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Hopefully by now you've picked out an ad for your analysis paper. If you haven't, you should probably get a move on, don't you think?

So what's your ad for? What's it look like? What magazine did you get it from? Who's the target audience for that magazine? Do you think the ad's content and design was influenced by that? In what way? See where I'm going with this? Discuss the ad you chose in terms of its AUDIENCE and PURPOSE. Those two things are going to determine a whole heckuva lot when it comes to developing an ad--just like they should when you're composing any piece of writing.

For your final draft, make sure to turn in the advertisement you are analyzing.

 

My ad is for Axe Temptation Shower Gel. It looks seductive, obviously from Maxim magazine. The target is the male population as the consumer. The idea behind the ad is that if the guy uses this particular product, then women will get dirty with them (naughty, not physically dirty). Sometimes, it can work. I know when my boyfriend "freshens up"-I definitely don't ignore him. The ad is simple and concise-there's no beating around the bush. Furthermore, the ad is targeted for males, but women reap the benefits and then the men get even more benefits after the women.

Elements

Today, make sure you read "Elements of an Effective Layout." What's the analytical tool in this article? How do the different elements apply to the ad you chose? Are there any that you don't quite understand? Which ones seem to be the most important? Least important? Now that you're thinking about these things in terms of layout and their effects, does that just ruin advertising for you altogether—like seeing the Mickey Mouse backstage at Disney World with his head off? Only maybe less life-scarring.

The analytical tool is to attract attention. One obtains attention via balance, proportion, movement, utility, clarity, and emphasis. The ones that are most important are emphasis and clarity/simplicity. An advertisement's goal is to sell something so if there are many contrasting features, the consumer will pass it up. I think balance and movement are less important because if it's an advertisement you want it to stick out in someone's mind, you just don't want them to be able to smoothly read through it like a book. An ad makes someone impulsive. (Yes, it's supposed to be somewhat smoothly read in a since that they can easily access the appropriate information.)

Advertising is what pays for all of our television so it's not ruined for me! When I have money, I love reading through the ads and looking at materials that I don't need but know that I can buy if I want them. Black Friday ads are my favorite! However, I will not subject myself to standing in a line for hours for an object...I would much rather be enjoying all the food I can think of stuffing my belly with or taking a nap.

Democracy of Goods

We're going to put those ACT Reading Comprehension skills to use today. Read "The Appeal of the Democracy of Goods" (on Angel). What is the analytical tool (or thesis/main point) that's being talked about (read the Analysis Overview for more information on finding the analytical tool)? How is it applied to advertising today? How can it be applied to the ad you chose to analyze?

 

The analytical tool is eliciting equality no matter how wealthier one person is. The way in which they elicit equality is through Cream of Wheat. It is an uncostly item and most can afford to consume. You don't have to be rich nor do you have to be poor. It can be applied today via computers/laptops/netbooks. Most people in the United States have a computer-operated system of some sort. A smart phone even has the capabilities of a small computer. The emphasis of equality is that nearly everyone has one-you don't have to be rich to have one. It can be applied to the ad I chose to analyze to be sure to incorporate something that is interesting for everyone and not just a certain population.

Advertising

For today's blog, I want you to talk about an ad—on TV, in a magazine, on the radio, on the internet, etc.—that you find particularly effective. What makes it effective? Did it use humor? Was the product/service showcased well? Did you end up doing what the ad wanted you to?

Similarly, what's an ad that you think is especially ineffective? What stinks about it? Did it turn you off the product altogether?

 

For me, the food advertisements get me-if the price is right. Olive Garden's all-you-can eat soup, salad, and breadsticks or pasta bowls get me everytime. Chili's and Applebee's 3 for $20 gets me. They don't really use humor to sway me. It's the reasonable and affordable price that lures me in. I want to get the most for my money, as any consumer would. Thus, if the price is right, I will do what the ad wants me to do.

