next nonprogress report

Once again, I forgot to do anything…. Woops. I’ll be sure to really work on it this weekend. Stay tuned for the next update.

Progress after tuesday--- A MUST READ

Last night I was actually lucky enough to find a history channel special about oil prices. It seems that not only is OPEC holding down its production, but also the major refiners here in the states, like Exxon-mobile, haven’t increased their refining capabilities in quite a few years. This means that if even one major refinery is shut down of any period of time, the system here in the states cannot effectively handle it and the price at the pump will most likely jump.
While it might not directly pertain to my research, I also thought that the special had some interesting insights on how to get more gas for your dollar. For instance, if you can fuel up your car in the evening when it is cooler, there will be more gas in the gallon you pump because the temperature causes the gas to condense and the pumps do not take this into account when it gives out the gas. Conversly, you shouldn’t fill up during the heat of the day because the gas you are pumping will give you fewer miles.

Progress after Mon

Today I looked up the average cost increase of a barrel of oil over the past few years from the 1940’s. After world war two, the inflation-adjusted price for a barrel of oil was 24 dollars and twenty cents. Now, the cost is riding just under one hundred dollars a barrel. From 2003 to the current price, there has been a seventy-four dollar increase.
Tomorrow I will investigate why exactly this price jump has occurred, and why it has happened so violently in recent years.

progress after fri

I’m not going to lie. I haven’t looked up anything past what I already know. I thought about it, but then I realized it was ten thirty at night and I went to bed instead. I hope that sometime in the coming week or next weekend at the latest I will really be able to sit down and work at this project.
My current plan looks like this, Mon-Thurs, research. Fri and Sat, slack off. Sun write my paper. Cross you fingers for me.

Progress?

After class today I think I have decided what my topic should be. After much deep (trust me very deep :p) thought, I think my paper will be about the high costs of fuel prices and what should be done to lower it’s cost to the consumer.
However, I want to go back to my subject from my last post. While I don’t think I want to do a paper about that subject any more, my point that debate like that really isn’t done well in this school was proven perfectly. Ethan asked a simple question about if fathers had any rights about the status of an unborn child, and he was attacked. From the other side of the room came a series of yells saying her body her choice etc. While he only asked a question about a subject he was interested in without trying to start anything, the females in the back of the room seemed to feel differently. I actually felt a little bad for him because I’ve wondered about that a couple of times as well. Some of the girls’ responses seemed to say that they think that even discussion on this topic is unwarranted and that a paper doesn’t shouldn’t even be written on the topic. I think that Ethan is really on to something and I hope he does write his paper on this topic.

possible ideas

I’m really not sure what I want to write about. Its not that I don’t feel passionate about anything, but I really don’t feel motivated by something until it comes up in discussion somewhere. I have a feeling that my final idea will probably come to me in class when we talk about this project in more depth.
That being said I do have some starting ideas. I feel that this school avoids anything about gender issues and abortion because it seems that whenever it does come up even in passing, the majority of the conversation ends up with a group of girls shouting at the boys or anyone who feels differently than the pro-life feministic viewpoint that they are wrong, her body her choice, or any number of arguments. There is never really given a chance for the opposing party to respond and I think that anything about this area of life might be a good topic to write my paper on.

tips

I think that the first argument makes a good argument for several reasons. It is well written and straightforward, so I think that of the three essays it has the most opportunity to get something done.
Her argument is extremely modest and has strong reasoning, so it is very persuasive. I think that because she knows that she is writing to a man with very little time, her straightforward style fits the piece excellently.
I personally think that because her proposal is so modest that is has a chance of succeeding. From her arguments, it does seem like the hosts are underpaid for the amount of work they are expected to do, and a $1 portion of the servers’ salaries seems like very little. I think that an executive would see that the same way, and because a host is such a integral part to the smooth operation of a restaurant he would be willing to give them tips.

