Issues thesis

Although all professional athletes have a certain level of athleticism, what separates the stars from the rest of the pack is the mindset they have which becomes evident on the field.

Issues

1. The egos and self-conscious tendencies of people.
- Can a person overcome their self-conscious self and become confident?
-What makes someone develop a big ego?

2. Major league stars.
- Are major league stars more athletic or do is it something else that pushes them to be the best?
- Can scouts ever completely predict whether someone will be a success in the majors?

3. People.
-  Can people change their personalities?
-  In the end, what purpose do people believe they have on this earth?

Totally Pumped

I just finished reading a book called Act of Valor.  It was recently made into an R rated movie so the best i could was read the book.  The trailer for the movie looked so sick that I needed to read the book.  At the end of the book I was pumped and ready to take on the world.  I then went on to youtube.com and looked up a favorite motivational video of mine titled MOTIVATION- "Be Great, Powerful Beyond Measure" -Best Inspirational Video Ever [Original].  After finishing Act of Valor and watching this cool video I was ready for whatever came my way.  Too bad all i had on my plate was homework

Peaceful vacations presented through excellent rhetoric.....I'm convinced!

Everyone loves a good vacation.  A sunny day on a serene beach with the warm sand around you and the waves crashing in the background is often an ideal setting for the typical vacationer.  This environment is hard to find when you expect to find solitude among the rolling surf.  Since these vacation spots are so popular, one often finds themselves in the middle of an unexpected whiffle ball game or being bludgeoned by a passing dog.  To escape the discord and pandemonium one has to look for alternative spots or times to vacation.  In an article by Cheri Lucas titled “Off-Season Hotspots” she adequately describes spots in northern California that are perfect for the introverted traveler.  According to her, there are busy spots like Yosemite Valley and Redwood National Park that remain well visited in the spring, summer and autumn months.  When winter hits however, Lucas claims that these spots become deserted and one can find themselves alone with the sites and trails.  With the crowds gone and a good companion by your side, these sites can become your paradise.  In Lucas’ article she effectively convinces seclusion seeking travelers to take unprecedented trips through her use of examples, personal experience and useful contact information which allows the reader to visualize and then commence on his or her journey. 

Lucas does a good job of peaking the reader’s interest when she presents examples. In her article she gives good evidence that certain off-season spots are the place to be.  In her description of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk she says “The kitschy, old-school beach boardwalk in sleepy Santa Cruz remains a family favorite destination, and rides, the arcade, and bowling lanes are open on the weekend.” This detailed description of a place that some might find trivial allows the reader to picture the serene setting.  Alone on the boardwalk, travelers would be able to get the vacation they wanted. The peace and quiet that the boardwalk provides is an instant selling point for the reader and convinces them that this is the place for them to be.

 She tells of other real places like Yosemite and Redwood to convince the reader of vacations they would like to have much more than vague descriptions would.  To remind the reader of the aversion they have toward crowds she speaks of Yosemite Valley by saying “you must share the trails, the creeks, the meadows, and the views with everyone else.”  This description makes travelers seek solitude even more than before and Lucas follows that comment up with an appeal to the reader by stating “Come in the winter, however, and you will experience the vast, desolate wilderness that Ansel Adams captured in his shots.”  Lucas effectively gains the reader’s trust and compliancy by providing this intricate example. The reader is then also able to get excited and prepare to visit a real place and enjoy a break.  By providing specific examples she allows the reader to see in their mind what that certain spot would look like.  The examples are accompanied by pictures which also help to capture the reader’s attention.  Vacationers who desire to be alone and rejuvenate while on their vacation will be assured of the peace the boardwalk brings from Lucas’ well worded rhetoric.

Through the use of personal experience Lucas also helps her argument relate to the common man.  Much of her paper is focused on personal experience and readers are able to feel that emotion coming through.  While she is telling the reader about Redwood National Park she includes her own experience by saying “The trailhead may be hard to find, but the misty trek down the narrow path to the 10-foot falls is worth it.”  Her inclusion of her experience helps travelers visualize the falls and Redwood National Park.  The details she provides are appreciated and a good break from computer printouts.  She goes on to describe the “open spaces” and “lovely… winter days” that frequent these vacation spots.  Her detailed description helps travelers also know that the place Lucas talks about is real and they can have the same experience she had.  She makes it sound as though she has been to the places she mentions and has spent significant time there.  Not only has she been there, but she knows when the best time to visit is, which gives her authority and adds to her credibility.  Her wisdom as a traveler is taken into account and the reader can thoroughly rely on her insight.

The final aspect that makes this piece convincing is the addition of contact information. While a description of a great vacation sight is nice, a way to get in touch with that place is even better.   Lucas tells you about real places you should visit and then lets you know how to do that.  She gives numbers of attractions at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and also how to reserve a camping spot on Angel Island.  This specific information is relevant to the reader and puts them in the driver’s seat.  They are not only called to action, but are given the tools to help them build their vacation.  This addition by her was a selling point for the reader and helped convince them to go on one of her vacations.  By allowing the reader to secure a vacation spot while he or she read the article, she made that process quick and easy.  This final inclusion in her opinion editorial seals the deal and gives the reader what they need to succeed.

