Self Critique

I have hated blogging this semester. At first I thought it would be an easy “A” but as the semester unfolded I found it to be nothing but an annoying challenge. Upon all the other writing assignments and all the large papers I was often overwhelmed and unable to adequately write an effective blog post.  I found I did try my best and I did not hesitate to voice my opinions. I wrote with my own voice and it definitely made me more comfortable in writing. I think many of the earlier posts were my best because it was the beginning of the semester and I was giving a better effort because I was not yet behind. The later ones I find far worse because I did not have as much time to think and cleanly project my opinion. It taught me to allot my time carefully and to put forth my best effort always. It taught me to come up with an outline before starting and to stick to the guideline. I do have my own personal blog as well and this classes blog helped refine the writings in my personal blog. It helped me more effectively get across my opinions through thought out and correctly grammared writings. My relationship with writing has in no way changed because of writing publically in a blog. I still hate writing and do not wish to do it anymore.

Prelim Essay

The preliminary essay went rather smoothly although I do still need to add about a paragraph more and two more sources now that I think about it but now its time to start focusing on my response essay. The response essay will be tricky because I am not necessarily too passionate about any of my fellow students postings. I originally was going to respond to two of them but one I didn’t understand the argument and the second wasn’t finished enough to argue so I decided I would try to respond to one about divorce. Originally I was going to add on to the original argument that divorce has become “the easy way out” that was until last night when after grueling and devastating tears my mom decided she needed a divorce from my father. Now I think I will try to counter the argument and discuss why and how divorce in a lot of ways is the only way out, certainly not the easiest. I will include quotes from my mother’s recent experience and facts from sources. The three main points I will cover will be the complication of the divorce process, the necessity at times for divorce and will refute the authors original arguments using the Bible through revealing even further parts of other bible passages. I will research where America stands in line with other countries in regards to divorce rates and I will delve into why they are ranked where they are ranked. I will address the many reasons one chooses to divorce and reveal all the challenges behind the process itself including physiologically which will further my argument that divorce is never the easy way out of anything.

Challenging Media

I just watched the First Disney video. This video opened my eyes to a side of Disney I had never been quite so aware of. My gut reaction was anger when Disney’s president was quoted at the end “ its only about money”. I felt extremely upset that Disney would say something like that. They do inherently have the obligation to stand for more than just money due to their large scale of influence. It is crucial that Disney realizes their impact and takes it cautiously serious. If Disney is solely concerned about money what is that teaching all those who know Disney, that life is all about money alone? The part about how Disney has portrayed women in a certain particular way over its many years was proven shockingly true through their incriminating clips pulled from a number of Disney films spanning the years. All the clips showed women with curvy hips, which they swung around, big boobs often barely covered, and the classic damsel in distress eye bat. This image subconsciously makes girls believe that is how they should look and act. Also the example about Tarzan being in Africa yet having no Africans in the movie subtly promotes white supremacy I found a little extreme but upon further thought slightly agreed with, why aren’t there any Africans in the African movie? The clip went further into many separate interviews some even interviewed children. These children had clearly been prompted by an off-screen question but none-the-less gave similar answers: they had not seen blacks portrayed as a good character, if portrayed at all, in Disney films. Now the rationale behind that is clearly unknown but suspicions are raised and offenses are taken. If Disney is all about the money than that must be the primary role behind all these images they are deciding to portray. Maybe they think portraying women that way will get them more money or maybe they thing whites are richer and will come see a white movie. Whatever the case maybe this video brought up many valid points that has changed my view of media as a whole. Media clearly needs to be challenged so that we are not all stuck in our own little bubbles of whatever media dictators decide to expose us to. We need to be challenging where the information came from and what it is trying to say. We need to be always asking for the other side to the story and recognizing Disney’s particular power in regards to media and questioning its purity and motives. If no one challenges media then we will be controlled by it.

Dissenting Voices

I recently read a blog post online that opposed listening to Christian music on the radio. The author liked the idea of listening to the Christian radio but also found it to go in boring cycles of predictable styles. I enjoyed the blog itself and all it had to say but did disagree with it on a few points. I did agree that the music did seem to go in cycles but I also find the Christian radio is somewhat keeping up with its time. The Christian radio often chooses the less edgy songs that we are more used to listening to on mainstream radio, but I do not hesitate to point out the mainstreams radio similar cycle of music styles. If you listen to the Michael Jackson mix of the yesteryear it sounds oddly similar to the pop mixes of today. Radio itself, Christian or not, does tend to find a certain “sound” for their station and stick to it. The author said that listening to Christian music was a good reminder on reflecting on God but she said she listens to it for the creativity because it is hugely lacking in that area. I disagree; I find a lot of creativity amongst Christian artist maybe the station she chose to listen to stick with a certain “sound” but that does not reflect all that is available in the Christian realm of music. She then goes on to say that the radio often takes a great song originally and plays myriads of varying versions of it which in turn takes away from the overall effect and beauty of the original song. In fact, I find quite the opposite to be true, I find different versions of the same song only enhances the original, its quality and effectiveness to reach new audiences in different ways. I do agree a song can get overplayed which is a danger many radios face. Her argument about the varying versions suggests that it sends the message that people worship better to a certain group or musicians voice and misses the whole message of the song itself. Just because there are many artists doing the same song by no means that it sends the message one is better or more worshipful. She said this also indicates artist’s lack of ability to write new songs when really it reflects the artistic-ness in the original song. Although I do somewhat agree that it does show a bit of lack of originality it certainly does not make the song or artist useless or pointless. I also agree that from a musician’s standpoint most Christian radio songs do follow the same note and rhythmic pattern. But in all honesty so do all the modern day pop songs on any mainstream radio station so if you find yourself so opposed to the monotony of radio then pop a CD in or become an artist!

