’s son fell in love with the young girl upon first glance as he strolled through her small village, paying respects to the people he was going to rule soon.  The beauty this girl radiated, enhanced through generations of potions and remedies, had trapped the Prince in a trance of adoration until the day he died.

            By the time the Queen had married and been swept off the live in the castle miles away from her home, she had mastered the art her ancestors so feverously practiced and studied.  After the King’s death and her ascension to Queen, she began practicing her family’s magic devoutly and obsessively, searching for away to preserve her youth and beauty so that the new King, her husband, would remain entranced and under her control. 

She could find no herbal remedy or potion that would do the trick until one day; she stumbled across an old mirror hidden away in the bowels of the castle.  She cast aside the grey tarp that covered the reflective glass and examined her reflection admiringly at first, but then mournfully when she realized that this was not the face she was to forever retain.  Suddenly, a ghostly figure appeared in the glass before her eyes and spoke in a deep and menacing voice that was quiet and calming all at the same time.

“My Queen, you are the fairest of them all.”  The voice seemed to thunder around the entire room yet remain soft and quiet as if only the Queen could hear.  She stared; perplexed at the figure in the mirror whose features was only a mere silhouette of a human face. 

“My Queen, my Queen,” the figure in the mirror began again.  “Mount me on the wall and you will remain the fairest of them all until your world crumbles and falls.”

“My dear Mirror, but what do you mean when you say “your world?””  The Queen asked curiously.  Her thoughts were spinning around the idea that this mirror could be the key to her eternal beauty if her assumptions were true.

“The Kingdom, my Queen, is “your world”, and until it crumbles and falls, you will remain the fairest of them all.”

With her thoughts confirmed she hastily mounted the mirror on the wall in the small and hidden away room that she found it.  Every day, for the next century, the Queen would go to the mirror and ask, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”  Everyday the reply would be the same: “You, my Queen are the fairest of them all.”  Even a century later, the Queen remained and beautiful and youthful as the first day she discovered the magical mirror and because of this the people she ruled both loved and feared her: entranced by her beauty but fearful of the power that she must hold to maintain her life much longer than others can.  But nonetheless, she ruled strongly and productively, expanding her control and wealth to almost double the size of her kingdom.  She produced no heir for her King.  Intent on ruling the kingdom forever, she fed herself a potion that prohibited her body from being able to bear a child in fear that this child might try to usurp her thrown when it came of age to take the crown.

One day, the Queen felt a disturbance.  She looked out her window and all across the sky was a perpetual grey wall of clouds that seemed to threaten to break into a violent storm at any moment.  The Queen hurried back inside, chilled by the wind, and happened to catch a glance of her reflection in the mirror.  She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to examine her reflection more closely after noticing a slight change in her appearance.  Her eyes widened for only a moment before she took off and ran down into the bowels of the castle to the mirror.

“Mirror, mirror,” she said, gasping for breath. “Who is the fairest of them all?”

The ghostly face in the mirror remained unchanged since the first day she had found it.  Its lips had uttered the same words everyday for over a hundred years, the Queen could almost see them shaping the words before she was startled by the loudest crack of thunder she had ever heard before and felt the castle tremble beneath her.  And then the man in the mirror spoke.

“Snow White.”

The Queen stood frozen with the only one thought on her mind: the heart of this Snow White in a box.

Nuisance or Necessity: The Penny

The debate over the penny’s place in American currency circulation is essentially futile because the penny’s historical significance resonates positively with the majority of American society and the arguments against it are based in personal convenience rather than absolute necessity.

Source E – The majority of Americans, on all income levels, agree that the penny should stay in circulation.  The highest present of opposition comes from the income level of $75k and above at 32%, still not even coming near the 53% against its abolition in that income bracket.

Source F – “the penny is perhaps the visible and tangible reminder of Lincoln’s significance in American history”.  “For the first time, a US coin depicted a real historical figure”.  The coin is not only important to American history and the preservation of one of its most honored figures, but an innovation of its time.  It became a model for all American currency, which now preserve American history through the faces of those who shaped it.  The penny is more than just a coin; it is a microcosm of America and her history.

Source B – “the point of currency is to facilitate transactions” which the penny does just fantastically.  President Gore said, “for me, it’s the waste of time I object to”, referring to the fishing around needed to find the pennies needed for a purchase.  Well that is simply a personal statement by the President, who, in fact, makes a lot of money and probably finds no need for silly one-cent coins.  The majority of Americans, as previously examined, do not mind the penny or the fishing around or the extra time it takes to find them because they value its worth and significance.

