Sunday, December 5, 2010

Will Smith

I watched a really really sad, but yet good movie this weekend that i highly recommend. Its called Seven Pounds, with Will Smith. I know it has been out for a while, but watching it for the first time was awesome. The movie is about a guy who eventually gets into a car accident and kills seven people. Being sad, he donates his organs to seven people in need. Donating so much he gives up his life for them. The movie made me think about what would i have done in that situation. Thats really tough to think about. It was really sad and kind of depressing. However, it was a really good movie and i feel like you all would love it.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Wow

It's almost the end of the first semester. Wow! It has gone by soo fast. At this point I feel like, whatever, about my grades and the final, but I know that feeling will change, fast hopefully. I really need to study for finals and pass these last tests so I pass my classes. It's so easy to skip school and go party or sleep in. Which is way different then high school. Thats probably one of the worst things about college. I lost my "drive". However, after several cups of coffee, I will be alright and get in the groove of studying. Coming back from Thanksgiving feels like a new start, a chance for me to do good the rest of the semester. Im ready for the finals to be over and done with. I should pass pretty easily.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Cathedral

Hey everyone,
 I decided to write about question number four. His writing style. Honestly, I think I write alot like him. He is short and to the point with his story and has lots of emotions added in. I like the way he writes, even though alot of people dont. The way the narrator talks in the Cathedral was easy to understand. After reading the story, I can utalize his writing style into my own writing. I like how he is down and to the point with his writing, so I will start doing that a little more. I will also add in some emotion to all my pieces. I liked the way he wrote and enjoyed it fully. I would love to read more stories written by him.

Monday, October 25, 2010

My Writing Tips

Usually when i have to write a long, dreaded paper, i have to follow my writing tips to get the paper finished. Luckily for you, you can read my tips and learn something from them, maybe ha.

My Tips

1. Research and learn what you are writing about. This is very helpful when you are writing a research paper or an Op-Ed. I usually spend at least a half hour reading up on what the topic of my paper is about.
2. Get prepared. Before I write a paper, I have a bullet point list of the topics I am going to write about. This helps me lay out the structure of the paper and gives me a little more confidence to start writing.
3. Take breaks. I know most of us hate huge incredibly long, well hated papers. Well unfortuanately, we have to write them sometimes. I honestly hate writing long papers, so I have to give up and walk away from the keyboard for a little while periodically. This helps me stay focused on the paper and the quality. If I stay at the keyboard, writing, my mind wonders off and i start writing papragraphs that dont even fit with the subject of the paper to begin with. Taking breaks is very helpful.
4. Rockstar. Thats right, Rockstar. Having an energy drink while writing keeps me focused and well, its freaking good.
5. Go Away. Get away from your crazy roommate, friends, or even family. Being in a quiet room is very helpful and keeps your mind fresh. I have to be by myself when writing or I will never get anything done.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

two truths and one lie

1.       I won 400 dollars after filling out a March Madness Tournament bracket. Kansas beat Memphis in the Championship for me to win the Tournament.
2.       I ripped the skin off my finger while working a couple of summers ago. I had to have two surgeries and a skin graph from my inner arm.
3.       I went fly fishing up in the mountains with my dad when I was really young. After a little while I accidentally whipped the fly to close and it stuck in my forehead.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Rob Dyrdek

This show is pretty legit. Rob Dyrdeks Fantasy Factory is one of my favorite's to watch. Broadcasted on MTV, Rob and his crew do, well pretty much anything they want. Rob is a professional skateboarder, so his income does not stop what he wants to do in life. Dyrdek is an adventurous daredevil that is always thinking of some crazy stunt to perform.
Even though I love the show, there is some controversy. In some episodes, Rob runs from police as he skates in some private property areas. Although it may seem bad, the show has high ratings and even has a central philosophy for viewers, I believe its showing that you can do anything in life, whatever you wanna do.
I would encourage anyone to watch this show. The program is very funny and also pretty exciting. It would be freaking sweet to visit the factory and meet the man himself. The show is on MTV almost everyday.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Three Op-Eds

The first of the three Op-Eds I read was called President Obama's "Rap Palate" written by Thomas Chatterton Williams. The article was very persuasive. The article has lots of "Logos" which means good reasoning. A lot of facts saying President Obama is supporting the way rappers are telling America what to do is quite evident. I believe the article has "Pathos" because it was very emotional. To be a reader, it was hard not to feel for the author, having a somewhat bad taste in my mouth towards the President after the reading. At the very end of the writing, I felt "Ethos" were put into play. After stating that the author listened to the President talking about certain subjects, and being an American citizen, the credibility of the author seemed quite good, applicable for the situation. I happen to disagree with the author on this subject. The author took the whole concept of the President's taste of music way out of proportion. Even though I disagree, the article was legitimate. The article can be found here.
The second of the three Op-Eds I read was called Obama's line on the stimulus: Everything is absolutely fine written by David Freddoso. This article contains "Pathos" in which the author presents one side of the argument, that the stimulus package actually worked, and then completely turns the tables and shows you how the stimulus is a complete and embarrassing failure. Appeal to popularity played a major role in this article. The author spouts out about polling which supports his argument and therefore I do not believe that in this case, appeal to popularity falls into the logical fallacies category, which also led me to the belief that this article contains no logical fallacies at all.
The third and final Op-Ed that I read was called Anatomy of the Obama Meltdown written by Victor David Hanson. This article talks about the major and catastrophic failure that is the Obama administration. The author presents many forms of "ethos" in which his credibility is placed in question because of his blabbering rants on his own opinions, which are seldom supported by credible facts. I did not notice any other obvious logical fallacies.