 

The ads that are especially ineffective to me are ones that have corny humor like Progressive commericals, Arby's "good mood food", Sonic commercials, Burger King, and many more. The commercials aren't really informative at all-they are pointless. They just want consumers to see their name flash across a screen (maybe as a subliminal message) to entice the consumer to want to get in the car and drive to Sonic or wherever right away. Some of the things that they advertise are for things that are cheap but incredibly unhealthy (aka huge burgers that are filled with thousands of calories, hot dogs that have all kinds of weird crap on it, etc.). That turns me off. If I want to buy junk food, I will just go do it-I don't need to see an advertisement for it. Now, on the other hand, if it's for something healthier for a decent price. I did go to Sonic when they started their frozen yogurt promotion and it was delicious, but a little more than what I wanted to spend.

Persuasive Essay

Persuasive Essay Summary

For your blog post today, I want you to provide a brief summary of your persuasive essay. What is your thesis? What are your main arguments? What are your counter-arguments? If you've written a strong thesis statement and topic sentences, this should be a fairly easy post. If your essay is still pretty rough, this post will help you clarify the points you are trying to make.

 

THESIS: The most efficient choice in which to obtain a Bachelor’s degree is through a public, four year institution.

 

MAIN ARGUMENTS: Private school is not efficient because it's extremely pricey. Junior college is not efficient because there are transfer dilemmas that lead into other problems.

 

COUNTER ARGUMENTS: Private schools are more prestigous and have a small student to faculty ratio. Most college students can get out of private schools within 4 years if they take a full schedule. Junior colleges are more affordable and more convenient. (However, with juco's, one must have it exactly planned out on what classes they need to take before transferring to a 4 year college to avoid transfer dilemmas.)

MLA

For today's blog post, I want you to just provide an MLA-formatted list of the resources you are using for your persuasive essay. This is a pretty easy post for the day AND it helps you prepare your works cited page for your essay.

Works Cited

Grove, Allen. "5 Reasons to Consider Community College." About.com. About.com, 2011. Web. 24 Oct 2011. <http://collegeapps.about.com/od/choosingacollege/tp/Community-College.htm>.

Grove, Allen. "The Hidden Cost of Community College." About.com. About.com, 2011. Web.

24 Oct 2011. <http://collegeapps.about.com/od/choosingacollege/tp/hidden-cost-community-college.htm>.

"A Breakdown of College Education Costs." Guide To Online Schools. SR Education Group, 2011. Web. 24 Oct 2011. <http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/articles/financial-aid/college-education-costs>.

"Fast Facts." National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences, 2009. Web. 24 Oct 2011. <http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=77>.

"The Pros & Cons of Community Colleges." Scholarships.com. Scholarships.com, 2011. Web. 24 Oct 2011. <http://www.scholarships.com/resources/college-prep/choosing-the-right-school/the-pros-and-cons-of-community-colleges/>.

Style

Style

Read Section II in The Elements of Style, "An Approach to Style (With a List of Reminders)" (pages 66-85). Just as exciting as the last ones, right?

OK, so which of these are helpful tips? Which ones make you say to yourself, "I never thought of that before, but it really just makes sense," like you should have known it all along? Which parts seem counterintuitive to you—the ones that go against what you think about writing? How will they help you in revising your paper (due Monday, btw).

 

Overwriting is a flaw of mine. I think it's because I'm used to writing in APA format so we are taught in our classes to explain our topics in that someone has never been introduced to a particular topic before. So when I write about something else, it becomes overkill.

 

Revising and rewriting is something I hate doing, but must be done. I will never ever handwrite a paper again. I get to typing and don't stop-that's how my papers get done. Therefore, by the end of the paper I don't want to look at it anymore-I just want to be done with it already. I find it best to have someone else that has experience with writing papers (perhaps more education than I) help me.

Effective Argument

Read Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" in your yellow Seagull Reader book. It's kind of a lengthy one, but it's a good read, I promise. Go ahead—I'll wait.

