(12/12) Advice to new writers

In order to write as well as one possibly can, it is important to not isolate one's self from what his or her every day surroundings. It is with experience in those surroundings which gives a person the best substance with which to write. It is important to be out doing new things and seeing new things. Take advantage of opportunities that you would have never otherwise tried. I went to see poetry with Dr. Lay and a few others from my writing class. It is probably something I would have never done on my own, but I greatly enjoyed it. Not only that, but it gave me a different outlook on writing. Poetry is unlike any style of writing I have ever done, but it opened my mind up to a new means of writing. All the same, allowing yourself to keep your mind open to new ideas and just open to the world, can improve your writing. Much the same, use an open mind to do every project to the best of your ability. You may not be able to see it at first, but each project will progress you to higher abilities in your writing!

(11/12) Four letter word projects...writing?

The four letter word projects are not writing, in my opinion. They contain one word, which was written, but the project as a whole does not qualify as writing. It does, however, do the same thing that writing does, which is deliver some sort of message or argument; it expresses the thought of the creator. Writing, by traditional standards, is word or message that has been written. Since pictures are not written words, they are not writing. I would definitely consider it a composition, though. People are able to see it and base their own opinions off of it. They are able to agree of disagree with a main point that is projected through these projects, and for that reason I definitely consider it a composition.

(10/12) Rodney Jones' Poem

Rodney Jones is trying to argue through his poem “Hubris at Zunzal” that there is essentially no better image than the image that writing can create. I believe he is trying to argue the exact opposite of saying images can be as useful as words. In his poem, he is not only able to give a time and a place, but he also manages to put an image into the audience’s mind. As he said himself, “no image like the image of language.”

(9/12) When i put on text

When I put on text, it is usually just a sport t-shirt and therefore not all too interesting to others. I do not think that whenever I wear text on my clothing, that I want others to read it. Of course, I would not mind if they did, but I will usually only put the text on because I like that article of clothing and I am not even thinking “gee, I will wear this today and hope at least a few people will read it.” Maybe that’s why I initially buy the article of clothing, but for the most part, I wear and buy my clothes for comfort, and really for only myself.

(8/12) Transcribed Sample of the Crayon writing

“Zadie Smith states that ‘flexibility of voice leads to a flexibility in all things’ (194). This is an accurate statement. We must always adapt to the situation, and that includes knowing our audience. For example, students know that each teacher likes different styles of writing and they must adapt their style for each class. Flexibility comes from knowing your audience.”

(7/12) Crayons!

The writer does not seem to be too influenced by the writing implement, if at all. Her response is one that I could imagine seeing written in pen or even typed. Perhaps if she were using a writing utensil with a smaller point, she would have written more, but she did not adopt a different voice. She seems to be neither less of more expressive, yet agrees that flexibility of voice leads to a flexibility of all things.

In my personal opinion, this writing is good. Crayons do not present the least space-consuming of writing utensils. She was able to provide her point, however, and opinion nice and concisely. I suppose she did adapt to the writing implement merely by knowing she would have less room to write and therefore created a response that would fit and be complete.

6/12 Micro blogging

Whenever I write online, I do actually think about my audience. Online, there really is no way to actually tell who might come across something you say. With that said, I am much more careful with what I say when I post anything online. I am careful even if I am writing something that I direct toward someone in particular and already anticipate them reading it. When I do not write online, there is either no audience or I know my only audience is my teacher and I therefore write with a voice according to what I hope that particular teacher would prefer.

            I do not think there can ever be a distinct online relationship with an audience. Anyone can have access to the content written online. A person can have a general idea of to whom they are speaking, but unless there is a response, there really is no direct relationship.

            I do not ever tweet really, but when I do, I would imagine just one of my fourteen followers might see it. When people micro blog, they do it to share their thoughts and whereabouts with as many people as they can at one time. I, however, do not particularly want people to know and do not think they would particularly care about what I would have to say either. That is probably why I could never get into the habit of tweeting or posting statuses online. Perhaps I am too conscious of an audience, and have too much “stage fright” to write anything. The reason for micro blogging is to allow one’s audience a grander scale view about one’s life, without holding their attention for more than five seconds.

