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4/26/2016 Technical vs. Creative In “Born to Write” the author makes a persuasive argument that writing in and of itself is not a magical skill possessed from birth, which cannot be learned from the non-gifted. He sets out to show the differences in a few people and their experiences in writing. Both of his examples come from writers, or from those developing the writing talent. Using only writers as your basis, skews your sample data to one side. If he had used examples from non-writers as well, his arguments may have been less conclusive as to whether or not writing is a learned or inherent talent. I see a difference in those that can write a persuasive paper, woven with creativity and power; and those that are lacking the spark of engagement. I will, undoubtedly, learn much about sentence structure, paragraph building, etc. over the course of this semester. Will that make me a better writer? Undoubtedly my technical writing skills will be refined, but what about the creative spark, the engagement of the reader? 5/2/2016 In an excerpt from Colter by Rick Bass, the In an excerpt from Colter by Rick Bass, the author draws upon his childhood fascination with turtles, and weaves a captivating story. Within the first paragraph is this gem: “I adored their savage appetites, was fascinated by their infinite belligerence, and took awed solace by their hideous land- bound clumsiness, for here was a creature, a dinosaur really, that appeared supremely dispossessed in the world—unglamorous, unfriendly, even plain plug-ugly—and yet it thrived like a king, seeking out the muddy depths where other turtles could not prosper or would not go.” There are two reasons that this sentence is important for the entire story. First, it is very descriptive of the turtles that he is telling the story about. Second, it cues the reader in on how much he really adores these reptiles. Without this comment in the beginning of the story, the reader would have to gather all of the passion for the subject through the story, bit by bit, and may not gather it at all. 5/10/2016 Innocence Abolished In “The Making of Poems” by Gregory Orr, the author shares some very personal feelings not only on the death of his brother but his responsibility for his death. I hope that if you have not felt the pains of the loss of a loved one, that you never will, but it is inevitable. There are always the unanswered questions that will linger for years, and may never be answered at all. What if I had done things differently? Would she still be here? I should have treated her better when I had the chance. It is a loss of innocence as well, and Gregory points out well when he states; “And under those emotions, something even more terrible: a knowledge that all the easy meanings I had lived by until then had been suddenly and utterly abolished.” For me as well with the death of my sister at a young age, worlds change and we are never the same. 5/17/2016 I read and listened to the essay entitled “An Honest Doubter” by 16 year old Elizabeth Deutsch. Her style was very direct and personal. In one paragraph she says; “I have a simple faith in the Deity and a hope that my attempts to live a decent life are pleasing to Him. If I were to discover that there is no afterlife, my motive for moral living would not be destroyed. I have enough of the philosopher in me to love righteousness for its own sake.” Her openness and objectivity was amazing. She wrote this essay 50 years ago, and I wonder if there remains this view in children today. This portion of a paragraph is well written, and it is the content of the words that hold depth. Such deep thoughts from a young girl, she has been thinking much about her standing with God, and being open to receive truth from wherever it comes. 5/25/2016 Does a degree equate to deeper knowledge? Isn’t a college degree just a piece of paper? I have asked myself these questions and many others, as I have formulated opinions and pieced out my feelings on the subject of academia since I finished High School. In High School I felt the need to complete my education, graduate, and start life. The thought of higher education seemed superfluous. I saw people with MBAs who were out of work, I saw oil rig workers with fists full of cash. College degrees are pieces of paper,. Some employers want to see that you possess that piece of paper. On one hand, it shows you value what the person hiring you values; you finished college. On the other hand, it does not mean your knowledge or skills set is any more advanced than if you did not obtain a degree. A combination of experience and theory is what counts. Having a degree shows commitment, and that you put forth the effort in a particular field. However, actual experience fulfilling the profession will have a greater effect on your knowledge and skills than theory in the classroom. I have seen holders of degrees that do not possess the intelligence of a box of rocks. Many of them are currently holding positions where those they supervise must train them to do their jobs. A combination of real world experience and obtaining a degree would be ideal for anyone in a particular field of study or career. Of these, actual experience is of more worth to the profession you are, or will be in. 6/1/2016 The United States has been on and off of a monetary system which has been backed by cold hard precious metals (ie: gold and silver). This meant you could at any time turn in your paper money for the real deal. Most of the arguments for and against were weak. The main thing that I saw through the background and history of being on and off of this system was that people panicked very quickly when it came to their money. The gold standard would have worked if people reacted more like the citizens of Bedford Falls in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life", when the banking institution was in a little bit of a bind- they didn't pull all of their money out and make it crash. Our current system allows a small group of smart people to adjust for and anticipate market fluctuations, to keep us from a crash; as in 1929 which kicked off the great depression. The perfect system would be a gold system set up with an oversight, and also not able to instantly be turned over for gold compensation. 