All I asking for is my body Part III

What is the meaning of the title?

The meaning of the title “All I asking for is my body” has an important meaning as it is a sense of begging for an escape out of an unjust situation that Toshio and Kiyoshi found themselves in. With Toshio being the number one son and a duty to fulfill his filial piety duty, he constantly lashed out about the situation out of frustration. I can just imagine the sense of suffocation and entrapment he must have felt. It appeared that there was no way out, that he would be working for years on end and never being able to chip away at his parent’s debt. His undeserving fate had him frustrated to the point of talking disrespectful to his mother and actually striking his father.

It seemed that boxing was the only way for Toshio to release his tension and proved a way of a distraction for him to carry on. He thought the only way he could come up with the $6000 was to became a successful professional boxer. He continually commented “All I asking for is my body” was an aggravation at the way the plantation work ran a person’s body down to ground. Honestly, I do not know how he was able to train so hard for boxing after working in the cane fields all day. He only wanted a chance at an education and successful life that was not full of poverty like how he had grown up in.

All I asking for is my body Part II

Why does Kiyoshi believe Obaban is a substitute for his mom? 

Kiyoshi believing that Obaban is a substitute for this mother has everything to do with their culture and the superstitions that exist and taught in that culture. Kiyoshi’s mother has deep beliefs in the superstitions in her culture that influence her behaviors and decisions in her life. These beliefs are passed along to her children. She has strong beliefs why her life has turned out like it has. “She thinks she’s been chosen for someone else’s punishment”. (23)

This punishment seems to be relieved as another superstition comes into play as her “Hawaiian mother” (22) passes away. Kiyoshi’s mother is thankful that Kiyoshi had retrieved Obaban for a visit and that she was able to see her before the end of her days. She believes that this is a turn in her bad luck she has experienced her whole life. Although Kiyoshi is happy that the bad news was not regarding his mother, he felt guilty since it was about the sroke of Obaban. He then realizes that this event is the substitute for his mother still being alive. It was looked on as a happy event since Obaban was older and it was the more natural thing to happen.

All I ask for is my body Part I

Who is Makot?  Do you feel sorry for him?  What are your thoughts about him and the way he copes with his parents? 

Makot is an older Filipino boy that likes to lead a group of younger Japanese boys. It appears that he feels a need to bribe them with food, gifts and activities in order to maintain their friendship and the ability to tell them what to do. The young boys listen in order to keep the fringe benefits of the friendship coming their way.

Makot seems to have a poor and chaotic family life. He must deal with being looked upon differently because of the strange parents that he has. I feel sorry for him that he must deal with such struggles as a child. Some think that a child’s actions reflect upon their parents but on the contrary, a parents actions can directly influence the way a child is treated by others due to the reputation of their parents. Although I would rather not state the specifics, I dealt with a very similar situation growing up. When asked my last name, there was hesitation because I knew that I would be associated with my parents and I knew their reputation. After answering and confirming who my parents were, I would get the look and the “Ohhhh….”. It would make me feel so embarrassed. So I can understand how Makot must have felt. These feelings can turn to anger which is why I think he shoves his mother out of the way when she is embarrassing him. Like I always say, “You don’t get to choose your parents”.

Rules for Writers Chapter 51

To be effective in writing a research paper, one must find an organized way of keeping notes and keeping track of the source materials where one finds their information so that there is no plagiarism present. As you find sources where you find your information, keep a bibliography of the ones that you plan to use “that will appear at the end of your paper.” (405) Be sure to spend extra time when using Web sources to find where exactly the information is coming from to include in your MLA style essay. It is a good idea to jot a few sentences down to cover the main points of the sources that you plan to use, along with either a printout or photocopy of the material to be used. It is important as you jot down ideas to not “borrow language from your sources” (406) as to avoid plagiarism. Avoid referring back to your source unless you are going to be quoting and that means using quotation marks around the phases. Avoid plagiarism in summarizing and paraphrasing as well.

Even though I have been practicing avoiding plagiarism this whole semester, there can never be enough caution when it comes to plagiarism. I will use this information to enforce the caution that is always in play in my mind. I will use quotation marks when directly quoting from the source that I am using. I will also use caution when paraphrasing or summarizing which I think to be the more difficult to avoid.

