My, What Big Protections You Have
Judge puts Great Lakes wolves back on endangered-species list
http://www.grist.org/news/2008/09/30/wolf/index.html
I would say this is a summary lead. The article states "The Bush administration misread the law when it removed endangered-species protections from a population of some 4,000 gray wolves in the Great Lakes region," a federal judge ruled Monday. What caught my attention was the heading. I immediately thought of the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf.
And the article is about wolves.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Final Draft-Essay#1: Credit Cards-Necessary Evil?
Final Draft-Essay #1: Credit cards-Necessary Evil?
All one has to do is watch and listen to the news to understand that our country is in a financial mess and crisis. The Federal Government is bailing out some of the biggest financial companies, two solid rocks of the financial world had to be rescued-Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and banks large and small are folding. Congress debated and did not pass a possible $700 billion dollar bailout plan. The stock market has gone up and down plummeting over 700 points-the most in it’s history, home foreclosures are happening at an alarming rate, unemployment is high, and oil prices having leveled off are skyrocketing again. Amidst all of this is the average consumer who has to try and figure out how to survive; how to put food on their tables, gas in their cars, hold onto their homes, worrying if they will have a job, wondering how they can keep their kids in college. All they want is to have a good quality of life. Being able to survive on their expendable income is becoming harder and harder. More and more this is when credit cards come to the rescue-or do they?
Although credit cards have become a staple in most people’s lives, credit cards are not good because a credit card makes it too easy to buy something the holder can’t afford, higher spending limits are too easy to obtain, and late payments can ruin a card holder’s credit rating.
How is this possible? Credit card companies are trying harder to get the consumers business. Check the mailbox lately? It’s not uncommon to receive 4-6 or more credit card applications in the mail each day. Each one is promising something better; a better interest rate, 0% on balance transfers, no yearly fees, airline miles, no payments for a year-the list goes on. Even the local Sunday paper has Discover Card applications. The credit card companies are also targeting college and high school students who are new to the responsibilities that come with having a credit card.
The credit card companies are making it easier and more attractive for people to sign up for their services. In the United States the average cardholder has seven credit cards and two debit cards, according to www.cardtrak.com, which provides consumer information about credit cards. Given that scenario it is easy to see how people can get tempted and spend beyond their means. Add to that the option to “Buy now, pay later” or “No interest for one year” and the spending increases. Take a look in the checkout line next time and see how many people pay for their items with a credit card. One of the biggest and scariest problems is that people forget that a credit card is not supplemental income. They are going to have to pay for their purchases in one way or another. The more cards a person carries the more opportunities to spend and rack up their debt. Thus the cycle begins.
Many people charge a credit card to its limit, and then apply and get approval for another card so that they can use that cards limit and so on. Keeping up with the payments is difficult and many make just the minimum payment to keep the card open. The credit card companies often entice the cardholder by offering 0% interest on balance transfers. The cardholder will have an opportunity to transfer their debt from one card to another. Or they can call their credit card companies and request a higher limit. Credit card companies are more than happy to increase the limit, especially if they have made their payments on time. Consider someone who wants to increase their card by $500-$1000; multiply that by 2-3-4 cards and the spending limit is endless. Think of the high school or college student just starting out in life having access to this “money”. It is easy to see how a person can get sucked into the cycle. Part of this may be because many consumers think that the more cards they have, the better their credit rating will be. That is not necessarily true.
While it is true that having a credit card or cards can reflect a person’s credit worthiness, lenders look at other factors as well such as job history (stability), on-time payment ratios, how low their debt ratio is, how many cards have been closed and at what rate. A big factor is if a person pays on time, how much they pay, and if they are current on all their cards. If a person makes a late payment the credit card companies typically increase the interest rate, charge a fee that can often make the cardholder over their limit (because they charged their card to the max). This will add another fee for going over the limit. Once a person has a history of late payments, their credit rating will drop and their normal lenders may not be as willing to issue credit or loans to them. If the person is willing to pay exorbitant interest rates and fees, there is always someone willing to issue credit or a loan. The cycle continues. Why is there such a housing crisis and why are the mortgage companies going under? Because they leant money to people whom either did not have a credit rating, or had a questionable rating. It is hard to break the cycle and it will take years for the person to pay back their loans and credit cards to bring their credit rating back up. Some may not be able to pay and will default.
