Eng 001: Language & Writing

WP3

2008-12-15T11:40:00.017-06:00

Sugarland is one of the best new up coming bands in country music. Their hit song Baby Girl came out in the summer of 2004. Most of the video takes place inside a small café in a small town, one of which looks exactly like a small café called “The Western” in Schuyler, Nebraska. As a child, countless hours were spent sitting and eating their famous chicken fried steak and watching my grandparents drinking coffee. Eventually, time took its toll and eventually childhood faded. Throughout high school, numerous lunches were ate sitting at the dark red glittery counter with fancy bar stools. After home sport events, all the students could be found in The Western eating their favorite dish and slurping down milkshakes. Entering The Western is like entering into the world as it was seventy-five years ago. The inside is decorated with pictures of John Wayne and old cowboys. Every different type of person could be found inside. Watching the video is like sitting in the same café I sat in as a child. It is extremely similar and it seems like my memories have been collected inside the video instead of inside The Western. Things like this can only be found in my hometown.

Shannon Brown is not as famous as most artists, but she sang the anthem for farm kids everywhere in the summer of 2006, Cornfed. The video takes place in the middle of a corn field in what appears to be a very small town. Everything in this video reflects on my life. The lyrics, “Green fields for miles and miles; Ain’t nothin’ but country on the radio dial,” and seeing the corn, old barns, combines, and tractors, takes me back to Schuyler, Nebraska. All of the equipment is used on every farm throughout Nebraska. Combines are particular pieces of machinery that farmers, including my father, use to harvest their crops. Most of the crops grown in this state is corn, however beans and alfa alfa are also found. In rural Nebraska, everything in this video can be seen. Combines are found everywhere in Colfax County in the fall. During the spring and summer months, planters can be seen. Planters are used to put the crop into the ground. This machine enabled me to spend countless hours with my dad. Hours flew by as I sat shot gun in our Case IH Combine. Things like this can only be found in my hometown.

Ashton Shepherd is one of the newest country stars on the map. Her first single, Sounds So Good, came our earlier this year. In small towns, there is not a lot going on. So, finding things to do is a challenge. However, there are some things that have and will always be a tradition of the summer. For example, getting a cooler and going to the river. In the video, the first thing they do is get a cooler, load it in a truck, and head to a river for the day. The Platte River runs directly through Schuyler. The “Colfax Boundary” runs from two miles past Columbus and seven miles out of Schuyler. Air boats and fishing poles are obvious tools found at each cabin. Volleyball courts, basketball hoops, boats, docks, swim suits, and dogs can also be found. The Platte River is becoming much smaller and shallower each year. Most of the river is less than seven feet deep. The Platte River has aided in nine-teen years of summer fun. It holds most of the memories made with friends and family. Holidays and summers are all held here. Things like this can only be found in my hometown.

Firecracker came out in the fall of 2007. It was the third hit for the new comer, Josh Turner. Most of this video is taking place inside a fire work stand. Every Fourth of July weekend, getting to watch one of the states best fire work displays is at the top of everyone’s list. The display lasts for about forty minutes. Thousands upon thousands of dollars are spent on these fireworks annually. Different kinds such as, rockets, fountains, air bombs, roman candles, wheels, and shot cakes are all fired into the dark night. Finding people sitting everywhere along the river and in our park is very common during this time. The firework display is ran by local fire fighters to ensure safety. Every single summer time is spent waiting for this beautiful display. For about forty minutes getting lost into the deep black sky with bursting colors is one of the most amazing sights that can be seen. Things like this can only be found in my hometown.

Trace Adkins is known for singing Swing. The video is shot in the middle of a baseball field. The bleachers and diamond are obviously shown in the video. In the song, “swing” is stated too many times to count. However, at Merchant Park in Schuyler, “swing” can be heard twice as much. Schuyler is home to the minor league baseball team named the Merchants. In the “glory days,” they were unstoppable. They won every single game by more than five runs. The team was stacked with five players who eventually went semi professional. The park itself is just like all of the originals. Walking through the front gate, the cash is taken through the window. Once the ticket is given, heaven waits for you through the next blue gate. The smell of pop corn over takes the air as the sound of crunching sunflower seeds comes from underneath feet. The team itself is always dressed in a blue top with gray striped pants topped with a blue hat with a “M.” Watching all of these games is a huge part of my past. Now that I am getting older, I actually know everyone playing, which makes it even more fun. Merchant Park is one of the best, most visited parts of town. Things like this can only be found in my hometown.

