Edward is a 17th century landowner in England. He grew up in Wales on a small family farm with his 7 brothers and sisters. His parents were fairly wealthy because they owned a small mill where the people of the town would come and have their wheat ground into flour. The boys of the family worked the mill and attended to the barn chores, going to school only when there was not work to be done. The school that Edward attended was in the parish house three miles from his own family farm. The priest would invite the children into his garden where he would patiently teach them how to read and write, using the Bible as their only text book. Girls were not permitted to attend so it was only Edward, his two brothers, and three other boys from the country side that would make the three mile trek during the wintery months. It was in this small parish house that Edward excelled and became a very gifted reader and writer. He practiced constantly so that soon he was ahead of the other five boys who attended the informal classes. The priest even let Edward borrow his treasured Bible to study and copy whenever the priest could spare it. Edward soon became the priest’s favorite of the boys and the two spent much time together going for walks and talking about philosophy and God. Edward was hungry for more information than the priest could give him.
When Edward turned 15 the priest came to his father’s house to express how talented his son was. The old man had no idea that his child was as gifted as the priest claimed, but was very honored that the priest had come to his home to praise his child. That night the family celebrated Edward with the priest among them. At dinner the priest told Edward and his family that he planned on helping Edward get some formal education at a university. Edward’s father was pleased, but skeptical. A university would be expensive. Although the family did well, he would not be able to support his six other children and send one to school. Edward was thrilled however and told his father he could pay his way.
The next spring, Edward and the priest set out on in the priest’s carriage for the six day journey to London where a family friend of the priest’s had agreed to take Edward in. For the next seven years Edward worked in his host’s blacksmith shop for his food and board and studied at Cambridge University. The classes were so intellectually stimulating that the young man often did poorly in school but worked hard none the less and came out a highly respected member of his class. He quickly found a job as a journalist for England’s politics. He followed Lords, Senate members, and even the Queen and her attendants around the city and county writing everything that took place. He was promoted to the Editor of the London Chronicle and was invited to be a permanent attendant of every Parliament hearing that took place. He was considered an affluent member of society and married into a good and wealthy family. He and his family lived well in the age of Elizabeth.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Revisions
The issue lies in the safety and environmental aspect of the process. America is currently in a recession and our natural resources are quickly dwindling. Fracking would help alleviate pressures from both of these by creating jobs and opening up new opportunities for fuels. However, people are concerned that their water and land could be contaminated by hydro-fracking. A Marcellus Shale boom is occurring in Pennsylvania but many have mixed feelings. They want the benefits of the natural gas and jobs but have the NIMBY attitude. NIMBY stands for “not in my backyard” and the skeptics of Marcellus Shale drilling have good reasons to feel this way. The drill pad disturbs five acres of land or more not including any roads, right-of-ways, or piping that would need to be installed to transport gas and equipment to and from the drill site. Also, people are also afraid of the consequences of drilling through and below the water table. Pennsylvanians do not want their water quality to be compromised through the process. Furthermore, there is a concern with the content of the water used for fracking. 99% of the brew is water and sand but the remaining 1% is a mixture of toxic chemicals. Finally, there is always the scare of a disaster. If a drilling site were to have a blow out or major fire surrounding homes could be serious danger. Although all of these are very serious concerns that must be monitored and prevented, the Marcellus Shale industry has done an excellent job of keeping this process as safe as possible.
A Marcellus Shale boom is occurring in Pennsylvania but many have mixed feelings. The issue lies in the safety and environmental aspect of the process. America is currently in a recession and our natural resources are quickly dwindling. Fracing would help stimulate the economy by creating jobs and lessen the effects of the energy crisis by opening up new opportunities for fuels. However, people are concerned that their water and land could be contaminated by hydro-fracing. They want the benefits of the natural gas and jobs but have the “NIMBY” attitude. NIMBY stands for “not in my backyard” and the skeptics of Marcellus Shale drilling have good reasons to feel this way. The drill pad disturbs five acres of land or more not including any roads, right-of-ways, or piping that would need to be installed to transport gas and equipment to and from the drill site. Also, people are also afraid of the consequences of drilling through and below the water table. Pennsylvanians do not want their water quality to be compromised through the process. Furthermore, there is a concern with the content of the water used for fracing. A small percentage is toxic chemicals with the potential to create health risks. Finally, there is always the scare of a disaster. If a drilling site were to have a blow out or major fire surrounding homes could be serious danger. Although there is a great financial and gas producing potential for Marcellus, there is also great risk. Despite companies’ attempts at making the process safe there is still room for water contamination, soil pollution, and health concerns.
A Marcellus Shale boom is occurring in Pennsylvania but many have mixed feelings. The issue lies in the safety and environmental aspect of the process. America is currently in a recession and our natural resources are quickly dwindling. Fracing would help stimulate the economy by creating jobs and lessen the effects of the energy crisis by opening up new opportunities for fuels. However, people are concerned that their water and land could be contaminated by hydro-fracing. They want the benefits of the natural gas and jobs but have the “NIMBY” attitude. NIMBY stands for “not in my backyard” and the skeptics of Marcellus Shale drilling have good reasons to feel this way. The drill pad disturbs five acres of land or more not including any roads, right-of-ways, or piping that would need to be installed to transport gas and equipment to and from the drill site. Also, people are also afraid of the consequences of drilling through and below the water table. Pennsylvanians do not want their water quality to be compromised through the process. Furthermore, there is a concern with the content of the water used for fracing. A small percentage is toxic chemicals with the potential to create health risks. Finally, there is always the scare of a disaster. If a drilling site were to have a blow out or major fire surrounding homes could be serious danger. Although there is a great financial and gas producing potential for Marcellus, there is also great risk. Despite companies’ attempts at making the process safe there is still room for water contamination, soil pollution, and health concerns.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Neal Mayer, a Penn State freshman living off campus, knows what it feels like to be inconvenienced by the snow. This past winter Penn State saw some nasty snow and ice storms. During one of these ice storms in January Neal was unable to get to school. “I live on back roads,” he said. “My class was 9 a.m., plows hadn’t come through yet.” Fearing the roads were too dangerous to travel, Neal e-mailed his professor to alert him that he would not be in class, and asked him if he would be allowed to make up the in-class quiz that had been given that day. Surprisingly, even after Neal explained his situation, the professor said no. Snow and ice in Happy Valley does not just affect students however. Many faculty and staff have to brave the icy roads to come as far as thirty minutes away. If delays and cancelations on the Penn State campus were a little more frequent, we could reduce vehicle accidents, lessen the risk of falling snow off trees and buildings, falling on icy sidewalks, and make OPP’s job a little easier. Therefore, I propose that Penn State be more lenient in giving two hour delays and days off and have professors put assignments for the missed class time on-line.
