Class Structure #2

I definitely enjoyed this class structure. The class gave me some more free time, which relieved some stress and helped me concentrate on writing. This is probably the longest class I've ever taken, sitting for 6 hours a week and learning the English stuff we learned in high school isn't fun. Three hours a week is enough to get projects explained and papers handed out, and the blogging is very easy and pretty cool. To people taking this course, just go to class and complete assignments on time.

Assessment activity #10

I conquered...not really anything.

Most of the things I already new or use naturally while I'm writing/reviewing my papers. There are definitely many areas where I need improvement: mainly flow. However, I think my writing has gotten better this semester through reviewing grammar and punctuation as well as writing in different genres. If there was one thing I think I've gotten better at, it would be the use of commas. Knowing where to put a comma and where to put a colon or semicolon are techniques that make writing more expressive, in my opinion, and can add elements that complete a paper.

Assessment activity #8 & 9

I'm not sure that I used citations correctly in my ethnography, mainly because most of my facts came from an interview. I've never used an interview in a paper before so I wasn't sure if I should include him by name or if I should leave it as my anonymous friend. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I addressed him by name for a paper like this plus I didn't know how exactly to cite this since I didn't write down the interview word for word. However, I used this to support my own analysis of the Mormon religion since it was first-hand experience. Basically the citation should have written the paper more than my opinion of the religion and that's what I tried to do.

Citations are facts from people who are professionals and have done heavy research into the field you're writing for. Formal citations are facts that support an opinion that you're trying to argue or prove within a paper. Arguments can be created or destroyed based on what citation you use. One source might completely support your opinion while another might find all the weak points and tear your argument wide open. Making sure you use these correctly determines the impact an argument has.

Assessment activity #6 & 7

The Upcoming Presidential Election

Online, you could go to both party sites, news sites, wikipedia...or just google it and click the first thing that comes up. Physically, you could go to supporter rallies, clubs supporting whichever candidate you choose, speeches or debates. It would probably be easier to just use a computer if all you wanted was information on the election, or just turn on the news.

Information could be gathered by party leaders, political forums, news reports, etc. Deciding who you use depends on what the topic is. If you're writing an analysis of the election, I'd select two experts with opposing opinions and compare and contrast how they are supporting their respective candidate; then I would find people with similar opinions to make my analysis more credible. For an argument/research paper, I would choose one side, gather facts from past elections, and predict the winner or something like that. An ethnography would probably be the most interesting paper to write. Choosing a group, probably democrats or republicans, and interviewing liberals from one side would make for an interesting paper.

Question 7
I'd definitely use polling results from the past and look at the historical side of elections. Interviewing a president of a democratic/republican chapter would be a good source of information as well. I'd try to stick to people, books, and academic journals for most of my information, but some papers would probably be helped by average Joe's opinion.

Assessment activity #5

A Library How-to Guide

I would use the computer to create this text. Much like in the computer lab in the Bernhard Center, I would make this into a start-up program that would open as soon as someone signed in. To make this into an effective tool, I would include a map of the library with clearly marked sections and reference points, as well as color coding of sections to make the work easier. Then, I would construct a simple and easy to follow list that would direct people to certain places based on what they were looking for. I would detail the checking-out process first. Then I would explain how to find books, journals and articles and if that wasn't enough they could look on the map and go to one of the help desks. Finally I would include a brief overview of how to use the library's web-site and give them a link to get them started.

Assessment activity #4

Ethnography v. Analysis

Both of these genres require experience in the subject you're looking at. The difference lies mostly in the deliverance and the subject choice. An ethnography's focus is on social groups; whereas an analysis is usually done with things and events. Both are meant to be informative, no argued points or debatable topics, and allow for the writer to put in his or her 2 cents on the subject being researched. For my ethnography I chose Mormonism, and for my analysis I chose the video game Lost Odyssey. I actually interviewed one of my ex-Mormon friends and got a lot of good information; sadly, I actually bumped into two missionaries a couple of weeks after I had finished my paper and, if I had still been writing, they would've been a great resource. In contrast, my analysis paper was completed after I finished playing the game. Once I had gathered a lot of background information, read on other people's experience with the game, and formatted how I wanted to write the paper, I put it all together under a couple of key aspects that I thought made the game great.

