What a Swell Time, Chap!

Well, I reread my first blog, and boy do I hate writing!  Actually, at the beginning of the year I think I was just bitter because I made a damn 3 on that exam.  ONE POINT!  ONE!  But I digress.  However, I found that through the writing we did in this class that I learned something about my writing style.  I still don’t like writing what people tell me to write, but through this year, I realized that that was a pretty stupid idea, considering I’m actually a decent writer all I need is a little push.  As I say that, I understand that it does contradict what I mentioned before about not being guided in anything.  Throughout this year, however, I discovered that a little direction is always good, especially when you procrastinate.  (Not saying I do or anything, but for the people who do, it is a valuable asset.)

One of the best things that I’ve learned this semester is how to express my style and personality through writing as well as engage emotions.  Like I mentioned before, I enjoy writing in stream of consciousness, but I never really had an effective strategy for doing so.  I think the narrative was the best tool and project I could have ever been given.  I taught me so many things about my own writing, and how it is really an extension of my own being and personality (yeah, I just got deep.  Deal with it.).   I think that even through something as simple as the blog, I have learned how to express my feelings.  Not only that but I’m comfortable with expressing them and sharing them with other people.  ACTUALLY, fun fact time:  I have been keeping a journal since about the beginning of the semester that I was originally going to use for going to London and acting like Indiana Jones, but instead, I used it to write practically every day.  So thank you, GWRTC, for being all swell and shit.  Love, Becca.

What Green Charity you have… (#7)

So, I decided I would do the Sierra club because I try to be awesome like that. The Sierra club is an environmental agency that does work with wild lands, clean energy, and other environmentally friendly initiatives. Their website can be found at http://www.sierraclub.org/foundation/. While stumbling here and there on their website, I found many pleasing things. For instance, their color scheme is green, blue, and an orange-yellow, which reminds me of the basic elements of the Earth—earth, water, wind, and sun or fire. They have pictures on their front page of beautiful landscapes and happy families interacting with those landscapes. How horrible would it be to just…throw that all away for those gas guzzlers you drive around in? I feel a sense of duty, when I look at the pictures on the site, and I feel a tad guilty because I contribute to the downfall of my environment. This is definitely an appeal to the viewers’ emotions. That’s what I get from that from knowing the mission of the club as well as their goals, which can be easily found under their mission statement. The website uses some of the cleaner fonts, making it easy to read/navigate; I find it interesting that they use a serif font for their name instead of a cleaner font; it makes me think that they have been established for quite some time, which builds the character and credibility of the site. I find that the organization of their site couple with the fonts creates an overall clean feeling, which I think shows professionalism as well as the fact that they are an organization/charity trying to create a clean environment. This organization is very good for visual arguments. The menu bar is also a great tool; it has the missions and current projects, while at the very end it tells you how to donate or get involved. It’s very easy to donate because there is just one button on the main page you have to hit, and it takes you to a secure, online form where you can specify your amount and all that jazz. This button is in a bright color in contrast to the subdued background of the website—also making it very easy to identify. I think overall they do a very good job of being professionally, playing into your emotions of duty and guilt, and making it easy for you to donate.

I can haz revision…? #6

Normally, I do not revise things, which is basically a result of pure laziness and time constraints…like procrastination. However, this lovely article taught me that proofreading and revision are NOT the same thing. Silly me, I thought that by using Word’s spell check and grammar check all my problems would be solved with a swish of a wand (too bad we aren’t in Hogwarts). Usually, my revision process is waiting until the last minute to write something, making it funny, and then printing. So basically, revision is not in my literary vernacular. I guess you could say that anyway. Thus, this article, for one, taught me that I was being lazy and that revision is actually a really important part of writing, especially if you want it to be received well and correctly by the audience. For instance, I never really pay attention to the proportion of my points. For all I know, one about pandas and how freaking adorable they are could be ten pages long, while one about how they are being killed could be one sentence. I think that is a really important point to make becauseI proportion really shows the reader what is important. Disproportion needs a purpose.
Rereading! Now there’s an interesting concept! Here’s the thing, I know this works because of the times we have done it in group. Rereading can actually make my sentences better! Hold the phone, brother. That’s amazing. It was not until I read this article that I realize I have been doing everything wrong. Well, basically because I do not do it at all, but nonetheless, I think this was very helpful. Since I did not really revise in the first place, I found that the definition of the site was very valid, and I think that perhaps if I begin to revise more and more, I’ll see how they will work on in my writing. I hope that’s what this revision project will teach me.

