This is my critical assessment for my English 121 class taken with Mrs. Leah Rogin-Roper.
Before taking this class I did not see the complexity of literacy; it has been enlightening to analyze my skills as a writer throughout the semester. I feel as though prior to this class I had serious problem with organizing my thoughts and keeping focused throughout my paper. I have truly worked on that this semester and have found my writing to be more fluid and that I write with a more rhetorical tone without trying to. We obviously spent a lot of time in class on working with rhetorical appeal and I feel that it has helped me as a writer to direct my work towards my audience. It was truly interesting to analyze advertisements and writings in class and going in depth about underlying meanings or rhetorical appeal that I had previously missed. Looking back on all of our writing assignments I believe that my favorite one was the literary analysis because I enjoyed being able to share what I think and make an analysis based on what I thought of the texts. My least favorite would have been the analysis of a song or video, as I struggled to understand and interpret my thoughts specifically to what was asked of me and subsequently did not produce a quality paper. For the future I hope to continue to improve myself as a writer by being able to use all the things I have learned such as proper structure and organization as well as writing with different tones and evoking emotion from the reader. Writing can truly be a powerful means of communication and I plan on continuing my efforts to become a well rounded technical writer.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Critical Review
Here is an excerpt from my critical review of Deadmau5's song Ghosts N' Stuff, I will also include a clip from the scence depicted in the excerpt.
( For now here is the link i can't figure out how to load it directly yet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ArUgxtlJs#t=2m1s
He later stumbles into a local hamburger joint and orders up some food only to find that he cannot swallow it being he has a sheet over his head and tosses it back at the employee, whom doesn’t find this so funny and retaliates with a bottle of ketchup. The author is once again sharing experience with our character to show his troubles and hoping to sympathize with his story. This also provides the audience with humor as its funny that the ghost is simple wearing a sheet that is enabling him from his meal and the casual exchange of ketchup that has found his ghost white outfit.
The scene cuts and we find our ghost filling a washing machine in attempts to rid the stain and the bad luck he’s drawn along with himself. He is triumphant as he is cleaned and almost has a new sense about himself where he accepts his reality; on cue a man with a monkey mask strolls by and signals our ghost to accompany him with a large crowd of other costumed folk. He eventually finds himself at a show and is being adorned and accepted by his companions and the ghost is finally at peace. We have gone through the ups and downs with this ghost and now he is at his pinnacle. He is then approached by a man in a mouse helmet and the scene flashes back to the hospital
bed where Joel awakes from his bed. He looks up with a frantic,
exhausted look and begins to rub his neck, only to find the same tattoo that our ghostly friend had received during the night.
The author of this video used the life of Joel Zimmerman (Deadmau5) to show how living outside of yourself and seeing life from different perspectives. He uses the ghost in the video as a sort of martyr of Joel’s journey. He begins in such a panicked and helpless state but through negative experience teaches his audience that through perseverance and an open mind life can be so simple. He uses abstract techniques and methods within his video that leave the audience with something to think about at the end.
( For now here is the link i can't figure out how to load it directly yet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ArUgxtlJs#t=2m1s
He later stumbles into a local hamburger joint and orders up some food only to find that he cannot swallow it being he has a sheet over his head and tosses it back at the employee, whom doesn’t find this so funny and retaliates with a bottle of ketchup. The author is once again sharing experience with our character to show his troubles and hoping to sympathize with his story. This also provides the audience with humor as its funny that the ghost is simple wearing a sheet that is enabling him from his meal and the casual exchange of ketchup that has found his ghost white outfit.
The scene cuts and we find our ghost filling a washing machine in attempts to rid the stain and the bad luck he’s drawn along with himself. He is triumphant as he is cleaned and almost has a new sense about himself where he accepts his reality; on cue a man with a monkey mask strolls by and signals our ghost to accompany him with a large crowd of other costumed folk. He eventually finds himself at a show and is being adorned and accepted by his companions and the ghost is finally at peace. We have gone through the ups and downs with this ghost and now he is at his pinnacle. He is then approached by a man in a mouse helmet and the scene flashes back to the hospital
bed where Joel awakes from his bed. He looks up with a frantic,
exhausted look and begins to rub his neck, only to find the same tattoo that our ghostly friend had received during the night.
The author of this video used the life of Joel Zimmerman (Deadmau5) to show how living outside of yourself and seeing life from different perspectives. He uses the ghost in the video as a sort of martyr of Joel’s journey. He begins in such a panicked and helpless state but through negative experience teaches his audience that through perseverance and an open mind life can be so simple. He uses abstract techniques and methods within his video that leave the audience with something to think about at the end.
