The end has come :(

At the beginning of the semester, I felt as though I already knew what to expect since I had Professor Irving for English 1101 first semester. After I attended the first day of class, I realized that English 1102 was nothing like English 1101. The assignments that were presented in English 1102 seemed a bit more difficult. The basic theme of English 1102 was arguments and immediately I was afraid. I knew I would have a tough time writing arguments because the one paper I had the toughest time writing in English 1101 was an argument. I had to revise that paper numerous times and I still did not do that well. Even though I was quite nervous about writing arguments, I tried my hardest to create a good argument so I would be able to turn in a good paper. I feel as though I have improved a lot with my ability to write a good argument. If I was required to write another argument for another class, I would feel a lot more confident and prepared. I feel like I know the basics to writing an argument. Even though I feel a lot more confident when writing an argument I still feel like I am not perfect. Paper one was a breeze for me but paper two was a lot more difficult because we had to come up with a proposal. Writing proposals is one area that I think I could use a lot of help on. Another area that I could use some work on is citing sources in MLA format. Overall I feel like I learned a lot and this semester has been great!

Unnecessary technology

The one piece of technology that I could live without is a landline telephone (house phone). It seems like almost everyone has a cell phone in today’s society. The only phone call I receive on my landline phone is primarily from telemarketers. All of my family and friends have my cell phone number, so they usually contact me that way. Some of my friends don’t even have landline phones anymore because they have everyone contact them on their cell phone. Usually when I make online purchases, they usually ask that I put down a contact number. This is one of the very few times that I give out my landline number. Whenever I really do not want someone to contact me, I give them my landline number. Whenever I am at home alone, I never answer the landline telephone. The only way that I would be tempted to answer the landline telephone is if someone was to leave a message and I knew who they were. My parents hardly ever answer the landline telephone either. Whenever I am calling my parents at home on the landline telephone, they usually never answer until I say something on the answering machine. Since almost everyone carries a cell phone in today’s society, it seems as though the easiest way to get in touch with someone would be by their cell phone. There is really no reason to have a landline phone because people that are trying to contact you can never really guarantee that you will be at home when they try to call. In my opinion, cell phones are a lot more useful than landline phones so a landline phone is one piece of technology that I could live without.

Questions after pondering

Recently I was required to read a book called Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody for my history class. It was an autobiography which described Anne Moody’s life in detail about growing up black in the south in the forties and fifties. The author begins by explaining her account of the times while she was a child up until her adult hood. The author explains how African-Americans in that time period were not treated equally to whites. African-Americans were denied jobs just because of their color. Things have made a drastic turn around since then. All people are now considered equal no matter their color, religion or gender. While reading this book it made me think a lot about how things have changed. America has come a long way. A few questions arose for me while I was reading this book.
1.) Since America has come a long way since the forties and fifties, why are there still those people who believe white is superior to any other race? Have those people not learned anything from people like Martin Luther King Jr.?
2.) Why did it take so long for many whites to accept African-Americans and even many other races?
3.) Why did people believe that violence was a good solution to solve problems, in the forties and fifties and even now?
4.) Will there ever be a time where there is absolutely no discrimination of any kind? Will everyone be treated the same no matter how different and diverse they are?

Newspaper Headlines

The Wall Street Journal

· In the Hospital, Facing a Scourge of Killer Clots: Medicare Move Spurs Efforts to Improve Screening for Risk of Pulmonary Embolism
This headline is arguing that blood clots, those that form in the legs called a DVT that can possibly travel to the lungs which is called a pulmonary embolism, are deadly if not diagnosed soon enough. The headline is arguing that changes need to be made to improve the screening process for blood clots before they cause serious harm, sometimes even death.
The Wall Street Journal: In the Hospital, Facing a Scourge of Killer Clots

· Yes, People Buy Ferraris in a Recession
This headline is arguing that even though America is in a recession, people can still afford to buy luxury cars, some at which cost over $100,000. This headline could make one believe that America’s recession does not affect the wealthy.
The Wall Street Journal: Yes, People Buy Ferraris in a Recession

· Soccer Is Ruining America: And we have no one to blame but ourselves.
This headline is sarcastically arguing that soccer is somehow ruining America. Americans, themselves, are the only ones to blame.
The Wall Street Journal: Soccer Is Ruining America

The Onion

· Getting Randomly Picked To Make Half-Court Shots Now Best Way To Earn Living
This headline is arguing that someone doesn’t even have to have a good education anymore to earn a decent living. The only thing someone has to do today is participate in some contest where you could win a large sum of money if you successfully shoot a basketball from half-court.
The Onion: Getting randomly picked to make half-court shots now best way to earn living

· Sitting Through This Boring Murder Trial Should Be Punishment Enough
This headline is arguing that the trials that take place to convict someone of a crime go on for an extremely long time. The prosecutors bring into evidence random things that beat around the bush. Why can they not just present the murder weapon and a witness? This would speed the trial up and the prosecution process would go a lot faster.
The Onion: Sitting through this boring murder trial should be punishment enough