Online Interaction

Interaction with classmates always has a certain dynamic. The level of camaraderie and common knowledge amongst members of the same class elevate the interaction to an exclusive and sharp discussion. I have enjoyed getting to know the variety of powerful members in my class through their styles and topics of writing. The freedom of reading their writings through an open blog gave me the time and comfort to read and reply whenever and however if so felt. I do not however feel that a lot of them were effective extensions of class. More often than not I found the blog topics extremely random and off topic and not of any further benefit or help to the classes conversations. Inside the physical classrooms I felt we had very little or limited interaction with fellow piers often we had to spend the time allowing the teacher to teach us the newest concept or explain the newest assignment. The comments are absolutely pointless, not only does no one truly want to take the time to read anyone else’s responses but they end up leaving comments that are of no benefit to anyone, not intentionally but often because the subject is hard to really respond to and because, as stated originally the topics do not feel like a useful extension of class so it just feels like pointless busy-work. On top of making the comments alone you also had to fill out weekly forms explaining all the comments you made and all the comments that were made on yours, which was again just an addition to the stress of it all. You would loose track of whose you commented on and which ones, you would receive no helpful comments of your own and once you fell behind you were hopelessly stuck behind. Not to mention the extreme and frustrating ambiguity of grading. Are we even getting graded for our comments? If so, How? If we fell behind is it of any benefit to our grade to go back and fill out allllll those forms? Or was the whole point of the comments and the forms just to push students to interact? Online discussions are honestly hard to stir up and maintain because for the most part one comments then another an hour later than a day later another comment and its just too disconnected and impersonal to actually have a discussion. But I by no means prefer the forum discussions, if we are going to have a discussion it should be in class, face to face. If I could change the blogs I would maybe change the comment requirement down to one comment but that is only if they will actually count for credit. I would also either give blogs that go directly along with the stuff we learn in class and cut down the overall number, it got overwhelming with all the other writing assignments assigned. I liked how a lot of them were personal opinion and only graded for length and appropriateness but maybe adding a free blog in would give students freedom to express themselves in whatever way and on whatever subject they want to! Lastly I would make the word requirement more like 350ish.

Qualitative stiiiiinnnkksss

Clearly I am writing this blog post later than the due date and because of my timing it is after the last class session where I think I asked all my questions. I cannot remember all the questions I asked and because I do feel that they were adequately answered I do not feel it quite necessary to re-ask them on this blog post. But since I want a good grade on my blogs I will attempt to remember what I was feeling before our last class session where we discussed the paper in great detail. I remember struggling with not fully wrapping my head around what this paper really wanted. It is not quite an opinion paper, it is not a research paper and it is not a comparative paper. Meaning it is not a paper of what I personally feel about two different mediums of one story, it is not a paper where I gather all this hard research found all over the internet and it is not a paper simply comparing the similarities or differences between the two. So what is it?? It is very tricky. You have to pick a two types of mediums with which one common story is told, then you must somehow form some kind of a thesis between the two, then form open ended questions related to your thesis to retrieve qualitative data on what other people think then you have to someone form a 6 page paper about what you people said and how it relates to your thesis and sum it all up by saying what the point of the paper even is to begin with. It is just way too confusing. Then not to mention the fact it was told to us that you may not even be able to form a thesis or clear aim for the paper until after the interviews or after a lot of the writing is done. I thought I did not like quantitative writing but it has hit me that I like it a lot better. It is clear and easy to understand and write a paper on. I am just extremely confused and overwhelmed by this paper. I do not know how I will use the people’s answers to back up my original claim or if that’s what I am even supposed to be doing. I think because feelings are so ambiguous, qualitative research and writing based on what other people think not personal opinion is difficult. At this point, in my frustration I am sorry to say I cannot give a “best” aspect. But once I have the paper done, ill let you know. All these above concerns are challenges I am currently facing and I will overcome them somehow by simply trying to get the paper done, I feel like all these concerns are ones that can only be done away with a completed paper. So at this point whatever confusion I still hold needs to just be put aside and I need to concoct a qualitative paper out of it. So here I go…

experience learning

Learning is something I find you cannot escape. It is all around you and in every experience.  I have learned a lot from many different experiences. I feel like that is how a majority of your learning is gained and maintained, through experiences. You can sit in a class and be taught something over and over again but until you actually experience it for yourself to you fully grasp, appreciate and exemplify whatever is being taught and that is true learning.