BBBS Group Project
Here i have provided my excerpt from my group paper that was written earlier this semester.
“The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado is to help children reach their full potential through professionally supported, one-to-one, volunteer mentoring relationships with measurable impact.” Big Brother, Little Sisters has proven itself to be a viable and beneficial organization to the state of Colorado through its interactions within the community since 1918. They provide a simple service through one-on-one interaction with children in the metro area that are either at risk or without a healthy parental relationship. Their mission is to provide the “little’s” with structure and a healthy ongoing relationship with their “big”; this system has proven to be beneficial to the overall development of the child in social skills and performance in school. Big Brothers Little Sisters have helped 2,165 littles alone in 2008 developing their attitude towards authority and learning, as well as a heightened sense of community and overall self esteem. The organization prides itself on being a sort of catalyst for these children creating long lasting relationships and decision making skills that these at risk children would potentially never have; as they would in most instances end up in negative situations whether it be failure in school or making other ill advised decisions that can affect ones future. The organization has had a measurable impact on not just the Denver metro area but the entire state of Colorado; they are active in the community partnering with the Mile High United Way providing opportunities for their BBBS matches to enjoy time together. The ultimate goal of BBBS is provide opportunities for those that might not have had them without assistance. Throughout their organizations existence in Colorado they have proven their methods to be more than successful in creating lifelong skills that prove to be vital to future relationships and success in life.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Critical Review of Brett Favre's Career
Here is an excerpt of my critical review that i had written after the NFC championship game in 2010, in which the eventual SuperBowl Champion New Orleans Saints defeated Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings.
As the city of New Orleans began its celebration a sullen and battered Favre made his way to the post game press conference.
As the city of New Orleans began its celebration a sullen and battered Favre made his way to the post game press conference.
An evidently rattled Favre sat with watering eyes and scratches on his face as he began to elaborate on the future. "In a situation like this I really don't want to make a decision right now based on what's happened because I do know the year could not have gone any better aside from us not going to Miami. I really enjoyed it, to be honest.”(Krawcynski) Throughout the last decade it is not hard to remember all the times we have seen number 4 make the game winning play and march into a press conference in high spirits; what makes this situation so difficult is that we may never get the opportunity to witness the magic again. Here in Denver we have seen firsthand what Brett is capable of; October 29, 2007 Here in Denver, Colorado at Invesco field Brett threw a rocket into the hands of Greg Jennings over the late Darrent Williams to seal a season for the Broncos as they missed the playoffs for consecutive years. It’s hard to imagine that a man playing at his level could even consider retirement but then you realize he’s been doing this longer than most kids spend in a public school system, pretty remarkable in my opinion. And not to mention he has not missed a game ever, 309 consecutive start to be exact but who’s counting?
Argumentative Paper
Here i have provied an excerpt from my arguementative paper; i wrote about federal involvement in states right having to do with medical marijuana.
Marijuana is only used as an example and has proven to be a poster child of sort for my argument. I feel that unless ratified state mandates directly affect the well
being of our government then they should not be deterred by federal interference. The people of Colorado have voted for change and with the majority approving we have seen the potential for increased commerce across the state and seen on a national level. I agree that throughout the metro area it has become rampant and somewhat of an eye sore. Driving down Broadway one can’t help but notice the mass influx of dispensaries that now coat the walls with witty marijuana references. Oddly enough many people feel the same way and do not agree with Colorado’s inevitable transition into some of the problems that California has seen with their Proposition 215 which was instituted in 1996. (Proposition 215 and You) This would include and is not limited to, robberies of dispensaries or patients and the presence of medicinal grow operations near schools. I support the rights of MMJ patients and growers that operate within compliance as stated by the officials of our government, however I would like to see it become less of a fast food delivery service and to more credible and authorized peoples that will change it back to what it should be, medical marijuana.
Marijuana is only used as an example and has proven to be a poster child of sort for my argument. I feel that unless ratified state mandates directly affect the well
being of our government then they should not be deterred by federal interference. The people of Colorado have voted for change and with the majority approving we have seen the potential for increased commerce across the state and seen on a national level. I agree that throughout the metro area it has become rampant and somewhat of an eye sore. Driving down Broadway one can’t help but notice the mass influx of dispensaries that now coat the walls with witty marijuana references. Oddly enough many people feel the same way and do not agree with Colorado’s inevitable transition into some of the problems that California has seen with their Proposition 215 which was instituted in 1996. (Proposition 215 and You) This would include and is not limited to, robberies of dispensaries or patients and the presence of medicinal grow operations near schools. I support the rights of MMJ patients and growers that operate within compliance as stated by the officials of our government, however I would like to see it become less of a fast food delivery service and to more credible and authorized peoples that will change it back to what it should be, medical marijuana.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Excerpt from Literary Analysis: Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.
