Topic in class 11/22

I feel that USC should allow people to longboard in the parking garages.  The longboards do not harm the garage and there are security cameras in case someone vandalizes something.  I understand that skateboards are used to do tricks on the walls of the garage and this leaves marks that must be repainted.  However, longboards do not do these tricks.  They simply ride down the levels and take the elevator back up.  Not every parking garage needs to allow this.  I feel that one that does not fill up very much should allow people to longboard as long as they abide by the law.  Once again, I understand that it is trespassing and that cars could be in danger, but the boards do not leave marks and the cameras will catch any damage being done. 

Planning Essay 4

• Steroids in sports is the issue in my paper.
• One point of view comes from the owners who do not care much about the steroids as long as they sell tickets.
• Another point of view comes from the fans that do not want steroids in sports, but will look the other way because they just want to watch their favorite sport.
• The athletes are another view.  They are split because one side wants to take steroids to be better at the sport, while the other side wants steroids banned because they care about the integrity of the game.
• I believe that I am going to write a proposal  paper because I think that the policy to find steroids in sports is too soft.  They need to crack down and find the steroid users.
• I believe I will do more research because I have not done a lot of research now. 

Essay 3 Reflection

My paper did not change very much because I was not in class last Thursday, but the extra time that was given will be helpful I am sure.  The strongest element of my paper is the view points that I have for the argument.  Having different views will help see every aspect of the argument.  I am concerned with finishing the paper because I have let myself get behind.  I know I will finish it.  I am hoping to finish it soon. 

Topic Proposal

The topic that I have chosen for the two essays are the use of steroids in sports.  Steroids have been used in almost all sports for many decades.  Athletes are always trying to find new ways to enhance their abilities.  Athletes throughout America are interested in this topic; as well as fans of the sports.  The athletes wish to become better and earn more money.  The fans just want to turn the other cheek and watch the games they love.  The team owners also are interested in this topic because while they do not want their team penalized for doping, they do want good players to draw in crowds to their games.  The last interest point is the government.  They care about steroids in sports because some of the steroids are illegal in the United States.  I personally take the side of the fan that knows it happens and wishes it would not, but still will watch the game no matter what.  This issue is important to me because I love sports and want the players to participate cleanly.

Topic of Exploratory Paper

The problem that I am researching is the use of steroids in sports.  It is an important topic because the issue has been a big problem for sports recently, although the leagues are trying to stop it.  The people affected by this topic are sports athletes, fans, and anyone who works around sports.  People might disagree because they do not have a problem with athletes using steroids to better themselves if it means the fan gets to watch a better game.

SWA #21

In the article, "Nation Shudders at Large Block of Uninterrupted Text," written in The Onion, argues that Americans have become so simple that if they do not have things spelled out for them then they will either not understand it or they just will not read it.  The article uses a block of text that is said to have scared the population because it is not easy to understand.  The reader will actually have to read and look through it to figure out the main idea.  This is said to be too difficult for Americans in today's time.  Hyperbole is used throughout the article.  An example is when the article said that the businesses and governments stopped because of the block of text.  Of course this would not happen in our society, but it shows that Americans are truly reliant on being spoon-fed.  Another example of hyperbole is when the article states that the block of text is an "endless 500 words."  Five-hundred words is not difficult to read, but the hyperbole helps push the article's argument forward.

Topic Worksheet

http://www.testq.com/photos/268169-gallery_anhmjn_com-creative-sports-ads-005?photo_search_params%5Border%5D=ranking&photo_search_params%5Bview%5D=category

http://flowtv.org/2010/02/dark-techne-in-sports-advertisementsmatthew-ferrari-university-of-massachusetts/

Both ads are sports related.  They are ads for equipment that someone would use while playing football or swimming.  The first ad is from Arena Water wear.  They design competition gear for swimmers.  The next ad is from Nike and is used for football players.  The audiences of these ads would most likely be athletes.  They could be found in Sports Illustrated or sport specific magazines.
Arena Swim Gear:
The person has on Arena goggles and swim cap.
The persons mouth is a sharks mouth.
Water is splashing up.
Most of the picture is dark, except for the face.

Nike:
Ad is of star running back Adrian Peterson.
Picture is black and white.
His skin had an armor look to it.
Wearing the Nike product, which also looks like armor.