(5/12) Voice of President vs. Poet

The difference of voice between a president and a poet, according to Smith, is that a poet’s voice is more diverse. It possesses many aspects that can appeal to many audiences. The poet has more freedom to depict many different voices and express different and more unique opinions. The poet does not have to worry about being politically correct, unlike the President, who evidently does. The President must use a voice of eloquence and stability. It must be a knowledgeable and firm voice. It can only really involve one voice so as to not offend the vast audience to which he is speaking. In other words, the range of voice the President is allotted, is much smaller than that of a poet.

(4/12) Zadie Smith Questions

When Zadie Smith says “There’s no quicker way to insult an expat Scotsman in London than to tell him he’s lost his accent. We feel that our voices are who we are, and that to have more than one, or to use different versions of a voice for different occasions, represents, at best, a Janus-faced duplicity, and at worst, the loss of our very souls,” (180) she never branches out to speak of a different culture. Does she suggest that this applies to strictly European values, or does it apply to all cultures?

“In Dream City, everything is doubled, everything is various. You have no choice but to cross borders and speak in tongues” (184). When Smith refers to “Dream City,” why is it given that name? Can this kind of city only occur within black and white families?

I agree with Smith when she states that “the idea that one should speak one’s cultural allegiance first and the truth second (and that this is a sign of authenticity) is precisely such a deformation” (186). However, why does Smith seem to suggest that the truth and one’s cultural allegiance should oppose each other?

“For reasons that are obscure to me, those qualities we cherish in our artists, we condemn in our politicians” (189). I question why Smith thinks it’s obscure to desire different characteristics in people who do jobs that require such characteristics.

“But to live vicariously cannot simply be a gift, endowed by an accident of birth; it has to be a continual effort, continually renewed” (193). Does Smith mean here that one cannot simply project a different voice or understanding, and then move on? Is the only way for projection of a different voice to be affective is if it is consistent?

“He seems just the man to demonstrate that between those two voices, there exists no contradiction and no equivocation but rather a proper and decent human harmony” (194). Does Smith try to contradict some of her previous accusations saying that there is no way to rest peacefully in between one’s culture and the truth here?

The Space that Twitter Affords (3/12)

What I really think about the writing space that twitter affords is that it is convenient. To some it may seem inconvenient as they may think they need more space to express their full thought. Twitter is a place for short, often witty, thoughts and often times small descriptions of one's whereabouts or current status. I do not think that twitter ever had the intention of being used as someone's journal. If ever someone should find that he or she needs more space while using twitter, he or she should probably start to think about writing those select thoughts elsewhere. Of course, I am biased. I have never been much of a twitter-er and for the longest time (still actually) I have not been able to figure out what is necessary for what form of status update. What content is actually necessary for twitter that cannot be put on one's facebook page. For that matter even, I am not really much of a facebook status updater either. I guess I do not understand the purpose of twitter even if it is just to let people know what is on your mind or where you are. These days, everyone feels so entitled to everyone else's business and it is most likely due to social networks such as twitter and facebook. Twitter was created so that people could jot down a quick thought before it left their mind, or tell about their whereabouts before leaving to go to the next place, or telling what they're doing before moving on to the next thing. That is all it should really ever be used for. To partake in anything deeper and therefore requiring more space, finding a new area to write these thoughts would be ideal.

