Niles is O.K. We repeat: Niles is O.K.

Heard that Josh like Wood-chipper Marge. True?

Laura defended her creative dissertation recently and read selections from her historical poetry, poems from the POV of a suffragist. She has a great website showcasing her work.
http://www.lauramadelinewiseman.com/blog/writing/

Ryan Christiansen from MSUM giving a nice short history of ebook readers and their impact on the book selling market. Ebook sales through the roof, Borders out of business, B&N trying to find a buyer. Power is now in the hands of the author--example used is Amanda Hawkins from Austen MN. Self publishing books $.99 to $2.99--making more money than she could with a publisher, but she decided to sign with St. Martin's P for $2million. Exception or the new rule? Nice parallels from the music and movie industry. I hear Prince playing in the background.

Josh Gunn (U of T, Communication) delivered an insightful and entertaining analysis of how the black vernacular tradition informed Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons, and how white "journalists" like Brian Ross and National Press Club Vice President misunderstood the tradition and framed Wright's words in overtly racist terms. Nice "R" rated visual / oral slide in the presentation, showing a horizontal, white discourse and vertical black discourse response to rapper Ice T.

Adam Wegler from U of Nebraska at Lincoln presenting on the curious dynamic of male-dominated "creative departments" creating advertising in social media (and traditional media as well) for women who make 80% of the purchasing decisions (in families, presumably). He is suggesting that the conversational approach of social media advertising is feminine, distinct from the aggressive, interruptive strategies of traditional advertising (think billboard). Followed up with a content analysis (and tag cloud) of headlines from a trade publication in 2000 and 2010; looked to see if the way advertisers talk about their trade has changed, in this case from a masculine discourse about advertising to a more feminine discourse. He didn't present systematic findings, but said he found what he expected.

Craig Rood, North Dakota State U, "The Rhetoric of Selling Philosophy." Approaching the topic through an analysis of Ayn Rand's "Philosophy: Who Needs It?" Nice background on the crisis of the liberal arts and philosophy; sets up Rand's claims that philosophy is a science, rather than opposed to science, and it is uniquely human and necessary for our survival. Suggests that Rand's arguments probably don't hold up today, but he does find value in Rand's argument for defending philosophy out of self-interest.

Abi Gaugert, also NDSU: "Analysis of a Facebook Freakout." Looks at the rhetoric of ACLU and Facebook (Zuckerman)in response to the "Facebook Freakout" that occurred after FB added the "Places" application. The debate highlights competing definitions of privacy and control: ACLU says FB was giving both away, FB said it was protecting the former and giving users the later. Used Many Eyes to provide a visual, tree-diagram analysis of both discourses. Neither side gave in rhetorically but FB did go on the defensive, described policy and practice in more detail, but did not mothball Places as ACLU recommended.

I left Aus-Vegas with a 90 degree day to step off a plane in 27 degrees and snow. Yay! It feels a bit like coming "home."

I just had a delightful evening with grads at a sushi place where this dude Niles mistook some wasabi for avocado--and internally combusted! Then, we went to a great bar called "Turf" or some such where I got to take in the local flavors. We talked movies and such.

Fun day in Fargo! Props to Steven and Craig for being such good hosts.