In the News (Pit Bull Attacks)

What are your views on the rights of dogs vs. humans? I think that dogs have less rights and should have less rights then humans. I believe that dogs are here for humans not the other way around, but one should never harm a dog just because they think they have this right.
Do you think humans and dogs should receive equal punishments for equal aggression? I think that this is a tough subject, but no they should not. I mean it does depend on the case and what happens, but once again it is just the facts of life that humans have more rights then dogs do.
Do you think that pit bulls are considered dangerous and should be banned? Yes, pit bulls are considered dangerous, but they should not be banned because people have a right to own any kind of dog they want. Also, my cousin owns a pit bull and has a three year old to take care of, and she has trained that dog very well. So I think that people should have this right if they can control their pet.
Do these recent attacks change your ideas toward pit bulls? No, not really I just think people who have these dogs need to know the risks and train the dog or get rid of them. Is there anything you think that could be done to possibly prevent future attacks? People just need to know the risks and not put themselves in a situation that involves interaction with pit bulls.

Journal Entry #5

This essay was written in 1971. What types of duties does Syfers describe as being performed by wives? To what degree do you believe these are still done primarily by women? Have these or other things about the husband/wife relationship changed in the last 37 years? The types of duties Syfers describes as being performed by wives are the cleaning, the cooking, taking care of the children, taking care of the husbands needs, etc... I still believe that for the most part these duties are done mostly by the wives in the family, although things have changed drastically and the husbands are doing much more. Yes, in most cases I would say that the relationship between the husband/wife has become a more mutual as well as equal relationships compared to the ones where the husband is more domineering.

How would you describe Syfers’ writing style? Does she do things you would typically avoid in your own writing? I would describe her writing style as being very repetitive and blunt. Yes, she repeats the words, "I want a wife" in almost every sentence which can become boring to the reader, which is something I would like to avoid in my writing.

Syfers was reacting to a social structure that she felt at the time was unfair. What types of injustice or unfairness do you see in the world nowadays that you think should be addressed? Syfers implies that men benefit from the servile position of women in the family. Who benefits from the injustices you see active in the world today? I think in today's world, there are to many injustices or unfairness that go on that it is hard to only point out a few. I definitely think racism, religion, and political views should be addressed today. I do not believe that anyone benefits from the injustices today or if they do for a short while, then they are not benefits in the long run. Nobody should benefit from injustices in the world today.

Questions for Active Reading pg.233

1. Yes, I can clearly visualize what Sanders is doing at each step because he uses vivid details about building the wall that would divide the room. He also clearly explains what it took to build the wall between the room. Yes, each concept is clearly defined because in the text he describes many moments while building the wall. Sanders feels this need because without this clear description the reader may not clearly comprehend exactly what happened in the process of building the wall.

2. Sanders uses chronological order in his essay by explaining step by step his process of carpentry and how he built the wall. The objects and images that connect the different periods of time are the hammer that connects him to his father because it was passed down from generation to generation. The image of him hitting his thumb instead of the nail reminds him of his father and building things in general.

3. A "dawn stone" is what Anthropologists called an unworked rock that served as the earliest hammers. Sanders describes this because he is fascinated with all types of hammers, this hammer represents his ancestors and family.

In the News 9/23

Do you think these sites are just a phase or are they something that are going to be around for a long time? I think that Facebook/MySpace could be a phase for people and it will get old after a while. The only problem I see is that this phase will take a very long time before it fades and we have something else for society to cling on to.

How have they improved or made our lives more difficult, if at all? I think that this question will vary from person to person, but in my life I have had improvements because of Facebook. It has allowed me to connect with family member/friends I am not able to see now that I am in college. I have also become better at typing because of Facebook so I am grateful for it.

What causes these addictions to these sites? I think the addictions are just caused by how much people get involved with these sites. These sites also just give people something to do in their spare time.

Journal Entry #4

What does Bartholomae mean when he says that students must “invent the university” when they write in college? He means that students need to speak the language of the university and be inventive in the way they write. Students should look at each writing as though it would reflect on the university. Also look at their original idea and see if it reflects positively on that branch of the university.

