Goodbye!

This is my final blog posting of the semester! Although I did find it interesting I do not think blogging is the thing for me. Writing in these blogs has made me think alot both about writing and answers to different questions. Free choice blog writings were hard to think of topics for and it always got my mind running. However, as I said I don't think I will continue to blog after this class. Perhaps some of you will though. It was fun to do this assignment in this class, and I hope you all enjoyed it as well! But goodbye for now and I wish you all luck in your futures!

A Modest Proposal (Week 15)

For the blog this week we were supposed to read The Modest Proposal and write on some aspects of it. As totally strange as it would be to honestly consider this "modest proposal" in a serious manner, there are some issues in the U.S. today that could cause someone to argue this same point. Especially right now the economy is not doing very well in our country. This proposal could make a lot of money out of very little resources. That is if others would go along with this proposal. There are also a large number of families in the U.S. that have a great number of children without the money to completely care for all of them. This proposal could make it so these families are not using up resources such as welfare. Although canibalism is definitely a taboo in almost all societies, the author did a very good job at logically justifying his position. As horrible as his proposal seemed he was using logic and reasoning to come to his conclusion.

Thanksgiving (Week 14)

With the thanksgiving holliday upon us i beleive it is time we all take a moment and think of what we are thankfull for. I personally am thankfull for my friends and family. This would include my fiance of course who is definitely family whether or not it is official yet. She helps me through so much! I am also thankful for music. Music is a refuge for me whenever i am feeling overwhelmed. It is amazing what 10 minutes listening to the radio, sitting at the piano, or playing the guitar can do for the mind! So lets all take some time to be thankfull! Everyone have a safe and happy thanksgiving!

Argument and Persuasion (Week 13)

This week we were supposed to blog about a reading from the argument and persuasion chapter in the text. I decided to talk about the reading Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen. This writing was about war and how terrible it can be. It is made very clear that the author views war as a terrible thing. I personally found it very interesting and usefull. Too many young kids these days get wrapped up in the war and action movies and video games. They see war as the "heroes" conquering the opposing side with clean and easy kills. However, the actuallity of war is anything but this scene. Young people need to realize the reality of war and violence. Even those who bravely serve their country often see and experience things they wish they could erase. This reading could be a lesson to all young people considering violence.

Logical Fallacies (Week 12)

This week we were asked to write about logical fallacies. Logical fallacies are seen everywhere in daily life. An example would be hasty generalization. This is most often seen in stereotyping. This is taking one example of a certain person in an ethnic group and assuming that all others of that ethnicity fit the same category. Another one that can be seen very frequently is begging the question. In this fallacy a person attempts to prove something by simply restating it in different terms. This is very often seen in the reasoning of children. Also surprisingly it is seen  in the reasoning of adults almost as often. So keep an eye out for any logical fallacies you see in day to day life.

The Changing Wether (Week 11)

It is hard to believe that it is November already. The weather so far this year has been relatively mild, but we are hitting the time of year for change. Sweatshirts are being needed, the leaves are begining to fall, and the days are already seeming very short to those in the summer months. Many people dislike this time of year because of the cold and dark times through the winter. I say we should focus on the positive stuff. I usually have something to look foreward to every part of the year. For the fall and winter months that usually entails snowboarding, snowmobiling, and movie nights cuddled on the couch with my fiance. So as the weather continues to get cooler I think we should all find something to look foreward to for the months ahead and enjoy the constant changing weather of Minnesota.

Cause and Effect (Week 10)

For this weeks blog, we were asked to write about the cause and effect unit in our books. I decided to write on the reading Barbie Doll by Marge Piercey. This reading was written very interestingly. It was a little dramatic to get the point accross about how women view their looks. It shows a great cause and effect relationship on how the views of womens appearances can affect girls. In this writing the girl had recieved plastic surgery at the cost of her life. In the end she was more "beautiful" but at what cost? It shows just how many people are unhappy with their self immage and how many people do resort to plastic surgery. I personally find it very sad when anyone other than an accident victim would opt for plastic surgery. We are all made differently. I believe we should keep it that way.