· There Is No Restraining Order I Can’t Beat, Stacy
This headline is arguing that not even a restraining order can keep someone who loves you away. It’s arguing that a restraining order is only a test of someone’s love for you.
The Onion: There is no restraining order I can't beat, stacy


AJC

· Zoo Atlanta: No overweight animals here
This headline is arguing that the animals at Zoo Atlanta are not overweight. The animals at Zoo Atlanta receive a very healthy and fulfilling diet.
AJC: Zoo Atlanta, No overweight animals here

· For Church’s Chicken, fast food gets faster: New modular store being built in Lawrenceville saves money and time, company says
This headline is arguing that a new store is being built to cut down time for Church’s Chicken.
AJC: For Church's Chicken, fast food gets faster

· Natural beauty in heart of city
This headline is arguing that even in the city, you can still find beautiful nature. You don’t have to be in the countryside to find extraordinary nature, its right around the corner in the city.
AJC: Natural beauty in the heart of city

USA Today

· Kristen Stewart: Some people think they know her, but…
This headline is arguing that even though actress Kristen Stewart, from the movie Twilight, is always in the media’s eye, no one really knows her. Fans believe they know actresses and actors just because they see them on TV, but they really have no idea who they really are.
USA Today: Kristen Stewart

· Calipari arrives at Kentucky: ‘I do not walk on water’
This headline is arguing that even though there is a new basketball coach at Kentucky, he cannot change things immediately. It will take time for the team to improve; he cannot force the team to improve overnight.
USA Today: Calipari

· News from ShoWest: Movie theaters will see fewer releases this year
This headline is arguing that there will be a cut back in movie releases this year. Although America is in a recession, people still went to see movies at the theater so theaters can afford a minor cut back.
USA Today: News from ShoWest

TGIF!

Since I have only lived in Atlanta for about seven months now, I have not been able to explore all the restaurants Atlanta has to offer. Whenever I do go out to eat at a restaurant, I tend to frequent the same places. One restaurant that I tend to go to often is TGIF or Fridays. The first time I went out to eat at TGIF, I was very pleased. The food was very affordable, great prices for a college student! I enjoyed the fact that the menu had a lot of entrees to choice from. The menu had everything from ham burgers to different types of pasta. If you enjoy eating a variety of food, this is the place to go. The service was also very pleasing. When I go out to eat, I don’t mind waiting for my food unless it seems like it’s taking the kitchen an eternity to make the food! When it seems like my food is taking forever to come, I tend to get very impatient. At TGIF the food seemed to come in a reasonable amount of time, so if you’re an impatient person then this would be the perfect restaurant for you. The one thing about TGIF that most appealed to me were their prices. They had great food choices with reasonable prices. Since I am a college student, I have to watch what I spend. I don’t have $50 to spend on one meal so I really enjoyed the prices at TGIF. After I ate, I felt like it was worth it. TGIF is the place to go if you’re looking for reasonable prices, good food, and wonderful service!

Living on my own

I have always been very dependent on my parents, even still to this day. I have never lived on my own or been away from my parents for an extended period of time. So when it was time to start school and move to Atlanta, I was very nervous. I was not sure how I would react and feel knowing that my parents were no longer right down the hall. When the time finally came to start school in August, I was extremely nervous. My dad was working outside the country when it was time for school to start, so my mom was the only one to help me move into my dorm. Although I was very glad that my mom was there to help me move in, I was also very sad because I knew I would not want her to leave. The day I was assigned to move into my dorm was on a Thursday and my mom decided she would just stay the weekend until Monday, the first day of school. In a way, I was dreading the first day of school because I knew my mom would have to leave and I would be on my own. My mom reassured me that I would be fine but I just could not imagine not having my parents right down the hall of my house if I needed them. When the day finally came that my mom had to go home, I knew I would cry. In fact, both my mom and I cried. This was the first time that I had lived on my own or been away from my parents. Now that I’m in my second semester of school, I have gotten used to being on my own but I still miss my parents every day. Even though I have gotten used to living on my own, I still talk to my mom on the phone everyday!

Can anyone be a news reporter in today's society?

In a sense, in today’s society, everyone can in some way be a reporter or a news broadcaster. Today people can use the Internet and websites like, You Tube, to post all types of information for the world to see. Even by blogging, anyone can write down different thoughts and opinions to share with others through the Internet. It seems like anyone can broadcast information easily in today’s society. There are even TV shows like, TMZ, which broadcast news about celebrities. Sometimes shows like this get information from fans that may have caught a celebrity doing something that they may not have wanted the media to post. In another sense, I believe that since almost anyone can in some way be a news reporter by using things like the Internet and blogging, it makes a lot of people skeptical about what information to believe as being true. There are so many websites offering information about different events but they all contain different ideas and opinions. This makes it hard for the readers to figure out what is and what is not true. Also, a lot of the people that post different information on the Internet may not be reliable sources. These people may have bias opinions which makes it hard for the readers to obtain the truth. Since it’s extremely easy for almost anyone to be a news broadcaster, people can post information and create websites that are extremely hurtful to others. The Internet today offers almost anyone the chance to report news and relay information to almost every part of the world.

