Class Reflection

Taking English 101 this semester proved to be a good experience for many reasons. Not only was it the best time to take the class, but it also proved to be a great learning experience for better ways of writing papers, in all aspects of it.

I thought that the papers we wrote were very interesting topics to explore, even though I thought that we could have replaced certain ones with better topics, but generally, I thought that the topics that were chosen were best for the class.

I also thought that the class periods were well spent. We, as a class, got what we needed to get done, and then we could leave. I thought this was good because I didn't feel that I wasting my time sitting in class longer then I needed to.

Overall, I think this semester of English 101 went very well.

Free Write Blog for 28 November 2010

I went Black Friday shopping for the second time this year, and I was finally able to experience some of the craziness that people talk about. A friend and I decided to help a relative get as many deals as possible, so we staked out the Leapsters, which is some kind of child computer game system. When we found the the display, women were crowding all around it. Some of them were nice, but many were clearly concentrating on how to grab as many of these things as possible.

As the clock got closer to midnight, the tension rose. My friend and I attempted to move closer to the display through the crowd, and the many of the women gave us dirty looks, and one even said to get back angrily. We ended up fighting the crowd of women to grab a couple of the item that we wanted, much the unhappiness of some of the women we took them from.

The rest of Black Friday went rather smoothly, and we were able to find plenty of deals. I was also able to pick up a few Christmas presents.

The Most Dangerous Game Analasys -- #3 Pg 244, Curious Writer

In "The Most Dangerous Game", a common and recurring element is the nighttime, or the darkness that is ever prevalent during the short story. The story even begins at night, when Rainsford and Whitney are talking about hunting, and the mysterious island that their ship is currently sailing past. The nighttime and the darkness are also present in various times later in the story, mostly during the three days that Rainsford is trying to survive the hunting expert, General Zaroff.

The nighttime represents an eerie feeling that surrounds the island. For Rainsford, it represents him overcoming his fears and using his senses to swim to the island, and survive General Zaroff during the hunt. For General Zaroff, the darkness represents an extra challenge that only adds to the hunt for Rainsford. Zaroff, as a character, is obsessed with hunting and doing it the best he can, but having it also not be too easy. The darkness takes care of this challenge.

Analyzing Young Gordon Brown

Young Gordon Brown is about a young religious man who goes a trip. The story is full of different symbols and themes. I liked how many of the characters were symbols, but also the environments and other things that you didn't think would be.

Some of the symbols was his wife, the forest, his staff, and many others. This story was written during the Age of Romanticism, so it relates nature as almost evil, which goes along with the forest being considered sin in the story. His wife, named Faith, directly represents his faith in God.

Overall, I think Young Gordon Brown is a very good story that makes good use of symbols to illustrate the story better. It is a clear piece out of the Romanticism writing era and deserves a place in its history.

Analytical Response to "A Rose for Emily"

"A Rose For Emily" is a short story written in the early 20th century and it is broken up into five sections, each important to overall cohesiveness of the story. Each section details some part of Emily's life and each one adds to the depressing overall feel to the story. What makes the story work the most, I think, is that you know that she dies at the end because the first part of the story focused on it.

"A Rose For Emily"  is definately not the best story I have ever read, but I did find that I enjoyed reading it enough to see to the next section, just to see what would happen to Emily next.

Analysis of The Most Dangerous Game

"The Most Dangerous Game" is short story written about two hunters who fight each other on a mystery island. One of them, the one who lives on the island and pits shipwrecked people in a game where he hunts them down and kill them, the other, a shipwrecked sailor who has to survive on the island.

I like the story because it an exciting read that has suspense on whether the shipwrecked sailor is going to be able to survive for three days against the other hunter, who believes himself to be above other humans, that is why he has gone beyond hunting animals and instead hunts humans.

The story has several themes, such as reason and instinct and how they fight each other, especially when the shipwrecked hunter is trying to survive. There are also some symbols, such as the island, as it effects both major characters and it is a major part of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and hope to read more like it.

Blog over Class Period 28 October 2010

I thought class today was a nice break from what we usually did. It was nice to stop talking about the essays that we need to write or when something is due for once. Watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer provided a good laugh too. I did not fall asleep during it, so it is definitely a good thing to perhaps emulate in the future, but perhaps something not as cheesy as Buffy.

PS: I also enjoyed you giving the class a snack. It really went beyond what is required of you as a teacher. 

Favorite Book

My favorite book is actually a favorite book series. This series is by the author Vince Flynn. The book series follows a CIA super spy, Mitch Rapp, that is a no joke, do whatever it takes kind of guy. Most of the books are about Mr. Rapp fighting and killing terrorists. The books are very popular because it deals with Islamic terrorism as a main issue, which is a popular entertainment medium today because it dominates American culture while we are at war with countries in the Middle East.

