Final Blog Post

·         Which in class writing was your favorite? Why?
-My favorite in class writing was the Pigeon Impossible informal writing free write. This was my favorite in class writing because we wrote from the point of view of which character you choose.

·         Which in class writing was your least favorite? Why?
-My least favorite in class writing was the stress wrting from the TED video we watched in class. This was my least favorite writing because you have to remember what she said or type during the video and it wasnt very interesting.

·         Review all your writing chronologically (earliest to latest). List three interesting observations or changes in your writing. Which are the most profound (obvious and important)? Why?
-Some observations ive made from my earlier freewrites to my most recent freewrites are one, my freewrites have gotten longer. Which means that i have become a faster typer in this class. Two, my words are getting bigger and not as simple, which shows that my vocabulary has gotten larger. And lastly, ive become more myself and thats what makes good writing, thoughts that come straight from the brain. I think that theye are all important and they all show ive become a greater writer in your course

What did you like best about this course?
-What i liked best in this course is the freewriting. Eventhough almost all of my freewrites got deleted which is upsetting i think that they exercised my brain and made me more comfortable with writing/typing.

·         What did you like least about this course?

-What i liked least about this course is of how early it was in the morning. Its not really the course that i dont like, but it was the only thing i didnt really like.

·         What would you have done differently this semester if you could have a do-over?

-If i could have a do-over this semester i would have saved all of my freewrites on a flashdrive instead of in a folder on the computer. I thought that it wouldnt get deleted but i learned that never assume, just do some small things to ensure that your work will be saved.

·         What did learn about yourself as a student, a thinker, a writer this semester?

-I learned that im not a horrible writer. I used to think that i was a very bad writer. But through this course i realized good writing comes directly from the writers thoughts and heart.

What could I, Ms. A., have done differently to improve the course?
-As a teacher i think you couldve improved on going over the freewites and gave your opinion and some helpers ion tho make our writing better.

·         You begin this course with an engagement and participation score of an A.  Attendance, participation in activities and group work help you to maintain this grade.  Evaluate yourself and assign yourself a grade for the in class portion of this course.  Don’t forget the reasoning behind your self assigned grade.

-If i self evaluated myself and had to give myself a grade i would give myself a B+ because i was absent every now and then but not due from choice.

Essay

Andrew Stevens

Mrs. Anthony

English 101

23 February 2015

Patriotism

What would you define patriotism as? There are a lot of different beliefs on what the word patriotism actually means and how to express it. Patriotism is often confused and misunderstood as nationalism, but there is indeed is a difference. According to Merriam-Webster, nationalism, is a feeling that people have of being loyal to and proud of their country often with the belief that it is better and more important than other countries”   (“Nationalism”). Merriam-Webster defines patriotism as “ the love that people feel for their country” (“Patriotism”). Even with the definition, it is still controversial on what patriotism actually means. As time progresses I believe that more and more people are becoming unpatriotic.  I recently saw a picture that showed a Veteran’s Day parade and the only person standing up was a disabled veteran in a wheelchair. There are several things citizens can do to show their love for the land of opportunity. Some of the ways to display patriotism aren’t the most fun but it’s a great way to serve your country.

Our soldiers put their lives on the line just so we can have an easier life. Can you imagine what our lives would be without them? They are sent on extremely dangerous assignments and away from their loved ones for several months or even years at a time. With that bring said, the amount of people that don’t like or believe in showing patriotism seems a bit selfish. I believe that more and more people are becoming less patriotic every year. For example, although I am only 17 years old I remember saying the Pledge of Allegiance daily in elementary school. By the time high school rolled around it occurred once a week.

An easy way to show patriotism is to have an American flag flying or at least visible in homes and businesses (Schaeffer). Every Independence Day and Veterans Day, my family always has a flag flying. Another easy way of showing patriotism is voting in all elections (Schaeffer). Elections don’t happen often and voting is very important. Another important aspect of voting is doing research and knowing what is actually going on with your country. One of the most patriotic things someone can do in my opinion is join the military (Schaeffer). This of course is not going to be an option for everyone but it is definitely an act of bravery and selflessness. If it weren’t for these men and woman, people from all over the country would be drafted. I have several close friends that are joining the military, are in the military, or are veterans. I am nervous for those young people who are joining but it also makes me extremely proud of them. Patriotism strengthens people and brings them together. Every Independence day I think of my grandpa. Not because he past away on July 4^th but because he was the most patriotic man I knew.  My grandpa had his American flag flying every single day of the year. He always participated in the small town elections. He also fought for our country! He was the strongest man I know and I think it’s because of his love for the land of liberty.

A couple of other ideas are doing jury duty and staying current on political issues. Serving on a jury might not be fun, but most people believe that it’s a good way to serve your country (Schaeffer).  A lot people loathe going to jury duty. Think of going to jury duty like it’s a special opportunity to help our country. I am actually looking forward to jury duty when the day arrives.  As mentioned before, keeping up with the news and staying informed is another way to show your patriotism (Schaeffer). Staying informed up-to-date on current events is a way to better your country. It is extremely important to know what is going on in the world. Staying up to speed can be difficult when TV commercials are all about the latest trends and everything else to do with non-political issues. People vote based on what their parents think or who their favorite celebrity votes for.