Click, Fizz, "Ahhh..."

            Coca-Cola uses basic colors and a basic image to convey a powerful and appealing message of relaxation, friendship, and happiness while promoting their company.  The most crucial component of this image is the blank background and white table.  This white backdrop makes the bright red emblem of Coca-Cola pop out to the viewer.  They immediately recognize the familiar cursive writing and signature red color of the popular soda brand, Coca-Cola.  Even if the viewer did not look any further into the image, the thought of Coca-Cola would remain, and maybe even a craving would surface for the delicious bubbly refreshment.  The whiteness of the advertisement also contrasts the signature green glass bottles and caps that sit on the table.  The fact that the bottles are empty implies that Coca-Cola is good; good enough that everyone finished their bottle and probably went back for more.  The multitude of bottles and caps implies that there is, or was, a gathering of friends, socializing and enjoying themselves.  This appeals to the human desire to be a social, happy, and have a good time.  The soft colors of the advertisement provoke a calm and happy feeling, adding to the overall atmosphere of the proposed situation.  The nature of said group of people is also unknown, but it could be any assortment of people, young or old.  Coca-Cola is for everyone, it appeals to all ages—not just adults like an advertisement for beer might.  More importantly however, is the slogan, “Hospitality can be so easy”.  It suggests that one can have a good time with friends and family, host a social event, and make people happy, just with Coca-Cola in the room.  It’s inexpensive and easy to clean up after, making socializing easy and relaxing with just a pack of Coca-Colas and a group of friends.  This overall feeling attained from the advertisement urges the consumer to buy Coca-Cola and enjoy a relaxing time, benefitting both the Coca-Cola Company and the person.

Whispering Battalions

A gentleman was known by his books,

But now he is known by the ones he has not returned.

This thing is going to fall to pieces some day,

And looking for them ain’t going to do no good.

Indomitable skeleton, held until it was drowned.

Debris half submerged, healing out to the sea and the caverns and grottoes.

What do you want to go that way for?

You can't do no good looking through the gate,

Miss Caddy done gone long ways away.

Sad generations, go on and wonder about the whispering battalions,

Who still think they own this pasture.

Caddy smelled like trees but I couldn't smell trees anymore.

She took the kitchen soap and washed her mouth at the sink.

But I couldn't smell trees anymore.

I could hear the clock, and I could hear Caddy standing behind me,

A hopeless voice, held until it was drowned.

"I'm Ok to Drive, Not Drink"

The bright headlights, a crumpled car, and yellow caution tape direct the viewer’s attention to the common misconception of drunk driving that often leads to many accidents, and effectively portrays the consequences.  In stark white capitol letters and a bold font, the saying “I’m ok to drive” captures the viewer’s attention almost immediately.  These familiar words, often muttered after consuming alcohol, allow the viewer to personally connect to the image because he or she can relate to this seemingly innocent phrase.  The strategically placed caution tape that forms an X over the phrase “Ok to drive” is the next thing that draws the viewer’s eyes.  This formation of an X over the phrase implies that it is never ok to drive under the influence of alcohol and the viewer possibly feels guilty or ashamed for believing that he or she could do so.  A real-life account of a drunk driving accident is described on the yellow caution tape, illustrating to the viewer that someone who once said “I’m ok to drive”, got into an accident and “was charged with drunk driving and three counts of murder”.  The extreme consequences described and portrayed by the image stir fear, sorrow, and possibly understanding in the viewer.  These emotions are then amplified when the viewer’s attention shifts to the wrecked car at the center of the image.  This crumpled car is portrayed as only one of the physical consequences of drunk driving while the ambulance portrays another.  The headlights of the cars waiting in traffic direct the viewer’s attention to these two aspects of the image.  The car in the image is a nondescript; an unobtrusive color and unspecified make, implying that an accident, like the one shown, can happen to anyone.  The ambulance, partly hidden behind the phrase “I’m ok to drive” illustrates to the viewer the sometimes-fatal consequences of drunk driving, and also acts as a deterrent toward drinking and driving.  However, the way the words hide the ambulance illustrate how these fatal consequences are often overlooked or disregarded in the decision to drive after drinking. Another more subtle aspect of the image is the rain