Done? Ok, now that you've read it, I want you to do some analytical thinking. Who's he addressing? What is he addressing? What is the tone he's using to address these people? Taking all that together—audience, purpose, tone, context—what in it is effective? What's ineffective? Where does he utilize logical fallacies (they're in there, I promise) and where does he make sound logical arguments? How does he balance the ethos, pathos and logos parts of his argument?

And, perhaps most importantly, how can you utilize any of this in your paper?

He's addressing more than just the titled clergymen. He's addressing the whole human species. He makes references to Thomas Jefferson stating that "...all men are created equal"; Abraham Lincoln about segregation; etc. The tone that he is using a diplomatic and objective tone. He isn't speaking only with his heart, he's speaking logically and politically correct. He speaks with factual information and leaves out unnecessary information. He could easily cuss out the whole white race, but he simply wants them to understand and visualize what they are doing to the minority. The effective speech derives from how he is directly speaking to the clergy about biblical phrases and stories. He is what we call "calling them out" on their own fallacies.

He is ineffective when he speaks of the Negroes being there before everyone else and wondering why they are exploited out of the church and society. Yes, they were there and there's no argument for that, but what society is doing now and how to reach a solution is what's important.

He utilizes the three appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos when talking about the church. The church is supposed to be the most non-judgmental place one can go and in the South in that time period-it wasn't.

Logos.

refute, and should make up the bulk of your argument. WHEN HE WAS SPEAKING ABOUT BIBLICAL STORIES.

Appeal to logic. An argument based on facts and reason. This is the hardest type of appeal to

Ethos.

everyone subscribes to the same belief system, thus making determination of what is “right” and

what is “wrong” very subjective and harder to assert successfully. WHEN THE CHURCH WAS TURNING THEIR BACKS ON THE BLACK POPULATION.

Appeal to morals/ethics. An argument based on what is right or wrong. Remember that not

Pathos.

pull readers in and make a connection, it is less persuasive and much more subjective than logically

based arguments. WHEN HE WAS SPEAKING OUT ABOUT HOW THE NEGROES WERE THEIR FIRST DOING ALL THE "DIRTY WORK".

I can utilize all of these things in my paper, but the most important aspect is to remain objective instead of subjective. Appeal to emotion. An argument designed to play on the reader’s feelings. While good to

Logical Fallicies

Find the file on Angel about Logical Fallacies. Read all those and get yourself familiar. They're pretty handy to know. Now, I want you to pick out three of them and come up with an example to fit each of them. I also want you to explain how each is an example of that particular fallacy. Make me believe you.

• Rationalization.

frequently come up with excuses and weak explanations for their own and others’ behavior that

avoid actual causes.

I have a friend that is the "Queen of Rationalization". Nothing she does is ever her fault. She received a DUI and only had 2 beers. She rationalized that she was passing another vehicle that was impeding traffic, that's when the officer pulled her over for speeding. (I know her and how she drives so I can almost guaruntee that she looked like she was drunk, driving too fast, and stereo blaring.) She blew barely over the limit and the cop still took her to jail and that was the cop being a jerk. She admits that she won't drink and drive again, but will not admit that she was at fault for going to jail in the first place.

• Polarization.

An example of polarization would be that all Middle Eastern people are terrorists. It's not-at-all true. Did some of their people kill our civilians? Yes. Have we killed some of theirs? Yes. Saying that all of them are terrorists is very extreme. The people that have immigrated here help our society function. Many of them are business owners, doctors, surgeons, etc. They are not out to get anyone.

• Either‐or.

Either we eliminate the regulation of business or else profits will suffer. The either‐or fallacy suggests that there are only two choices in a complex situation. Rarely, if ever, is the case. (In this example, the writer ignores the fact that Enron was unregulated and went bankrupt.)I work for some people that think "either-or" to a lot of things. We have a very high turnover at where I work simply because of this. "Either he/she does this the way that I want, or they are gone." No, all they have to do is explain to their employees that this is what needs to be done and if they need assistance to let them know. Hello, if you want a sense of morale in your business you have to be patient with the internal and external guests. No one is perfect.  Hasty decisions or rationalizations are ridiculous.
Feminists are all manhaters. Polarization, like name calling, exaggerates positions and groups by representing them as extreme and divisive.I could have finished my paper on time if my printer had been working. People

Topic!