Food Pictures

The pictures shown on the slideshow at menzelphoto.com show different families and a weeks worth of food that they normally live off of.  Compared to the other families, the USA family had a lot more food.  I think the slideshow was trying to show us that we eat and waste too much.  If we just shared some of the food it would make life easier for the other cultures that do not have nearly as much to last a week.  There was also a picture of a boy who was trying to decide what he wanted to eat for breakfast.  Most people do not have the luxury of being able to choose something for breakfast like the European  child.  The slideshow is intended to create a pathos that has the audience feeling bad about how they eat or waste the food that they have.

Prompt 1

Elizabeth Townsend conducted an interview with Richard Wrangham about his book "The Cooking Ape."  Wrangham believes that when humans began cooking food, they were able to digest food much easier; giving them more energy throughout the day.  This energy helped to develop their brain.  Before the food is cooked, it does not have enough calories for people to get through the day without needing to scavenge for more food.  Once cooked, the calories are released and less food is needed throughout the day.  The cooking of food also helped to create the social structure that humans have today.  The female cooked the food while the male attempted to find more food.  As long as the female has food ready for the male, then he protects her and the food supply from the other males.  We as humans are just now beginning to leave this style of social structure behind.  Fire and cooking food are huge stepping stones to how humans got to where they are now, according to Wrangham.

Questions for Concern with Draft 1

Is my draft long enough?
I am not sure if the body paragraphs have enough in them.
Does the conclusion meet expectations?
Were quotes used well?
Did sentence structure flow?
Did I use good words?

Essay 1 Outline

Title:  Rhetorical Analysis of “Is Pure Altruism Possible?,” by Judith Lichtenburg

Thesis:  Judith Lichtenburg gives examples of altruism and egoism to help argue that while pure altruism may not exist; there is a point that altruism stands out more than a person’s egoism, in her essay “Is Pure Altruism Possible?.”

       I.            Lichtenburg gives examples of altruism in with real world examples.

A.    People perform altruism daily.

    II.            Egoism is shown through people that want a personal reward for helping someone else, to look better to others, or to get the good feeling of helping someone.

A.    Lichtenburg discusses people helping others because they hope to receive an award.

B.     Some people do not expect a reward, but simply want to look good in front of others when they decide to help other people.

C.     There are people who help others for the good feeling that they receive.

 III.            The point that altruism shines more than egoism is shown by Lichtenburg through examples.

A.    Lichtenburg describes the people that help others for the feeling that comes with it as having altruism and not egoism.

 IV.            Conclusion:  There is a very thin line between altruism and egoism, as discussed in Judith Lichtenburg’s essay “Is Pure Altruism Possible,?” however Lichtenburg argues that it is possible to tell the difference.  

Thesis

"Get Smarter" makes a great argument about how we will adapt to technology.  A thesis for a rhetorical essay for this work could be The author uses evidence and past references to help support his argument in the essay "Get Smarter."

Chosen Essays

For my essay I have chosen two works from chapter one.  I decided to go with "Is Google Making Us Stupid" and "Get Smarter."  In "Is Google Making Us Stupid," the author's argument is that he believes the constant use of Google and the Internet is making people think slower and lose attention more quickly.  To build the argument, the author tells the reader that he has begun experiencing a lack of concentration when reading long articles.  Then he uses tests and research to solidify the evidence for his point.  I believe that the author targeted an older audience too much.  In the essay "Get Smarter," the author argues that Google and the Internet is not bad for us because we as people will adapt.  I like that the author used past events that show how people adapt to open up the argument.  Then he goes on to explain that Google is a great way to access information quickly.  It is easy now to obtain this information.  The author targets the people who use technology more than the average person.  They will react because they do not want to hear that they should use less Internet.

Response to "Womb for Rent- For a Price"

Ellen Goodman believes that paying women to carry other peoples' babies is wrong because it is dangerously close to a mother selling her children and someone selling themselves into slavery.  Goodman tries to almost pressure the audience into being against the "free market of baby-making."  I found it problematic that Goodman tried to force her opinion on the reader.  If the mothers want to make other peoples' babies then I think that it is their choice and it is okay.