Essay 3 Rough Draft

SMOKE SIGNALS

Resentment can be a heavy burden on a person that has not found a way to let go. Forgiveness is the only thing that dissolves the resentment and provides freedom from those negative feelings. Recovery from these resentful thoughts can only come when forgiveness has been achieved. Strength is required to forgive and let go of those bitter thoughts and feelings and clear a path for a positive mine-set going forward.

Forgiveness was significant in the movie “Smoke Signals” as Victor has held on to his resentment toward his father since he was a young boy. Arnold, Victor’s father, left because the immense amount of guilty for starting a house fire due to his alcoholism. It appeared that Arnold at first dealt with his guilt through drinking more alcohol which also causes him to become violent toward his wife. This is the way he was able to mask over his guilt and still be around for his family. This all came to a head one day and Arnold gave up the battle, packed up and left. Arnold’s love for his son was present when he was getting in his truck to leave and Victor runs out and Arnold stops and gives him a big hug goodbye. This shows his love for his son even though he is choosing the cowardly way and leaving. I think he left for reasons that allowed him to survive with his own feelings, and in a way, it was a protection in order for his son to live without seeing his father’s guilt daily. But Arnold might not have thought about the lasting effects this would have on his son at such a young age growing up without a father around. A young boy without his father can create many negative emotions such as anger, hostility and resentment.

Victor’s ability to forgive his father all stemmed from the information he learned when he arrived in Arizona to receive his fathers asses and possessions. A good friend of Arnold, Suzy, was there at the trailer. Victor spend a significant amount of time with her discussing the feelings of Arnold. In doing so, Victor finds out that his father was very remorseful and thought of his son everyday; Arnold very much loved his son. This was important for Victor to learn to be able to recover from resentment he had held inside towards his father for all these years. In turn, this helped Victor to forgive his father and let go of the pain. There must have been a sweet release of negativity as Victor let go of his father ashes over the bridge in Spokane. That is the pivotal moment in Victor’s life where he can let go of his resentment and move on to happier, more positive things in his life.

As we reflect on the movie “Smoke Signals”, we can appreciate the healing power that forgiveness can play in one’s life. Forgiveness can be a difficult thing to accomplish but in the end is well worth the effort. Forgiveness helps all involved and helps release the resentment or grudge that has been bogging one down emotionally. It is in everyone’s best interest to forgive when possible. Life is short and you never know when it will be your last day.

This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona

What’s one difference between this reading and the movie version?  How does the change affect the story, change the meaning and/or alter our perspectives of the characters?

One significant difference between the movie and the reading was the situation and surrounding that Victor and Thomas found when they arrived in Phoenix, Arizona. In the movie, they arrived at the trailer to find a “friend” of Victor’s father and Victor was able to have some valuable conversations with her to discover that his father was remorseful for what had transpired and that he loved his son very much. In the reading, they arrived at the trailer that smelled of decomposition and Victor was only able to find a stereo and some photos to keep for him.

This changes the affect of the story as respects to Victor and how he was able to deal with his negative feelings toward his father. In the movie, by him learning how his father felt toward him and how sorry he was helped Victor to forgive his father and overcome some of those negative feelings that he had bottled up inside for years. Resentment can burden a person’s soul, so it was great to see the movie give Victor’s character the release that he needed.

Smoke Signals

What do you think of the relationship between Thomas and Victor?

Thomas and Victor have completely opposite personalities, styles and demeanor. There seems to be a division between them. Thomas is smiley and likes to tell stories. Victor is hard and keeps to himself. There also seems to be an animosity that Victor has towards Thomas and it seems to be the fact the Victor thinks his father didn’t go into the burning house to look to rescue him but did go in to save Thomas.

The two young men venture to pick up ashes of Victor’s father after his passing. After Victor talks with his father’s “companion”, he finds a way to forgive his father for leaving him and his mother when he was a young boy. The car accident they are in also has a part in changing Victor’s attitude. Victor finds himself doing thing that his father did such as cutting his hair. This forgiveness he learns, prompts him to also patch things up with Thomas. The two young men who have been somewhat friends since they were young realize that they both grew up without fathers whether that father had a choice of being there or not. What parents do and treat their children stays with them for a long time, if not for the rest of their lives.