Dirty Little Secrets

1. When I first looked at the site, some of the secrets that were posted confused me because I wasn't sure of what they were trying to say. Other secrets that were posted shocked me and I was surprised people actually felt those ways.

2. In my opinion, some of the pictures did not really relate to the secrets that corresponded with them. For example, the secret that said "I would do anything to be able to draw, except practice drawing" there was a picture of a man with what looked like a chain in his mouth. I didn't really understand what the picture had to do with the secret.

3. The writing is able to get the writer's point across probably more accurately then just a picture would. If there was just a picture, some people would get different ideas from the picture since everyone interprets pictures differently.

4. The words spoke to me more since I thought the pictures did not really correlate with the secrets. The words were able to get the the writer's point across more accurately for me than the pictures did.

5. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSNZrSyNIOr7uuKZR0tkueO7wodWS4KfzJPEY6zsl9boBXElGeDZkbM5DnSUyZKHg4Lnvi7n2iDGf4YAfL7O7kjN70ICAFngKTKoex0wrgbA8eRsnH2SiyDVbCYLRM4h6kNXyHIj5n7SK/s1600-h/jail.jpg

I think this secret is arguing that it is possible to live a double life in America without anyone ever finding out. Also it shows the strong bond between husband and wife. Even though her husband is serving life in prison she says "I will never leave him." The picture could also be arguing that even though couples could look like everything is perfect on the outside, they could have problems that no one knows about.

You never really know someone until you live with them!

You never really know someone until you live with them. I remember hearing this time and time again from people who were having problems with the people they were living with. I also witnessed this same idea on television shows such as, Judge Mathis, where former roommates were suing one another because someone did not come up with the rent money. I finally experienced the troubles you could have with a roommate when I moved on campus at the beginning of the school year last August. I moved into a four-bedroom dorm with two of my best friends and one girl that my best friends and I went to high school with. Many people warned us about rooming with this particular person but we figured everything would be okay. Little did we know that she would stir up major trouble in our dorm. She would complain constantly about people leaving their shoes in the living room, about everyone being too noisy, and just about almost everything. It has gotten to the point where she is extremely disrespectful and inconsiderate of people’s belongings. Instead of asking someone politely to move their jacket off of the couch, she just throws it on the floor along with other items that do not belong to her as if it were trash. My two best friends and I no longer speak to her. We wish we would have listened to everyone that warned us about rooming with her. Now I know what people mean when they say you really don’t know someone until you live with them!

Me, as a believer and a doubter

The article, by Farhad Manjoo, is arguing his idea that Facebook is becoming a very large part of people’s daily lives. Farhad points out that more and more people are joining Facebook every day. He compares Facebook to having a cell phone. When almost everyone began carrying a cell phone, there was no reason not to have one unless you were trying to prove a point. Farhad says the same is happening with Facebook. The only reason someone would not have an account with Facebook is because they are trying to prove a point. Farhad says that Facebook is almost essential to social interaction because it helps you to connect with people that may be thousands of miles away.
In the article, Farhad directly pointed out who his intended audience was-people who were not on Facebook-and it came off a little aggressive. It seemed as though Farhad was against Facebook and anyone that had an account with Facebook. Farhad includes opinions about Facebook from people who did not have accounts to further his point since most of the opinions were against Facebook. It seems as though Farhad changes his opinion throughout the article when he begins to describe how he, himself uses Facebook almost every day for social interaction. Not only did Farhad say Facebook was useful for social interaction, but it was useful for work as well. Facebook helped him write this article because it gave him a chance to connect with people that were against joining and got their reasoning as to why they decided not to join.

What I believe the American Dream to be

When I hear the term “American Dream”, I think of a large house, nice cars, and lots of money. This may not be the definition of the American Dream to many, but in my opinion it is. For most people, they work hard almost all of their lives in order to achieve a certain level of success. Usually with great amounts of success come large paychecks. Many people look forward to this aspect of being very successful. Many people strive to be extremely successful only for the idea of one day having lots and lots of money. Some people may work hard every at their job or have a career that they hate only for the simple fact that they make a lot of money. It’s sad to say but many people believe that having a lot of money can make you happy and everything else will just fall into place. Even though my definition of the American Dream has to do with someday reaching a level of success that guarantees a large amount of money, our class discussion in class last Thursday opened my eyes to other definitions to the term “American Dream”. I realized that the definition for the term “American Dream” is unique to every individual. What I believe the American Dream to be may be the complete opposite of what someone else considers the American Dream. Some believe the American Dream is just to be doing whatever makes you happy with no concern for ever having a lot of money at all. In my opinion, there is not just one definition for the term “American Dream”. Anyone can have their own version and definition for what they believe the American Dream to be.