Rain Pain

"It's raining, it's pouring, my chronic pain is soaring!"

Movie Analysis- Musical Effect on a Film

           Music can be used to produce a wide array of emotions: sadness, fear, happiness, anger. Music Directors take advantage of this by choosing songs linked to the emotions being evoked in certain scenes during a movie. They can lighten the mood or add sarcasm by playing a more upbeat song during a serious scene. Additionally, music can foreshadow what is going to happen next in the film. The possibilities are endless. Costabile and Terman write that, “film music plays a critical role in developing a viewer’s working narrative of the film” (317). Music is not something that should be dismissed when discussing a movie since it sets the stage and creates a narrative of its own. Wag the Dog uses music, or the lack thereof, throughout the movie to set the scene, create a comedic effect, or add to the emotions being conveyed in a scene.

            There are two types of music that can be used during a film, diegetic music and non-diegetic music. Diegetic music refers to music that exists within a character’s scene in the film. It is music that the film characters should be able to hear. Non-diegetic music refers to music that exists outside the character’s world, only heard by the viewers (Tan). Non-diegetic music is used most commonly in the movie Wag the Dog, however there are still some scenes where diegetic music is used. The song “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” is heard by Brean and Ames during a TV commercial accusing the President of sexually exploiting a Firefly girl. This is also an example of why Wag the Dog is considered to be a dark comedy. Diegetic music is used frequently by the character Johnny Dean, played by Willie Nelson, who is considered to be the music man in the group. Dean is repeatedly filmed strumming on his guitar and coming up with lyrics for possible songs, most of which add to the comedic effect of the movie. In a study comparing the effects of diegetic music vs. non-diegetic music in a movie scene, Siu-Lan Tan found that diegetic music “can lead to dramatically different perceptions of the overall tension of a scene, the attitudes and motives and relationship of characters, and other elements of a scene that are fundamental to our understanding of the unfolding story.”

            One of music’s first purposes in film was to generate emotions (Fischoff 5). Music can make you feel happy, sad, or scared. Wag the Dog takes advantage of this right away in the movie by playing “An American Hero” during its opening scene. With the drum line and guitar you get a patriotic vibe, signaling that politics or patriotism will somehow be incorporated into the movie. The song “Working on It” is used throughout the movie during times when the characters are going to get something done: as Dean is arriving at the underground office, leaving the office for the plane, and going to the producer’s house. With its folky, faster tempo style you get the feeling that something is in the works, about to happen. Wag the Dog also uses music to make us laugh, putting the comedy in “dark comedy.” Willie Nelson’s character, Johnny Dean, had me laughing throughout the movie with his creative process of writing songs. An example of this is the scene at the producer’s house when his creative group gets together. Dean is playing off whatever the producer, Stanley Motts, says. Johnny sings phrases like, “Sit on my lap if you love me. But don’t put your hand down there.” This makes you laugh until you remember the serious issue of the President molesting a Firefly girl.

            Overtime music has come to have many purposes in a film, two of them being: serve as a neutral background filler and build a sense of continuity (Fischoff 11). Music as a neutral background filler is used to fill empty spots between conversations, not cancel out the character’s voices. It’s barely audible, but just enough to where it adds to the scene. This is used in various scenes throughout Wag the Dog. During Schumann’s funeral, Brean and Stanley enter an office with the music from the funeral, “God Bless the Men of the 303”, still playing on the TV set. It plays loud enough that you can hear it, but not loud enough to take your attention away from the characters in the scene. This scene is also an example of diegetic music since Brean and Motts would have been able to hear the TV.

Additionally, music is used to build a sense of continuity between scenes. Without music, flashes of disconnected scenes would appear chaotic. Music is used to connect and unify those scenes (Fischoff 11). The song “God Bless the Men of the 303” is used throughout the last parts of Wag the Dog to unify everything that is happening. The song starts after Stanley says, “What’s better than the triumphal homecoming of a war hero?” (“Wag the Dog”) It continues to connect shots of Schumann’s funeral, Brean and Stanley’s conversation in the office, Stanley’s exit, and the parade to honor Schumann and the men of the 303. The continued music was especially important during all of the cuts of the parade. Watching the parade scene with its eight cuts without music did not instill any emotions or patriotic feeling in me. The cuts just went from one view to another. However, when added back music, the scene flowed and added feelings of patriotism and pride. The music created continuity with this scene and the previous scenes that used the song, “God Bless the Men of the 303.”