Ok, so we have to write a persuasive topic. The topic that I choose to write about is why it's more cost effective to go to a 4 year right out of high school instead of going to a junior college first. Although, junior college typically are easier and much cheaper, getting a Bachelor's degree requires that you have 4 years of what they want.

I'm taking this from my own person experience in that if I would've just gone to a 4 year right out of the gate, I would be done by  now. Instead, I graduate a year later with almost 170 credits. There are multiple reasons:

• You have to have a certain number of upper division credits.
• Most institutions only allow a transfer of 64-70 credits.
• Many transferred classes do not count for certain programs so they must be re-taken.
• Many classes are prerequisites for another class. So, if you haven't taken one class, it can hold you back from taking a number of classes which in turn pushes back your graduation date.

There are many other reasons that prove that just going to a 4 year is more cost effective, but those are to follow in my paper.

Persuasion

Today, I'm going through a situation that involves persuasion. I'm getting a 5th year completion scholarship thru the Athletic Department. We get scholarships and have to work athletic events (for each credit hour we take, we have to work one event). I had a meeting with my advisor to make sure that everything was on track and I didn't have anything else I needed to take. Well it turns out, that I do have one more class. So of course, I have to email and let her know so I can get that class paid for my graduation requirements.

She isn't too receptive and kind've inquired that I was pulling a fast one. To argue my case, I gave her a copy of my graduation plan signed by the chair members, gave her contact information of my advisors, and a breakdown of what's going on.

The only thing that I wish I would've done different is been more thorough when I was looking through the classes that I needed to take initially. Oh well, just gotta plead a hard case and be empathetic with the perpetrator.

Muddiest Points

Today, we'll do an exercise called "Muddiest Point." Read the assignment sheet for the persuasive paper and write a blog post about the "muddiest point" for you—the part of the assignment you understand least or are having the most trouble with. Which part could be a little clearer? How would you change the assignment (aside from making it shorter/easier) to make it help you better?

Conversely, what's the easiest part to understand? What's got you going down the street, high-fiving everyone you pass because you're just that good?

I don't really feel like I have a "muddy point". I felt like the assignment was clear-an explanation of the assignment followed with an example. Now, I just have to come up with something or a position that I have to "sell". A sample essay would make it over the top easy.

On the contrary, since I learn by example and modeling, the example given is what helped me to understand it best. I'm walking down the street high=fiving everyone because I'm just that good.

Notaro

• Does the writer provide an introduction that grabs the reader’s attention? Yes, it's inviting and automatically starts introducing Pop Pop as a man that's becoming sickly and has "his ways" much like my grandparents.

• Does the writer focus on significant events in his or her life rather than trying to narrate his or her entire life’s story? This author is great! I follow her clearly and don't have to go back and read the essay multiple times to get a grasp of what she is talking about. She includes the perfect amount of necessary information and not too much of her own life.

• Do the descriptions of the characters or important objects in the memoirs include sensory details that help readers to visualize, hear, smell or feel them? Yes, you can visualize when she goes to the grocery store with Pop Pop and everybody disappears because of his abrasive nature. Reminds me of my Dad and Granny.

• Has the writer quoted speech or dialogue so as to reveal some important aspect of a character’s personality? Yes, she's trying to be patient with her Pop Pop, but at the same time laughing at his choices ( I do this with my Granny alllll the time).

• Does the writer narrate or describe events in a way that allows readers to connect them to experiences or relationships in their own lives? OH YES!

• Has the writer explained the significance of the people, events, places, or objects in shaping who he or she has become? Does this explanation make sense in relation to the events, people, places, and things described throughout the memoir? Yes, the story is about how her Nana and Pop Pop are set in their ways, but still onry enough that they do what they want anyway. She tries to mediate, but it just doesn't work.