What does Bartholomae suggest is a way for students to become “insiders” within academic discourse? Bartholomae suggests that all writers must imagine for themselves the privilege of being "insiders" that is, of being both inside an established and powerful discourse, and of being granted a special right to speak. Also to speak or proclaim their original idea they have invented or discovered.
Summarize some of the differences between the two examples of student writing that Bartholomae examines, and Bartholomae’s opinion of these examples. The difference between the two examples of student writing is the first writing about the football player changing his socks from his team is not so original or unique like he said. This is an idea he may have thought that he came up with on his own, but it is to broad of an idea that he copied from Billy White-shoes Johnson. The other student's writing is about creating her own songs and composing her own music. Her writing is different because she recognizes that her music is not completely hers, but that she used inspiration from her favorite songs. Therefore she was making small creations of her own. Truly using her creative side in her music she composed. Bartholomae opinion is one of a minor dislike and need for editing an idea in one essay. His other opinion is of interest and intrigue towards an essay that was well formed and creative.

Questions for Active Reading pg.108

1. The "6 Myths of Creativity," is a well studied and a creative opinion formed by Bill Breen, no pun intended. Creativity can be found in all types of people, as well as many different organization types. The influence of money does not motivate people in a work place to become creative or think of creative ideas. When people are put under a time deadline their percentage of creativity seems to diminish and they just focus on the main points of their idea. The idea of fear or depression does not produce creativity in a situation, it seems that people who are happy breakthrough with creative ideas. Collaboration seems to ignite creative ideas while competition stops the sharing of information therefore killing creative group productivity. When a company makes job cuts this makes workers stress out about losing their jobs and their creativity begins to fade.

2. Teresa Amabile, the Harvard Business School professor who studies creativity in the workplace, designed her research by collecting nearly 12,000 daily journal entries from 238 people working on creative projects in seven companies in the consumer products, high-tech, and chemical industries. She says, "We wanted to crawl inside people's heads and understand the features of their work environment as well as the experiences and thought processes that lead to creative breakthroughs." I would say that it is surprising that she came to all of these conclusions just from her studies and observations in the workplace.

3. I would say that the audience for Bill Breen's article is one of people in the workplace trying to figure out what kinds of problems they are having in their business involving creativity. I also think anyone who is interested in production related to creativity in the workplace. I can tell because he clearly shows this in his writing.

In the News

Is technology harming us more than helping us? I believe that technology is truly helping us in the long run, but some people are just ignorant or just brush off the risks of their actions. If people made smarter decisions or used technology in moderation I do not think that we would have as many problems.
Do you think that the benefit of these electronically advanced technologies outweigh the risks? Do you think that technology should be tested longer before being approved? Yes, I do think that the benefits outweigh the risks maybe not in all cases ,but for the most part technologies have made positive influences in our world. Yes, actually I think that if technology was tested more often then the problems would be minimize by a large amount. The companies trying to sell products may lose money, but it would be better in the long run for society as a whole. This may also minimize risks and problems for people using these technologies.

Project 1 Draft

Signs of a Loved One in the Hands of God
I believe in life after death because God has inadvertently sent my family and I signs that our lost loved ones are in his presence and care.
When I was ten, I lost my great-great aunt Jo to old age. Now one might ask, “How well can you really know a relative like this?” Considering most people do not even meet their great-great relatives. Well on the contrary ever since I was a baby I had spent many days over my grandparent’s house. In this house lived my great-great aunt Jo, my great grandpa and grandma Weber, as well as my grandpa and grandma Bevillard. So throughout the years I grew extremely close to all of them.
As a result, my great-great aunt Jo’s death was the first one I had ever experienced, and it was really tough on me considering I grew up with her in my life since I was a baby. That day at Hope Hospice I had a calming presence come over me that reassured my thoughts of her entering into Heaven. There was just one problem, as a kid I felt I needed concrete evidence or a sign from God that showed me that she was ok and with Him. So as I walked outside onto the patio that was connected to her room my eyes caught the sight of an amazing butterfly garden, and right then I saw the most beautiful butterfly I had ever seen in my life. I said a prayer that very instant thanking God for letting me know that she was with Him.
One year later, it was my great grandpa Weber’s time to go. I was eleven now, and was starting to wonder why I was losing people that I love care for so much. So on this rainy Father’s day, my family and I wait in a hospital room as he takes his last few deep breaths alive on this earth. As he drifts away into an interminable sleep I slowly see the tears drip down the faces of all who are in the room. Then, I suddenly peer out the window to find a rainbow stretching across the sky. Right then I knew that I had connected with God again as my great grandpa Weber was being welcomed into His kingdom.
As I became a teenager at the age of thirteen, I was hit with the death of my beloved great grandma Weber. This death also left a gaping hole in my heart. My great grandma Weber was placed into Hope Hospice because the doctors knew with her old age that it was only a matter of time before she passed. A few days later she died peacefully in her sleep, and as we were collecting her things out of the room at Hospice the next day, I finally noticed a large picture of a brown pelican hanging over her bed. Then, as my grandma and I were carrying some of her things out to the car I realized that on her purse woven out of straw was another brown pelican. At first I thought this was just a coincidence, but then two days later I was over my cousin’s house and sitting on his dock was a big beautiful brown pelican. This was the reassurance that I needed so I could have a better understanding of how she was doing on the other side.
Two years later, as a fifteen year old, the death that to this day is the hardest for me to swallow is the one of my great aunt Linda. My great aunt Linda did not have the best life while she was here on earth that’s for sure. She faced my hardships that she had no control of and was kind and loving to everyone. I just wish I wouldn’t have taken the time that I spent with her, the gifts she always seemed to give me, and the love she always showered upon me for granted. She ended up dying of colon cancer that spread to her liver and lungs. She did not deserve a death like that, but I believe it was her time to go and that was truly the only way to stop the suffering she had on earth. I felt a large amount of regret after her death and needed a sign that was a significant symbol that she was really with God. The next few mornings when I walked up the driveway to get the paper I heard the singing of a crimson cardinal. I would just watch the bird for a while, but not really think much of it or think there was any connection to Linda. Then that day was the funeral in New Jersey that I was not able to attend, but my grandma told me that there were beautiful pictures of cardinals in the room that Linda’s wake was held. It all finally clicked and I thanked God that second for the sign he sent me.
It may be a stretch for some to understand where I am coming from with this idea, but this is something I believe in strongly that helps me get through each day. I have faith that God sends signs to people that their loved ones are in his hands.