Family (Week 8)

Many people claim to have the most dysfunctional family around. This may seem like an odd statement for a society that does tend to be rather family oriented. However, I think it is true that many familys are dysfunctional. I think that dysfunction in a family can mean anything from silly differences in family members that cause miscommunication, to family members that blame eachother for certain events and do not get along. I actually believe that the smaller dysfunctions in familys can be the greatest cause for the family being functional as a whole. Sibling rivalry is always strong in familys and it may seem like siblings are incapable of being functional together. The same pair of siblings can often be seen standing up for one another in a school setting if others are picking on one or the other. In the dysfunctions that occur in our everyday family lives we actually get a great deal of functionality. A lot of times its what makes a family click.

Simple Times (Week 7)

Today I took a journey back in time. Well, not exactly. I went to the Rainessance Festival for the day. It was very cool to see the blend of modern and old things that appear at the fair. Old time signs advertising modern day ATM machines are just one of the funny things that can be seen. With all that aside however you can still see how much more simple things were in that time in history. It is nice to get away from the real world for a day and just look at the simple things in life. You also can't forget your giant fried turkey leg!

Facebook Fanatics (Week 6)

We read some interesting essays on facebook and other social networking sites this week. I do have to say the biggest thing that surprises me about all of these social networking sites is how into them people get. I only know two people that do not have a facebook page. That is pretty sad. So many people not only have pages but are on them constantly. One of the worst parts about this is that half the people they are friends with are not genuine friends. People spend hours online looking at postings and pictures of acquaintences they hardly know. I do have a facebook page but maybe check it every few days and usally log off after a few minutes. Too many people spend hours upon hours on these sites. It is just crazy!

Oh the College Life (Week 5)

With the semester well into swing and into the grove it is easy to get sucked in. The good thing about this is it makes the time go by fairly fast. It is hard to believe that it is already our 5th week of class. I can feel myself getting settled into the routine of school, work, homework, bed, and repeat. I do have to say college is nothing like it is shown to be in the movies! (Well not if you want to pass your classes!)

Descriptive Memmories (Week 4)

This week we are to focus on our descriptive essay and carry over into our blog posting with our dexcriptive writing. I decided to write about my Grandpa. There are many things that come to mind when I think of him. One of the first things that comes to mind is the smell of tic-tacs. I have never seen my grandpa without a container or two of tic-tacs in his pocket. There are many other smells that come to mind. The other main one is the smell of breakfast being cooked up. My grandpa loves to eat and would never let us go without a huge meal no matter what time we would eat. The smell of cooking sausages and the sizzle of the hash browns. Food brings me to the visuals of my grandpa. Not a small man to say the least. He has a short scruffy beard, a big round belly, and is usally seen wearing the farmer overals. Finally the sound of a tractor idling outside and the excited pitter patter of his dogs feet pacing the deck waiting for us to come outside could always be heard.

Inspirational Quote (Week 3)

This week we were asked to write about some quote that we found inspirational. It took me a while to think of something. I tried thinking of favorite songs or famous quotes and just couldnt think of anything inspirational. Then on my way home from work I was listening to a cd I had not heard for a few years. I love listening to music I have not heard in a while. I am absolutely a music lover and enjoy recalling all the sons I used to love and still know the words to. One line of a song I remembered very clearly when it came back up again. The line reads, "Let's take this one day at a time, I'll hold your hand if you hold mine. The time that we kill keeps us alive." To me this is a very interesting way to say "live life to the fullest. After all we are stuck going through one day at a time. We cant only worry about work and priorities of that nature. We need to let go and waste some of our time on things we like to do even if it is not productive. So don't get too wrapped up in the hustle and bustle. Just remember its the time that we kill that keeps us alive.