At the beginning of this course, I'm not going to lie, I really didn't like English. It's not so much the writing part, because at times it's nice to express myself through writing or writing about something i care about. It's mostly that i don't like writing to get a grade because I'm not that good at writing. Well, at least that was what I thought. I actually thoroughly enjoyed English101 and i think the main reason was because of the class. I loved how Carolyn generated interesting and meaningful discussions during the course of the semester and I loved hearing everyone's opinions on what they thought. Being able to write about what I care about was another way I kept engaged in the course. I am obsessed with nutrition and eating write, and totally against McDonald's and fast food in every possible way. I was able to write paper after paper about these topics.
Basically, by the end of the course I actually enjoyed writing. I wanted to make my papers the best they could be, not only because I wanted to get a good grade, but I just LOVED researching and writing about the topics. Trying to improve my papers through editing was not as painful as it used to be because I, again, wanted my papers to be the best possible. I knew the only way to do this is to edit and edit and edit. So, surprisingly, ENGL101 was an enjoyable class. I honestly loved going to the class every Tuesday and Thursday. It definitely changed my attitude about writing.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The Pura Principle
I actually found this short story, I guess you can call it, to be really interesting. It kept my interest the whole way through and I think it's because of the casual language Diaz uses throughout. The story was not dense and it was very easy to read. I also took a lot of Spanish in high school so I was able to understand some of the references. Like, I laughed when the mom called Rafa's "girlfriend" Pura Mierda.
Obviously, this story addresses illness because Rafa has cancer and is dying from it. He is very sick and lost a lot of weight due to cancer. But, Rafa is not exactly the most honest, good-intentioned person. I personally do not like him too much, and although he has cancer, the speaker almost makes it difficult to feel bad for him. Today, people usually look at people who are sick differently or feel extremely bad for them and how they have to deal with the illness. But, it's really the opposite in this story, which i find interesting. I think Diaz wanted to bring up the fact that people who are ill have personalities outside their disease, and sometimes illness doesn't change them. Rafa did not become a "better" person after he was diagnosed with cancer. A lot of time society believe that those who are dying become better people and live every moment as if it's their last (because it very well could be) but that is not necessarily true. The fact that it was a short story definitely kept me more interested because I feel like if it was in "article" or "research paper" form, it would have been boring.
Obviously, this story addresses illness because Rafa has cancer and is dying from it. He is very sick and lost a lot of weight due to cancer. But, Rafa is not exactly the most honest, good-intentioned person. I personally do not like him too much, and although he has cancer, the speaker almost makes it difficult to feel bad for him. Today, people usually look at people who are sick differently or feel extremely bad for them and how they have to deal with the illness. But, it's really the opposite in this story, which i find interesting. I think Diaz wanted to bring up the fact that people who are ill have personalities outside their disease, and sometimes illness doesn't change them. Rafa did not become a "better" person after he was diagnosed with cancer. A lot of time society believe that those who are dying become better people and live every moment as if it's their last (because it very well could be) but that is not necessarily true. The fact that it was a short story definitely kept me more interested because I feel like if it was in "article" or "research paper" form, it would have been boring.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Waltz with Bashir
At first, I found this movie to be very confusing. I think the animation contributed to that because it was almost like a comic book and it make the movie seem "kid-like." And i feel like the animation also made the movie choppy. It also made me take the movie less seriously, at first, because it was a cartoon. The animation helped because it really made me pay attention to try and figure out what exactly was happening. Once i got used to the fact that the movie is animated, I was able to understand what was happened and actually enjoyed it. As the movie progressed, I realized that the animations actually made the movie somewhat eerie, which I think was one of the goals of the making the movie animated because it wanted to highlight the horrors of the war.
The scene that stood out the most to me, was the one when the soldiers were running for their lives toward the sea. Many of them were actually shot down while running and the main guy (i forget his name) had to hide behind a rock. I could only imagine how horrifying this would be and i feel like the scene really highlighted the horrors of the war.