6/8/2016 I enjoy taking the mundane and / or trivial and elevating it to a higher level. This topic is one that has been on my mind for quite some time, and people may feel that it is not worthy of a serious debate, however I would refute that notion. The seemingly comical issue can and will be given the scrutiny of objective investigation. I have a personal connection, as I am a milk first proponent, and have taught my children these values as well. I am looking forward to changing some minds on this issue. I found that "The Bystander Effect", although very well written, was different from the examples given for this assignment. The examples were of controversial issues. The "The Bystander Effect" was not a controversial issue, but rather an explanation of a phenomenon. I will be taking some queues from that essay, as it explained and flowed well. 6/14/2016 Wendell Berry, the fireman In Wendell Berry's "The Pleasure of Eating" the author appeals to logic by the use of phrases such as "One will find this obliviousness represented in virgin purity in the advertisements of the food industry, in which food wears as much makeup as the actors." Statements like these appeal to our vague understanding that food is dressed up and shown in the best light in advertisements. Wendell appeals to our emotion by use of statements such as "...or that the calf that yielded the veal cutlet on her plate spent its life in a box in which it did not have room to turn around." which puts the food into a living thing that feels. The author's credibility remains intact throughout the essay, as he does not delve into unsavory bias, and yet his credibility is also lessened by his missing credentials. Is he a farmer, economist, or fireman? We can't really tell from the essay. 6/21/2016 Revision in the Art of Photography The image on the paper gradually appeared as if it was being invoked by a spell. I was the conjurer, chemicals my magic. I still remember the first photo that I developed in my homemade darkroom. A faint memory of the vision through my camera lens flooded back into my mind as the photograph was being developed and taking form. Photography is an editable art form. For the most part, photography is a snapshot of reality. Essentially it is a click of the shutter that determines what is recorded, however a higher percentage of great photos were planned in some way rather than just snapped at whim. With film cameras, much planning went into a photo shoot long before the first roll of film was loaded. Editing after the image was burned onto the negative was secondary to getting the proper exposure during the shoot. Today we can edit with greater ease on computers, making the revision process more expansive and farther reaching. Not so in years past, where photographers like Jerry Uelsmann painstakingly blended and stitched together his otherworldly images by hand. Uelsmann planned out his process and acquired the photos he needed to accomplish his vision. The planning process and after-editing capabilities make photography an art that is editable. I still take snapshots to record portions of my life. Invariably though, my best photos are those that I put deep thought, planning, and revision into. 7/2/2016 Shooting an Elephant (30 min) George Orwell Dad (30 min) Andrew H. Malcolm Do it Better (30 min) Ben Carson, M.D., with Cecil Murphey Although I found all three essays enjoyable to read, it was Well's that I found most illuminating. First he wove a simple story I would have used three sentences to tell, he described and detailed a tapestry of mild suspense. The title indicated that he was to kill the elephant, but it was not apparent until almost the end. Most interesting was his use of caracter development into his caracter's conflict within. 7/5/2016 5:06 PM What I found most convincing in "The Monsters in What I found most convincing in "The Monsters in my Head" was the use of metaphors for the overall issue of trials and emotional turmoil as the monsters we face in different phases of our lives. It was best put in sentences such as; "He became a wild bear at the foot of my bed. Then, later, an amorphous flying object swooping over my head. In later years, he was my first day at kindergarten, the agony of my early attempts at the diving board." and "Still later, my first date, my first night away from home, at sixteen, alone in a small boardinghouse as an apprentice in summer stock. The first woman to say no, the first woman to say yes. And then, he became my ambition, my fear of failure, struggles with success, marriage, husbandhood, fatherhood." This essay brought me back to my own frights that I felt I had no control over. Slowly all of the monsters have disappeared, except for one, and that is the underlying sadness that accompanies all existence. 7/12/2016 I had a friend when I was 14 who showed me his journals, and said that he had started writing in them everyday since he was 8. I was not a member of the church and although this seemed foreign to me, I was also very impressed. I went and got myself a black notebook with the word 'Record' in small script on the top. I was and still am considerably cheap and run of the mill ledgers are lower priced than journals. That day I started writing my own history. Something that I found has been missing from my genealogical research are the stories of my ancestors in their own words. I know very little of them other than their biological information. I particularly liked this quote from Spencer W. Kimball; "Your own journal, like most others, will tell of problems that recur constantly in every generation, that are as old as the world and how you dealt with them."