To answer that question I simply reflected upon my own life. On a lighter level I reflected upon when a teacher may tell me something in class, for example, don not put a comma there but until I actually had to type the paper on my own, determine if a comma went somewhere and then got a poor grade back for misplacing commas I would learn from that experience to first to take heed to the words my teacher says and second to place the commas where they rightly belong.

But on a more personal level I looked back upon the time in my life where I did not to what I was taught because I had yet to learn it. For years I had been taught through teachers, relatives’ even books that lying only makes things more complicated. That one lie only leads to another and another until your stuck in a mess of lies. This being taught to me was put to test when one day I said one lie. The days proceeding I was forced into conjuring up further lies to mask to first lie until months later I was in a web of lies and had no other choice but to finally tell the truth. Although all those years prior to this messy little lie I was taught not to do that even shown examples of why and what it would cause, it was not until I actually experienced it all for myself that I truly learned what lying is and why we should not do it. I experienced the true fatality of a lie first hand and had to forge my way through the lies all by myself. This experience not only taught me not to lie but I in turn learned why not to, what is does, how horrible it is and it developed me into the honest and transparent person I am today.

I do find that things learned through experience change your worldview. If you are made to live in a slum in Africa suddenly, I am sure; your worldview on poverty would change.  I do confess that everyone’s experiences are different, they have different affects, play different roles and for different results. Learning is not restricted to a certain classroom or certain class of people every single human being has the ability to always be changing and learning and through experiences day in and day out oftentimes cannot escape this learning experience called life. 

Superficial Sarcasm

This literally left me laughing! It hit everything right on the head! It is as if he had my popular article sitting right in front of him! He began by overdramatizing the simplicity of a popular article title. The irony is, the title for my popular article about lactose intolerance was “Lactose Intolerance”.  He was correct to establish that journalists tend to begin by attempting to clarify this is not an article of their own opinion but rather on a scientific topic by using statistics or quotes. He the goes on to exaggerate that no paragraph should me more than one line, although joking his sarcasm is sprinkled with truth. The mentality that I have found a lot of popular articles hold is the mentality that the shorter the article the better. The more quickly we get the point across to our lazy and uninterested audience the better. The less they have to actually read and think the more people will read it. I also found his mentioning of popular articles sympathies to reign true. Often I find popular articles, especially on a health topic to draw in those who are hurting and then provide hope and compassion for those reading. It is a clever way to appeal to an audience and gain quick respect and appreciation for the article. The article about popular articles also mentions quotes a few times in a humorous manner. Quotes within popular articles, as I have just noticed, are almost always short and upon review very vague. The portion midway through about the picture was hilarious. My popular article I used for my paper did indeed have a picture halfway through and it did indeed keep me reading the article. Also my article stuck with short paragraphs and even some one-liners as he poked fun of near the bottom. The portion about how the general audience will choose to read the first article that pops up in a search is incredibly true and because of that the information in the first found article is often built upon information the author found in general searches as well. This article was very entertaining and took the raw form of all popular articles and showed us all how silly they truly are!

Even Scholars start at Square one

Unfortunately after literally hours of diligent searching I am frustratingly pitted to choose a completely new topic. But since this was a recent discovery I have yet to pursue my new articles. So for this particular blog post I will have to simply backtrack and write about the topic I had originally hoped to write about. The topic was about a microscopic protein within the human body called Laminin. This protein is one that holds our whole being together and strengthens us to live. Without this crucial protein we would simply not hold together. On that note, a few years ago a prominent Christian evangelist used this small protein and its structure as the core to his sermon. The importance was in the structure of the Laminin molecule itself. The shape in naturally holds within the body is the precise shape of a cross. This evangelist chose to claim that this was a clear and phenomenal reflection of how our bodies were not only crafted but also held together by a God and by Jesus Christ. My interest was to look into scientific articles on the same topic of Laminin's structure and how the shape it holds in fact has a scientific explanation and is in no way related to the religion of Christ. I easily discovered many popular articles from the Christians realm but all the scientific articles only talked about crazy confusing things about different types of Laminin and their effects on different diseases at no point did I encounter an article that I felt I could use to compare to the popular article.

