Opinions

One of the major points I have to address in one of my papers is the concept of applying all viewpoints, sides of an argument, or involved parties into the meaning of an essay. The piece I’m speaking specifically of is the synthesis essay. In my case, I can see where I missed the point; I mentioned my view on my topic, but I did not delve into others’ and how I could make my point reverb to them. However, I do not think this aspect is universal to all papers. This line of thought goes back to determining the intended audience. Sometimes, it can come off more powerfully to make known personal values over those of others, particularly in persuasion. Most often, when bringing other opinions into a persuasion piece, the writer needs to add as to why the reader should consider their take over the others’. In these cases, significantly more emphasis is placed on the writer’s view. I find that it is very important for a writer to be able to determine whether or not to tackle a broader take on their topic. Not to seem preachy, but I believe this is one of the most powerful abilities a writer can learn from taking this class. Most assuredly, this skill will definitely come into play in later writing classes, and probably in other classes that require interpretations or for students to voice opinions. It is strange, though; I wonder whether I should have voiced more opinions on this topic in this blog post.

Grande Finale

Ah, the end-of-the-year rush to get everything done and in order has come. For some, it is a time of panic and cramming, while for others it is business as usual and passes by smoothly. Personally, I find that the end of a semester is a good opportunity to practice one’s professionalism in college. By this, I mean that a student can use this hectic period as a test to see how they perform under strict timeframes with high pressure. In this class, as I type, I’m sure most of the students are working on putting together their portfolio. The pressure placed upon their shoulders to improve their writing is larger than ever before in this class. Success on this assignment is great proof that they can make the most of themselves during hectic times. However, it is my opinion that polishing up past works and closing them with a final essay is quite less work than a difficult final exam. If the pieces are good to begin with, then it would not be too tough to make them more perfect. On the other hand, the studying needed for a final does not usually consider prior experiences in the class; you have to prepare for the now no matter how well the class had been thus far. I also believe that portfolios give a student more control over the results, since studying cannot cover all possible questions in the same amount. For portfolios, the student decides the end result for themselves. I consider myself lucky, perhaps, that I have a portfolio to compose rather than a thirty page exam to brace for.

Writing through the years

Just a few days ago I was looking through my old school papers. The ones I have deemed special and kept to remember my journey through education. I decided to go on a quest to find a paper I wrote for each and every year of school. Wow was I surprised at really how much I have changed. I started in kindergarten talking about living in a mansion with a zoo and spelling every word very wrong, with somehow my teacher knowing what I meant and correcting "I hat bokli" to "I hate broccoli". I went through a time in elementary where I always wrote about my dog (who is still around and 15) and each one was oddly exactly the same except for better grammar.
Once I got into middle school is when I thought I was smart. I would write about big political issues and get A's, not because they were profound or offered any real insight, but because the teacher were surprised that at a 7th grade level I was writing about politics! Once I moved into high school the topics were a little more set, they were done just wanting to see if you can write. They now wanted you to write on certain topics. But given the opportunity to verge off a set topic I found my myself writing about social issues. The need for universal healthcare, the tragedy of cancer, the problem with capital punishment, etc.
Now that I am in college I don't feel I have to many issues with writing. While my grammar may not always be sound, I think I normally get my point across quite well. This is just one stop in my writing journey. I am exact looking back at what lies ahead.

End of semester

As the semester ends we all have to begin on our final portfolios. I feel like the final portfolio is more beneficial to us rather than an in class final. In class finals can be very stressful and can make students very uncomfortable. Personally I don't like being in test room and being forced to complete something in a short amount of time. This final portfolio gives us plenty of time and lets us complete our work to the best of our ability. We are able to work on our own in a non-stressful enviroment. Working in a non-stressful enviroment gives you the ability to focus more on the writing and not the distractions around you. I would like every class to have a take home final. I would do much better on each final if that was available. Although I know that will never happen due to cheating and other factors it would be really nice if it would. Do you feel like the final portfolio benefits you rather than an in class final?