Through the use of different rhetorical strategies Lucas was able to convince the reader to go on off-season vacations to northern California.  She presented good evidence and backed that evidence up with personal experience and a way to get in touch with the sites.  This relevant information guided the reader to choose from a previously set list of vacations.  Her specificity to detail gave credibility to what she said and was a contributing factor to her well thought out paper.   She also did a good job of capturing the reader’s attention with the promise of a secluded vacation which draws them in for the remainder of the paper.  The reader’s keen interest on being alone while on vacation kept them reading and allowed Lucas to provide intimate details of certain sites. These details were backed by personal knowledge and related this piece to the common traveler. Her rhetorical strategies were successful as they provided all that was required by the reader to become fully convinced of her point. 

RA Reflection

With the RA assignment I liked how we were given certain guidelines for how to write our paper.  Sometimes it's refreshing to be told what to do.  I may be the only one who thinks this, but I was happy for this assignment.  All the other things we did seemed the same with our Op-Eds except for the review process.  As I said in an earlier post if we combined the two types of reviews we did together then we would have the perfect review process. Other than that it was all good.  Thanks Senor Christopher

Best of Both

I think both of the reviews helped, but they both could have been better.  With the Op-Ed we were given a specific amount of time during on class period to read one person's paper.  This was good because we could focus on one person, but our time restraints hurt us.  Seeing that we only saw the paper we graded for about ten minutes, we weren't able to get into the details of the corrections we thought it needed.  On the other hand, with the RA reviews we were able to take them home and review them with a little more time.  This was good because we were able to generate more meaningful thoughts, but the fact that we had multiple papers to grade hurt the feedback.  During class when we shared our corrections there wasn't much time to go into detail with what we wanted to tell the writer.  Also because we had three papers to review the analysis wasn't as sufficient as it could have been.  If we combine the good from both of these processes and have one paper that we take home and grade and then talk about it in class, I think the review sessions will go much better.  We would have the best of both worlds.

Skadoosh

Kung Fu Panda is one of the greatest movies of all time because the director did a wonderful job of casting the perfect panda, Jack Black.  The director knew that this casting would provide the humor and the credibility Po the panda needed.  Po is a fat panda and no one would expect him, or Jack Black, to be a Kung Fu warrior.  Because the viewer  wouldn't expect this, the movie becomes totally awesome when Po does become a Kung Fu warrior.  He accomplishes it by being himself and that makes it believable.  Kung Fu Panda is a great movie and one to watch if you haven't already.  Skadoosh!

Figurative Language

Lucas uses a couple different types of figurative language, the first one being diction.  She describes vacation spots in a way that would make a traveler want to visit. In talking about good off-season vacation spots she says " Don’t forget, though, that winter is an ideal time to explore places sans crowds—to seek solitude, to enjoy the silence. You can often claim an entire beach or hiking trail to yourself, all day long."  In this way she relates to her audience; the solitude-seeking traveler.

Another use of figurative language is her imagery.  She describes the different sites in an appealing way and makes those sights visible to the reader.  An example of this would be "If you’ve explored Yosemite Valley during the summer, you know you must share the trails, the creeks, the meadows, and the views with everyone else. Come in the winter, however, and you will experience the vast, desolate wilderness that Ansel Adams captured in his shots."  She  does a good job of making these sights visible to the reader.

RA Thesis

'Violence and the Inner City Code" is an ineffective argument to convince readers of the dangers of bad neighborhoods because it doesn't provide enough evidence or detail concerning "The Code" and it lacks alternative rhetoric such as videos or pictures which diminishes their argument.

Rhetorical Situation

http://secondbus.wordpress.com/
Author: wordpress.com
Audience: Those unfamiliar with inner city violence
Issue: code of conduct of inner city residents and the violence that follows

http://blog.bigshowbaseball.com/
Author: Contributed by Josh from MLB Blog
Audience: Baseball fans who are aware that Barry Bonds wants to come back and play, but nobody wants him because he did steroids.
Issue:  Why can't he play when others like Alex Rodriguez are still playing and have used steroids

http://71miles.com/
Author: Cheri Lucas from 71mile.com
Audience: vacationers looking for vacation spots that aren't always visited.
Issue: Trips to certain places in California during the vacation off-season can be well worth it

Reflections, My Friends

The Op-Ed process was a new one to me because I have never written one before.  I was definitely thrilled I was able to pick my own topic and do with it whatever I wanted.  The peer reviews were the most beneficial to me because they allowed me to see what I was doing wrong and how I could improve my writing.  My roommate read my paper and convinced me over time that it needed to be more persuasive and definitive on what I was talking about.  This helped my writing and the and end product was better than before.  I also enjoyed how we put this assignment on our blogs.  With the use of pictures and video I think i enhanced my argument and made my topic, St Louis, more appealing to the readers.  Overall the Opinion Editorial went well for me and I enjoyed writing this piece.