Assessment activity #3

With the argumentative research paper, I didn't feel like there were boundaries, so much as an audience that I wanted to persuade. Some might say that this is a boundary, but within this genre it's fairly easy to connect fact, opinion, and argument or persuasion as long as you have a topic that can be argued. This genre required me to do some serious book/library research. The project was a lot easier using academic journals and informative texts since they were so readily available. I went much farther into the background of highways so that I could establish a solid base on top of which I could build my arguments.

Assessment activity #2

In my argumentative research paper, U.S Interstate, the language I used reflects a serious and informative tone. Using facts about current highway standards, I was able to paint an unsafe picture and then argue the reasons why this should be changed. Facts like, "93% of all accidents on U.S highways are caused by human error," or "accidents still occur once every 5 seconds, with people being injured once every 10 seconds..." and so on to paint the dangerous picture of our roads.

The argument side of my paper was a bit broad and wasn't put together so that my points were lining up and supporting one another. For a lot of my arguments, I used what I had read and combined that information with the knowledge and experience I already had to formulate my own opinions and arguments. "Our highway system is the backbone of this resilient nation, all it needs is a tune-up to restart the economic growth seen when the interstates began." I think most of my statements were backed up by my sources, but I should have gotten at least one to two more sources to give my opinions a firmer foundation.

I didn't use counterpoint as much as I should have, trying to stick to my points and developing them with the American driver in mind. Most of my counterpoints would have been synonymous with background information, and that was something that I could've done, but didn't.

I really just organized this like a high school paper. To make it more professional I could have found or made some graphs based on the facts and incorporated those, or broken it into different sections, each with its own header, so that my continuity didn't suffer.

Assessmebt activity #1

Writing within a genre depends mostly on the audience you're writing for. The audience, of course, can be anybody: your peers, girlfriend, college, business, etc. A paper must be worded with the audience in mind to get your point across. Constructing a paper requires knowledge of your audience, but it might also require facts, examples, pictures, or quotes, depending on what genre you're writing in. For example, in an argumentative paper there needs to be facts to support your opinion. Once you've considered your audience and considered what resources you'll need, putting the paper together is fairly easy. This process is almost automatic for some genres, like a letter to a friend or a poem, while others might require background knowledge, research and detail on the topic, like a research or analysis paper.

Finals

I can meet basically anytime on Teusday.

Strongbad

A wrestler/boxer who's ready to take on the world. Strongbad's eyes present unrestrained fury, his open stance invites all takers and the picture as a whole displays the character's angry passion. His face, with his mouth open like he's yelling at something, and his eyes glaring, set a mood of distaste. It's like Strongbad is yelling, "you're wrong!" Moving to his arms and body we see something akin to a drunken man trying to start a fight. Arms outstretched that might thump the chest every now and then, simply inviting someone else into a fight. Combining the two we find a person who just wants to fight, and is challenging anyone to come closer so Strongbad can deal out some punishment. The fact that there is nothing else in the picture makes this all the more apparent; since there's nothing in the picture to make Strongbad angry, it must be something outside the picture, mainly, you! His eyes, his fists, and his stance all combine to make Strongbad one guy you don't want to mess with.

Is it a movie, is it a book...

NO, it's a video game. So now that, that nonsense is out of my system...*cough*

Lost Odyssey is probably the single best role playing game to come out for the 360, or any system, in the past couple years. As character, storyline, plot, sheer content and customization go, this game takes it all to the next level. The game uses some of the same old mechanics of older games, but combines them with a bunch of newer elements, beautiful graphics and so much more (read the review). If you like to read, this is the game for you. If you like deep characters and emotional buildup, this is the game for you. Basically, this is the best next-gen game I've played to date, and will probably stay there for a long time.

The late-night zone

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as ridiculous as cheese whiz and as unpredictable as . It is the place between sanity and insanity, between sense and nonsense, and it lies between the organized thought of a rational mind, and the whimsical fancy of a child's imagination. This is a dimension of conscious dreams. It is the area which we call.

THE LATE-NIGHT ZONE

Worksheets

Active voice
1. Steve gave the check to the waitress
2. The policy was recommended for change.
3. Jenny conducted a study of the problem.
4. A bolt of lightning hit the tower.
5. Jose caught the fly ball.
6. Some people overheard that there would be people leaving the company
7. Mr. Smith will be giving a donation.
8. A rancher in Wyoming discovered the gold.
9. One million dollars was the amount written on the check.
10. The family will be making several donations.