Neal Mayer, a Penn State freshman living off campus, knows what it feels like to be inconvenienced by the snow. This past winter Penn State saw some nasty snow and ice storms. During one of these ice storms in January Neal was unable to get to school. “I live on back roads,” he said. “My class was 9 a.m., plows hadn’t come through yet.” Fearing the roads were too dangerous to travel, Neal e-mailed his professor to alert him that he would not be in class, and asked him if he would be allowed to make up the in-class quiz being given that day. Even after Neal explained his situation, the professor said no. Unfortunately, snow and ice storms do not just affect students. Some faculty and staff have to brave the icy roads to commute from as far as thirty minutes away. If delays and cancelations on the Penn State campus were more frequent, we could reduce vehicle accidents, lessen the risk of getting hit by falling snow from trees and buildings, and slipping on icy sidewalks. Also it would make the Office of Physical Plant’s (OPP) job of clearing snow easier. Therefore, I propose that Penn State be more lenient in giving two hour delays and days off and have professors put assignments for the missed class time on-line.
Neal Mayer, a Penn State freshman living off campus, knows what it feels like to be inconvenienced by the snow. This past winter Penn State saw some nasty snow and ice storms. During one of these ice storms in January Neal was unable to get to school. “I live on back roads,” he said. “My class was 9 a.m., plows hadn’t come through yet.” Fearing the roads were too dangerous to travel, Neal e-mailed his professor to alert him that he would not be in class, and asked him if he would be allowed to make up the in-class quiz being given that day. Even after Neal explained his situation, the professor said no. Unfortunately, snow and ice storms do not just affect students. Some faculty and staff have to brave the icy roads to commute from as far as thirty minutes away. If delays and cancelations on the Penn State campus were more frequent, we could reduce vehicle accidents, lessen the risk of getting hit by falling snow from trees and buildings, and slipping on icy sidewalks. Also it would make the Office of Physical Plant’s (OPP) job of clearing snow easier. Therefore, I propose that Penn State be more lenient in giving two hour delays and days off and have professors put assignments for the missed class time on-line.
Friday, March 25, 2011
A modest proposal
Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal works beautifully as a satirical piece meant not only to mock the doings of the English people but also to present good ideas to the English government on how to solve the starvation issue in Ireland.
The proposal follows all the requirements, according to Harbrace, on how to make a proposal effective. First there is a clear identifiable problem that the proposal seeks to resolve. The people of Ireland are starving and begging for sustenance and the English people have so far done practically nothing to help them. As an educated writer involved in politics Swift is concerned about this. Which brings us to the next requirement. Enough people must be concerned about the issue of one’s proposal. In this case the whole of Great Brittan was concerned. The English government’s decisions about what to do with the Irish would affect taxes, jobs, and agriculture.
Thirdly, the proposed solution will resolve the problem in a way the people will find acceptable. The solution Swift comes up with in his proposal is that the English should take the children of the Irish, kill them, and then eat them. Obviously this is not an acceptable solution which is exactly why he is proposing it. He is mocking the English’s previously proposed solutions which were racist and insufficient by saying, “If your going to do the wrong thing, why don’t you do it in the worst way possible.” In reality however, Swift is genius by mixing in genuinely good arguments into his satirical piece. He recommends to the English employ them in agriculture or to build homes.
Swift also fulfills the forth requirement which says a proposal should analyze the cost and benefits of the solution. Swift claims everyone will benefit from his heinous solution. The English will get clothed with baby leather. The Irish will get paid and fed, and the number of future beggars will be reduced from the streets. The cost is that there will be a reduction in the number of people in the kingdom which he sarcastically claims is not a great loss but a part of the solution.
The fifth requirement for a proposal is that it is directed to the appropriate audience. In this case it is the upper class English law makers. This proposal is especially effective because it mocks the people who think they are high class. It shows them how barrack they are. It also uses a style and a language that only this class would understand.
Finally, the proposal clearly explains the steps to make the baby- eating solution a reality. He describes the exact age, the size of the children, the time in which they will be taken from their mother, the kind of children that will be taken. He is very detail oriented and crafty as to why these certain requirements would make eating babies ok.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
State Patty's Day
"Uuuugggghhhh. I do not want to get up early tomorrow." exclaimed the slightly intoxicated girl to her friend. The two were walking in front of me as we made our way up the brick sidewalk on Shortlidge. I presumed they were heading to east, as was I. For a moment I felt bad for this girl. It was late Friday night and I was thinking the same thing. I too had to wake up early. My shift at the Nittany Lion Inn started at eight a.m. However, all sympathizing stopped when I over heard her friend's responce.
(Sigh)"I know," said the other girl. "It's gonna be rough getting up early to drink."
This is the first State Patty's day I have experienced despite living just under an hour away. I have obviously known about State Patty's for a long time and I know many people from home have come up during this weekend to, for lack of a better term, get wasted. However, I did not know just how extreme things around State College got.
Saturday morning I woke up early and was informed that I did not have to go into work because things were slow. I decided instead to go downtown and buy a new backpack becasue I had spilled honey all through mine. I also figured that I should probably buy a State Pattys shirt for the party I was planning on attending later that night. My roommate and I were going to a dry frat with an orgaization we are involved in, Campus Crusaders for Christ. I am not against drinking but I had to work Sunday morning at seven a.m. and had no desire to make waking up in the morning harder than it was already going to be.
Donning jeans and a winter jacket, my roommate and I took the steps to the ground floor. Standing at the door was a large group of girls and guys. None of the girls were wearing coats and only a few were wearing more than shorts and high stockings. It was not freezing out but it was cold enough to make me shiver just looking at them. Green was obviously the color of choice for attire that day. Girls wore green soffee shorts and it seemed EVERYBODY had a green T-shirt on of some sort. On the way downtowm my roommate and I took notice of some of the designs on the T-shirts. We had to give the students or screen printers (whoever was responcible for the inspired shirts)credit. Some of the sayings and designs were pretty creative and funny. One inparticualar that caught my eye was a t-shirt that read, "LET'S GET READY TO STUMBLE!" I thought it was pretty ingenious.
Upon arriving downtown I was greated by a sea of green mixed with a little orange and white. By the way the streets were packed with kids, you would have thought it was a warm spring Friday or Saturday night. In reality it was just after noon. I walked in to Mcclanahans in search of a backpack. The generous display of green State Patty's day parifaniallia that had been on display in the front of the store for the past two weeks was thoroughly picked over. There was not a single t-shirt left. Still, the store was packed with kids getting last minute party accesories. They didn't have the backpack I wanted and I left without purchasing anything.
As I headed down cawlder ally (to avoid some of the crowds) I observed the students around me. There were already some clearly drunk young adults walking the steets. Vuvuzelas were blowing and students excitedly chated loudly with eachother as they prepared to party by going to local restraunts. They were obviously lining their stomaches before a night of mercilous drinking. What was most obvious to me was the astounding number of kids who were clearly NOT Penn State students. They were EVERYWHERE and they were easy to spot. They stuck out like tourists in a forgine country. And just like someone not familiar with the customs of another culture, they were unabashedly obnoxious. I suppose they thought that becasue the cops are typically pretty lax in State College, they are allowd to do absolutly whatever they want. It is no wonder the collegian said 65% of arrests last Saturday were out-of-towners.
Along the way to Rapid Transit I stopped at The Family Clothes Line only long enough to pick a t-shirt up for myself and my roommate (who had gone to Baby's with one of her friends). The store was packed and the green t-shirst at the entrance of the store were the hot ticket items. One small and one medium and I was out the door. Because I took the alley, I shielded myself from most of the hoopla. After going to Rapid Transit (their backpacks were way over priced so I didn't purchase one there either) however, I decided to brave College Avenue.
