All I Asking for...Part 2 - dialogue

Why do Kiyoshi's parents have so many children?

I think Kiyoshi's parents had so many children for several different reasons. The first one that come's to my mind is that birth control was not an option back in that time. Some forms of birth control were known by some cultures, but it wasn't a thing that was practiced in those days. The idea was men and women got married and had a family, and you were blessed with as many children as you had. Nobody thought about numbers of children. They just happened, and were accepted. In these modern days, some countries actually regulate how many children can be born to each household, and in other countries, people are concerned about the impact that many children will have on them.

I think another reason for so many children might be because they thought more children would bring greater fortune and happiness to their family. Japanese culture is filled with many beliefs and superstitions, and having many kids might be a part of it. There is always the belief of the First Born Son, who is to take responsibility for the family in the event that the father is gone, but if the First Born Son is unavailable, then that position goes to the Next Born Son, and down the line. Having many sons was more ideal than daughters, whom had little value to the family. But ideally, many children could also bring many more connections to other families and wealth and opportunity from their future marriages.

Personally, I came from a large family, with many siblings, and I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world. We have wonderful memories of growing up together, the good times definitely outshine the bad.

Rules for Writers, ch 32, summary

This weeks reading in Rules for Writers will be about the comma, in my opinion a poorly misunderstood little fella! The comma is used to help make sense of sentences, to keep confusing and maybe sometimes embarrassing things from being misconstrued. It is used to separate items in a sentence. For example, She liked tomatoes, cucumbers, lemons, and pineapple. When using commas for separating items, it doesn't have to be a noun. It can be single words, phrases, or clauses. (273) Comma's are used with numbers and titles, as well as to express the plural of a noun. You can use a comma to pause a sentence, add related details, and continue with the original thought. It can be used to separate a title from a name. Comma's can also be used to serve as a bridge between two separate sentences, keeping the writing from being too wordy.

If you have a hard time knowing exactly where comma's are to be placed, I would suggest asking a friend to read what you've written, and see if all your sentences are clear and concise to them.

All I Asking For.....dialogue

This weeks reading comes from the story All I Asking for is My Body, by Milton Murayama. The story takes place in Hawaii in the early to mid twentieth century, and is told by a young Japanese boy named Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi and his friends Nobuyuki and Mitsunobu become friends with an older boy named Makot, who is a resident of the Filipino camp on the island.

The three boys became fast friends with Makot, I think mainly because he spent money on them, and they were poor. Makot would take them to the movies, and buy them food and treats. I think Makot spent money on them because he wanted and needed friends, and nobody wanted to associate with him because of his parental situation. In a sense, he was buying friendship. Makot's father did not work, and his mother seemed to be a disrespected lady. I do feel sorry for Makot to be living in a situation like that. No child can pick their parents lifestyle, and when the child see's how disrespected his parents are by others, and knows there's nothing he can do about it, it makes for a lonely life. I think it's one of those unfair injustices of life, where there is nothing to be done but survive as best you can. Makot seems to accept this life, but when Kiyoshi tells him he's been forbidden to be his friend because of Makots parents, Makot shows his shame in his face. It's obvious this has happened to Makot before, because his reaction is to just say goodbye and then walk away.

I don't like the way Mikot treated his mother, by being physical with her and telling her to shut up, but I also believe that children are a direct product of their upbringing. Makot was throwing his anger and the injustice of his life on his mother, and projecting the blame towards her. Makot was clearly embarrassed by his mother, and didn't want her near his friend. Kiyoshi was puzzled by Makots disrespect towards his mother, thought he would never do that to his own mom, but he also thought that his mom would never act the way Makots mom did in the first place.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the book, I really liked this first section! Does Kiyoshi continue to be Makots friend behind his parents back? Does Makot try to run away from home? And I really like the dialect the story was written in. It breaks the rules of English, and that catches and holds my attention more than anything.

