SweetBloggingsByTrista

Pros and Cons of Blogging

2008-12-02T20:57:00.000-08:00

There are both pros and cons in the world of blogging for an English class grade. Over the semester I have gone back and forth with the way I feel about blogging as a part of my grade. Blogging about certain topics can be hard at times, I discovered, if I am not into the subject. I found that it is easy to get bored while blogging, but that does not mean that it is a bad thing. Blogging has its ups and downs and even turn arounds.

The cons of blogging are minimal. I did not like to blog when I had to blog about a topic that I found to be boring. Sometimes in class we would be assigned certain blogs that just did not help to improve my skill of blogging. I also found that at times I was not in the mood to blog when I had to so it made the process way more difficult than it was supposed to be. Out of all honesty, those are the only two down sides that I can pick off of blogging for English.

The pros of blogging by far outweigh the cons. I think that the best part about blogging for class was that i could write in different styles. In that sense, I was able to work on that issue that I had in class. Not only did I work on style, but many other things that helped me to achieve particular goals i had for the class. Another pro of blogging is that it is a good way to express feelings and opinions. In many of my blogs I was able to spew my heart with how I felt about certain things and no one could tell me that I was wrong because it is MY BLOG.

Overall, the world of blogging is a good idea. I do not think that I will continue to blog, but I do believe that blogging for class is a good idea. So, rock on!

La Technology

2008-11-17T16:09:00.000-08:00

Technology has made a huge impact on my life. When I was young, up until about fifth grade, technology was not a big factor on the way I lived my life. Sure I had a TV and a radio, but it was as if those specific types of things were normal. When I entered the fifth grade pagers were a big thing. If you did not have a pager you were not cool. I insisted with my mom that I have one, yet I can honestly admit I never used the technology. The pager simply looked cool hanging off my belt. I was also an internet user starting around fifth grade. I would instant message all the time. I would literally sit in my room all night on the computer talking to friends. This specific thing did impact my life in the way that I spent my at home time. I preferred to sit in my room on my computer versus see my family at all.

In sixth grade I got my first cell phone. At first, I was not that excited about it and never really used it. I mainly got it in the first place for emergencies-but what emergencies? When I got into middle school I got more into my phone and started to text message. Text messaging has made a huge impact on my life. I am addicted to text messaging. I am slowly starting to become lazy when I speak; I even use hyphenated words because I am so used to texting. The laptop computer has also influenced me. I can literally get on the computer whenever I want wherever I want. It is convenient in class at school, also. Overall, technology has changed my life as well as others.

New Job

2008-11-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

I have a new job. I worked at a coffee shop for almost two years. I came into work one morning and we had a demand notice on the door, thats when I decided that it may be a good idea to get a new job. I had a feeling the coffee shop was going to close down and I still think it will, just in time. I now work for my parents. They are business owners. The company is called Fire Alarm Services. They do a bunch of fire alarm, backflow, sprinkler, fire extinguisher, and cad work. I am sure there is more but it is way too much to remember all at once.

The job is going well so far. It is only my second week. I work three days a week for eight hours a day. I get paid fifteen and hour and that is about six dollars more an hour than what I made at the coffee shop so I think I am doing well. I am helping out a certain department that has been behind for a while now, so I really do hope that I can make a big difference. I try really hard to do everything right. I even take notes about the procedures I learn-something no one else does. So hopefully everything works out great, I am sure it will!

The World of Text

2008-11-11T17:17:00.000-08:00

Text messaging promotes laziness.

Text messaging is the new way of communication for most generations today in America. To invlove ones self into text messaging,one does not even need to call someone with their cell phone. Even home phones of certain companies allow text messaging to be used on the phone. To text, one simply presses buttons on the phone to create an alphabet of letters.

Text messaging blocks off the real person interaction. People do not actually have to speak to one another-they can just write to one another. People who chose to text instead of talk may be exercising thier fingers, but they sure are not using their voices to communicate.

Text messaging promotes a short way to comunicate. In the world of text messaging many "short" words are used such as LOL, OMG, and BRB. LOL stands for laugh out loud. OMG stands for oh my god. BRB stands for be right back. All of these shortened words and meanings seem like a dis on the english language, like its not good enough for text messaging or something.

The medium is expressed through words, which I believe to be the most powerful of any. The words truly tell the picture instead of just showing it.