Everybody who was anybody seemed to be out. Kids wondered around the street for the sheer purpose of running into everybody they knew. Groups of kids gathered at corners and in front of the shops to talk, goof off, and plan for the night of their lives. Students hung out of the windows from the apartments above yelling to those on the streets. Protestors unsuccessfully told kids they should not drink and take part in the festivities. Girl Scouts attempted to take advanatge of the loose wallets of intoxicated students and sold cookies infront of the Big Blue on the Corner. Needless to say, after I went into the Big Blue to purchase a backpack (finally, I found the one I wanted) I bought some cookies. An ambulence even sped down College Avenue while I was on my way back to Shortlidge.
When I got back to my dorm a group of girls were in the stair well on the fith floor taking turns puking into a garbage can. More students (and non-students) were in slutty green attire. More shamrock headbands and glittery green makeup was sported. I went into my room and cleaned. My parents informed me they were making an impromptu visit that evening so once my roommate came back to get ready to go to the CRU party I told her I couldn't go. I tucked my new green t-shirt into my drawer, put on a Disney Pandora Radio station, and waited for them to arrive. I did not see downtown at night. I did not see downtown in the morning because I had to work. And I did not have a crazy State Patty's day. But mom baked pumpkin pie and brought me up some, so it was still a good day.
(Sigh)"I know," said the other girl. "It's gonna be rough getting up early to drink."
This is the first State Patty's day I have experienced despite living just under an hour away. I have obviously known about State Patty's for a long time and I know many people from home have come up during this weekend to, for lack of a better term, get wasted. However, I did not know just how extreme things around State College got.
Saturday morning I woke up early and was informed that I did not have to go into work because things were slow. I decided instead to go downtown and buy a new backpack becasue I had spilled honey all through mine. I also figured that I should probably buy a State Pattys shirt for the party I was planning on attending later that night. My roommate and I were going to a dry frat with an orgaization we are involved in, Campus Crusaders for Christ. I am not against drinking but I had to work Sunday morning at seven a.m. and had no desire to make waking up in the morning harder than it was already going to be.
Donning jeans and a winter jacket, my roommate and I took the steps to the ground floor. Standing at the door was a large group of girls and guys. None of the girls were wearing coats and only a few were wearing more than shorts and high stockings. It was not freezing out but it was cold enough to make me shiver just looking at them. Green was obviously the color of choice for attire that day. Girls wore green soffee shorts and it seemed EVERYBODY had a green T-shirt on of some sort. On the way downtowm my roommate and I took notice of some of the designs on the T-shirts. We had to give the students or screen printers (whoever was responcible for the inspired shirts)credit. Some of the sayings and designs were pretty creative and funny. One inparticualar that caught my eye was a t-shirt that read, "LET'S GET READY TO STUMBLE!" I thought it was pretty ingenious.
Upon arriving downtown I was greated by a sea of green mixed with a little orange and white. By the way the streets were packed with kids, you would have thought it was a warm spring Friday or Saturday night. In reality it was just after noon. I walked in to Mcclanahans in search of a backpack. The generous display of green State Patty's day parifaniallia that had been on display in the front of the store for the past two weeks was thoroughly picked over. There was not a single t-shirt left. Still, the store was packed with kids getting last minute party accesories. They didn't have the backpack I wanted and I left without purchasing anything.
As I headed down cawlder ally (to avoid some of the crowds) I observed the students around me. There were already some clearly drunk young adults walking the steets. Vuvuzelas were blowing and students excitedly chated loudly with eachother as they prepared to party by going to local restraunts. They were obviously lining their stomaches before a night of mercilous drinking. What was most obvious to me was the astounding number of kids who were clearly NOT Penn State students. They were EVERYWHERE and they were easy to spot. They stuck out like tourists in a forgine country. And just like someone not familiar with the customs of another culture, they were unabashedly obnoxious. I suppose they thought that becasue the cops are typically pretty lax in State College, they are allowd to do absolutly whatever they want. It is no wonder the collegian said 65% of arrests last Saturday were out-of-towners.
Along the way to Rapid Transit I stopped at The Family Clothes Line only long enough to pick a t-shirt up for myself and my roommate (who had gone to Baby's with one of her friends). The store was packed and the green t-shirst at the entrance of the store were the hot ticket items. One small and one medium and I was out the door. Because I took the alley, I shielded myself from most of the hoopla. After going to Rapid Transit (their backpacks were way over priced so I didn't purchase one there either) however, I decided to brave College Avenue.
Everybody who was anybody seemed to be out. Kids wondered around the street for the sheer purpose of running into everybody they knew. Groups of kids gathered at corners and in front of the shops to talk, goof off, and plan for the night of their lives. Students hung out of the windows from the apartments above yelling to those on the streets. Protestors unsuccessfully told kids they should not drink and take part in the festivities. Girl Scouts attempted to take advanatge of the loose wallets of intoxicated students and sold cookies infront of the Big Blue on the Corner. Needless to say, after I went into the Big Blue to purchase a backpack (finally, I found the one I wanted) I bought some cookies. An ambulence even sped down College Avenue while I was on my way back to Shortlidge.
When I got back to my dorm a group of girls were in the stair well on the fith floor taking turns puking into a garbage can. More students (and non-students) were in slutty green attire. More shamrock headbands and glittery green makeup was sported. I went into my room and cleaned. My parents informed me they were making an impromptu visit that evening so once my roommate came back to get ready to go to the CRU party I told her I couldn't go. I tucked my new green t-shirt into my drawer, put on a Disney Pandora Radio station, and waited for them to arrive. I did not see downtown at night. I did not see downtown in the morning because I had to work. And I did not have a crazy State Patty's day. But mom baked pumpkin pie and brought me up some, so it was still a good day.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
This cup reeks “cheap” from every angle. It is not a homey cup or a cup you would want to curl up with and read a good book. Its primary purpose is low cost functionality. It is plastic, a thin plastic at that. It is clearly designed to be thrown away after a single use. It is not dishwasher safe. This Solo cup cannot hold hot liquids and its’ primary hang-out spot is parties where people can easily write their names on them. As a kid I would associate this cup with drinking soda at family gatherings but now I associate them with college drinking parties. Drinking from these makes me feel like a young risk taker. It has a wide top and a narrower square bottom. There are ridges for your gripping purposes on the side of the cup. Solo is written down the side. This particular one is red, but they come in blue as well.
The cup to the right of my solo cup reminds me of home. This cup would be classified as a mug. I would not be seen with this cup at a college frat party but it is the first thing I grab when I feel like a cup of tea. It is very large and made of thick ceramic. The paint is shiny and mint green. There are pink, blue, and purple flowers painted on the sides of it. The base of the cup is narrow and broadens to a very wide opening at the top. The handle is very thick and sturdy. The cup is heavy in my hand. This cup’s purpose is to hold hot liquids safely. It will not melt and can be put in the dishwasher. I associate this cup with serenity and peacefulness. Rainy days and calm nights are this cup’s ideal settings. I feel mature when I drink from it, like I should be thirty sitting on a front porch swing or writing a book.