Catherine Beecher

Catherine Beecher wrote about women being housekeepers and mistresses because that is what she thought women excelled at.  I thought that she was being sarcastic when she was telling women to be the stay at home mom or to be a teacher.  She actually did believe that women would be better off doing these jobs that have been classified as "women's work."  I believe that she had these views because she grew up having to teach herself a lot of what she learned.  During the time that she grew up, women did not branch out from the stay at home housekeeper or teacher.

Response to “On the Preservation of a Good Temper in a Housekeeper”

Ryan Jones

September 4, 2011

Response to “On the Preservation of a Good Temper in a Housekeeper”

            In the essay “On the Preservation of a Good Temper in a Housekeeper,” by Catharine E. Beecher, a housekeeper is described as the woman in the house who cleans and keeps everything in order.  The housekeeper should not have a mean demeanor and should keep everything under control within the house.  The author describes the housekeeper as being responsible for having a good feeling about her that makes everyone happy that comes in contact with her.  A good mood is so important for the housekeeper because it will help keep everyone in a good mood.  This will help the people living in the house to do their part to keep the house looking nice.

The housekeeper also must plan events or dinners and expect the plans to get messed up at some point.  The housekeeper must then change the plans accordingly without raising her tone.  Getting upset will just cause the morale of the house to go down.  The housekeeper must keep a calm tone and move on.  Later, she can explain to whoever messed up that they need to do a better job next time.  The housekeeper can even offer a reward if the person that messed up shows improvement.

Beecher assumes that every woman does not have a job.  She assumes that every mother or wife can just stay home all day and clean and tend to the needs of the family.  Most women in today’s households have jobs that make as much money as the men in the house.  When Beecher uses the word “housekeeper” she is describing a mother or wife that stays home all day.  Today, a “housekeeper” could be a man or a woman.  Beecher also assumes that a woman should always worry about her feelings last.  Others come first and she must make sure that they are happy.         

SWA #3

Ryan Jones

September 1, 2011

SWA #3

            In the essay, “Am I My Brother’s Keeper,” Elie Wiesel discusses the importance to help the needy people of the world.  If someone is requesting our help then it is important to extend a hand of friendship to this person.  Wiesel tells of there being too many people in the world for us to know all of them and befriend all of them.  However, if someone were to ask us to be there brother or to help them, then we should most definitely extend a helping hand. 

            Wiesel described kids as always listening to their music instead of listening to the world around them.  We try to ignore everything but our own lives.  This causes us to not try to help others that may need it.  We do not let any new ideas in.  We just plug in our music and listen to the same songs every day. 

            I can relate to how hard it is to give money to someone in need.  I was approached by a man in a car who asked for ten dollars to pay for a motel room for his family.  He said he just needed ten dollars.  I immediately said that I had no cash on me, even though I did.  I felt bad, but I just could not trust that he actually needed the money.  When I went to Europe, there were a lot of beggars.  I had never experienced this before and I felt bad every time I passed them by.  I just did not feel comfortable giving them money when I did not truly know whether or not they would use it the way I wanted them to.  Wiesel believes that we should give some money to these people, even if they do not use it for good.  

Technology and my Family

My family is pretty average when it comes to using technology.  My sister and I use it the most and we recently got new phones with apps and internet access.  I find that I have to teach my parents a lot about the computer or any new device that they obtain.  My parents jobs are pushing them to deal with technology more.  My mom just recently recieved a new laptop and cell phone from her job to help her stay more in touch with her work at home.  My dad's job did the same by setting him up with a new cell phone and a laptop on the way.  I do not feel that we are overwhelmed by technology or even that we use it to much.  We still spend time together and have lives.

SWA #2

Ryan Jones

August 30, 2011

SWA #2

            The essay “Hooked on Technology, and Paying a Price,” by Matt Richtel, describes how technology is changing the ways we operate.  Richtel relates this to food or sex.  Something that we want and feels good, but do not necessarily need all of the time.  I agree with the claims made in the essay.  Technology is something that everyone has become at least a little obsessed with.  People like being able to browse the news or music or games all on one easy device.  I admit that I am obsessed with technology, but I see no problem with it.  I do not believe that it affects my thinking or attention span. 

            Richtel uses the Campbell family as a model to show how bad the use of technology can control our lives.  The Campbell family is just about as stuck on technology as anyone can get.  I believe that the lifestyle that they lead is unhealthy.  Especially Mr. Campbell.  Anyone who cannot go an hour without needing to log on to the computer is in an unhealthy situation.  People use a lot of technology, but nothing like what Richtel showed with his Campbell family example.  I think that Richtel used this example to show the very extreme of what could happen if we do not take breaks from technology. 