Parallelism

1. The chapter starts on page 129, and ends on page 144.
2. Betty is pretty, kind, and charming.
3. If you go to the drugstore, please remember to pick up Nick’s prescription, buy some toothpaste, and look for a birthday card.
4. I spent an hour with Ms. King reviewing my job performance, assessing my goals, and discussing my future with the company.
5. The dog’s size, friendliness, and temperament made him a good choice for our family.
6. Janice was the most admired, independent, and ambitious person in the family.
7. Leo’s day is so long; he gets up at 5:00 a.m., leaves for work at 5:30 a.m., eats dinner at 10 p.m., and goes to bed at 1:00 a.m.

Effectiveness or readings

"What is an Academic Paper?" gives a much more constructive, though boring, actually makes a good point. Breaking down each element of any college-level paper and giving you a solid structure is the strongest part of this paper. However, the sheer length of the paper would be enough to daunt a student from trying to go the extra mile on a paper they think is fine. In this, the paper could probably be written in a shorter, more compact format.

On that note, "How to write a Consistently Boring Statement" does a good job of staying interesting while keeping the length short enough to keep the reader engaged. However, the overall content is definitely lacking in real application. Though some points are helpful, most of the paper is just fluff. Of course the biggest problem with this paper is the title. Who in their right mind would want to, or get excited about, knowing how to write boring? The title can be viewed as something of a satire, but it isn't; the paper does do a good job informing the reader how to write boring, if that's any consolation.

Analyzing analysis

To analyze something is to break whatever it is you're looking at, down into its most basic parts, and then building an opinion, synopsis, overview, or idiots guide of you're subject. In the most basic terms, and you probably see these every day, movie reviews, video game reviews, book reviews, and things like these are analysis. If a movie has 1 out of 4 stars, that's an analysis. If a book is a "must read," or "New York Times Best-Seller," that's a review as well. But those are simple analysis, that are the summation of a few, or many, peoples' analysis of the subject. So the key features of an analysis include the topic or subject, a guide or review, a synopsis, and some sort of rating that correlates to the subject.

Mormonism: crock or not?

Well, it is this authors opinion that Mormon's are all crocks who have been brainwashed by a faith that is corporate and corrupt. Ethnography: this article looks at the work and mindset of two missionaries and is actually quite convincing that Mormons, and their religion, promote self-sacrifice for the common good. Still, this faith seems shrouded in mystery and looks, from the outside, to be filled with holes of corruption.

Thesis: Mormons are good sheep, blindly sacrificing their humanity in an attempt to connect with the Divine presence.

Topic 1:
Hierarchy of the Mormon church is nothing out of the ordinary, per say. However, it does seem that the highest position in the Church is Jesus Christ, I'm not sure if this is the leaders title or if they're referring to God's son.

Topic 2:
The Church's monetary past and why it was accused of fraud and what kind of price members must pay for being members of the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Topic 3:
Joining, leaving and practices within the Church. Why they have such strange requirements for their members and how they enforce these.

Conclusion:
From possible multiple interviews, I'll have explored the strange practices of this religion and why they believe with such devotion and conviction.

Class Structure

The structure of this class is amazing. Blogging has definitely made me put more thought into what I write simply because I know it's not going to only be seen by the teacher, marked with a grade, and handed back to me. This system makes English fun. I think reading other posts and commenting on them is fun, it's always nice to hear words of encouragement or critiques of something I've put time into. My audience-awareness is improving since I'm trying to think about who it is I want to convey any one message to, and how to do that in the best possible way. Being that setting up this blog is 1. free, 2. easy, and 3. less time intrusive, I think that many classes would benefit much more from the blogging than from two 3-hour class sessions. "Regular" class structures are boring, this class is innovative, progressive, way better than basically all of the English classes I've ever taken.

Webster's dictionary defines normal as...

People always say different behaviors, cultures and practices are "weird," "strange," or "different." If that's the case, what is normal. Is there a true normalcy that everyone can agree on, or are we just using the term as a cushion that gives us who think we are "normal" the comfort to lay back and criticize others. Within all societies there are norms: a leader, a tradition, a gathering, a feast, a language, a religion, but even if these practices are completely normal routines for one people, they can still be odd in another. Ideas have certain norms: wanting progress, making tasks easier, moving things faster, but an idea that benefits one culture might never be used in another. What is normal? To the individual, it may be how they live day-in and day-out; to a group, it may be a weekly meeting at someones house. "Normal" is circumstantial, an ideal that cannot recur without the definition of normal being changed. "Normal" is perceptual, a definition that each individual can decide for themselves. "Normal" is anything but normal.