Rules for Writers Chapter 50

There are many different places that you can find information on your topic of choice. This is why it is extremely important to evaluate the quality of "those truly worthy of your time and attention". (397) The first step to determine how a source "could help you make your argument". (398) The source could help explain terms and concepts, provide evidence, lend authority or assist in the counter argument. Since there is so many sources to choose from you will have to scan different types such as book catalogs, databases and web search engines. This is where it is important to examine how scholarly  your source is. Are the authors educated, credible and performed research in your topic directly? As you read the information from the source you choose, be on the lookout for "signs of bias" (402) and "assessing the author's argument" (402). Your biggest concern would be the credibility of web sources. Anyone can post an article online so extreme caution should be used to ensure the author's expertise.

I can use this information as I search for sources to support my argument, not only in this class, but going forward. I have taken the library information class and the library can prove to very useful in finding sources. I will use caution when finding source on the web as it is harder to prove the author's credibility.

Happy Endings Dialogue

What is the significance of Shirley Temple? What meaning does she hold for Lovey?

The significance that Shirley Temple holds for Lovey is happiness. Lovey uses the scenes from Shirley Temple movies to visualize “happy endings” (3) that she also wishes she can experience; love, security and happiness. Lovey experiences emotional moments every time she watches when Shirley Temple is reunited with her father, and this has her yearning for that parent-child connection with her own parents. Lovey fantasizes happy endings for Shirley Temple and for herself. She does this along with Jerry, her good friend, who seems to bring her the only love and happiness in her life. This daydreaming allows Lovey to endure her own mundane ever day struggles. Shirley Temple holds hope for Lovey that happy endings can come true.

Shirley Temple gives Lovey not only hope but prove to be an idol; someone for her to believe in and strive to become like. Lovey longs to be cute, happy and loved like Shirley Temple is. Lovey is devastated after her mother gives her a home perm that turns out to look like an afro because she had visualized looking like Farrah Fawcett or her true icon, Shirley Temple. Hence, the nickname that was given Lovey was “Oompah Loompah” (59). This can be hurtful to a young girl’s self-esteem and self-image. I can attest to this as I grew up with my mother and sister teasing me in a similar fashion and it proved to lower my view of myself. Some may think its all in good fun but the hurtful feelings that stick with the young person can last years.

Rules for Writers Chapter 48

When evaluating arguments we must use reasonableness and beware of being "fallacious, unfair, or both"(371). Most fallacies are due to hasty generalizations and incorrect analogies. The major fallback of generalizing is that it most likely will produce probabilities and not certainties, which can also lead to stereotyping. We can test our reasoning by asking ourselves, is the evidence sufficient, representative and relevant. Refrain from assuming that two things that seem to alike in one areas with be alike in all other areas when drawing our analogies. We must take precaution in showing a connection between cause and effect. We must weigh our options and acknowledge all alternatives that may exist to show your fairness to the opposing opinions. Therefore, avoid making assumptions and provide sufficient evidence to support your argument. Reaching the readers on an unfair emotional level can be a pitfall, along with using “bias language” (378).  In order to pose a fair argument, include the opposing writer’s argument but avoid quoting out of context.

Assuming ideas without proper evidence is something I will beware as I am posing my argument. I will also take caution showing the connection between the cause and effect, avoiding using my own opinion as evidence. I found this chapter beneficial for writing and supporting arguments. I believe this will help in the critical response assignments.

Rules for Writers Chapter 47

There is a constructive way to pose a reasonable argument in which to offer your opinion to your readers to rethink how they view your topic. It is important to not sound too aggressive or passive but have an assertive tone in your argument. You want your readers to consider your view and reasons supporting your outlook on the topic which may make them rethink their own viewpoint.

Your argument should include “social and intellectual contexts” (360) which your readers most likely would be knowledgeable about so as to add to your own credibility. Regard your readers as “a panel of jurors” (360) as they probably will not agree with your opinion and you will have some convincing to do. Clearly state your viewpoint in your introduction to establish your credibility to show “you are knowledgeable and fair-minded”. (361) The argument that you are presenting must be convincing in order to back up your thesis. Most importantly, your essay must include precise evidence to support your argument. Lastly, predict what the objections may be from the readers who would disagree with your argument and try to include a counter argument in your essay.