It’s a catch-22. Cash is out and credit cards are in. To have a credit rating the consumer must have a credit card. A young couple who paid cash for everything found that out after trying to rent a car and hotel room. They were told they had to have a credit card. They applied and were approved for an American Express card. Proudly they used the card and religiously paid it off every month. If they could not afford something they did not buy it. Later they wanted to buy furniture from a department store that did not accept American Express. They applied for the stores card but were turned down because American Express was not considered a “credit card” and was not reflected on their credit rating because they paid it off every month. The cycle begins.
It is unfortunate that credit cards have become a necessary evil. A good portion of our countries current financial crisis can be associated with credit being issued to those considered high risk. Add to that the fact that more and more young adults who don’t fully understand the risks of the credit game are becoming a part of the cycle. Without a credit card hotels and car rentals cannot be booked, airline tickets cannot be reserved, and most importantly a credit rating cannot be established. While it is true that if used carefully and paid properly, credit cards can make it easier when times are tough; what needs to be emphatically pointed out and remembered by a cardholder is this: Credit cards are NOT supplemental income and must be paid somehow so use them judiciously.
Works Cited:
http://www.cardtrak.com/
All one has to do is watch and listen to the news to understand that our country is in a financial mess and crisis. The Federal Government is bailing out some of the biggest financial companies, two solid rocks of the financial world had to be rescued-Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and banks large and small are folding. Congress debated and did not pass a possible $700 billion dollar bailout plan. The stock market has gone up and down plummeting over 700 points-the most in it’s history, home foreclosures are happening at an alarming rate, unemployment is high, and oil prices having leveled off are skyrocketing again. Amidst all of this is the average consumer who has to try and figure out how to survive; how to put food on their tables, gas in their cars, hold onto their homes, worrying if they will have a job, wondering how they can keep their kids in college. All they want is to have a good quality of life. Being able to survive on their expendable income is becoming harder and harder. More and more this is when credit cards come to the rescue-or do they?
Although credit cards have become a staple in most people’s lives, credit cards are not good because a credit card makes it too easy to buy something the holder can’t afford, higher spending limits are too easy to obtain, and late payments can ruin a card holder’s credit rating.
How is this possible? Credit card companies are trying harder to get the consumers business. Check the mailbox lately? It’s not uncommon to receive 4-6 or more credit card applications in the mail each day. Each one is promising something better; a better interest rate, 0% on balance transfers, no yearly fees, airline miles, no payments for a year-the list goes on. Even the local Sunday paper has Discover Card applications. The credit card companies are also targeting college and high school students who are new to the responsibilities that come with having a credit card.
The credit card companies are making it easier and more attractive for people to sign up for their services. In the United States the average cardholder has seven credit cards and two debit cards, according to www.cardtrak.com, which provides consumer information about credit cards. Given that scenario it is easy to see how people can get tempted and spend beyond their means. Add to that the option to “Buy now, pay later” or “No interest for one year” and the spending increases. Take a look in the checkout line next time and see how many people pay for their items with a credit card. One of the biggest and scariest problems is that people forget that a credit card is not supplemental income. They are going to have to pay for their purchases in one way or another. The more cards a person carries the more opportunities to spend and rack up their debt. Thus the cycle begins.
Many people charge a credit card to its limit, and then apply and get approval for another card so that they can use that cards limit and so on. Keeping up with the payments is difficult and many make just the minimum payment to keep the card open. The credit card companies often entice the cardholder by offering 0% interest on balance transfers. The cardholder will have an opportunity to transfer their debt from one card to another. Or they can call their credit card companies and request a higher limit. Credit card companies are more than happy to increase the limit, especially if they have made their payments on time. Consider someone who wants to increase their card by $500-$1000; multiply that by 2-3-4 cards and the spending limit is endless. Think of the high school or college student just starting out in life having access to this “money”. It is easy to see how a person can get sucked into the cycle. Part of this may be because many consumers think that the more cards they have, the better their credit rating will be. That is not necessarily true.
While it is true that having a credit card or cards can reflect a person’s credit worthiness, lenders look at other factors as well such as job history (stability), on-time payment ratios, how low their debt ratio is, how many cards have been closed and at what rate. A big factor is if a person pays on time, how much they pay, and if they are current on all their cards. If a person makes a late payment the credit card companies typically increase the interest rate, charge a fee that can often make the cardholder over their limit (because they charged their card to the max). This will add another fee for going over the limit. Once a person has a history of late payments, their credit rating will drop and their normal lenders may not be as willing to issue credit or loans to them. If the person is willing to pay exorbitant interest rates and fees, there is always someone willing to issue credit or a loan. The cycle continues. Why is there such a housing crisis and why are the mortgage companies going under? Because they leant money to people whom either did not have a credit rating, or had a questionable rating. It is hard to break the cycle and it will take years for the person to pay back their loans and credit cards to bring their credit rating back up. Some may not be able to pay and will default.