Ellis

I do think that Ellis’ story gives a credible way of overcoming misunderstandings between the races. I think that his story is a prefect example of how this can be done.
A tried and true Klan member convinced of his own race’s superiority over all others does a complete 180 and ends up working with a black woman at the detriment to his own reputation.
However, I do not think that this would be a viable solution for the problem as a whole. This situation was unique in a couple of ways. For one, the only reason that he was exposed to the intrinsic humanity of the people he used to loath was through a rather odd school board situation. Without this personal contact, I think even someone as open as Ellis wouldn’t have changed his beliefs.
Second, it does take someone with a rather open set of beliefs to change like he did. He allowed himself to be open to change, and I think that the average Joe in the Black panthers or the Klan would have serious issues doing the same. Also, Ellis loses a lot of standing with he friends and associates and I doubt that many others would be willing to lose so much of their standing.
While I applaud Ellis for his shift in beliefs, I highly doubt that his situation is replicable. Good for him, but not for many others.

Mainstream

I think that what Yoshino means when he says that mainstream is a myth is that mainstream isn’t a set in stones. Instead, what people consider mainstream is simply however people feel about what right and wrong at a certain time.
The fact that mainstream only exists in peoples hands is what makes it a myth. A myth is a story or example that is passed down through generations but might never have actually happened. Over time this story can change and become a new entity. This can be seen by the changes in popular culture over the ages.
I think that his reasoning is effective, but I don’t necessarily believe in his logic. For instance, in the case of the dreadlocks, I think that the airline was completely in their right to tell the person to cut their hair. If I were working somewhere, I would do my best to fit the standards that company sets for dress and conduct.
I would define mainstream as what people see as the “American Dream.” I see it as someone working their way through a corporation, reaching a comfortable position in life, and the cute house with the white picket fence. I also see mainstream in the idea of kids as well. Do you’re best in school, but don’t act like you’re trying that hard. Go to college, follow your parents to success.

End of Incidents

Linda finally achieves her freedom in the way that she probably likes least of all. I think she probably would have managed being a fugitive for the rest of her life, but instead she is given her freedom. Not by Dr. Flint, or his daughter, or any of the Flints. Instead she is bought by the new Mrs. Bruce. While she is happy that she is free once and for all. There is definitely some bitterness.
After all her struggles against the institution of slavery, that institution is what gives her freedom. There is certainly something ironic about how it all happens. I think one of the most powerful passages in the closing chapters of the book is when Linda mentions that for her freedom there is an actual bill of sale.
Throughout the book there are countless examples of Linda’s amazing humanity. Her feelings for her friends and family all set her above the slave owners. However, this is completely disregarded and even in the end she is treated as nothing more than another piece of chattel.

Jacob's effectiveness

I think that the most important set of experiences that Jacobs writes about is he sexual experiences with her masters. While a lot of her writing is very powerful, I think that this gives her writing the most credit.
The entire point of Jacob’s writing is to use true stories to show the evil side of slavery. One of the best ways to show this is to show how slavery dehumanizes the slaves. The most potent example she gives of this is how white masters use their slaves and then refuse to acknowledge their off spring. Then, to add insult to injury, they keep their illegitimate children as slaves. I can think of nothing that would be more insulting and degrading.
Her own personally experiences, while not actually amounting to rape, are no less potent. Her own master tries as hard as he can to force her into sexual relations, and when he can’t get that, he settles with degrading her sexuality verbally.
Jacobs does a great job describing her experiences in slavery, and he story about the sexual depravity of the white masters is especially effective.

Douglass Speach

Douglass appeals to Logos, Pathos, and Ethos, He makes a very effective speech that probably wasn’t what his audience was expecting. Instead of just saying how July 4 sound be accepted as the start of the country, he says that the holiday doesn’t mean anything to him.
One of the most powerful examples of rhetoric strategies that he uses is his comparison of the white and black races. He shows that even though the whites seem to value the blacks only as animals, they do the exact same things that whites do. This shows the hypocritical nature of the whites and is most likely a good strategy to get the whites motivated.
The other important part in his speech is the way he turns the conventional wisdom of the abolitionists on its head. He says that instead of trying to show people that slavery is wrong, people must get involved. People know that slavery is wrong so it’s not a challenge to get them to understand, it’s a challenge to get people to do something.
These powerful arguments all help to make his speech much more effective.

