Thursday, April 10, 2008
Impressions on class
There's not much I can say that I haven't said before because I still enjoy the class the way it is. I think that meeting one day a week is more than enough to get through the information we have covered in the class and think if there was another day in there the class would end up repetitive and boring. I especially still like the blog system because there are really only a few people in class that will talk but then I get on the blog and read stuff they have to say and find that they aren't as quiet and shy when posting. But because the younger kids need to learn to be more open and not so afraid of public speaking there should be some kind of points system for participation or maybe an assignment where you have to public speak.
Assessment
Genres are identified by the different aspects of the story, the characters, and the setting and also the intended audience. For the aurgumentative paper I obviously had to have an overall argument for my paper to be in that genre. To identify a genre you have to look at those elements of the story, if I were to read a story about aliens I would guess it’s in the science fiction genre.
When I wrote my argumentative paper I tried to use a strong tone and language to try to not only get my point across but to try to get the reader to think the way I did. I described problems that have occurred because of illegal immigration and tried to state ways in which they could be avoided. I organized the text so that there were counterarguments to what I was arguing against so that I could use the counterarguments to show that I see the other side but also to point out the flaws in their argument.
For the argumentative paper in which I argued that the US needs to be stricter on border control. I felt as though the boundaries of the paper restricted me at times because I was only supposed to argue for one side and there were times when I would find good information that would lead me to lean towards the sides I was arguing against. Then I would feel as though because I was arguing for one side I couldn’t allow certain information into my paper since it would hurt my argument. Many times I felt as though my argumentative paper could have become an ethnology paper since I could’ve profiled men and women who have illegally crossed the borders.
I chose to compare the ethnology and argumentative papers. Both are similar since they are both giving the reader information about people or a topic that they may not know about already. Except that with the ethnology paper you have to start from scratch whereas the argumentative paper you can assume that the reader already knows some facts about what you are writing about. Both are written for an audience that is looking for information on a certain subject. With the argumentative paper you are looking to shape how people feel or view a particular subject.
For a love letter there have to be certain components to actually make it a love letter. First off you will need to have one person as an audience, probably not a good idea to write a love letter to different people. Next you will need to tell that person how you are feeling towards them, this is most important since a love letter has to contain parts in it to show how you care. If you are typing out this love letter it would be nice to include a more elegant style of font instead of the basic times new roman that will make the writing look more cursive, or if you are handwriting the letter then do it in cursive.
Film maker
If I were to look up work by Peter Jackson I would go to www.imdb.com since it is fill with a filmmakers works listed in chronological order.
To make use of this search I would mainly use the internet.
I would try to gather information from people that work in movie stores where Peter Jackson’s movies are for rent
I would decide what movies were applicable to my search by using ones he directed if I was focusing on his directorial work or ones he produced if I wanted to focus on ones where he worked as a producer.
For criteria I would use how much the movie made, what genre the movie is in, if he also produced the movie
Credible sources could be documentary films on the movies Peter has made. Also you could use the movies themselves and the techniques that Peter used while filming. Sources that would not be credible would be magazines that cover celebrity gossip such as Star and the National Enquirer.
I used citation in my argumentative paper to help state facts about immigration and other people’s views on the subject. I citied using direct quotations to show the exact words that people had said about the subject and used direct quotation to try to help my argument out.
Formal Citation works within an essay to back up claims that you try to make yourself and to support the things that you want to get across to your reader. They help create the argument by showing that there are more people who share the same view as you do and also to give some researched facts about the subject. Also you can do a summary which will let the reader know that the information may be changed slightly but the general idea came from somewhere else. This helps create the argument by allowing the reader to know you aren’t just regurgitating someone else’s words but did get some information from an outside source.
Its or it’s, a basic problem but a minor mistake that I used to make all the time. Although I don’t feel like I mastered which one to use because lets face it, even the best writers make mistakes and I’m definitely not the best writer. But, I have felt that I’ve improved in knowing which one to use and at which time and I think this is mainly due to the peer editing because the people that have corrected my papers have always seemed to have a better understanding on which one to use and have helped me by correcting my papers.