Blog Post 3/5

The Image Analysis Essay

Personally I like analyzing images. I use to, as a hobby, buy books with pictures where you have to find the differences between the same pictures. You have to "pay attention to detail" when doing this and through this activity I was able to develop that skill to a certain extent. It's like intelligence analysts that view photographs and gather information about what they see in them. It also helps with situational awareness. Like when someone says "what wrong with this picture?" when walking into the office and finding small details/things that have been shifted from their place or are not there at all. Or, when you're walking down the street and you see a couple of guys with hoodies and sun glasses at night walking towards a convenience store. Image analysis makes you use your brain and develop skills that I think are helpful not just to analyze specific images but your surroundings also. Because you are able to analyze details, you are also able to gather information about behavior from the people around you and be aware of what is going on in your surroundings. I think that's important because it allows me to prevent accidents or even a life threatening situation. I like to know what people are doing around me at all times. I try not to focus ONLY on what I'm doing but what is going on around me also. It's something that takes practice and a different mentality. Your peripherals are something to use if you don't want people to notice you noticing them... I hope this was of interest to you. Always be aware.

Nearing the End of the Semester

We are nearing the end of the semester and have less than a week to prepare our final drafts for Monday. I plan on having someone revising my paper and I plan to read it out loud myself to proof ready my paper. I really like the reading out loud strategy of reading it backwards to try and catch any errors. Even though I feel that I read through my errors and actually correct them out loud, I am still going to try to read it backwards and hopefully that helps. I was also thinking of taking one of Mr. Brown’s suggestions of having someone reading my essay backwards out loud to me. Maybe that will help me catch some of my mistakes. So I was wondering if any of you guys had any suggestions for poof reading. I am open to any suggestions that have worked for anyone in the past or something that you are thinking about trying for the first time when you proof read these papers. Also, is anyone planning on going to the writing center? I have never utilized this resource on campus and I do not know if it will be worth my time. Does anyone have any opinions about it?

Blog Post 2/5

Blog Posts

Writing to this blog is not something that I find useful. Honestly, I like keeping my ideas and thoughts to myself. This makes me a horrible writer since I don't like to express my ideas much. As you can imagine I'm having a hard time right now just writing these words. But, since it's a requirement,I guess it's unavoidable. Freedom of speech is a great thing and blogs are useful tools to express thoughts and feelings about any topic, concern, or incident. Sharing information is important also. Blogas are also useful to gather intelligence from the points of view of others. I guess people like me are too stubborn to get ideas and thoughts out there because I don't take into consideration the ideas and thoughts of others. Is stubborn the right word though? I'm not sure if a little bit of narcissim is mixed in there also. I don't really care.

You could say that this posting is useless, I think you would be right. Not only am I not writing anything that is of use to you the reader but I'm ranting about writing, on a blog, against my will. There aren't many things that I do against my will anymore. Realizing that life is too short to do stuff that I dislike, I have changed and have a different view of life and how I want to live mine. I use to follow orders as part of my profession before coming back to school. Orders that would go against my values and morals. I use to put up with stupid, selfish people that were above me and I had no option but to listen to them. That is out of my life...to an extent. Stupid is unavoidable. You find it everywhere.

I'm done with my useless writing against my will. I guess that the remarks I would expect from you is a rant of your own or talk about your way of living life. Whatever you chose is fine.

Sex education

I am doing my synthesis essay over sex education, what a surprise every paper I have written this semester has been about sex. I was wondering what your guys thoughts were on sex education. It is a touchy issue for a lot of people and I can see both sides of the argument. I feel that it comes down to two things, either we want our kids to be prepared by educating them with comprehensive sex education or we want to keep them in the dark with abstinence only education. Obviously there are good and bad consequences that come from both options but I feel that comprehensive sex education is the best options for today’s teens. One time in high school I did a persuasive speech on how sex education should be taught in all public schools. In my speech class full of seniors in high school I asked for them to name four different types of birth control form the list of 20 that I had. Of course, the majority of them could only name the two most common types; the pill and condoms. I then asked them what was the success rate of the pill and condom when used correctly, none of them knew the answer to my question. I honestly feel that this is something teens should be aware of how effective each option is and most importantly they should aware of ALL their options. Teens will have sex if they want too. There is not much parents can do about it unless they lock their kids up in their room so they can watch them 24-7. I feel that this is not the solution to the problem and that GOOD education is going to be the answer to our problems with teens and sex.

