Writing Topic: Rules for Writers, chapter 48

Summary:
In Chapter 48 the main focus is evaluation arguments through different argumentative tactics and styles. The first way is using generalization to start off an argument by taking a few facts and molding them together into almost one fact. Another way of generalization is more hasty but can still be used, its call stereotypes, which is what we see because its what we want to see because of pre-made opinions about a certain group. Another way to evaluate an argument is through weighing potions. Weighing options means to talk about every part of a possible decision or atleast say that their are more than X amount of options. Making assumptions is a fast way to make a semi good point. Its hardly ever 100% true or strong but it can win peoples emotions pretty easily.

Explanation of how I will use this:
I think that in my idea drafts for essays I will use some assumptions just to generate ideas. I like the idea of using generalization for some things. I think that generalization in the intro paragraph or even in the beginning of one of the body paragraphs will help entice someone to want to read the facts behind a statement. The most I got out of reading about this was making every fact I could about something and not really leaving anything out, which is good because not only does it make your side of an argument extremely strong but it beefs up an essay a lot.

"Happy Endings," Obituary," and "Oompah Loompah” Dialogue

My response to Mr. Harvey...

In the stories Mr. Harvey is shown as a bully to the children and although he is extremely rude and vile towards them I wouldn't say he is their worst nightmare. If I had a talk with Mr. Harvey I think I would say, "thank you." I know that being an adult and having a professional job that having a strong grasp on the English language is an extremely important tool. Even outside of work it is important. When I am on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr I like to have proper English and when friends/others don't I get quickly annoyed. I'm not a fan of reading on the internet or sitting on here for days doing anything of much importance but I do not enjoy depicting what others are tying to say because "u" is shorter and easier to write than "you."

I understand that Mr. Harvey was trying to teach the children that learning basic proper English is what is write and I would say "thank you," but I would also have to ask him, "whats wrong with you?" I don't know when Lovey grew up but I know that if this story was taking place in the late nineties Mr. Harvey would have been kicked out of my Elementary School in a day for talking to children like that. I love his way of stern teaching but I also think it is important to not emotionally and mentally harm a child for their whole life because they speak like a neanderthal.

So I would respond to Mr. Harvey with a "thank you" for teaching with every intent to help and also a "what is wrong with you" for possibly ruining someones life with such strong, harmful words.

Writing Topic: Rules for Writers chapter 47

What I have gathered is when Constructing Reasonable Arguments you really need to research a lot of what you are going to say and you need to have lots of backup. I think the biggest part of this section was really just rereading what you wrote and seeing if you can counter it. If you can counter it then you should rewrite it so you cant counter it. Which is extremely smart not only for the paper but for everyday life to. We love to be right and if you speak in a way so no one has a good response then you will often get what you want.

I read that you should state you position very early one and before even posting it start to give creditability and points to what you will be arguing. You must look at the people who you are writing to as if you have to convince them of what you are proposing. You can not go in and think everyone is on board. You must support your idea with evidence, facts, statistics, examples, and illustrations.

I plan to use this in my everyday life. I love to debate, or argue as some of my friends might say, so I think if I took this information I would be set. I will also use this in upcoming essays where I might need to hold a side of an argument. Maybe also in other essays to just further spruce it up by giving it more facts and truth behind the sentences.

Essay 2

Shooting Dad Essay

Growing up we say to ourselves, “I do not want to be like my parents when I am older.” We say this because of the way our parents talk or dress, the actions they do in public, or the views they have about different things. We grow up around it and typically it is not what we want to hold with ourselves because we have for so many years. In the story Shooting Dad Sarah Vowell expresses her views on her father from when she was a teen to now and how they shifted but still molded her into the person she is today, the writer she is today.

When Sarah Vowell was an early teen she decided a few things; Sarah was a Democrat, she did not like guns, and she was nothing like her father. As Sarah Vowell’s dad, Pat Vowell, was cleaning his guns or making new ones from scratch Sarah would play one of her many instruments, read, or write. At age 6 Sarah and her twin sister Amy were taken out by their father to shoot a gun for the first time. That day Sarah started her dislike for guns, she did not like the feeling of holding it, the kick back, or the blast from the gun. Later Amy would say that she was the “the loneliest twin in history” because Sarah didn’t share the same passion for shooting that Amy or her Dad did. This could just push her further from that life style that her father wants her to become and more towards what she is and was destined to be.

In the Vowell house the parents of Sarah were open minded and it seemed like they were quite easy going. They didn’t mind if Sarah wanted a clean room or a dirty room, they let her choose her chores. They also let Sarah and Amy be vocal about their beliefs. They let them speak their mind about anything they wanted but if they could speak their mind so could Pat. So while Sarah learned what she wanted out of like she had to listen to what Pat Vowell learned so far from his life. With such open minded parents Sarah got to learn from her mistakes and she got to teach herself lessons instead of being told what was going to happen if she didn’t do something or said something to someone. Sarah was also never forced into going hunting or shooting with her dad after her experience at 6 years old. Both the mother and father of Sarah saw that she didn’t enjoy it and they let her be. With these types of parents it makes it easy for a child to grow and learn who they want to be at an early age.