When I wrote my argumentative paper I tried to use a strong tone and language to try to not only get my point across but to try to get the reader to think the way I did. I described problems that have occurred because of illegal immigration and tried to state ways in which they could be avoided. I organized the text so that there were counterarguments to what I was arguing against so that I could use the counterarguments to show that I see the other side but also to point out the flaws in their argument.
For the argumentative paper in which I argued that the US needs to be stricter on border control. I felt as though the boundaries of the paper restricted me at times because I was only supposed to argue for one side and there were times when I would find good information that would lead me to lean towards the sides I was arguing against. Then I would feel as though because I was arguing for one side I couldn’t allow certain information into my paper since it would hurt my argument. Many times I felt as though my argumentative paper could have become an ethnology paper since I could’ve profiled men and women who have illegally crossed the borders.
I chose to compare the ethnology and argumentative papers. Both are similar since they are both giving the reader information about people or a topic that they may not know about already. Except that with the ethnology paper you have to start from scratch whereas the argumentative paper you can assume that the reader already knows some facts about what you are writing about. Both are written for an audience that is looking for information on a certain subject. With the argumentative paper you are looking to shape how people feel or view a particular subject.
For a love letter there have to be certain components to actually make it a love letter. First off you will need to have one person as an audience, probably not a good idea to write a love letter to different people. Next you will need to tell that person how you are feeling towards them, this is most important since a love letter has to contain parts in it to show how you care. If you are typing out this love letter it would be nice to include a more elegant style of font instead of the basic times new roman that will make the writing look more cursive, or if you are handwriting the letter then do it in cursive.
Film maker
If I were to look up work by Peter Jackson I would go to www.imdb.com since it is fill with a filmmakers works listed in chronological order.
To make use of this search I would mainly use the internet.
I would try to gather information from people that work in movie stores where Peter Jackson’s movies are for rent
I would decide what movies were applicable to my search by using ones he directed if I was focusing on his directorial work or ones he produced if I wanted to focus on ones where he worked as a producer.
For criteria I would use how much the movie made, what genre the movie is in, if he also produced the movie
Credible sources could be documentary films on the movies Peter has made. Also you could use the movies themselves and the techniques that Peter used while filming. Sources that would not be credible would be magazines that cover celebrity gossip such as Star and the National Enquirer.
I used citation in my argumentative paper to help state facts about immigration and other people’s views on the subject. I citied using direct quotations to show the exact words that people had said about the subject and used direct quotation to try to help my argument out.
Formal Citation works within an essay to back up claims that you try to make yourself and to support the things that you want to get across to your reader. They help create the argument by showing that there are more people who share the same view as you do and also to give some researched facts about the subject. Also you can do a summary which will let the reader know that the information may be changed slightly but the general idea came from somewhere else. This helps create the argument by allowing the reader to know you aren’t just regurgitating someone else’s words but did get some information from an outside source.
Its or it’s, a basic problem but a minor mistake that I used to make all the time. Although I don’t feel like I mastered which one to use because lets face it, even the best writers make mistakes and I’m definitely not the best writer. But, I have felt that I’ve improved in knowing which one to use and at which time and I think this is mainly due to the peer editing because the people that have corrected my papers have always seemed to have a better understanding on which one to use and have helped me by correcting my papers.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Project Proposal
I was thinking of doing a movie analysis on American Beauty. My focus would be on looking at the characteristics of different people in the movie to show how the characters change over time during the movie and how that ends up affecting their lives. Otherwise I would want to do the book The Road about a man and his son trying to survive in a post apocolyptic world. I would focus on the writing style used and also the man and his son and how their relationship is much like the relationship between god and Jesus and what message the writer is trying to get across to the reader
Hillary Clinton
1. Mine: my initial response is that she’s lying because she’s been using Bill to help her campaign, which is a really smart idea so she shouldn’t deny it. Also I like her ending joke about cleaning up after the Bushes.