This information most certainly can be used in the critical thinking essays that I will be working on. I tend to be a little passive in my argument, so I will be working on the more assertive approach without sounding too aggressive. I will also work on a strong introduction to establish credibility and clearly set up my position on the argument that I am about to write about.

Essay 2 Rough Draft

There are many influences in our childhoods that shape our personality that ultimately mold the person that we are today. But there is nothing like the influence that we receive from our families. Both positive and negative attributes are learned as we transition from childhood to adulthood. At the same time, it can also depend on how we decide to receive those influences. We can take the negatives and turn them into something positive. The choice is ours.

As in the case of Sarah Vowell, she had a strong influence from her father being a gunsmith as she grew up. She developed an immediately dislike for guns after her first experience shooting one at the age of six. This created a distinctive wedge between her and her father that lasted quite a few years. A time came in her life came when she longed for a relationship with her father that she had been missing throughout the years. Sarah came to the decision that she needed to bridge the gap of the distant rivalry that had been between them. As a child reaches out for her father’s hand before crossing the street, Sarah reached out to her father by requesting to see his handmade cannon that he had worked so hard on. And to her amazement she actually enjoyed the excitement of the blast which at the end of the day brought her and her father closer together. Her excitement was so intense that she had a difficult time conveying “the giddiness she felt when the cannon shot off”. (438) The thrill of the blast compelled her to bust out her tape recorder and produce evidence of the memory that brought them together.

            Pivotal moments such as these, shape to change our outlook of the relationships with our family members and how we should treasure one another despite our differences. It is beneficial to all to examine the similarities and the differences that we share to development our appreciation each other. Sarah’s appreciation for her father and what he loved was displayed in the way she carried out the ceremony of his death. Knowing his love for his artillery and appreciating his invention of the cannon, she paid the greatest respect to her father; shooting her father's ashes out of his handmade cannon was the ultimate depiction of her father's life and what he stood for. The symbolization of the ceremony would have made him proud.

            The need for a parent and child to establish and maintain a close bond is undeniable. When this bond is successful the is an sense of significant accomplishment on both sides. This connection is extremely important to establish before it is too late, before our loving parent is no longer with us. Although there had been stifling road blocks for both, I believe Chang-rae Lee and Sarah Vowel had this situation in common. They both had a longing to be close to their parent before their passing. They both reached out to experience what their parent had a passion about. Chang-rae Lee attempted to cook as his mother did, feeling her passion for food and engaging in their culture of cuisine. And Sarah put forth the effort to experience the excitement that her father felt regarding his love for firearms and understand the accomplishment of his inventions. They both developed an appreciation for their parent and what their parent stood for.

As a daughter myself, the need to maintain a close bond with my father is one of importance. Like Sarah, I have experienced a large wedge between my father and I until about two years ago. The longing for us to have that father-daughter bond was something so deep that I thought would never take place. I took advantage of a situation to extend myself out to my father in his time of need. Surprisingly, he accepted my help and the lines of communication opened and mended the bond that we both had longed for.

Writing about Literature

When one writes about literature it is important that it contains a debatable thesis. A debateable thesis must have a strong arguement that consists our your own personal viewpoint. There are three things that should be apart of your perspective: an interpretation, an evaluative judgment, or a critical evaluation. (1) The argument provided should be supported by scholar examples of your viewpoint.

There are several places in which to research your carefully chosen topic. One of the most common is the Internet which an abundance of information can be found to support your opinion. The other common place to find the information for your paper is the good old library. It may take a little more time to perform your research at the library but it has proven to be enlightening way to find supporting facts for me. Although the information you find is important, this is to support your own ideas and critical thinking. Lastly, you must give credit where credit is due. List where you have found your supporting fact by listing it MLA style at the end of your paper.

I have written only a couple research papers but they were not considered critical thinking. This will prove to be a challenge for me. But I will take this information in consideration when research a topic and when finding the evidence to support my opinion.

The Insufficiency of Honesty

Carter’s definition of integrity has much more meaning than just being honest. Her definitions consists of three parts: “discerning what is right and what is wrong; acting on what you have discerned, even at personal cost; and saying open­ly that you are acting on your understanding of right and wrong.” (pg. 1) According to her definition, integrity requires a person to be more than truthful but also requires one to follow up the honesty with actions and to fulfill the commitments that we have made.

