Implications, Inflictions, and Issues with the Issues.

I enjoyed the issues paper...i think.

My favorite subject is history, so democracy was a fun topic for me, however, i think i just hit those near-end semester blues and procrastinated, well, anything and everything. This kind of put a damper on peer review, and consequently i don't think i got a lot out of it this time around. Conferences and the writing center were very effective and helpful. I finished writing my paper around, 4 in the morning? so i'm not sure how coherent i was for the last...half....of my paper. Guess we'll see how that turned out.

Analyzing an Act with the Audacity to Absorb Amusingly

I was watching an episode of Community last night when i should have been writing the blog post. Fittingly, I decided I should write this blog WHILE I watched, but soon forgot about that thought entirely and watched my show and went to bed. Anyways, Here it is:

Intro: This episode, as is common with many TV episodes, has a sort of two storylines going on at the same time. The episode opens with Jeff entering a Humanities class because he heard it was an easy A. The teacher believes that he is in the Dead Poet Society, and gives no tests or exams, just asks that they carpe diem ("Sieze the day") to get an A. Meanwhile, the study group discovers that Abed loves film. However, his father will not pay for him to take film classes, so Britta decides to help him with his passions and pay for his film class.

Middle: Jeff's Humanities instructor notices that Jeff is taking the class for an easy A, and says that if he does not "sieze the day" by the end of the week, Jeff will receive an F for the semester. Try as he might, Jeff cannot impress his teacher and "sieze the day." Meanwhile, Abed's father finds out about the film class and confronts him and britta about it, saying that he must carry on the food business of his family.

End: Abed finishes a film and invites Jeff, Britta, and his father to see it. Through it, Abed's father is able to see that film is a way for Abed to express himself and be understood, and is now willing to pay for his film classes. Britta is relieved and can't thank Jeff enough, until she repays him by kissing him right in front of his humanities teacher. The teacher sees that Jeff has "siezed the day," and gives him an A for the class.

Two much late posts combined into one

I missed two posts, and probably won't even get credit for them, but here it goes anyways:

I'm writing my paper on the effect the spread of democracy by the United States has had and is having on foreign nations. I was going to point out key eras where this was a prominent issue, including the Cold War era and the issues of today.

I'm a little stuck on my tentative thesis because I'm having a hard time picking a side on this one. My thesis would either be that we're having a positive effect with this democratization and should seek to continue these efforts of conversion globally or that we're negatively impacting the nations we attempt to democratize and should step away from changing the ways that they run their countries.

I'm looking for ideas, thoughts and suggestions (PRIME TIME FOR COMMENTS), and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Background Sources

Source #1: "Exporting Democracy" by Peter Katel

Source #2: America can export democracy

Source #3: "EFFECTS OF U.S. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ON DEMOCRACY BUILDING" by      Finkel, Perez-Linan, and Seligson

Source #4: Foreign Policy of the United States by Wikipedia

Source #5: "Democracy Promotion:" by Epstein, Serafino, and Miko

Reflections on Readily Reviewing the Rhetorical Reading

I enjoyed the RA. I think I liked the OpEd a little better, just because it was more my style of writing and it was a little more personal.

It was a little harder than the OpEd, because it took a lot more thought and analysis than just saying personal arguments in a persuasive manner.

I like the peer review process a lot more this time around. Having the articles to review before gave us more time to give them better feedback, and more time to explain that feedback in class.

Overall, i really liked the RA.

Will wroth Wally-World be woefully brought down with well-written writing?

In the very first paragraph of "Wal-Martian Invasion," there is imagery of cities across the United States being destroyed and engulfed, and presidential campaigning. Imagery is also used to create the image of a 1950s sci-fi flick to compare the company to martians. Another example is used when it is compared to a "creature afflicted with the appetite of a starved hyena." This imagery is to portray an image of the company that is carnal, beast-like, and "doesn't have time for niceties."

The entire title is a metaphor and (while not very effective), it lets him have an image or thought to compare Wal-Mart to, martians, in this case. This metaphor also acts as personification, as it is giving a company life-like (even extra-terrestrial) attributes and qualities.

Attempt at an Analytical Thesis

"Wal-Martian Invasion"is effective in persuading American mass consumers of Wal-Mart's unethical practices and it's gloomy future because it uses relatable comparisons, ethical arguments, and issues that many of the working class are stricken with every day to create questioning in the minds of consumers as to the ethics and practices of the company.