Lioness…you have 1 minute remaining…(#5)

Well, I’m not a ginger kid, but I tend to be a bit feisty. I’ll explain to you the lioness that erupts when Becca is in the mists of a very interesting discussion. But first…the process.
She prowls, waiting for something to catch her ear.
Once something has been said that she finds entertaining; she waits, crouching in the bushes just waiting to spring into attack.
And then, the moment comes when she leaps, and pretends to “run into” her prey accidentally, striking up a conversation. Slyly, she works in the question, “So…what were you guys talking about?” They answer, not knowing what is to soon become of the situation. The lioness Becca states the current debate interesting. The attack begins…
Once she has targeted her prey and subject matter. She takes on a King’s jester’s attitude and begins to make light of the situation as her feline friend Tigger would. Once she has eased her unsuspecting prey into a lull of laughter and ultimate joy, she STRIKES! This striking is a very elaborate process of stating a fact, such as “Did you know that ice cream comes in many flavors?” Then, occasionally, a trap comes next such as, “Like, I never knew they had Ear Wax flavor! I guess I’ve been missing out on all of the awesome news.” This will make the prey feel superior. “Oh, that silly lioness doesn’t know the fabulous cornucopia of deliciousness that is Ear Wax ice cream! Let me inform her of my ultimate treasure trove of knowledge about the creamy yum-filled flavor.”
Once they have given her the bait with an ignorant/not ignorant fact, she stinks her teeth into the fact, tears it to pieces, and swallows. She growls a fact such as, “I’ve heard that it was really good, but I was reading an article online, and it said that the yellow number 9 that’s in Ear Wax ice cream can cause cancer. Not only that, but it aids in global warming.” By playing stupid, the lioness Becca has now turned a mere statement about ice cream into a global issue. Once the prey has been jolted by this, they will try to fight the grasp of Becca’s debate claw, but they will not avail as the flustering that ensues with such an attack renders the prey helpless for at least 3 facts. Of course, the lioness always respects the opinions of others, does not interrupt, and actively listens to the prey’s thoughts and arguments, and if the lioness Becca feels threaten, she relinquishes the power to the prey by saying, “You make a valid point; I’d have to research more to really find out. We should talk again.”
.End lioness rant.
So, I engage probably about once a week in discussions, which are not necessarily hot topics just interesting ones to think about… like the meaning/beginning of life. I like hearing other people’s opinions, but when they start thinking that theirs is the only way, I walk away. I like to talk about social issues like gay rights and religion (mainly how it shouldn’t play a role in government). I also talk about the difference between spirituality and religion, which I haven’t figured out yet for myself. I don’t really have something I won’t talk about; what I won’t do is talk about a controversial issue with someone who is just wanting to talk for the sake of hearing themselves speak. This lioness does not do one-sided, one opinion only conversations.

-Becca

Secrets, secrets. :( [blog 4]

As entertaining as eating disorders can be (kidding), I don’t think they should be taken lightly in any way. I think I mentioned this before in one of my other blogs, but I’m a psychology and sociology double major so I find eating disorders, mental illness, societies and whatever else you want to clump together with that very intriguing. I always knew that eating disorders were a mental illness and that they were very obsessive-compulsive and perfectionist-thinking. I never knew about the eating disorder sites. I also didn’t know that people who were anorexic or bulimic participated in self-mutilation. I find that very interesting; it’s kind of overkill. They are starving themselves or binging and purging because they feel ashamed of whom they are, what they look like, etc, but if they slip up, not only do they continue to harm themselves with lack of nutrition, they also punish themselves with cutting (and other various self-injury techniques not mentioned in the article) and negative psychological reinforcement. After reading this article, I think that eating disorders are an even larger contributor to the number of deaths due to “heart failure.” When really, it’s just the lack of nutrition is killing the heart and other organs.
I am also really shocked at the “requirements” to be diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia. You would have to be 15% UNDER your healthy body weight. That’s ridiculous! Personally, I think it’s great that we have a system of diagnostics, but on the other hand, anorexia isn’t a job. Why would you need requirements? You shouldn’t. I was really interested to see how much I would have to weigh to be diagnosed with an eating disorder. I found a calculator online (http://www.everydayhealth.com/toolkit/weightcalculator/index.aspx) there it is if you would like to visit it. I’m female, 5 feet 2 inches (and you don’t really need to know my weight). It tells me that to maintain a healthy weight I would have to weigh at the least 104. So after I multiplied by .15 and subtracted that number from 104, I would have to weigh 88.4 pounds to even be considered for a diagnosis. There’s something wrong with that…I would be dead. I am completely shocked at this article, and how these girls are learning to cope by finding people who encourage their actions, when really, the medical field should recognize this disease earlier. I’m really glad that the author pointed out all of these hideous sides to the eating disordered world.