In my opinion, integrity involves a significant amount of discernment with choosing when to express our truthful words and when to exercise omission. There is a time and place for both; times when we would need to truthful as to our partners and times when we may choose to withhold comments as not to hurt the feelings of others. This includes examining what is right and what is wrong to what lies behind our decision and actions. Regardless of the choice that we have make, one must maintain to the commitments that they have made. Upholding our commitments is what makes the difference between honesty and integrity. Have you heard the term, “Actions prove louder than words”? Honesty is a verbal display of truthfulness, but integrity puts our honesty into play. Integrity is an open display of our honesty.

Shooting Dad

What is the significance behind the title "Shooting Dad"?

Sarah Vowell found it difficult to have a positive relationship with her father growing up. They seemed to be rivals in many instances. Their disagreements stemmed from the political views that they held but were mostly surrounding the second amendment regarding the right to bear arms. Sarah's father was a gunsmith, hence, his entire life revolved around firearms. She developed an immediately dislike for guns after her first experience shooting one at the age of six. This created a distinctive wedge between her and her father that lasted quite a few years. I think that Sarah had longed for a bond between her father and herself and this is why she decided to extend the effort to bridge the gap by asking to see him shoot off his homemade cannon. For reasons that maybe she does'nt understand herself, that gap was mended.

As a daughter myself, the need to maintain a close bond with my father is one of importance. Like Sarah, I have experienced a large wedge between my father and I until about two years ago. The longing for us to have that father-daughter bond was something so deep that I thought would never take place. I took advantage of a situation to extend myself out to my father in his time of need. Surprisingly, he accepted my help and the lines of communication opened and mended the bond that we both had longed for.

John Vowell had a passionate love for guns and this showed throughout his life. He literally was a shooter, having a houseful of firearms. After many years of rivalry between his daughter Sarah, they mended there relationship and she grew to appreciate in her own way her father's love of guns. Her appreciation for her father and what he loved was displayed in the way she carried out the ceremony of his death. Shooting her father's ashes out of his handmade cannon was the ultimate depiction of her father's life and what he stood for. The symbolization of the ceremony would have made him proud.

Rules for Writers Chapter 4

A successful essay consists of effective paragraphs that support the essay’s main point throughout its entirety. It is important that the length of each paragraph be just the correct length. If the paragraph is too short it may not portray the correct supporting information to the reader, and if the paragraph is too long the reader may because uninterested. The key function of paragraphs is to link itself and the reader back to the main point.

The majority of paragraphs should start out the first sentence including the main point as to orient the reader to the topic. Throughout the paragraph it is important to “stick to the point”, keep the reader focus on the main point. Refrain from including information that does not support the topic sentence. There are many “patterns of organization” we could use when constructing our paragraph. Examples and illustrations, narration, description, comparison and contrast, and definition are to name a few ways in which to organize our paragraphs as to capture our reader focus. Repetition of our main point is key in keeping our paragraph consistent and coherent.

Just a few weeks ago, I had little knowledge in how to formulate a paragraph. My ideas seemed to go in different directions. I believe that I have improved some but am well aware that there is much more to learn in writing paragraphs. I will create a topic sentence at each paragraph as to acquaint the reader with the main point. I will also use repetition through the paragraphs and whole essay to drive home the main point as well. I will experiment with the different organizational patterns to formulate my paragraphs. In the end, my expectations are that these pointers will improve my essays.

Coming Home Again

What comes to mind when you think about family? It can hold a different meaning depending on the individual. According to Chang-rae Lee, the essence of him feeling at home and family unity highly involved food. The closeness and contentment was experienced when his family was all together around the table to consume the exquisite food that had been prepared. His mother had been the sole preparer of meals most of his life. As a child, he had taken great pleasure in admiring and watching as she prepared the food in hopes to possess the ability of cooking as well as she did.

The mere subject of food was his mother's favorite subject; it was her passion in life. She possessed her own methods and techniques of preparing her native Korean cuisine, but she was not close minded to learning new dishes. She welcomed her neighbor to teach her on preparing "exotic American dishes" as well. Cooking was how she expressed her love, therefore, the family was joined together with her tasteful talents.

