Blog Post #14 ; Extra Credit ; 350 Words

Honestly, I am the type of person to eat anything regardless of what it is if I am hungry. I could eat fast food all day every day and never get tired of it. It also helps that no matter what I eat or how much I eat, I never gain any weight but I would also say that your class changed my perspective on eating and eating habits. I learned a lot of information about food that I would have never thought to have learned on my own. I would not say that you "ruined" eating for me, but I would say that you have made a difference in the sense that from now on when I eat, I will be more cautious and try to eat healthier foods. I will also try to stay away from fast food places, after being in your class and watching multiple videos on fast food places such as McDonalds and actually seeing how the foods are cooked and where they come from. After researching my breakfast topic, I will also begin waking up and eating a healthy breakfast because now I know how important it is and why people call it the most important meal of the day. My favorite part about the class was getting to hear about other countries and how they differ from us in terms of traditions, foods, and things like parades and how they go about them. I never really realized how different other countries were from the United States. It was also interesting watching the TED Talk videos on the Chinese foods and how most of the foods that we come to know as Chinese foods in the United States aren't even known in China and are not actually Chinese foods. Overall I would say that I have learned more about eating habits in your class than I have throughout my entire life and I do believe I will take the many lessons learned and put them to use in the future. This class was helpful to me in more ways than I expected it be.  

Post 13 ; Extra Credit ; 362 Words

Like most students in the class, I would assume that not only myself but them as well will have the biggest problem when it comes to reaching the page length. I think I have done a fairly good job on my paper to this point, but I feel like maybe I could have lengthened out the first two RAP's to help make the last two an easier process on myself. I believe I have credible information and a good start though that should help set up a good argument and conclusion that ends my paper. After researching I have now chosen a side to argue for my paper and therefore I can create a thesis sentence, but I will still struggle with writing my thesis because I am so used to saying "I believe this for x, y, and z reason" and after my first RAP, in the edit section I was told not to use to first person so I am going to need to figure out a way to change that. I do believe the last two RAPS are going to much easier than the first two, because getting started is what I usually struggle with the most and now that is out of the way. The next RAP is also just my side of the argument which can include come opinion where as to the beginning of the paper required me to get factual evidence for all of the information provided and no opinion. After finishing the third, the fourth should be even easier because it is just basically a summary of the first three RAPS that I discussed in the paper. The page requirement is only ten pages and I already have six so I am more than halfway through the writing process which  means that I won't have to look up as much information for the paper or spend time thinking of ways to extend my paper to match the page length. All in all, I do believe after I finish this paper that I will have a good and credible paper that has a sold argument for my beliefs and will be persuasive to my readers.

Post #12 ; Extra Credit ; 379 Words

In the nine or ten weeks I have been in this English course, I have learned more valuable information on how to search for credible sources, what to use, and also what not to use than I had learned in every other English class combined. Being a Criminal Justice Major, I do believe these new skills and knowledge I have acquired will be very useful for myself. In the process of wanting to become a lawyer, I know that there are many others also wanting the same position that I want as well, therefore I need to be able to find good, factual and credible information to write papers in the future to make myself sound more educated and ready for the job than peer. Also, this semester I became more familiar with MLA format and for the first time learned in depth what APA style was and the differences between the styles. That is a good thing, because being a Criminal Justice Major, we are required to type our papers in APA format and although I could have learned about APA format and the differences it has with MLA format, learning about it in class saved me a lot of time and effort. I first realized that it would help me when my Criminal Justice teacher told me that I have a paper due NEXT WEEK and it must be written and typed and APA FORMAT. At the time I didn't really care much for learning about APA format because I knew how to MLA format, but it had actually already came in handy and I have not even finished this class yet, so for that I am thankful. I also feel like knowing both, MLA and APA puts me at advantage from others who only know one style/format. Also, I believe that learning about Google Scholar and other ways to search will help me in the future, because while most college students are stressing out about their paper and having a difficult time searching for credible sources, I won't have a problem or a worry in the world. With all of the new skills I learned, I do believe It will help me to have more efficient papers later in college and later in my career.

Post #10 ; Extra Credit ; 388 words.