Obama-Rama

2008-11-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

The 2008 election has been a long and trying time for both McCain and Obama. It is very official that the race is over-very over. Obama is the next president of the United States starting in January of 2009. I had a feeling that Obama was going to win, who didn't? I am disappointed in McCain's loss considering that I was rooting for him and about eighty percent on his side. When I heard the news I was sad, but I was also happy for the republican party so that they can change some things around. I am not a republican, I am not a democrat, and I am not sticky to one side. I vote for who I feel is the best for my family and my country. I am not happy about Obama taking office, but I support him as the next president because he is and I am an American.

Obama has made so many promises to the American people and I do not think that he can keep them all. I do not want to see him fail because that would mean that America is failing. I want to see him succeed; I just do not believe that it is human to accomplish all that he says he can. It was funny today to hear people calling in to radio shows revolving around the new presidency today and saying, "Obama said he cant get all these things done in the next year, or maybe even the first term he may be in office, and I thought he could because that's what he told me!" DUH-he is only human and things take time. All candidates say they can do all these things and its not possible. If people used their heads a bit more they would, too, realize this. I wish the best to Obama and I hope he does well for this country.

Pondering my Paper...

2008-11-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

Oh boy this paper seems very hard to write. I still dont get how to write an argumentitive paper...this just seems very hard. Now about the ideas that I am thinking of for my paper:

I was thinking about media-the news channels for Colorado and news channels on Direct TV. During the past few months, once the election became large, the candidates have all been the spot light. I have noticed that most news channels are all about Obama, they seem to shine him in this light of brilliance. He is some movie star-this is what they make him out to be. Compared to McCain-Obama comes off as a badass. I read somewhere that 90% of what is said about Obama is POSITIVE and only 20-40% of what is said about McCain is positve. What kind of bullshit is that? Basically, the media puts Obama on a silver platter and choses to NOT REVEAL the negative things about him as they do for McCain. Go McCain!

Another topic I have on my mind is reality TV. Particularly reality TV in the terms of LOVE. I think that anyone who does a reality show for finding love only does it to earn camera time. It makes sense if you think about it. Contstents do what they can to get attention on camera-they yell at one another, get into physical fights, act like skanks, and earn the liking of thier fans who would not mind seeing them more. Time after time of VH1 reality shows I see the same people on other freaking shows. I am hooked on reality TV on VH1 and I am getting tired of seeing the same people over and over and over again. Like this one girl Meghan-I habe now seen her on four different reality shows and she is a real BITCH. It is obvious, if you use logic, to deciefer that she only does this to be on camera, to be a "star." Ugh...I think I am going to write about this.

Grocery Store Madness

2008-11-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

Groceries are so expensive today. It certainly costs money to feed yourself. I went to the grocery store today and spent one hundred dollars and I feel as if I barely got anything. My fridge still looks bare after the one hundred dollars left my bank account! I don’t understand how spending that much money gets you pretty much no where in the terms of food. I can spend one hundred dollars at the mall on clothes and I feel as though my closet already looks better.

Groceries might even be more expensive than eating fast food everyday, but would the health issues really be worth it? I don’t think so. But if we look at groceries and fast food in the terms of money, I can try to guess the way in which would be better for me spending wise. Based on how much I could eat per meal a day, including deal priced for fast food places, I bet I would spend about eight to ten dollars. I probably eat about fifteen dollars a day in grocery store food. I really am not sure if I am right, but I think I might be. But this does not at all mean that I am going to eat fast food all the time, gross.

La La Music

2008-10-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

As a young teenager I was very interested in rap. It seems that everyone was into rap that were my age, it was the “cool” thing to listen to. Today, I can stand certain rap songs. Rap is dirty most of the time. I tend to listen to music that reflects my values; my values certainly don’t consist of money, hoes, droe, and badass cars. If I could afford nice cars however, things may be different only in that area. Today, my music taste is great. I listen to rock and country like it’s my job.

Rock in every shape is amazing. A little bit of Nirvana here, and little bit of Underoath here. Rock has that soothing tone which makes me feel at home. I can always relate to the music no matter what kind of mood I am in. when I am down the music relates to me and how I am feeling; when I am happy the music smiles with me. On the opposite side of the realm is country. People think its weird I listen to country because it doesn’t “seem” like something I would do. Well, I do and I love it. Just because I don’t dress like a cowboy does not mean that I can’t enjoy some joy in itself. Country is beautiful. I even cry when I hear some songs-sad. Country is great and I can relate to it. I am all for love, family, true friends, and having a little fun. Overall, music shows who someone is.

This I believe....

