Entry #11 The final goodbye.

So this is it, the last of the blogging for English class.  It has been a real experience for me.  I have blogged for the last 16 weeks and have loved, hated, stressed and enjoyed the process.  Hopefully it wasn't too painful to read most of the time, I really tried to use enough cat pictures to make up for my flaws in writing.

I took this assignment of blogging seriously because I was trying hard to learn how to speak with an audience in a way that seemed at least a little interesting. Hopefully, this plan worked at least a little.  When I first started to blog, I was really nervous.  I just kept thinking that I had nothing to say, no input that could possibly sound interesting.  As the assignments kept going forward though, I found it started to become easier and easier to make a blog entry.  Now at the end, I feel like I might even miss it a little now that its over.

At the beginning I didn't really believe that blogging is really something that is useful, but I think that my opinion has really changed and grown.  Blogging has helped me to be a better writer, I have figured out how to use my own voice, and with the internets capabilities, I can even make my topics entertaining, inspiring, and informative.

I think the biggest challenge of blogging was to be daring enough to open up and share my opinions.  To really put yourself out there for anyone to read your ideas of is not something everyone is comfortable with.  It seemed pretty daunting at first, like, your serious? Oh no, please no.

But I did it, and it changed me.  I learned, and I am happier now knowing I can speak my mind and its not really a big deal.  People might hate it, or agree and maybe even really like what I have to say; all of the opinions are perfectly fine with me.  I have learned that my words are for a particular audience, and that's actually pretty cool. Blogging is definitely something that helps to connect people and ideas on a large scale.  I now really appreciate this and respect the people who can do this successfully and regularly.  Its a really innovative and new way to reach audiences that haven't been reached in the past.

In being a student, blogging has definitly shown me how to really make a blog more than just words.  To be able to learn how to add dimension to the blog itself was really useful for me.  Having the available resources as a student to learn how to "pimp out" my blog really brought up the quality of the entries.  Blogging also helped me to change my approach in my other assignments because it has helped me to move towards using my voice more in my writing.  I can push the limits of academic writing farther by making it more of the style in which I like to write.  It also helped me to understand the diversity of my classmates better.

We are all so different, yet we congregate in the same place to speak about our thoughts and ideas.  It was one of the most enjoyable parts of the blogging process, when I was reading other students entries.  Overall as an assignment for an English class, I do consider blogging a useful tool that should be developed.  Mainly because learning the skill does transfer into the rest of the writing being done in the classroom.  It has been overall a fun experience, and it was nice to share and learn from the process overall.  So thank you for listening, and I wish everyone the best with whats next in life.

Good Luck and Good Bye.

Nicole.

Entry #10 Christopher Moore

So I'm a reader.  With real books, yeah, the kind that collect dust, smell old, and are dirt cheap second hand;  they are pretty fantastic.  I can ignore a room full of people for the world on a page, choose what I am going to enjoy and hang out with my cat while I engage in literary heaven. 

This is Zeke, he loves to books too.  He just ate my latest Christopher Moore book, one of my favorite fiction writing authors.  Zeke has excellent taste apparently.  While reading for fun seems to not be so popular in the book end of choices like they used to be, with options like ebooks, kindle, blogs, magazines and social media, I still hold a soft place for them in my heart and home (also my cats belly) for the paper back and hard cover editions. 

I really can't say I hate having so many books. they really are special.  So the last book I did read was a great one for me, being an artist, I found myself really enthralled with Sacre Bleu.

Do you like to read?  Out of books? Why or why not?  I might sound like a kook, but I love to read strictly out of actual real life books.  The availability to do so anywhere is appealing.  Please don't say if you have a device...etc.... I don't care.  For me I feel like I really get more out of it with the paper copy;  I can feel the pages, for some reason, it makes the picture in my head more real.  I also love the decorative factor to books, you can make a room look astounding with books, and your brain will thank you for the information you ingest by investing the time.

  Who is one of your favorite authors? Or any recent books you may have read that might be worth a recommendation?  My last book was a compilation of stories from Shirley Jackson.  She wrote thriller/horror fictional stories and is best known for writing a short story called The Lottery.  

I was listening to a discussion about the authors life on the radio, and I found out that she wrote a story that turned her into a agoraphobic (someone with a fear of leaving their home).  The story was We Have Always Lived In The Castle, so I went to the second hand bookstore and purchased it later the same day.  I am quite fascinated with the lives of writers.  What it must take to write the way they do, and what they could be like from this creative process.  Writers like Hemingway and Hunter S. Thompson were quite famous for their words on the page as well as their antics in life.  Is there any writers who inspire you? My top five favorites for the moment would probably be Chuck Palahniuk (he wrote Fight Club), Edgar Allen Poe, Pablo Neruda, Christopher Moore and George Orwell.  Who are some of your favorites and why? Please do share.

Entry# 9 Perception is Everything

So through my English class I have definitely had my fair share of research to do for my writing projects.  To be honest, it was a ton of research.  