It’s a catch-22. Cash is out and credit cards are in. To have a credit rating the consumer must have a credit card. A young couple who paid cash for everything found that out after trying to rent a car and hotel room. They were told they had to have a credit card. They applied and were approved for an American Express card. Proudly they used the card and religiously paid it off every month. If they could not afford something they did not buy it. Later they wanted to buy furniture from a department store that did not accept American Express. They applied for the stores card but were turned down because American Express was not considered a “credit card” and was not reflected on their credit rating because they paid it off every month. The cycle begins.
It is unfortunate that credit cards have become a necessary evil. A good portion of our countries current financial crisis can be associated with credit being issued to those considered high risk. Add to that the fact that more and more young adults who don’t fully understand the risks of the credit game are becoming a part of the cycle. Without a credit card hotels and car rentals cannot be booked, airline tickets cannot be reserved, and most importantly a credit rating cannot be established. While it is true that if used carefully and paid properly, credit cards can make it easier when times are tough; what needs to be emphatically pointed out and remembered by a cardholder is this: Credit cards are NOT supplemental income and must be paid somehow so use them judiciously.
Works Cited:
http://www.cardtrak.com/
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Workshop Response-Rough Draft Evaluation Essay-Karma's ENglish 111
Author’s Audience:
1) Young first time homebuyers are the core audience for this essay. There are good points that older home owners’ need to remember.
2) I think the audience will agree with the author and should listen to the author’s advice.
3) “Young home buyers tend to focus on the new furniture….” Third paragraph “How many young adults”
4) The last two sentences of the second paragraph. “What happens after the paperwork is complete, the moving party is over….. “
Reasons:
1) “Being a 17 year veteran”, “listed in the appraisal…Did anyone stop to read this?’ “I have personally witnessed”
2) Reasons are in the thesis and body of the paper. Each paragraph continues the thesis statement.
3) Perhaps some criteria from a homebuyers association, or real estate firm or a bank might help strengthen the reasoning behind the statements.
Counterarguments:
The author’s experience shows in their arguments. Each paragraph which supports one of the because statements in the thesis has a strong argument for each. A reader may have the following questions though.
1) Isn’t the mortgage lender or the real estate agent responsible for telling the first time homeowner what the appraiser is looking for? Especially the part about needed repairs?
2) Given the state of the countries financial outlook and especially the mortgage loan
fiasco, shouldn’t the banks and realtors be watching what they are telling the first time owner?
3) There is so much paperwork involved in purchasing a home, shouldn’t the lenders be more forthright in what they tell the buyer? In other words isn’t the lender to blame for their omission of explanation?
Flow/Transitions:
1) Yes, the author is writing the essay following the thesis statement.
2) The paragraphs flow from one clause to the other. I wouldn’t say bumpy, but you may want to split the third and fourth paragraphs into smaller paragraphs. Perhaps where you talk about someone planning to purchase a 20 year old house end the paragraph there and continue with your next statement. Many good points in the paragraph that need to be on their own so the reader understands their importance. Same with the fourth paragraph.
3) You might want to dumb the fourth paragraph up-meaning make it simple for the uninitiated home owner. Obviously you know your stuff, make it so others can too. Again many good points in the paragraph that should be on their own. What is Fair value? Fixed interest rate? Market Value etc.
4) One typo in last sentence: Scrabbling s/b scrambling.
5) Right on with the heating fuel costs. Might not want to put “my personal”… “For example a home requiring 2000 gallons a year….”
6) The last paragraph is again strong. You might not want to include the renters clause unless you bring it up say in your opening statement. It’s a good point, but it’s a new subject in your conclusion.
7) I like the Buyer beware!
Introduction/Conclusion:
1) You might want to make your thesis statement the second paragraph in your essay. You have some really strong points that might serve the introduction; "Owning a home-part of the American Dream". Maybe bring in the last two sentences from the second paragraph “What happens after the paperwork is signed,…..” or something to that effect.
2) I like your conclusion, tying in the points of the thesis statement. Again you might not want to include the renter information.
All in all a nicely written essay. You are very convincing in your knowledge of the world of mortgages, taxes, and home repairs. Thank you from an old home owner who never totally understood how my taxes work. Good Job!
1) Young first time homebuyers are the core audience for this essay. There are good points that older home owners’ need to remember.
2) I think the audience will agree with the author and should listen to the author’s advice.