Boobs, boobs, boobs… ;)

So, I just finished reading this boob-filled paper, and I have to say it was rather entertaining.  I think definitely think this was more a “chick-flick” on paper rather than a broad topic for any audience.  I’d first like to say…I’m sorry boys.  That must have been really awkward to read.  Even though it alienated the men, obviously, I still found the paper very effective toward its target audience–fortunately endowed women who might have had body image issues as children.  Wait, now that I mention the thing about body image, I think we can all relate to that in a way because at one point in our life none of us thought we sized up (yes, please take that as suggestively as you wish).   Wow, that changes my entire feeling about this paper.  You see before I started writing about it, I didn’t really think I connect with it—and I’m a GIRL!  I’m not going to go into the reasons I didn’t connect with it; I’m sure it’s pretty obvious.  Hah.  However, now that I think about the expansive topic of body image, I think it is actually a really successful narrative—perhaps that’s why it was published.  In a sea of pretty people (in Northfaces…Uggs…and leggings—which I still don’t understand—), some of us feel a little lackluster.

In regards to its acceptance into the magazine thing, I think that it’s one of those things where something is successful and is recognized as successful so it must be successful.  Right?  AKA: people try too hard to put meaning to a simple story about an early bloomer.  I think it would have been more successful had she not ended the story with feeling like she fits in now.  I mean, yes, we all long for a place in society—a niche if you will—, but I think that what she was sort of saying was to hide what makes you different until everybody else gets it and then HEY!!! You’re perfect now.

In conclusion, I’m really unsure how to think about this essay.  I actually didn’t like it.  It was funny at times, but I think bears a double edged sword in meaning.

Narrative Ideas! (or lack there of)

Okay…so here’s the deal. I’ve been thinking about this paper ALL WEEK! I have come to the conclusion that I’m just NOT that interesting, and all the stories I have to tell are either very revealing or very lacking from a moral standpoint. As I’ve stated…creative writing is not my forte at all. So I’ve decided I would brainstorm a couple of ideas that might be possible.

-My moving in with my mother and the ultimatum (literally) my father gave me when I was only 10. (That really changed my life; if he didn’t do that, I well I might still like him, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. )

This is a basic breakdown of the story.

So when I was 8 I chose to live with my dad.  My mom went with my brothers and such.  I moved to Germany (dad was in the army).  We came back and lived in the gun-hoe state of  Tennessee!!!  (Then my dad married this bitch–pardon my French…kind of–, and I got pushed to the back burner.  They fed me lies about my mom, and then he was like you can either stay with me forever and never see your mother again OR you can call her to come get you.  I was like….. REALLY?!  Is that even a choice you idiot?  Give me the phone.  Needless to say at the tender age of 10, I made a decision that would truly change my life forever.

My mom came to get me (she literally JUST got a car a week before!) only to find me sitting on the porch with all of my stuff locked out of the house because my evil step-mother decided she would go tanning and leave me outside.  Lovely right?  My mom was pissed…obviously.  (Time passes here!!!)  I got home, which was in Alabama, and I was thrust into a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle.  (I did learn to make blueberry muffins with only water though’ I’ve been trying to remember that recipe for years!)  We had no money, no food.  We had no lights and thus no hot water for weeks at a time.  We pawned things just to get food.  In short, we were basically as impoverished as you can get without being homeless.

Basically, what I want people to learn is that whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.  Nothing materialistic matters when you have family.  I could have easily gone back to live with my father who made 60,000 a year.  In my home, however, the lack of money brought my mom, my brothers, and me closer together.  Priceless.  ( shameless plug for mastercard…only if they paid me. :])

-Becca

Yummy in my Tummy: the Taste of Economy. (Blog: 2)

Ah, take deux (French for 2) on the ole blogger-roo!