In the News "Politics"

Involving family influences on Politics, I believe that they should be involved in the campaign because the families actions will indirectly reflect how that candidate may run his family, therefore could show how he may take control of the country while in office. So by seeing how their families react in the news will show in a way how they may run the country in the future. I know this is a pretty big stretch to say this, but this is my belief. On the other hand is the Politics hault on the anniversary of 9/11, which is different subject entirely. I think this is a good sign in our world today because it shows we can see the more important things in life other than Politics. I also believe that as an American we can truly support the troops even if one does not support the war entirely.

Chapter 3 Questions pg.73

Questions For Active Reading:
1. The experience that changed Smiley's belief about chores was her working with horses and doing many different kinds of horsekeeping. Even though this was truly tough work, it was something that she had a passion for so she actually enjoyed it. She describes this experience more towards the end of her essay to give her opinion a different meaning. I think the impact would probably be the same for me where ever she placed this experience, but on the other hand I think it's place perfectly to sustain her opinion.
2. Smiley offers many different kinds of reasons and evidence to support her argument by giving the example of her horsekeeping, her husbands childhood and how he was working with his father and doing chores since he was five, her own childhood and how she didn't have to lift a finger to do any chores because they were all done for her, and the effect that chores have had on families which she has witnessed throughout the years. Yes, I do consider these reasons and evidence to be authoritative because she makes good points and has the evidence to back them up. I think the audience she is intending to reach out to is one of young persons who still have a chance to love work and not look at it in a negative way, but I also think she reaches out to anyone who looks to reflect on their childhood and see if chores have had an effect on them.
3. Smiley uses rhetorical questions to appeal to her readers by making them think and truly trying to relate the questions to her readers childhood as well as she can. My reaction to these questions is one that makes me look back at my own childhood and see if doing certain chores made me resent or dislike doing different kinds of work.

Reading Chapter 1

PG:13 Questions for Active Reading:
1.) Powell's purpose in writing was to know what you the writer are writing about. but also to make sure that you are giving the audience a clear sense of what the subject is. He tries to achieve his purpose is about his journey about coming over to the united states and how he goes to school in New York and then positioned to the army in Georgia after school. Then he figures out that he has a form of racism in the south because he is not used to leaving in the south where in New York its not a problem. He didn't know how to cope with the racism psychologically because he was very focused on succeeding at his army career. Twp specific examples front the reading are, "I had to learn to compromise, to accept a world I had not made and that was beyond my changing". "Racism was still relatively new to me, and I had to find a way to cope psychologically".
2.)While reading Powell had an audience of people who were very interested in racism and wanted to learn more about it from his point of view. Pro-right activist for African Americans as well as anyone interested in this subject.
3.)Colin Powell was born in New York City to immigrant parents from Jamaica. He graduated college at City college of New York with a degree in Geology. He participated in the ROTC. He has been awarded two Presidential Medal of Freedom in a Congressional Gold Medal. My attitude towards him is one of respect and gratitude for his commitment and serve to the United States of America. No this does not represent any change in my feeling toward Powell.