Essay 3 workshop

Lovey is a character portrayed in Lois-Ann Yamanakas’ story, Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers. According to Wikipedia, Lovey is a Japanese girl living on the big island of Hawaii just after World War II, in the midst of middle school, where the three stories take place.

What role does media or schooling play in shaping Lovey’s identity? How does she learn to view herself?

I think media and schooling both had a huge impact on shaping Lovey’s identity. Most children in the United States watch some form of TV while growing up, and the majority of it gives them an unrealistic idea of what life is really about. I think TV takes us away from our pain and dislike, and hatred, and (falsely) tells us about this magical world where all the people are beautiful, live in fancy homes, and have abundant amounts of money and energy. It allows us to think that there is no stress, or real-life situations, like bills, or poverty, or death and disease. I also believe that too many parents are using TV as an easy way out of keeping their brood entertained and out of their hair. In the US, allowing children to spend hours glued in front of a television set has replaced telling the child to go play outside, for hours at a time. And let’s not forget the soundtracks. Music stirs at people’s emotions, and the music picked for TV adds to the longing felt by the average person.

Lovey’s media came in the form of Shirley Temple movies, which she would watch with her best friend. Lovey believed that Shirley Temple was a perfect person, in looks and in life. A pretty white girl who starred in movies, and whose movies always had happy endings. Particularly the endings where Shirley Temple would cry, or someone would cry over her and express their love for her. Lovey longed for loving attention from her own life, and would often fantasize about her own “happy ending.” One where her mother would hold and hug her, and where Shirley Temple would cry for Lovey. Media gave her a sense of not being worthy of the kind of love she saw on TV, of telling her because she didn’t look like Shirley Temple, or have the same living situation that was portrayed on TV, she was unworthy of the same things Shirley Temple got. I think TV blinded Lovey to what she did have. She couldn’t see the love her mother had for her, or how special and unique her heritage was. But we all feel that way. We all long for what we don’t have, or view what we do have as not good enough.

At school, Lovey was subjected to teasing by her fellow classmates and ridicule by her teachers. As this story took place after World War II, I can see how these types of behaviors were more acceptable. The teacher was the authority figure, and allowed to act in as a parent. But these days, while bullying by other students is still happening, ridicule by teachers, especially in the US, is not acceptable behavior. The teacher has gone from the authority figure, to a pawn in parents hands, having to follow the parents standards. In the story Obituary, Lovey was the subject of derogatory remarks because of her nationality, which was a combination of Japanese and Hawaiian. Other students make fun of her for being Japanese, and for having physical Japanese features, and her Teachers made fun of her for speaking Pidgin, a dialect of English that she grew up with. One teacher went so far as to tell her that the way she speaks is un-American. I think in that era, people who didn’t speak or act like mainland citizens were sent to school to be changed into this ideal of what an American was. You couldn’t have a different accent, or live your life like from another country. A good example would be my own mother. When she moved to the US from Puerto Rico as young adult, she was coached by family, friends, neighbors and teachers to put aside her culture, and start behaving like an American. Which meant no speaking Spanish, no cooking traditional food, and no native dress. This subtle brainwashing flowed to my brother and I. We did not learn Spanish growing up, or learn about our mothers culture. Everything was centered on our white American fathers culture.

All of this torment gave Lovey a hatred for school, and a hatred for being herself. She was ashamed of not being a perfect English-speaking white girl, of not being smart. Ashamed of her family, and of how she dressed. She withdrew into herself, and tried not make attention. She even redirected her shame and anger at another student, trying to find someone to help share the blame she felt for herself. Lovey acknowledged that she often though about her own death, and fantasized about how it would release her from her tormentors. But she was particular about it, and didn’t want to die in a couple of specific ways. I think she was hoping that if she died, everyone who ever made fun of her would feel shame, and would realize how much they influenced her death.

Besides family, media and school are major factors in shaping how Lovey views herself. She loathes her looks, speech, dress, and intelligence, and thinks that if she were different, more people would like her, and she would feel the love that she longs for. Unfortunately, many people grow up feeling this way, and these emotions are carried into adulthood, creating a circle of insecurity that becomes more and more difficult to overcome.