Socialization of Prejudices

The socialization process is the method by which a society develops a prejudice and teaches to people in that Society. This process starts with singling a group out, justifying your actions, and finally discriminating against that group. Over time the society just begins to interpret these beliefs as the norms, and fewer and fewer people see the problem with the prejudice.
I definitely feel that prejudices and ideas are learned this way. Starting with are parents when we are young, everyone and everything around us leaves a lasting impression that sways how we view the world. I also find it striking true that as a prejudice begins to form, it goes through several stages. Like when a group is looking for a scapegoat, it doesn’t automatically have someone to hate. Instead, a person is chosen that can’t fight back and slowly momentum around the idea builds until the person is well cemented as the person to blame.

Jefferson's Virginia

The differences between the Thomas Jefferson shown in History books, the picture and the passage are large, but expected. Each one strives to show a particular aspect of Jefferson’s personality, so each is biased towards their beliefs.
The history books talk about the hero Jefferson. A founding father, he wrote the Declaration of Independence, and helped form the country. One of the first presidents, only the greatest aspects of his personality is shown.
The passage shows his personality when he’s dealing with his own state. He himself is a slave owner, but while it is obvious that he doesn’t completely respect slaves, he still wants to see the institution of slavery abolished. Some of his flaws are shown, but his inner charity is still seen.
The picture is probably the clearest view into how Jefferson really felt. Even though the picture doesn’t involve him directly, the races of his decedents in enlightening. He has both White and Black decedents. This shows that he felt enough of a connect with one of his slaves to have children. No matter what his words saw, Jefferson say slaves as people.
Jefferson had many personalities, like all of us. Each of these pieces gives us a different view into the founding father’s beliefs.

Cora v Willy

The outlooks on life for Willy Loman and Cora Tucker couldn’t be any different. Willy believes that all you need to succeed is to be liked, while Cora thinks that you must go out and fight for what you want.
Willy’s view ends up getting driving him to death because as soon as he feels that he is no longer well liked, he gives up on life. Cora, on the other hand, doesn’t care if people like her. She wants the equal rights that she thinks people deserve, and she couldn’t care less if she steps on some toes while getting it.
Willy has all the trappings that should make people enjoy life, but all he can see if failure. Cora lives near train tracks and really doesn’t have much, but end the end she’s more than just happy.
Willy thinks the world should come to him while Cora seizes life by the scruff of the neck. While she might have physically less, emotionally she has so much more.

Willy and individual opportunity

Willy thinks that to be successful in life you, all you need is to be well liked. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or what school you went to, you can do whatever you want as long as people like you.
This is most obvious is the way that he handles Biff as a child. When he is informed again and again that his son is failing at math, Willy couldn’t care less. Instead he just takes his son aside and tells him that its alright to cheat on a test to pass the silly class, and as long as people like him for is spot on the football team, he’ll still be set in like.
In Willy’s own life too, when all his old contacts retire and he can no longer get service just through his name alone, he feels like he has no life left. Even though his friend offers him a job, because he no longer feels like he is well liked. He decides his is worth more death than alive.
Willy measures success by how much you’re liked. All that you need for your individual opportunity to grow is to be well liked. Once that is done, anything goes.

Speeches, day 2

The second day of speeches was much more painful. The vast majority of the people stood behind the podium and read. One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone gives a speech and only reads. It’s a speech, not a reading contest for god’s sake!!!! More than a couple of people actually sat down behind their stool, basically dooming themselves to a bad speech. That mixed with failed attempts at using technology in a speech that really didn’t need it made for a rather interesting day.
I did like Tina’s speech because rather than simply standing behind the podium she got up and stood outside its protective oaken exterior. I also liked how even though she had to change her charity at the very beginning to something she didn’t know as well, she still seemed comfortable with its subject. Like Alex, she was one of the few to do more than read from their paper and look anxiously at Lamags.
All I can say is I’m glad that day is OVER.