Synthesis Essay

I personally loved writing the synthesis essay. I chose to write about promoting and educating children on homosexual sex along with the "traditional sex" as well. It is said that developing our kids into smart, sexual beings is vital to their future happiness. So why should this not be applied to every child if it is so important for their future happiness and not just to the children that are "socially accepted." There are many reasons on why I think this approach would benefit everyone. The gay community would feel more apart of "society" and would be more comfortable with who they are without worrying about being harassed, along with the heterosexual population being more open to accepting homosexuality with open arms without discrimination. This was along the lines I was going with in the essay. During class discussions where homosexuality was brought up I heard dehumanizing words, such as "dyke" and "butch". When was it ever OK to dehumanize anyone for just simply being who they are? For the parents out there with children now, how would you feel having a gay daughter or son being pushed out of society and discriminated against because they just so happen to be homosexual? Just a thought I guess everyone should think about. Having a gay sister myself I have seen her struggle to be accepted all her life, and with homosexuality being more and more openly expressed as the generations grow, I think the time has come to treat everyone equally and stop the isolation and putting labels on the people who do not fit "your" category on what is "normal" and giving every child the opportunity to reach happiness.

What the image analysis did to me

I chose my peices and began writing my image analysis. It wasn't until I really got to the meat and bones of my essay that I began to realize that I was very connected with what I was writing about. I wrote about how the camera angle and posing of the female subjects made them appear as docile and subserviant and how the unralistic portrayal of these models was a large proponent inn young girls and their body image problems. No one tells these girls that the models ahve been photoshopped to be blemish free and made even skinnier than they actually are. I found it infuriated me how calously these ads circulated without regaurd to the damage it could cause to a young persons self image. When will companies take responsibility for their actions?

2-Per-Week Limit

This is a very odd restriction to place on a student. While I myself have put much less priority in filling these than others, I do not see how this restriction could benefit writing. For example, say Student A publishes two exemplary blog postings on Tuesday, and then at class Wednesday, he is enlightened by the discussion, and gains an idea for a new blog posting. Sadly, he must wait several days to post this, and in the meantime he has other classes and various tasks to handle. By the time he comes again to post his blog, he has lost his initial vigor on the topic, perhaps even going so far as to forget it. I say this now at eleven PM on Saturday, technically the last day of a week, on a constricted schedule. Perhaps this is a form of punishment for prioritizing or forgetting differently, but the question remains: how does it help develop a writing style? My answer is that it is pointless, but then again what position am I to talk. This is probably just myself complaining at something for having to do this now, having basically forgot about it until now in comparison to other things I need done. Oh well, a blog post is a blog post. Perhaps I am wrong; this one in particular seemed to be an efficient probe for writing as an outlet of annoyance.

Editing

If there is one thing this course has emphasized, it is the development of writing a paper in steps. This includes having papers act as precursors for the final portfolio. Personally, and perhaps conceitedly, I find that this could imply that students should not give it their all on the first “draft,” rather type up something to get the job done and edit it however their peers or instructor says. When I write, I tend to do a majority of it in one sitting. by this, I mean that I get my thesis, body structure, and general paper direction down completely straight all at once. This way, I can get into the flow of writing, and maintain this flow throughout the paper for a greater effect. If I were to work in parts, I would lose the feel and begin to stutter and trip over myself. This is why I dislike the concept of drafts. I believe that if I am to edit something, it should not by any means be an expanding of ideas or addition of some. While I can add these if needed, the flow would break apart. Writing the second paragraph after I have already done the third through fifth is a bit contradictory, I find. Then again, this is just my idea. The point I wish to make is that each draft someone does should be properly and totally managed before submission.

Final Portfolio

I like the idea of have a final portfolio instead of a final test. Personally, I always freak out during tests I don't like the pressure put on me during them so I tend to do worse than I would if I didnt have that pressure on me. This final portfolio gives us the opportunity to express our writing in the best way possible. We have tons of time to work on it and plus it still counts for 55% of our grade. It is pass or fail do or die time for this portfolio but atleast we dont have the pressure like we would a math test or something. I feel like a lot of people would agree with me on this because it reall is a lot of help doing it this way with out so much pressure rather than being in a huge room with 100 kids while its burning up in there. Thats not ideal for test taking. Mr. Brown has done a good job at letting us know what is expected of us and lets us know where we stand on our grades.