Subcultures

The main subculture I'm thinking of doing is Mormons. My stance is that those who are adults and still follow the religion have been brainwashed and are no longer in a religion, but are simply pooling money into a large corporation. The teachings and practices of Mormons, much like Scientology's followers, are meant to lead people not towards a spiritual god, but to a materialistic and unstable belief that has no purpose other than to give the people false hope and the higher ups more money to put in their coffers. Mormons exist in groups, go to church, dress nice, and are otherwise normal people. They are not allowed to drink caffeinated beverages (except for coke, since the Mormon religion has a large share in coca-cola) and, I'm sure, other bizarre and non-religious practices that make this religion a terrible joke.

Another subculture might be college students who are recovering from drug addictions. I want to learn why they were addicted in the first place, how their personalities and lives were altered during the drug use, and if they still crave the drugs or how it feels to be living without drugs. These people are in a lot of different groups, which is my only reservation, and might not be at liberty to talk about the past. Other than hitting rock bottom, I want to know the reasons that might make a person decide to quit. Do they keep their old drug equipment or throw it all away, are the memories pleasant or painful, would they do it again if they could, etc.

Peer Review Impressions

I was happy to have my paper read and corrected, and it's helpful to know that some of my style choices didn't connect with my readers. I think peer review is more helpful with a writer/editor sit-down before/during/after reading the paper. Giving a personal opinion to a writer can only help them in the end, as long as it's constructive. It was a good experience overall, I wish I could have done more though.

How I'm putting my paper together

For anyone in the class having trouble with writing this paper and who reads my blog, here's my pre-writing before I begin my paper, it's a good reference tool and it only took me 5 minutes to write up.

Outline current highway construction methods with commentary on what materials are used and how a national reconstruction project on both highways and drivers training might be beneficial as well as a counterargument regarding financing.

History of the beginnings of the highway system and how it has changed over the years, commentary on what we can still improve on, explain German Autobahn and use increased accidents or geography of the U.S as a counterargument.

Focus on the Autobahn, give specifics on: traffic, construction, accidents, and police activity on the autobahn.

Focus on the factors that contribute to vehicle crashes on the highways, and integrate autobahn and U.S interstate into a solid argument for changing the roads and give argument/counterargument response for increasing the difficulty and age for getting a license in the U.S.

Project Proposal

My paper will focus on why we, as a nation, should reconstruct our highways to match and improve upon the German Autobahn. To support this point, I have found research comparing the traffic and accident ratios between our Interstate and those on the German Autobahn. Following this will be a historical perspective of how our interstates were originally constructed by president Eisenhower and why now, in the digital age, such technology should be considered outdated. As a final point I will address the economic ramifications compared to the future economic benefits (positives vs. negatives) of such a civil engineering project, combining my previous points into one solid argument for the development of such a project.

Research Excercise #2

Andrew Bell
Eng 1050
Research Exercise #2
Topic: Civil Engineering, renovating and re-imaging the U.S Interstate

Works Cited, Article 1:
Clash, James M. "Joy of Autobahn." New York Sept. 15, 2003: V. 172, I. 5; pg. 224

Summary
There are many positive aspects regarding the German Autobahn that could be applied to the U.S interstate, making cross-country travel faster, safer and less costly. Such a venture would be costly, but would inevitably lead to economic growth. The trouble is the cost of such a venture, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Response
In "Joy of Autobahn," James Clash researched and found that, to remake the 45,000 miles of U.S Interstate to meet Autobahn standards would cost approximately a half-trillion dollars (Clash 224). Such a venture looks daunting, but the U.S is already in debt over 2 trillion dollars. That's $2,000,000,000,000+ that we are in debt. We are the United States of America, but in the next fifty, or even one hundred years, will we still be the USA, or will we be considered the former-USA. A civil engineering project is just what this country needs tight now. Our highways are paramount to the success of businesses, both large and small, but they are becoming outdated in an ever quickening world.