Jason Aldean came out with the farmer’s anthem in 2006. Amarillo Sky is a song that says everything a farmer lives by and believes in. The video is taking place on a farm in the middle of the country. Tractors and combines are everywhere in the background, as well as corn. They also show farmers throughout the video. These people are exactly like my brother. He does the same work that is shown in the video. Our farm has been apart of our family for four generations, Clint plans to keep it that way. It amazes me on how much he loves being on a farm, he would hate going off of it. He just turned twenty-two and does the same work that my father does. It is in his blood. The words, “He takes the tractor another round, Pulls the plow across the ground, He says I never complain, I never ask why, Please don’t let my dreams run dry,” is exactly what Clint thinks every day. He is one of the most hard-working, dedicated people many have ever seen. He is determined to keep this farm going in the tough times we are having in our nation today. Regardless of the prices of fuel and crops, he will stay strong and make our family proud. Things like this can only be found in my hometown.

The legendary Brooks and Dunn have many songs that have become famous over the years. However, Red Dirt Road is one of their best. The video takes place on a deserted road. Having to be creative in planning every Friday night after hometown football games, a random dirt road became one of the first choices to hang out. After the Schuyler Warriors took on their opponents on the football field, the chit chat throughout the student body was to head out to “The Road.” Even though it was just named The Road, everyone knew it meant in the middle of Road 15 and 16. Every kid would carpool into the middle of the country to sit and talk to friends. The Road is still undiscovered by the police. (Well, as far as we know it is!) Almost every single Friday night was spent this way. That old dirt road has seen everything from break ups to hook ups, from sober to non sober, and from hellos to good-byes. Things like this can only be found in my hometown.

Final Post

2008-12-11T14:11:00.003-06:00

This class has been a good experience for me to go through my first sememster of college. I have learned a lot of things from being in here. One of which, is my high school english department is awful. Every different style of writing that we did in this class I have never heard of before. Hearing about all these new ways to write essays and papers really opened my eyes. I realized that I still would like to major in english. My attitude about writing didn't get worse, in fact, it grew in a more positive way. I realize that I am probably not very good at writing all these different styles, but I am excited and willing to continue to practice.

In the past, peer reviews haven't always meant that much to me. I would always try to really analyze my partner's paper by giving them advice of their actual writing to change, not just punctuation and grammar. Having people here that can give me advice of paragraphs to delete and better ways to word sentences is very beneficial and it is something that really helped me write. Also, learning exactly what to look for in other people's papers really helped me on the other end of peer reviewing.

Good writing to me is something very broad that I cannot put my finger on. Good writing can be analyzed in so many ways. To me, it is an essay or paper that can keep your full attention the entire time you are reading it. You should not have to force yourself to read the work. Also, it should have good information in it that actually makes you think or learn something from it. There should not be parts of the paper that you don't understand. Full comprehention is very important because the reader cannot be confused.

This class has helped me outside of here. I have done papers and other peer reviews in numerous other classes, including LAS. Having to write an eight to ten page paper is difficult. Learning how to put things specificaly and word things correctly really helped. Doing peer reviews in this class, I knew exactly what I should be looking for. I also knew how to help them by giving them advice on what to change specifically and how to change it.

One of my favorite kind of writings that I did was Penguin Society. In the beginning, I was completely confused and had no idea what I was supposed to be observing and reflecting upon and how exactly I should do it. I still don't know if I got the exact idea of how to do it, but I enjoyed it. Being able to go and observe something that was interesting to me, and reflect it back to something I think is important to the world was a lot of fun to write.

Another type of writing that I specifically enjoyed was when we were talkinga bout the Presidential Debates. This huge part of history was happening as we were writing about the topics. Being able to exactly understand what each Vice Presidential candidate was saying helped in my decision for who I voted for. Being able to uncover what each person was really trying to get at through what they were saying and how they said it was really beneficial and interesting.

How do I see myself as a writer? I thought I was pretty good. Leaving this class, I'm not so sure anymore! I don't think I am the worst writer there ever was, but I know that I have a lot of room for improvement. I am going to take every bit of advice and criticism I got from this class, and use it to improve my writing. I still enjoy writing and I am anxious to get into more english classes to learn and improve more.

Old Chevy Truck

2008-12-07T12:51:00.004-06:00

In the year of 1970 my dad bought his very first Chevy pick-up truck. It was his prized possession that drove him to and from school each day and to every Friday night football game. On December 12th 1989, I was born. This truck made its way to David City, Nebraska to pick me up from the hospital. This truck has seen every single year of my life. For as long as I could remember, you couldn’t even see the exact shade of green that it was painted. There was more rust on the fenders and bumper than paint. The window had a huge crack from side to side right down the middle of where you look out. Once the transmission went out, my dad couldn’t stand to send it to the junk yard, so my brother, dad, and I decided to work together to fix the truck back up to its glory days. Once the engine and transmission were fixed, we began to paint the truck. It is now back to the perfect shade of green it was over twenty years ago. The windshield no longer has a crack down the center, and all of the rust was sanded off completely. We even re-did the interior with dark gray leather seats and a chrome steering wheel. The truck is basically a part of our family. It has been there through thick and thin and we wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