I have chosen to use my paragraph about Sherman Alexie's analysis of Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.
Sherman Alexie chose to write about a man that cannot mesh into society of the city being a Native American in a predominantly white world. Unlike Dee who seemed to integrate well into her new surroundings, this man could not find himself through the routine of daily life and inevitably felt disconnected from his previous world. He begins with the background of the man’s work history at a Seattle 7-11. He explains the monotony of the job and the overall dislike for the job; he also alludes to his troublesome relationship with his girlfriend that only added stress to an unstable environment. He begins to paint a chaotic picture of this man’s lifestyle as he would find himself in violent situations with his girlfriend in which he would break lamps and aimlessly drive around for hours. He seems to have an overall lack of interest in his life as he feels like he doesn’t belong anywhere he goes; there is an instance where he was driving around after a fight and a police officer instructed him that he does not fit the profile of the neighborhood and ask that he leaves. The climax comes when he awoke from a dream in which soldiers were at war with his people and vivid images of his people being mistreated; he states that he packed all his possessions and left in the middle of the night without hesitation. He returns to his reservation where he finds himself without motivation and lack of direction in his life. “What are you going to do with the rest of your life?” she asked. “Don’t know,” I said, and normally, for almost any other Indian in the country, that would have been a perfectly fine answer. But I was special, a former college student, a smart kid. I was one of those Indians who was supposed to make it, to rise above the rest of the reservation like a fucking eagle or something. I was the new kind of warrior. (Alexie 342) Throughout the story he struggles to find a balance of living the life that he wants while still being the same person that his family has raised. His identity begins to become blurred through the mass integration of modern media and the lifestyle of the city. He failed to adjust to his surroundings and adapt to life away from the reservation, a common theme in Alexie’s writings.
Sherman Alexie chose to write about a man that cannot mesh into society of the city being a Native American in a predominantly white world. Unlike Dee who seemed to integrate well into her new surroundings, this man could not find himself through the routine of daily life and inevitably felt disconnected from his previous world. He begins with the background of the man’s work history at a Seattle 7-11. He explains the monotony of the job and the overall dislike for the job; he also alludes to his troublesome relationship with his girlfriend that only added stress to an unstable environment. He begins to paint a chaotic picture of this man’s lifestyle as he would find himself in violent situations with his girlfriend in which he would break lamps and aimlessly drive around for hours. He seems to have an overall lack of interest in his life as he feels like he doesn’t belong anywhere he goes; there is an instance where he was driving around after a fight and a police officer instructed him that he does not fit the profile of the neighborhood and ask that he leaves. The climax comes when he awoke from a dream in which soldiers were at war with his people and vivid images of his people being mistreated; he states that he packed all his possessions and left in the middle of the night without hesitation. He returns to his reservation where he finds himself without motivation and lack of direction in his life. “What are you going to do with the rest of your life?” she asked. “Don’t know,” I said, and normally, for almost any other Indian in the country, that would have been a perfectly fine answer. But I was special, a former college student, a smart kid. I was one of those Indians who was supposed to make it, to rise above the rest of the reservation like a fucking eagle or something. I was the new kind of warrior. (Alexie 342) Throughout the story he struggles to find a balance of living the life that he wants while still being the same person that his family has raised. His identity begins to become blurred through the mass integration of modern media and the lifestyle of the city. He failed to adjust to his surroundings and adapt to life away from the reservation, a common theme in Alexie’s writings.
Paintball: Promoter of Violence or Healthy Fun?
In Ross Taylor's article about the pros and cons of paintballing; he uses many perspectives and offers abstract information into the world of this fast paced fun. He offers valuable information as to what the nature of paintballing is, he does not state that is in always enjoyable as he explains the feeling of being struck by a little ball at 300 feet per second.
I feel as though he was unsucessful in attracting his audience to come and play as he offers the arguement that it is promoting violence. He offers very vague information as to the games played while paintballing and has left me uninterested and unintrigued.
I feel as though he was unsucessful in attracting his audience to come and play as he offers the arguement that it is promoting violence. He offers very vague information as to the games played while paintballing and has left me uninterested and unintrigued.
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