After completing the "RAP 1" I feel pretty confident in my paper. I made a 50/50 so I would say that I did well. The only problem I really had with my paper and the process of it was that I didn't have a thesis sentence so I really couldn't write a 4th and5th sentence in the first paragraph because I really had no way to lead into them. Other than that, I went into great depth of detail to explain key terms to make my paper much easier to understand and relate to. The researching area of the paper was not nearly as hard as I expected it to be. I found a lot of information in just a little bit of time. I found multiple reliable sources for every aspect of my paper that I was researching for, most of these sources also had very detailed examples that I included in my paper to give people an even better understanding of the terms. Finding the definitions and examples of the terms is really going to help me argue my side of the argument later in the paper and help me persuade others to agree with me. In the research of these specific words that dealt with my topic, I believe that I discovered more information on my topic than I had discovered in combined previous weeks before. I really thought that searching for definitions and history was going to be a waste of time and just more work on myself but it really helped me  and I think it is going to make things a whole lot easier for myself in the long run of my paper and my argument. If there was time and I could go back and change anything, I would probably use more of my own word than everyone else's words, but it was hard to use my own words when someone else worded the definition so perfectly or because of the fact that I didn't even know the definition  myself or the fact that the word even related to my topic. All in all though, I do feel like I have a pretty strong introduction to my paper and I feel like I have put myself in position to make a solid argument and end up with a successful paper.

Blog Post #11 ; 354 Words

After hearing multiple presentations, watching funny buzz feed videos and just learning about all of the different foods and holidays other countries celebrate, I believe Thailand would have to be my favorite. Learning all of the many foods and traditions of Thailand was very interesting to say the least. It stuck with the me the most, because not only was it the most up to date presentation in class, but the people of Thailand ate rice with just about every meal. The government also pushed them to have at least ten snacks per day, especially very sweet snacks in the morning. When you hear about the way the government regulates food in Asia, you start to wonder how they are no as obese as the people of the United States. I mean, ten snacks a day? That's a crazy number and it seems very fattening and unhealthy. Another thing that got my attention was their love of coconuts, they even ate coconut pancaked which just sounds God awful. Every country that has been presented in class has been very different up to this point. No two countries have had very close relations when it comes to speaking on food terms. Also, seeing buzz feed videos of other people trying food from other countries is very interesting and makes you also want to try to travel and experience things like that. Just seeing how diverse our world is, is very jaw dropping and crazy to think. The difference in holidays also grabbed my attention. The main holiday in Thailand is the Songkran festival, many people throughout Thailand return to their homes and spend the festival with their family. The day of festival is known as family day. Thailand, like America also celebrates a "New Year." Although their calendar is different from the one that we use in the United States, they still celebrate their New Year on the first day of their own calendar just like we do. The only difference is that in the United States, New Years is celebrated for one day, where as in Thailand it is celebrated for three straight days.

Paper Proposal, #9 .. 356 words

In writing my paper proposal, If I could go back and change anything, I really don't think there is anything that I would like to change. I feel like I did a good job on the paper as a whole. Sure it could have used some improving, but every paper could be improved to some degree. Most of the paper came easy to write. I guess if I had to choose one thing, I'd go back and use a bigger vocabulary and maybe even lengthen my paper out a couple more pages. This paper was the easiest one to me, because before we wrote it we had an outline created that helped give us an idea of how to start our paper and what the body paragraphs should consist of. The paper was also based on your own opinion, so you really couldn't go wrong writing the paper. The paper didn't consist of any research to be done and that also made it A LOT easier. The other papers we had written had me up at all hours of the night trying to finish it, but this paper took less than two hours for me and I feel like it was one of my better ones. I don't really feel like there was a "hard" part to this paper, if anything the hardest part was just trying to get the paper started. Once I knocked the opening paragraph out the paper just began to flow and it was easy to reach the 4 to 5 page requirement. I do think that this paper was helpful, because it was almost like a brainstorm for myself. Throughout the paper, I had random ideas popping in my head that helped me along the way and will also help me on my final paper. These ideas kind of showed me a different perspective to look at my topic from. This paper did a lot more than I expected it do for me, honestly. I expected it just to just to be a complicated paper that took up my time, but it was actually helpful and not time consuming at all.