The books are very interesting and easy to read very quickly. Of all the books that I have read in this series, I can easily read the book in three days or less. I am a fast reader, but I usually do not read books in less than a three weeks, if that says anything about how good these books really are.

The books also deal with political themes as well, as Mitch Rapp often has to fight tooth and nail with the president and his aids, along with Senators and Representatives. The author does an excellent job of researching his books. He talks with industry insiders, including public servants and current and former CIA workers to make sure he has the most accurate information there is, in which he forms a great fiction work out of it.

These books are very good, and I cannot wait until I read the next one.

Blog about anything you want

I believe that the library should have a better selection newly released books. The only ones they seem to have are ones that are almost a year old, and most of them are non fiction books either about Barrack Obama or Rush Limbaugh. I think that the library should make a better effort to keep a better record of both non fiction and fiction books. There should be new books every couple weeks that are from the bestseller lists, which contain quite a few non fiction books.

Studies prove that people who read a lot not only have a bigger vocabulary, but are also all around smarter students. If the school really wanted to increase grade percentages, they could do a better job of implementing more interesting reading material into their library.

Outline for Research Paper

I am writing my paper on the topic of prosecuting soldiers because of any actions that they perform in while at war overseas. This topic has been in the news a couple times over the last few years. I derived the topic by branching out from a broad topic of the military.

I can use Ethos in this paper by finding documents about previous events that may relate to my topic.

I can use Pathos by stating my own opinion on the matter, and why I believe in that position. I can also use opinions of others in this part.

For Logos, I will derive the best position by noting the consequences of each position and which one is better for everybody.

3 Questions for Research Topic

1. Is the Iraq/Afghanistan War justified?
   - Do actual soldiers think the war was right
   - Is it too expensive to continue
   - Is the terrorist threat still worth fighting

2. Is a powerful military too expensive?
   - What are some of the scholarly views on this topic
   - Does it just amount to wasting money
   - Will a World War III ever happen? If not, why do we need a better military than other countries?

3. Should soldiers be prosecuted for killing while at war?
   - Are there any other cases like this that can provide an opinion on the subject
   - Is this a major political topic right now
   - What do soldiers think? What do civilians think?

Class on 12 October 2010 Reflection

At first, I thought moving the class into the circle was a little weird, but it ended up working. I actually would have preferred to stay in the normal seating for the grammar lesson for first group though. I enjoyed passing around the stuffed animal and saying what we wrote down for the various topics that we discussed. It was definitely one of the better class periods that we have had lately.

Proposal Essay Revisions for Draft 2

I did several revisions for draft 2 of my proposal essay. Most of which were simple but necessary in order to improve the overall quality of the essay.


The first set of revisions that I did was to read through the entire essay and fix any errors that the computer was not able to recognize. These consisted of using the wrong "there" or the wrong "to". I also changed the wording on some of the sentences in all three paragraphs. Doing this help improve the flow of the essay and to help illustrate the point further.

The next thing I did was go over my sources and change a few. I made sure they were sighted properly and that they were authorized sources. I also changed a few from "dot com" sources to .gov sources that gave the same general information.

Finally, I went over the formatting of the essay and made sure everything was correct. I used the literacy guide to check that the margins were correct and to make sure my title and information was formatted correctly.

Essay #2 topic

I am going to write my paper on the topic of torture. I will cover both the pros and cons, and the main reasons that people support it and/or do not support it. I am aware that it is a very controversial topic, but I will not censor it in an effort not to offend people. I think that it will be a better paper if it does not censor certain subtopics of torture.

Colbert Report Blog

On 27 September 2010, Steven Colbert talked about the blocking of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell bill that was in Congress and Christine O'Donnell in one of her interviews.

I like the way Steven Colbert puts the news in a funny light, while still reporting the same news as the 24 hour news channels.  While I do not think he is trying to report the news in the same way, I believe that he wants to bring out the funny parts of the news.

The first things he makes of fun of in this episode is Christine O'Donnell's interview in 1998 in which she says that evolution is a myth. He was able to make fun of it even more laughable when he related it to babies turning into adults.

He then goes on to the DADT policy. He spitballs new policies such as making gays stay in the closet about being soldiers, instead of being gay.

I think Colbert is very successful about his delivery of the news, and making it laughable at the same time that also displays the news, but it doesn't feel like the news, instead it sounds like a funny time at a comedy show.

