Wrap-up

Well, the time has come to wrap up my blog.  This semester has been a very enjoyable semester for me.  I feel I have learned alot and will use what I have learned in my future writing.  I did not know what to expect when I started online classes, but it has been a very good experience.  For those of you questioning whether to take online classes I would say go for it. 

You need to have some structure, and once in awhile force yourself to do homework when you could be doing other things, but it is worth it in the end.  It is really nice to be able to work at your own pace, and when it is convenient for you.  There is no punching a clock, or keeping track of hours worked, etc. 

As far as learning what you need to learn while taking online classes, I would say that you learn just as much or more than a regular classroom setting because you can go back and look over the material anytime you want to.  When you are in a classroom, once the teacher has covered a certain subject, the teacher moves on to the next subject whether you have learned all you need to learn about that subject or not.

I will continue taking online classes as I can afford to.  To me, learning is fun and you should never, ever stop learning.

Thank you to my instructor, Nikka, for all of your help!

A Modest Proposal

  I would call this story "An Immoral Proposal." I found the subject to be very creepy.
In any case, I have thought of a few social problems we have in the United States that could also be the subject of "A Modest Proposal."

   One example is the health care crisis in the United States.  In the kind of reasoning Mr. Swift uses, the very sick and the very old could be subject to euthanasia.  Only the young, strong, and healthy people would remain.  This would save the country a huge amount of money on health care.

   Another example would be the homeless in the United States.  Suppose Mr. Swift used the homeless as an example in place of children.  The same principles would apply.

   A third example of a social problem in the United States that could be the subject of "A Modest Proposal" could be prison inmates that have life sentences.

Small Thanksgiving but Large Blessings

This Thanksgiving will be a quiet one for me.  My children will all be either working or with their in-laws.  I am used to tables full of people, lots of noise from children playing, etc.  This year we will have grown-ups only.  The number has went from 30 people to approximately 8.  Even though I wish my family could all be around the table and with me on Thanksgiving, I still feel very blessed just to have them.  We will be together at Christmas, which is always special, but especially this year since my youngest son will be deployed in the spring.  I am thankful for the 2 grandbabies on the way, and pray for them to be safe, happy, and healthy.  I am also thankful for my boyfriend, who brings so much to my life.  I am thankful for the rest of my family who mean so much to me.  I am thankful for my employment, my home, HEAT, and chocolate!  I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, even if everyone you love cannot be there will you.

My Blog This Week

I was so inspired while reading the speech "I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King Jr.  I have heard excerpts of the speech over the years and I am sure I have read the entire speech in the past, but reading "I Have a Dream"  once again was very moving. While reading you can feel the pain and the passion Mr. King was feeling while writing the speech.  The words used in the speech "I Have a Dream" show an inspiring writer how important using the correct words can be to a story.  If anyone reading this (if there IS anybody reading this) and that person has not read Mr. King's speech entitled "I Have a Dream" you are missing a very important and inspiring piece of history.

Appeal to Bandwagon

The logical fallacy of Appeal to Bandwagon has happened in my life, and to my advantage!  My boyfriend never liked football.  He says the players get paid to much. I love to watch the vikings play.  It used to be that when I watched football, he would go somewhere else and do something else.  After years of me watching football, my boyfriend slowly started to watch.  Now he watches most games with me!  I must say however, that he does spend most of the game rooting for the other team! I think he just does that to get my goat.  But at least he is watching football now. 

I think that logical fallacies happen all the time.  I believe people are mostly oblivious to them now and don't even notice most of the time.  Politians try to blur your perspective during campaigns by condemning their opponant.  Children are fooled by the logical fallacy of faulty reasoning.  They believe if they have what everyone else has, they will be popular. 

Sound reasoning is also called logos
Emotional appeals are pathos
Persona (also known as ethos) - using ethical appeals

Election Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Election Day!  Do you care? Are you interested in politics.  I was talking with a friend today, and sharing our opinions about politics. I believe that there should be term-limits for people who are in elected offices.  I think in order to keep things honest this must be the case.  A fresh perspective is always good.  How do you feel about term limits?  Do you feel when our country was started that they believed in term limits? 

My thoughts on Tattoos

I read the essay entitled "On Teenagers and Tattoos."  I found the essay to be very long-winded, and it seemed as though the author wrote this essay with a dictionary sitting next to him.  Some of the sentences went on forever! 
In any case, the author goes on and on about all the different reasons teenagers get tattoos and body piercings.  He says one reason is for stability, another may be to support their efforts at autonomy, privacy, and insulation.  The author then goes on to say teenagers may get tattoos and body piercings in order to defy their parents, and take control of their lives.
I have to say that I did not get any tattoos as a teenager; I got all of my tattoos as an adult! I have three tattoos; all are flowers.  I have flowers and leaves around my ankle, I have a rose on the back of my neck, and I have a ring of flowers around one of my thumbs.  Of all the reasons the author gave for teenagers getting tattoos, he forgot the most obvious reason; they are so cool!  I love my tattoos, and I don't regret getting a single one of them.  My tattoos are not big and gaudy..they are small and pretty.  I do not care for huge tattoos that cover large parts of the body, but that is just my opinion.  Every adult has the right to do what he or she wishes to his or her body.  Teenagers, however, should not have the right to get a tattoo.  I believe a person should be at least 18 years of age to get a tattoo; they are more likely to understand the implications of getting a tattoo.