2008-10-20T12:47:00.000-07:00

"I Believe in Maps," written by Carla is a powerful essay on the This I Believe website. Her essay shared with me that maps are out of date for the generations now, but that she still loves maps because they let her explore.

The voice of Carla's essay is easy to follow. She used her words to create her own sense of excitement. Carla loves maps, not MapQuest, so she uses the map to show the roads of adventure in full!

The tone of "I Believe in Maps" is happy. Carla uses excitement in her words which show her happiness. She is also happy because she chooses to use maps like very few people do, so she gets more experience in life from using maps.

The experience that has shaped her belief is a road trip she took with her daughter and her boyfriend. The daughter and boyfriend are MapQuest junkies and Carla sat in the back seat the whole time using a real map not printed off of an Internet site. The two in the front never listened to her and her directions, they only listened to MapQuest. She then realized the power of maps and went back to the times in which she had used a real map and felt right about it.

http://www.thisibelieve.org/dsp_ShowEssay.php?uid=12405&themelist=pleasure&yval=0&start=0

The Titanic Fanatic

2008-10-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

I guess you could say that I am a movie lover. I love movies of all the sorts, except horror films. I hate horror films because they seem so real to me and I always think that what happens to the characters in the movies will happen to me too. I know, pretty sad. I like to go to the movies, but the only problem is that it is so freaking expensive. If my wallet suddenly had money in it all the time I may consider seeing more movies in the theatre; sadly I don’t see that happening any time soon. The best movie I have seen recently is Batman, the Dark Knight. That movie is so badass. I don’t think there is anyone who could have played a joker better than the one in this movie! Besides, Christian Bale plays the sexiest Batman in the world too, no one could possibly top him. Honestly, no movie beats Titanic-ever.

When I was eight years old I saw Titanic in the movies eight times (I also had eight stitches when I was eight, so it was a pretty big year). Don’t ask me where I coughed up the money to see it in movies so many times; I think I should ask my parents. Anyhow, that movie is now old, but nothing is better. The passion, romance, scandal, and rebellion all appealed to me. Why I was eight when it first appealed to me is beyond me. Maybe it was because Leonardo DeCaprio was the star of the movie and who was not obsessed with him at eight in my generation? I even wore a Titanic shirt to school almost everyday. I need to watch that movie, actually.

The Blog I Missed from October 8th and Can Thank Heavens Do Today for my Grade!

2008-10-13T13:00:00.001-07:00

I have always had a hard time keeping myself on track with being healthier, until recently. I used to drink maybe a glass of water a day. I ate fast food at least once a day. I never got my nutritional servings of anything except meet-I am a total steak-a-holic. I never got exercise because I rather would have studied-totally nerdy I know. Because of this my face had the acne going on pretty heavily. I would get headaches everyday. I know it sounds like I should be this total overweight person who is entirely too unhealthy, but I did not look that way. I can first say thank you to my mother, who weighs five pounds less than me, for her fantastic metabolism.

My metabolism is not the point I am trying to make here. My point is that for the past month I have changed my habits like a mad person. I get much more exercise than I used to. I think it’s impossible for anyone to get their full amount of needed nutrition for one day-so I take this stuff called Vemma. My doctor said it was a great idea. It’s a liquid full of vitamins, minerals, fruits, and vegetables for one day needed. Not only has my body health improved, but so has my face. My acne is so slim now, its because Veema is the highest anti-oxidant in the market and its badass. Everyone should try it for health purposes.
Thank you and goodnight.

Starbucks Coffee and the Economy Tale

2008-10-13T12:59:00.001-07:00

The economy is in trouble, but in reality how much trouble are we in? People are losing their homes, losing their jobs, and losing their self-esteems. I have not personally seen any of this. I know plenty of people and not one of them has lost their job based on the economy. Why are these reasons so horrifying to everyone? Why are these reasons an actual reason to panic? Ask Starbucks….most of their customers are feeling this economic pain! Why do people complain about having no money, but then turn around and feed their coffee addictions?

Starbucks has felt a hardship with the economy issues in the recent times, but only in certain areas. Starbucks is still up and running and making plenty of money it would seem. Every time I drive by a Starbucks it is PACKED! I know plenty of people who complain about money shortages yet still purchase coffee every single day, sometimes even multiple times. Why are people complaining about money but still indulging themselves in coffee? By the way, coffee is not a necessity, try water if your excuse is that you have no energy (maybe your body is lack because you drink more coffee than water, hmm.) So, in my opinion and in conclusion, until people stop drinking Starbucks like crazy, there is no real money issue for families in the economy right now-coffee is great but it is definitely not a live or die drink!