Roomates: Initial response is that she did a good job of trying to convince people she doesn’t want to be judged by her husband’s accomplishments
2. Mine: It’s emotional because I’m annoyed that she is trying to deny using Bill as a political weapons, I think it’s the right thing for her to do but she shouldn’t deny it.
Roomates: Intellectual because he follows the presidential race closely and thinks he is making the decision because of stuff he’s previously thought
3. Mine: It’s organized by her answering what I’m assuming was a questions to her, which most politicians don’t do, and then making a little joke at the end of it.
Roomates: It’s organized well because she gets her point across but then changes the subject on her own terms
4. Mine: The author wants us to believe that she is not using her husband as a political weapons and wants to be judge solely on what she has done
Roomates: Thinks that Hillary wants us to think she is qualified for presidency because of the stuff she has done
5. Mine: The thesis is Hillary Clinton wants the public to look at her accomplishments not her husbands
Roomates: said pretty much the same thesis I had
6. Neither of us could figure out what genre this would go into
7. We both know about this object because of the new following the elections
Roomates: Initial response is that she did a good job of trying to convince people she doesn’t want to be judged by her husband’s accomplishments
2. Mine: It’s emotional because I’m annoyed that she is trying to deny using Bill as a political weapons, I think it’s the right thing for her to do but she shouldn’t deny it.
Roomates: Intellectual because he follows the presidential race closely and thinks he is making the decision because of stuff he’s previously thought
3. Mine: It’s organized by her answering what I’m assuming was a questions to her, which most politicians don’t do, and then making a little joke at the end of it.
Roomates: It’s organized well because she gets her point across but then changes the subject on her own terms
4. Mine: The author wants us to believe that she is not using her husband as a political weapons and wants to be judge solely on what she has done
Roomates: Thinks that Hillary wants us to think she is qualified for presidency because of the stuff she has done
5. Mine: The thesis is Hillary Clinton wants the public to look at her accomplishments not her husbands
Roomates: said pretty much the same thesis I had
6. Neither of us could figure out what genre this would go into
7. We both know about this object because of the new following the elections
Active vs Passive
1. Steve gave the waitress the check
2. He recommended the policy be changed.
3. Jenny made a study of the problem
4. A bolt of lightning hit the tower.
5. Jose caught the fly ball.
6. They overheard that some people will be leaving the company.
7. Mr. Smith gave the donation.
8. A rancher in Wyoming discovered the gold
9. The amount written on the check was one million dollars
10. The family made several donations.
2. He recommended the policy be changed.
3. Jenny made a study of the problem
4. A bolt of lightning hit the tower.
5. Jose caught the fly ball.
6. They overheard that some people will be leaving the company.
7. Mr. Smith gave the donation.
8. A rancher in Wyoming discovered the gold
9. The amount written on the check was one million dollars
10. The family made several donations.
Two papers
The first paper does a good job or order and structure for what they are trying to accomplish but the way it’s laid out to its audience is pretty boring. They just spell it out which is nice because it’s straightforward With the second paper they do it in a more humorous way with pictures which could keep it more interesting but the layout is a lot like a textbook which kind of throws off the whole point of it being different. Also it can be a bit harder to understand since you have to reverse everything they tell you.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Class Structure
I like the class structure we have now. When writing and posting on blogs I think more about my comments so that I can acctually give some people advice that might help them. Also it makes me think about my own work more because I know I'm writing to people around my age which changes how I would write if I was just turning something into a professor. I also like how I can get feedback right from people on if they like a topic or not, or just what they think about it. I would definitely recommend keeping the class this way because it opens people up more and lets them see what other people are doing and get ideas on what to do themselves. Plus I'm not a big fan of class lectures in general and think that in most of my classes I've had as Western the time I spend in there is wasted and unhelpful.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Peer Review
The first peer review was very helpful. I always like to get an outsiders point of view on my writing because while it may make sense to me when I write it, it might not be so easily understandable to others. It’s also helpful to see other people’s papers because then you can get more of an idea of how the paper should be structured. And since I’m pretty bad with my punctuation it’s always nice to have someone show me when and where to put them.