The cup to the right of my solo cup reminds me of home. This cup would be classified as a mug. I would not be seen with this cup at a college frat party but it is the first thing I grab when I feel like a cup of tea. It is very large and made of thick ceramic. The paint is shiny and mint green. There are pink, blue, and purple flowers painted on the sides of it. The base of the cup is narrow and broadens to a very wide opening at the top. The handle is very thick and sturdy. The cup is heavy in my hand. This cup’s purpose is to hold hot liquids safely. It will not melt and can be put in the dishwasher. I associate this cup with serenity and peacefulness. Rainy days and calm nights are this cup’s ideal settings. I feel mature when I drink from it, like I should be thirty sitting on a front porch swing or writing a book.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Journal 7
I have decided to evaluate the Cannon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera. The reason I am evaluating this product is because I am considering purchasing a SLR Camera and want to make sure that I am making the right choice. As a college student, a camera that sells for over $500 is a major purchase that takes a large part of my income. Furthermore, there are a lot of quality cameras out there that sell for relatively cheap and a lot of junk on the market that is severely overpriced. To make sure that I am not being ripped off, I have been researching SLR cameras. So far, this Cannon seems to be the best option.
In the realm of cameras, I would categorize the Cannon EOS Rebel as a professional grade camera for the aspiring photographer. According to Amazon and several photographer’s blogs, the camera is designed with an easy layout for beginners and a light body for those not used to the clunky feel of an SLR camera. Still, the Cannon EOS Rebel delivers a high quality image with many settings and options for the more experienced photographer.
The five characteristics that I have evaluated this camera on are: price, megapixels, picture quality, weight, and settings and features. The Cannon EOS Rebel ranges in price from $600 used on Amazon to as much as $800 new at other retailers. This is very reasonable considering that according to Amazon, it is the number two top rated SLR camera of 2010-2011. This is especially The number one SLR camera sells for about $2,000. Secondly, I looked at the megapixels. Megapixels are the small box like blobs of color that a picture is captured in. Thousands of these blocks make up the picture. The more megapixels, the better the picture resolution if you plan to enlarge your prints. More megapixels will help to keep your picture from becoming fuzzy. The Cannon Rebel has 15.1 megapixels which is plenty to ensure that the picture will stay sharp if it is blown up to larger than the average 4x6 print. The third and fourth categories I am evaluating has to do with overall picture quality. This is determined mostly by the quality of the lens and camera sensor. The camera sensor refers to the ISO speed and exposure. ISO refers to the degree of sensitivity to light. In other words, the higher the ISO , the better images taken in low light will be. Similarly, an increased ISO increases shutter speed which can reduce blurred images. This is important with this specific camera because it has a very unique setting: “Creative Auto.” Creative Auto or CA allows you to manually choose some settings, but not have to worry about shutter speed if you do not entirely understand the concept. The Cannon Rebel ensures that even an armature photographer can get an awesome shot on this setting by providing an ISO 640 (which is a very generous ISO.) Likewise, most retailers sell the Cannon as a package deal with an upgraded lens for excellent picture quality. Or, if you choose to upgrade further, Cannon offers over 600 lenses that are compatible with this camera. Finally, the weight and feel of the camera is the fifth area of evaluation. After reading several blogs I am convinced that this camera is a tad bulkier than most SLR cameras. This does not bother me however it may be uncomfortable for some so it is something to be aware of. I do not mind this because it provides it with a little more of a professional feel. More important to me is how the camera feels in my hand. Is it awkward? Do my hands fit? Are the buttons inconveniently placed? From what I’ve read from bloggers and customer ratings, the camera is a comfortable fit in your hand. There is ample room to grip the camera and the buttons are not placed so that one could accidently hit them while taking a picture.
In the realm of cameras, I would categorize the Cannon EOS Rebel as a professional grade camera for the aspiring photographer. According to Amazon and several photographer’s blogs, the camera is designed with an easy layout for beginners and a light body for those not used to the clunky feel of an SLR camera. Still, the Cannon EOS Rebel delivers a high quality image with many settings and options for the more experienced photographer.
The five characteristics that I have evaluated this camera on are: price, megapixels, picture quality, weight, and settings and features. The Cannon EOS Rebel ranges in price from $600 used on Amazon to as much as $800 new at other retailers. This is very reasonable considering that according to Amazon, it is the number two top rated SLR camera of 2010-2011. This is especially The number one SLR camera sells for about $2,000. Secondly, I looked at the megapixels. Megapixels are the small box like blobs of color that a picture is captured in. Thousands of these blocks make up the picture. The more megapixels, the better the picture resolution if you plan to enlarge your prints. More megapixels will help to keep your picture from becoming fuzzy. The Cannon Rebel has 15.1 megapixels which is plenty to ensure that the picture will stay sharp if it is blown up to larger than the average 4x6 print. The third and fourth categories I am evaluating has to do with overall picture quality. This is determined mostly by the quality of the lens and camera sensor. The camera sensor refers to the ISO speed and exposure. ISO refers to the degree of sensitivity to light. In other words, the higher the ISO , the better images taken in low light will be. Similarly, an increased ISO increases shutter speed which can reduce blurred images. This is important with this specific camera because it has a very unique setting: “Creative Auto.” Creative Auto or CA allows you to manually choose some settings, but not have to worry about shutter speed if you do not entirely understand the concept. The Cannon Rebel ensures that even an armature photographer can get an awesome shot on this setting by providing an ISO 640 (which is a very generous ISO.) Likewise, most retailers sell the Cannon as a package deal with an upgraded lens for excellent picture quality. Or, if you choose to upgrade further, Cannon offers over 600 lenses that are compatible with this camera. Finally, the weight and feel of the camera is the fifth area of evaluation. After reading several blogs I am convinced that this camera is a tad bulkier than most SLR cameras. This does not bother me however it may be uncomfortable for some so it is something to be aware of. I do not mind this because it provides it with a little more of a professional feel. More important to me is how the camera feels in my hand. Is it awkward? Do my hands fit? Are the buttons inconveniently placed? From what I’ve read from bloggers and customer ratings, the camera is a comfortable fit in your hand. There is ample room to grip the camera and the buttons are not placed so that one could accidently hit them while taking a picture.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Are you better because you have an education?
A three hour Comm 150 class is almost more than I can take. I am sitting in the State Theater downtown anticipating the professor to commence speaking about a topic I am anything but interested in: film. The room is dark, almost black except for the large screen behind the professor. Normally it is used to show movies. However, there is not a movie on it now. There is a power point depicting mise en scene. The class has just begun and I am still tugging my notebook from out of my backpack. The seats are comfortable theater seats but they have no tables or desks which makes taking notes a very uncomfortable task. It is not a big deal though because I can rarely make sense of what the professor is lecturing about anyway. I cannot stand this professor. He has an attitude about him that rubs me the wrong way. From watching him for half a semester I have learned all the little ticks and habitual movements he makes when he speaks. Each one irritates me like nails on a chalkboard. I often think of how it is a shame that I hate this class so much. The building is beautiful and it would be such a fun place to have a class that I enjoyed. The atmosphere is inviting unlike the cold concrete feel of a normal class room with the hard plastic chairs and desks. Instead the seats are thickly cushioned, there is carpet in the aisles, and the walls are covered in cloth with ripples in them. I assume this is for better sound quality. My thoughts are startled by what the professor is saying. I almost do not catch it, “…and please pick up your trash before you leave so the working class people don’t have to clean up after you.”It was the way he said it that startled me. He said it almost like he thought that was precisely what they should be made to do.