The scene that stood out the most to me, was the one when the soldiers were running for their lives toward the sea. Many of them were actually shot down while running and the main guy (i forget his name) had to hide behind a rock. I could only imagine how horrifying this would be and i feel like the scene really highlighted the horrors of the war.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
5 New Annotations
Food Inc. is documentary that talks about a wide variety of topics that deal with the different issues surrounding the fast food industry. A lot of the movie explains the ways fast food is processed and how extremely unhealthy it is for us. I want to narrow in on the part of the video which features a family in poor health. This family is of low socioeconomic status and wants to eat healthy but cannot because healthy food is outside their budget. It is much easier for them to buy cheap calories at McDonald's than buying fruit, which is more expensive and less filling.
Kenner, Robert, Dir. Food Inc.. Magnolia Pictures: 2008, DVD.
This article from TIME magazine specifically talks about food deserts in America. Many statistics are provided to back the assertion that poor communities are specifically targeted by the fast food industry. Also, supermarkets tend not to build a store there because they know people cannot afford their food. So, not only are more than enough fast food restaurants available for the inhabitants, but supermarkets with fresh foods are not available. Most black and latino Americans live in these areas; more people of these groups tend to have higher obesity rates than white or rich Americans.
Gray, Steven. "Can America's Urban Food Deserts Bloom?." Time 26 May 2009: n. pag. Web. 2 Apr 2011. <http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1900947,00.html>.
This documentary is more about the lack of nutritional value of fast food. Spurlock ate McDonald's for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to prove that eating too much fast food can make you unhealthy. Before he started, he was a physically fit man who had no health problems, but after he ate McDonald's, and only McDonald's, for a month, he had a lot of health problems. I can use the information he gathered to prove how people should not only be living on fast food, although it is cheap.
Spurlock, Morgan, Dir. Supersize Me. Samuel Goldwyn Films: 2007, DVD.
This report from the US Department of Agriculture explains everything a person would want to know about food availability in low-income areas. It provides a lot of facts and statistics about low income households and I can definitely use this to support my argument that more fresh food supermarkets need to be available to them.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/AP/AP036/
A lot of people have the perception that people who are poor are extremely thin and malnourished. Well, today, most people of low economic status are malnourished, but they're overweight or obese. But then, the author also talks about those who are in fact starving, which he calls "The Bronx Paradox." In the Bronx, there are people who are food insecure and "hungry" and there are people who are food insecure but not hungry. Both are a problem obviously. This article explains the efforts the city is making the help the latter group of people.
Dolnick, Sam. "The Obesity-Hunger Paradox." New York Times 12 Mar 2010: n. pag. Web. 2 Apr 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/nyregion/14hunger.html?_r=1&src=me>.
Kenner, Robert, Dir. Food Inc.. Magnolia Pictures: 2008, DVD.
This article from TIME magazine specifically talks about food deserts in America. Many statistics are provided to back the assertion that poor communities are specifically targeted by the fast food industry. Also, supermarkets tend not to build a store there because they know people cannot afford their food. So, not only are more than enough fast food restaurants available for the inhabitants, but supermarkets with fresh foods are not available. Most black and latino Americans live in these areas; more people of these groups tend to have higher obesity rates than white or rich Americans.
Gray, Steven. "Can America's Urban Food Deserts Bloom?." Time 26 May 2009: n. pag. Web. 2 Apr 2011. <http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1900947,00.html>.
This documentary is more about the lack of nutritional value of fast food. Spurlock ate McDonald's for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to prove that eating too much fast food can make you unhealthy. Before he started, he was a physically fit man who had no health problems, but after he ate McDonald's, and only McDonald's, for a month, he had a lot of health problems. I can use the information he gathered to prove how people should not only be living on fast food, although it is cheap.
Spurlock, Morgan, Dir. Supersize Me. Samuel Goldwyn Films: 2007, DVD.