            Multitasking is something many people do every day.  It helps get more than one thing done at the same time.  Richtel argues that multitasking is not as good as everyone says it is.  He explains that tests that have been done prove that multitaskers cannot focus the way that the people who focus on one thing at a time can.  I do not feel this is the case.  I multitask and can focus just fine.  As I write this I am listening to music on my laptop.  The world is changing and I believe that we are adapting with it.  I did not understand how people who play video games can multitask better than others.  If this is true, then it shows the change in the times.  Kids today grow up playing video games.  According to Richtel’s studies, this will help them to be able to multitask as they grow older.          

Response to "Get Smarter"

Ryan Jones

August 24, 2011

Response to “Get Smarter”

            “Get Smarter,” by Jamais Cascio, is an opposite view point, as opposed to Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” of how the future’s technology will change us and our thought process.  Both posed convincing arguments.  Carr described Google and the Internet as slowly taking away our critical reading skills due to the quickness we can now obtain knowledge.  However, Cascio describes this as a stepping stone in our advancement as beings.  I agree with Cascio’s argument because as humans we have found ways through tragic times and I believe we can continue to do so. 

            Carr’s evidence of Google draining our critical reading and attention skills seems to be true.  The thought of me slowly losing the ability to pay attention for long periods of time does frighten me, but I believe that Cascio’s answer to this theory is the answer that we will all eventually take.  Cascio described pills that could be used to help people pay attention and focus clearly.  The pills for ADD that we have today are going to end up being the foundation for these focus pills.  I am not crazy about popping pills to be able to focus, but I will do that if that is what it comes to.

            Technology is constantly advancing.  This advancement is going so swiftly that as soon as the consumer buys the newest product rumors began about an even better one coming in a year.  There is no way that we as a society will ever want to slow this advancement down.  This is why I agree with Cascio.  Instead of killing ourselves with all of the new technology I believe that we will adapt as we always have.

            This essay held my interest because it was an answer to the times when Google rules our lives.  It is close to doing this now, which is why we need to find a way to adapt to the new style of living.  I do not fear the time when fossil fuels run out because, as I have stated, I believe that we will be able to find a substitution.  The human race has made it through rough times and seems to always rise above it.  This essay was more optimistic than the earlier one by Carr.  This is why I think most people will like Cascio’s take on our situation better.  It helps us to feel secure about the future.    

Thoughts on the Readings for Aug. 23

The essay "Is Google Making Us Stupid," by Nicholas Carr, really got me thinking about the way we search for information now as opposed to the time before Google, or the Internet for that matter.  I had never thought that something, such as Google, that seems so helpful could actually be slowing down our process of thinking.  This really makes me think about the sources I use on research papers.  I might try to use books more than the Internet to help my critical reading skills rather than take the easy way out and "Google it."

SWA #1

Ryan Jones

August 23, 2011

SWA #1

            I have had many good and bad writing experiences in my schooling career.  Writing has never been a strong suit of mine, but I try to get better with every essay.  My best writing experience came in the eighth grade, when my writing on the PSAT earned me the junior scholar award.  My worst writing experience has to be in ninth grade when I had a research paper that I was not ready for.

            In eighth grade I signed up to take the PSAT.  The test had a writing portion similar to the SAT.  The topic asked the writer to bring certain items on an Old Western caravan ride through the Midwest.  It was a timed assignment.  During the twenty-five minutes that were given, I had to brainstorm and write a final draft.  I immediately got to work and finished the essay within the time limit.  When the results came in, I had earned the junior scholar award.  This writing experience greatly helped improve my confidence in writing essays.

            In the middle of ninth grade I was assigned a research paper to write in one week.  The topic was to describe the life of William Shakespeare.  Normally this topic would not be too difficult to write about, but I procrastinated until the task was overwhelming.  My final draft did not meet the length requirements and scored a fairly low score.  I used this experience to learn to start working on a writing assignment in advance; especially a research paper.

            All of my writing experiences, no matter how good or bad, have helped me take steps towards good writing.  I believe that good writing really just takes experience, dedication, and perseverance.  If I continue to grow and develop at the rate I have been improving, then I will be a great writer by the time I graduate.