Faint Memory of a Home

2008-10-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

My grandmother and grandfathers home was a special place for me when I was a child. The house always smelled of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and fresh scents of plug-in the wall lily flowers. The house was homely, it had a nice and small living room which lead into a small kitchen where only four could actually eat at the dinner table. Past the kitchen was a bathroom and two bedrooms. The bathroom was very small and I always used to leave the door open when I was very young and would get yelled at for it. The bedrooms smelled of smoke, that's where both of my grandparents smoked when I was around, their only granddaughter who still lived in Colorado. The backyard always had clothes lines strung across it which were either empty or full of sheets. Keystone, my dog protector, was always in the back yard with me to make sure I was always safe and on my best behavior, he was my best friend when I was over there.

Now that both of my grandparents and their dog are dead, so is their home. It was taken away from my father when his sister lived there during the last death (my grandfather.) Not only did she make the house trash, but she also sold it with no intentions of telling anyone what she had been planning to do. That house held so many childhood memories, along with all of the people in it. The house has other people living in it now...no one I know. The only piece of my grandmother and that house i got to keep was this beautiful mini statue of a woman in a gold dress. When I was a child I though she was beautiful and shared that information with everyone. I think that's why I got that piece of the house and my grandparents. Now, the house is nothing but a faint memory that slowly dies each day. Only when I see that statue am I reminded of that past history in my life. I will always miss that house.

Her Name was Lola

2008-10-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

I adopted a cat from the Dumb Friends League a little over two months ago now. Her name is Lola and she is a year in a half old. Lola is a tabby cat, meaning she has black and gray stripes. She is very fluffy- I don’t really think she is supposed to be as fluffy as she is but it’s darn cute. When I first adopted her, claws were not an issue what so ever. Now, her claws seem to be an issue with the furniture. She loves to dig into the furniture with her claws and rip small pieces of the fabric. I don’t believe in getting cats declawed-but that is the new direction I must go in.

When Lola’s claws started to become an issue I wanted to try alternatives to getting her declawed. I tried a scratching post first, apparently she likes furniture better. My furniture must have a softer touch to it which attracts her or something of the sort. Then I tried Soft Claws, yeah right! I tried and tried with these fake rubber little cat nails but I had no shot. All Lola would do to the Soft Claws is chew them off no matter how many times I tried. Unfortunately I must get her declawed or else (the law of the step dad.) It is sad to think about but I love her so much that getting rid of her is not an option!

The McMansion

2008-09-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

The central point of The McMansion Next Door: Why the American House Needs a Makeover is that houses in America are all the same, a lot without any special character. I feel that this essay points out the thesis in each developmental paragraph. In the first paragraph of the paper the author points out that a child today would draw a house as a box with a triangular roof. That is how homes are seen in the United States, it is rare that people live outside of large neighborhoods with homes that are all alike. In the last paragraph of the paper the author again brings up the drawing of homes by children and states that maybe in the future kids will draw homes differently-maybe we will have different and unique homes as purses and food labels are.

I personally agree with the author in some aspects. I live right next to two neighborhoods that all have over 70 homes and they are all the same three styles. Every neighborhood I drive in all the homes look so similar. When I started dating my boyfriend it took me forever to remember exactly where his house was because it looks so much like all the other ones around his! My home is not like any other home I have seen-I have a long house which has a huge box attached and looks so separate than anyone Else's! My parents designed my home, so maybe that is the reason it looks so different. In fact, that has to be the reason. My neighborhood that consists of five homes does not belong to a "home development" company.

Lookout Mountain

2008-09-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

I have seen many beautiful things and places in my life time. Last night, I went to lookout mountain to watch the sunset and see all then city lights turn on once the sky begins to turn black. It was one of the prettiest sights I have ever seen. The air was crisp-but not cool enough to make a person shiver repetitively. The air smelt fresh. I was standing so high above everything on a mountain, there was nothing that bad that I could have smelt. I was also drinking a soy white mocha so it helped to keep me warm.

What I saw was amazing. From the spot I was on I could see the sun setting behind the mountains then i could turn around in the opposite direction and see the city below beginning to turn on all of its lights. From the top of lookout mountain I could see everything below me and it all looked so miniature. The baseball field I saw looked so cute, as if it were truly a miniature model of a baseball field. Some things I could not fully make out because of how small everything seemed to be from up there. When the sun was completely gone all the lights of the city came on and it was amazing-I felt like I was in heaven.

I may have to use this lookout for the upcoming English paper.