As his mother became ill with cancer, he resumed her household duties including preparing all the meals for the family. Ironically, his mother's cancer was in her stomach after all her years and love for cooking. She never lost her love for food even after she was unable to eat any longer as her cancer had progressed through its last stages. Chang-rae Lee was often monitored by his mother while preparing the food for the family and patiently accepted his mother's advice. After consuming the meal, his mother and him would discuss the outcome of the success of the meal. This communication was the core of their relationship; this is how they bonded and maintained their closeness until the end.

Rules for Writers Chapter 3

After the rough draft is complete, most of your ideas will be down on paper in front of you. This does not mean that the structure and thesis will be in the correct format. Now it is time to take a look at the essay as a whole, not the grammar and spelling. Ensure that the essay has focus and organization throughout the entire essay. It is also important to review the content and maintain the attention of the readers. Throughout this process, it is common to withdraw sections of the essay and add new sections after looking at the big picture of the essay's structure as a whole.

When the global revision is complete, the next steps are grammar and spelling. Grammar corrections involve sentence structuring. Common issues with sentence structure is "wordiness" and can be improved by restructuring sentences. You may need to take one sentence and break it into two or three. Reliance on grammar checker is not advised. Proofreading is also necessary and can be a tedious task. It can be a time consuming task but a vital one as well. Like grammar checkers, spelling checkers should not be relied upon. A good recommendation is having a friend help in the proofreading to get an outside perspective and eye for errors that you may not see.

All the points above is what I plan to use in my following essays. I have used some of these suggestions on my past essay but still need improvement. The global revision is the first and foremost step in the revision process that I will exercise. This must happen before grammar and spelling. Although, I will not lessen the importance of grammar and spelling. All three of these steps are equally important. I will work at using all of them in my upcoming essays.

Rules for Writers Chapter 2

Rough drafts are another step in the writing process that you can be creative to form ideas. At this point you should have such tools already established such as "lists, diagrams, outlines, freewrites, and so on". Similar to freewrites, the rough draft should not be concerned with the exact grammar and choice words. But rather should be concentrated on the structure and formatting.

The structure of the rough draft should include an introduction with a clear thesis, the body with facts supporting the thesis and a strong conclusion that bring it all back together. The introduction should be not only include your main point, or thesis, but grab hold of the attention of the reader. The body of the essay must include supporting evidence of your thesis. The ideas presented in each paragraph should also tie back the the thesis. The conclusion should without a doubt drive home the thesis and main idea, leaving the reader with memorable thoughts of reading your essay.

Many start these essays with care to detail, this is the way I have always written. The introduction first, then the body and last the conclusion. After constructive feedback, I have changed my strategy of forming my rough draft. My thesis is the first and foremost which is in my mind already obvious. Then I will attentively construct the body with supporting evidence that ties to my thesis. Lastly I will create a strong persuasive conclusion to make a lasting impression on my readers.

Essay 1

Friends are a precious possession that you should hold dear. These kind of good friends are difficult to come by and they are one of the select few that will always be in your life. These types of friends are those who should not be taken for granted. Friends like these should be cherished, treasured and adored.

That is just the type of friend that you see in this photograph. My very good friend Allison is on the left and myself is on the right. When I look at this photograph, I am reminded of the immense closeness and incredible friendship that we share. The smiles in the photograph portray the love and affection we feel toward each other. Our friendship was established 11 years ago when we began working together and has developed into a friendship that can be compared to the close bond sisters possess. A friendship that will last a lifetime and a friendship that you know will last the rest of our lives. This photograph was taken last summer at a Rodney Strong concert with the performance of Chris Issac. The significance of the event is that we both have our own busy and hectic lives but always find times to relax and enjoy each other’s company. We often strive to get together once a month for an evening of “girl talk” which can be challenging at times because of our schedules. Regular annual and sometimes biannual vacations with the girls are made a priority to escape our stressful lives and unwind and relax. These vacations are meant to alleviate our minds of work, family responsibilities and stress as a refresher. When we are on the road to our destination, no matter how far and how many hours, we are without silence in the car. We just keep talking and sharing with each other. When we arrive to the vacation destination, there are no plans in place. We just do what we feel like, even if it is just curling up in front of the fireplace with a good book. The whole experience is about relaxation. It proves beneficial for all to be able to reward ourselves with this relaxation so that we may return to our lives refreshed and rejuvenated. Many fond memories have been created. We work hard and we play hard. There are times that we are consumed in the daily grind and responsibilities that we may not talk for a couple months but then we get together and catch up on each other’s lives. The closeness is always there no matter how much time has passed.