My Angel

2008-12-07T12:42:00.002-06:00

Every year around Christmas time my house transforms into a Winter Wonderland. The Christmas tree appears in the corner of my living room and all of the decorations spread the house with cheer. With all of these decorations around the house, my favorite can be found in the center of the kitchen table. The porcelain angel, name Faith by its creator, is a fragile woman with two wings pointing downward. Her reddish brown hair is put up neatly on the top of her head. The magnificent purple gown with green and dark purple dots is flowing all the way to the ground. The angel’s two hands are held tightly to her chest and are clasped together. Her eyes are focused straight as if she were saying a prayer. This beautiful doll is so important to me and my family because it was purchased in memory of my grandmother when she passed away about seventeen years ago. Every single Christmas it has been placed in the center of all of the ruckus and excitement. The angel is in the middle of the kitchen because it is where most of the people are found around the holidays. When you walk into the house, you have to pass through the kitchen. In a way, grandma is almost greeting everyone when they enter, just as she did when she was still here. This porcelain angel is just an angel if you don’t know the reason and story behind it. However, my whole family knows it is there to remind us of the loss and the love of my grandma so many years ago.

Blue Moons

2008-11-17T22:12:00.013-06:00

Blue Moons is a painting created by Ray M. Swartz. Its deep and mysterious colors combine together to make a hidden meaning that must be analyzed and looked into deeper. Looking at the picture, the viewer’s eyes automatically go to the muscular white horse with the long haired blond lady lying aimlessly on its back. Staring more closely, the horse is quickly identified as a unicorn. According to Marianna Mayer, “The unicorn is the only fabulous beast that does not seem to have been conceived out of human fears. In even the earliest references he is fierce yet good, selfless yet solitary, but always mysteriously beautiful. He could be captured only by unfair means, and his single horn was said to neutralize poison." This puts a new twist on the picture because the audience quickly identifies that there is no possible way that this is a reality; it must be a fantasy. The long haired blonde lady is stretched carelessly across the unicorn’s neck. She appears to be completely relaxed and confident she is in the correct place. Her hand is draping onto the shoulder of the unicorn. The two blue moons in the far right corner are drifting in the sky of darkness. The overlapping twins seem to be holding onto one another.

Rhetorically analyzing this piece of art, there are numerous different answers to the questions floating in our minds. Compare and contrast, illustration, and irony are all used to make this picture come to life. The fact that the unicorn is from a fantasy and the woman is from reality is very enticing. Many different examples of ethos and logos are apparent in this oil painting.

This painting is so unique because the author uses many different rhetorical strategies to make his point come across. The first he uses is compare and contrast. The point of the painting is to make the connection between reality and fairy tales. It is very obvious that a human girl and a unicorn are from two completely different worlds. This use of pathos is trying to inform the audience that it is indeed possible for two different worlds. The author is comparing the fairy tale land of unicorns to the real world in which we live. The way that the lady is carelessly lying on the unicorn, shows that we could comfortably live together. We do not need to be fearful of one another.

The second type of rhetorical analysis is illustration. Putting another moon next to the moon that we believe is already there is a clever way of showing that there could be another life out there that we want to strive to someday meet. Putting the moons in an overlapping state shows that we are connected in some way. We are not overtaking the other one, so harmony could be accessible. One moon is much smaller than the other one. This could mean that the belief is much different between fantasy and reality. The smaller moon is the fantasy world. Not many people have a strong belief that there is another world out there. On the other hand, the bigger moon is taken as reality. Everyone has a belief that there is reality because they are living it.

Irony is also used in this painting. The artist was trying to use something opposite to get his point across. Putting a unicorn instead of a horse makes the viewer realize that the fantasy world and reality could indeed someday be connected. If a real horse was used, no one would think twice about the meaning behind the painting. However, allowing a human female to be so close and comfortable with a creature that we know isn’t even real, it gives us a sense of comfort and confidence that there is a possibility that we will be able to connect with a different life someday.

In this painting, the unicorn and second moon are combined to show that a fantasy world and the human world are closer than we initially thought. The blonde lady in the picture is clinging onto the unicorn very tightly, showing that another world would not be a scary place to be. Having another place to be and thinking there is some other world out there is a major possibility.

Seeing the other moon in the background is a way to show that the second world is available for the taking. Possibly, they are on another planet, where two moons can be seen. This would explain the reasoning for the unicorn to be real. The lady in the picture is relaxed and calm. This gives the illusion that there is something better for the taking. Her hand is not tense; it simply dangles on the upper leg of the white giant. Being relaxed and calm is a feeling that everyone strives to gain. It is better to be in a place of comfort rather than in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the real world. Seeing the beautiful view of the moon in the background is a way of showing the viewers that it is taking place in another place.