Speeches, day 1

I found these speeches much more entertaining than I thought I would. In particular, Alex’s speech about goodwill was particularly interesting. I knew that Goodwill was involved in community service somehow, but I didn’t realize how exactly they provided it. The way that Goodwill gives jobs rather than just money is cool because it gives people new skills that will help them much more in the long run than just a handout. This strategy seems to be the most practical in the long run and will help the poor better themselves in a major way.
I also liked the way that he presented his topic. I especially liked that he moved away from the podium. Unlike most of the others who spoke today, he really made eye contact and that helped me to connect with his topic more effectively.

self relience

Emerson says that to be successful one must resist the temptation to conform to the world and must instead express oneself as an individual. The world shakes its head at the individual, but it is only by being an individual that you can succeed. I agree with Emerson that one of the keys to being successful is to be yourself, but I definitely don’t believe that its that easy. While standing out is a good way to advance yourself, there is a very careful balance between how much to be yourself. At times it is basically required that you. For instance, if you feel like you just absolutely have to be a rebel in the airport, you could probably end up getting shot. A less extreme example is at your work. Although doing everything your way can be more enjoyable, if you step out of regulations too often, it will probably result in you getting fired.
Emerson had it right that being yourself is the best was to succeed, but there is much more to the game than that. You can’t always snub the world at large because you need it much more than it needs you. While being yourself is good, every once and while you need to get in step.

speach topic

The topic that my speech will be about is the Lord’s Pantry. Even though it isn’t specifically a personal motivation company, it is surprising how much motivation having food in your stomach will provide. Also, having been down in the area around the Lord’s Pantry I have directly seen the impact that the actions of a few dedicated workers can produce.

mini mini pole

The results of my mini-poll don’t support Dalton’s claims. In fact, if anything it shows that people are more aware of the remaining racial issues than Dalton contends.
The most common answer revolved around the idea that although it is indeed possible for minorities to succeed in our country, it is very hard for them to do so. The participants in my poll all had a pretty detailed idea about how race relations in our country have improved, but still have much room to grow.
The participants all seemed to think that the placement of such minority stars only highlights the position of the general minority groups in our country. For every minority actor, athlete, or politician, there is many times that number of Caucasian stars. The gradual spread of minority figures has actual brought the race division into the light again.
The people I polled all thought that minority celebrity figures don’t cause people to blink at the many barriers of racial equality. If anything, it causes people to look at them more.

that terrible world out there

The differences between the realities expressed in the documentary and the one shown in “Ragged Dick” are vast. The very basis of their stories is completely different.
In Moore’s documentary, the people of Flint are suffering after GM closed its auto plant there. People are reduced to selling Rabbits for meat. Crime is rampant, jobs are scarce, and rather than deal directly with the problem, Flint’s town government is avoiding the issue with cheap distractions.
In stark contrast, “Ragged Dick” is much more upbeat. The main character, Richard, is a poor boot shiner who only wants to move up in the world. After saving a boy from drowning, the thankful father gives Dick a large sum of money as well as a well paying job. All his dreams suddenly fulfilled, Dick prepares to live a life of much greater happiness.
I think that both stories could be considered real. However, I also think that Moore’s view of the world is seen more. Great luck and fortunate circumstances happen, but usually only to one person not a large group. On the other hand, terrible events, like the closing of a GM plant, turn thousands of lives upside down and make headlines everywhere. While both realities occur, the later is much more pronounced and in our sensationalist society, is in our view more of the time.

Cruz's dream (or not)

Curz’s problem of the American dream is that he has seen that it is much different than the dramatized version. In fact, he says that the American dream isn’t to win, its not to lose. He sees this as the root of the problems with the dream as a whole.
Cruz first big disappointment was when he realized that the dream wasn’t for anyone. He discovered that is was only because of the Civil Rights movement that he got job offers at all. He got placed in the recruitment department and was only there “to be visible.”
After he got a new job he found that the even the different minorities kept hurting each other. The divide and conquer style of management showed him another way to “protect the American dream.” He saw how he could step back from the racial mess into his new management position and life the typical American dream. Instead, still holding some measure of hope he moved from job to job looking for a place that truly accepted his view of the American dream.
In the end Cruz found that the American dream was indeed broken. Basically only white people cold have power and if a minority made it up the ladder, if they didn’t toe the line, they’d never really be accepted. There is no golden goose in this country, only a desire to get ahead no matter what.