As Sarah grew up a little her father had made a canon. At this point Sarah and her dad had a great understanding on where they both sat with eachother. They both knew that they were total opposites. Sarah also understood the importance of the canon that her father Pat had built and she wanted to join to go see it be shot. Her dad said she could but was confused as anyone would be with Sarah. For all her life she had hated guns and things of that nature and all of the sudden she wants to see it be shot off. They go to have it be shot off and Sarah learns more about the family past. They history behind the Vowell name is revealed. She fully understands the importance of the canon project that her dad had been working on for two years. She enjoyed the symbolism behind it. That same day she learned that although her father and her had nothing in common they were exactly alike. While her dad obsessed over weapons and other less than normal things, Sarah did the same but with microphones and musical instruments. She learned that she was just as odd as her dad and she then realized she was okay with it.

No matter how much you try and not become what your parents are you are still with them for the majority of your growing years. Their habits and actions are right there for you to either copy or try and do opposite. You look at them and wonder why they do certain things, you ask them certain questions.

"The Insufficiency of Honesty" Dialogue

What is Carter's definition of integrity? What does it mean?

Carter’s definition of integrity is exactly as follows, “Integrity, as I will use the term, requires three steps: 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.” Carter is merely saying to know right from wrong, do what you want with the knowledge you know, and if asked voice what you understand of the situation.

When in a situation and you are forced to make a decision you have to be sure to what is right for you, the group, or whatever it is you are doing. You have to use reasoning to say that doing something one way is bad for the group and the other way is better. Once you have figured out what it is you are doing then you have to do it. You have to do it and stick by it no matter what! Tell people what you think about what you are doing. Tell them why the way you’re doing it is right and how the other way is wrong.

Essay

When I entered into 10^th grade I had an interest in graphic design and photography and in that year I took both classes and did some of my hardest work in them. In photography I was voted to have the best picture out of the class in the three evaluations we did; in graphic design my teacher asked if I found a poster off line and copied it because he couldn’t believe that the poster I created was all original work. To be fair I had some knowledge and experience of what to do in both classes where the rest of the class didn’t, but I did work twice as hard to make everything perfect. Since then I have made website layouts for larger end companies and I have taken senior portraits for students and I have been getting paid as much as a professional does. On January 14^th 2011 I took over one hundred pictures of myself, edited ten, and then posted three on my blog and on January 16^th I got an email from the lead singer of a manger band that wanted me to shoot and edit pictures of their upcoming album. I had known of the band for a year or two and I have gone to their shows but I never imagined working with the guys who created music I loved and it was all thanks to the hours I put in working on not only the photo shoot by myself but also the work I had put in for the past 6 years.

In the past I have taken pictures for people they wanted their pictures to be on their business cards so they had something to show off and all I would get to do is remove unwanted acne or make them look skinnier than before. It’s always rewarding when people look at the images I edited and they smile because they “look 10 years younger” but it’s not fun for me when it gets to that point where the biggest change is hiding something all I am doing is working. When I have made websites for people they want something basic and it looks nice. They never pay me to make something graphic and bold because the businesses I have worked with do not like that sort of thing and once again my job becomes a job and it’s not fun anymore.

As I started to work with different people and different companies I started to notice a trend of “professionalism” and this is what started to turn me away from photography and graphic design. In January 2010 I started to make video’s on YouTube and once again I found people who needed a video editor, so I took the jobs. But just like in the past they wanted professional work with no creative freedom for me, the artist. On my own time during the past few years I have been doing work but also my own stuff, posting it on my blog and gathering attention from other people.

Now, I have exchanged emails with the people from the band and the management and on February 3^rd I got to do the shoot with the band. I had no idea what to expect so I gathered my camera, my lens’, and my lights and packed my car and met with them at a vacant lot new Santa Rosa. When I got there it was just them and a few friends which is always intimidating because I have never been good with meeting new people and a whole crowd of ten people terrified me. So we started to shoot and the best part of the whole shoot was when the lead singer told me, “do whatever you need to do, you are our boss today.” So we shot over 600 pictures and I worked for the next few days on going through them and picking out 50 to see what they liked. When they decided what they wanted I started to edit and I am still in the process of editing.

If you asked me in 10^th grade if I would ever think I would get to work with a major label band then I would probably tell you that I would but I know I would be lying. The picture I used for this essay is a picture that I will hold forever because it’s a picture that got me from having pictures on a few business cards to having pictures be on thousands of CD’s. Not only that but it could very well help my career and land me some more big jobs.

“The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me”

How could it be dangerous to be smart?

I think when we hear dangerous we think the worst. The first definition on google.com for dangerous is "involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm; 'a dangerous criminal'; 'a dangerous bridge'; 'unemployment reached dangerous proportions,'" which can be the case for some incidences but for the story we just read I feel like it's more of a mental danger. When people feel smarter than who they are around I think it can lead to depression and anxiety which will lead to dumb decisions.

The reason why it could be dangerous to be smart is because the people who aren't as smart around you feel intimidated and start to fear you. In a work place when everyone is at one level of knowledge and you have the guy who is one the next level people start to fear that he will always get the raise or promotion which will make people resent that person and possibly just ignore him. Once you feel that everyone is against you and doesn't want to be around I think it could lead you to leaving a promising future or even leaving a promising life by harming yourself. A lot of geniuses have killed themselves because of the stress due to their intelligence.