We have many life experience that we have shared together and trials that we have leaned on each other for. My friend Allison has been there for me through an immense amount of trials that I have experienced and mistakes I have made. She is always supportive and is non-judgmental. There are countless times that she has been there to get me on my feet after several terrible and abusive relationships. Sometimes I think of all the times she has helped me move to escape the abuse and I get emotional thinking of how she has never complained about it. Her house has been extended to me several times when I had nowhere to go. Her husband and she are filled with such hospitality. She is just always there. She has proven to be a good listener and supplies me with advice when needed. The friendship that we share is not only emotional but is on a physical level as well. We have experienced each others pain and recovery through several illnesses and surgeries. There are countless good memories of our friendship that we have shared.

Everlasting friends can go long periods of time without contact and never question their friendship and pick right up where they left off. They speak as though they were in contact yesterday. They could even move miles apart and have the same closeness. Life can be extremely busy but these types of friends understand and love you anyway. It is an eternally bond that you share. I will never take Allison for granted.

The Ways We Lie

Is it possible to tell lies and still be an honest person?

At first glance at the question, I was quick to respond that is not possible to tell lies and still be an honest person. The more I began to review the reading, the question seemed to turn complicated. When I think of someone who lies, I think of the out and out lies or those that seem to lie to cover up for their own mistakes. In this case, I despise those who lie. I always have felt it is better to be honesty and have everything out in the open and on the table. If you dont have honesty, what do you have?

As I pondered over the reading again, I paid close attention to the introduction and the section on white lies and omission. Omission is withholding information that may make the story appear differently than if the listener had all the information. Examples of this kind of lie is seen daily. I think some people may use this kind of lie unintentionally without realizing the consquence it may have on the situation. The majority of white lies are also presently without thinking sometimes. The perfect example is when someone asks you, "How are you?", any you reply "Fine". You may reply in that same manner even when you are not fine, it may be the most stressful day and you respond the same way.

There exists many forms of lies. I think that the unintentional ones are unconscience thought that come out as responses without putting the thought into it. I do believe that the intentional lies that has extensive thought and meditation behind it does not make a person honest. I think we must make a conscience effort to think every response through so that we are honest yet do not lie either.

Superman and Me

Education can save lives and empower individuals to have goals and to achieve success. This is especially true in low class communites stricken with poverty where the "indian children are expected to be stupid". (p. 13) The majority of Indians live in poor conditions and this is the expected norm which also becomes their comfort zone. Therefore, reaching beyond the expected norm is portrayed as becoming an outcast. Ridicule is the result of reaching out for education and success. In a sense, lives have the potential of becoming lost in to the realm of hardship and distress of poverty.

Alexie has strong conviction and determination to save the lives of as many of these Indian children as he can. He saves lives for those who learn to read and write which provides them with a gateway to knowledge and success. Education provides basic survival skills and opportunities to break them free from the norm. Unfortunately there are those who are arrogant and already defeated that may not heed the viable education presented in front of them. This does not stop Alexie in trying to break through their walls because his ultimate goal is to save their lives.

Alexie saved his own life by following and imitating his father's love for books. He learned to read on his own at an extremely young age. His love for books and education grew. He refused to fail or be influenced to settle for the norm. He stepped out from the expected behavior and read, ask questions and spoke up in class in an attempt to obtain success. By all of these efforts, he obtain success and thus saved his own life.

Rules for Writers Chapter 1

When beginning a writing assignment one must gather ideas which can be devised by many different methods and formulate a general plan and outline. First, you must "assess the situation" (p. 4) in the following ways. Identifying the subject whether the instructor provides one or you select one on your own. Search the destination from where you will retrieve your sources of information whether it be from personal experience, reading materials, observations or interviews and questionaires. Determine the purpose of your writing assignment which includes understanding what is expected as to the length and document designs and deadlines from the instructor. The type of audience also must be considered.