Classin America--2003

I don’t think that it makes the case that the wealthy are using the poor. Instead I think that he assumes that we already know about how the poor are being used and seeks to bring out the realities of this injustice. His information deals with the myths and realities of life for those in different classes. Mantsios also has a large section of his paper devoted to explaining how class level, gender, and race change a person place in life.
I think that there are few other interpretations of the text. Maybe the information could be shown as proof that the upper class uses the under classes. Another interpretation of the text could be an example of the darker nature of American capitalism. The more affluent classes have such a better standing in life that it is easy to see how this text could be seen as a criticism of our country.

Those poor kids and the essay about them

I would consider the argument expressed in the essay about the school for homeless children very effective. The essay uses Logos, and pathos. While the author does have some effective details, she never really presents her credentials.
The appeal to logos is very well set up and covers most of the bases. The Toulmin system shows that the essay has a strong claim, a good set of reasons, as well as an effective warrant. In addition, the author accepts the possible rebuttals of her arguments opponents, and defuses those arguments with a very nice qualifier.
The appeal to pathos is even more powerful. The argument tries to get people to feel an attachment to these poor, downtrodden children. Examples abound about how without all the services that the school will provide, the children would be in a much worse position. From prostitution to busy streets to gangs, First place is needed to keep the kids safe and happy.
This argument is well written, well argued piece. The logical part of the essay is well written, and the author does a very good job of involving the audience’s emotions.

Visual agruments

I agree that society is becoming a visual society, but I do not believe that visual arguments are more persuasive. At times they can be quiet effective, but in other circumstances they don’t get the point across like the author would want.
If the piece only has a weak argument then a visual argument can be better. Since arguments on TV, whether it is an ad or a subject on a TV show, come by only once and very quickly, the audience has little chance to truly dissect what they’re looking at. However, if the argument is deep and has many subtle points, I believe that a print argument is much more effective.
I also think that depending on the subject one type can be more effective than the other. If the subject is deep and really important to the world, then hitting it on TV glosses over the details that a print source might be able to cover more completely. However, if the aim is just to hit as many people as possible, the TV argument in much more effective.
Both print and Visual arguments have they’re ups and downs, but in today’s society is still very much believe that there is a place for both.

Pseudo arguements

A pseudo argument is an argument that seems like a real argument, but doesn’t have the enough aspects to allow for growth or changes in opinions. Two circumstances that can cause this are fanatical believers or skeptics, and a lack of shared circumstances.
If the people in the argument are attached to their beliefs and refuse to change their views no matter what, the argument becomes a pseudo argument. Also, If there aren’t enough shared viewpoints that both sides agree are true, the argument again because a pseudo argument.
A pseudo argument that I see every year around November is the discussion around political parties. Often I find that strong adherents to the different political parties will dismiss others’ ideas just because they belong to the other party. When people don’t bother to even listen attentively to the other side and just automatically push them away because of a different political creed, a real argument is impossible and the only thing that results is shallow pseudo argument.

Ethics of Pathos and Ethos

Both Pathos and Ethos have a large ethical responsibility attached to them. Logos deals with just the straight facts of an argument, but Pathos and Ethos both on some level try to sway the audience without applying actual facts. Therefore, there is an ethical obligation for the author’s to use these devices carefully. If an author relies too much on these two devices, he is being deceitful and begins to fall in shady ethical waters. If Pathos and Ethos are used incorrectly the piece devolves from a well-written argument to passionate drivel.
The media is on of the greatest examples of what happens when this ethical boundary is passed. More and more the news sensationalizes stories to try and stir up feelings in their audience. They try to pass off ever rainstorm as the next Noah’s flood, every snowstorm as the greatest blizzard ever, or even the latest car accident as a great loss of life. I even once saw a reporter filming about a flood while riding in a canoe. Only problem, you could see people walking in the three inches of water that she was in right behind her. Things like the ruin the true purpose of the argument, and when the ethical obligations of Ethos and Pathos are not followed, the result is usually bad writing.