3) “Young home buyers tend to focus on the new furniture….” Third paragraph “How many young adults”
4) The last two sentences of the second paragraph. “What happens after the paperwork is complete, the moving party is over….. “
Reasons:
1) “Being a 17 year veteran”, “listed in the appraisal…Did anyone stop to read this?’ “I have personally witnessed”
2) Reasons are in the thesis and body of the paper. Each paragraph continues the thesis statement.
3) Perhaps some criteria from a homebuyers association, or real estate firm or a bank might help strengthen the reasoning behind the statements.
Counterarguments:
The author’s experience shows in their arguments. Each paragraph which supports one of the because statements in the thesis has a strong argument for each. A reader may have the following questions though.
1) Isn’t the mortgage lender or the real estate agent responsible for telling the first time homeowner what the appraiser is looking for? Especially the part about needed repairs?
2) Given the state of the countries financial outlook and especially the mortgage loan
fiasco, shouldn’t the banks and realtors be watching what they are telling the first time owner?
3) There is so much paperwork involved in purchasing a home, shouldn’t the lenders be more forthright in what they tell the buyer? In other words isn’t the lender to blame for their omission of explanation?
Flow/Transitions:
1) Yes, the author is writing the essay following the thesis statement.
2) The paragraphs flow from one clause to the other. I wouldn’t say bumpy, but you may want to split the third and fourth paragraphs into smaller paragraphs. Perhaps where you talk about someone planning to purchase a 20 year old house end the paragraph there and continue with your next statement. Many good points in the paragraph that need to be on their own so the reader understands their importance. Same with the fourth paragraph.
3) You might want to dumb the fourth paragraph up-meaning make it simple for the uninitiated home owner. Obviously you know your stuff, make it so others can too. Again many good points in the paragraph that should be on their own. What is Fair value? Fixed interest rate? Market Value etc.
4) One typo in last sentence: Scrabbling s/b scrambling.
5) Right on with the heating fuel costs. Might not want to put “my personal”… “For example a home requiring 2000 gallons a year….”
6) The last paragraph is again strong. You might not want to include the renters clause unless you bring it up say in your opening statement. It’s a good point, but it’s a new subject in your conclusion.
7) I like the Buyer beware!
Introduction/Conclusion:
1) You might want to make your thesis statement the second paragraph in your essay. You have some really strong points that might serve the introduction; "Owning a home-part of the American Dream". Maybe bring in the last two sentences from the second paragraph “What happens after the paperwork is signed,…..” or something to that effect.
2) I like your conclusion, tying in the points of the thesis statement. Again you might not want to include the renter information.
All in all a nicely written essay. You are very convincing in your knowledge of the world of mortgages, taxes, and home repairs. Thank you from an old home owner who never totally understood how my taxes work. Good Job!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Rough Draft Essay #1
All one has to do is see and listen to the news to understand that our country is in a financial mess and crisis. The Federal Government is bailing out some of the biggest financial companies, the solid rock of the financial world had to be rescued-Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, banks large and small are folding, Congress is debating how to manage a possible $700 billion dollar bailout plan, the stock market is going up and down, home foreclosures are happening at an alarming rate, unemployment is high, and oil prices having leveled off are skyrocketing again. Amidst all of this is the average consumer who has to try and figure out how to survive; how to put food on their tables, gas in their cars, hold onto their homes, wondering if they will have a job, if they can keep their kids in college. All they want is to have a good quality of life. Being able to survive on their expendable income is becoming harder and harder. More and more this is when credit cards come to the rescue-or do they?
Although credit cards have become a staple in most people’s lives, credit cards are not necessarily good because a credit card makes it too easy to buy something the holder can’t afford, higher spending limits are too easy to obtain, and late payments can ruin a card holder’s credit rating.
How is this possible? Credit card companies are trying harder to get the consumers business. Check the mailbox lately? It’s not uncommon to receive 4-6 or more credit card applications in the mail each day. Each one is promising something better; a better interest rate, 0% on balance transfers, no yearly fees, airline miles, no payments for a year-the list goes on. Even local Sunday paper has Discover Card applications. The credit card companies are also targeting a younger audience; college and high school students.
The credit card companies are making it easier and more attractive for people to sign up for their services. In the United States the average cardholder has seven credit cards and two debit cards, according to www.cardtrak.com,[1] which provides consumer information about credit cards. Given that scenario it is easy to see how people can get tempted and spend beyond their means. Add to that the option to “Buy now, pay later” or “No interest for one year” and the spending increases. Take a look in the check-out line next time and see how many people pay for their items with a credit card. One of the biggest and scariest problems is that people forget that a credit card is not supplemental income. They are going to have to pay for their purchases in one way or another. The more cards a person carries the more opportunities to spend and rack up their debt. Thus the cycle begins.