Ryan M. Swartz is an amazing artist that has painting for over forty-three years. He discovered his gift while he was very young. He specializes in pencil portraits and oil paintings. Swartz loves creating art work that is unique and catches the viewer’s interest. He enjoys painting animals, especially dogs.

This painting is a unique one that has made many heads turn. It is a beautiful piece of work that will be very popular for years to come. The meaning behind it is dark and mysterious. This is one of the reasons why so many people have traveled to see it. Is the meaning behind it obvious or not? Do people really believe that there is another world out there that we are all striving to become a part of? Is it possibly your after life, or is it where you are trying to go while alive? These are the many questions that are asked while looking into this painting. The only way to know for sure is to analyze it yourself, and make your own decision.

21st Century Art Work: "Feeling the Heat"

2008-11-09T22:13:00.003-06:00

Feeling the Heat at first glance looks like a beautiful woman peacefully sleeping on a bed. The silky white sheets seem to be so comforting that she is grasping them in her hand. Her eyes are sealed shut and look as if they are unable to open because she is in such a deep sleep. Just as you begin to look away, something eerie catches your eye. You start to get an uneasy feeling about the picture. The fact that her dress strap on her left shoulder is misplaced is a little odd. The lady’s dress appears to be riding up much higher than it should be. It is almost as if someone just threw her onto the bed. Perhaps she had too much to drink and she is passed out. Or maybe she took a drug and is now reaping the worst outcome. She may have overdosed on a simple drug such as Tylenol or Advil, or maybe she took a much worse kind, such as Cocaine or Heroine. There is even a slight possibility that someone else gave her the drug and left her there.
Another possibility is she may have died. A peaceful death may have been a possibility. Hopefully she just lay down to take a short nap before going out for the evening. However, it could be a nap that she never wakes up from. The alternative to this is she was murdered. The fact that her arms are draped around her carelessly and her clothes and hair are messed up is a little disturbing.
The perfect white sheet she is laying on can also mean some significance. In today’s society, white symbolizes something very pure. For example, women wear a perfectly white wedding dress to let everyone know they are in their first marriage and are very pure. Because of this, the mystery women seems to be very pure and happy with her life. It could mean that she was very loved and well taken care of. If she was murdered, it could mean that someone that was very jealous of her could have done it.
This painting by John Waterhouse creates some interesting points and topics. There are many ways to look at the picture. Different ways of interpreting it is what makes it so interesting. My view on the topic can be completely different than yours. It keeps and makes are interesting and fun.

Free Write: Christmas

2008-11-02T08:47:00.002-06:00

Christmas, my absolute favorite time of the year. No more school, lots of family and friends constantly around, snow, and of course, presents. It is the time of the year when most of the traditions are set and upheld. I can’t wait until the first snow hits the ground. Nothing is better than running out on the fresh snow on the ground, making sure that your footprints are the first to touch the flawless snow. My friends and I always go sledding down our huge hill at my house. We spend hours upon hours outside in the freezing weather just to have fun. This has been a tradition since I could remember. I also am excited for all of the big Christmas light displays that go up. Every year my mom, dad, brother, and I always take a trip from my hometown, Schuyler, to Lincoln to see the lights. We have done this since I can remember. Every year on December 23rd, my family leaves my house at five o’clock. We drive to Lincoln and pick somewhere to eat. Then we drive around and look at all of the lights. We normally end at the Animated Christmas Lights. They are hand-made, nothing pre-built. It is one of the prettiest things I have ever seen in my life. Another Christmas tradition I love is spending all the time with my family. Everyone from out of town comes back home. We spend numerous nights laughing and talking about the “old days.” Christmas is truly one of the most special times of the year. It is when everything feels right once again. You can re-connect with all of your family and friends again. Traditions will always be there, they will never be broken.

Vice Presidential Debate

2008-10-26T22:24:00.002-05:00

Sarah Palin uses Logos in her debate very well. Palin is very rational while she is arguing the question, “What promises have you and your campaigns made to the American people that you will not be able to keep?” She tries to use a bill about oil company tax cuts that Senator Barack Obama voted on to persuade the people watching. She calmly explained that as a Governor of Alaska, she had to calm the oil companies down and explain to them that they will not have issues with the tax cuts that Obama voted for. She used a lot of facts to help explain to the people viewing the debate. She said, “The tax breaks of ‘05 were what gave the huge tax breaks to all the major oil companies in Alaska.” She clearly stated that this was not a good idea because it was unfair to all of the oil companies that they take such a huge hit. The reason they were all for all the tax breaks was because they thought it would help encourage people to go green. She interpreted a lot of what was really going on to make Obama look bad. For example, she made it seem like Obama was the only one, the only reason, why the tax cuts hit all of the oil company. However, if you look at the big picture, he was only one vote. She reasons to the entire crowd why McCain would be the best candidate. She made it very clear that all of McCain’s promises will still be the same. She tries to use clear reasoning to make the audience see that McCain is very trustworthy. She doesn’t say anything that will make the audience second guess if McCain will go back on his word or not. Logically, she persuades the audience to see her views. She wants everyone to see that Obama made a mad decision when it came to voting on the tax cuts, but she wants everyone to see that McCain is making good decisions. In the end, Palin does a very good job of using logos in her debate. She is very respectful in how she presented her topic and views. However, he was intelligent because she made Obama look bad and McCain look good. She used clear reasoning to make the audience see what she was trying to get across. She used a lot of facts in her debate to make her point come across. She also interpreted a lot of things, also. She interpreted the way that Obama voted for the bill. She only showed one side of the story, not the whole story. Palin did a great job of debating and using the different aspects in her speech.

