Blog "hashtag" 6 Persuasive Brainstorm

Topic 1: Gun Control ( I like guns)
Topic 2: The N-Word
 For gun control i'll talk about situations where guns come in handy.  Situations where guns could have saved lives.  I'll also mention instances from history where guns were good.

The N-word is a controversial topic.  I'll talk about the history of the word.  Modern day use of the word.  And i'll talk about whether or not it should be used today or not.

Blog #5 Informative Brainstorming

I have chosen to write an informative essay on why music is important in schools. Music helps children with memorization.  Studies show it also helps develop language and reasoning. Studies also indicate kids in music do better on their act scores. It is also a good way for kids to develop discipline.  It is important to keep music in the schools.

Blog #4 Informative

Ever ran out of gas and not known how to fill up your tank with more.  Here are easy steps to putting gas in your vehicle.  First you must go to a filling station.  Popular ones include: Casey's General Store, Shell, or BP.  While at the gas station, pull your vehicle up next to a pump.  Keep in mind that your vehicle must be facing a certain way for the pump to reach the tank.  A very important step before getting gas is to turn off your vehicle and extinguish your cigarette.  Explosions may occur if you skip this step. Next, you must hit payment option.  You can either pay at the pump via credit card or inside via credit card or cash.  The choice is yours.  After that, you must put the nozzle in your tank and squeeze the handle to begin pumping.  Once tank is full, remove nozzle from the tank.  Put the cap back on, and you're almost ready to go.  Make sure you don't forget to pay though.  Theft is very bad! And that is how you put gas in your vehicle.

Pre-writing for personal narrative

Over the summer, I took care of two autistic children.  My whole outlook on life changed after that. It was a very beneficial experience.  My mom and I even took them to a special needs camp for a week.  By doing so, I saw many people who aren't quite "all there." After seeing that, it made me appreciate how I am much more and have a better appreciation for people with special needs.

Another life changing experience is when I went to New Orleans, Louisiana.  I went to help the less fortunate.  It was a nice experience because it opened my eyes to poverty in this country and how good I actually have it. The city was fun, don't get me wrong, but it was dirty and smelled and the people were dirty and smelled.  After the trip, I've been more appreciative for what I have here at home.

Blog #2 Summer Experience

This summer, my band played in Davenport, Ia at Rally On The River.  That was by far the biggest stage we played on and we all had a great time.  The day wasn't all fun though.  The morning was filled with problem after problem and we didn't know if we'd even be able to play.  Overall though, it was a great time.

Everytime we play a show, I don't stay out too late the night before and like to get rested up.  Our guitar player on the other hand, had a very late night and slept in.  When he eventually did show up to set up we were almost completely done.  After we got the trailer all packed up, we took off for the west end of Davenport.  We ended up going into the wrong entrance at Centennial Park.  After awhile we got everything squared up.  We were set to play at one o'clock so of course we arrived over an hour early to set up.  Come to find out, the headlining band hadn't done sound check so we waited and waited and waited.  I started to get irritable but finally we had our chance to set up.

Our slot time was originally from 1-1:30.  We didn't end up going on stage until after two. We had to cut down on songs for the time limitations but at least we still got 45 minutes worth of playing time.  Even though we had some troubles at first, that was by far one of the best shows we have ever played.  The sound was good, the crowd enjoyed it, and it was just a damn good time.  

After the show, I was walking around Rally On The River.  I walked past the "Hell's Angels" tent when a senior member approached me.  It was pretty cool because he had nothing but good things to say about the performance and other club members agreed.  I too ride a motorcycle so biker gangs are even cooler to me.  I'm glad we got the experience to play on a huge stage in front of a diverse audience.  I hope next year at the rally, we will be invited back.

My able-ities as a right-er

It's been awhile since I have had to write.  Those past few months were nice. In Honors English III last year, writing took a toll on me.  I had to hammer down and actually work hard compared to other classes I was taking *cough* Intermediate Algebra *cough.*  Semester one and two's portfolios really made me hone down my creative and writing skills. I would consider myself quite creative.  That in itself can be a strength when it comes to not only writing, but many other aspects of life.  I'm so thankful for all the great English teachers that have shaped my writing.  A big shout out to Professor Lister.

I'm curious to find out what kind of topics we will write about in English 101/102.  I feel as if this class will drag on but that's okay.  I find Non-Fiction easier to write about because of the unlimited amount of resources to pull information from.  Fiction is harder because you have to tap into your inner psyche and use your creative side.  I'm hoping to learn better time management skills this year.  I sometimes feel like I have ADD because I tend to get distracted very easily.  Hopefully this year, that will change.  I know the importance of this class so I'm going to take it very seriously.