This report from the US Department of Agriculture explains everything a person would want to know about food availability in low-income areas. It provides a lot of facts and statistics about low income households and I can definitely use this to support my argument that more fresh food supermarkets need to be available to them.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/AP/AP036/
A lot of people have the perception that people who are poor are extremely thin and malnourished. Well, today, most people of low economic status are malnourished, but they're overweight or obese. But then, the author also talks about those who are in fact starving, which he calls "The Bronx Paradox." In the Bronx, there are people who are food insecure and "hungry" and there are people who are food insecure but not hungry. Both are a problem obviously. This article explains the efforts the city is making the help the latter group of people.
Dolnick, Sam. "The Obesity-Hunger Paradox." New York Times 12 Mar 2010: n. pag. Web. 2 Apr 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/nyregion/14hunger.html?_r=1&src=me>.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
John Q
Overall, I think John Q appealed to the audience's emotion more than anything else (pathos). Instead of having an older person need a heart transplant, they chose a young boy. I think more people would feel worse about a young boy not being able to get a heart transplant because his family doesn't have insurance.
The scene that stood out to me the most was when the boy was laying in his hospital bed and another mother is yelling and crying to "let her see her baby." Then the boy asks if his dad is coming--well his dad is in the middle of holding an emergency room hostage. This scene definitely appealed to my pathos because I felt terrible for the mother, for the young boy, and for 'John Q's' wife. Right then, I wanted the hospital to pay for the heart transplant so the young boy could get better and live a happy life.
Also, the ethos at work would be the fact the Denzel Washington is in the movie. He is a well-established actor and people like to see movies with actors they know.
The scene that stood out to me the most was when the boy was laying in his hospital bed and another mother is yelling and crying to "let her see her baby." Then the boy asks if his dad is coming--well his dad is in the middle of holding an emergency room hostage. This scene definitely appealed to my pathos because I felt terrible for the mother, for the young boy, and for 'John Q's' wife. Right then, I wanted the hospital to pay for the heart transplant so the young boy could get better and live a happy life.
Also, the ethos at work would be the fact the Denzel Washington is in the movie. He is a well-established actor and people like to see movies with actors they know.
Research Log
My paper highlights the effects of fast food companies marketing to children. Therefore, I need books that have information/support the claim that marketing to children is wrong.
Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. Print.
Fast food nation is all about the negative effect of the fast food industry, on our economy, on our health, on our environment, and even on our kids. There is a whole section about the companies targetting children and I can definitely use this information in my paper. I can also use the other information the book provides because it definitely relates to the topic of my paper.
Cartere, Jason Y., ed. TV, Food Marketing, and Child Obesity. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2009. Print.
This book contains several different studies about the relationship between fast food marketing and childhood obesity. I can no use logos in my paper because I can present hard facts about the effects of marketing to children.
Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. Print.
Fast food nation is all about the negative effect of the fast food industry, on our economy, on our health, on our environment, and even on our kids. There is a whole section about the companies targetting children and I can definitely use this information in my paper. I can also use the other information the book provides because it definitely relates to the topic of my paper.
Cartere, Jason Y., ed. TV, Food Marketing, and Child Obesity. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2009. Print.
This book contains several different studies about the relationship between fast food marketing and childhood obesity. I can no use logos in my paper because I can present hard facts about the effects of marketing to children.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Philadelphia Comments
I think the scene that stands out to me the most in the movie Philadelphia is the on when one of the partners of the company was on the stand. Miller asks him whether it was true if Beckett won their case or not. The partner says that he did in fact win the case, but the work that was done was merely "satisfactory." Then Miller compares Beckett's work to cavier and a bologna sandwich. I think Miller's argument incorporate both logos and pathos. The fact the Beckett won the case for the company should logically be a great success for the company. All the partners should logically feel good about the win. But, I think the appeal to pathos comes in when he makes fun of the partner by saying "oh that must have been a 'satisfactory' win." Or something along those lines... I think that this is an appeal to emotions because it's poking fun at the boss of the company, which would definitely make the jury laugh or think of how ridiculous the partner's story is.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Intro to Research Topic
Let us travel back to the past for a brief moment. Imagine you are about eight or nine years old and sitting in the back seat of your mom's minivan. It's lunch time and your stomach is grumbling. All of a sudden, you look up from your Gameboy and see the giant golden arches above all the other buildings on the road. McDonald's. You immediately beg your mom to go quickly through the drive threw, and of course she'll listen if it means she does not have to cook lunch this afternoon. A few quick minutes of waiting and you finally have that Happy Meal in your hands. The golden chicken nuggets, the pictures of Ronald McDonald, the french fries... What's going to be the toy in the Happy Meal today?