Subcultures
The subculture I am interested in writing about will be people who partake in extreme sports, or risk takers. In many cases their dress could be normal everyday wear, but while participating in their extreme sport of choice they usually have clothes that are suited for their needs, such as a jumpsuit for skydivers, or the traditional white and red for people who run with the bulls. Their language will also vary sport to sport or region to region. When in California you would hear words like gnarly, or hardcore as a substitute for when people from the east coast would just say cool.
Definition
Educated:
Educated is a term used to describe someone who has received schooling from a government accredited source such as a public or private school. There are different levels of educated such as primary school, high school, or college, also they could learn form a tutor. The different schools will focus on different types of education and will therefore make every educated person a little different. If a person learns from outside the sources listed above such as their own life, or from drawing their own conclusions from the actions of others then they are not educated, but wise and experienced.
Educated is a term used to describe someone who has received schooling from a government accredited source such as a public or private school. There are different levels of educated such as primary school, high school, or college, also they could learn form a tutor. The different schools will focus on different types of education and will therefore make every educated person a little different. If a person learns from outside the sources listed above such as their own life, or from drawing their own conclusions from the actions of others then they are not educated, but wise and experienced.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Proposal
Project Proposal
My topic will cover the ongoing debate of illegal immigration into the United States from Mexico. To start I will cover the reasons why many Mexicans risk crossing the border and what their main purposes are when they arrive. Next I will go into detail the effect they have on our country. I will talk about how their cheap labor helps out businesses who cant afford to pay for Americans who want more pay to do lower end jobs but will also talk of the people that are out of jobs and how it can affect the employment rate and our economy. To conclude my paper I will discuss the various types of proposals to curbing the rate of illegal immigration and how some places may benefit, but also how taxes and other US spending money will have to go towards more border control.
My topic will cover the ongoing debate of illegal immigration into the United States from Mexico. To start I will cover the reasons why many Mexicans risk crossing the border and what their main purposes are when they arrive. Next I will go into detail the effect they have on our country. I will talk about how their cheap labor helps out businesses who cant afford to pay for Americans who want more pay to do lower end jobs but will also talk of the people that are out of jobs and how it can affect the employment rate and our economy. To conclude my paper I will discuss the various types of proposals to curbing the rate of illegal immigration and how some places may benefit, but also how taxes and other US spending money will have to go towards more border control.
Research Exercise 2
Mike Menghini
Eng 1050
Research Exercise #2
Topic Choice: Mexican Immigration
Works Cited
The View From Both Sides. (2008, January). Newsweek, 151(01), 26. Retrieved February 6, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1407033861).
Summary
Changing how Americans view immigrants will help change the problem by focusing how people will debate about them. Many people look at immigrants as nothing more than cheap labor but not as humans. They think of them as a tool to get what they need done.
Paraphrase and a response
According to the Anonymous author in Newsweek, People see immigrants as workers, but not as human beings who deserve a driver's license.(para9) By not allowing an immigrant a drivers license we are not only treating them less important than anyone else, we are making our roads unsafe by allowing potentially dangerous drivers to get behind the wheel on our roads. While immigrations may hurt some of the lower classes chances for jobs, the laws and debates hurt our country as a whole and make it less safe to live in.
Eng 1050
Research Exercise #2
Topic Choice: Mexican Immigration
Works Cited
The View From Both Sides. (2008, January). Newsweek, 151(01), 26. Retrieved February 6, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1407033861).
Summary
Changing how Americans view immigrants will help change the problem by focusing how people will debate about them. Many people look at immigrants as nothing more than cheap labor but not as humans. They think of them as a tool to get what they need done.
