blog #18 Public Speaking

Public speaking is a major fear in the United States. I do not have any apprehensions about presenting. This is because I am taking a public speaking class which helps. In the class we give speeches and have to do presentations almost every week. Two ways to get over the fear are to be relaxed and talk to the audience like they are friends. These make the speech more relaxing for a speaker and then it flows better. 

Blog #17 Cartoon

Who has never been confused when they walk into a bookstore? I know I have been lost and end up wandering around the aisles looking for someone to point me in the right direction. It is so confusing! It’s like walking in New York City and being utterly lost. Bookstores should be broken down into better groupings. The picture on page 374 of Successful College Writing shows a man looking at a book case that says Attention Span on top and is broken down into short, medium, and long books. I find this funny, yet surprisingly accurate for today’s society. I think it is a good way for today’s reader to use a bookstore. Most people don’t want a long book; therefore breaking it down to short, medium and long is helpful. So the perfect bookstore would be walking in a guide (similar to the mall directories) right in the front then each genre of books would be separated by length and then in alphabetical order. I feel this would be the best way to have a bookstore organized. Now people won’t wander around aimlessly trying to find the right book.

blog #16 Tipping Point

The Tipping Point explains the phenomenon of epidemics. The author delves into the research and different aspects of epidemics. Although the book was researched very well and explained in detail, it concerned me that the author kept using example after example and jumped around a lot. It was very confusing and annoying as a reader to jump from illnesses to children’s shows to crime to fashion. It lost me with so many examples. Also there was too much research for my liking. It was similar to reading a research paper, not very entertaining. I was impressed with the authors enthusiasm for the subject. Obviously he had to be interested with epidemics and what he was writing about. I could almost sense his excitement when reading about his findings. I wish in my writing I could have the reader feel my excitement. The Tipping Point was a confusing book with to much information, but was written with an excitement and passion of its’ subject. 

Blog #15 Two Goals

Writing papers is not an easy task. Now that I am starting my second, I have set some goals to work on so I can improve my writing skills and get a better grade. My two goals are to write a paper with concrete evidence that backs up my main idea and with descriptive details that really entice the reader to keep reading. To achieve my first goal, I will make sure my evidence backs up my thesis and makes sense with the rest of my paper. By proofreading my paper and reading my sources more than a couple times, I will be able to have the best evidence possible. To achieve my second goal, I will use the saying “show me, don’t tell me.” By having different people proofread my essay, I should be able to make it as descriptive as possible. This is how I plan to do better on my second multi-draft paper and make it better with these two goals I set for myself.

blog #14 "Sticky" Ad

http://web.me.com/njaniec/Site/Welcome_2.html
this is a link to an ad I created for Cape May, NJ a town at New Jersey's southern most tip that is decorated in history and beautiful sandy beaches. ENJOY!

blog #13 News cast

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4390446/arizona-governor-blasts-election-law-reversal/?playlist_id=87937

Recently Arizona passed a law to make voters when they register prove that they are citizens. After the law was passed, and almost in act, the 9th circuit denied the action. This is the second time a court has overruled something the state voted on and almost passed. In the Fox News broadcast, Republican Governor Brewer talks with the host about the issue. Within the six minute segment, any viewer can see a bias from the host and Brewer, but also from the 9th circuit. The governor talks about how the law would not harm anyone; It would just ensure that all people voting are legal citizens and nothing more. Arizona is a hot topic in politics ever since the passing of a law that would deport any illegal immigrants that had been detained. With the 9th circuit overruling the state, it shows a bias towards the Republican run state. It is to be hoped that by the next election this will be sorted out. There is also a bias between the host and Brewer. Both show a bias towards the court, which can be assumed by how they are talking, that the court is Democratically run. Fox is known to be a Republican based news station, although news is not supposed to be politically biased. The tone the host and the governor when discussing the issue, a viewer could tell the bias in there voice and by listening to the host’s reaction to the issue. In Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point, he discusses a similar event on pages 74-77. The book dives into the 1984 presidential election were different news stations promoted different candidates. Each newscaster would change their moods when they talked about the candidate they backed. They would also smile. This is similar to how the host of the Fox News show would get excited when he opposed the court ruling.

blog #12 Fashion Trends

Fashion. It is forever changing. One minute there is a new trend, then its gone and a few years later it comes back again. I feel that I fit into trends. My style is a comfortable style. I would rather wear comfortable clothes rather than look decent and be uncomfortable all day. I don’t necessarily follow a pack. Yet I do wear popular trends that fit into my style, such as: cardigans skinny jeans, flannel shirts, scarves. I will not change my style or beliefs to follow others. For example the trend of wearing leggings as pants. This is a trend I do not follow. I’m sorry leggings are not pants, they are tights that are meant to have something over them. So let’s say a girl is wearing a short shit and leggings, I do not think that looks right. Now let’s say a girl is wearing a skirt or shorts over the leggings or a long shirt or short dress, that is acceptable to me. That is a style that I have done in the past. I have my beliefs and I know that not everyone has the same, so if someone doesn’t agree with me that is fine by me, I just won’t wear it. Brand names aren’t a big deal to me. I would rather wear Kmart or Target than an expensive brand that is the same. A cheaper shirt sometimes lasts longer than the more expensive shirts that are sold at stores like Hollister or Abercrombie. Therefore I do not abandon brands that become to popular because brands are not my “thing.” I don’t believe I am a trend setter, I just wear what I want and if you want to follow me that’s ok, if not that’s fine to. People say they like my style so I must be doing something right. If a person wants to follow me that’s there prerogative.