Now, let us return to the year 2011, where fast food companies are notoriously known for advertising to children all across America. Although most of the major businesses, such as McDonald's and Burger King, signed a pledge in 2006 to stop marketing to young children, the companies are taking advantage of children's malleable minds now more than ever. The ads companies put out cause American children to beg and plead to their parents to buy them a kids' meal. Unfortunately, most of the time parents give into their children's desires. We all know the terrible effects of fast food products and more people today are taking those effects, like cardiovascular disease or hypertension, into consideration. But, children do not understand the negative effects of an unhealthy diet. So, the McDonald Happy Meal sounds and quite appealing to them. If fast food companies discontinued targeting children in their marketing campaigns, less children would want to consume such foods, and hopefully cease to recognize the symbols associate with the restaurant which cause them to want to eat a kids' meal for dinner.
*Why do fast food companies target children?
*What happens because of this?
*Why should they not target kids?
Now, let us return to the year 2011, where fast food companies are notoriously known for advertising to children all across America. Although most of the major businesses, such as McDonald's and Burger King, signed a pledge in 2006 to stop marketing to young children, the companies are taking advantage of children's malleable minds now more than ever. The ads companies put out cause American children to beg and plead to their parents to buy them a kids' meal. Unfortunately, most of the time parents give into their children's desires. We all know the terrible effects of fast food products and more people today are taking those effects, like cardiovascular disease or hypertension, into consideration. But, children do not understand the negative effects of an unhealthy diet. So, the McDonald Happy Meal sounds and quite appealing to them. If fast food companies discontinued targeting children in their marketing campaigns, less children would want to consume such foods, and hopefully cease to recognize the symbols associate with the restaurant which cause them to want to eat a kids' meal for dinner.
*Why do fast food companies target children?
*What happens because of this?
*Why should they not target kids?
Friday, February 11, 2011
Three Topics
Number 1--
When I was in fourth grade, my brother signed up for karate on Mondays from around five to six. I remember because it was right around dinner time. I was only about nine or ten years old now, so of course, my mom could not leave me home alone, which meant I brought my homework to my brother's karate classes. I specifically remember doing my history homework while waiting. But, my favorite part about my mom dragging me to these lessons was she would take us to McDonald's after. Granted, we did not go every single Monday, but we did go often. I used to get a Big Mac almost every time we went--sometimes I split it with my mom, sometimes I was determined to eat the whole thing, which I never actually did. Now, my eating habits couldn't be any different. I cannot remember the last time I ate a Big Mac, let alone went to McDonald's because I wanted to.
Was it easy to change my habits? Could everyone change their habits?
Number 2--
The best Chirstmases were the ones I spent at my Nonna's house in Tampa Bay, Florida. Although it's supposed to snow on Christmas Day, and most people dream of a "white Christmas, I was perfectly content with the 60 degree weather in Florida. I was really little when we spent most of my Christmases there, probably about three or four. So, I don't remember too much. But I remember they used to have a mini tree and a big tree. The mini tree was set up next to the couch so I used to sit on it and play with the tree right next to it. I would also spend weeks there before and/or after Christmas. Sometimes with my parents, and sometimes without. My Pop-Pop would sing me songs and I would dance around the table. I also remember going outside with him to find salamanders. He passes away when I was nine, and my Nonna moved from Florida to Maryland shortly after his death
How did Christmases in Florida bring me and my Pop-Pop closer?
