Excuses

Why did I do my homework at 10:30pm last night? Let me count the ways.

Well, I was home all weekend, but once I got in that car on Friday and left campus, I was pretty much left of any thoughts about schoolwork for the remainder of that day and all the way until late Sunday. I knew I had to get the blog done, but the Browns actually WON a game! Can you believe it?! So I had to sit for the three and a half hours that the game was on and watch it.

Also, I didn't know the homework was due by noon. I will start doing the blog a day in advance because I wasn't even home from church and lunch until around 11:30am.

Prime-Time You

Prime-Time You was an interesting essay to say the least. I wasn't sure I could trust anything this guy was trying to say -- being that he is with the advertisers and who's job it is to predict trends in how I will react to certain marketable enterprises. Whatever.

Part rant against an ever changing society, part plea to humankind to stay as we are, I found the article to be a narcissistic view of humanity in general. Of course we are going to change. With technology, so goes our desires. This isn't the stone age anymore. If someone wants to do something, they will find a way to do it, to make it simpler to achieve.

His goals in life seem to circle around the idea that everyone can be lumped into a trend or an culture. The liberals, the 'button-down corporate America.' It just sounds to me that this mans life relies on the belief that we humans are a predictable sort and can be put in any trend or figure imaginable.

Bologna.

1) Do you agree with the author's perception of people's ever-changing desires and it's negative effects on us all?

2) Do you want what's cool to stay cool, or what's 'in' to stay 'in?' Or do you prefer the changing landscape of ideas and philosophies on what is the new cool?

Rhetorical Analysis Proposal

Sorry for the late, late reply, but I guess it's late or never.

I will be focusing on the short -- make that very short story written by Stephen R. Bathon on page thirty of the Field & Dream magazine. It is an outdoor magazine that focuses on all aspects of hunting and the article in particular is an interesting one that focuses on a hunter's experience in which he was forced with the daunting task of killing a black bear no less than six feet away from him. It focuses on how the author drew a line in the sand, per say, to express that he would not kill another bear because after he looked in the eyes of the bear he had just shot he saw not the prey of a hunt, but another hunter.

The article has a deep tone of secretively trying to convince the hunting community to be mindful of what they should hunt and I think it speaks volumes to many.

In Between Places

I guess I'll start by saying that this would be my worst nightmare. I'm in my late twenties living with my parents and in extreme debt. Fortunately for me, I'm not that irresponsible.

Unlike the other essay authors who were usually not to blame for their circumstances. It was something they were born with, something that occurred early on in their life. It seems, though, for the author of 'In Between Places' that her predicaments are purely her own fault. Perhaps her parents can shoulder some blame for giving her too much financial independence -- or maybe not. It just seems that ten-thousand dollars of debt to your parents by the time you are in your late twenties is a bit severe.

As far as the writing, and the story in general, it was well written, but the author seemed so transfixed on her circumstances that she didn't have any time to realize that it was all her fault. A trip to Mexico, chairs and pillows for an invisible apartment; It just seems to me that no matter what she did as an early adult she could not make the correct financial decisions. To go with the old saying, "You made your bed, now sleep in it."

The expression goes so well for this girl. She's made all these decisions with money that have put her into the situation of having to live with her parents, and now she sits, ashamed and saddened about her life, or lack thereof.

I couldn't relate to this story at all. Perhaps it's because I think I'm much smarter with money than the author and I could never see myself in that situation. The only time I would move back in with my parents was if (as the author mentioned) I was trying to save for an apartment or condo.

The essay is a sad one, but I have no sympathy for the author... That sounds so cold, but it's true.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Can you relate to the author or do you feel you are much smarter when it comes to your financial situation?

2. Do you think the stereotype of "Kidults" or "Boomerangers" is one that is unfair or unwarranted?

The Waltz

The Waltz is a tame and long essay in comparison to all the other essay's we have read in this lovely class we call "Intro to College Writing I." I did enjoy the essay all though, to be perfectly honest, I found myself thinking, "Could the other use anymore examples?" Possibly it's my own mild case of ADD, but that's beside the point.

Overall I found that it was a good insight into a person with such a disorder's life. I found myself thinking like a person with O.C.D. with the scatterbrained approach to almost laughable circumstances. Touching doorknobs with both hands, not sitting in a chair because you don't want to get pregnant (wasn't this an actual rumor in the eighties?) and whatever else the author discerned to us.

There's not a lot to elaborate on to be perfectly honest, the author has a very difficult chance at sustaining a long relationship with a boy just for the simple fact that she suffers from O.C.D. and It's not her fault, it's just that those who choose to be in a relationship with her have the chips stacked against them to begin with. I found it humorous that the one boy who tried his hardest to be with her -- even going to therapy sessions, eventually quit out stating that he basically decided within himself he is not strong enough to live with this disorder. A truthful response indeed, but a heartbreaking one all the same.

