The Corperation's Visual Rhetoric

Michael Moore’s section is intended to persuade the audience into thinking that most corporate CEOs are not in touch with the reality of the company’s production methods. He claims that corporations are all run by white men, and that most people of the world are not in fact, white men. He interviews the Nike CEO, and asks him if he had ever visited one of his own factories. Surprisingly, he answers no. In this section, two conventions of documentary film making are used: talking heads and subtitling. Talking heads is used when Michael Moore comments on his interview. Subtitles are used to give the titles of the speaker. Overall Michael Moore effectively delivers his message by using convincing visual rhetoric.

Military Eyes Football Helmets for Battlefield Protection

Concussive blasts to soldiers’ heads are a reoccurring problem. The Department of Defense has tried to prevent, cope with and measure these blasts by adding helmet-mounted sensors or pressure sensitive crystals.

Riddell, a football helmet producing company, was contacted by the military and asked to improve the Army’s Advanced Combat Helmet. Riddell claims its dual density foam, which is used in its Revolution helmet, reduces impact magnitudes by 50 percent.

Recently, a new product has entered the helmet market: The Xenith X1. It uses a new inventive technology. 18 air-filled shock absorbers are built into the helmet cap. These shock absorbers slowly expel their air to reduce impact. Many Medical professionals think very highly of this new innovation.

This article is important because it approaches a crucial, yet unknown problem: Concussive blasts to the military soldier’s heads. With the use of some of some football helmet concussion preventing technology, fewer soldiers will return home not remembering the names of his family.

Although the Riddell Revolution and the Xenith X1 are good football helmets, this article fails to mention the best protective helmet: the Schutt ION 4D, which uses a gel layer and a air pumped foam layer to maximize helmet protection. It has won the NATA Best New Sports Equipment and Apparel category, beating out competitors like Riddell and Xenith.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2008/08/gridiron-gear-g/

Alpha Geek: Rocket Scientist Takes on TV for Gamers

Mary Spio has done it all. She has worked for McDonald's and Boeing. She also has done her share of leading companies: founding One2One Living and is being the current CEO of Gen2Media.

Now Mary Spio has a new target: Xbox Live. The online entertainment center has 17 million subscribers. Gaming is the most popular thing to do on the Xbox. "They're not watching American Idol or America's Got Talent," she says. "They're playing Rock Band." She says that these kids need is customized content.

Spio is planning a Xbox live show which is a cross between America's Got Talent and Rock Band, called The Verge. On e360live.com, independent artists can submit their music. Viewers and a board of professional judges will vote to pick 20 contestants to be featured on Xbox Live. There, viewers will pick their favorite artists America's Got Talent style: with back stories on the 20 finalists, which are featured in the weekly programs which lead up to a grand season finale.

This innovation is important because it shows how the media is adapting to the “Guitar Hero generation”. We have seen this sort of adaptations throughout history: with the rock and roll, hippies, rap and pop generations. Now we have just witnessed another one of these adaptations.

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/17-10/st_alphageek