"...Pheonix, Arizona" dialogue

After watching the movie Smoke Signals, and reading the story "This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona, I'd have to say that I was more impressed with the story. I really did enjoy the movie. I thought the characters were very well developed, and the actors portraying them did an excellent job. I also like the format of the movie, how it seemed to be filmed in real time, showing that the characters could have been any person of the street in real life, not some hot-shot Hollywood action figures engaging in epic car chases and gun fights.

But reading the story took the movie to a different level for me. Mostly from the character Thomas, the storyteller. Thomas was portrayed as a weak person in the movie, physically smaller, a different perspective on life that was outside everyone else's standard. He was probably considered the geek of the neighborhood. But he loved to tell stories. In the movie, his stories bordered on fantasy, mixing reality with his perceptions. His stories seemed to annoy people more than fascinate them, and they definitely had some embellishment.

While reading the story, it seemed to me that it was Thomas' story, his version of what happened on the journey with Victor. Victor was friendlier to Thomas, respectful, treating him like an equal. And Thomas' stories were prophetic, seeing the past and future. People listened to Thomas' stories, and didn't make fun of him. I like this because I like to believe the all people are inherently good, and even though it's plainly obvious that Thomas is a good person, he is seen as a respected member of his tribe to other people, and especially to the one person that Thomas wishes the most respect from, his friend Victor.

Smoke Signals dialogue

I would like to talk about an image that kept coming up in the movie Smoke Signals. Fry Bread seemed to be a constant image that was associated with many stories of Victor and Thomas' life. Indian Fry bread is a main staple in their lives growing up. But not only is it a food source for them, but it also comes as a spiritual source, and a source for stories. Thomas seemed to be able to tell many stories that were involved with the fry bread, at times almost elevating the fry bread to a heavenly status. I think the residents of the reservation also use the fry bread as a link to their past, keeping them connected with their ancestors. Victors mother showed this by explaining that she is not the only one involved in making her famously delicious fry bread. Her mother and grandmother are involved, as that is who the recipe comes from. I think it helps them remember who they are, and where they come from, and for the future, it will also have fry bread in it.

Ch. 13 Rules for Writer dialogue

Chapter 13 in Rules for Writers teaches us how to keep the language of our writing consistent with tenses, how to keep skipping from indirect to direct sentence structure, and how to keep the "mood and voice" (p 107) consistent with the story.

Consistency of tenses is important, as it helps the reader understand from who's point of view the story is coming from. First, second, and third point of view sentences can change the time frame of the story.

Switching from indirect to direct sentences can come in the form of questions or quotations, sometimes leaving the reader confused as to whether or not the writer is asking them a question. There are three different moods in English. Indicative-used for facts, opinions and questions. Imperative-used for orders or advise. And subjunctive-used in certain contexts to express wishes or conditions contrary to fact. (p107)

I had never considered tenses and moods before in my writings, and will now use what I've learned from this chapter to carefully read over everything I've written and be certain that I keep consistency with the tie frame of my story.

Ch. 47 Rules for Writers dialogue

Chapter 47 in Rules for Writers explains how to create a constructive argument-based essay. By stating your opinion on a subject and creating a debate style atmosphere, it is very possible to convince your readers that your opinions and ideas make the most sense for your thesis. One important step is be aware of what kind of style your culture prefers their arguments in, and to follow that.

Make sure you have a solid understanding of the facts concerning your thesis, backed by evidence. Evidence can include stats, examples and illustrations (363). Remember to give credit to any resources that have been previously claimed in a writing by using citations, quotations, titles of papers, author names, and page numbers.

In your writings, try not be too aggressive in stating your opinion. You're trying to sway or convince your readers of your argument, not chase them away. Presenting both sides of the argument can hold a readers attention, and engage them in the dialogue. Ultimately, it should be like a gentle, persistent persuasion that leaves the reader agreeing with your thesis.