Works cited, Article 2:
Reid, Robert L. "Paving America Coast to Coast". Civil Engineering June 2006: V. 76, I. 6; pg. 37

Summary
Back when Eisenhower initiated the building of the U.S Interstate, the design was based off of the German Autobahn. His plan was to make cross country travel easier with the use of a comprehensive system of roads that would allow people and ideas to travel from coast to coast faster than ever before. He succeeded by calling on the people of his country, people like you and me, to take up this cause and make our country a better place to live.

Response
Robert Reid explains that, after becoming the president in 1953, Eisenhower decided that the U.S needed it's own quality highway and modeled the U.S interstates after the German Autobahn (Reid 37). Since then automobiles have made leaps and bounds, computers can fit into our pockets, information can travel across the world in a blink of an eye, and no matter where you look, the world is increasing its pace at an exponential rate. While we still have cars that drive on the ground, we should invest in keeping up with the rest of the world, lest we fall behind. We are, and have been, a super power, but how long can we police the world before the world retaliates. We're only one country and not even the biggest one at that. A new interstate, a faster system of transportation, would have immediate effect on product shipping, fuel economy, auto-manufacturers, and prices of products throughout the U.S.

Carter - Just Be Nice

This is definitely a compelling argumentative piece, but by our standards there seems to be some things missing. A thesis, for one: his stance is solid and the paper flows smoothly, but there isn't any indication as to what is going to be in each paragraph based on the lead paragraph. Within each paragraph he glides seamlessly between the counterargument and his own stance, so much so that you can barely notice that the counterargument is even there. He uses colorful examples, "the fired waitress," or "the boy with droopy pants," that connect the reader to his stance; this gives his opinion a stronger foundation when he gives a comprehensive, sensible contrast between what we deem as rights and what should be considered desires. This argumentative contains enough fact, opinion, and counterargument to make it a quality argumentative piece.

Peer Review

Reviewing and editing should definitely be an open, group conscious, task that will stimulate we, as writers, to pay more attention to the rules of the English language. I'm a stickler for grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Whenever I read something on a web page, in the newspaper, or even a published book, I find typos that I want to correct; it's very distracting to me. I like to re-read my own posts and then edit them.
1) spelling, and using the right words, is probably one of my biggest pet peeves. ex. they're their there ( >_< )

2) grammar and sentence structure are hard to correct when you're not the writer, so for me to edit something, it needs to be put together right.

Research topic

Andrew Bell
Eng 1050 T 2:00
Research Exercise #1
Topic: Converting American highways to the Autobahn

Topic 2: Safety and cost on the upkeep of the American Interstate & Highway
Subtopics: "Driving on the Autobahn" & "Civil Engineering Projects"

Subtopic 1 - Driving on the Autobahn

Works cited-Clash, James M. "Joy of Autobahn." New York Sept. 15, 2003: V. 172, I. 5; pg. 224

Summary
James Clash describes in "Joy of Autobahn", some very promising aspects of the German Autobahn. Getting a German license requires drivers to fork over $1000 and have to go through 24 hours of one-on-one training as well as autobahn training (Clash 224). The Autobahn itself has no speed limit, putting drivers in higher-risk situations, but the road is also safer and, though accidents happen, they occur less frequently and have a lower death rate than accidents on U.S highways. Clash's research found that, to remake the 45,000 mile U.S interstate system to meet autobahn standards would cost approximately $12 million dollars per mile, or around a half-trillion dollars (Clash 224). The U.S is suffering from unemployment, an increasingly unstable economy, and many people who are unhappy about the current state of affairs. Clash presents that the roads would last twice as long, (40-years instead of 20), so the overall prospect is actually rather feasible (Clash 224). Spearheading such a project would give many people jobs, and the benefits would last for years to come.

Response
Though transforming the U.S Interstate into an expanded autobahn would be a great project in innumerable ways, neither the senate or congress are really focusing on homeland issues like this at the moment. Even though the unemployment rate is rising dramatically every year, the dollar is dropping in the world market, and U.S made cars are becoming inconvenient, such a civil engineering project doesn't seem to be in the works or even under consideration.

Additional ideas
I could look into what such a large scale civil engineering project would do for the U.S economy, or the automotive industry, or the number of unemployed workers across the U.S. I could research current interstate laws and compare them to those that govern the autobahn and then explain either the benefits or limitations that such a change would have based on the results.