Popular Article:

 http://jesusismyfavorite.blogspot.com/2009/03/laminin-is-shaped-like-cross.html

Scholarly Article: http://www.jstor.org/stable/32565?&Search=yes&term=laminin&term=shape&term=humans&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3D%28%28laminin%2Bin%2Bhumans%29%2BAND%2B%28shape%29%29%26gw%3Djtx%26acc%3Don%26prq%3D%28%28laminin-humans%29%2BAND%2B%28shape%29%29%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&item=2&ttl=189&returnArticleService=showFullTextl

I am having extreme difficulty finding an adequate scholarly article that represents the same information of the popular just on a scientific level. At this point I am not only extremely tired of searching but frustrated and completely stressed. I do not know where to go from here. I do not know what new topic to choose. Then from there I do not know how to spin a whole six-page paper out of it. I am extremely confused as to what this paper truly is about. Are we just comparing and contrasting the difference between scholarly and popular articles? I plan to just start searching for new ideas and from there maybe writing a compare contrast table and writing down preliminary thoughts before diving into the paper itself. The due date is sooooooooooooooooo soon, which is stressful and intimidating. Overall I am I felt like I was on a great path but unfortunately hit road block after road block and figured it might be best to choose a new route. So this weekend I will attempt to nail down a new topic, find articles for it then create a chart to break down each articles elements and how the are different or similar in anyways. I am not hopeful it will be easy or it will equal six pages. Lastly I would just like to ask for some help with APA, I am hoping that this Thursday we will be taught in great detail how to cited properly in this completely foreign method. I did look it up and attempt to recreate it for this blog but I could not figure out some aspects of it based on my particular websites. 

Lets discuss the discussion

No, I did not think the forum was engaging or useful and I would not like to have any more forum discussions in the future.  For the portion of it that we had to engage with each other by the time I signed into the discussion, which was only a few hours after the first comment had been made there was a flood of posts from everyone stating their opinions and commenting on them. This overwhelmed me and I did not know where to begin. Do I read everyone else’s thoughts and comment on theirs or do I post my own thoughts and wait to be commented on or do I do both? It was just extremely time consuming to sit there and not only spend adequate time reading the actual prompt but also have to read through everyone’s comments on it. I found it a waste of time and not helpful on any level. I think this negative sense stems from my already instilled hatred for technology; I believe a discussion is exactly that, a discussion, not typing back and forth. I think we should have discussions with one another face to face in person not on a computer screen. I thought I was very confusing and jumbled and I was unable to glean any new knowledge from it. I would have much rather preferred our discussion to have been in class. The one prompt where we did not have to comment on each others thoughts or actually hold a conversation I liked better but still don’t know why that could not have just been a writing assignment we turn into the teacher. I did like the overall freedom of the assignment, that we could just sign on and comment whenever we wanted to. I enjoyed getting to comment an unlimited amount. Although, upon reflection, my overwhelming feelings did take control rendering myself a very minimal addition to the discussion. Though I participated a only a few a little and posted only a few thoughts I still found this discussion quite pointless because of the lack of knowledge as to how to be an active member in one or how to join the discussion. I think if we talked about how to handle online discussions and how to engage in them in a composed and beneficial manner it may help. If you analyze the discussion format itself there really is nothing within its infrastructure you could necessarily better. The set up was clean and precise. I provided a clear beginning topic and it made it easy to respond as an individual and also allowed a organized way to respond to a specific others posted thought. So in the improvement realm I am unsure of what advice to better the discussion forum itself. I just personally enjoy face-to-face discussion if they need to happen and coupled with my lack of enjoyment in staring at a computer screen I overall would never want to do this assignment again. Unless taught clearer strategies as to how to handle it effectively and efficiently. 

Are we believing lies?!

When I first read the title of this particular blog post I thought to myself that this author is right, we, as a society, for our own benefit and the to the benefit of science itself, should have more scientists who can “write badly” or “ at our level” so we can better understand!  But after reading the blogs entirety I see I was a little off!

First off this was shocking to me how the presented contrasting articles were not only different in technique and informational display but in fact the first one was blatantly making false claims and in fact was a lie! This I would have never known or taken the time to have fully researched to reveal its lack of proof. How upsetting to think the average person, not being scientifically qualified, could actually perhaps be being fed lies and false reports on a daily basis. Then the fact that it was overlooked not to be shunned to the appropriate degree and was at full penalty only spotted by a fellow writer makes me even more apprehensive of similar articles. Although it was far easier to read than the actual scientific breakdown and convincing in its claims appealing to the common desire to focus better in school the article itself was providing false information and convincing the audience of false remedies.

I have learned that not only myself but also the society as a whole needs to keep their eyes opened. If we simply take word we read then we may all be running to the stores buying crazy things off the shelves of Walgreens just because someone wrote it will make us feel better or perform better or some other reasonable claim that will actually be lunacy!!!  The fact that so many people did go out and purchase omega-3 and even so saw no clear results shows how easily we can be fooled and how once fooled we simply stay blinded. We desire remedies so badly any claim to remedy becomes the remedy for our desire to be remedied.