The thing about having to research something, is what kinds of information it is possible to find.  Through all of the sifting, I have come to realize that a lot of basic information we come to depend on as fact really differs, and completely depends on who you ask.  No big deal?  Maybe.

Is it a big deal to only use one side of the information given?  What if you had an obligation to report on the facts?  Do we see this in media today? Please tell me you know the answer....(it's yes).

So whats the big deal if everything has two sides?  Well, maybe because it creates division.  It used to not bother me so much, because I do respect and believe that people will always hover around what they believe to be true.  Of course that is to be expected, but the problem isn't that people cling to what is familiar, the problem is when the familiar media decides to interpret information in half truths instead of the complete truth. 

So are we really getting helpful information from basic media outlets on world events?  I'm not sure I can say yes.  Of course, Ron Burgundy isn't actually working for a news station that some of us rely on, but, is it possible the news has not done enough research on topics to tell the full truth either?  I'm saying yes.  Whats the problem with this?  Way too much information without enough research of the opposing viewpoint; It makes things really ugly.

Part of this problem that really concerns me is the lack of opportunity for people to really do quality  research; given that most people can only sift through the most basic information, provided by the media that is giving only little bits of factual information. 

My classroom experience has really led me to believe that I really don't need to listen to the news whatsoever to learn about what is currently happening in the world.  I can read about it and come to my own decisions about the events if I really care, by doing some of my own quality research.  Otherwise, I might just be getting some generic point of view on a topic.  Right now I see this influence a lot in my own social media feed due to everyone placing their opinions of politics on there to read.  Let me just say, I am probably silently cussing you out behind my computer screen if this is you on my feed.  

Not because you cant have an opinion, but really, did you do enough research to come up with this conclusion you are so passionate about?  What about the opposing side? Why is it valid?  Did you just say "It just isn't!".....this is why we cant have nice things.  I know I have been guilty of coming to a decision without enough information.  Research has taught me how important it is to really examine a topic before jumping to a conclusion, or trusting with blind judgment that a public opinion might be the correct one.  Because remember kids, even the Nazi's thought they were doing the right thing.  So the next time someone is on a soapbox on Facebook, maybe before you go into battle mode with the arguing through violent computer key tapping, listen to what the other person has to say and do some real research before you speak up.

The rest of us will thank you.

 

Entry #8 All I Want for Christmas is Booze.

There it is, looming on the horizon.  Thanksgiving is over, (which is fine because it truly a kind of messed up holiday).  I rather not go into that too far because there is another beast of a day I am counting down to pass.  The dreaded Christmas.

Maybe its selfish, but mostly its disgust.  As a kid I loved Christmas, but now as an adult, I cant wait to see it pass.  Yes as a parent its my duty to make the day special for my kids, but I cant help but think sometimes that its like feeding poison to someone I love. (Dramatic?)  Maybe not.  Is it healthy to teach my kids to expect?  To ask for something they really dont need?  To believe some strange guy is showing up in the middle of the night to fuffill the wish of toys under the Christmas tree?  

My answer is I have no idea.  So this year I decided to shake it up a little.  We are skipping Christmas.  Yes, we hung the lights in the yard, and yes, we are decorating a tree. Yes there is a dinner to be had together at the table. Most importantly though, there will be no presents.  

Monsterous?  Maybe.  Brilliant?  Possible.  Here is the thing, I don't want my children to end up with the notion that any gift is not good enough.  I want my children to understand that this holiday season should instead be about the time we spend together, as a family and the joy that brings.  Instead of ending up like some of these kids.

Instead of getting, we will be giving our time to the less fortunate.  Because a little bit can make a world of difference.  The most interesting thing in this experiment is how excited my kids are to help others.  Its funny the things we fear in not giving each other enough over the holidays.  The truth is, given the chance, we can all be pretty great at giving.

 So maybe I am a grinch, but lets remember what the grinch taught us all,

"It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more". (Dr. Suess)

  So happy holidays or whatever.  Hope you enjoy it, because we will be. Cheers.

Entry #7 Stupid Men, STUPID STUPID men.

So I was told to research what a man is represented as in marketing for common, every day shopping needs.  Apparently, in marketing, its a really popular thing to make men really dumb.  Like, REALLY dumb.  Curious?  Have a look here.

I was a little shocked at first to see so many negative stereotypes of men in these videos.  I was wondering why it would be a smart move as a business to try and sell to a market that you're insulting.  Then I thought about all the women in these videos as well, or the lack there of; then I knew.

  These commercials are largely filled with incapable men, and annoyed wives, families, or daughters surrounding the father or male figure.  With annoyed eye rolling women, who apparently must be the shopper because men can definitely not get the job done, there is a business on the other end that is willing to help.

So maybe it was just me who took this away from these videos, but this marketing, sarcastic and clever, does a good job of entertaining its audience, which I believe is targeted to females with this genre of marketing.  Do you agree?  Please feel free to comment below.