Many people charge a credit card to its limit, and then apply and get approval for another card, use that cards limit and so on. Keeping up with the payments is difficult and many make just the minimum payment to keep the card open. Or they can call their credit card companies and request a higher limit. Credit card companies are more than happy to increase the limit, especially if they have made their payments on time. Consider someone who wants to increase their card by $500-$1000; multiply that by 2-3-4 cards and the spending limit is endless. Think of the high school or college just starting out in life having access to this “money”. It is easy to see how a person can get sucked into the cycle. Part of this may be because many consumers think that the more cards they have, the better their credit rating will be. That is not necessarily true.
While it is true that having a credit card or cards can reflect a person’s credit worthiness, lenders look at other factors as well such as job history (stability), on-time payment ratios, how low their debt ratio is, how many cards have been closed and at what rate. A big factor is if a person pays on time, how much they pay, and if they are current on all their cards. If a person makes a late payment, the credit card companies typically increase the interest rate; charge a fee which can often make the card holder over their limit because they charged their card to the max. This will will add another fee for going over the limit. Once a person has a history of late payments, their credit rating will drop and lenders will not be as willing to issue credit or loans to them. This continues the cycle because there is always someone willing to issue credit or a loan if the person is willing to pay the exorbitant interest rates. Think of the housing crisis and the mortgage companies going under. They leant money to people who either did not have a credit rating, or had a questionable rating. It is hard to break the cycle and it will take years for the person to pay back their loans and credit cards to bring their credit rating back up. Some may not be able to pay and will default.
It’s a catch-22. Cash is out and credit cards are in. To have a credit rating the consumer must have a credit card. A young couple who paid cash for everything found that out after trying to rent a car and hotel room. They were told they had to have a credit card. They applied and were approved for an American Express card. Proudly they used the card and religiously paid it off every month. If they couldn’t afford something, they didn’t buy it. Later they wanted to buy furniture from a department store that did not accept American Express. They applied for the stores card, but were turned down because American Express was not considered a “credit card” and was not reflected on their credit rating because they paid it off every month. The cycle begins.
Credit cards if used carefully and paid properly, can enhance a person’s life and make it easier when times are tough. Without a credit card hotels and cars cannot be booked, airline tickets cannot be reserved, and most importantly a credit rating cannot be established. Just remember what is most important: Credit cards are not supplemental income; use them judiciously.
[1]
Although credit cards have become a staple in most people’s lives, credit cards are not necessarily good because a credit card makes it too easy to buy something the holder can’t afford, higher spending limits are too easy to obtain, and late payments can ruin a card holder’s credit rating.
How is this possible? Credit card companies are trying harder to get the consumers business. Check the mailbox lately? It’s not uncommon to receive 4-6 or more credit card applications in the mail each day. Each one is promising something better; a better interest rate, 0% on balance transfers, no yearly fees, airline miles, no payments for a year-the list goes on. Even local Sunday paper has Discover Card applications. The credit card companies are also targeting a younger audience; college and high school students.
The credit card companies are making it easier and more attractive for people to sign up for their services. In the United States the average cardholder has seven credit cards and two debit cards, according to www.cardtrak.com,[1] which provides consumer information about credit cards. Given that scenario it is easy to see how people can get tempted and spend beyond their means. Add to that the option to “Buy now, pay later” or “No interest for one year” and the spending increases. Take a look in the check-out line next time and see how many people pay for their items with a credit card. One of the biggest and scariest problems is that people forget that a credit card is not supplemental income. They are going to have to pay for their purchases in one way or another. The more cards a person carries the more opportunities to spend and rack up their debt. Thus the cycle begins.
Many people charge a credit card to its limit, and then apply and get approval for another card, use that cards limit and so on. Keeping up with the payments is difficult and many make just the minimum payment to keep the card open. Or they can call their credit card companies and request a higher limit. Credit card companies are more than happy to increase the limit, especially if they have made their payments on time. Consider someone who wants to increase their card by $500-$1000; multiply that by 2-3-4 cards and the spending limit is endless. Think of the high school or college just starting out in life having access to this “money”. It is easy to see how a person can get sucked into the cycle. Part of this may be because many consumers think that the more cards they have, the better their credit rating will be. That is not necessarily true.