Paraphrase and a response
According to the Anonymous author in Newsweek, People see immigrants as workers, but not as human beings who deserve a driver's license.(para9) By not allowing an immigrant a drivers license we are not only treating them less important than anyone else, we are making our roads unsafe by allowing potentially dangerous drivers to get behind the wheel on our roads. While immigrations may hurt some of the lower classes chances for jobs, the laws and debates hurt our country as a whole and make it less safe to live in.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Research Excercize #1
Topic: Mexican Immigration in America
Title: Violence and hope in a U.S.-Mexico border town
Author: Robert Joe Stout
Published: Long Grove, IL : Waveland Press, c2008
Summary: Violence and hope in a U.S.-Mexico border town is a book that points out the struggles of many immigrants that cross into the borders of the US. It uses resources such as personal interviews as well as newspaper articles. Going over 60 years of accounts, Robert Joe Stout shows the affects that the political system has had on the 3 million that have become full US citizens as well as those who have not.
Response: No one experience will be the same for everyone so it’s good that Stout has done his research comparing 60 years of different people with different stories. Many people like to generalize illegal immigration as a problem without looking at the pros and cons of having Mexican immigrants enter the US so it’s good to hear both sides of the story.
Further research: Like I said this book is great because it shows both sides so I think I should find some articles or books that argue for one side or the other. That way I can find out why people want stricter border control or don’t.
Title: Violence and hope in a U.S.-Mexico border town
Author: Robert Joe Stout
Published: Long Grove, IL : Waveland Press, c2008
Summary: Violence and hope in a U.S.-Mexico border town is a book that points out the struggles of many immigrants that cross into the borders of the US. It uses resources such as personal interviews as well as newspaper articles. Going over 60 years of accounts, Robert Joe Stout shows the affects that the political system has had on the 3 million that have become full US citizens as well as those who have not.
Response: No one experience will be the same for everyone so it’s good that Stout has done his research comparing 60 years of different people with different stories. Many people like to generalize illegal immigration as a problem without looking at the pros and cons of having Mexican immigrants enter the US so it’s good to hear both sides of the story.
Further research: Like I said this book is great because it shows both sides so I think I should find some articles or books that argue for one side or the other. That way I can find out why people want stricter border control or don’t.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Academic Integrity
Thesis: The pressure put on students today, combined with a lack of a strong moral upbringing and lack of fear of consequences has lead to an increase in cheating in schools and universities across the nation.
Topic Sentence 1: The meaning of cheating varies from person to person, as does their reasons for doing it.
Topic Sentence 2: A lack of morals set by parents leads their children to participate in cheating.
Transition: The was our kids are raised today has given them a different moral standard than that of older generations
Topic Sentence 3: The fear of punishment does not dissuade students from cheating if they feel it is necessary.
Transition: When students think of cheating the consequences seem small compared to the benefits they will get.
Conclusion: Cheating is something that has becoming common in every school across America. Some cheat because they are lazy, others because they just don’t feel that they have enough time, but in the end it doesn’t matter what the reasons behind it are, it’s wrong. Unless stricter rules are enforced and more measures are taken to stop it, cheating will continue to become more of a habit for students since most escape the punishment for their actions.
Topic Sentence 1: The meaning of cheating varies from person to person, as does their reasons for doing it.
Topic Sentence 2: A lack of morals set by parents leads their children to participate in cheating.
Transition: The was our kids are raised today has given them a different moral standard than that of older generations
Topic Sentence 3: The fear of punishment does not dissuade students from cheating if they feel it is necessary.
Transition: When students think of cheating the consequences seem small compared to the benefits they will get.
Conclusion: Cheating is something that has becoming common in every school across America. Some cheat because they are lazy, others because they just don’t feel that they have enough time, but in the end it doesn’t matter what the reasons behind it are, it’s wrong. Unless stricter rules are enforced and more measures are taken to stop it, cheating will continue to become more of a habit for students since most escape the punishment for their actions.