4-20 Mary J Wanna

I am in support of the legalization of marijuana. Although I do not smoke and never plan to smoke I feel like it needs to be legalized. People make such a big deal about marijuana but I don't see if being any different than alcohol or cigs. I personally believe there SHOULD be an age limit outlawed on the substance though just like cigs and alcohol. I am writing about this topic obviously because the date today is 4-20 a potheads dream. I am getting annoyed of everyone making a big deal about 4-20 just because they smoke weed all day. If it was legalized I think no one would make that big of a deal about it. Plus the tax payers wouldnt have to pay as much because we could get the potsmokers stuck in jail out of there. People will have different opinions on this subject because really it is a very controlversial subject but thats just the way I feel. Once again I do not smoke so I am not biased to it or anything.

End of the Semester

I have heard about one million people talking about all the work they are getting at the end of the semester. I technically only have one final exam to take. In here, W131, we just have the portfolio, my biology class is just an exam-not even cumulative, and my F200 class is just a project, that we get to do in groups. My math class is the only class that I have a real final exam. I know people don't like it and like to complain but isn't it the professors job to do an end of the year assessment? In high school, well any grade for that matter, people don't agree with standarized testing or similar things. But people still complain when you get to college and you get different things to do. Maybe you don't want to do everything at the same time but I personally believe that it is better than taking two hour tests all week. Plus, the portfolio shouldn't be too hard if the work was all done on time ( and at least decently) throughout this half of the semester. I think Professor Brown is really good at time management and providing us with enough time to work on it all before having to turn in the finished product.

Language

Yesterdays class really opened my eyes to what exactly what language is. I has also been under the impression that how people talk in a professional setting is "proper" grammar. When in fact the only thing that is proper about it is that everyone in that setting expects it and talks that way themselves. This is the only thing that makes language and grammar proper. So we talk proper English most of the time, given that we adjust our English and grammar based on the company we are entertaining.
While I realize that there is still a "proper" grammar for writing in an academic setting; I now realize that there really is not a proper way to speak as long as those around you are speaking the same way. I also learned that speaking above the way everyone else in the setting you are in can actually be looked at in a negative way by those around you. I must admit, I had never thought of this fact before this class. This is the first time attending this class that the topic was something I had never really considered before. I wish delighted to go to class yesterday and hope that this feeling is mutual for the rest of us.

April 18

Today's class discussions kind of caught me off guard. Everyone has perfect grammar? Now this is an idea I don't understand. I do understand that the way you talk does not determine how intellegent you are or even your eductaion. But how is saying "ax" instead of ask more efficient or fluent. Mispronouncing the word probably, I guess I get. But ax and ask are both completely different words that do not mean the same thing, so how can you say one for the other? Why do we learn anything in elementary school if it doesn't even matter? As an elementary education major I wonder if things will have changed by the time I start teaching and if I will be just teaching my kids useless standards. Even things you learn in high school seem to not be important at the university level. Although I do respect that the language has changed for hundreds and that we, as english speakers, are able to communicate.

A deeper meaning

When discussing certain topics in class, it appears that so many people have differing opinions. That is not only great but can also halter any topic that may need to be discussed. Speaking for myself, I am not the greatest at putting in advice when I know nothing about the topic at hand. I am a much better listener. Quite honestly I didn't expect this class to turn out the way it has. There is more debated about off-hand subjects than what I really need to know. I say that only because I have been out of school for almost as long as some of you have been alive and need to learn all of the fundamentals of doing assignments moreso than arguing my opinion. Don't get me wrong, some of it is helpful, but for the most part, not for me. Having a home, children and work gives me little time for getting schoolwork done. Then not having a clue what or where I am suppose to start with assignments sts me back having to learn everything from the very beginning. Am I the only one who is in that position? I can definitely relate to the ideas that most are giving thanks to my daughter, but on the other am very disconnected.

