Entry #11: My Final Farewell

Soo... It is now time to say farewell to you all. It is been fun reading all the different blogs from everyone in my English 102 class.

I have to admit, although this is my second semester of writing blogs, I still do not enjoy writing! Writing has never been a strong suit for me and it hasn't been something that I have been able to get into. I did take this round much more seriously. My blog posts were much more in depth than the semester before. In each blog entry I made sure to really research my topics and write until I couldn't write anymore!

Even though I don't enjoy blogging, I can definitely see the benefits that are associated with blogging. It has definitely made me push myself to work harder at exploring topics and finding my writing style. It has also brought out the creative side of me. I had to find new ways of being interesting and entertaining to my readers. Some challenges I faced were coming up with topics for the self-generated entries. There are so many things to write about but being to find a topic that I could explore in depth about was challenging.

Through blogging I learned that finding my writing voice and using rhetoric was important. The goal of the blog is to capture readers attention and connect with them. This all translated in the papers I wrote in class. I need the same enthusiasm and rhetoric in my paper.

As a student I learned that is important to stay on top of blogs because if you leave them until last minute to finish you won't be able to put the full time and effort in. Blogs require lots of thought and research and time. You can't rush writing otherwise it show in your writing. So I learned to start several days in advance, so I could be sure to have plenty of time to work on it.

Blogging definitely did help my writing skills in that, the more I write the better I became. If all I ever wrote was just papers for class here and there I wouldn't learn to improve my writing. By having to write several posts a week I was able to experiment with several techniques and ideas.

Overall enjoyed the class. I always had dreaded taking English classes because I thought I was never any good at writing. Once I put the effort and time in, I realized I wasn't too bad at it. I definitely enjoy writing more than I used to...but... it still isn't my thing! :)

Entry #10: Technology For the Good?

"The Internet is so big, so powerful and pointless that for some people it is a complete substitute for life."

It is amazing to look around and see how our world is changing. There are so many advances in medicine, schooling, and most of all technology. Just a few decades back we had the beginning of computers and now we have smart phones that are practically capable of anything!! I don't think half of use realize just how blessed and fortunate we are to have this amazing technology. We are able to communicate with people that are on the other side of the world or have something sent to our phone with just a touch of a button.

But with this technology comes great responsibility and many people today are not using it wisely. Some people are using it for terrorist purposes and others to steal identity. But others become so obsessed with technology that their whole lives start revolving around it. They come to the point where their phones, computers, and video games become more important than the people that surround them.

We are slowly heading backwards if us younger generations keep obsessing over technology like we do. I for one can say that I probably spend too much time on my phone. Although I spend plenty of times with my friends, all those hours I spend on my phone or computer could definitely be spent doing something more productive. While the younger generation is mainly the culprit, the older generation can still learn a thing or two. We need to get off our phones and spend time with people so we can keep up our communication skills. Let's use our technology wisely!!!!!!! 

Entry #9: Is the Media Misleading?

I have never thought in depth about the media nor its affects on me. I rarely watch the news because I have always found it so depressing and usually boring. Stories about local robberies or shootings is usually what is being covered and that's just not what I like to hear! But in all that I have never really thought about the power the media has over its viewers. 

As I have watched the news over the past few weeks I could see how the news could have a pull at people. Remember the Ebola breakout from last year? It had millions of Americans panicking and taking preventative measures. The main cause for panic was because the media knew how to hype up the situation and people's emotions. Just by adding a few more adjectives or telling graphic stories they were able to blow things way out of proportion.

As I discussed what I saw on the news with my family they could totally see where I was coming from. They recalled several of stories they had heard on the news where details had been drastically embellished and maybe exaggerated beyond the truth. They could see the effects the stories had had on family members and friends. Some people experienced rage in what they saw or felt sad. The news is powerful in the way that they can affect people's emotions.

I have decided to rarely think twice about what I see on television and take things with a grain of salt. Should I be angry, sad, happy or even believe the things I am being told. News stations rely heavily on ratings and viewers should keep that in mind when watching. They will do whatever they can and say whatever to grab hold of viewers and we all need to be mindful of that when watching.

Entry #8: Better Lives With Sports

"Sports do not build character. They reveal it. John Wooden, Legendary UCLA Basketball Coach"

All my life I have played sports. Ever since I could walk I had a ball in my hand or a racquet. My parents have always had me in sports so I could stay active physically... but I have found many other positive aspects to playing sports. I went on a couple of sites to see what all the benefits of sports were. I found out that sports play huge impact on not only our physical health but our mental health. It is important that kids even through adulthood be actively participating in sports.

Sports can teach kids how to set goals for themselves. Kids will feel the need to constantly be improving and bettering themselves in their sport and in turn, they will feel more motivated to set and achieve goals in other areas of their lives.

Children will also feel more personal confidence and self-esteem. Kids learnt value of teamwork and positive motivation and feel the need and want to strive to work harder which leads to a happier child. They feel accomplished in their hard work.