The Bathroom Stall

2008-09-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

The bathroom stall is off-white. Silver knobs are all over the stall. The coat hanger sticks out like a knife ready to stab you if you walk into it by accident. The lock on the stall is also silver and you can see your reflection in it while you sit on the toilet seat. The door to the stall has scratches and marks all over it. One mark is cut so deep that the original color of the stall before it was painted is revealed-silver. There is a silver table that you can push down to put your items on while using the bathroom. It looks as if it could hurt you if you let it fling up too fast.

The toilet paper dispenser is black and parts of it are off-white. Spikes to cut the toilet paper are located on the dispenser. If you were to accidentally push your hand against the spikes too hard you could possibly get hurt. The toilet seat cover dispenser is also black. It is very dusty as well. If you are allergic to dust you might sneeze if your mouth or nose gets too close to it. There is also a John Letter in the stall that is hot pink. If you touch it you could get diseases or something similar. Most likely, people have touched this while using the bathroom when bored-this is how diseases may get started in some cases.

Team Trista

2008-09-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

If I were nominated for the presidency right now at this age this would be my exact acceptance speech (this speech includes humor and relativity-such as human rights):

Thank you everyone so much for nominating me to possibly become the president of the United States, that is so badass. I know that even without politics being in the back of my brain at all times that I will make the best president we will ever have in this country. You, the people, like me because i am realistic! I will make no promises to change taxes, laws, ect. I will not promise such things because not only I, but the congress must also pass laws and regulations. I think it is unfair to make promises to this country-what if the congress does not agree with me? I can assure you that I will try my hardest and put forth outstanding effort to make the changes that people want.

You love me because i love all of you. I believe in human rights and animal rights. I assure you I am not a vegetarian, but I will be sure that no animal cruelty will occur during my many years in office. I believe in gay, women's, and minorities rights-why shouldn't i? We need to learn to accept as a nation, not reject. I am not about money, i am about the people. Money is important but loving is much more important. I always give money to a homeless person on the street and show respect for everyone around me.

I know I am young, only nineteen years of age. Don't worry-I know what I am doing. We will lead the country together..as a team. Team Trista.

Is a Tattoo Identity?

2008-09-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of tattoos and piercings. I believe that no matter what a person can express themselves through both piercings and tattoos. Tattoos are art, they are beautiful. People normally get both to express certain things about themselves. I have three tattoos and now only three piercings. I took out four of my piercings because i had no longer felt that I needed them to know who I was. Clearly tattoos are hard and expensive to erase, and if i had the option I would erase one of them.

The first tattoo i got was on my back a few days after I turned eighteen. it is a heart with a tribal symbol around it. I got this tattoo because I wanted one. I had no purpose in getting it besides the fact that I wanted to show my parents that I was allowed to do stuff like that. That is the tattoo I would erase because it has no meaning to me besides the fact that I was then able to and for the rest of my life make independent decisions.

The second tattoo I got I designed and came up with myself. It is a beautiful cross on my ankle. This cross represents God to me. In the past I had no faith in God and it got me no where. Since the beginning of my sobriety I decided that I love God and that I want a cross to resemble him on my body. This cross reminds me daily of my religion and love for God.

The last tattoo I have is across my stomach. This tattoo is very meaningful to me. It says courage love and passion. These words also keep me intact with my sobriety. I know that this tattoo is in a bad place-for one day it may stretch out if I have kids! Overall, this tattoo means a lot to me and explains the kind of person I am in words.

Class Presentation

2008-09-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

In my English class on Wednesday, September 17Th each of my class members (as well as myself) had to present an identity collage. The collage had to resemble a specific aspect of every ones identity. I chose to do my collage on a specific event that occurred in my life, which I explained in detail to the class. This very personal incident and everything that has followed in my life was very hard to share with the class, at first. It has always been hard for me to share my past behaviors because I am somewhat nervous of what others will think of me. My self confidence tends to go down a bit when my past is spoken of, but it is getting easier everyday because of all the drastic changes i have made in my life.

As i stated earlier, it was hard at first for me to share my collage in class. One reason it was so hard is because I have a small amount of stage fright-that's where my self esteem plays in. I can speak in class to a simple question, but it is much harder for me to stand on my own and present. Once a few people go I am much more attuned to doing it too. The other reason it was hard is because i thought people would judge me-which i do not feel anyone did. I got asked several questions about my presentation which made me feel more open to sharing because others wanted to know more about my story. Overall, I think that giving my presentation was a big step for me.