so far in w131

So far in W131, my writing has improved significantly.  I have always been a decent writer and really enjoy writing both in my free time with blogging or professionally with classes.  When I find something really interesting to write about I seem to not be able to stop.  I do tend to lose my determination and focus though when I don't enjoy the topic that I am researching or writing about.  But since I've been in 131 this semester, the teaching and readings have helped expand my knowledge on basic structure of an essay.  Ill say that the total aspect of my writing such as ideas has not been effected much but more the composition and organization of my writing.  This leads to the all over flow of the writing and much of the sense the writing makes.  Ive learned how to better structure my essay to add tension and to make better sense of it.  Ive also learned how to best write a thesis statement and what needs to be included in that sentence.  As well as the fact that it doesn't have to be the last sentence of the first paragraph.  I've also noticed that I tend to not add introductions into my writing and just jump right into the topic of the essay. I need to introduce my idea before I just start describing it.  Another thing that I've caught onto is that a revision of your first draft is not an editing of it but more of a broadening of your topic.  It includes you looking at the purpose of your essay and continuing to explore that idea.  Going deeper and writing more about it or specifying the idea even more to be more clear and precise.  Writing is a much more in depth process than I had originally thought and good writing is a product of focus and time investment.  Without these tools and resources to ensure that your writing is properly put together and makes sense, you just have a first draft of an essay...or a story.

Image Analysis

So far my favorite assignment this semester is the Image Analysis essay.  I think that this assignment was fantastic and still is for that matter.  This is mainly because it allows you to really analyze the advertisements that are floating around in todays society and think about what they mean.  What are advertisement companies attempting to promote through the things that they display? Exactly what meanings are hidden behind the photos? It helps to look at these different aspects of the photographs because the meanings that are trying to be addressed and plastered on our billboards and magazines are effecting the people in society as well.  Young kids have to see these pictures and form their conclusions about society and life from them.  If an advertisement is portraying an act as correct or normal, people will gather that information and conclude that it is in fact normal.  This can be good or bad depending on what the depiction is. If it is something harmful and demeaning to people then it's of course bad.  Advertising companies however do not care about this issue.  They are merely in the business to make money and play on things that they know will catch the audience's eye.  That's why there are so many advertisements that portray sex and drugs.  Our society has been structured upon things such as popularity and conformity when it used to be founded on honesty and integrity.  However that's the way that evolution works i suppose.  I like analyzing ads because I like to see what they really  mean and what crazy meanings they are trying to sell. 

Society Does It: So Should I

     College population are increasing, there is no doubt about that.  Universities and trade schools are overflowing with young adults just itching to reach that career they have dreamt of for years.  They study hard, test hard, party hard, and live hard for four years, and then, they graduate.  They worked so hard for that degree!  They are so ready!  "You're fired." "What?"
     How many of us (students) are actually prepared for the job we intend to have?  Each of us go to classes and we are handed assignments which already have answers.  When we solve problems we are given the variables.  We aren't being taught how to properly problem solve.  If we are sent into the world with an inferior skill set to what is required, what is the use of attending a university.  While we prove ourselves capable of solving past problems, we inhibit ourselves from solving future problems.  This is not to discourage students from attending college, this is to encourage universities to adjust their methods of teachings.  If colleges can shift their focus to preparing students to actually solving problems at hand instead of meeting state standards, we wouldn't have this problem.  Instead of only giving students problems that we already know the answers, we need to relate the information to real life situations.  Time and time again I have found myself in class learning math equations and biological processes only to wonder how I will actually use this in the field I enter.
     This basically dwindles down to guidance.  We can guide students to become book smart and be comfortable completing assignments.  But when he or she becomes a doctor, they better hope that dying patient hands them an anatomy worksheet and says, "Fill this out before I die."  Or, we can guide students to become experienced and comfortable working hands on.  Knowledge is useless without action.

Sex

I have seen a couple posts about sex among teens and I just thought I would express my opinions on it. Technically no one like a dirty girl. But in todays society sex is more accepted than ever. Although I don't think "kids" should be having sex I dont see a problems with teenagers doing it. No matter what teens are going to have sex. It is just the parents job to educate the youngters about condoms and STD's. We don't want a bunch of kids getting herpies but sex makes most teens happy. We shouldnt punish them for being happy. And again im not saying that it is ok for boys and girls to go out and be as dirty as possible im just saying that sex makes teens happy and we shouldnt frown upon people who do or have had sex. A lot of people are still good people but just chose to have intercourse.