What did he die of? Could it have been prevented?
Number 3--
I am obsessed with going to concerts. The best one I ever went to was last year, The Bamboozle Music Festival. I went with me and three other of my friends. I drove us there, which I don't know why but I feel like that's significant. I was so excited for this concert because my favorite band, Something Corporate, was playing and it was one of their first concerts back after they broke up 2005 ish. Me and my friends had a plan to get close to the gate while they played. It worked out because another band we wanted to see played (The Maine) on the same stage two before Something Corporate. So, our plan was to get close for The Maine and just keep moving in until Something Corporate came on. I don't know how we did it really, but we wound up at the gate for the Maine. We we just so excited! I was talking to the girl next to me and she had been waiting since one in the afternoon. It was about six at this time. Now, it was May 1st, but it was unusually hot outside. People were passing out all around me and my friends. Medics had to come and pull people out of the crowd. Just as Something Corporate came on stage, the girl I was talking to had to get pulled out--she had been waiting for seven hours to see this band. But, on a happy note, I had a great time and wound up getting the set list from the stage!
Is it okay that a large group of teenagers are gathered together for a music festival, when some of them are under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Should this be prevented?
When I was in fourth grade, my brother signed up for karate on Mondays from around five to six. I remember because it was right around dinner time. I was only about nine or ten years old now, so of course, my mom could not leave me home alone, which meant I brought my homework to my brother's karate classes. I specifically remember doing my history homework while waiting. But, my favorite part about my mom dragging me to these lessons was she would take us to McDonald's after. Granted, we did not go every single Monday, but we did go often. I used to get a Big Mac almost every time we went--sometimes I split it with my mom, sometimes I was determined to eat the whole thing, which I never actually did. Now, my eating habits couldn't be any different. I cannot remember the last time I ate a Big Mac, let alone went to McDonald's because I wanted to.
Was it easy to change my habits? Could everyone change their habits?
Number 2--
The best Chirstmases were the ones I spent at my Nonna's house in Tampa Bay, Florida. Although it's supposed to snow on Christmas Day, and most people dream of a "white Christmas, I was perfectly content with the 60 degree weather in Florida. I was really little when we spent most of my Christmases there, probably about three or four. So, I don't remember too much. But I remember they used to have a mini tree and a big tree. The mini tree was set up next to the couch so I used to sit on it and play with the tree right next to it. I would also spend weeks there before and/or after Christmas. Sometimes with my parents, and sometimes without. My Pop-Pop would sing me songs and I would dance around the table. I also remember going outside with him to find salamanders. He passes away when I was nine, and my Nonna moved from Florida to Maryland shortly after his death
How did Christmases in Florida bring me and my Pop-Pop closer?
What did he die of? Could it have been prevented?
Number 3--
I am obsessed with going to concerts. The best one I ever went to was last year, The Bamboozle Music Festival. I went with me and three other of my friends. I drove us there, which I don't know why but I feel like that's significant. I was so excited for this concert because my favorite band, Something Corporate, was playing and it was one of their first concerts back after they broke up 2005 ish. Me and my friends had a plan to get close to the gate while they played. It worked out because another band we wanted to see played (The Maine) on the same stage two before Something Corporate. So, our plan was to get close for The Maine and just keep moving in until Something Corporate came on. I don't know how we did it really, but we wound up at the gate for the Maine. We we just so excited! I was talking to the girl next to me and she had been waiting since one in the afternoon. It was about six at this time. Now, it was May 1st, but it was unusually hot outside. People were passing out all around me and my friends. Medics had to come and pull people out of the crowd. Just as Something Corporate came on stage, the girl I was talking to had to get pulled out--she had been waiting for seven hours to see this band. But, on a happy note, I had a great time and wound up getting the set list from the stage!