Texts on Clothing (2/12)

I'm not sure why so many people wear texts on their clothing and on their skin.  Perhaps they feel that such portable writing serves to express more easily who they are, where they have come from, where they have been. Often times, I will see shirts that have a highschool team sport on them, or maybe even just a school name. This shows me that either this person went to that school and played that sport, or that they know someone who does. Personally, I know that one of my favorite and most comfortable sweatshirts is a sweatshirt I had bought when I visited Ocean City. I wear the sweatshirt because it is comfortable and legitimately for no other reason. However, it is the reason that I bought it that helps to explain why others might wear texts on their clothing and skin. That vacation in Ocean City was one of the most fun times I have ever had and I want to always remember it and keep some material part of it with me; it is probably similar to the reason why people get tattoos. Something is of such great importance to them, that they wish to keep it with them forever. Not only for themselves, but they are proud of what they keep with them and do not hide it from the rest of society; they wish to show everyone and make it visible. I rarely see people wearing shirts or clothing with a brand name all over it, but I know that I have seen it before. Perhaps that person simply wishes to show his or her shopping tendencies Perhaps it actually says more about a person than just that he or she likes to shop here or there. Finally, when it comes to the writing on clothing that does not hold any specific value (e.g. a sports team, high school or college name, even clothes that are dedicated to certain fundraisers or memorials, etc.) I feel that the people who wear those types of writing on their clothes just wish to amuse people who will read it and allow the reader to know what interests him or her; what makes that person laugh, what he or she might find interesting.

Describing the Tree (1/12)

The argument that Hass creates within this poem is that poetry often uses language, such as personification, which may make it seem as though what is being described in the poem can do many things. However, when Hass says "no" and states that there are limits to what the tree can do, he is explaining that even though poetry has the ability to describe things in a variety of ways that, say for example scientists would not, there are still description sand actions that would indeed not describe the tree no matter how poetically beautiful the poem's descriptions have become. When we read poetry much like this poem, we find ourselves believing that the tree is dancing. Words, in the end, may never be able to describe exactly what a certain tree looks like or resembles.

I think that when Hass writes in his poem "dance with me, dancer," it is the tree is is supposedly speaking this. Hass has already explained that the tree is dancing and it is now as if the tree invites the observer to join the dance. It is as if he is now accepted by the tree having experienced and acknowledged nature in all its movements for what it really is in all of its beauty.

Thoughts on Project 3

I keep thinking about my project 3, and I'm pretty sure my next rhetorical move will be to add more descriptive language. I feel as if I do not describe the place about which I am speaking clearly enough. I have talked enough about how the place makes me feel when I am there, but my audience does not have a good enough idea of what I am actually looking at while I am there; the audience is not able to imagine themselves there and try to understand fully what it must really feel like to be there.

First thoughts on someone else's essay

I really think this essay is off to a good start. Immediately I know which place it is that he wishes to base the rest of the essay off and I know for the most part how he feels about them. He uses two different metaphors to get this point across; two different scenarios that depict two different feelings about his place. Then he goes on to write that he neither loves or hates this place, he just does not know how to feel. It makes me intrigued to find out exactly how he feels or works out how he feels about this place since it is not entirely introduced in the first paragraph.

First thoughts on Project 3

I've beent hinking about my own draft for Project 3, and I have to tell you that I am actually extrememly underwhelmed with it. I feel like I put a lot of thought and planning into it, yet when it came down to it, I really had no idea what to say about the place. It took me a very long time to even think of a place I felt two ways about, even just remotely. Then, I did not quite understand how I was supposed to cite other peoples' work into an essay that had to do with my own experiences and feelings. I was very confused about what I was writing the majority of the time and even though I read over the criteria several times just to clarify, I'm still not particularly sure if I gave you what you were asking for in this project.

A sentence starts like...

A sentence starts like a child who has lost sight of her mother in the supermarket, longing to head in the right direction, hoping to take the right steps toward her lost sense of comfort. She must begin to move and search, standing there is not an option.

A sentence starts like cracking the eggs into a bowl, pouring the milk, all aspects before mixing the batter...

If these walls could talk, what would they say?