“In my high school, the people who didn’t go to college were the people who barely graduated.”
-Danielle Long
“College students have an easier opportunity to do better and make more of themselves than high school graduates.”
-Danielle Long
“They got the same piece of paper (diploma) but for me, going to college made mine more valuable”
-Danielle Long
“College helps you grow as a person. You become more independent and learn how to manage your time. It’s my dream to have a family and career at the same time and college show us how to do that in an environment where its ok to fail.”
-Danielle Long
So far, it has been difficult to find articles and statistics on why college in some cases can be bad. However I found two very good sources on why it is good. The Washington Post graphed the Unemployment rate in relationship to education. Also, College Board did extensive research on the benefits of going to college. I included a hyperlink because there were several pages to their findings.
Matthew Yglesias,comments:
"Virtually every single member of congress, every senator, every Capitol Hill staffer, every White House advisor, every Fed governor, and every major political reporter is a college graduate. What’s more, we have a large amount of social segregation in the United States—college graduates tend to socialize with each other. And among college graduates, there simply isn’t an economic crisis in the United States."
** I am very interested in the bolded statement. It is one avenue I want to dig into deeper. **
Klein, Ezra. "The Benefits of a College Degree in One Graph." Washington Post 11 Aug 2011: 1. Web. 14 Feb 2011..
One thing that I found particularly fascinating about the College Board Statistics is that people with college educations have a tendency to take better care of themselves and are healthier than people without a college education. This was based on the level of regular physical activity, smoking, and general risk of heart disease.
Baum, Sandy, and Jennifer Ma. "Education Pays the Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society." College Board. College Board, 5007. Web. 14 Feb 2011..
-I want to know what the uneducated person thinks of all this. If these statistics are true, then why did they still choose not to go to college? Do they feel inadequate around college graduates and students? Do they think their jobs are a valuable as a college graduates? If education is not the key to success for them, then what is?
“In my high school, the people who didn’t go to college were the people who barely graduated.”
-Danielle Long
“College students have an easier opportunity to do better and make more of themselves than high school graduates.”
-Danielle Long
“They got the same piece of paper (diploma) but for me, going to college made mine more valuable”
-Danielle Long
“College helps you grow as a person. You become more independent and learn how to manage your time. It’s my dream to have a family and career at the same time and college show us how to do that in an environment where its ok to fail.”
-Danielle Long
So far, it has been difficult to find articles and statistics on why college in some cases can be bad. However I found two very good sources on why it is good. The Washington Post graphed the Unemployment rate in relationship to education. Also, College Board did extensive research on the benefits of going to college. I included a hyperlink because there were several pages to their findings.
Matthew Yglesias,comments:
"Virtually every single member of congress, every senator, every Capitol Hill staffer, every White House advisor, every Fed governor, and every major political reporter is a college graduate. What’s more, we have a large amount of social segregation in the United States—college graduates tend to socialize with each other. And among college graduates, there simply isn’t an economic crisis in the United States."
** I am very interested in the bolded statement. It is one avenue I want to dig into deeper. **
Klein, Ezra. "The Benefits of a College Degree in One Graph." Washington Post 11 Aug 2011: 1. Web. 14 Feb 2011.
One thing that I found particularly fascinating about the College Board Statistics is that people with college educations have a tendency to take better care of themselves and are healthier than people without a college education. This was based on the level of regular physical activity, smoking, and general risk of heart disease.
Baum, Sandy, and Jennifer Ma. "Education Pays the Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society." College Board. College Board, 5007. Web. 14 Feb 2011.
-I want to know what the uneducated person thinks of all this. If these statistics are true, then why did they still choose not to go to college? Do they feel inadequate around college graduates and students? Do they think their jobs are a valuable as a college graduates? If education is not the key to success for them, then what is?
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sinatra's Got a Cold
Frank Sinatra has a Cold” answers the five critical questions that help define a profile. First, the author, Gay Talese, does a great job at explaining why Sinatra is such an interesting man . He does not explicitly say, “Frank Sinatra is an interesting man because…” Instead, he creates an atmosphere of curiosity through his description of this larger-than-life man with the peculiar personality. It makes the audience think “this man is interesting” rather than having to be told that he is. Second, The writer’s description of Sinatra’s work often correlates with Sinatra’s personal life. In the song Nancy, Sinatra is describing the person who knows him best. I found the author’s description of Sinatra singing this song moving because he became transparent. The name Frank Sinatra is often associated with a man who not only sang his music but felt it with the very being and fiber of his soul. When the author describes Sinatra’s outward singing as a reflection of what is happening inside of him, you get the sense that that was the Frank Sinatra of legends. The way he sang in that instance gives the audience the sense that underneath all the chaos that is Sinatra, there is a real live human being with genuine feelings and affections for people. Thirdly, Talese gives a good sense of Sinatra’s motives in his professional life when he describes Sinatra’s reasons for leaving Harry James’ band. The author says, “he would leave other warm places, too, in search of something more, never wasting time, trying to do it all in one generation, fighting under his own name, defending underdogs, terrorizing top dogs. “ This really gives you a sense of why Frank Sinatra did what he did. He wanted to become epic but not through conventional ways. Instead, he wanted to form his own mold. Also, the author does a good job at drawing from a variety of sources including Sinatra’s x-wife, daughter, mother, close friends, and other media sources such as interviews with other publications. One huge source of information is also just observing Sinatra. By watching what he does, where he goes, and the company he keeps the author is able to infer a lot of things and gather a surprising amount of data. Finally, I feel like the profile is asking you to respect Sinatra. It is asking you to revere the man whose mind does not make sense, whose heart is in the right place, and who is everything he set out to be.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
“# 1 Party School” is a very thorough report and therefore answers the questions posed by Harbrace. First, the reporters define the problem in a way that the audience will understand. They introduce the problem by giving a firsthand experience of downtown state college on a weekend night. They explain the scene and what they are experiencing and seeing so that people will get the full impact of the issue at hand. They are not simply saying “Penn State has a drinking problem.” Instead, they tell you about the kid that throws the pizza plate into the reporter’s yard and the boys who drag the stop sign out of the ground. The second chapter of the report goes further to really lay the problem down for the audience. They demonstrate just how prevalent, important, and deeply rooted partying is at Penn State. They show alumni and parents’ of students who help encourage this type of behavior. The audience quickly gets the sense that this is no small issue. It paints a picture that depicts a culture and way of life, which is not something to be easily changed.
The reporters of This American Life give several reasons why this issue needs to be addressed. One of the most evident reasons is the mayhem and vandalization that drinking and partying seems to foster. Public safety and human health were also among the top reasons why kids should drink and party less. But the issue went further than that. The report says that they did not want to report on Penn State’s drinking problem because it was the number one party school or because what goes on here is uncommon, but instead because it is common. This same issue is appearing in colleges across the country.