As you can see, Wag the Dog uses diegetic and non-diegetic music to instill certain emotions like happiness or sadness during a scene. They also use music as a way to provide comedic relief throughout the movie with songs like, “Thank Heaven for Little Girls”, “Good Old Shoe”, and “I Guard the Canadian Border.” Additionally, music is used in this movie to serve as a background filler and create continuity between scenes. Without music, Wag the Dog would not be the Academy Award nominated movie that it is. Music is not something that should be dismissed when discussing a movie since it sets the stage and creates a narrative of its own.

Works Cited

Costabile, Kristi A., and Amanda W. Terman. "Effects Of Film Music On Psychological Transportation And Narrative Persuasion." Basic & Applied Social Psychology 35.3 (2013): 316-324. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Fischoff, Stuart. “The Evolution of Music in Film and its Psychological Impact on Audiences.” CAL STATE LA. Trustees of the California State University, 24 June 2005. Web. 25 April 2016.

Tan, Siu-Lan. “How Film Music Shapes the Storyline.” Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers LLC, 30 October 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

Wag the Dog. Dir. Barry Levinson. Perf. Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, Dustin Hoffman. Baltimore Pictures, New Line Cinema, Punch Productions, Tribeca Productions, 1997. DVD.

16NITION Dance Party

Each semester before finals a student-led organization throws a huge UV light dance party! It helps us relax and let loose before the stress of finals week. This was my second time going, and it was amazing! I'm absolutely dying today, but I keep telling myself it was worth it. It's hard being in so much pain when you're just trying to do the things you love.

Aubrey and Me

Unfortunately I took the video on Snapchat so it is sideways.

The Time is Now

Dear Representative, 

The time is now. We need to pass a comprehensive medical cannabis program here in Iowa. My name is Noelle Larson, and I am 19 years old. For the past four years (1,460 days), I have been in non-stop, widespread pain. I do not even remember what it is like to not be in pain. I'm tired of being denied a medicine that could potentially change my life in favor of medications that carry substantial risks like addiction, seizures, overdose, and death. Cannabis has been found to have no lethal dose, so why is this not an option in my treatment?

There are hundreds of thousands of Iowans that could benefit from a comprehensive cannabis program. Add just one caregiver to one of those people suffering, and a program like that could positively affect millions. Improved health would mean more time with spouses, kids, parents, and friends. It would mean more people being able to pursue an education and join the workforce. It would mean not having to rely on pharmaceuticals to get through the day, but a plant. 

78% of Iowans are in support of the legalization of medical cannabis, so what is holding you back? If 78% of your fellow legislatures in office supported a comprehensive medical cannabis program, this bill would have already been passed. Isn't that your job as a representative to represent what your people, your constituents want? 

Positive things are already happening in states where comprehensive medical cannabis programs are in effect. Opioid overdoses have dropped by up to 25%. Cannabis has been proven to prevent the tolerance to and withdrawal from opioids, and can even make a previously ineffective dose of opioids effective again. Some states like Michigan, Arizona, and Oregon have created substantial surpluses through medical cannabis programs.

Many patients reported using medical cannabis is favor of alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs. When asked why, the patients cited less adverse side effects, better symptom management, and less withdrawal potential as reasons. 

We do not have time to wait for another bill to come around. Help the thousands of suffering Iowans now. Please vote YES to a comprehensive medical cannabis bill this week.

What's in my Gym Bag?

What do you bring with you when you go to the gym? I always make sure to bring my Breath of Fresh Air Lush toner water to freshen up my face afterwards. Influenster also sent me some wipettes from Sweet Spot Labs to try out. They are perfect for after the gym to freshen up your face, body, and "sweet spot". They left me feeling soft and fresh, not wet or yucky! I definitely think I'll be picking up a pack next time I'm at Target! I also bring my hairbrush, deodorant, perfume, and protein bar for afterwards. 

To learn how you can get free products to review click here.

Bonfire

I've been struggling a lot mentally and physically these past couple days. It seems like my anxiety is making a comeback. I'm hoping it's because of the caffeine in the tea I have been drinking. So I'm hoping that stopping that will stop the anxiety. Anyways, today around 1:00 I was struggling and so I prayed to God about something. I wanted to hangout with one of my friends, but didn't know if I could handle it emotionally or physically. So I asked God that if I should hangout with them, that they would text me and I wouldn't initiate it. And 5 hours later... I got a text from Kaylee asking me to go to a bonfire tonight! 

It was amazing! I love being around people and getting to be myself. And, one of my favorite parts about summer is bonfires! I love the heat, the smell, and the chance to be with friends. 