Blog #10 - Final Gatsby Discussion

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald is saying the American Dream is dead.  Nick Carraway's dealings with the high society shows how the morals of Modern America (in the 1920s) have declined.  While dealing with the rich, Nick sees how the American Dream's ideals have turned into a quest to get rich and obtain social status.  Not much care is given to the people of lower status.  Another part of the American Dream is to be successful against all odds. James Gatz (Gatsby) worked hard to become successful ever since he was young.  By the lavish parties, Rolls Royce and fancy living quarters,  we see that Gatsby did indeed become successful.  Another part of the American Dream would be everlasting hope.  Gatsby perservered to get Daisy.  Early in the story (unknowingly) we see Gatsby's love for Daisy by him staring at the green light.  His love for Daisy eventually gets him killed though.  When Gatsby was told to leave town for his safety, he stays because he cannot leave Daisy.  That gave Wilson the perfect oppurtunity to shoot him.  The American Dream is shown thorughout the novel but it isn't reflected in a good way in my opinion.

Churches should NOT be tax exempt

In the United States, churches exploit tax exemption.  All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia make churches exempt to paying property tax.  This subsidation is clearly unconstitutional, costs the taxpayers and the government billions each year, and it is fundamentally unjust.

The first statement of the Bill of Rights reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of relgion, or prohibiting the free exercise therof.

Exempting religious organizations from paying taxes clearly violates what the framers of the constitution intended to prohibit, "respecting an establishment of religion."  No matter what your belief may be, it has been documented throughout history that religion causes a lot of problems in the world.  In my opinion, James Madison said it best when he said,"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries."  Another violation of the constitution caused by this is "Freedom of Speech."  Pastors are in a sense 'muzzled' by this tax exemption.  In order to still be considered charities and not lose the exemption, pastors are not allowed to endorse or denounce political candidates from the pulpit. None of this sits well with the First Amendment..

For every tax dollar not paid by a religious organization, you and I pay on our behalf.  In 1986, an estimate showed religious income in that year of approximately $100 billion, or about five times the income of the five largest corporations in the United States.  All of that money was tax free. The tax code doesn't make distinctions between fraudulant faiths and authentic religions.  In 2010, the state of Oklahoma awarded tax exempt status to Satanist group "The Church of the IV Majesties." According to former White House senior policy analyst Jeff Schweitzer, PhD, churches in the U.S. own between $300-$500 billion in untaxed property.  New York City alone loses $627 million in property tax revenue each year. Exempting churches from taxation is a clear violation of the Bill of Rights and costs us billions.

As stated in an article from taxthechurches.org, "Should the taxes of non-religous citizens be higher to subsidize every church, synagogue, and mosque in town? Should working women pay taxes to subsidize clergy and other employees' paychecks, when such positions are overwhelmingly- and legally- restricted to men?"  It's not right for churches to enjoy these tax breaks when they can and should pay taxes. Even though churches do not pay property taxes, they often receive more benefits than business who do pay their fair share.  This includes but isn't limited to police and fire protection. And often times, church water bills are even absorbed by towns (taxpayers).  This obviously isn't right and should be changed.

Blog #8 Edna Pontellier

In the eyes of suffragists, Edna Pontellier may be seen as a breakthrough from common practices.  Others may see her as a trouble maker. One thing is for sure though, she is very controversial.

Edna's sexual desires seem to be the root of most of her trouble.  She is unhappy with Leonce and tries to find happiness in Robert.  Robert in return eventually leaves and Edna's mood shifts to sorrow.  At the beginning of the novel, Edna is in a semi-conscious sort of state.  She soon starts to let her feelings get the best of her and lashes out against society.

An example of her "rebellion" is when she didn't stay to entertain guests as was her custom.  That didn't fancy  Leonce in any sort of way.  This novel, given the time it's in, really shows a difference in culture.  Edna's kissing of Arobin is another example of her lashing out against the Creole ways.

Her actions seem to hurt everyone around her and especially herself.  That is why in the end, she ends up killing herself.  Edna's story shows that sometimes it's better to just go with the flow.

Blog #7 Author Comparison

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in 1807 in Portland, Oregon. Henry was a traveler, linguist and romantic. At just age thirteen, Longfellow published his first poem in the "Portland Gazette." Longfellow began teaching French, Spanish, and Italian at Bowdoin in 1829. He married Mary Potter, began to write critical essays, and published six foreign language textbooks. It was enough to earn him the Smith Professorship of Modern Languages at Harvard College, which he accepted in 1834, beginning a long association with the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Longfellow, however, always retained his ties to family and home in Maine. In 1861, his wife Fanny died. Henry died in 1882. In his best known poems, Longfellow created myths and classic epics from American historical events and materials — Native American oral history ("The Song of Hiawatha"), the diaspora of Acadians (Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie), and the first battle of the Revolutionary War ("Paul Revere's Ride"). He reminded Americans of their roots and in the process became an American icon himself. Even though He was a man of the 19th century, most of his works take place in the past.

Walt Whitman was born in 1819 in the West Hills.Whitman’s writings are treasured for capturing the nation’s spirit during the nineteenth century and examining some of the era’s most significant events including westward expansion, immigration, slavery, and the Civil War.  He is regarded as one of America's best poets.  According to The Longman Anthology of Poetry, “Whitman received little public acclaim for his poems during his lifetime for several reasons:  this openness regarding sex, his self-presentation as a rough working man, and his stylistic innovations.”  Walt Whitman and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow are similar poets of the nineteenth century.