“# 1 Party School” does a good job at looking at the different groups that this issue affects. The Alumni, police, local business owners, bar owners, town residences, and Penn State administrators all are affected by the student’s heavy drinking. Alumni enjoy the drinking culture. They donate to the school; they support the football team, and they tie drinking into family and school spirit. The police are in charge of keeping the law and providing public safety. They are consistently being run wild over town to keep kids from peeing in public, falling asleep in random resident’s beds, and monitoring underage drinking. Local business owners have to tailor their inventory to what the kids want. As a former Mclanahan’s employee, I can vouch that until recently the condoms, lubricants, and pregnancy tests were all proudly displayed in the front of the store. While I was still employed there, one kid even tried to steal a pack of condoms. They also have a large stock of potential chasers, solo cups, and shot glasses. A local bar owner was asked about students’ drinking habits. I found it interesting that the drink of choice has switched from beer to liquor. I assumed liquor had always been big on campus. Town residents are the unfortunate soles who see most of the negativity involved with student partying at Penn State. It is their property that is vandalized and their neighborhoods that are made into noisy party scenes. Finally, the Penn State administrators, as Gram Spanier put it, have to “clean up the mess.” The administrators of the school are often falsely blamed for the risky behavior of the students. They are put on the spot when bad things happen to students due to drinking and partying. It is unfortunate, because their job is not to babysit us. However, the media and parents often look to them for explanations when someone gets hurt.
A lot of direct quotes were made in the investigative report. Several students were interviewed about their perspective on the issue of drinking. They got good quotes from kids that like to get sloshed such as, “I’m getting drunk and tailgaiting!” and, “If there was a drunk button…” They also got quotes from a student who does not drink at all. The College Pizza delivery boy, Alex Morre, was quoted saying, “Recently some kid broke my jaw…” while discussing chasing down a (probably drunk) kid for punching dents into another delivery boy’s car. The local residents were also represented in this report. One that comes to mind is the man who was quoted saying, “…I have motion sensors in the yard… I can hear which point they come in…” This particular fact freaked me out a little bit. A police officer was interviewed as well. One quote I found amusing was, “Sorry buddy, you were just caught peeing, I’m not shaking your hands.” The report was full of quotations from people that had different roles in the drinking and partying scene. One group I felt was not represented was the occasional casual drinker. I would have liked to know what they thought about the party scene. These drinkers would be the kids who do not have anything against drinking, but at the same time, do not do a lot of drinking themselves. They are the ones that only drink a few times a semester and do not do so to get drunk. I feel like they would be a moderating voice between the kids who want to get drunk all the time, and the poor boy who’s car has been abused by the drunk student body.
I feel that the specific conclusion that the writers of this talk show want their audience to reach is that drinking is an issue on Penn State’s campus as well as others around the country. They also want their readers to be convinced that what is currently being done is not enough. They stress that the “normalness” of the extreme drinking and partying is what makes this such a big deal. Furthermore, they offer possible solutions to the problem by comparing other university’s alcohol policies to that of University of Nebraska Lincoln. By giving an example of a successful alcohol control program, they seem to be suggesting that Penn State can fix their problem too if they would only choose to.
I have been at Penn State for a year now, and “#1 Party School” still managed to shock me. The data reported by the investigation seemed to be skewed toward excessive partying even more than I thought. I realize that the reporters from This American Life came to Penn State with the intent to prove that we are a party school. However, I do not see that as being ALL of what Penn State is. It is true, we like to drink, party, and have a good time. But we are also extremely smart young adults. We work hard and have an awesome reputation as being among the top schools in every category. Recruiters want us because they know that if you make it through Penn State, you’ll make it in the corporate world as well. Yea, the drinking might get out of hand at times, but welcome to college. Better yet, welcome to being a young adult. The kids in my home town who did not go to college are partying as much, if not more than my friends here. And why shouldn’t they? They are young and can get away with it now. Is it smart? Probably not. But neither is getting into debt, yet almost every American does that as well. My opinion is: monitor it and keep it under control, but do not make it a bigger issue than it needs to be. The police should put just enough fear into kids to keep them from getting into too much trouble. As much as I hate to admit it, the Alcohol Education online survey should continue even though it is a pain to do. Furthermore, the school should continue to promote a dry campus on campus. Off of campus, I think kids should be allowed to have fun. From what I have experienced, Penn State does a pretty good job of trying to keep things under control without cracking down too severely on kids.
The reporters of This American Life give several reasons why this issue needs to be addressed. One of the most evident reasons is the mayhem and vandalization that drinking and partying seems to foster. Public safety and human health were also among the top reasons why kids should drink and party less. But the issue went further than that. The report says that they did not want to report on Penn State’s drinking problem because it was the number one party school or because what goes on here is uncommon, but instead because it is common. This same issue is appearing in colleges across the country.
“# 1 Party School” does a good job at looking at the different groups that this issue affects. The Alumni, police, local business owners, bar owners, town residences, and Penn State administrators all are affected by the student’s heavy drinking. Alumni enjoy the drinking culture. They donate to the school; they support the football team, and they tie drinking into family and school spirit. The police are in charge of keeping the law and providing public safety. They are consistently being run wild over town to keep kids from peeing in public, falling asleep in random resident’s beds, and monitoring underage drinking. Local business owners have to tailor their inventory to what the kids want. As a former Mclanahan’s employee, I can vouch that until recently the condoms, lubricants, and pregnancy tests were all proudly displayed in the front of the store. While I was still employed there, one kid even tried to steal a pack of condoms. They also have a large stock of potential chasers, solo cups, and shot glasses. A local bar owner was asked about students’ drinking habits. I found it interesting that the drink of choice has switched from beer to liquor. I assumed liquor had always been big on campus. Town residents are the unfortunate soles who see most of the negativity involved with student partying at Penn State. It is their property that is vandalized and their neighborhoods that are made into noisy party scenes. Finally, the Penn State administrators, as Gram Spanier put it, have to “clean up the mess.” The administrators of the school are often falsely blamed for the risky behavior of the students. They are put on the spot when bad things happen to students due to drinking and partying. It is unfortunate, because their job is not to babysit us. However, the media and parents often look to them for explanations when someone gets hurt.
A lot of direct quotes were made in the investigative report. Several students were interviewed about their perspective on the issue of drinking. They got good quotes from kids that like to get sloshed such as, “I’m getting drunk and tailgaiting!” and, “If there was a drunk button…” They also got quotes from a student who does not drink at all. The College Pizza delivery boy, Alex Morre, was quoted saying, “Recently some kid broke my jaw…” while discussing chasing down a (probably drunk) kid for punching dents into another delivery boy’s car. The local residents were also represented in this report. One that comes to mind is the man who was quoted saying, “…I have motion sensors in the yard… I can hear which point they come in…” This particular fact freaked me out a little bit. A police officer was interviewed as well. One quote I found amusing was, “Sorry buddy, you were just caught peeing, I’m not shaking your hands.” The report was full of quotations from people that had different roles in the drinking and partying scene. One group I felt was not represented was the occasional casual drinker. I would have liked to know what they thought about the party scene. These drinkers would be the kids who do not have anything against drinking, but at the same time, do not do a lot of drinking themselves. They are the ones that only drink a few times a semester and do not do so to get drunk. I feel like they would be a moderating voice between the kids who want to get drunk all the time, and the poor boy who’s car has been abused by the drunk student body.