Is it okay that a large group of teenagers are gathered together for a music festival, when some of them are under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Should this be prevented?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Confessional Writing
The weight of the word "confession" can be heavier or light in so many different contexts. Christians confess their sins to God, while children confess to their parents that they accidentally broke Grandma's vase. Doctors even confess their mistakes or their deepest thoughts in writing, but they aren't always apologizing for their mistakes. I think it is important to make that distinction between the two. Someone could confess everything he has done wrong throughout his lifetime but not actually be sorry about it. For example, a student could tell her friends or her parents that she cheated off of the person next to her in class. She could have received an A on the exam and even view cheating as the best decision she has made. In this scenario, although she confessed, she is not sorry. This does not make her confession an apology. But, if this girl went to the person she cheated off of to tell him how terrible she feels, changes the whole situation. This is a confession and an apology. In some of the confessional articles we read, the doctors did not apologize for their actions, they simply confessed them. In some cases this is okay, but in others an apology is necessary. (like if the doctor caused the sickness to worsen)
Confession is definitely a way to get emotions off of our chests. I definitely think it is a great way to cope with what we're feeling and even to bring closure to certain events. Writing about things that happened in your past is a better way to connect with your audience. There is probably going to be more emotion and detail in your article or essay if you confess something in your writing. And I think that confessing through writing definitely helps to deal with any guilt you may have from whatever it is you're confessing. Most people probably confess because they feel some sort of guilt about whatever happened in their past. But, it's still not an apology unless that person specifically says they are apologizing for his actions.
Confession is definitely a way to get emotions off of our chests. I definitely think it is a great way to cope with what we're feeling and even to bring closure to certain events. Writing about things that happened in your past is a better way to connect with your audience. There is probably going to be more emotion and detail in your article or essay if you confess something in your writing. And I think that confessing through writing definitely helps to deal with any guilt you may have from whatever it is you're confessing. Most people probably confess because they feel some sort of guilt about whatever happened in their past. But, it's still not an apology unless that person specifically says they are apologizing for his actions.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Blog #1: The Writing Autobiography
My name is Alexandra Raymond and I am from a small town in central New Jersey--no, it's nothing like The Jersey Shore and I do not personally know Snookie. I am a dietetics major, so basically I study nutrition and what types of diet is good for people. I absolutely love my major and I don't think I could be more interested in nutrition if I tried. This major requires A LOT of chemistry and biology, which is good for me because I am a more science and math person. I am not taking many writing or English classes because I am not required to, and honestly I don't think I'm that good of a writer. For me, I really have to sit down and think about what I'm writing. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people where the words just flow out of them. I do try though, and I think with enough time and editing I can create a fairly good paper. It just take awhile for me to take my thoughts and place them into a coherent paper.
Junior year of high school, I took an AP Language class. In this class, we analyzed language and studied how to create an effective argument through the use of literary devices/rhetoric. I definitely expect English101 to be something like my high school class, except a little more in depth. It was difficult in that we had to write our own argument papers using what we had learned in class, but creating an effective argument is definitely time-consuming, especially when we had to incorporate literary devices. Hopefully, English101 will increase my knowledge in rhetoric and maybe even make me a better writer. I feel like every paper or essay someone writes, the better she gets at formulating her thoughts and the more "flow" the paper has.
Junior year of high school, I took an AP Language class. In this class, we analyzed language and studied how to create an effective argument through the use of literary devices/rhetoric. I definitely expect English101 to be something like my high school class, except a little more in depth. It was difficult in that we had to write our own argument papers using what we had learned in class, but creating an effective argument is definitely time-consuming, especially when we had to incorporate literary devices. Hopefully, English101 will increase my knowledge in rhetoric and maybe even make me a better writer. I feel like every paper or essay someone writes, the better she gets at formulating her thoughts and the more "flow" the paper has.
Figures of Speech--HYPOPHORA!
A hypophora is almost like a rhetorical question. The author proposes a question and then immediately answers it.
http://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/hypophterm.htm
http://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/hypophterm.htm
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