I learned that when writing a popular scientific article you must learn the art of maintaining the science while accurately appealing to the intended audience. You cannot substitute opinion for scientific research or add what you hope the medicine might do from what the medicine actually does do! Scientific articles for the popular audience most certainly are not for a dumb audience so write accordingly, validate the claims and be honest!

Liberman provides snip-its of each article he mentions, providing a clear representation of his claims. These are helpful to show the precise faults made and the combating arguments against it.

The bad science column was sharp enough to refute the careless claims and reveals our incredible need for more Bad Science writers everywhere indeed! To see what we cant see and reveal the truth to the common popular science article reader who may have innocently fallen into an unknown trap of misquoted science for the sake of its popularity!

Online postings

Just like posting incriminating photographs on face book, openness in writing online can be a potentially dangerous feat also. What you type and post online is readily available to any and everyone in the public eye. This truth opens the door for a lot of misunderstanding, offense and incrimination. Although the consequences could be negative and frightening, it can also be exhilarating. The consequences could range from an editor asking to read more of your work to a piece of your writing being turned around to misrepresent who you are.

 I find writing on line a rather frightening thing, although whatever is posted is in my own words and these words can be “edited” or taken down altogether, the time it is posted is a time of vulnerability. Because it is online it could also be taken by another and used for their benefit, or plagiarized although I have yet to be a victim in this act it is a risk of online writing. Also your writing is open to mass scrutiny and thus mass critique. With so many eyes eager and easily placed on my online writing I often find this gives the onlooker a sense of freedom to respond which may sound like more like a benefit to the writer it puts you in a position to be analyzed on a lot of levels. Just like with any online database people often feel they can withhold their true identity, for example a normally shy person will now feel comfortable to express any harsh or negative thing about a text that they would have otherwise, in person, just kept quiet about.

After blogging within a constrained class of piers and specified discussion topics the threats do diminish. I have found great rewards in hearing what others have to say on my personal thoughts. We are making good use of the benefits of collaborating because of the comment requirements. This interaction through writing has made online openness more personable and beneficial. Also publishing online allows a much wider audience, that would have probably otherwise never heard, hear what you have to say.

I feel like with anything on line there are clear dangers and extravagant benefits. I also believe we should not let one or the other prevent or over-enable a writer. No writer should fear their work being online to the point of restricting any of their writing from ever being posted. I think it is a growing experience for both the author and the audience to engage in it. The writer should never fear what others will say or how their work may be falsely perceived or wrongly used. Think about it, if there were no writers brave enough to open up online we would not be the opinion-driven, outspoken, clear-minded individuals we are today. Through reading countless others material we are better able to form who we are and what we believe. On the flip side the online scene should not be misused for corrupt comments and unruly thoughts. The openness of writing online has its consequences so be careful and have fun!

Critiques

I am an insanely over-annalistic person, which is a flaw at times, but other times not so much! I am not hesitant on critiquing things I see fit for critiquing. What I mean by that is I am most definitely not going to heartlessly walk up to someone and tell her that her outfit is hideous and list ten reasons why. But I am willing to read someone’s paper and identify areas that need work and attempt to aid the person in fixing it. I will do my best to spot obvious weak points but often, like in the case of this paper, after reading each of my group’s papers they all were very clear and concise in all they presented.

I find good constructive criticism to be comments that assist the writer in enhancing their work. For instance critiques like “that word sucks” is not helpful or kind but a critique like “ you could use a better word here, like challenging instead of hard”. So advice not just rash statements. Helpful comments make the own writer dig deeper into their own paper and help them see things they missed or maybe did not clearly state originally. Criticism is option but also fact. I find it enjoyable when the critic adds comments based on personal option providing me with different vantage points but also it is crucial the critic not give only personal option or give it too loudly. What I mean by that is it is not good if you get a paper back and the whole paper just says frilly things based on option but no help on how to edify your paper.

Likewise it is not aiding when a critic only says good things, even if the paper is written well, it most certainly is not flawless. Receiving a paper with “great job” “this was so great” all over it is sweet and no doubt encouraging but far from helpful.

In order for me to be a good critique I must balance kindness with toughness. Address clear mistakes or confusing parts but also commend for the overall accomplishment. I must maintain the line between personal opinion and helpful tips. And I must think of the other person above myself. Ultimately my critique will hopefully help them achieve a higher grade and with that outlook it is important to take the time and effort to pour into critiquing critically.

The most helpful critiques someone could give me is a thoughtful one. One that picks apart my paper but does not butcher it. Appreciates my writing but does not water is down to mere praise. A piece of advice that was not flippant but thought out and done with a genuine desire to better my piece.

Critiquing is different than analyzing because it is taking your analyzing it and using it to better sharpen another’s work. Critiquing is a beneficial discipline for yourself and others and is one that will always be needed as long as writing is around.

