Blog #10

Probably the best thing I learned this semester is the “old information, new information”. I’m not really wordy and this will definitely benefit me in the future making page length requirements. The other really big thing that I learned is the TS/CD. I went back and looked at several papers that I have written before this class and it was remnant of the TS/CD format but now that I am aware of it I will be able to effectively utilize it to make my papers better. With these 2 tools I can now proceed through the rest of my college career without the fear of long papers. I’m sure that I have many research papers in my future and where there was dread is now not as bad but still not looking forward to them.

Blog #7

Humor to me is sarcasm and intelligent/subtle humor. Don't get me wrong I like some slapstick but obvious funny is usually not the what really gets me. Unexpected comments or actions are, to me, the most hilarious thing. I think I'm quite funny but I know that I am only funny to some. Most people don't get it or do and just think I'm being a jerk.
If I were to put a face to my kind of style it would have to be Al Pacino or Denzel Washington. Both always play no nonsense characters, Bad***es. Straight to point kind of style. I don't know if I writing actually shows what I see as stylish but I know that my humor often comes out.

Blog #6

I had an exceptionally hard time writing the critical analysis. It was hard for me to take what I had watched and look deeper into it. I'm a very face value kind of person. I have the capability of looking for deeper meanings but I takes me longer than most, I think. I rewrote the introduction about five times before I actually settled on what I liked. Once the intro was wrote it was slightly easier. I won't say that it was easy because it wasn't but at least I had some direction. At first I was trying produce a piece that was not so obvious but that proved to be nearly impossible, at least for me. I had to go the more traditional route to have enough to write about. I said that I wrote the intro 5 times but I wrote the whole paper at least twice. I'm not 100% happy with what I wrote but that's only because I've written a critical analysis before and was not completely sure what I needed to be doing. I think that I wrote and acceptable paper but am planning to have to rewrite it.

Blog 5

I did really well with the evaluative summary. My point was clear and easy to follow. I had supported my material well throughout and used effective citations from the article. I do not think there is anything I would change about what I wrote. I feel that I have produced the best possible paper that I could.

Blog #3

I did not like the informal summary. I do not like working on things like that this as a group. I am a good team player and can fall into whatever role is necessary. I am able to lead and follow and in this particular project my partner took the lead and that was fine with me. For me writing is an individual effort but is tolerable if both have the same or similar points of view. That was the case for this summary. We both got the same thing out of the article we read which made this assignment better. I still do not like writing as a group. The objective summary was much better for me. It was the same as the informal summary but I was able to work on it myself. I do not like being forced to share my work with people before it is actually fully prepared. The only person that gets to see my work in progress is my wife who helps me by proofreading everything I write. I am a perfectionist and do not like anyone to see me or anything I have done as less than that.

Blog #2

My strengths in writing are that I am able to clearly make my points. I do not have trouble writing once I get started. Once I have the idea and have begun the paper the writing just seems to flow. My weakness in writing is coming up with what to write on. It can take me several days to get an actual direction of where I want my paper to go. Because of this the diagnostic essay was hard. I find it very difficult to just write spontaneously without any preparation at all. I do not enjoy writing mostly because I do not like doing research. Research annoys me and to do really good research it takes much longer than I am willing to put into it. I really struggle with just getting motivated to do research and when I do actually sit down to do it I do not spend much time on it. Fortunately my wife is really good about helping me get and stay motivated to just get it done. Once the research is done the rest of it takes minimal time. I do not think that there is anything that will ever make me enjoy research. I think it is one of those things that you either like to do or don’t like to do. It doesn’t seem like it’s something you just learn to love. I can honestly say that I’m not really bad at writing I just don’t like to do it.

Research Paper Free Write

I honestly don't have much time throughout my day to think about anything but the task at hand. I work from 8:30 to 5 Monday through Friday and I have class from 6:30 to 9 Monday through Thursday. The time between is just enough to drive home, eat, and leave for class. Friday's after work is my day to do as much homework as possible because Saturday is College Football day and Sunday is the one day of the week my wife and I get to actually spend time together. This time of year whenever I do get a free moment to think I am probably thinking about college football. At lunch at work there is normally a different conversation going on each day from movies to politics or just people complaining about work. I get involved in the conversations but will be looking up stats and researching the upcoming Saturday games. I try to plan my Saturday a few days in advance. I can honestly say that I become consumed by college football. I keep up with it in the off season but it is not all I do. I can see why my wife dreads this time of year but she puts up with it because she knows I like it and its only 1 day week for 3 months. I in the Winter months of college football off season I don't really do much because I don't like the cold. I stay inside and play video games from time to time but even then I'm playing the newest NCAA Football game or Tiger Woods Golf. In the Summer months I like to golf and try to do it as much as possible but the last couple years its been tough to find time. I'm an outdoors person and like to do anything that has to do with being or working outside. This is sometimes difficult to get to do because I married the most non-outdoors person ever. I grew up in a simple country life with cows, chickens, a garden, and an orchard. We were completely self contained and worked hard to keep it that way. My wife grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and someday dreams of living downtown. I go a little crazy living in the suburbs and I'm pretty sure I would living in downtown Chicago but I put up with it for her. I would love to move to 10 acres so I could raise animals and have an orchard. I don't want it to be what I do for my career but it would be nice to have that again. My wife keeps telling me I need to have a hobby, well I have hobbies I just can't do them living in an apartment in the suburbs of Chicago.