Presidential Debate

2008-10-20T14:46:00.004-05:00

The question that was asked to the candidates was "How much can we reduce our foreign oil dependency during your first term? Give a specific number." The first obvious thing I found about this part of the debate was that John McCain was using pathos. He was setting the mood and trying to convince the audience that Barack Obama was making a wrong decision or had a wrong point of view. He tried to put Obama in a corner and make the audience feel the same way he was. He was talking about the NAFTA, North America Free Trade Agreement. He was criticizing Barack for openly talking about trade agreements with other countries. Barack Obama really didn’t pick at McCain. He said his opinion about the question and stated his response clearly. However, he did not jump on anything about McCain. He tried to defend himself in a couple sentences at the end of his response. John McCain is a very credible man. He has served in the Army and has been faithful to our country all his life. I think this is why when I hear the word ethos, I think of him. When he spoke, I believed every word that he said. I can trust in him and his opinion. The answer to the question that he gave, seems sensible and well thought through. I also think that what he wants to do about the problem is obtainable. Barack’s response seemed far-fetched and I don’t know if he really had a plan or a bunch of little opinions stuck together. Maybe when he gets everything put together in a plan, it will sound better. I don’t know why, but when Barack Obama speaks, I have a problem with trusting and believing him. I really couldn’t find that many examples of logos. There wasn’t very many ways and examples of an exact logo. This debate was set up to influence and persuade an audience. I believe that both candidates did a very good job at stating where they stand on each and every topic. It is important for both of them to come off as credible and trustworthy. How you speak and present yourself during a debate is one of the most important parts of an election. If you say the wrong thing, you will lose votes. But if you can speak well and present yourself in a positive way, you will gain votes. Eventually this will lead towards you getting elected as President. Debates are full of different parts of logos, ethos, and pathos. Each part of a debate has a different aspect that is important to hit on. This debate was a great example of all of them put together to successfully persuade people.

Chapter 1 & 2 Questions

2008-10-20T11:42:00.002-05:00

Chapter 1

~ What is the best way to analyze something rhetorically?

~ What happens if you analyze and take the information different than what the author meant it to be taken?

~ When authors add text to their work is it more affective? Or does it affect how we interpret?

Chapter 2

~ What is the best rhetorical strategey?

~ What makes a logo fail or not appeal to an audience?

~ What makes the most effective logo?

Penguin Society

2008-10-05T15:48:00.010-05:00

The coal black, electric yellow, and snow white King Penguin gently woke from its nap. It shuffled off of the gray colored rock speckled with powdered snow. The two webbed feet clinch to the ground as the penguin stretches its body out. At once, it takes off in a bolt towards the freezing water. It bounds and whoosh, it dives gracefully into the water. There is virtually no splash. The penguin shows perfect form as it glides through the water. It swims to the bottom back to the top, from the top to the glass for everyone to see and cheer with excitement, and from the glass to the back to disappear from all’s sight. Then with a sudden burst of energy is pops out of the water and back onto the icy ledge. At once, it sprawls back out onto the rock that it once slept upon. It turns its neck to clean its stomach at a rapid pace. Once it is done this its self-given bath, the penguin relaxes back in to take another nap.

Once the fascination is over, I turn around and look at my surroundings. To the right, there is a black hallway. There is a blue sign saying Little Blue Penguins with a golden yellow arrow. If I would go back to the left, I would exit the exhibit through the clear glass doors with a silver frame. Directly behind me, there are four huge signs taller than me of the different types of penguins exhibited at the Henry Doorly Zoo. All of the sudden I hear, “Look mom, they are feeding them.” I whip around and peer into the glass cage. There are two women and one man dressed in sweat suits that have HDZ embroidered on the chest. They are holding three five gallon buckets of small fish. The man pulls out three fish at a time, picks his target, and launches them one at a time into a penguin’s mouth. Quickly, they go through all three buckets and divide this fish equally between all of the penguins. As soon as they came into the exhibit, they were gone.