Matt even got out his guitar so we could sing worship music around the fire. But of course my chronic illness wasn't getting the attention it wanted so it threw a hissy fit. The pain hit hard and quickly so I had to leave and go back to my bed. It's disappointed when my chronic illness is the one throwing the shots, and I just have to listen because I don't want things to get worse. It gets really frustrating and depressing at times, but I'm trying to learn to live with it. I just wish I could live my life on my terms. 

Best Mascara

If you guys were wondering what the best mascara in the world is.... This is it! The Expressionist mascara from W3ll People! It's all-natural, nontoxic, no nasties mascara. Plus it makes my lashes look AMAZING! Long, thick, and gorgeous! So glad I got a sample of this in my Birchbox last year. I had some points that we're going to expire, so I decided to buy the full size with $10 off using my points! Now I can throw out my sample size! You can get it at Target, W3ll People, and Birchbox. 

NYC Lovatics Lip and Cheek Tint

Using the NYC Lovatics Lip and Cheek Tint that I got from Influenster to try out for free 💗 I actually really liked the color (001 Cheeky Pink). I only used it on my lips for this picture since I thought it would be too strong for cheeks! But overall I really liked it.

Here is the link to learn more about getting FREE products in return for reviews and posts. -> www.influenster.com/r/1735878

Sociology Written Assignment- Race

Well since this blog is called "The Life of Noelle", it makes sense to write about what happens in my life. Well for my Sociology class we have six written assignments due throughout the semester. Today written assignment number five is due. This assignment's instructions were to write about race: what is our race? How did it affect us? etc. Well since I like to make people think, I decided to post my paper on here. It was supposed to be 2-3 pages, so obviously my whole thought on this issue is not represented. Plus it's not an English class so I don't put much effort into these papers. Anyways, please read it and comment with your thoughts!

All our lives we are told that we are different based on our skin color. Society has created stereotypes to go along with ethnicities. For example, being Asian means that you are smart, being Mexican means that you are lazy, and being African-American means that you are a criminal. This belief that one racial category is superior or inferior to another is called racism. Race is different than ethnicity in that race is, “a category of people who have been singled out as inferior or superior, often on the basis of real or alleged physical characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, eye shape, or other subjectively selected attribute” (Kendall). I am part of a race that is considered superior to other races. I am white, but this idea that white is superior needs to end.

            It doesn’t take very long in life to figure out your race and place in the world. As a kid you notice everything. Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green? Why is her skin color darker than mine? Your parents may not tell you at the time, but while growing up you will notice that certain skin colors get viewed and treated different than others. It was especially apparent during high school. We had a relatively large amount, compared to other schools in the area, of Bosnians at our school, and they were considered smart, rich, and knew how to party. This is an example of stereotypes. Stereotypes are defined as, “overgeneralizations about the appearance, behavior, or other characteristics of members of particular categories” (Kendall). We also had a large amount of African-Americans. For the most part they were considered troublemakers, players, etc. You had a few exceptions of the athletes. Then of course were the whites, which allowed for more diversity in how people viewed them. They weren’t confined to one stereotype in people’s minds. I was lucky that way.

            I floated between social groups throughout middle school and high school trying to find my place. Emo? Check. Nerd? Check. Athletes? Check. Popular? Check. I finally found my own circle of friends that didn’t necessarily fit with a group. What’s interesting is that while changing groups, the overall perception of me didn’t change. This might not be the case for someone that’s African-American. An African-American athlete is viewed much differently than an African-American loner. Why does someone’s skin color weigh so heavily on our views of him or her?  

            Since I am from European ancestry, I fit into the “white” race. I have fair skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair. Because of this I have not experienced a lot of discrimination because of my race. However, it seems as though society wants races to stick with their same race. When people go out of their assigned race and hangout with people from another race, there are labels put on them. I pick friends based on personality and whom I get along with. In high school, it just so happened that those people were African-Americans. When that happened, people started to look at me differently. It got even worse when I started dating guys from different ethnicities. I was put into the stereotype of trashy, poor white girls who date black guys. It didn’t matter that it was far from the truth. People saw what they wanted to see.

Besides that small instance years ago, my race has worked in my favor. People do not judge my race as lazy, criminal, savage, or dumb. They expect good things from someone with white skin. Just because this issue doesn’t affect me or maybe even you, doesn’t mean that this isn’t a huge problem in the United States. Stereotypes, racism, prejudice, and discrimination are still a prominent problems that affect million of people in the U.S. daily. We need to take steps each day to eliminate the idea of “race.” No one is inferior or superior based on their skin color or other physical attributes.

Medical Marijuana in Iowa

My mother was recently featured on the news discussing the legalization of medical cannabis in Iowa. Please take a little time out of your day to watch this. It also features two other parents of kids who could benefit from cannabis. It also contains a lot of information that can help educate you.