Subtopic 2 - Paving America Coast to Coast

Works cited-Reid, Robert L. "Paving America Coast to Coast". Civil Engineering June 2006: V. 76, I. 6; pg. 37

Summary
The origins of the American Interstate, Robert Reid explains, originated when president Eisenhower was supreme commander of the U.S Expeditionary force in World War II. and he was able to move his troops quickly along the early German Autobahn (Reid 37). Before the American Interstate was created, movement across the country was slow and dangerous, between mud roads and the lack of roads between cities made traveling difficult. According to Reid, after becoming the president in 1953, Eisenhower decided that the U.S needed it's own quality highway and modeled the U.S interstates after the German Autobahn (Reid 37). It's been nearly a generation and our roads reflect the passage of time, but our society is progressive and needs a new system to stimulate growth similar to after the original highways were built.

Response
Now that the U.S has dived into the 21st century and everything from missiles to CDs are being revolutionized, it seems that our roads have remained relatively the same. A civil engineering project would certainly benefit the economy, which is currently declining, and would re-revolutionize transportation in and across the U.S.

paragraph editting

Thesis
Academic integrity for the sake of a passing grade can be promoted or discouraged by parents, competitive schools, declining ethical standards, society, and even the punishments that schools use to punish students who are caught cheating; all these can weigh down a student, making cheating an acceptable option to failure.

Topic 1:
Cheating, on tests or homework, is practically an epidemic, starting with a child's first test to an adult's final exams.

Topic 2:
However, technology cannot be held completely to blame, what about the role models, the parents, and society promoting this behavior?

Topic 3:
Technology and parents can contribute to a student cheating, but sometimes the very rules that are supposed to prevent students from dishonest behavior might not be enough.

Topic 4:
However, multiple consequences for the same crime is nothing compared to schools with an adamant policy on academic dishonesty.

Conclusion:
Academic dishonesty is tearing down the caliber of education students across the country are receiving. Pinning the blame on one institution or group isn't very practical considering the amount of sources that said blame can reside in. Succeeding is only rewarding if honesty and integrity are upheld in the process.

Possible research topics

Highway speed limits
1) The highways aren't fast enough
2) Punishment for traffic violations isn't severe enough
3) Getting a license is far to easy
4) Driving a car is a privilege not a right

"No child left behind"
1) A school getting the same score any number of years in a row is considered a failing school
2) Schools that are closed have their students shipped to another school; this increases class sizes and restricts all students' qualities of education.
3) Children with mental disabilities take the same test as those without, and must do so under the same conditions

Stem cell research
1) Curing diseases
2) Repairing extreme injuries and reducing the amount of disabled
3) Saving lives

Satire, the future of real news

As funny as the comedy shows The Colbert Report or The Daily Show are, and they are quite funny, there is a certain depth in these shows that makes you think. Unlike 'real' news, which squishes real stories into tiny 5 minutes-or-less time slots in between a family whose house was destroyed by a tree or a lost dog being reunited with his 12 year-old owner; is this real news? Does this kind of feel-good news make you think? Even stories about Virginia Tech were feel-good stories! 17 people were shot and killed, and instead of focusing on the stupidity of the administration and security, we focus our attention on the funeral, on mourning for those who were could. That's all well and good, and I truly sympathize, but there is a bigger problem when that is ALL that is focused on.
17 college students, just like you and me, were locked in a room with a killer, and waited to be killed. Cattle wait to be killed. We are at war, and yet we have people, the future of our nation, waiting, hoping, to be the next one to get a bullet in the back of the head. If this isn't funny, I don't know what is. This is palpable to Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal.
Some shows, specials usually, will show an audience shocking images of some of the most terrible college, business, public crimes, and people are frightened. There's no unification against such abomination, why is that? Some will feel outrage, some will cry and hug friends and family, and other's think 'this'll never happen to me.' But what do most of us actually do? Nothing.
This genre of supposed 'fake news' is the only real connection with new ideas, and new ideas require people to take action. Think, it doesn't matter if you're liberal or conservative, it's all you've got to do. For 30 minutes all you have to do is laugh and think. Get a friend into a discussion on something. Try watching real news and doing the same thing. There's so much extraneous crap that the real issues, the new ideas, get covered up by little johnny learning how to throw a baseball. There's a problem with information nowadays. We've set up a giant network for the exchange and introduction of new information, yet half of all Americans can't find New York State on a map...I was stunned and sad when I learned that fact was real, not by watching the news, but by watching a fictional television show, and then looking up background research on the net.
Sadly, nothing will happen now because people are slow. Reading electronics articles I see predictions for new devices in the future and wonder, 'why aren't we just developing these now?' I'm no expert, but if the ideas are there, why not jump ahead and pour more effort into developing less expensive, faster, smalled, etc. models of systems we already have? If money is the problem, I'm sure the U.S. can withstand another trillion dollars in debt. The here and now seem to be years away. News shows report the problems and yet, years after hurricane Katrina struck in New Orleans, they're still rebuilding. But what news coverage is there on New Orleans today, how much public attention is the reconstruction getting? Hundreds of thousands of people are still without homes, and I don't even have to talk about New Orleans for that to be a fact.
News isn't news if it doesn't force new ideas into our heads and make us act on those ideas. Maybe some do, but the majority doesn't. At least 'fake news' gets new ideas into our heads.