Patos, the power of

Pathos is a powerful rhetorical device because of the three terms, it relies the least on actual fact. While Logos and Ethos give the reader pertinent information about the argument at hand, Pathos simply appeals to the reader’s emotional side.
Pathos asks the reader to engage his or her imagination and emotions. The more the author can use the reader’s emotions, the less that the reader is going to pay attention to the actual argument of the piece. A good example of this is the piece we read about the use of torture, the author didn’t have any background in the subject or good examples. However, because he tries to hit his readers’ hearts with made up reasons like kidnapped babies or mass destruction with no real factual background. He never once brings up the idea that torture could generate incorrect information. Instead, he relies on the pathos of his argument to try and sway the feelings of his audience.
Pathos is a powerful rhetorical device because it allows someone who has a weak argument to shore up their defense, even if there isn’t much to cover.

ap test woes

I’m really not that scared about the AP test. I think that having gone through the process once before has shown me what its really going to be like, and has helped alleviate some of the fear I have.
The test last year was definitely more hype than I realized at the time. After taking the test and scoring a 4, I think that the way our school prepares us for the test is more than satisfactory. I know that at Brebeuf, they take only one AP English class, both lit and composition combined at once, and I have to think that University’s way of doing it is vastly superior.
That being said however, I can’t say that I’m not at least a little apprehensive. After all, this is an AP test about subject material that I haven’t learned in depth before. It took me a long time to finally be prepared in last year’s class and I hope I am a little more on my game than last year. The one think that has been giving me solace is the fact that there isn’t any poetry on the test because poetry was my greatest weakness.

torture

I agree with the argument that Torture should be allowed in certain cases. While torture might not be acceptable all the time, in extreme circumstances the end justifies the means. If torturing a terrorist could have stopped 9-11 I definitely would have supported that decision.
However, I also believe that the circumstances under which torture is allowed should be very regulated. Solving even murders or kidnappings probably not necessitate torture, and the only type of crime that would permit its use should be attacks on large groups of people.
I also agree with his argument that Terrorists accepted the risk of torture when they began planning to attack innocents. However, authorities must be extremely certain that they have indeed caught a member of the terrorist cell before they begin torturing him or her. If they mistakenly torture one of the innocents they are trying to protect, it completely nullifies the morals that the authorities are operating on in the first place.
I believe that torture is a useful tool that law enforcement should be able to use, but I also believe that its use should be extremely regulated. While it could be useful if used correctly, the risks of getting false information or even worse, torturing an innocent, make it too risky to implement on a regular basis.

Genre

Both the Political cartoon and the Magazine ad’s arguments change because of their respective genre. The most important part of their genre is whom they are trying to influence.
The political cartoon is in the opinion section of the paper so it doesn’t need all the evidence that an article in the other sections of the paper would require. It also allows the author of the cartoon to include more of his own opinion in the piece. Because the cartoon is only one frame long, its argument pulls more at the heartstrings of the reader than the reader’s analytical side. The obviously starving African pitted against the anti-genetics hippie. This is a gross generalization, but because of the piece’s location, it serves as an effective argument.
The Magazine ad is located in a pro-health magazine, where’s it audience is most likely already anti-genetics. This allows the article to only publish evidence for its side of the story because the audience isn’t looking for a well-balanced article. Instead the ad can present its point of view in a very biased fashion.

explicit v. implicit

The difficulty between determining the differences of implicit and explicit arguments is the fact that they end up in the same place. Both arguments fight to convince someone of your personal ideals. The difference is how these two different styles go about it.
An explicit argument is an argument where the argument is written or spoken directly. The point of the argument is clearly displayed and given. Explicit arguments state the argument and support it with reasons and evidence
An implicit argument on the other hand, could almost be called behind the scenes. It doesn’t look like a normal argument because its point might be hidden behind any number of double meanings or metaphors. However, like an explicit argument, the implicit argument tries to move its readers towards a certain point of view.
Both the picture on pg 5 and “Dulce et decorum est” serve as good examples of implicit argument. Neither piece directly addresses the point they are trying to make, but both serve as evidence as to why their point of view is right. The soldiers in the picture seem proud to have served without ever directly talking about how they truly feel about war, while Owen’s poem clear thinks war is despicable without ever directly mentioning war itself.