PG.19
1.) Goldberg's purpose in writing is he wanted to make people understand that when it comes to writing, it takes time and its something we all need to think about. The specific idea that was he wanted to write for years and people told him he should be a writer. And then he has to know that his expression needs to be born in him and on the paper.
2.)The audience that she had in her mind while writing was of students who blow off writing assignments and wait till the last minute instead of going through the whole writing process, and writing the paper correctly. Other audiences that would benefit would be, people coming back from school who haven't been in school for a long time. Also incoming high school students as well as incoming college students. The audience that will not benefit from this are people who don't care about the writing process and just want to get the writing done with.
3.)The writers subject is for people to understand her writing as well as to let people know about the writing and to show how to use the right writing process and not just to write to finish an assignment. Her attitude towards her subject is having a very strong belief in it and will stick by her opinion in writing.

Journal Entry #2

What makes the essays you chose compelling?
-I chose the essay "The Guts to keep going". This essay is compelling to me because my great grandma lost her husband, and went through this same kind of situation. This truly touched me because I'm sure this was hard for this woman to go through, considering I saw my great grandma go through this as well. The second essay that I choose that was compelling to me was, "The Strange Blessing That Brought Me Home" because it is related to Hurricane Katrina and this storm has effected so many people. Her story about how she lives her life was truly inspiring.
What kinds of stories do they use to showcase their belief?
-The essays that I have read express a situation that they have gone through in their life, and how they are tryng to overcome this sudden change.
What is the tone of each essay and how is it achieved? (funny, serious, reflective, sarcastic, etc.)
-The tone of both essays were very reflective on the writer's parts and are very serious because they were dealing with a big situation which had a major effect on their lives.
How are the essays similar? How do they differ?
-The way the essays were similar just in the respect that they both have to that deal with how someone reacts to a difficult situation in their life. The way the essays differ are, one is about a reaction to a storm that caused many problems in the future and the other one talked about a close person that passed away and made it difficult for the other person to adjust to their new lifestyle.
Do they follow the writing guidelines provided by the This I Believe organization on their website at http://www.thisibelieve.org/essaywritingtips.html?
-Yes, both readings follow the guidelines. If not totally then very close to them.
What beliefs might you want to write about for project 1? (looking at the categorized list of beliefs at http://www.thisibelieve.org/dsp_Browse.php may help you)
-The subject I would pick is death because I believe that I have some very interesting arguments as well ideas about the whole concept of death.

Describe the situation that made you feel a need to respond in writing.
I was enforced to write an expressive paper of why I wanted to become an Optometrist and also why I wanted to become enrolled in the Dual Admission at Nova Southeastern University.
Why did you decide to respond in writing instead of taking some other action or not responding at all?
The reason why I wrote a paper was because I had to in order to apply for the Program. Another reason was because this was the best way I felt that I could express my true feelings about becoming a student of Optometry in the program.
What type or genre of writing did you use to communicate your purpose, and why did you choose this genre?
When I wrote this I was using persuasive writing. I chose this option because it gave me the best opportunity to be accepted into the program.
Who was your audience and what kind of relationship did you want to establish with your readers?
My audience was the head Dean of students in Optometry, and others who read my paper at the University. The relationship that I was striving to establish was, one that would never be forgotten and to set my paper above the other applicants.
What was your purpose in writing? Did you feel you accomplished this purpose?
The purpose was to win a position in a Dual Admission program at Nova Southeastern University. Yes, I truly felt I accomplished this when I was accepted into the program!
What knowledge of the context and culture did you draw on to guide your writing?
The knowledge that I had was, my passion towards the field of Optometry and how I always wanting to help others with there eye problems in the future.
How is thinking about your writing as responding to a “rhetorical situation” different from other ways to think about the writing you do?
The reason why it was different was because I actually sat there, thought about what to write for a long time and truly did the best I could.

In the News #1

I believe that those using technology to aid their performance are just using the resources given to them. In some cases it may not be fair for the previous Olympic athletes, but this is just how the world is changing in many ways do to technology. I think people should try and be open to news ideas about athletes using aids to help prepare them for a top performance in an event. That's what I have to say about that.