• Does the writer provide a conclusion that reinforces the point of the story? Haha yes, Pop Pop is going to do whatever the heck he wants even if he almost gets ran over by a car.

E.B. White

• Does the writer provide an introduction that grabs the reader’s attention? Yes, it shows humor and makes you think of the "good ole times" when you were a kid yourself.

• Does the writer focus on significant events in his or her life rather than trying to narrate his or her entire life’s story? There are significant events, but he does mention parts of his life story that only he will be able to relate to and appreciate.

• Do the descriptions of the characters or important objects in the memoirs include sensory details that help readers to visualize, hear, smell or feel them? Yes, his description of going to the lake and eating at the farmhouse reminds me of when I was younger and would go out to Grandpa's farm. You could almost taste the cooking, hear the sweet sounds, and not have a care in the world.

• Has the writer quoted speech or dialogue so as to reveal some important aspect of a character’s personality?  His dialogue seems very peaceful and refreshed to be on his old stomping grounds with his boy.

• Does the writer narrate or describe events in a way that allows readers to connect them to experiences or relationships in their own lives? Yes, very much so.

• Has the writer explained the significance of the people, events, places, or objects in shaping who he or she has become? Does this explanation make sense in relation to the events, people, places, and things described throughout the memoir? Yes, he talks about the outboards, fishing, etc. He's talking about how they've changed since, but now he gets to experience them with his son.

• Does the writer provide a conclusion that reinforces the point of the story? To me no, but to others maybe. His boy was enjoying the lake as he did when he was young is the point he might've been trying to imply, but clarity was lacking.

Personal Narratives

Diving into Personal Narratives - Sedaris

Read David Sedaris's "Me Talk Pretty One day," on pg. 285 in your yellow Seagull Reader book.

Now, write a blog post where you investigate the following questions.

• Does the writer provide an introduction that grabs the reader’s attention? YES
• Does the writer focus on significant events in his or her life rather than trying to narrate his or her entire life’s story? YES
• Do the descriptions of the characters or important objects in the memoirs include sensory details that help readers to visualize, hear, smell or feel them? YES
• Has the writer quoted speech or dialogue so as to reveal some important aspect of a character’s personality? I'M NOT SURE
• Does the writer narrate or describe events in a way that allows readers to connect them to experiences or relationships in their own lives? YES
• Has the writer explained the significance of the people, events, places, or objects in shaping who he or she has become? Does this explanation make sense in relation to the events, people, places, and things described throughout the memoir? ABSOLUTELY
• Does the writer provide a conclusion that reinforces the point of the story? YES

Elements of Style

My weakness in writing is my lack of a direct approach in that sometimes I don't get right to the point or that I'm not concise enough. I usually have to re-write sentences over and over for it to tie into the paper just right. I have an idea of what I want to write, but it just doesn't come together right away. Reading the paragraph aloud might help or even setting the work aside for a little bit and then coming back to it.

On the contrary, my strengths are writing research papers in APA style because I've done many of them and I know what is expected. How well I write in MLA format is subjective to the instructor.

Sentence Variety

Sam got in her car and drove to the mall. There, she went to the shoe store where she bought a pair of boots and a shoeshine kit. She moved on to the food court where she bought and ate a burrito that had onions and peppers on it. While eating, she saw a cute boy at the pretzel stand. The boy saw her and Sam blushed as he walked over to her. She said hi and all of a sudden the boy wrinkled up his nose. She confusingly said hi again as the boy gagged and walked away. Sam shockingly realized that the she had breath. She ran to the bathroom and cried. Regaining her confidence, she shined and put on her new boots. She walked out of the bathroom and found the boy and told him that he needed manners as she kicked him with her new boots. The boy fell to the ground as Sam walked away and left the mall.  

Summary Checklist

1. What is the thesis statement? Is it an accurate reflection of the author’s thesis

statement? Is it stated in your own words? How could you refine it to be more clear

and concise?