Possible Arguments
Lowering the drinking age to 19 in Michigan
- How much money does Michigan lose each year to teenagers going to Canada
- Allows the state to better monitor the drinking of young adults
- Increases the amount of time police officers have to deal with more important issues
Immigration Control
- Should we be more or less strict
- Labor benefits of opening up borders
- How border towns are affected with crime, overpopulation, and their economies
Smoking in bars and restaurants
- Health issues from second hand smoke
- How can smoke actually be contained to one “smoking area”
- Studies showing how it can influence children to smoke
- How much money does Michigan lose each year to teenagers going to Canada
- Allows the state to better monitor the drinking of young adults
- Increases the amount of time police officers have to deal with more important issues
Immigration Control
- Should we be more or less strict
- Labor benefits of opening up borders
- How border towns are affected with crime, overpopulation, and their economies
Smoking in bars and restaurants
- Health issues from second hand smoke
- How can smoke actually be contained to one “smoking area”
- Studies showing how it can influence children to smoke
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Fake News
The genre of “Fake News” consists of simply taking regular news that we hear about every day and pointing out the funnier aspect and irony to it. Calling it “fake news” seems wrong to me since most of what they are reporting is a genuinely real story that channels like CNN will air as well. But, although the stories themselves are the same, the way they are presented are much different. “Fake News” tries to find the irony and humor in events from around the world while other new channels try to give the facts, or at least the facts they want us to hear, to give us a realistic story from which we are to learn more about what is happening in the world. When I compare “Fake News” to what they put on CNN I think of it as looking at the glass half full, or half empty. They can take news that would normally sadden, anger, or even embarrass us, and make it into something we can laugh at. The most essential thing to this genre is the presenter, such as John Stewart or Stephen Colbert. They are what set this genre apart from other new shows and they turn regular news into something that is geared for a younger generation, with shorter attention spans and less interest in what is going on in the world.
Thesis Revisions
1. Road rage has caused the accident rates to skyrocket more than any other road distractions such as poor weather, and increased cell phone usage.
2. The increase in violence in Disney films has led to an increase in crime, death, and violence amongst America’s youth.
3. Although they all seem similar, there are many different types of ants that are separated by a variety of characteristics
4. Through animals that have been mistreated or abused we can see human kindness that is not always shown in all animals.
5. The effects of global warming have caused a severe increase in droughts across the world.
6. In Stephen King’s “The Shining” , King shows us how one man can be persuaded by ghosts to turn on his family.
7. Icebergs, poor leadership, and impatient investors lead to the sinking of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean.
8. Dug addiction in America has increased the rate of violence, murders and jail time for Americans in inner cities.
9.Saving Private Ryan is the best movie ever because of it’s directing, acting, and cinematography.
10. Because of their breeding, food costs, and required shelters, rabbits make very poor pets.
11. A United States president should have charisma, compassion, and control.
12. Fighting, sabotage, and poor role models has tarnished the drop-dead gorgeous realm of beauty pageants.
13. The change in clothing to include more profanity, and cover less skin has led to school uniforms becoming necessary.
14. Williams Shakespeare proves himself to be the best writer ever through his works Macbeth, Hamlet, and The Tempest
15. Aromatherapy helps to soothe the mind, body, and spirit.
2. The increase in violence in Disney films has led to an increase in crime, death, and violence amongst America’s youth.
3. Although they all seem similar, there are many different types of ants that are separated by a variety of characteristics
4. Through animals that have been mistreated or abused we can see human kindness that is not always shown in all animals.
5. The effects of global warming have caused a severe increase in droughts across the world.
6. In Stephen King’s “The Shining” , King shows us how one man can be persuaded by ghosts to turn on his family.
7. Icebergs, poor leadership, and impatient investors lead to the sinking of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean.
8. Dug addiction in America has increased the rate of violence, murders and jail time for Americans in inner cities.
9.Saving Private Ryan is the best movie ever because of it’s directing, acting, and cinematography.
10. Because of their breeding, food costs, and required shelters, rabbits make very poor pets.
11. A United States president should have charisma, compassion, and control.
12. Fighting, sabotage, and poor role models has tarnished the drop-dead gorgeous realm of beauty pageants.
13. The change in clothing to include more profanity, and cover less skin has led to school uniforms becoming necessary.
14. Williams Shakespeare proves himself to be the best writer ever through his works Macbeth, Hamlet, and The Tempest
15. Aromatherapy helps to soothe the mind, body, and spirit.
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