Argument based essays are a weak point for me, and I will need to create an itemized list of the pro's and con's of my argument as a rough draft. I believe if I have that in front of me, it will be easier for me to create a convincing argument. I will also make sure to do research on my thesis, so I can be sure of the facts I state.

The Insufficiency of Honesty dialogue

This weeks dialogue will be from Stephen L Carters "The Insufficiency of Honesty". I will attempt to answer the question What is Carters definition of Integrity? What does it mean?

Stephen L Carter explains to me that there is a difference between honesty and integrity. You can have honesty, but not integrity. Integrity, according to him, is not just about stating the truth. Integrity is about knowing what is morally right and wrong and constantly acting upon the right morals. One person's idea of honesty could be completely different from another person's idea of honesty, depending on what each individual was raised to believe. So one could not say who is being dishonest, because we are all partial to our own opinions. However, integrity means you are aware of the general populations ideas of what is right and wrong, (ex. murder is wrong) and you agree, and you act upon that agreement (ex. you do not commit murder).

Carter uses an excellent example in the essay, concerning a man confessing to his wife on his deathbed of an affair he had while married. The man had cheated years before, and decided that before he died, he needed to be honest to his wife and tell her. How convenient that he might have thought once he told her the truth, all would be well and forgiven. If this man had any integrity, he would have understood, and agreed that cheating on a spouse is considered morally wrong, and he never would have cheated in the first place. Instead, as Carter says, the cheating husband "shifted to his wife the burden of confusion and pain..."

After reading this essay, I can clearly define to myself the meaning of integrity. I understand it really has nothing to do with honesty, and I can see how the two terms can be mistaken for each other. A person has to really stop and think about each action they perform, whether its their opinion of something, or something they say or do, and decide what is best for the moral beliefs of all in the community.

Shooting Dad dialogue

For this weeks writing topic summary, I will be answering the question "What is the significance of the title?"

Sarah Vowell's essay titled Shooting Dad is a short story about the author and her father's relationship while she was growing up. From the way she described him, they seemed to be polar opposites in almost every aspect of a relation, but I think the biggest difference was he was a Republican gun lover, and she was a Democratic musician and poet. She seemed to think that she had almost nothing in common with her dad, and seemed to be embarrassed by the kind of person he was. They didn't agree on too many things, and frequently got into arguments. Their differences even caused them to create separate "countries" within the household, where one or the other was the ruler. Her differences with her dad also caused a strained relationship with her twin sister, who found their dad's lifestyle agreeable.

As she got older, she found that she wanted to be a "better daughter" to her dad, and figured the way to realize that was to try and understand her dad's relationship with guns.

Her dad had built a cannon, which to him, might have represented his cultural beliefs and family history. He spent a lot of time on it, and seemed to have poured a lot of his soul into building it. Sarah surprised him one day by telling him she wanted to watch him fire the cannon. The very first time she had fired a gun, as a child, she knew then that she wanted nothing to do with it. But after witnessing the firing of the cannon, she wasn't scared, nor repulsed. She actually thought it was "really, really cool." Here is where she realized that she does have respect for her dad's passion, and notices that her father and her are very similar people. She starts to understand that her dad is artist in his own right, just as anyone who creates music or performs.

Her fathers wishes for his ashes to be blown out of the cannon are respected by her so much that she ties the booming, deafening sound of the cannon to the noise of music that she loves so much. "Shooting Dad" is a literal, and emotional response to her accepting her dad for who he is, and showing him that she is the same.

Rules for Writers Ch. 4 summary dialogue

Chapter 4 in Rules for Writers explains to us how to form paragraphs that will be easy for the reader to understand, how to articulate sentence structure, and how to create a flow of sentences that will keep the reader interested.

A good paragraph will have a topic sentence with supporting sentences following it. Topic sentences do not necessarily have to be the first line, but it should read like a small summary of the paragraph. The sentences following should "emphasize a point" and provide proof or facts to keep the reader intrigued. For instance, in my personal blog, I write about my motorcycle adventures around the world. But I don't just state that 'I rode through a country', and then leave the reader hanging. I describe INSIDE the country, what I physically and emotionally experienced. If I didn't give juicy details, it would be quite boring!