I feel that the specific conclusion that the writers of this talk show want their audience to reach is that drinking is an issue on Penn State’s campus as well as others around the country. They also want their readers to be convinced that what is currently being done is not enough. They stress that the “normalness” of the extreme drinking and partying is what makes this such a big deal. Furthermore, they offer possible solutions to the problem by comparing other university’s alcohol policies to that of University of Nebraska Lincoln. By giving an example of a successful alcohol control program, they seem to be suggesting that Penn State can fix their problem too if they would only choose to.
I have been at Penn State for a year now, and “#1 Party School” still managed to shock me. The data reported by the investigation seemed to be skewed toward excessive partying even more than I thought. I realize that the reporters from This American Life came to Penn State with the intent to prove that we are a party school. However, I do not see that as being ALL of what Penn State is. It is true, we like to drink, party, and have a good time. But we are also extremely smart young adults. We work hard and have an awesome reputation as being among the top schools in every category. Recruiters want us because they know that if you make it through Penn State, you’ll make it in the corporate world as well. Yea, the drinking might get out of hand at times, but welcome to college. Better yet, welcome to being a young adult. The kids in my home town who did not go to college are partying as much, if not more than my friends here. And why shouldn’t they? They are young and can get away with it now. Is it smart? Probably not. But neither is getting into debt, yet almost every American does that as well. My opinion is: monitor it and keep it under control, but do not make it a bigger issue than it needs to be. The police should put just enough fear into kids to keep them from getting into too much trouble. As much as I hate to admit it, the Alcohol Education online survey should continue even though it is a pain to do. Furthermore, the school should continue to promote a dry campus on campus. Off of campus, I think kids should be allowed to have fun. From what I have experienced, Penn State does a pretty good job of trying to keep things under control without cracking down too severely on kids.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Journal 3- Faulty First Drafts
Writing is definitely more about the process and less about the product. My process typically begins when I sit down at my computer and think, and think, and think. Obviously nothing comes to me except frustration. At this point I think to myself, "Jennifer Jean you are so stupid! Do you know how much time you've just wasted?!? It's been two hours and you still don't have a damn thing on the paper!" After this I usually start writing anything. It is terrible. Many times I have to start somewhere in the middle with a random idea or sentence. I'll write a paragraph or two until I realize I have hit a dead end in which I cannot think of anywhere to go from there. So, I start another paragraph. This one too makes no sense, is completely disjointed, and does not flow with the first. It may be about a completely different subject or subtopic. Usually this paragraph ends abruptly as well: dead end number two. The third or fourth paragraph is usually when I can finally start making sense of myself. By this time I have completely abandoned both the first and second paragraphs. In fact, so I can still go back to them for inspiration, yet do not confuse myself, I will hit enter several times in a row to shove those two ghastly paragraphs out of my sight. At this time I am by no means writing in a fluent manner. I am still over thinking and desperately hoping for a light bulb to go off in my head; however, I am not hitting dead ends. Once I am finished, I usually still do not have an introduction or any gracefulness in my paper, but my thoughts are in some sort of coherent order. Now I go back and read it. This usually procures a certain amount of pain. I sympathized with Lamott's statement about writing her first draft; she was afraid someone would read it. My papers are ALWAYS just as bad as I imagined they would be. However, as I pick through it, usually the light bulbs start going off. I cut away all the lengthy,wordy sentences and add sentences as I am inspired. I also comb for spelling and grammar mistakes, but rarely catch them all. After reading through it yet again, I am usually satisfied with the content. Then, if I have time, I will print it out and go over it once more. This is usually when I catch the last of the spelling and grammar mistakes. Finally, I am finished.
The importance of the first draft in this whole process is that it gets the ball rolling and the juices flowing. Without the first draft, I would still be sitting at my computer thinking and being extremely inefficient. Lamott's essay definitely helped me because I was encouraged that my writing process was not the only on that was obnoxiously inefficient. (If you can't tell, I am obsessed with efficiency. I am exceedingly busy thus making my time incredibly valuable. Therefore, everything must be done in a timely fashion and writing is usually one of those things that I can never seem to do in a time minimizing way.) The essay also gave me hope for this memoir. I will admit I am nervous for it. It seems like it is going to be a challenge. I am panic stricken that with work, THON, and my other difficult classes I won't be able to devote the time needed to prepare an A+ paper. However, after reading this it has given me confidence to simply trust my process and not stress over it. When I sit down for the first draft, I'll just write. Who cares how it turns out? It is only the first draft.
The importance of the first draft in this whole process is that it gets the ball rolling and the juices flowing. Without the first draft, I would still be sitting at my computer thinking and being extremely inefficient. Lamott's essay definitely helped me because I was encouraged that my writing process was not the only on that was obnoxiously inefficient. (If you can't tell, I am obsessed with efficiency. I am exceedingly busy thus making my time incredibly valuable. Therefore, everything must be done in a timely fashion and writing is usually one of those things that I can never seem to do in a time minimizing way.) The essay also gave me hope for this memoir. I will admit I am nervous for it. It seems like it is going to be a challenge. I am panic stricken that with work, THON, and my other difficult classes I won't be able to devote the time needed to prepare an A+ paper. However, after reading this it has given me confidence to simply trust my process and not stress over it. When I sit down for the first draft, I'll just write. Who cares how it turns out? It is only the first draft.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Journal 2
"What She Gave" by Anne Lamott is an excellent example of a memoir. It contains all the elements of a memoir as outlined in the Harbrace text book including significant experiences, sensory details, dialogue, transitional phrases, and reflections on key narrative events.
The significant experiences the author recounts take place at the beginning and end of the memoir. At the beginning, Lamott catches our attention by placing us in her bed, exhausted from two nights of insomnia, only to be woken up by her fifteen year old son who is perfectly capable of falling asleep on his own. What comes next is what makes this anecdote significant. Lamott's son reminds her that she is his mother and the person to whom he should be able to take his problems to. The second significant experience occurs at the end of the memoir when the author visits her mother after her mother informs her that she has a box and cheese. Confused, Lamott discovers that her mother has rented a cable box so the two of them can watch tennis and (for reasons unexplained in the memoir) a refrigerator full of cheese. This too is significant because it proves the author's point that her mother was crazy, but still loved her in her own special way.
The second characteristic of a memoir is sensory details. Lamott uses these throughout her memoir, however there are two places that these details really jump out at me. First, when Lamott is describing her mother's bed. She paints a very clear picture of socks and juice boxes leaving bumps in the covers. It made me envision a very disgusting mess of covers and pillows all sticky, crumby, and unkempt. Likewise, Lamott does a beautiful job of describing her mother's eyes. She mentions that they are large and brown, but then continues to say,"...they were always frantic, like a hummingbird who can't quite find the flower but keeps jabbing around." This is a wonderful description of not only how quickly her eyes moved, but also the pain that may have been behind them.