Racism

Well first off I don't believe people are "racist" anymore. It is more of a culture dispute rather than skin color. Honestly, people don't care what color you are they care about how you portray yourself in the community. There is more and more interracial couples now a days than ever before, so you can clearly tell people don't care about color. Culture is a big divide between people. A lot of people think that there way is the only way there is and dont accept the fact that other people have different beliefs and customs. I feel like people just need to accept that just because they listen to country or rock and other people listen to rap or hiphop it doesn't make them any different. All people have feelings and a heart so they deserve to be treated the same. This country is the stirring pot of the world. It is the land of opportunity and we are making it more peaceful for different ethnicities to live here but there is still a long way to go. African Americans arent the only ones who get discriminated against. White people obviously dont belong at dancing parties.

Little 500

I'm sure everyone has heard of the little 500 that takes place in Bloomington at the IU campus. It is a fun time I experienced it last year and it was alright, but this years is going to be awesome I think. It is going to be a chance for all my friends that go to different schools that I do not get to hang out with very much to hang out together and I am sure that it will be like that for many people as well. With all the fun activites going on there it is important to still be safe and look out for one another. It is meant to be fun and is a way for students to get away from the stress of school. So with that lets go little 500 and everyone that does go be safe.

Oh Really?

It has been said that girls who engage in sexual activities at young ages are more prone to depression, and they are more likely to regret their decisions.  The study claimed that 19% of those who engaged in underage sex suffered from depression, whereas roughly 9% of those who did not have sex suffered from depression.  While the percentage difference seems significant between the two, neither number is extremely high.  Isn't it possible that this study is mildly confirming the fact that girls with depression are more apt to engage in sexual activity before the age of eighteen?  If 9% of girls who hadn't engaged in sexual activity still suffer from depression, it is likely that depression precedes any activity and is the defining factor in personality.  In order to validate this study, and solidify the results, psychological assessments should be done before and after said sexual activity.  Another factor to be looked at are the types of companions these underage girls are committing to.  Yes, 19% of the girls who engaged in sexual activity suffered from depression; could that depression have been caused by the pressures exerted by their sexual partners.  We must look at external factors as well as internal factors before we come to conclusions.  If 9% of those girls who didn't engage in sexual activity suffered from depression, could it be said that sex actually helps to eliminate depression if the circumstances are right.  The other 81% of girls engaging in sexual activity were happy, or at least said to be happy.  A logical fallacy is presented in almost any case like this, and must be dealt with accordingly.

synthesis essay

I really like the synthesis essay assignment. I think that it's a really great way to refresh your mind to analyzing and looking deeper into the meaning of a topic or article.  In general, I believe that analyzing a topic allows a person to really understand everything that was meant to be involved with the topic whether it's an argument, comparison or just facts.  Analyzing any piece of writing further more enhances the learning process.  You also get more or a feel for writing and styles of writing.  I think that the synthesis essay is even more beneficial to learning about the writing process because you have to introduce an idea.  I  had a lot of trouble with this at first because I didn’t quite understand how to do that.  I still don’t know if I accomplished the skill completely.  I do know that it was definitely a learning process in my analysis of the two articles that I chose.  I found the topics extremely interesting which of course always helps with the writing process.  However, I introduced a new idea based on a similarity between the two readings.  Im hoping that I correctly synthesized this way, but afterwards it wasn’t the same as our in class work.  Either way, it was good practice for the final portfolio!

Our Great Country

I don't know if there are others that have been seeing what has been happening these past few days. For those of you who are in the blind, let me give you a quick recap.

Our government was on the verge of a "shutdown", meaning that they would run out of money to continue federal programs since the budget for this year had yet to be passed. This would have meant the national parks, the IRS, and other facilities would have had to close their doors and send all the workers home without pay. This shortfall would have also fallen on our soldiers who are currently overseas serving their country. They would of had to continue to fight, but get paid later, all while the bills at home would continue to come in. There would have been no interest payments on late paychecks or anything of the sort from the government.

What was the hold-up of the budget bill? Medical rights for women and planned parenthood. This issue nearly shut down the government because they as elected officials stick to their own personal values rather than the interests of the public in which elected them. Some said that they didn't want to spend tax payer's money on abortion clinics, when only 5% of the funds go towards. The other 95%? Pap smears. STD, testing, and counseling programs. Because the biggots of capital hill, we almost had a calamity on our hands.