Paragraphs themselves should be structured in one of many different types of "patterns". Wikipedia describes a pattern as "a type of theme of recurring events or objects". The themes for each paragraph should relate to each other, and should also give the reader details and facts (51) and maintain consistency (53).

Honestly, trying to incorporate all of the above mentioned into my future writings will be a challenge for me. If I try to stop and think about whether I'm following all of the rules or not, I will get what I like to call, a brain fart, and will just end up staring for hours, my mind as blank as the paper. Maybe I can start with baby steps, and at the very least, try to remember to keep my paragraphs on the same subject.

"Coming Home Again" Dialogue

After reading the essay "Coming Home Again" by Chang-rae Lee, I've chosen to answer the question "What is the narrators home?" for my dialogue.

The authors physical home never seems to really be mentioned in this essay. I didn't see much reference to the neighborhood he lived in, nor do I remember any significant description of the house. What was said about the house was always in reference to his mother's illness, like when he could hear her walking down the hallway, pulling her IV stand with her. I believe the author would consider the kitchen and his mother combined, to be his "home".

As a small child, he seems to have bonded most with his mother while watching her cook. She created an almost ritual style atmosphere with her cooking habits, and seemed respectful of the food itself. This love and respect was passed onto him, and as he grew older, it seems he enjoyed cooking, because he might have equated the cooking style of what he learned, with love for his mother. As an adult, when his mother became ill, he completed the circle by cooking for the person who taught him these rituals, even when he knew she could not eat.

The act of sitting down at the kitchen table with the family, and everyone in their proper seats, tied the author even closer to the kitchen. This is where the family might communicate with each other, and share their lives and stories.

While the author was away at Exeter, he was missing his parents, overwhelmed by the school and learning to live on his own. When his parents came on their first visit to him, he hung out with them in their hotel room. His mother surprised him by pulling a cooler of homemade food out of the closet, a veritable kitchen from home, filled with his childhood memories of food. He attacked the food, not because he was hungry, but because he missed being in the kitchen, with his mom. He was left with a feeling of satisfaction after eating.

From the essay, it's obvious to me that the author would call his mother's kitchen his home, as he has many fond memories of food and love.

Rules for Writers Ch. 3 summary

Chapter 3 in Rules for Writers talks about "global revision" for what you have written. I believe when they say "global revision", they are referring to when a person reads over the rough draft, and starts to see the different kinds of changes they would like to make, concerning the development of the subject and general idea for the paper. The chapter also advises on editing sentence structures, grammar checking, proofreading and spell checking.

During the global revision, the entire structure of the paper could be changed. It can be something as little as rearranging sentences or paragraphs, to developing your thesis further, to physically setting aside the paper and reading it another day. Using the five points listed in the "checklist for global revision" (Rules for Writers, page 28) can help you answer any questions the reader might have.

Adding, deleting, or changing the wording of sentences is another important feature in revision, as it can help to create an understandable language. In addition, proofreading for spelling errors, punctuation errors, and grammar check will keep the reader engaged and interested in what has to be said.

When I write, I have a tendency to write one sentence at a time, stop, re-read it several times, and revise it right then and there. I will use what I've learned in Chapter 3, and try to put down my general ideas first, then set it aside for a moment. Coming back will help me "see" what I've previously written with fresh eyes. Proofreading, I learned at a previous class, is best for me, when I read my essays backwards.

This image was taken by me in 2007, at the bottom of a mountain in Switzerland. The female is my friend Cathy, and the men were 2 out of a group of 19 people that we were doing a motorcycle tour with. Every time I look at this picture, I relive the intense emotions I went through that day. Emotions that helped make me the fiercely independent adventurer that I am today.