The thesis statement is a brief introduction on our point of the paper.

2. How is the essay introduced? Do you mention the article’s title, author, purpose and

audience? Does it clearly set the tone for the paper and accurately reflect what is

discussed therein? Could it be improved?

Yes to all.

3. What are the main points of the summary? How do you recognize them? Do you

leave out minor points and repetitive points for emphasis? Most importantly, do you

leave out your own opinion, feelings or conclusions on the subject of the article?

Yes, writers are to objective unless it is a position paper.

4. How is the essay organized? Does it follow the organization of the original article?

What transitions do you use? Think of some additional possibilities for more logical

organization.

Introduction, Body Paragraphs, Conclusion

5. After your reading, can you say the thesis statement accurately reflects the topic and

focus of the essay? How is the essay concluded? What technique do you employ in

the conclusion? How is that effective or not?

Yes

6. Make sure to fix any major grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors.

Check. 

7. Is the sentence structure varied and interesting? Do you have any weak, overly

wordy, awkward, or confusing sentences? Does the essay strive to use active, direct,

present tense verbs?

Yes.

8. Were the textual passages (quotes and paraphrases) well-chosen? Remember you

should try avoiding direct quotations when writing a summary.

Correct.

9. Is the essay written in third-person? Are all instances of first- and second-person

removed from the piece?

"I" am only writing the paper, that is the only time it will be seen.

10. Is the draft two to three (2-3) pages typed, double-spaced? Are all the margins oneinch

(1”)?
Yes.

Oh the pressure!

Read William Zinsser's "College Pressures," on pg. 396 in your yellow Seagull Reader book.

What kind of pressures have you encountered in college? Economic pressures? Peer pressures? Parental pressures? Societal pressures? Work pressures?

How have you dealt with them? What sort of impact have they had on your courses and life?
One thing about college is that pressure is inevitable. Pressure is everywhere; school, work, relationships, family, money, deadlines, etc. I played college softball for four years-that in itself was enough pressure. Pressure to succeed, pressure to please everyone, pressure to win, pressure to practice and work out at full potential all the time, pressure from coaches, pressure from players, and pressures from all else not mentioned.

As if that weren't enough, pressure from my parents were tough to handle as well. All they want for me is to succeed and the second they see me not living up to my potential-they are on me like a bug on a windshield. We have many disputes, but if it weren't for them I don't know what I would do. They help me out when I need a friend or if I need some cash here and there.

Work isn't much of a pressure to me just because I love making money. Right now, I work two jobs at a bar and restaurant. Money is the only pressure because it always seems like there isn't enough of it and enough of bills.

With the pressures I have in my life, I must have a social outlet. My boyfriend and roommate are my immediate social outlets. My boyfriend is always there to show love and constructive criticsm. My roommate is always explaining different perspectives when life is troubling me. When something is really wrong, I call my parents. My dad is my best friend and my mom is my rock. We've definitely butted heads plenty, but I love my parents and appreciate everything they've done for me. If it weren't for their persistence, I probably would've given up everything along time ago.

The not-so-great classes...

Now, write a blog post where you tell me about a class where you had difficulty--either because the teacher wasn't very helpful in relating the material, or because you simply weren't inclined to grasp it entirely.

Throughout my college career, I've enjoyed primarily every class, but high school was different. AP History, Anatomy, and Chemistry were my least favorite classes. College professors should volunteer a few hours per week to enhance some high school teacher's teaching skills.

AP History was out-of-this world boring! My teacher was a great guy, but not the best lecturer. I got to class about ten minutes late consistently every day because I had to bring breakfast to class and eat it; necessity to pass the time. After I was done grubbing, I would listen for about five minutes and fall asleep until the bell rang. Occassionally, I would wake up to see that two-thirds of the class was asleep as well so I felt compelled to close my eyes and drift away to dream land once more. I passed the class with a B thanks in large part to the one-third of the class that stayed awake throught the monotonous and drawn out tone of our teacher. To negate my initial statement of the class being boring, I guess it really wasn't because I slept the majority of the time. To rephrase: it was boring when I was awake :).