To much relief, there was a temporary agreement set forth to leave out the section of planned parenthood. And what does capital hill do? They celebrate and congratulate themselves for doing such a great job. what makes me angry about it is that they still have yet to come to a resolution and WHY ARE THEY BEING CONGRATULATED FOR DOING THEIR JOBS?!?! Seriously, no one praises me for the work that I do. They didn't do anything special. So why are they any different?

I am curious to hear what some of you feel about this and what was your reaction to the news...

Thanks for looking!

Synthesis

Im currently working on writing synthesis essay. Ive really been stuck between either writing on Sex education, or change to education and race. My biggest concern with changing to education and race is that I would be inately bias because I am white, and after several discussions in class, im pretty sure certain people would accuse me of racism because of my feelings that each and every person should be treated equally regardless of race. Sex education presents many problems in writing however. There isnt a whole lot to contribute to the conversation because of how widely discussed this issue is in the mainstream media and inside of each home across the nation. Most of the sides to this argument are pretty cut and dry. even the smallest change or idea is widely discussed and talked about. Which gives alot of sources for info. but not alot to contribute. SO it concerns me that I might be graded negatively on my inability to present an original idea to this discussion.

Logical Fallacies or Ignorance

The question I am posing is thus, at what point does a logical fallacy cease being bad logic and become ignorance of the issue at hand and at what point do we ridicule those who are merely lacking knowledge about the issue? Specifically regarding Aesop’s Fables, in the one we read that an ant used the information at hand in order to craft a logical construct that was then used to reach a determination of the quality of life that the chrysalis was experiencing. When more information was gathered the ant would have obviously reached a different termination of the logical construct he had developed.  However, the newly morphed butterfly chose to lambast the ant with his ignorance instead of rising to be the greater person (insectoid) and turning this situation into a teaching experience about broadening ones horizons and casting the mind into higher pathways of thought. The butterfly chose instead to deride the ant for not recognizing that some change was occurring. But we know that this was the best supposition the ant could come away with using the information at hand.  Should the ant have chosen instead to sit a spell and gather more information meanwhile neglecting the duties he was aspiring to accomplish?  One could say that he should have asked the chrysalis to explain why he was in the shape he was, but also, when the ant reached his conclusion and announced it should not the soon to be butterfly corrected him? But if the butterfly was unable to communicate while in the cocoon should he have not realized this and then when he had the chance chosen to correct the ant?

Basically the butterfly turned out be a dick since it is obvious that the ant did not have a fully realized scientific knowledge of the anatomy and life cycle of a caterpillar.

how does it make you feel?

We read two articles last week, both of them about race. The first article written by a middle aged black woman was filled with tension. She rants about how America's fortune was built on the backs of slaves and how she will never call herself an American. This article made me uncomfortable and somewhat angry. I understand there is a lot going on that I may be unaware of as a young white female, but it seems that if she is so unhappy with the freedoms she has or has not been given perhaps she should relocate to someplace where she would be happy. Maybe it's naive of me, but if you dont like something, dont just sit there and blame others for it, effect a change. Don't get me wrong, I am wholey against all forms of racism. I know that African Americans suffered many great injustices, and still do, but I would like to believe that the majority of people judge others by their character and not the color of their skin! I felt uncomfortable, because even though it may not have been intended for me to be her audience, I had to read it, and felt like she was attacking me on some kind of personal level. I am very patriotic and can not thank our service men and women enough for all they do, but she seemed to miss the fact that she is one of the many people they are fighting for. It just seemed she had nothing to be greatful for, so perhaps she should really try counting her blessings before picking out all the flaws.

The second essay written by a white man is somewhat laughable. It comes across as a white man trying to be "down" with the African American poplutation. He says all this stuff about how it's up to them to take the next step and basically we've done all we can for them, it's up to them now. It is asinine. He jumps back and forth with the "white" we and the "all inclusive" we. I felt embarrased for him. He seemed to not have a clue. Like the author from the previous essay it seems that while both wanted change they placed the blame on someone else for it not happening.