While it is true that having a credit card or cards can reflect a person’s credit worthiness, lenders look at other factors as well such as job history (stability), on-time payment ratios, how low their debt ratio is, how many cards have been closed and at what rate. A big factor is if a person pays on time, how much they pay, and if they are current on all their cards. If a person makes a late payment, the credit card companies typically increase the interest rate; charge a fee which can often make the card holder over their limit because they charged their card to the max. This will will add another fee for going over the limit. Once a person has a history of late payments, their credit rating will drop and lenders will not be as willing to issue credit or loans to them. This continues the cycle because there is always someone willing to issue credit or a loan if the person is willing to pay the exorbitant interest rates. Think of the housing crisis and the mortgage companies going under. They leant money to people who either did not have a credit rating, or had a questionable rating. It is hard to break the cycle and it will take years for the person to pay back their loans and credit cards to bring their credit rating back up. Some may not be able to pay and will default.
It’s a catch-22. Cash is out and credit cards are in. To have a credit rating the consumer must have a credit card. A young couple who paid cash for everything found that out after trying to rent a car and hotel room. They were told they had to have a credit card. They applied and were approved for an American Express card. Proudly they used the card and religiously paid it off every month. If they couldn’t afford something, they didn’t buy it. Later they wanted to buy furniture from a department store that did not accept American Express. They applied for the stores card, but were turned down because American Express was not considered a “credit card” and was not reflected on their credit rating because they paid it off every month. The cycle begins.
Credit cards if used carefully and paid properly, can enhance a person’s life and make it easier when times are tough. Without a credit card hotels and cars cannot be booked, airline tickets cannot be reserved, and most importantly a credit rating cannot be established. Just remember what is most important: Credit cards are not supplemental income; use them judiciously.
[1]
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Week 3, Response 2
Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts” is written in a no-nonsense, humorous style that catches the reader’s attention immediately. The title is the first indication that her essay is going to be full of self-deprecating humor with a story to tell. She writes in such a casual way, that the reader is immediately hooked and wants to know what she is going to say next. She laces her essay with real-life experiences such as her former job writing food reviews and how difficult they would be for her. “Remember to breathe,” she says. Go back and sit down and try again. She makes it understood to the reader that if it is that difficult for a professional writer to make it sound, well, professional, it is ok and normal for a beginner to feel the same way. It really is ok to write a shitty first draft.
I can identify with the wanting it to be perfect the first time. I find myself not wanting to be embarrassed or have too many red lines on my draft. I want it to be good, really good on my first attempt. And the more I want to have that happen, the worse it sounds. What I want to say and how I write it are two different things. I get bogged down and the words just don't flow. It ends up being a bunch of goobly-gook.
So, taking her advice to heart, I let myself trust the process, and this is the result. I hope that it makes some sense and what I wanted to say comes through. I just hope I can feel that confident with my first draft for our thesis essay!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Response #1-William Sea
Question #2
William Sea is obviously fed up with the way men and women (particularly men in this article) are portrayed in advertising. In his example from a series of Milwalkee’s Best Light commercials, men are shown as acting “unmanly” –at least from the stereotypical view of Miller Beer-and paying the price by having a giant can of beer falling onto the effeminate man for what is deemed feminine actions. Dabbing the grease off a piece of pizza is apparently something only a woman would do. The commercial goes on to state that “men should act like men,…” Gender policing? Definitely. Stereotyping of the male gender? Definitely. Manly men eat greasy pizza and drink beer. Commercials such as this series keep the stereotypical roles of men going; in other words this is how society expects men to act.
One only has to look at the television series “The Simpsons” to find ethnic group policing. All people of Indian heritage own quickie marts and talk with a bad accent. The tragedy of September 11, 2001 has brought suspicion and distrust to those of Muslim beliefs. All Muslims are taught to be terrorists. A person doesn’t even have to be a Muslim from the Middle East to have a suspicious eye cast on them. A white American woman, who by marriage has a “foreign sounding” last name is met with suspicion, and this suspicion is only increased if she is a Muslim. The emotions brought on by the September 11th tragedy are understandable, and the stereotyping forgivable. However, mankind needs to accept that there are bad people in the world who are yes, Muslim, but mankind also needs to accept that there are good and upstanding people who are Muslims. Until we do, the world will continue to fester and destroy itself.
There is a purpose that gender and group policing can serve-it can give a person or a group something to identify themselves with and help others understand where they are coming from. But this of course perpetuates stereotyping, which can lead to unfair associations and expectations.