The author chose wisely when incorporating bits of dialogue into her memoir. She included dialogue when discussing personal experiences at the beginning and end of the memoir. The dialogue that I felt was most pertinent to the story was when her son said, "But you're my mom. I'm supposed to come to you with my problems." This statement really reveals to the audience the issue that is plaguing Lamott. It reveals the subject of her memoir: the conflict and impact her mother's life had on her.
Lamott uses transitional phrases four different times in her memoir. Each time the phrase introduces another year since her mother has passed away as well as signifies a new realization about herself and her relationship with her mother. The phrases are all crafted similarly: "The first year after my mother's death..." or, "The second year after my mother died..."
Lamott also did a good job of reflecting and analyzing key narrative events. After the first narrative event, where her son wakes her up, she goes on to say that she struggled because she was never able to take her problems to her own mother. She then says that a good mother is supposed to listen and respond with wisdom, which was something her mother could never do for her.
The significant experiences the author recounts take place at the beginning and end of the memoir. At the beginning, Lamott catches our attention by placing us in her bed, exhausted from two nights of insomnia, only to be woken up by her fifteen year old son who is perfectly capable of falling asleep on his own. What comes next is what makes this anecdote significant. Lamott's son reminds her that she is his mother and the person to whom he should be able to take his problems to. The second significant experience occurs at the end of the memoir when the author visits her mother after her mother informs her that she has a box and cheese. Confused, Lamott discovers that her mother has rented a cable box so the two of them can watch tennis and (for reasons unexplained in the memoir) a refrigerator full of cheese. This too is significant because it proves the author's point that her mother was crazy, but still loved her in her own special way.
The second characteristic of a memoir is sensory details. Lamott uses these throughout her memoir, however there are two places that these details really jump out at me. First, when Lamott is describing her mother's bed. She paints a very clear picture of socks and juice boxes leaving bumps in the covers. It made me envision a very disgusting mess of covers and pillows all sticky, crumby, and unkempt. Likewise, Lamott does a beautiful job of describing her mother's eyes. She mentions that they are large and brown, but then continues to say,"...they were always frantic, like a hummingbird who can't quite find the flower but keeps jabbing around." This is a wonderful description of not only how quickly her eyes moved, but also the pain that may have been behind them.
The author chose wisely when incorporating bits of dialogue into her memoir. She included dialogue when discussing personal experiences at the beginning and end of the memoir. The dialogue that I felt was most pertinent to the story was when her son said, "But you're my mom. I'm supposed to come to you with my problems." This statement really reveals to the audience the issue that is plaguing Lamott. It reveals the subject of her memoir: the conflict and impact her mother's life had on her.
Lamott uses transitional phrases four different times in her memoir. Each time the phrase introduces another year since her mother has passed away as well as signifies a new realization about herself and her relationship with her mother. The phrases are all crafted similarly: "The first year after my mother's death..." or, "The second year after my mother died..."
Lamott also did a good job of reflecting and analyzing key narrative events. After the first narrative event, where her son wakes her up, she goes on to say that she struggled because she was never able to take her problems to her own mother. She then says that a good mother is supposed to listen and respond with wisdom, which was something her mother could never do for her.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Journal 1
To me, writing is merely a necessary and practical application of communication. I neither hate nor enjoy writing; it is just something that must be done. I feel that I am an average writer for my education level. I am able to get my point across but lack unique style and artistic flair. In short, I have always gotten good grades on papers, however I have rarely been praised for exceptional writing techniques.
My straightforward, concise way of writing is most likely a result of being a student. Usually students are asked to relate facts or make an argument. We are taught to clearly present a point to an intended audience. In this area, I feel I have strengths. First, my sentence structure is rarely wordy. This helps audiences better understand exactly what I intend to convey in my writing. Secondly, I am good at keeping my audience in mind while I write. By focusing on what is important to my audience, I am better able to relate to them and play to their emotions.
Weaknesses in my writing are derived from my lack of style. When reading I enjoy an author who can truly manipulate words. However, when it comes to my own writing, I flounder for the right vocabulary. A cliche example of someone who did this beautifully was Shakespeare. I often read Shakespeare quotes simply because I enjoy his play on words. Similarly, I enjoy complex plots and thus have a strong attraction to mysteries and unexpected endings. A book that I admire for this characteristic is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The ending was unexpected and one of the best I have ever read. However, any creative attempt on my part to complicate the plot or put an unexpected twist on the end of a short story usually just breeds confusion. Another weakness in my writing is my utter inability to spell. For some reason I was not blessed with the portion of brain required to do said activity. As a result, I shamefully rely too heavily on spell-check. Finally, writing in general does not come easy for me. I struggle to form papers that satisfy me. As a result I write and rewrite everything to a point of inefficiency. Writing form me is therefore a very long and drawn out process that consumes a large chunk of my time.
It is my hope that this course will help me improve my writing in several different areas. First, I hope to expand my vocabulary. It is my belief that words give papers flavor just like spices flavor food. Furthermore, I hope that my eyes are opened to different sentence structures and styles so that I can apply these to my own writing. Thirdly, I want to learn how to be creative, even in dull argumentative papers. Finally, I think this class will be most instrumental in helping me to be a more efficient writer. Through our assignments, I hope to gain the practice needed to have my thoughts flow more freely onto paper.
My straightforward, concise way of writing is most likely a result of being a student. Usually students are asked to relate facts or make an argument. We are taught to clearly present a point to an intended audience. In this area, I feel I have strengths. First, my sentence structure is rarely wordy. This helps audiences better understand exactly what I intend to convey in my writing. Secondly, I am good at keeping my audience in mind while I write. By focusing on what is important to my audience, I am better able to relate to them and play to their emotions.
Weaknesses in my writing are derived from my lack of style. When reading I enjoy an author who can truly manipulate words. However, when it comes to my own writing, I flounder for the right vocabulary. A cliche example of someone who did this beautifully was Shakespeare. I often read Shakespeare quotes simply because I enjoy his play on words. Similarly, I enjoy complex plots and thus have a strong attraction to mysteries and unexpected endings. A book that I admire for this characteristic is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The ending was unexpected and one of the best I have ever read. However, any creative attempt on my part to complicate the plot or put an unexpected twist on the end of a short story usually just breeds confusion. Another weakness in my writing is my utter inability to spell. For some reason I was not blessed with the portion of brain required to do said activity. As a result, I shamefully rely too heavily on spell-check. Finally, writing in general does not come easy for me. I struggle to form papers that satisfy me. As a result I write and rewrite everything to a point of inefficiency. Writing form me is therefore a very long and drawn out process that consumes a large chunk of my time.
It is my hope that this course will help me improve my writing in several different areas. First, I hope to expand my vocabulary. It is my belief that words give papers flavor just like spices flavor food. Furthermore, I hope that my eyes are opened to different sentence structures and styles so that I can apply these to my own writing. Thirdly, I want to learn how to be creative, even in dull argumentative papers. Finally, I think this class will be most instrumental in helping me to be a more efficient writer. Through our assignments, I hope to gain the practice needed to have my thoughts flow more freely onto paper.
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