-Trista

Question 2, Bordo

2008-09-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

In the essay by Susan Bordo, The Empire of Images in our World of Bodies, Bordo is entirely focused on the medias impact on women off all ages. I believe that both men and women are impacted by the media, appearance wise. Yes, young girls are introduced to television shows such as Cheetah Girls and "role models" such as Miley Cyrus, and girls do have more to impact from them. Boys, I believe, have a different set of models to learn from. These models include older brothers, fathers, uncles, and boys their same age. Boys, on the other hand, are much less impacted by the media at a young age. When both boys and girls grow to be men and women, however, both groups are equally influenced by the media.

For men and women, media is a huge impact. The show Nip-Tuck (one of my personal favorites) shows both men and women going under cosmetic surgeries to "look younger." Ads in magazines are aimed toward both sex groups as well. Men's magazines point toward men as women's magazines point toward women.

Overall, Bordo makes a hidden issue become a large issue in only a few pages of reading. Today, it seems that no matter where you look someone is telling you who to be and how to look. The impact from this media on all sexes is sad-but real. For many people having small breasts is a problem because the media makes you feel that way-therefore you feel that you should get a breast job to fit in with "normal" society. Even girls who are eleven years old are starting to think they need breast jobs, nose jobs, etc..

McCain's Acceptance Speech

2008-09-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Just as the Obama acceptance speech, McCain's acceptance speech for the republican vote was also exceptional. McCain directed his speech toward republicans whom also support Bush in office-as it came off that way to me. McCain spoke of Bush fondly, but also said what needs to be changed in office, the change that did not come with the last republican in office. McCain and Obama differ greatly in policies and desires, but it seems to me that McCain has more experience with relativity.

McCain gave such an exceptional speech becasue he showed respect to his running mate and the current president-unlike Obama. I believe his effect on the audience was strong becasue of the respect and realistic goals he shared. I am not a big McCain supporter, but he sure caught my attention when he shared his personal liking of both Bush and Obama. Also, McCain comes off as realistic. He says we need to work together as a country to change-he is sensible enough to know he could not produce a lot of change on his own. Overall, McCain's acceptance speech grew my awareness and caught my eye.

Thanks, Trista

Obama and His Speech

2008-08-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

Obama's speech given on Thursday, August 28Th was a speech worth listening to. The purpose and the effect of his speech was targeted specifically. I believe that the purpose of the Obama speech was to grasp the attention of anyone who was listening. What I mean by "anyone who was listening" is that if you were listening to him he finally shared some of the policies that he will bring to office if elected. I do not know about anyone else, but for me I had never heard him dig in to what he wants to change in America. He promotes "change," as well as all democrats who follow. Before the speech on Thursday, I was curious as to what he actually wanted to change, being that all I was hearing was the word change with no explanations. I feel he targeted a lot of people who were feeling similar to me in some ways, "Tell me what you want to do in office that will make me follow you even though you can guarantee nothing."

I believe that the effect Obama had on his audience was optimism. As I stated earlier, I knew nothing of what Obama wanted to change, but after his speech I had heard the small amount that I needed to hear. I strongly believe in all human rights and Obama clearly stated that he does as well. When he spoke of women's rights and gay rights he completely captivated me. I feel that gay and women's issues are at large today-we are all humans and deserve the same treatment. When Obama spoke of these things I feel that it when he truly changed many peoples minds-especially my generation because we are much more educated to human rights than past generations have been.

-Trista

Educational Text

2008-08-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

As far as text, it is literally everywhere. Text is in all formats all around us. I believe that all text is educational in many different aspects. First, text is reading. What I mean by reading is that you are either truely reading something or you are reading into a person. If I see someone walking down the street wearing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat- I am thinking hey that person looks like they are a cowboy! From this "reading of text" I actually educate myself. I just assumed that the person I saw is a cowboy only becasue of the clothes he is wearing! Therefore, I just learned that I assume things (anything) by reading the tone of someones clothing choice. I do not actually know this person is a cowboy, I just want to be right becasue I saw him in that light!
Secondly, as humans we are always learing whether we notice it or not. I know that I learn something new everyday. I bet that a lot of people feel that magazines are uneducational when it comes to reading text! I assume this (which relates back to my first point) becasue most magazines are filled with celebrities, gossip, and some sort of fashion advice. Well, that is educational. By reading that gossip-filled celebrity magazine you just read, I bet that you heard stuff you never learned before! It may seem trashy or full of unwanted gossip and it may be, but at least you just learned something.

Thanks,
Trista