After all of the excitement was over, the huge crowd shuffled away. I began to look more in depth at the big picture. There were thirteen penguins sleeping comfortably on rocks and the snowy ground. Ten were either running frantically around or swimming rapidly. There were also some walking around; they would occasionally plunge into the water and swim around comfortably. I began to wonder about penguins and their everyday life. I also wondered if they have different personalities, or if they live a certain way. I also thought about how humans are the same way.

In society, there are three different types of people: the frantic person, the calm person, and the laid-back person. Frantic people are always trying to get ahead in life. They go about their lives and not worry about other people. They want what’s best for them and that’s the only thing they want. They like to be the center of attention. Looking at the penguins, this similarity is very relevant. Three penguins in particular were constantly hustling around the ice. They would run over anything or anyone that was in their way. If they wanted to enter the water and another penguin was in their way, they would shove them overboard, or cut in front of them. In the water, they liked doing tricks and stunts just to make everyone point and stare in amazement. This was really noticeable when the three people were trying to feed their hungry stomachs. The frantic penguins were directly in front. If the lady would turn around, they would barge in front of everyone just to be center stage. I believe that humans are the same way. There are certain people who always like to be in the spot light. They will shove someone overboard just to get to where they want to be. They like getting the most food and attention.

I also wonder if the same is true when it comes to the calm type. This society, this type of person just goes about their business. At times they may like to be in the spotlight, but they will never shove someone out of their way to get there. They will make sure someone else has enough before they take too much. They are the type of person that you tend to like to be around. Seven penguins fit this description. They stood in the back while they were getting their lunch. They allowed everyone else to get what they needed first, and then they took their turn. In the water, they swam gracefully through the water, not to get everyone’s attention, but for the sheer enjoyment of being in the water. They feel no need to be in the spotlight. They like doing their own business and enjoy being intent in life.

I also know that there is the easy-going person is the exact opposite of the frantic person. They sit back in life and let other people control it. It was blatantly obvious with the penguins. The thirteen penguins sleeping were extremely easy-going. When their food was brought to them, they woke up, peered sleepily at the humans, and then laid back down. They knew that once they were done feeding the others, they would personally climb through the dangerous rocks and ice, they would hand feed them. If another penguin would try to bother them and wake them up, they would sit up and snarl at them. The other penguin would get the idea and become scared of them. Pretty soon, they were left alone and no one bothered them. This is the same in the humans; some people just prefer to be taken care of all their life. They like being fed, taken care of, and having everything given to them. It takes all of these different types of people to make the world work.

My thoughts were interrupted by a small blonde haired girl with Hannah Montana on the front of her pink t shirt. “Mommy, I don’t want a blueberry snow cone, I want cherry.” The mother just rolled her eyes and moved on and said, “Ok, we’ll go get you a cherry one.” I thought in my mind, “I wonder if the penguin society is real. Maybe the little girl is the frantic person. She may work everyone just to get what she wants. And maybe the mother is the easy-going type. She gets walked all over by her daughter. She just wants to make everyone happy." As I turn back to the penguins, I couldn’t help but laugh as I saw one penguin push another unexpected penguin straight into the freezing cold water.

Cubing

2008-10-05T10:26:00.001-05:00

1)Generalizing: The penguins at the zoo reminded me of our society. It is a lot like how we live today. There is so much hustle and bustle going around that those people can’t even think straight because they are moving too fast. We are way to cluttered and close together. However, there are some people that sleep and relax all day. They don’t care if something major is about to happen or if they should go to work. There are also some people that just like to go with the flow and relax and take a relaxing “swim.”
2)Giving Examples: Some examples I have are having the 13 penguins sleeping on the rocks. They are very care free. Also, they don’t let all of the background noise mess up their relaxation. They really don’t care if someone is diving into the water or is frantically running around. Another example is the relaxed but busy penguin. Some people are like this in real life. They go about their day and get everything done that needs to be done. They don’t stress about much, but their work is always complete before they dive into the water to have fun. The last type of person is the frantic stressed person. They are running around crazily diving in and out of the water, going too fast. They look worried and concerned and don’t appreciate the beauty around them.
3)Comparing & Contrasting: People in general could be compared. I believe that there are three different types of people. There are the type of people that don’t work. They don’t have a house and they are lazy all day. They don’t have a care in the world. The second type of person is the content person. They go to work and make a good income. They aren’t caught up in the ever day process of trying to get ahead. They take good care of themselves and live a good life. The third type of person is the frantic person. They want to get ahead in life lose sight of importance. They want to be the best they can and they lose focus of what is really important. They are frantic and can’t think straight.
4)Extending: Logically, this is the penguins at the zoo. Thinking more in depth than that, the zoo is to entertain. So in that aspect, there are some people that are entertainers in the world. Looking at the penguins as a whole, there are different people that make the world run. They wouldn’t be as entertaining if there weren’t the penguins or people that dove into everything head first. You would be able to say how cute they were if there weren’t some that slept all day. Every person or penguin makes up the world.
5)Analyzing: Everything is of equal importance. Each penguin does its own job to entertain. Some sleep, some keep the crowd entertained. The ice and cage represent the world. We need a foundation to live in and in some ways we need a boundary. Everyone needs to be able to be told when they are going too far. Obviously, everything was put there for a reason.
6)Applying: I think everyone could learn something from the lesson they teach us. I think we could learn to relax more and just do the necessary things to get by. We would all be a little bit happier if we took a nap or dove in the water. Not one person is right or wrong, but it would be helpful if we would all do a little bit of everything. The world would be a better place.
Purpose: I want to be able to show people how penguins and people are related. How we live and how they live are the exact same. There are the lazy ones, calm ones, and the frantic ones. We could learn how to relax and take life easier if we could learn how.