The arguments in this video ring out loud and clear. Students today are too adapted to the new technologies that are present in their every day life, that the traditional way of learning, i.e. sitting still at a desk, watching linear ideas presented on a board, listening to one voice (not actively taking part in the learning process), etc., just does not cut it anymore. Students growing up in today's society have almost been trained to be able to process many concepts and activities at a time, they have no choice. When they are forced to sit in a chair and watch word after word be written on the black board, whiteboard, whatever board, they are inevitably goning to wander somewhere else. They are going to see the technology in front of them and have that appetite for social networking, any other typical procrastination site, or do anything else! This video shows that if we can learn to incorporate more active learning involving the technologies which we've already adapted, students would finally receive the 21st century education for which they are putting their lives in debt. It clearly lists all of the negative aspects of the learning style still present today in order to grab the support and agreement of others.

"Rediscovering Central Asia" Reaction

The rhetorical strategies used mostly in this essay involve convincing the readers of Central Asia's once brilliance. It is to persuade the reader to gain a mindset that Central Asia still exists, though it has seemed to diminished politically and economically, and that it will forever have the potential to prosper as much as it once did. The rhetorics are used by listing all the accomplishments Central Asia is responsible reaching mostly from the maths and the sciences. The essay describes how divese Central Asia is and how many of the cultures and religions today can be accredited to Central Asia and its past inhabitants. Finally, speaking less of the past and looking more into the future, the essay discusses the students of Central Asia. They are being financially supported to study abroad and come back to Central Asia to help infuse the culture with the more modern culture which has been deemed neccessary to prosper or even just survive. There are many aspects which point to the rediscovering of and fixing of Central Asia, and they all consist of the rhetorical strategies pointing out the strenghts that Central Asia once possessed, and the potential which it still currently possesses.

This one works, this one does not.

The relevance of this video to what we are currently learning about in composition, is the different forms of writing and reading which are displayed. The video shows how far technology has stretched the means in which writing appears. For example, the little girl has become used to using the Ipad (the more modern version of writing and reading), and therefore does not understand why when she touches the magazine pages, the screen does not alter. The video makers have shown us that growing up with new technologies will continue to create generations that will reject older forms of reading and writing, as they are so easily adapted to the newer forms, i.e. the Ipad.

Relationship with my reader

The relationship with my reader is almost like a crush, as expressed in Billy Collins's "The Flight of the Reader." Every time I write with the idea of an audience or a reader in mind, I always aim to impress. It is almost as if with my writing I am trying to make my crush have a crush on me back. Depending on the type of writing that I am doing, my goal with my "crush" varies. Often times I attempt to sway the reader to feel the same way as I do, other times I just aim to let them know how I feel about a certain issue; but I am always trying to make the reader feel that my thoughts and writings are worth spending time with. Maybe I even try to make the reader think that I am something worth spending time with because of what I write about and how I express it. In any case, I see the reader as someone whose time I am taking, not the other way around. I should be so lucky that someone is reading my works and therefore, I do not wish to disappoint.

response to "Coney Island of the Mind."

While watching this short video which elaborates on someone's connection with Coney Island, I was able to sense their longing to be back there and for it to be the way it used to be. I liked the voice that read it as well because it helped to sound like this person was borned and raised around that area. There was a sense of sadness, both with the song in the background and the images which ranged mostly from the current day images of Coney Island, but also some from back when it was beautiful and prospering. There were images of the old amusement park, and it also helped to bring me back, as the audience, with the writer/ speaker to his childhood days and the good old days at Coney Island.

Country Griddle might be like...

The Country Griddle might be like the old high school cafeteria. There will always be a familiar face hidden around some corner or sitting behind some table; whether or not it's a face one desires to see or avoids at all costs. But it's not as rushed or as crowded and loud, however it is just as familiar.

The Country Griddle, New Jersey

The Country Griddle is not like a scary movie or a stranger on the side of the road. It is not like the first day of class in a new school, but it is neither waiting in line for or riding on a wild rollercoaster. It is not like a treadmill at the gym, nor is it like the gym.