There are several ways in which you can begin generating ideas. Talking with friends or family, annotating the reading, taking notes as you read, listing, clustering, freewriting, asking the journalist's questions or keeping a journal. A tentative thesis should also be created towards the beginning to start a centralized main point to stay on track with your subject. Next, sketch a formal outline to capture your ideas and thoughts.

Freewriting will be my first attempt to gather my ideas for my writing assignment. For the most part, freewriting seems like a successful way to let your ideas flow and then you can sift through them and take what you want to use from them. Annotating texts and taking notes is another technique that I would like to try. It seems like it is a good way to highlight the main points and also ask yourself questions along the way to analyze what the author was trying to relay. The first essay should be bittersweet; I am excited to try out these techniques yet fearful of how successful I will be.

Rules for Writers Chapter 46

Active reading is the first step of writing about a text. Active reading includes highlights, making notes, underlining main points and maybe circling ideas that spark your interest. Reading the text several times will give you more perspective and ideas of what the author is trying to relay.

The next helpful step in producing a brief outline to help yourself understand the author's thesis and main points. This puts the main ideas down in your own words and starts to help yourself start thinking about how to interpret what the author is trying to convey. Next, write a summary of the text referring back to your outline. This will require choosing the ideas that you think are most important since the summary is a short writing of the whole article. Then you must select a few points to analyze and make an argument either for or against the authors views. This will require evidence to support your arguments.

Active reading is definitely in my plans because it allow you to put your own thoughts and ideas down about what the author is saying on paper and it provides a great start to producing an outline. I would like to attempt to use an outline, which seems like a bit of work to me, but it seems like it could be very useful in formulating my ideas. My challenge will be creating arguments. As a reader, I am passive and am not usually judgemental. Hopefully this chapter will help in my writing about texts.

Frewriting Exercises Dialogue

The definition of freewriting is writing down your raw thoughts for at least ten minutes which out interruption. You must let your mind open up and free itself of grammar, punctuation or editing. This means you write non-stop without stopping for any reason. Your thoughts may drift out of the subject that you originally have started with but let your thoughts flow. Your thought might even be blank or seem to be about nonsense but the only important thing is that you do not stop writing for the duration of the ten minutes.

When one is consumed with premeditating their thoughts and editing the words before they appear on paper, it inhibits the contents of their thoughts and feelings. Freewriting allows one to drop the obsessive thoughts of making mistakes. This can be difficult for some who have a habit of thinking things through before it appears on paper. Some, like me, may have the feeling that once on paper it is semi finalized. When we let all our thoughts flow onto the paper in front of us we give ourselves more ideas to work with and later choose the ideas that we think are the best and we can edit these after the fact.

Although the whole idea of freewriting is new and surprising to me, I find it interesting that it can help and improve your writing skills. Even though you may produce some garbage out of letting all your thoughts go, you may also get some excellent and intriguing thoughts that otherwise might have been skipped over due to your internal editor. I look forward to freewriting and seeing how it affects and improves my writing.

Autobiography

     Currently I am employed by L-3 Communications Wescam Sonoma Operations as the Lead Test Technican of the Test Engineering Department. L-3 Communications Wescam Sonoma Operations design, develop, manufacture and support ultra stabilized, high performance electro-optical and infrared imaging turret systems for ground, airborne, manned, unmanned aerial vehicles, military, and commercial applications. I am responsible for scheduling of all subassemblies, circuit boards and turret systems coming to the Test Engineering Department before final shipment. I am also responsible for managing and overseeing the productivity of five test technicians.
  
     My short term career goal is within the next year to be appointed as the Test Engineering Supervisor. My short term educational goal is to complete English 100 in order to receive an Associates degree in Electronic Technology. My longer term educational goal is to pursue a Bachelors degree in Business Management.

     I have lived in Sonoma County for 26 years which has been most of my life. I am hoping to receive from this class, better write skills and grammar. This would benefit myself and my employer in my writing reports, emails, etc. My goal is to get my work in early. This will be a challenge with my hectic work schedule and responsibilities. I usually pace myself by trying to engage in my school work at least a little everyday. I look forward to the interaction of online learning, by this I hope learn about the views of others and hopefully a little more about myself.