Cathy and I were going on a motorcycle tour through the Swiss Alps of Europe in 2007. We were acquaintances from work and mutual friends, and after talking at a party one night, we decided to ride motorcycles through another country, for fun! This trip consisted of us flying to Europe, picking up motorcycles, and riding through Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Italy along the Alps mountain ranges, which stretched through all of these countries. Cathy and I both had some experience riding, but I considered myself a fair-weather rider. Meaning I had never ridden in rain or snow before. I have never even driven a car in snow! The trip started off pleasant for us both. There happened to be a heat wave in Europe at the time, so the weather was great, and we personally had no riding mishaps. Most days we would ride with others from the group, but on this day we had decided to forage on alone, armed with just a couple of road maps, and no knowledge of negotiating foreign road systems on our own.

This particularly fated day started out fine. The weather was a little cooler than normal, but not alarming to us. We progressed our elevation up a mountain pass, and soon arrived in fog. Several miles later, the fog became dense. Other traffic seemed to fade away the higher up the mountain we got. Then, quite suddenly, the fog had coagulated so much that I could not see my front tire. It was so thick it even blocked out light from the sky, and cast us into an eerie dim world.

Here is where I got uncomfortable. I am riding in the front, but cannot see Cathy, whom I know is riding on my tail! Our helmet visors were dripping and fogging up, making the visibility narrow. The roadway is slippery wet, and I cannot define where the edge of the road is, as the fog is that thick. I slow my speed down to ‘barely crawling’, which on a motorcycle, means I’m almost too slow for first gear, and in danger of stalling out. In addition to all this, we are also in danger of running into cows, as in this country, livestock is allowed to roam free, even across roadways.

My heart is racing now, and my grip on the handlebar is so tight I get cramps in my arms. My eyes are simultaneously huge with fear, and stinging from the cold damp. This continues for miles and miles. We have to go up and down a mountain pass to get to our destination for the night, so turning around was not an option for us.

The weather was also getting colder and wetter, and when it started raining, I was not prepared. I had a protective riding jacket and pants on, but it wasn’t designed for near freezing temperatures. The sweat from my fear and nervousness was getting chilled, and causing me to shake.

I began to question my sanity in going on such a trip, and asking myself why I didn’t just go somewhere safe, like Hawaii or Mexico. Being a non-believer in Jesus or Christ, I started talking to myself, promising that if I made it through this mountain pass without crashing, I would go to church every sunday. I wonder why people think such things when the going gets tough? I’m sure someone, somewhere, has made good on that promise, but deep down inside the blackest little part of my heart, I knew I really wouldn’t keep that promise. I guess talking to myself kept me from stopping on the side of the road, and just giving up.

A little longer up the road, the rain turned to snow. I didn’t even recognize it as snow at first. It was very light, with a misty like quality. Soon, though, I began to see what it was when I noticed it starting to make small clumps on the road. Then large piles. I’d never driven in snow before, and I was momentarily almost smitten by the beauty of it! It was pure white, it’s own entity. It muffled the sounds of the cow bells around us. Right there, in my wonderous stupidity, I put myself back into a panic thinking that I had no idea how to drive in snow! The fear got it’s grip back on me, and my whole body clenched up.

Eventually, though, the incline leveled out, and we began to descend down the other side. The weather was exactly the same. After passing through the snow elevation, we ran into the rain, and then back into the fog.

Riding in the fog, I heard a vehicle behind us, and I was suddenly passed by two other motorcyclists! I believe they must have noticed my distress, because they didn’t pass by out of view, but stayed riding with Cathy and I to the bottom of the mountain. Cathy! I hadn’t even given her a second thought during that whole trip, and a quick look in the mirror showed her still behind me.

The first chance we got, all four of us stopped, and I found out the two riders were guys that I was riding in the tour with. I was never so happy to see other humans in my entire life. Cathy must have been feeling the same way, because we both hugged the guys and hung on to them for a while, talking ourselves back to a calm state of mind, trying to tell them how scared we were. Eventually the hysteria turned into happiness that it was all over.