Memory

It was a hot day towards the end of school last year when our old garage door opener burnt out. We could tell it was coming as the sound the door made as it came up could only be described as shrieking. My dad went to the handy dandy Lowes store and came back with a spiffy, “Super Silent” edition. However, as he began to install it he came to the ugly realization that the track the door itself slid up was a different length on the new model that then old one. I had to help him move the entire assembly that holds the opener from the roof about three and a half feet forward. I then when inside for a couple of hours and could periodically hear curses of varying degrees of nastiness through the garage door.
After the last curses rang out, my dad dragged me outside to show me his handy work. He clicked the remote, and the door slid up, clicked again, down it went. Trouble started though when he tried to use a remote to open the other two garage doors. Somewhere along the line, he had cut the blue wire instead of the red on or something of that mysterious electronic sort. My dad, being the absolutely amazing electronic wizard that he is, stared at the problem for a good two minutes before looking to me and saying, “You fix it,” and storming of into the house. The buck now effectively passed, I tried to figure out where to start. My first sweep was purely investigative. I managed to find six wires hanging loosely where the old opener used to hang. On the back of on of the old garage door opener, I also found a box marked signal box. After jerry rigging this box onto the back of one of the garage door openers still in operation, and fiddling with those six mysterious wires, I finally discovered a combination that made the doors go up. Unfortunately, they were backwards. The left button opened the right door and the right button the left door.
The next logical step was to simply reverse the wires. However, for some reason I can’t even began to fathom, the powers that be decided that the simple reversal of the wires would fix anything. After about half and hour of frustrated fiddling, I finally figured out the pattern for the wires and got the doors working.
After successfully fixing the garage doors and making them go up and down for several minutes. I triumphantly paraded around my house singing the melody to Queen’s “We are the Champions.” As my family calls it, “The day the garage doors die,” will always be engrained in my memories.

more comments about class discussion

I think that the discussions in class in the class has been very good so far and i'm going to be sad to see them go. I'm going to be kind of worried as we get father into the class because of what Lemags has been hinting at. I'm having a little difficulty getting the five big questions thing, and the prospect of writing about them on a regular basis is somewhat daunting. So far I definitly like the class and do not mind the amount of homework at all. Compared to what the senior class that I took last year was going through at this time, I find this class' work load suprisingly easy. HOWEVER, I am not complaining and wold definitly not like to see it increase

Carlos Fuentes

The Evidence that Carlos Fuentes’ uses to describe his path to becoming a writer all come from his life experiences.
He starts his story even before he was born, in Panama. From there Fuentes is able to describe how his father’s job left him without a true feeling for his home country. This missing nationalism allowed Fuentes to get a feel for not only Mexico, but also all of Latin American and the world at large. He describes his experiences in the different countries as well as their beliefs in detail.
Carlos Fuentes’ other evidence is the impact that other writers had on his life and his writing. He name drops quite a few other famous authors, and actually writes about how the great leaders of literature affected his views of writing. Even as a young child he would read the stories of the famous authors and apply their principles to his writing.
Carlos Fuentes’ evidence about his path to becoming the writer that he is today consists of His own life story as well as how the stories of others have affected him.

Red Sky in Morning

I thought that this handout was MUCH easier to read. I also thought that our class discussion hit some interesting points. The conversation about the burden of witnessing something was particularly interesting for me because I really understood the idea that something is lost in the telling of a story. The idea that a movie about a book is twice as bad because it is farther removed from our psyche really hit a cord with me. The idea that having a story to tell is a burden really interested me. I also thought the line “she could tell a story” was an amazing way to put a generally accepted idea. The class discussion that arose form this point was also an entertaining part of class.

class so far

I think that class so far as been pretty standard for AP class. Having been through a year of Ap english already I've gotten used to the idea that I'll read a book, have ABSOLUTELY no idea what's going on, and then somehow have a deep, meaningful discussion that reveals what the section we're talknig about really means. Its interesting coming into class feeling relatively clueless, but I've found that as soon as the first topic is brought up, I always have understood more from the book than I realized.
This vocab test should be interesting because the words are actually relatively difficult and the style doesn't seem very easy either. Vocab has always been a hard part of English for me, and in 5th grade its actually the only class i've ever gotten a C in.
No matter how hard the class seems, i get by on the fact that I've gotten the best new signature ever: tinyfirefly52 (thanks lamags )