William Sea is obviously fed up with the way men and women (particularly men in this article) are portrayed in advertising. In his example from a series of Milwalkee’s Best Light commercials, men are shown as acting “unmanly” –at least from the stereotypical view of Miller Beer-and paying the price by having a giant can of beer falling onto the effeminate man for what is deemed feminine actions. Dabbing the grease off a piece of pizza is apparently something only a woman would do. The commercial goes on to state that “men should act like men,…” Gender policing? Definitely. Stereotyping of the male gender? Definitely. Manly men eat greasy pizza and drink beer. Commercials such as this series keep the stereotypical roles of men going; in other words this is how society expects men to act.
One only has to look at the television series “The Simpsons” to find ethnic group policing. All people of Indian heritage own quickie marts and talk with a bad accent. The tragedy of September 11, 2001 has brought suspicion and distrust to those of Muslim beliefs. All Muslims are taught to be terrorists. A person doesn’t even have to be a Muslim from the Middle East to have a suspicious eye cast on them. A white American woman, who by marriage has a “foreign sounding” last name is met with suspicion, and this suspicion is only increased if she is a Muslim. The emotions brought on by the September 11th tragedy are understandable, and the stereotyping forgivable. However, mankind needs to accept that there are bad people in the world who are yes, Muslim, but mankind also needs to accept that there are good and upstanding people who are Muslims. Until we do, the world will continue to fester and destroy itself.
There is a purpose that gender and group policing can serve-it can give a person or a group something to identify themselves with and help others understand where they are coming from. But this of course perpetuates stereotyping, which can lead to unfair associations and expectations.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Working hard for the money-Writing Assignment #1
This is not my first on-line class, but it is my first time taking 3 classes on-line at the same time. I had nine credits last semester and was basically gone from my house from 7:30 am to 9:30 pm. Working from 8-5-5:30 and rushing to find parking and a good seat in class by 6:00 was not an easy thing to do. That was only Monday-Thursday. I then found myself working on my assignments Friday through Sunday and then back to the same rush on Monday.
It was hard physically and mentally not only for me but my family. Both my husband and my sixteen year old son are very supportive of me going to school, but it was hard. I remember calling one night to tell them class was out early and my son's first comment was "Yeah! That means you can cook dinner for us?" I tried to cook on Sundays so they could have a home cooked meal for the first part of the week at least but it wasn't easy. Taking the three classes away from home forced me to be more organized, focused and a little crazy and grumpy by Thursday night.
I decided to take 9 credits again, but on-line so I could work from home. Of course I figured that it would be easier on me and my family. I planned on having all of my assignments for all three classes done before the due date so that I could enjoy a day or two for myself and my family. Now that I have reviewed the three classes and the structure of each, I don't have such warm and fuzzy feelings about it. Each class is set up with enough differences that I'm worried I will be lost in the world of technology. I'm not the most tech savvy person and my biggest worry is that I will get lost in all of it. I envision myself mixing up assignment due dates, confusing Blackboard vs. blog vs. Discussion Board. This means I will need to be more organized, have my head on straight and my feet planted firmly on the ground. One plus is I can fall asleep at the computer and not be embarrassed! Staying awake in a classroom until 9:00 was not always easy to do.
Even though I know it will be hard to keep up, I am looking forward to the challenge. If anything it will make me get reorganized, focused and keep my adrenaline flowing. I do have to admit that taking the nine credits made me feel alive and good about myself and that I was able to juggle all of it and still maintain Straight A's. I hope to do the same this semester.
It was hard physically and mentally not only for me but my family. Both my husband and my sixteen year old son are very supportive of me going to school, but it was hard. I remember calling one night to tell them class was out early and my son's first comment was "Yeah! That means you can cook dinner for us?" I tried to cook on Sundays so they could have a home cooked meal for the first part of the week at least but it wasn't easy. Taking the three classes away from home forced me to be more organized, focused and a little crazy and grumpy by Thursday night.
I decided to take 9 credits again, but on-line so I could work from home. Of course I figured that it would be easier on me and my family. I planned on having all of my assignments for all three classes done before the due date so that I could enjoy a day or two for myself and my family. Now that I have reviewed the three classes and the structure of each, I don't have such warm and fuzzy feelings about it. Each class is set up with enough differences that I'm worried I will be lost in the world of technology. I'm not the most tech savvy person and my biggest worry is that I will get lost in all of it. I envision myself mixing up assignment due dates, confusing Blackboard vs. blog vs. Discussion Board. This means I will need to be more organized, have my head on straight and my feet planted firmly on the ground. One plus is I can fall asleep at the computer and not be embarrassed! Staying awake in a classroom until 9:00 was not always easy to do.
Even though I know it will be hard to keep up, I am looking forward to the challenge. If anything it will make me get reorganized, focused and keep my adrenaline flowing. I do have to admit that taking the nine credits made me feel alive and good about myself and that I was able to juggle all of it and still maintain Straight A's. I hope to do the same this semester.