The developing Poloroid

Preferably, first drafts have always been my favorite. There is no pressure to be finished, no pinprick for perfection and no weight of comparison. I really enjoyed reading through this text although the title did make me a bit apprehensive. I did walk away much more confident in my own first draft and ready for any more first drafts I will have to feat. The author’s humor was far from dry and the points clear and valid.

            The section about perfectionism really resonated with me. I tend to, in every aspect of life, perfect what I am completing. I have learned to feel unachieved or incomplete if the task is not done to the fullest of my abilities. The thing about first drafts though, as the author noted, perfection is unachievable and in that sense unnecessary to strive after. First drafts are the first blob of thoughts, it is like you sat down read the assignment and started typing all you could. No really outline, no structured arguments, no proper grammar just you initial take. Just like any first shot, it’s not perfect. If it were it would be your final draft not your first.

            The author challenged me to find enjoyment in the first draft to discover and explore the topic and to not be afraid of a “shitty first draft”. Like stated it starts “shitty” then gets good then is finally great! Sometimes when you attempt to start with a great first draft you actually reverse the process and by the third draft have made it “shitty”. 

            The Polaroid analogy really helped because I just watched a movie about that was built around Polaroid pictures. In the movie the Polaroid’s would develop slow thus building suspense to the curious onlooker. In the same sense, if someone is reading your paper it is usually because your paper has grabbed their attention and they are the “curious onlooker”. As they read more and more of your paper the Polaroid develops more and more and the picture is more and more clear. The first draft is simply a developing Polaroid. We as the writer or capturer of the picture must be patient as the Polaroid picture develops and be confident that it will be what we expect it to be, just in time.

            I am not anxious about my first draft, and although I appreciate the rather long prompt about first drafts, I do not attribute my lack of concern to it. Although I do consider myself a perfectionist I have always understood the role of a first draft. The only thing that often stresses me about first drafts is just getting it done. I have to find the self-motivation to actually sit down and do it! Another thing I really hate about first drafts is they are not the final draft so although its an advantage to have to option to do further edits its also tedious to go back and re-read your first draft over and over again. 

Always Analyzing

Rhetorical analysis is breaking down a pre-made argument piece by piece to identify what the argument is and what is used to build it up. It is also a technique used to create your own argument through utilizing the elements of the rhetorical triangle in a perfected and convincing way.

Analysis is depicting individually each particle of an article! But rhetorically analyzing is breaking it down through means of logos, pathos, and ethos. The purpose behind any such analysis is to identify the truth and believe it. Without first solidifying the truth of a piece through rhetorical analysis you will simply fall numb to believe any and everything you see.

By not weighing the emotional draws you could fall victim to being manipulated by your emotions. By clearly marking the logical appeals you can more readily study and assure that the statistics given or promises made are indeed as logical as an instant commercial may want to you buy in to for their products benefit. Lastly by scrutinizing the ethical appeals you can arm yourself to not invest into someone or something simply because it states it is endorsed by a celebrity or certain group.

Although each piece of text should and often do contain each element of the rhetorical triangle, through analyzing the text you can better decipher how each element is used and better understand what is truly being conveyed. As the analyst you should equally develop a keen sense of logos, ethos and pathos and dissect each one in your analysis. If the observed text is lacking in an area than do not hesitate to still mention that area and how the article was in need of its appeal. It is always key to include personal opinion but also researched facts to back up you analysis. In order for you to create a strong argument through the rhetorical triangle you must be sure to be devoted to a distinct position, not be fearful of offending others and encompassing all three elements, logos, ethos and pathos creatively and convincingly.

Every text makes an argument and every texts argument can be analyzed. One must never hesitate to analyze but must also be sure to do it respectfully and appropriately. Do not avoid controversy and do not overstate the obvious, dig deep and search hard. Look beyond the articles initial impression. Organize your analysis of an argument into paragraphs each paragraph being one of the three elements. Then expand on the emotional appeals, how it draws you in emotionally and makes you feel something for the person or thing in the article whether it be sympathy or anger or love, the logical appeals, how it convinces your mind it is the only logical thing to believe or follow because of the facts or statistics mentioned, then the ethical appeals, how it may appeal to your own personal beliefs or how a notable endorser establishes a false reliability.

Rhetorical analysis is a powerful method of defending your own mind from falling captive to a seemingly convincing or crafty text.

Perfected Propoganda

Propaganda is never tampered with in time, never diminished or hushed by calm in society and never put to rest by media. It is a timeless effort that transcends political campaigns or periodical problems. Although, just like with everything else in our world, propaganda has changed with the changing times, it is still very much alive and thriving in our centuries as in centuries of old. I find its power may even be more suffocating due to our extreme growth in technology and mass media. Though the posters look different, now they can be posted all over the internet, billboards, television and countless other techniques.