The emotional experience took me by surprise way more than the physical experience did. I’ve had other emotional times; sadness, anger, shock. But these feelings took me outside my comfort zone. I’d never felt such raw fear before. My life has been very protected, living in the United States. I was born with the ability to choose my comfort, and the assumption that the comfort would follow me, and protect me, in a way, wherever I went. Cathy and I talked about it, and came to the conclusion, that after all was said and done, there could have been a lot worse things to happen to us in our lives. Like being born in a country that doesn’t allow women to travel! It was ok for us to be scared, we weren’t out to prove anything.

Remembering this helped me with future travels. I don’t turn down any ideas of places to visit, or things to do. I don’t turn down the opportunity to communicate with strangers. I don’t turn down foreign food. And if something bad happens, the first thing in my mind is ‘It could be a lot worse.’

"The Ways We Lie" dialogue

My dialogue for the reading "The ways we lie" by Stephanie Ericsson will be based on the question "Do I agree with the authors definition" after choosing one of the lies.

I chose to focus on the White Lie. I have mixed feeling for the authors descriptions of what a white lie is. I agree that telling a small untruth to help someone feel better is ok. Many times someone you know just needs a confidence boost, and who doesn't like a compliment? I would tell my own mother that what she cooked is delicious, because I love her, and I don't want to make her feel bad. If I didn't have a good relationship with my mom, I would still say the food was good, because I don't like to say mean things to people, even if I disagree with them. Truth can be ugly, and I believe the majority of people like to be nice. But I disagree to call it "an act of subtle arrogance." I'm not trying to decide that it's best for my mom to always think her cooking is good. That's not what my subconcious is doing. I have emotional ties to the person, and think that has a lot of say in what I tell her.

And regarding the sergeant in Vietnam who lied about the soldiers death, there were emotional ties there, as well. I'm sorry to be the one to say this, but what if the family DIDNT want to move on to a new life? Who assumes that everyone needs closure? Maybe the general public think it's a good idea, but that comes back to the argument that a white lie is someone deciding what is best for someone else.

Personally, I think there's no harm in white lies that make someone feel good, or keep someone from getting hurt. And now I'm wondering if maybe the term "White Lie" should get a new definition. Not be classified as a lie. Maybe it's more of an 'emotional response.'

"The joy of reading and writing" dialogue

How could it be dangerous to be smart?

In "The joy of reading and writing: Superman and Me", I chose to answer the above mentioned question.

I think the danger of being smart lies in the culture where one is from. My own assumption is that groups of people will start to agree on the same idea's, even if its wrong. Lemming effect possibly? Cultures of people will always look down on, or think less of people who don't have the same lifestyle as them. For instance, some cultures elevate man's status, and look down on women. Some cultures elevate those with money, and look down on those without.

I think if you put these two together, you'll get a dominant culture that doesn't believe the sub-culture was created equally. And if you allow the sub-culture to get ideas or freedoms, or allow them access to the same lifestyle, the dominate culture might feel threatened, and might try to restrict the sub-cultures access to being considered an equal.

Specifically from this reading, the subjects are Reservation Kids. I think I can safely assume that many US Indian Reservations live in extreme poverty, in secluded areas, with limited access to jobs and equal education. I think the dominate culture in the US, white men, (Communication between Cultures; Samovar, Porter & McDaniel) are afraid of smart indians who could live and work alongside them, and enjoy the same things in life.

If a sub-culture showed signs of being "smart",they could be subjected to discrimination and/or threats. Are they being smart by playing dumb? Or does that just harm them further?

Writing Topic - Ch. 1

Chapter one was an introduction on how follow the process of writing. Whether you are writing an academic paper, a business report, or a newsletter, following some simple steps and rules will give you the consistency needed to create documents that will capture your audience and keep them entertained.

Before you start writing, you can get ideas for a first draft while doing everyday activities. Thinking about you future writing while do other things instead of sitting with pen and paper will help create questions and ideas on how you really want your paper to progress. One important factor to consider is to be familiar with the cultures writing style. In my case, I am in a college culture in a formal english class. That leads me to believe that the instructor would like me to use proper english in my writing, and do away with the everyday street slang that I use.