• Pathos:  In the third line of the article, the author uses the word us, saying that the banks can just tax and tax and tax.  By using the word us, the author communicates to the reader  that he/she is just like everyone else, playing into their frustration with big companies and price inflation.  (Boo to those “sly” CEOs; we know your ploys!)
  • Another hint of pathos is the very last sentence, “Call us pessimists, but chances are it won’t be long before they all taste the same.”  Here the author shows his/her ever-looming doubt and concern about not only the quality of the products but also the deception we all feel when it comes to these “separate” companies.  The author, again, uses the word us, making this article seem like a conversation you would have with your best friend.

• Ethos:  The author establishes his/her credibility as an adult member of the American economic society by mentioning the “ever-so-wonderful” alcohol.  Because no one drinks under age (or, rather, will not admit it openly in an article for the New York Times), the approximate age of the author can be easily estimated at the youngest 21.  He/she also builds his/her by showing the readers the relationship between them and the author.  This is particularly evident when the author shows his/her frustration with the “know-it-all” people up on the 100^th floor of such-and-such corporation by saying, “corporate gurus as rich in synergy and efficiencies that eventually trickle down to consumers.”

• Logos:   The author uses lots of facts and numbers, particularly in the second paragraph.  I think this is a great way to inform people about the changing economic markets; however, where are the sources?  It worries me when nothing has sources—especially facts.  For example the author states that the “big mergers” doubled to 2,201…okay…that’s all fine and dandy, but where are the sources.  2,201: that’s an odd number for someone to come up with on his or her own, or is it made up?  We may never know….because of the lack of sources.

Writing History-Oh Joy! (Blog: 1)

As a young sprout, I always hated spelling.  My father made me look up the word enough in the dictionary; I don’t know what he was thinking.  Because in order to use a dictionary, you kind of have to have at least the first three letters of a word.  Since spelling has a lot to do with writing, I always despised writing, too.  I thought I was a horrible writer, but as it turns out, I’m not.  In high school especially, I had the most amazing experience in English.  Not to say that I didn’t have my bad times; after all that 70 on my first paper junior year almost killed me.  Fortunately, however, my advanced placement English teacher truly rejuvenated my love for English again.  We read a lot, but we didn’t spend too much time on one book, play, or short story, making it more leisurely and enjoyable.  I found that without guided interpretation, which is stressed in regular K-12 curriculum, I could expand on the text on the page and give it meaning and not just the meaning someone tells me to give it.  It was mine.

Not being limited in my interpretations of the material also gave me more room to grow as a writer.  I no longer wrote what the teacher wanted me to write; I wrote what I thought was true and evident and meaningful.  After all, writing and literature are relative; it means something different to each individual.  Thanks to my teacher, I now have confidence to discover what I believe and feel, and most importantly, I acquired the skill of communicating those ideas in a comprehendible way.  I like writing, but that doesn’t mean I like ALL writing.  In fact, I really hate writing creative things!  I know it sounds stupid because all creative things are easy, but I think it’s pointless.  I remember in middle school we were learning about descriptive essays, and it just so happens that my teacher assigned a descriptive essay (a.k.a. making crap up).  We had to write about the sights and sounds of a fair.  I’ve never been to a fair, which means I made a lot of stuff up!  Creative. Writing. Is. Not. My. Forte.  Reading it is fine, but writing…no…just no.  I do, however, enjoy more “stream of consciousness” writing—much like a journal containing innermost thoughts.  I like being witty and “smart” with my creations—to give them a personality of their own.  Although I love reading poetry, I cannot write it at all.  It’s too structured for me.

Needless to say, my view on composing meaningful text has changed drastically since I was a little tyke.  I do have my moments though, where I don’t want to write, don’t want to think, don’t want to read.  It’s human nature to rebel against societal regulations and break boundaries.  I think, however, that writing does just that; it rebels against societal regulations.  I mean, you can’t read something like Animal Farm by George Orwell and say that writing is boring.  I could never have the patience to write a book or even a short story for that matter; I’ve tried.  Writing, to me, means that the voiceless have voices, the shy have opinions, and the opinionated can have abrasive arguments with pen and paper.  All in all, I’m comfortable with writing, being critiqued, and all the fun and games that comes with the expression of ideas.

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