Link to Video on Medical Marijuana in Iowa

My Spirit Vox Box from Influenster

A couple of days ago, I received my first Vox Box from Influenster! Basically Influenster sends you free stuff so you can post about it on social media and review them. Sounds like a pretty good trade off to me! All you have to do is link your social media accounts to boost your social impact score, and you can qualify for different campaigns like this one! I love free stuff and giving my opinion, so this is the perfect job for me! Here is what I got in my box-

- SweetSpot Labs Vanilla Blossom Wipettes 

- SweetSpot Labs Neroli Mandarin Wipettes

- Snickers Crisper

-Yogi Green Tea Kombucha

-Yogi Green Tea Blueberry Slim Life

-NYC Lovatics by Demi Lip and Cheek Tint in Cheeky Pink

Here is the link if you want to learn more -> http://www.influenster.com/r/1735878

Cannabis is Medicine

   

       Imagine the pain you feel with the flu. Now imagine if that pain never went away, it lasted for months, years, or decades. This is the reality for thousands of chronic pain sufferers in Iowa, including me. How would you feel if you were being denied access to medicine that could potentially change your life? Iowa legislatures are doing just that. Right now Iowa has a bill in place allowing cannabis oil for those suffering with severe epilepsy. However the bill provides no way to obtain the oil. Iowa Legislatures are currently working on a bill that originally included chronic pain under conditions covered, but was cut down to only include MS (multiple sclerosis), epilepsy, and late-stage cancer. The Des Moines Register reports that seventy-eight percent of Iowans are in support of the legalization of medical cannabis, so what is holding legislatures back? Medical cannabis needs to be legalized for chronic pain in Iowa so that the thousands of people with chronic pain can have access to a medication that could alleviate their suffering.

            Chronic pain should be added back to the list of conditions covered in the bill currently under debate by Iowa legislatures. Chronic pain is defined as “pain that doesn’t go away, lasts over six months, or extends beyond the expected recovery time after an accident or medical intervention” (Lucas). Currently chronic pain sufferers are left depending on pain medications with serious health risks, like opiates. The Des Moines Register reports that in 2014, Iowa had 52 fatal opiate overdoses. That is an 80% increase from 2010. One can assume that these numbers will only continue to rise unless something changes. Patients should have the option of trying cannabis to help manage their pain. In states where medical cannabis has been legalized opiate overdoses have dropped by up to 25% (Main). Dr. Gregory Carter says that legalizing medical cannabis could be the answer to stopping the rapid growth of opioid overdoses, especially since cannabis has been found to have no lethal dose. Philippe Lucas, a PhD student at the University of Victoria, adds that cannabis has been shown to prevent the tolerance to and withdrawal from opioids, and can even make a previously ineffective dose of opioids effective again.

            Cannabis has the potential to reduce the suffering of Iowans and improve their quality of life. This positive impact would spread to their caregivers, spouses, and children. A reduction in pain could mean more time with family, being able to work, return to school, and pursue more things in life. In a recent survey sent out to 100 Hawaii residents enrolled in their medical cannabis program, there was an average pain reduction of 64% reported (Webb). That’s equivalent to a 5-point reduction on the 1-10 pain scale. That’s more of a reduction than any pain medication that I have tried. Some patients even reported that they were able to stop or decrease other medications that they were on.

            Legalizing cannabis can also have a positive effect on the economy. Having a comprehensive medical marijuana program would open up a whole new job field. This would create new jobs in farming, transportation, dispensaries, and ones that you wouldn’t think of like accounting and marketing. With starting a program like this there are always costs. However, the State Marijuana Policy Project reports that state medical marijuana programs have had no trouble covering their costs, and some have even produced substantial surpluses. States like Michigan, Arizona, and Oregon have made millions in surpluses. Other states like Vermont and New Mexico have self-sustaining programs.

            Legislatures are hesitant to legalize medical cannabis for various reasons. Most of these reasons are previously held false beliefs about cannabis. One of these beliefs is that cannabis is a gateway drug. That means that the use of cannabis will lead to the use of harder drugs like heroine, cocaine, or methamphetamines. However, cannabis has been proven to do the opposite. It should be considered an “exit drug”, since it can help patients go off other medications. In a study of cannabis patients, many reported using cannabis as a substitute for alcohol (40%), illicit drugs (26%), and prescription drugs (66%). When the patients were asked why they chose cannabis over other prescription medications, they cited less adverse side effects (65%), better symptom management (57%), and less withdrawal potential (34%) as reasons (Lucas).