Paying taxes and volunteering are a couple of other ways to show loyalty to your country (Schaeffer). Most people dread tax season and many state is unjust however, it is currently how our country operates. An article I came across states, “To put it another way, you can’t support the things the government does – like caring for the elderly, establishing justice, providing public education, fighting terrorism, and protecting the environment – and still maintain that the taxes that support those things are bad (Douglas). Volunteering on a political campaign is another way to show your love for the United States of America (Schaeffer). No matter which side you’re on, just contributing to the campaign is being an American. With that said it is also a way of showing patriotism through political protest. A lot of people say that it’s your right through the first amendment.

The last way to show patriotism that I’m sharing is definitely the most controversial way; this way is owning a gun (Schaeffer). Lately there has been a lot of conflict with what we should do with guns. In my opinion I think we should keep them to support our constitution. America runs by the constitution and having the right to bear arms our second amendment right. Many people have guns for hunting, trapshooting, and for protection. They believe that to keep and bear arms is in fact an act of patriotism.

I’ve stated many things that may not easy for some or enjoyable, however, I think American’s take the life we have here for granted. America is by no means perfect but because of our beliefs and the path that his been laid from our passed inspirational leaders, we do live in a country where men and woman are equal by law and everyone can be given them same opportunity if they work for it. I hope one day that schools and parents will teach the youth importance of showing patriotism. Our youth will one day be leading this country and that is a fact.

Works Cited

Douglas, Amy J. “Taxes are Good.” Government is Good. 2007. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

“Nationalism.” Merriam-Webster Online.  Merriam-Webster, 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

“Patriotism.” Merriam-Webster Online.  Merriam-Webster, 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

Schaeffer, Caroline. “9 of the Most Patriotic Things You Can Do To Show Your American Pride.” iJReview. June. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

Pigeon Impossible

A man was eating a plain bagel on the bench and I wanted some of it, it smelled so good. He threw me a little piece of it and I went to get it but I got stuck in a briefcase that the man had with a whole bunch of buttons. The briefcase was something that only secret agents would have. I was shooting lasers and rockets and flying around in the briefcase and destroying everything, cars were crashing and speeding, people were screaming. All I wanted was the plain bagel. We had a standoff for the bagel and the briefcase. The agent threw the bagel up in the air and pushed me off the briefcase but the bagel landed on the big red button. The briefcase’s big red button actually was a launch button for a missile. We both flew up there. He still had the bagel. I stared into his eyes knowing that he wouldn’t shoot me then he dropped the bagel. I flew down to get it while the secret agent blew up the missile heading towards Moscow, Russia.  

Stress

Stress makes people sick. It isn’t good for people’s bodies. People who don’t think stress is harmful live longer according to a study. The way you think about stress impacts the way stress hits you. We don’t view stress the right way according to some studies. How you think about stress matters. When you view stress as helpful for your body your body is healthier. When you’re stressed and don’t realize that stress is good for you your blood vessels get tight, but when you do realize that its good then they stay open as if you were happy or courageous. Oxytocin is a stress hormone and a lot of people don’t know that. It is located in the brain. It is released in physical contact and makes people feel good. Oxytocin doesn’t just work on the brain but the body as well, including the heart. It strengthens your heart and thus makes you a healthier person. People who spend time helping others don’t have an increase of problems when something major happens in their life, while people who didn’t help others had a 30% increase of death or serious illness. So how stress impacts your body is all in the way you think about it. If you about it as its making your body stronger you will live a happier and healthier life.

Team

Team

When I think of the word team I think of a group of people or players who work together. When they work or play together they feed off of the motivation of the other players. March madness is currently in session and its pretty much all teamwork. The objective is for the other team to not score and lose their feel for the game and take advantage and win the game. Whenever someone makes a key shot or great play all of their teammates on the bench jump up and start cheering so they can motivate their team to try the hardest they can. Also when I think of team, I think of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Kansas City Chiefs are my favorite team of all time. Although they haven’t been the greatest team in the NFL recently that’s just because they are trying to make the best team possible. In order to do that they have to fight their hardest for a couple of years until they can get the right players to motivate others and make key plays. I work at Mister Hotshine the car wash. I think of us as a team also. We have vacuumers, rough dryers, detailers, supervisors, and managers. If your think about it if we don’t have one of these types of people we cant operate correctly. The managers are the head coach, the supervisors are the assistant coaches, and everyone else are the players.

Things I Have Learned

Things I have learned

One thing I have learned is that good things don’t come easy, most of the time. You have to earn it yourself and not rely on others. There are some exceptions like inheriting life insurance and things like that but everything else you have to earn it. An old friend of mine before he inherited his dads life insurance did have a job but most of the time still had his stuff paid for him. Anyways he had a job so that he could have gas money or spending money. But since his dad passed away he quit his job and has spent over $100,000 on just cars. So this is the second lesson I have learned. Money can make someone a different person. I work to pay for gas, insurance, food, and anything else I want or can buy. I don’t make much but im definitely a harder worker than my friend is and in the end it will show.