The Country Griddle is not like the gym or the treadmill. It is quite the opposite. It is where one never comes alone, where one never must find their own table. One does not go there with the idea of shedding extra pounds, but rather one leaves perhaps having gained some extra pounds. One does not laugh and chat and eat whilst on a treadmill, but that is all that is done whilst at the Country Griddle. When running on a treadmill, most cannot wait until the time has run out and it is time to stop. On the contrary, at the Griddle, everyone wishes they did not have a busy schedule they have to return to; they wish they could stay and continue to have a good time in the company of good friends or family. In a literal sense, there is no monthly fee to indulge in a good time at the Griddle, that is to say the bills are the least expensive than any other diner. One is caught up in the moment with happiness surrounded by loved ones, as opposed to running on a constant wheel, in the company of strangers and thoughts. Lastly, one rarely ever leaves the treadmill desiring the next encounter, but when one leaves the Griddle, she always makes plans for the next time hoping the time passes quickly before then! The Griddle is not like the gym or the treadmill.

Home is like...

home is a place where one finds themselves surrounded by the ones he or she loves; by people in whose company they enjoy being. Home is a place a person thinks about when he wants to relax, be at peace, or even just nap should he so desire. It is also a place that a person can call his own, whether or not there are others calling it their own as well, or just him. Home can also be where a person does not anymore reside, but where he or she longs to when he longs for the utmost comfort.

Hypertext Prezi

PREZI

Chapter 3 Prezi- HYPERTEXT

Chapter 3- Hyper text

Is hypertext a more natural way to write?
With hypertext we are able to learn the way we want to learn, the way our mind is used to thinking. It allows us to take a more personal approach to reading and writing.

Chapter 2: writing Space thesis (Group 2)

Transactions, such as storytelling (without means of recording).
      Printing press
     Computer- Biggest evolution of writing
     Social networking
     News online- more extensive

Thesis:
New means of writing are just ways to enhance textual understanding.

Chapter 2; Writing Space Thesis

"Digital text refines writing as a technology."

Evolution of writing formats begins with;

Stone
Scroll
Paper and pen
Typewriter
Computer
Smart phone/ cell phone

Afraid to write as seriously as Jacques?

Often times I am very fearful or writing due to how everyone's opinions differ. I always want my main point to come across flawlessly, but at the same time I tend to be incapable of doing so. I also write mainly for classes which require a formal type of writing, with a certain criteria that must be met. Every time I write, I feel as if I need to be entertaining, be clear and thorough, be insightful, have good word syntax and sound sophisticated. It is a lot for me to try and accomplish within one writing and it is very much so overwhelming and intimidating. I do not, however, ever lose sleep over my writing and something that I have already written. This may be because writing is not something that consumes the majority of my time, like I feel it might in Jacques Derrida's life.

The Endless Possibilities of Digital Text- Argument

Argument: Digital text is the future of all text due to the many conveniences with which it provides all of society.


notes on digital text:
Ease of distribution
Capable of more than just writing
Less cost- more access
Faster communication
More personable

"This is the future of text."

Taylor Mali's Writing

The Poem differs in its two recensions in that, although you can hear the speaking in both, one requires the audience to read as well as listen. It is almost as if we are reading an audio book where the words pop up in all different directions and places. The fact that the words are not restricted to standard black-white, left-to-right horizontal format adds a certain personality to the speaking as well. A personality which differs from that which is portrayed when the audience can actually see the speaker. When we are permitted to see the speaker, we can see and hear which aspects of his writing which he wants to put further emphasis on. The writer also has the ability to act and be apart of his writing to better send the point across to us as an audience. However, there is something about the textual writing space which forces us to become more involved in the writer's work. Everything that the speaker/writer says is pushed deeper into our understanding when we are able to see what exactly he is saying, especially while he is saying it. It is almost as if, upon hearing and seeing the words, the point is automatically reiterated for us. We have no other option but to take in what he is saying, as opposed to when we are watching and may be distracted by the reader's expressions, though it is not frowned upon to include expression in one's reading as, to some, it can prove to be just as helpful in receiving an argument.

Is the Machine Using us?