Introduction
Hi-my name is Diane Aslam. I am not the most tech savvy person and had a heck of a time figuring out the simple instructions to create my blog. The name I wanted to use for my blog sight is now my name. My blog site name is now an old nickname my brother and sister used to call me. I'm hoping it will work and that I will be able to access it easily!
I can't claim to be a lifelong Alaskan, but pretty darn close. I was only 8 when my family moved up here in July 1970. My dad's employer brought him up here to run their Alaska operations during the pipeline. The pipeline days were really all that you may have read or heard about. When we first came, Fairbanks had a Woolworth's (made the best sandwiches and milkshakes) and JC Penneys. Thanks to the pipeline we managed to get a few more stores. I loved growing up here. There was always something to do-snow machining, sledding parties and skiing in the winter and in the summer-oh the summers were great for a kid. My friends and I used to play until 11:00 at night and didn't worry about a thing. Speaking of friends, Fairbanks was small enough that you knew just about everyone in your grade. I've had the same friends since I first came and we have gone through our growing up years together. In fact there were 5 of us pregnant at the same time-in 1992.
Most of my friends have all graduated college and have become lawyers, doctors, accountants and teachers. I have taken the longer route to my education. I had big plans to go off to Colorado State and become an accountant after high school. But I started working and making money, met my husband, started a family, put my husband through graduate school and finally decided it was time for me to continue what I wanted to do almost 30 years ago. I am pursuing an associates in both Public Management and accounting. Since I work full time, I have been limited on the number of classes I can take in the evening. I took 9 credits last semester and was gone from my house Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am - 9:30 pm. It was hard on me and also my family. So I decided to try and take 9 credits again, but all of them are on-line. I am a bit nervous about how I will do as each class is set up a little different.
To be honest I was dreading taking an English class. I've always loved to read and still do. I enjoy writing as you can probably tell, but it's one thing to write about something I want vs. writing about something that will be graded and critiqued. It has been almost 30 years since I have had a structured English class and my memories from 30 years ago are not pleasant. I remember getting many comma faults, not following the structure set out, not writing about the subject as required etc. I had a hard time reading for a reason other than pure enjoyment. I am hoping that I can gain insight on how to properly structure my writing, how to read and understand what I need to write about, organize my thoughts so that I don't go from one extreme to another. I think if I can gain that knowledge it will help me structure and organize my thoughts whether I am writing or speaking one on one.
I can't claim to be a lifelong Alaskan, but pretty darn close. I was only 8 when my family moved up here in July 1970. My dad's employer brought him up here to run their Alaska operations during the pipeline. The pipeline days were really all that you may have read or heard about. When we first came, Fairbanks had a Woolworth's (made the best sandwiches and milkshakes) and JC Penneys. Thanks to the pipeline we managed to get a few more stores. I loved growing up here. There was always something to do-snow machining, sledding parties and skiing in the winter and in the summer-oh the summers were great for a kid. My friends and I used to play until 11:00 at night and didn't worry about a thing. Speaking of friends, Fairbanks was small enough that you knew just about everyone in your grade. I've had the same friends since I first came and we have gone through our growing up years together. In fact there were 5 of us pregnant at the same time-in 1992.
Most of my friends have all graduated college and have become lawyers, doctors, accountants and teachers. I have taken the longer route to my education. I had big plans to go off to Colorado State and become an accountant after high school. But I started working and making money, met my husband, started a family, put my husband through graduate school and finally decided it was time for me to continue what I wanted to do almost 30 years ago. I am pursuing an associates in both Public Management and accounting. Since I work full time, I have been limited on the number of classes I can take in the evening. I took 9 credits last semester and was gone from my house Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am - 9:30 pm. It was hard on me and also my family. So I decided to try and take 9 credits again, but all of them are on-line. I am a bit nervous about how I will do as each class is set up a little different.
To be honest I was dreading taking an English class. I've always loved to read and still do. I enjoy writing as you can probably tell, but it's one thing to write about something I want vs. writing about something that will be graded and critiqued. It has been almost 30 years since I have had a structured English class and my memories from 30 years ago are not pleasant. I remember getting many comma faults, not following the structure set out, not writing about the subject as required etc. I had a hard time reading for a reason other than pure enjoyment. I am hoping that I can gain insight on how to properly structure my writing, how to read and understand what I need to write about, organize my thoughts so that I don't go from one extreme to another. I think if I can gain that knowledge it will help me structure and organize my thoughts whether I am writing or speaking one on one.
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