Not to be repetitive, but my criticism is this, it felt a little repetitive and long winded but I really did enjoy this essay that was off the path of what all the other essays where about. Not one mention of homosexuality or threesomes.

1. How do you think you would react to finding out that a friend of yours has O.C.D.? Would you be brave and try to stick it out, or would you find yourself hanging out less and less?

2. Do you blame the ex-boyfriends of the author for quitting out on the relationship?

Thesis, Thesus, Theseus -- Or Maybe Just Thesis

Ok, so hunting won't necessarily solve world hunger or feed the starving millions and it definitely won't stop war, but I did have a general misconception about hunting that I think would make a good thesis statement.

"Hunting is about so much more than just going into the wilderness and shooting animals. It's about separating yourself from the outside world for a few hours and enjoying the company you have and the wilderness around you."

I don't want to have a thesis statement that is trying to defend the idea of hunting. Many people are against it and I'm still very skeptical about it so at the very least I think the main idea of my essay would be to say what hunting is -- and what it's not.

It may be a bit too vague, but It's very manageable. I think it would be well within the limits to elaborate on this thesis statement.

Interview Progress!!!

Alert the presses, I did my interview on time. I interviewed a kid who lives on my floor named Neil Cassidy. He is from Findlay, Ohio and is a very avid hunter. He was a great fit for my interview because he is very passionate about the sport -- yes, it is a sport.

I found that the hardest part of the whole interview process was following what he was trying to say. He is not a wordy person, but as I got him to elaborate a bit more on the questions he threw in a lot of 'Umms' and 'Errrs' so I did have to be true to Neil's personality and even when he may not have made grammatical sense, I wrote it down.

I found that it was not that difficult to get Neil to do this interview because generally people love to talk about their experiences and most importantly, themselves. I was really surprised at how easily the page began to fill as I typed away the words that Neil was speaking. When you aren't forced to make up a page of words, bbut instead only ahve to copy down someone else's thoughts it is a very painless process.

A Red Spoon For the Nameless

This short essay centers around a story that the author's mother tells him about not waiting too long to get married and through this story we are shown a much different reason as to why the author is a single man at the "old" age of twenty-three.

The essay was nothing special to me, but it did catch me off guard when I found out that the author was secretly homosexual. The author divulges about a past interest of his that would study with him and go to different functions with him. Unfortunately, due his mother finding out that his friend was gay, but not him -- a large crack was formed in their relationship due to the mother's perception of Stephen, his friend.

Enough about the plot of the essay -- it was well written and I think the author was very subtle in the way that he expressed his sexual preference. I can tell from his observations that he is suffering immensely by not "coming out" and that no matter how bad it would drive away his family to come out, it may be better for him as a person.

I disagree with the lifestyle that is presented in this essay but that is irregardless to how much I enjoyed or didn't enjoy it. A simple, conclusive observation would be that the author will continue to be very depressed and self-loathing until he finally decides to tell his long held secret. He is lonely and there's not much he can do about that unless he decides to change his circumstances.

1. Do you think the author's homosexuality is due in part to his parent's cold relationship?

2. Who is more to blame for the author's relational collapse with Stephen, his mother, or himself?

My Foreign Subculture

I will be focusing on the "hunter" subculture. This culture is truly a foreign piece of material to me as I've never so much as held a gun or been out in the wilderness WITH a gun. I will be interviewing a Junior who lives in my dorm as well as doing some research into any organizations that exist around campus. I'm not trying to become a hunter, but I feel I have a lot of stereotypes that I would like to have torn down. The best case scenario would be to meet a kid without a southern accent, who likes sports, video games, and still likes to hunt. Another rarity that I would hope to find is someone who likes to hunt but doesn't like Nascar. I imagine this will be almost impossible, but once more I feel my stereotypes are leaking through.

The group labeled as "Hunters" would be a subculture because although they share some identities with what some would call "rednecks" or "hicks" (for lack of a better term) they can include everything from ten year olds to seventy year old women who all just share a love for the outdoors and the exhilaration of a well placed shot.

I really look forward to breaking down some walls and learning about this subculture.

"Out of the Bag" Freewrite

The people around me have some interesting things. The girl two seats to my left had about a dozen different cards (ie. credit cards, ID cards, gift cards to olive garden, and bath body works and everything in between). She must like to swipe things. That, or she just doesn't like to throw things away. Really that was all she had so without being to thought provoking -- maybe she likes to only prepare for things one class at a time and not have a bag packed with things for the entire day. If so, that would be very close to how I like to pack my bookbag.

The girl to my left had two gift cards, her keys, a tampon, and a small wallet. One of the cards is an access number for a tanning salon. This means she is too poor to go on vacations. I really hope people catch my sarcasm.

The girl to my right has a box of eclipse mints and some 'Halls Defense' mints. She also has chapstick, two pencils, a cell phone, and her room key. Without going to deep it looks like she cares about her mouth, and taking care of it.