Perhaps it is naive of me to say this, but I actually believe that the machine is something that is still used by all of us. It was originally created just to ease certain tasks, but eventually, like all things do, it progressed and went through its own period of evolution. In fact, it still continues to today and always will be. The progressions were designd so as to simplify our daily tasks. It is hard to imagine getting through the day without the use of these, at least for me. It is not me that the machine needs, I am the one that will always be using the machine for my own benefit.

At&t Commercial- Flash Mob

As soon as the clock turns to twelve o' clock in the afternoon, the main character of this commercial rips off his jacket in the middle of Grand Central Station and breaks into dance. However, it is at this point that other members of a flash mob would jump in and do their part to contribute to the dance. The only thing, which the audience finds out later in the commercial, is that the time to start the flash mob had been changed to a later time. The question that strikes most, or what should strike most, is; why did this man not receive the memo? The answer, of course, is that he did not have at&t and therefore had a slow connection which informed him minutes too late.
The simple fact that he did not have at&t left him embarrassed and "the last to know," as the commercial put it. The idea behind the commercial is clear, in that case. If you do not want to risk embarrassing yourself or be the last to know when it is important to know as soon as possible, you should have at&t. It was depicted well, because while it was humorous, which was the aspect that grabbed and held my attention, it displays just one of the cons to not having at&t.

Pantene Commercial

The street performer can sense the girl's eyes on him and, without question, he begins signing to her as if they have always known eachother. Perhaps it is because he can feel her sadness as well as he seems to feel his music. At first, the girl seems taken aback by this man's knowledge ofher situation, yet she responds. After all, this man has been one of the friendliest characters in her life since she took a liking to music. The two share a conversation on a doorstep in sign language as he explains to her that music is a visible thing; much like the conversation the two are holding. The girl develops a sense of comfort with this street musician whom she's always seen, but never known. IT is what allows her attitude towards the disadvantage she was presented with in regard to the music world alter. This encounter marks the beginning of ther transformation from the deaf girl who longs to play music, to the girl who can play music that shocks and brings an audience to its feet. It is due solely to this conversation which allows this deaf musician to shine.

My writing process- Freewrite

My writing process consists of me sitting at my computer staring blankly at the empty page in Microsoft Word. Realizing it has been a good ten or fifteen minutes without having written a thing, I will usually then put a header at the top of the page, just to make it look like i've made or am in the process of making progress. I'll sway away from the subject at hand and visit other sites, perhaps to gain some influence, but not really at all. It is otherwise known as procrastination. I'll click back to my word document repeatedly as if to see if some magical paper fairy has started off my paper with thejust  hook in the introductory sentence that I have been attempting to write myself. Of course, much to my dismay, there is still nothing written. I will usually then look at my clock, which is when I realize I have wasted a large majority of my time. Then I begin to type something. Probably the worst sentence anyone will probably ever read in his or her life, but it's something. Typically, if i'm lucky, I will continue to write based off of that first ridiculous sentence. I will read it over again, delete the first sentence, alter the second sentence to become more "first sentence" material, then finally, feeling somewhat content with what i've accomplished, I will finish my first draft, otherwise known as my sloppy copy.

Hansel and Gretel Commerical Response

       There is certainly some irony involved in this version of the Hansel and Gretel story. Of course, in order to somewhat hint to the audience that this young boy and this young girl were in fact the famous Hansel and Gretel, the two were dressed in the attire that most would traditionally associate with such characters. In otherwords, they were clad in clothing that is clearly from before the present. However, their surroundings were not those similar to their surroundings in the traditional stories. As opposed wandering around the dark and scary forest, they were walking in what looked like a city, much like New York City, but in this case, the city remains unknown and was perhaps unreal.
        Hansel and Gretel are very obviously aware that they will not be able to find their way back without some sort of assistance. They use the bread crumb trick in order to retrace their steps completely. What the audience knows before Hansel or Gretel find out is that almost immediately after being dropped, the bread crumbs have already disappeared by some means. Cleverly, they resort to their cell phone and continue on to skip happily home using the helpful yet speedy GPS system that At&t provides. We are left to believe that their story, much like all other renditions of the story, has a happy ending. What was the turning point in the advertisement which leads us to this assumption? The point where they pull out their cellphone and all their worries vanish. We are left feeling a sense of relief, whether we are aware of it or not and it is all contributed to the wonderful service that at&t provides.