Today's class

I am still surprised at the reactions of people in today's class. The two articles about race that we read kind of seemed to spark more interest than anything that has previously been talked about in class. Sure, both people were wrong. Sure , everyone is going to have a biased opinion. But why was Cannick's worse or "more wrong?" Both the articles were about the same thing, from different sides of the spectrum; a middle age African-American woman and a middle age white male. I think they both sound like idiots, personally, but to me she seems proud (perhaps a little too proud?). She see something wrong and wants change. But what about the guy? He seems just as arrogant as her. He says that "we" have done all we can, but I wonder if HE has done anything. Probably not. They both have a voice, so more power to them, but neither was the right way of going about it.

On task....well not really

Our class certainly has a tendency to get off track, way off track. So off track that the track has been long forgotten with no hope of safely finding our way back. This concerns me just for the shear that the lesson plan that was originally laid out for that day can surely not be adequately discussed in the manner for which Professor Brown originally planned. I am well aware that this class is for discussion just as much as it is for writing methods. But, with these discussions are trumping the teaching of the writing methods needed for excelling in the class there is a serious issue.
I am certainly not saying that we should end all discussion that is not precisely on topic. But, I do think we as a group as well as the professor should make sure that enough time is allotted to cover then need things that is class was structured to teach. Some of the things discussed in this class leave other classmates stuck in a perpetual blush. I am glad to be in this class please do not get me wrong. I feel I am leaps and bounds better at writing than I was before I enrolled in this class. It just leaves me to wonder on occasion how much better I would be if we talk even more about writing.

Blog post 1/5

People have become very visual because of TV and magazines, mostly TV. Images are used in courts as evidence that helps back up a defense or accusation of a convicted criminal. Images also sell stuff to us the consumer. But what I want to talk about is how individuals and society as a whole have been led by fear caused by the ill use of images. There has been a great focus on war for many years now. Yes this might sound redundant to you... another veteran talking about war. Where's the news in that. Well, my focus is not that. My focus is fear, fear through images and the manipulation of images and how it influences people when it comes to making decisions, their mental health, and way of life. It's really saddening the amount of dissinformation in the media. For example, being in the Middle East I was able to see how rich the culture there is. Most of the images and videos in the media you see ALL of the people there portrayed as extremists and born killers. I was able to mingle with locals and even sat down with them for meals. They are very family oriented and very protective of their values and beliefs. It's really sad the percentage of Americans who don't see this and only take into account what the media shows them. But we are told almost constantly to fear "them" and even hate "them" because of what "they" do and are capable of doing. Honestly it pisses me off because I met great people there who are only interested in providing for their families. Not to say that terrorists don't live their but they're not the majority. By the way, if your house/country was invaded by foreigners, how would you feel or react? Think about it. Back to fear... The greatest example I can talk about and something that will forever be engraved in our memories is the 9/11 attacks. It was a sad day that day and I feel for the loss of life. I really wish it hadn't happened because of the great loss and the "collateral damage" that ensued after that day. The images of those buildings coming down flooded our TVs and were at the time considered a wake up call for America. The level of fear in the U.S. overflowed. Amplified by the news coverage and our leaders pointing fingers, this misguided fear was used to invade a nation who had no direct influence in the attacks. But at the same time, those images allowed me to see what really happened and allowed for questioning and the search for the truth, the truth that those who come to realize don't speak of because people wouldn't be able to handle it. Fear has reached a level so high in the US to the extent that people are much more anxious and skeptical of the future. Suicide and depression rates have increased across the board. The mental health of people in this nation is being damaged greatly due to fear, the intentional fear mongering through the use of images. The only buffer I think there is, is the desensitization of society through movies, video games, and constant blasting of violent images into our brains through the news media. Not that this is a good thing because that would allow us to accept violence as a normal thing and maybe even acceptable...I want to say that we are far from that still. People who are controlled by fear aren't able to see or think clearly. We need to control our fears and really study images for what they are and not what those using images want us to think they are. We have to be very critical when watching images in the news and not as accepting as we have been. It use to be that the news gave us actual and good information, now it seem like they are manipulated and biased. I leave you with this: When you see something that causes fear and anxiety, step back and calmly look at the images closely. Don't allow yourself to be manipulated by the images and those presenting them. You lose part of your freedom by focusing on your fears. Don't allow fear to drive your decision-making process and way of life. We are all dying anyways, don't waste this life by living in fear. Be aware and prepared, but no biased or led by fear.