Free Write

2008-10-03T15:42:00.002-05:00

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of the year. First, the weather is perfect. It isn't the one hundred degree weather we get during the summer, and it isn't below ten degrees like the winter brings. You can comfortably wear a t shirt and a jeans. It is absolutely perfect. Another reason I love Fall is because of the smells it brings. On a farm, you can tell what time of the year it is by the scent in the air. The smell of corn is one of the best things you will ever experience. However, I don't think you can describe it. It isn't a sweet smell, it isn't dull, it isn't like a flower. I think harvest is a sent in its own. The time fall takes place is also another reason I love it. Family is a huge part of my life, so I enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas time when I get to see all of them. My birthday is also coming up so that excites me, too! The enjoyment of a break during fall is also nice. The colors of Fall is also another reason I love it so much. When the leaves go from electric and dark green to auburn and rusty orange, it is absolutely beautiful. Watching a leaf gently fall to the ground from a tree is breath taking. Fall brings excitement and joy. I look forward to this time of the month each year. I believe that the beautiful season goes too fast once it is here.

2008-09-28T20:59:00.011-05:00

This video is about a speech that Barack Obama gave. The speech was interpreted into the song, and the song, was interpreted into a video. It was a very powerful way to get across his point. It shows normal, everyday people reciting his speech. This makes it feel like it is their words. It was so powerful because the video makes it appear like whatever Barack was saying, made it important to everyone. It applied to all. The impact that the music has makes it feel important and forceful. Obama is trying to make a point and he makes it because the format of the video is strong and powerful. It makes everyone see that he means business and he really wants to make everyone believe "We Can." It is eye captivating and leaves a lasting impact in our minds. He repeats "yes we can" a bunch of times within the video. "Yes we can" is a way to let all the viewers know that he believes we can do different things. "Yes we can" get insurance stronger, "yes we can" end the war, "yes we can" make a change. Repetition is a powerful key in making an impact. This video was a strong way for Barack Obama to make a key point and get his point across. It was an amazing way to take a speech into something more.

Writing in the form that the video was made is a hard thing to do. It must be powerful and repetitive. You have to take a powerful speech and turn it into a powerful video. Then take the powerful video back into something powerful on paper once again. Barack Obama wanted to make a point that he is the correct candidate to be the President of the United States. Everything was meant to be powerful and have a lasting impression.

Barn Picture

2008-09-23T16:07:00.003-05:00

Farming is one solid and continuing things in this country. When the country was first created, food didn't come from Japan and other foreign countries. It was born and raised here. Today, the prices are doing very well. This is allowing farmers to have tons of the stress that they normally feel go away. They no longer have to worry if they are going to make a profit or if they will have enough money to make the payments. However, they still aren't out of the clear yet. There is always the huge chance that prices will go back to the way they were. Having corn above $4.00 per bushel is huge. If it goes back down to $1.00 per bushel a lot of farmers will be hurting once again. It is nice having the comfort and knowing that you can go out and purchase something big and knowing that you will be able to pay for it. Farmers take the biggest risk out of anyone. They gamble each and every day. Keeping their operation going is something that takes time, energy, and lots of money. At any given time a hail storm can come through and knock out any profit that they will have come in. The prices could crash. A tornado could ruin all of their crops. In the end, farmers have and always will be the backbone of America. They work extremely hard for what they have, lets just hope the prices stay where they are.

9-11 Picture

2008-09-18T16:48:00.003-05:00

September 11th was one of the darkest days in American History. I think a lot of people can remember exactly where they were on that dark day. No one will ever forget the disturbing image of the planes crashing into the buildings, or when the towers collapsed, or the devistated people running from the debris. Even though the terrorist attacks left created such a devistating day in our history, some good did come out of the attacks. For example, the economy took off. Because of all of the supplies needed to clean and repair the buildings, the economy thrived. Secondly, homeland security became a top priority. The airports, bus stations, concerts, places with thousands of people, are much safer and more secure so we can try to prevent another tragedy from happening. One of the biggest benefits you can visibly see is how the citizens of this country came together and bonded for a common cause. We all worked together to make New York City and all of the other crash sites like new again. September 11th left a huge hole in our hearts. However, from all of the problems, conflicts, and hurt it left, it allowed the United States to grow in numerous ways. It allowed us to grow in ways we didn't know we could.