Commercial Link

Flash Mob: At&t commercial

Heineken Commercial Analysis

Observation: men screaming and hugging when they see the room full of Heineken.

      They men's reactions are closely similar to those of the women. Of course, not for the same reason. The cause of the men's screaming, excitement, jumping, and hugging each other all in happiness is essentially beer. Not just beer, but beer in mass quantities, acting like the counter part of a woman's dream; mass quantities of shoes and clothes. The impression that is initially produced, is that something as simple as beer has the ability to make men that excited. After all, we also are under the impression that one of the men is recently moved, but yet the biggest accomplishment was gaining the walk-in refrigerator full of only Heineken.
     This situation of men acting like women gawking over shoes brings up certain questions. What is it exactly that is causing their drastic excitement? Is it just the beer alone, or having nothing to do with the type of beer, is it just the amount that is present? Finally, the conclustion that most people probably jump to is that the men are thrilled about how much of their favorite beer there is; Heineken. Clearly it is a favorite amongst four out of four men present in the advertisement, it must just be that good.

Hansel and Gretel AT&T commercial Questions

1. Where are they going?
2. What city are they in?
3. Where are their parents?
4. Why aren't they dressed in modern day clothing?
5. What does dropping the bread accomplish?
6. Why don't they just originally plan on using the GPS?
7. Who are these kids?

12 Heineken questions

1. Where were these people from?
2. were they at/having a party?
3. Are they new or old money?
4. Why is the woman showing her living space?
5. Are the other women her friends?
6. Did the man only show them his closet/refrigerator?
7. What does this commercial say about men and women?
8. Is the man showing the refrigerator married to the woman showing the closet?
9. How does the woman feel about the man's refrigerator?
10. Why aren't the women screaming about Heineken?
11. What station was broadcasting this commercial?
12. How does the similarities between the men and women's reactions contribute to the commercial?

Focus Freewrite 9/12

In more ways than not, I agree with what John Trimble says in regard to writers being much like warriors in that they're constantly "defending claims and fortifying arguments." In order for writers to be understood, in my humble opinion, they must explain why they've said what they said. In other words, I would believe a writer's ultimate goal is to help his or her audience gain an understanding or knowledge about the writer's story, statement, etc. With that in mind, it is crucial that the writer defends his or her claims and fortifies his or her argument. It is crucial also in the case that one reading might not agree with the writer and, to contribute to the metaphor, battle with the writer to prove a separate point or draw a separate conclusion. Last, and most importantly, if someone simply does not understand a writer's text, then presents another battle for the writer: to defend his off her points to reach a point of mutual understanding.

So here I am at Hofstra and I am blogging. Writing online makes me feel....

So here I am at Hofstra and I am blogging. Writing online makes me feel somewhat exposed. It is not something I partake in that often in regards to say posting a status or a tweet. I often find that there is not much I feel necessary saying which virtually anyone could see or have access to seeing. I feel insecure about the things I write and feel as if everyone in the world will read it, regardless of if close to no one will. I also put a lot of thought into the things that I say online. Therefore writing freely about anything that comes to mind  makes me feel especially exposed. This is because people are then reading the initial thoughts in my head, as opposed to the "thoughts" which I edit to be what I believe will be more socially accepted or understandable. This is most likely because the ideas and thoughts that go through my head are generally uninteresting and because I would not even be interested in reading anything I would have to say, I see no point in writing anything for anyone else to write! Of course, with a general subject to write about and shed my own personal opinion on, gives way to perhaps an interesting thread of thoughts I could write about! And that's all!