Make certain about the subject, whether it was given to you or you pick it yourself, and formulate a thesis. Sources of information can come from many places; interviews, observation, personal experience, reading, or media. Decide who your target audience is, and ask yourself what you want the paper to do for them. And while there are many "rules" that could be followed, make sure to know the length, format and deadlines of your paper.

To utilized what I have just learned in this reading, I am going to try and start physically writing down my ideas and thoughts about future subjects before I actually start writing. It's too easy to write on the computer because of the ease of the delete and backspace buttons, so I normally just start typing without thinking first. I've already started, as I wrote down the rough draft for this summary!

Writing Topic Summary - Ch. 46

Chapter 46 in Rules for Writers gave us guidelines for writing about texts. It advises you to read the text several times, to understand what is truly being said. Often, just reading a text only can cause you to miss several important ideas. The concept of Active Reading; writing questions and thoughts in the text itself, or in a journal, will allow you to absorb what you have just read, more easily.

In writing about a text, you can be asked to write either a summary or an analysis, or both. A summary should show that you've understood what the author is trying to say. Identify the authors thesis, or central idea. "Maintain a neutral tone, and be objective" (pg. 352) , and try to identify all the ideas while keeping it short.

An analysis is used to see "how" the author it making his or her point. You should create your own thesis, and follow this with supporting evidence. It should be in essay form, and it should answer who, what, and why.

My biggest challenge with reading is speed. I tend to read too fast to catch every single word, which in turn is causing me to miss meaning. I will start reading each piece several times, and also try to slow it down, so that I can really hear what the author is saying. I've never learned how to structure my writing, and now that I know the difference between summarizing and analyzing, I will try to apply that to my future writings.

Freewriting Dialogue

I've just read the essay "Freewriting Exercises" in the course reader. Freewritings are writing exercises that allow you to write indiscriminately. I'm not sure if that's the correct word, but I'm a fresh off my first freewrite, so I'm still in the frame of mind to just put down my thoughts. A freewrite allows you to write anything that comes to mind, without fear of editing or correction, or without being evaluated by someone else. Your are allowed to misspell and miss-punctuate. You do not have to worry about sentence structure. If nothing comes to mind, you can state that, or you can repeat the same word over and over. It's meant to facilitate stronger writing by undoing the subconscious habit of editing at the same time you are trying to produce. Ideally, the exercises are also meant to help unblock the mind, and to let the voice of your writing turn into power.

Reading this essay totally blew me away! I didn't know that such writing exercises were allowed! I get to say whatever is on my mind, without fear? I really like that. Even though I love to write, it's one of the hardest things for me to do. It takes me forever to write, because I like to be articulate, and to spell correctly, and I like to write a sentence or paragraph, and then rewrite it, or change several words. But I do think I spend too much time doing this, and I've become quite obsessive about it. Learning that the freewrite exercises will help 'unblock' me sounds exactly like what I need.

Introduction for 8736

Hello, my name is Carrie, mostly called Mac, occasionally called Twinks! I'm 37, working on my 12th year as an EMT in the 911 services. I love being in the healthcare field, and have decided to leave the prehospital setting, and gravitate towards the hospital setting. My ultimate goal is Radiology Tech, but I'm thinking about how well I know myself, so I'll probably change my mind a dozen times.

I'm an Army brat from Tennessee, and despite a short stint in Virginia, I've been in California most of my life. I talk like a Californian, but get me around a Southerner, and my accent will drip like warm maple syrup!

I was a terrible student growing up, with no interest in education, as my main focus in life was survival, and I never developed the ability to concentrate for too long on subjects that bored me. As a young adult, I decided my life of short lived jobs was ridiculous, and took the easiest course at the JC that I could find...EMT. And found my calling.

This class is a pre-req to a pre-req for the Rad Tech program, but I do like to write, and am hoping this class can get the words in my head to flow on paper.

I'm looking forward to interacting with everyone here, and I wish you all a Happy New Year!