            Another reason Legislatures may be reluctant to legalize medical cannabis is the possible side effects involved. There are varying reports on the side effects and risks associated with medical cannabis. These results are also dependent on what type of administration was used: smoking, vaping, or ingesting an oil or edible. In a study published by The Journal of Medicine last December; two groups were compared over a one-year time. The first group was cannabis users, and the second group was a control group (did not receive any cannabis).  In this study it was left up to the participants to choose how they wanted to administer their cannabis. Their options were smoking, vaping, or ingesting the medicine. There were no differences between the two groups for serious adverse effects. Though, the cannabis users were at increased risk for non-serious adverse effects. Some were more severe like increased risk for nervous system and psychiatric disorders. However most were mild to moderate including drowsiness (.6%), amnesia (.5%), cough (.5%), and nausea (.5%). It is worth noting that a significant change in average daily pain was reported by the cannabis group, but not in the control group. Also, an improvement of physical function and quality of life was reported in the cannabis group (Ware). Cannabis needs to stop being held to a higher standard than other FDA-approved drugs already on the market. Dr. Juurlink says, “From a pharmacologic perspective, the direct toxic effects of cannabinoids are simply dwarfed by those of opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDS].”

            The last thing that Legislatures may be concerned about is the chance for people to abuse the system. They may be worried that there will be people claiming to have chronic pain so that they can have access to cannabis. There will always be people who abuse alcohol, opioids, or harder drugs whether it is legal or not. Dr. Carter notes that, “Many currently used medications have the potential for misuse, however this does not diminish their effectiveness in treating patients when used as prescribed by a medical provider.” Also, just because some people abuse the system, doesn’t mean that chronic pain patients should suffer more without access to cannabis. What makes the concerns for the few addicts/abusers more important than the thousands of Iowans suffering from chronic pain?

I have been in pain non-stop for four years. So I am stuck relying on Tramadol, an opioid and NSAID, to function throughout my day. Side effects for Tramadol include some non-serious ones like dizziness and drowsiness, and more serious ones like slowing or stopped breathing, seizures, overdose, and death. You may ask why would I take something with side effects like that? I take it so I can function, so I can wash my hair, get out of bed, go to school, and on good days hang out with people. However, my pain is never below a 3 on the 1-10 scale. I’m constantly functioning at a 6. I deserve to have access to a medicine that could allow me to have a social life, to clean my apartment, and to not have to constantly put my pain into consideration. The decision on whether I can use medical cannabis should be up to my doctor, not to Iowa Legislatures.

            Medical cannabis should be legalized in Iowa for chronic pain. Legislatures, you have the power to alleviate the suffering of the thousands of Iowans with chronic pain. Chronic pain should be put back on the list of conditions in the bill, HF 2384, which is currently in progress. This medicine has the potential to change someone’s life. Please do not continue to believe previously held untrue views of cannabis. “ [The] medicinal use of cannabis holds too much potential to be held back by laws that are not consistent or reflective of the science” (Carter, et al.).

Works Cited

Carter, Gregory T, et al. "Re-Branding Cannabis: The Next Generation Of Chronic Pain Medicine?" Pain Management 5.1 (2015): 13-21. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.

Haly, Charly. “Should Iowa expand use of anti-overdose drug?” The Des Moines Register. www.desmoinesregister.com, 21 March 2016. Web. 30 March 2016.

Juurlink, David N. "Medicinal Cannabis: Time To Lighten Up?" CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L'association Medicale Canadienne 186.12 (2014): 897-898. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.

Leys, Tony. “Iowa Poll: Support growing for medical marijuana.” The Des Moines Register. www.desmoinesregister.com, 2 March 2016. Web. 2 March 2016.

Lucas, Philippe. "Cannabis As An Adjunct To Or Substitute For Opiates In The Treatment Of Chronic Pain." Journal Of Psychoactive Drugs 44.2 (2012): 125-133. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 1 Mar. 2016

Main, Douglas. “In States With Medical Marijuana, Painkiller Deaths Drop By 25 Percent.” Newsweek. Newsweek LLC, 25 August 2014. Web. 30 March 2016.

“State Medical Marijuana Programs’ Financial Information.” Marijuana Policy Project. Marijuana Policy Project, 2016. Web. 30 March 2016.

Ware, Mark A., et al. “Cannabis for the Management of Pain: Assessment of Safety Study (COMPASS).” The Journal of Pain 16. 12 (2015): 1233-1242. Print.

Webb, Charles W, and Sandra M Webb. "Therapeutic Benefits Of Cannabis: A Patient Survey." Hawai'i Journal Of Medicine & Public Health: A Journal Of Asia Pacific Medicine & Public Health 73.4 (2014): 109-111. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.