For instance, this Obama ad was a very common ad that could easily be count cascading society nearly everywhere you turned during the presidential campaign. Although off-hand this may not appear propaganda it in fact is. Similar to historical propaganda it utilizes a message of patriotism through indwelling the colors red, white, and blue. If you glance upon both images above you immediately realize that they are filled with our patriotic colors thus instantly instilling a sense of patriotic duty and pride into the viewer. The first ad portrays that Obama is hope, that without Obama as president, we as Americans, have no hope. Obama is more than a color a race or religion he is America and he is Americas hope. Through utilizing the colors of our country both posters, new and old, persuade the audience to instantly respect the poster and all it is saying because red white and blue are the colors pumping through their veins.

Just go to the bathroom!

            The construction within culture of man and woman is nothing to grow offended by or defensive about. The bathroom sign is simply a sign hanging on a door to mark costumers into the right facility. If the author was arguing that we should have bathrooms that both men and women use than so be it, but I found her argument to be that these markers are in fact discrimination, which I find overdramatic and absurd.

            There are in fact, two and only two, genders in the world: man or woman. Now if you are confused because you were born a woman but later felt/became a man or vise versa than simply plan accordingly. If you were born into this world as a women but “became” a man or feel like you are a man than stick up for you intense convictions and go into the men’s restroom and that’s that. If you are so bold to walk around acting and proclaiming your manhood (but really were born a woman) then why in the world does your boldness stop at the bathroom door?

            I have found plenty of locations offer a family restrooms, open to anyone who may need it, thus providing a safe place for any confused distraught persons looking for a bathroom.

            Now as far as the pictures themselves on the doors: what would you suggest? Seriously, there are only so many options of indentifying which facility is for which gender. Sectioning the facilities into gender is by no means wrong or discriminating it is only a bathroom stall with a toilet that you spend literally seconds in to relieve your body. If for some reason you are so offended by the signs themselves then I suppose you can either shake the system and use opposite stalls or just never relieve yourself.

            Men no doubt dictate society, and although that is changing every passing day, it nonetheless is a well observable fact. Why must women take offense to that? Women, you have the full right and ability to achieve anything you desire especially here in America so just shut up and go where men go if you so feel the need. Women are naturally physically weaker than man, NEWSFLASH that is just reality, if you are so “offended” by that… then waste your life trying for some pointless reason to be the strongest woman in the world. Or just accept you are a woman and that society may classify you differently, because you are different than a man, and move on with life, just use the bathroom and move on.

            So what they put a dress on the women’s bathroom sign and not one on the men’s?? it is just a sign and it is just a dress. It does not mean that we, as women, are stupid, incompetent worthless dolls because we are portrayed with a dress.

            Culture manipulates the roles of women and men through countless ways but to go as far as depicting a bathroom sign as a secret force of cultural manipulation is just silly. These signs, none of them, are hurtful or detrimental. They are reality so just go to the bathroom.

Preliminary thoughts. true feelings version.

Although we did not blog for the public our feelings about writing itself, I will not hesitate to openly express my incredible dislike for it. This, no doubt, plays the weighty role on my feelings for this first writing assignment. Because I so avidly dislike the act of writing I inevitably dislike the first WRITING assignment. Now I wish my blog could stop there but 500 words is quite a bit away so now I will simply pour out my feelings to you about this assignment.

First of all, I have no time! As I am sure you do, I have so many other classes to focus on, not to mention the fact that this is my first semester of my freshmen year of college, inarguably a difficult period of adjustment in and of itself but then load up a weight load of pressing classes and you suddenly loose momentum. By the time I am done only writing out how to manage it all my next few hours have gone by!

How does this relate to this paper you may ask? Because after a filled weekend I find myself attempting the feat of a 5 page paper… in one night! Now, HOW STUPID, one might say to me. The tragedy is not this, the tragedy is the chunk of time I set aside this weekend devoted to my paper, only to find I had to use up all that time just to FIND an ad worth writing about. So here I sit, blogging my heart out!!! Frustrated at the intense lack of time, and the incredible inability I have to accomplish a paper thrown at me in such a short time. High school just simply was not like this.

Sooo, finally I found a topic to write a paper on, a commercial. Not my ideal piece of media but one that can fill five pages. The piece contains entrancing emotional appeals through its powerful music and startling images. It also encompasses the ethos by using Barack Obama as its authority no doubt giving it some sense of credibility. Then, like most commercials, ends with a strong logos appeal through showcasing the organization and disclaimer facts.

This commercial is effective in convincing you of something although after repeatedly watching it I loose its core message. After analyzing it piece-by-piece though it shows it strategically uses the elements of the rhetorical triangle.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, the roadblocks are innumerable. Although it is late and I am probably exaggerating quite a bit I find this task grueling and bubbling over with stress.  The hybridity has finally hit me, and I am detrimentally falling behind! I must overcome the lack of motivation and my insurmountable lack of time management! The roadblock of perfection must be demolished along with all the others. Above all I will conquer my dislike for writing. I will, somehow, produce my first paper for English 101 and it will knock your socks off! 

The Tricky Triangle

Doesn’t this picture just make you smile?!