White Tigers "Fact Vs Fiction"

2008-09-15T08:30:00.003-05:00

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This video was mainly about white tigers and what they go through to become the color that they are. It is an informative piece of work. The first white tiger was a color defect that humans found. They tried to breed the white tiger to a normal tiger and the offspring was orange. So, like humans normally do, they caused problems. They chose to breed the offspring with the mother. This produced an animal today that has joint problems and numerous other defects to it. Now a days, to get the beautiful white tigers that they use in magic shows and other entertainment areas, they "throw out" perfectly good tigers until they get the proper one. For example, since they are all in-bred, the baby tiger may not grow to its full potential because it will have so many defects. So, as a result, the baby will die and the humans will just continue on until they get the big, beautiful tiger they are looking for. In nature, you can barely find a white tiger around. They are all orange because of its natural habitat. In the jungle, they need to be able to camouflage themselves for hunting purposes. If they are white, it causes problems because the animal they are trying to hunt will see them coming and be able to escape. It is very unnatural for a tiger to be white. In the end, I believe that it is wrong to use these animals for entertainment purposes since so many are getting hurt from it. It is unfair to the tigers to put them through in-breeding. Most of the time it will not work anyways. Tigers are supposed to be orange, once again humans interfered with nature and harmed another beautiful creature.

Blog Post 2

2008-09-09T21:12:00.007-05:00

Diagrams can be very helpful while writing in a virtual world. Digarams help in many ways because if you are talking about a certain topic, you can have the picture to break down and help the reader understand what exactly you are talking about. For example, I chose to use a diagram of the muscular system. If I was explaining the different parts of the system, you could visually see which parts I was talking about. Or, if I was talking about the different functions of muscles, you could identify which ones I was talking about. I believe that diagrams are very helpful in an educational setting. Diagrams help students really see what the teacher is talking about. Most people, including me, are visual learners. This means that if we see what you are talking about on paper or in a diagram, we will understand it better. Labels are also a very important part of diagrams. On my diagram, they are labeled. Lines go from the part of the body, to the label. I don't believe there could be a different or better way to use labels for this particular picture. While taking a diagram off of its normal page, you must be careful not to take anything away from it. In most cases, a diagram is created for a specific purpose. So you have to be cautious not to take away the main reason is was created. You have to put it in a place and give it its recognition that it was meant to get in the first place. In the end, diagrams are a great way to help us understand visually a specific topic. They help out in a learning environment and can really help someone understand a big topic. Diagrams are very beneficial to have and create.

Blog Post 1

2008-09-04T14:19:00.008-05:00

"If you're not a writer, this sort of compulsiveness may seem well nigh pathological. You may even be thinking, "What's the difference?" But if you are a writer, you'll realize what a gift the editor gave his old friend. Had not a word been changed, the essay would still have been excellent. Each of these "tweaks"-there were perhaps a hundred, none more earthshaking than the ones I've quoted- made it a little better, and their aggregate effect was to transform an excellent essay into a superb one." (Atwan 34)

-Anne Fadiman

While reading The Importance of Being Edited, it began to come very clear to me how critical editing and re-editing is. When Fadiman states, "Each of these "tweaks"-there were perhaps a hundred, none more earthshaking than the ones I've quoted- made it a little better, and their aggregate effect was to transform an excellent essay into a superb one." It ensures us that even the best authors must be edited. Editing takes your first ideas and transforms them into a magical masterpiece of writing. Editing your paper can be a grueling and never ending process, but in the end, it makes all of the difference. It allows your creative side to come out. Your first draft is mainly for getting all of your ideas on the paper. Once you can edit your work, it allows your imagination to go wild. You can add words, change words, fix grammar, add ideas, change sentences, anything you need to make your paper improve. It is also beneficial to have someone else edit your paper. A new person's ideas can really bring your paper to life. They will have the ability to think of something differently that you would. Your editor will interpret things differently than what you may have meant. They will be able to help you take your paper leaps and bounds. Another important point to make, is that you should edit your paper more than once. It should be corrected numerous times. The more you change things and fix errors, the more positive the outcome will be. Corrections will take some time, but in the end the benefit out-weighs the time. In the end, editing has nothing but a positive effect on your essay. The repetitive process can be somewhat overlooked, but it shouldn't be. Authors of all calibers use this process because it makes their writing go to the next level. It is, in my opinion, the most important part of the writing process.

Test Post

2008-08-28T14:47:00.000-05:00

Test Post