Anatomy and Chemistry were taught by the same teacher. I did not grasp anything he said in either class. Anatomy was a joke because we had to dissect cats and have lab practicals based on the muscles of the laid-open cats. What a joke! Humans and cats are two very different species. I'm not trying to become an animal specialist; I'm trying to become something in the medical field! Hello! Chemistry was a little better, but still considerably bad. I wish that teacher the best of luck in the future.

Ok, I'm done being cynical. I will conclude my blog with the statement that I thoroughly enjoy college and learning about new and old ideas. I also appreciate the quality professors that I've had at Washburn and other colleges I've attended.

Blog #2 Response

Now I want you to talk about the idea of keeping a notebook (or, as we're 40-some years after she wrote this essay, a blog). Is it about "keeping in touch" as Didion says? Is it usually an exercise in narcissism? Do you keep a notebook (or blog) yourself? How do other forms of social media fit in? Do they change the way we record the world around us in a way that was unavailable to Didion in the 1960s? Or is it accomplishing the same thing?

I believe that notebooks are streams of consciousness-one can let everything out of their mind and onto paper. I believe that it could be an exercise of narcissism, but it would depend on the person's feelings at that excite time that they wrote in their notebook. As for myself, I do not blog nor do I keep a notebook. I have in the past, but only for classes that required it. My boyfriend gets to be the fortunate one that hears all my thoughts. Lucky guy. Other forms of social media that are used to "keep in touch" are the ever popular Facebook, Twitter, etc. In comparison to Didion and the social media outlets of today, they are accomplishing the same thing. They are letting the world know how one feels at that instant, whether it be indirect or direct. One can understand a person's implications or feelings just by what they post for the world to see. For example, if someone posted a joke or humorous YouTube video, it would be understood that the person that made the comment was in a mood that was light, airy, fun, comical, etc. The only difference about Didion's notebook and our Facebook is that the grammar might be better and the words or meanings less provocative.

Telling You About Myself

Hi there! So after completing this whole blog thing, I must say it's pretty cool! My roommate is very into creative writing and she has one so now we're in competition!

Ok, so about myself, I'm an only child from Wichita, KS, where I lived the majority of my life. It turns out that I was pretty decent at softball and played all four years; two at Butler Juco and two at Washburn. If it weren't for softball, I probably wouldn't have gotten as much school paid for as I did. As luck would have it, I even got my last year of my undergraduate degree paid for as well. This last year is going to be short and sweet. I have three classes in the Fall as well as a CNA class that I'm taking online and three classes in the spring (two of the three are considered an internship and synthesis class).

When I'm not busy with school, I work...a lot. I currently have two server jobs; one that I just work at one day per week. (For all college kids that want an easy job with fast cash, this is the way to go!) As soon as I get my CNA license, I plan on getting a job serving patients as well. My plans right now are to get into Occupational Therapy, but first I need to get some experience under my belt-a CNA job is the best way to accomplish that for me.

Furthermore, when I'm not at school or work, I play! For me, playing consists of blowing money at TJ Max, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, shops at the Mall, Amazon.com, etc. I also enjoy donating money to going out to eat all of the time. I don't typically go out to the major restaurant chains-I like to try restaurants that you can only find in a certain area or "Mom & Pop" places. I love to cook, but unfortunately with my busy schedule I have no time to spend in my fully furnished kitchen.

In my little amount of down time at home, I love watching movies! Redbox and Netflix creaters have me hooked! My boyfriend and roommate are always being coerced to watch a movie with me, but fortunately for me, they don't put up too much of a fight.

I come from a big family as well (even thought I don't have any siblings), I have a ton of cousins with whom I am very close with. I see them here and there and it's always a blast! My Dad is my best friend and my Mom is my rock. I wouldn't want any other Brady Bunch.

Well, that's about it for today!