Exactly the point. This ad for Lucky Charms cereal optimizes the Rhetorical Triangle.

Its appeal is first and foremost to kids. The author theoretically is this jolly little leprechaun, who is spreading his arms wide and smiling from ear to ear thus giving the audience an overwhelming sense of happiness and welcome. The leprechaun himself is representing the sheer joy one will undoubtedly obtain from buying and eating his particular cereal.

          The positioning of the leprechaun, the towering title and his presentation of the large bowl of cereal canopied by a incandescent rainbow are all arranged unevenly around the box keeping the eye jumping and excitedly engaged in all the box puts on show. Allowing the eye to catch all the promises on the box, from the color of the marshmallows, the size of the grain to the little facts of the proclaimed nutrition value.

         Choosing a magical creature such as an imaginary leprechaun gives the product a light and adventurous appeal. The ways the marshmallows are so clearly displayed in the air also maximize the products fine details entrancing the imagination of children! The title itself creates a story. The “pot of gold” analogy displayed also convinces the mind that this cereal is truly a treasure found at the end of a “rainbow”. So after any hard day at work or any rough morning beforehand this cereal can lift ones day and ignite ones spirit!

         This ad most definitely is pathos filled and pathos is its strongest appeal, through its innumerable innovative ways of capturing and manipulating emotions. But also has an ethical appeal (ethos), because a leprechaun is a childhood tale that transcends all races, religions, socioeconomic standings and authorities any audience that sees the ad will have a sense of equality and fairness.

         Lastly the small but strategic stamps on each corner each ensuring that this cereal is also healthy and credible thus exemplifying the logos element of the rhetorical triangle. The General Mills identification ensures that it is a well-known, well-produced brand from which many other cereals are produced. The guarantee of provided calcium and 12 vitamins and minerals and the statement that they are frosted whole grain oats appeals to the older audiences reasoning and logic. They will now feel that through buying this product they can please their Childs' imagination and want for sugar and also be providing other valuable nutrients!

         This ad performs ultimate persuasion through mastering each point in the rhetorical triangle. The elements of emotions (ethos) were satisfied through the bright uplifting colors and magical scenery producing happiness and childlike freedom. The element of ethos through placement and size of wording and choosing a universally neutral magical character allowing the product to easily sift the ranks of society. Lastly logos through the nutritional value promise appealing to the logic of why one should buy this product for themselves or others. It surely succeeded on convincing me to run to the store and buy some Lucky Charms!

        

567 words of something

It is always a humbling and enlightening experience to engage in piece of writing that is a self-applicable topic, such as recognizing and revising common writing flaws. Though this particular piece was rather on going and belaboring on minor points, it was non the less understandable and relevant.

The titled sections were notably common errors in nearly all writing and were topics that at first glance appeared simple so avoid. To my detriment though I soon found that each and every discussed topic was inherently hidden within my engrained style of writing. For instance the sections titled “Avoid the obvious content”, initially I jogged over this section assuming I foreknew everything it was going to say and that is was not something I needed to work on. Upon reading it a second time and attempting to write a blog about it I realized how often and how comfortable we are of writing the obvious content. Obviously this section was about content put it papers that everyone already is aware of, content the remedies itself useless because it is so well-known. As it mentions, often this information is included simply to meet a word count requirement, which is what I find myself doing nearly every time I sit down to write. This flaw is one that I was already aware of but did not want to protrude effort to demolish. I always figured that I could some how speak of the immediate idea just in an innovative way to make it sound like a completely different idea than what it, at is root, was. In high school I could choose the answer or subject that every other student also picked but attach so many extravagant words and extended sentences that it sounded poignant but was actually quite shallow and obvious.

The topic titled “take the less usual side” was a subject I have rarely devoted much thought to. After reading this section I found that in my own writing I lean towards my personal convictions rather than daring to oppose them and learn how to write powerful persuasions regardless of personal preferences.  For instance, I am passionate about Christianity so naturally if assigned a piece on religion I would immediately create a paper about Christianity. What Roberts convinced me of is that although you do not always have to defer from eminent matters you also, as a qualified writer have the freedom and power to write effectively any topic given to you, and when given the choice can be brave enough to choose the unconventional flavor!

Society does, often subconsciously; slither its way into our writing, from drawing us towards filling papers with the obvious content to confining us to choose uncontroversial topics. Another pull society has on our writing is what Roberts called “modesty”. We have been taught that saying “mentally ill” is a far more polite way to say retarded so within our writing we sway towards more vague explanations than seemingly “rude” words that may offend another or shatter a norm. If you return to the top of this blog you will see I called the reading “on going” when in reality all I meant was it took too long to read!

This paper was instrumental in reminding me of personal writing flaws but also refining methods to better my writing. Yet even still, I am anxious to see the next byproduct of Roberts’s instruction!

Technology is too complicated!

I do not appreciate how complicated technology is!