Torture Op-Ed

Torture Op-Ed

Torture is as old as humanity itself. Humans are can be both very passionate and violent, its just our nature. Torture is mainly used as a tool to extract information from enemy combatants. Those who use it for sport are obviously doing it for the wrong reasons. There are good reasons to torture. I'm not saying that there are good reasons to torture innocent people, but to enemy combatants that hold information that can save lives. I am, of course, talking about terrorists. More specifically Islamic Extremists because they are the latest group that has been tortured and a controversy has surfaced.

This Op-Ed entitled "My Tortured Decision", talks about how torture was used on captured terrorists such as Khalid Sheik Mohammad, who is the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. It mentions that regular interrogation techniques work just as well as enhanced ones. Personally I disagree. It might be because I am a military brat. Every male in my family history that I know of has served the American military, my dad did honorably for 21 years, and now I am signed away to the Army. 

I see torture as a way to quickly extract information from the enemy. Regular interrogation methods can take weeks or months to work effectively. Torture is a quick and effective method. Opponents of torture say that the person being tortured can say false information. This is true, but it is also a good way to have the torture continue. The US, when it engages in torture, has a vast network that can either confirm or deny information from prisoners, so this is hardly an issue.

There are many other aspects to torture, but this blog is beginning to rival an essay. In conclusion, I do not agree with this Op-Ed. While I am no expert, I am a person who is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Especially when it involves American safety.

Paper Topic

My paper topic will be about the first time I read a book by my favorite author, Vince Flynn. His books helped me make a decision about making a commitment to the military after college. Vince Flynn has a series of books that feature a main character called Mitch Rapp. This guy is an ass kicking anti terrorism operative and isn't afraid to piss off the establishment and doesn't care for political correctness.

What makes these books so good is that the author doesn't concentrate on just his main character. Many times military characters will also be fleshed out. Since the author does his research, and since I have been an military brat all my life, I can tell that the writing in the book is very accurate about what it means to be in the military.

These books changed the way I view the world. There are many things that go into the efforts that are made to keep this country safe, and I hope that these books can also reveal that to other readers. Being in the military will help me serve my country and if it wasn't for these books, I might be in a very different situation right now.

Essay Ideas Memory Dump

1. First Book I Read 

 - The first book I read was by Dr. Seuss. It was called The Foot Book. I remember reading it, word by word without any help from my parents.

- This was a important moment in my life because it first showed me that I didn't need my parents to help with small things, like reading a book. While I didn't necessarily understand it at the time, but I later realized that I would have to do everything on my own, without my parents there to help me.

2. High School Graduation

- At my high school graduation I was one of nearly 400 people graduating that day. It took forever, but at least I was one of the early ones to graduate.

- During the hours that I was sitting there waiting for the ceremony to end, I was able to think about how this was my last summer living my life the way I was accustomed to living it. It was going to radically change my everyday schedule, even more then going back to school at high school in the Fall.

3. First Vince Flynn Book That I Read

- I didn't always know that I was going to serve in the military after high school. It had crossed my mind when my sister got into ROTC, I thought about doing the same, but soon brushed it off thinking it wasn't the right path.

- I later began reading one of my favorite authors, Vince Flynn, a couple years ago. His books are mainly about counter terrorism operations. When I read these books, I really thought about serving in the military. I ended up doing what my sister did, which is joining ROTC and get free college.

What Defines Me?

If I was to say what defines me, I could not give an exact answer, or an answer at all, because I do not yet know what defines me. Is it my parents? The house I live in or the car I drive? The clothes I wear? Or is it the classes I am taking, and not taking, at school? Is it my siblings and their accomplishments? I would hope that my parents do not define me because I am not my parents, I am now an adult, and can no longer rely on my parents to help me out in sticky situations. The house I live in or the car I drive could define me, as it would give a hint at how much money I earn, or how much my parents give to me, but I would hope that those two things are beyond what makes me who I am. I would also hope that my sibling does not define me. My sister is only two years older, goes to the same school, and is in the same organization, which just happens to be Army ROTC, and many people say we have the same face. With so many things about us that are the same, how would anyone ever not compare me to her? Will I be always be defined as my sister's brother, or will I be my own person, even when we are together? I think that you already get the idea that "I would hope not:" so I will not say it again.

While that paragraph more than likely will seem run on forever, it helped me come to the point I want to make, which I guess all boils down to these simple words. You might have already guessed them. I want my own actions to define who I am. I am my own person now, with my own choices and mistakes to make. Whether I succeed or fail in my endeavors will be up to me, not anybody else.

Wrapping up, I suppose I didn't answer the question exactly right, but I did warn you in the beginning that you weren't going to get a straight answer. I said what I said because I do not know what yet defines me. Yes my actions will, but I have not done enough to be solely based on those acts alone. I will have to wait awhile before I know what I think wholly defines me and who I am.