Thesis statements

1. Many accidents on American highways could be avoided if highways were run more like the autoban and less like a street without traffic lights.

2. Violence in Disney films is corrupting the innocence of our children through hidden messages.

3. The army ant is the single most deadly ant in the world because of their social hierarchy.

4. Animal cruelty is a horrible practice that shows a lack of humanity in the attacker and should be punishable by the law.

5.Droughts are a serious threat, and people affected by a drought should be sent immediate aid in the form of irrigation systems.

6. Stephen King is the greatest horror/thriller author because of his original characters, strange plot twists and vivid imagery.

7. The Atlantic ocean has claimed many ships, but the Titanic was the most famous due to the odd circumstances, the public reaction, and the economic repercussions.

8. Drug addiction is a growing problem in America that will give children bad role models and increase violent crime.

9. War movies portray the most patriotic side of America, Private Ryan is a great example because of the cinematography, unprecedented amount of research, and talent the director put into this film.

10. Rabbits aren't good pets because they eat carrots, are small and make small children cry.

11. The President of the United States, though the election process, will only be elected if he or she has charisma, compassion, and the ability to motivate people through his or her actions.

12. Beauty pageants are the reason why many of our most talented actresses are where they are.

13. Without school uniforms, the moral integrity of our children will fall because of skimpy and profane clothing.

14. William Shakespeare was the most brilliant writer of all time; through stories like Macbeth, Hamlet, and The Tempest, themes, which are still used in stories today, were created by Shakespeare and are the roots of many great novels.

15. Aromatherapy will allow a person to reach a state of relaxation that will allow them to think clearer and work harder.

Audience and writing

For college students, myself included, the primary focus of a paper is filling all the requirements a teacher wants. In the respect, many papers are dull, lifeless facts with little opinion and less real meaning. For instance, this blog, being my first, is probably going to be read as if I were talking to your face. So you are my audience. My writing is being effected by you because I don't know who you are. Because I don't know you I'm writing in a general format, with no real facts, just common knowledge stuff that I have gathered in my life and from my composition readings.
The simple fact is, I would never write this way for a professor. When a teacher is the primary audience, the paper generally contains five or more paragraphs, the first containing a lead, the subjects the paper will cover, and a thesis statement. Then it's fact, commentary, fact commentary; until the conclusion. So, that's one audience. For a big project that requires fliers, they need to be colorful, big print, friendly, and compel the audience to take part in whatever activity is being promoted.
The last paragraph is yet another example of the audience that is currently being written to: you. If I were speaking to you, I wouldn't organize my thoughts, I'd give you examples and jump from one topic to the next and then link them all together in the end. Good idea?
People like fluidity in most forms of writing, one topic to the next; that's easier to follow and understand. People often talk in circles, repeating their point over and over, each time adding something "new and exciting" to make said point seem more valid. In a paper there is a clear beginning and end. The audience that this is written for doesn't get an end. Endings don't make you think, they can be easily dismissed, and therefore render a paper meaningless.
That is why the audience is important. Meaningless papers need to be written sometimes; teachers, research projects, boring assignments whose only relevance is a grade. Papers with purpose are equally as important; asking people to donate blood, a resume , even a love letter. The papers that I enjoy the most, though, are those that don't necessarily need to stay on topic. Audience can give a paper life or make it devoid of value, that's how audience effects my writing.