Blog Post #8 definition essay in your journal assignment

           Im responding to the conspiracy theories 101 essay. I think that my classes and professors practice Academic Freedom. My professors seem to present me with many different views of different topics. As Fish says its not just prensenting the views but making sure that professors aren't indoctrinating their own personal views into the class discussions. I feel like my teachers stay impartial to the views they present. So I believe my classes do express and practice Academic Freedom.

Blog Post #7

           I think that social networking sites are a great way to interact with other people on campus or anywhere. More importantly these sites allow for talking to go on. Once people talk and get to know eachother the more likely they are to start hanignng out together face to face. Then other forms of campus interaction become more exciting, because everyone knows more people and has something to talk to them about. I think that facebook and other sites help conect people, by making them feel like they know about others a little more, its almost like a small background check.

Blog Post #6 responding to using comparison-contrast for a purpose

         Neat people are well... neat. If they receive a call asking for an obscure document they know exactly where it is filed away. They walk back to their filing cabinet and thumb through the alphabetically organized filing system until the pull out the correct document, and copies of the correct document. They are rarely late to any event because they know exactly where there keys are. They walk to the door and pull the appropriate key off of the key hook. They then proceed to get into their sleek shiny car that was washed the day before. They always have one of the new car smell air fresheners in all their cars. They move throughout everyday life without worry of losing a bank staement or their wallet because they are neat. They never let anyone down because they know where things are and they can always be trusted to be places on time.

Blogpost # 5 Responding to In your Journal Assignment

           I don't necessarily think that the author is poking fun at the people in the airport, the travelers. I think he understands why there are all these new restrictions while flying, but he just doesn't get why the travelers make it so difficult. So he gives a list of things to be prepared to do if you are traveling so that it might be easier and less frustrating to you and everyone around you. So I think the humor in this paper is appropriate because its not about the affects of september 11th, its more about the incompetant travelers.

# 4 Responding to any five questions on p. 232

Reading Closely and Thinking Critically

1- To remove the unwanted or unattractive things from their story, they do it mostly to look better in the public eye or to more attractive to their constituents.

2- I think he means that we may look at lifosuction and think it is shady or wrong. When we truly think about what it is, it is hard to really find fault in lifosuction or the people that do it, because most people do. I think he seems amused by it a little bit, because it is kind of ironic that people want others to know all about them, but really only tell them certain things about them.

3- Yes some of the examples do illustrate the removal of harmless elements, others show elements being added to spruce up a story. Little untruths added to a big truth to make the person as a whole look better or more accomplished. These elements are pretty harmless when it comes to the big picture but it does add or take away from the persons story.

4- People want to believe that the people they listen to and look up to are just like them. They want them to be normal people, coming from normal situations, that way they can relate to them. So rappers, talk show hosts, and actors tell the people what they want to hear it makes them likable and relatable. A rapper says he's from the streets, the people on the streets listen to him, this happens all the time.

5- It is surprising that Menino didn't want anyone to know that he had earned an associate degree from a junior college. He accused the newspaper of  "digging up dirt" on him. Most people would be proud that they earned a degree and that would show up on their resumes. This man wanted to be more able to relate with his constituents and look like he pulled himself out of tough times. So he omitted that little achievement from his life,..... or tried to.

Blog Post #3 Narrative Essay topic

          After reading chapter 5, I have decided that I will write about my trip to Alaska. More specifically the encounter with the bears at the confluence of the morraine river during the salmon run of 2008. This was a very exciting time for me and was so much fun. I think I will be able to come up with some creative narrative wrting about this trip.

Responding to chapters 3&4

            These last couple chapters have been extremely useful to me and my writing. Some of the ideas in the writing and rewriting chapter were interesting to me, I had always wondered and struggled with trying to find a way to start my essays. The section on the introduction paragraph was enlightening to me and gave me some great ideas on how to start a paper. The best chapter though, was the chapter on description, my writing had always seemed kind of dull and I would always use the same descriptive words. I wanted to get better in this area and I know i will be reffering to the suggestions mad in the chapter alot.

How I Feel About Reading and Writing

I enjoy reading and writing, and overall I do well at both, but i know I still have a lot to learn. When I read chapter one I realized that I haven't done a whole lot of serious critical reading in my academic career so I know that will be something I will need to work on when I start writing my english papers.