I know from personal experience that whenever I was having a bad day or was bored, I would get up and go get some exercise. Sometimes just 15-20 minutes of moving around can really perk up your energy and brighten up your mood. Hitting a tennis ball is good for relieving anger or going out for a jog is a great time to work through some thoughts.

There is all different kinds of sports out there for kids and adults to get into, so there is no reason why  people should make an excuse. Sports can keep you healthy, improve your mood, and your outlook on life.

Entry #7: Dumb Men

Dumb Men

      In the video above a guy just asks for any beer because he didn't and the female bartender completely emasculated because he didn't ask for Miller Lite. Many videos of this nature are shown in the above site called "Dumb Men". The purpose is to show the hundreds of commercials out there that make fun of men.  The captions to these videos are obviously written by a man who is somewhat offended by how men are being portrayed. Using phrases such as  "bitchy bartender" he gets the point across that these commercials don't have his approval nor does he find it funny. As I watched a handful of these videos I never realized how often men were made fun of in commercials. Men are portrayed as the "stupid husband" or just not very useful.

      I don't understand the need now and days to slam people. Do people find slamming each other a source of fun? In the video above the guy asks for any lite beer and he had no preference. The female bartender told him that once he decided to man up and "take his skirt off" that she would give him a miller lite. So because he didn't choose the "right" beer he was emasculated and shamed in front of everyone. I don't know about you, but thats no reason to mock someone. The point that is trying to come across is that if you don't choose miller lite then you are a sissy and no girl wants sissy. This video is trying to be a huge shout out to all the men out there to make the "right" choice in beer. It is obvious to tell because women would give this "I'm too good for you attitude" because you drink a sissy beer. Miller Lite is saying if you drink the right beer you will attract all the hot girls.

     We should be able to tell that a girl is really shallow if she is choosing her man but what beer he drinks. It is definitely a clever approach that draws a man in to think that that is how a girl is won over. Although it wasn't right to emasculate a man they definitely knew what they were doing in the commercial to see their product.

EC: Capitalism At it's Finest

This past week I watched a documentary film called Capitalism: A Love Story. The movie basically talks about corporate greed and the failing economic system in the US. The combination of these two are having a disastrous effects on American lives. He interviews several middle class citizens that have seen first hand the problems of capitalism in their lives. 

"Capitalism-an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state."

I found it an interesting documentary and thought that Michael Moore did a great job depicting capitalism in America. Although, I did find it ironic that this guy who is complaining about capitalism also has a net worth of $50 Million. Putting that fact aside, Michael Moore did a fabulous job at capturing the emotions of viewers. While watching the documentary I felt anger, sadness, and shock after hearing story after story about different people that were wronged.  I can't believe that people in the United States are so greedy. It made me realize that people will do just about anything for money. In one case it explained that a judge was basically being paid off to send a bunch of kids to juvenile detention. It didn't matter that these kids were getting a fair trial, all the judge cared about was getting a little extra money in his pocket. While the documentary did really capture my emotions it was no so full of feeling that his credibility was compromised. He supported his findings very well by talking to lawyers and receiving first hand accounts from people. Having this kind of research really proved his point that much more and gave him a more compelling case. 

After watching this film, I was actually persuaded that we as a country do suffer from capitalism and it is only getting worse as time goes on. Michael Moore uses amazing components such as ethos, pathos, and logos to not only entertain and inform the viewer but to persuade them. He reaches out to the hard working middle class and really shows how capitalism is destroying middle class citizens. Overall, the movie was very interesting and shed light on a topic I knew little about it. I would recommend his documentary and would be interested in checking some of his other films.

Entry #6: The Terror of ISIS

Many of us are aware of the tragic event that happened this weekend. For those that need to get caught up.. 8 suicide bombers that were armed with assault rifles went to several locations and caused terror on the people of France. Over 150 people were killed in this horrific event and many others were wounded. ISIS is believed to be the culprit of this mass killing.

ISIS is an organized terrorist group of Islamists from Iraq and Syria. Although they have been around since 1999 we have not seen much activity from them until these last few years. They are now known worldwide for their brutal killings and involvement in political activity. It is stated that there are over 52,000 members of ISIS that are located all over the world. All over the world we have seen the devastating effects of ISIS. The link below shows the many terrorist attacks that have been carried out over this past year, several which were by ISIS.

ISIS ATTACKS

This terrorist group is becoming more and more powerful each day and is constantly gaining new followers. What possible attraction this group has to people I do not know. But this organization is something we truly need to be afraid of. They seek world domination and power. Many people think they are just a passing phase and will be easily taken out, but many people underestimate with these people are capable of.

"The End of the World"

We as a country need to be more proactive about making sure that these suicide bombings and beheadings do not become a normal occurrence. Our president has been too lax about ISIS and needs to step up his game or it could become quite possible that our country will be over-run by ISIS. The word needs to be spread about ISIS and if we unite with other nations we can let them (ISIS) know that we will not tolerate their actions and they will not get away with these killings any longer.