Letter to an authority figure ; Post 7 ; 347 Words

Dear Dunkin Donuts, stop serving nasty, fat foods for breakfast that do nothing but cause harm to young children and adults. Waking up to a healthy breakfast is beneficial for a person's day and fattening foods and coffee are not clearly not doing the trick. Over two-hundred studies have been carried out and more than ninety-eight percent of them show that the donuts being made and sold at different Dunkin Donuts throughout the world are harmful. Ray Rice, Ravens RB, strongly agrees with the studies shown and says that he would never eat a donut for breakfast because of how fattening they are. If this evidence is not enough, take into account that I have a degree in health and what I say is based purely on facts and evidence. A nutritional and healthy breakfast is needed for children AND adults to get there day started off right. A healthy breakfast is doesn't consist of a donut and coffee, but more of a fruit and water or some type of juice. I understand you have to look at the business side of things, but would you want your family to eat an unhealthy breakfast and be effected throughout the day? Would you want your children to wake up to a fattening donut that is going to effect them not just that day, but later down the road as well. Money isn't everything, look at it from a different perspective. Obesity rates are increasing and everything that can be done to help decrease the rates needs to be done. What better way to help than to eliminate unhealthy choices that people have for their very first meal of the day? It's a progress, it'll take time but the first step is the first meal. Dunkin Donuts cause too much of a health risk, they have too many negatives that outweigh the positives. With all of this being said, just consider what I'm saying. If you don't eliminate the donuts and coffee, at least add more fat free donuts to your menu and lets make a little progress sir.

Blog Post #6 ; 303 Words

Pathos is an appeal to emotion. Ethos is an appeal to credibility. Logos is an appeal to authority. An example of pathos is, "They’ve worked against everything we’ve worked so hard to build, and they don’t care who gets hurt in the process. Make no mistake, they’re the enemy, and they won’t stop until we’re all destroyed." An example of ethos is "Our expertise in roofing contracting is evidenced not only by our 100 years in the business and our staff of qualified technicians, but in the decades of satisfied customers who have come to expect nothing but the best." An example of logos is "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: we have not only the fingerprints, the lack of an alibi, a clear motive, and an expressed desire to commit the robbery… We also have video of the suspect breaking in. The case could not be more open and shut."
Dear anyone and everyone, top-notch VHS player for sell. With a cheap donation of $19.99, you can walk away with a new VHS player and six tapes including Star Wars and Step Brothers. I mean, who doesn't own a VHS player? Chuck Norris, the most famous man in the world, says that it's impossible not to have the desire to own one. Those who do not own a VHS player might not be able to live much longer. Over one-thousand studies have been carried out and nine-hundred and ninety-nine of them showed that people who own a VHS player are living a happier life and live longer. Crazy right? Don't let the opportunity of a life-time slip away. For just $19.99 you can own the life changing VHS player that not only allows you watch your favorite movies, but also help you to live a happier and much longer life.

Blog Post #5 ; 373 Words

An annotated bibliography is a good thing for a writer to create to prove that they have done some solid research and have valid information. Readers can refer to your annotated bibliography and go to the cite links that you have wrote down to see if what information you have is actually true or correctly cited. Even though a reader can double check your sources and information, the annotated bibliography still doesn't explain to the reader how credible the source is. With that being said, the writer should have done enough research on their topic to be considered an expert and be able to explain to the reader who the sources are and why they are credible. An annotated bibliography can help readers to make the correlation between the paper and the strength of the paper. If a writer uses factual information and cites it correctly, a reader can go back to their citations and double check what they said and then decide whether or not the paper is weak or strong. An annotated bibliography is helpful to the writer as well, because it helps them to show the reader that they do know what they are talking about, they have put in time and effort to research their topic and that they have factual, valid information in their paper making it a credible and strong paper. An annotated bibliography is a very useful tool and is a very good thing to do when starting your paper. The writer's annotated bibliography can help also be helpful to others researching and looking for credible sources or just needing a bit of information to maybe start their own paper or get an arguable discussion going. All annotated bibliography aren't written in the same criteria either. There are many different ways to do an annotated bibliography including : MLA, APA, and CBE/CSE citation. All of these have different requirements, but they all have the same results which is to help the writers to prove to the readers or others that their paper is credible and strong. With all of that being said, an annotated bibliography is time consuming, but not a waste of time. They are very useful and helpful for both the writer and reader.

Source Review - Blog Post #4 240 Words

The topic I chose for my paper is "Do supplements cause more long-term harm than they do good?" In the process of researching for information and good sources, I really couldn't find any helpful information. When I began my search, I was looking for arguments on my topic, scientific studies, opinions, facts, personal stories or just anything that would help me to develop a good paper. All I really found were sites and sources that gave me the same information, which was that not enough long-term studies have been carried out to really determine if supplements can be classified as good or bad. Some doctors and researchers say that supplements such as Creatine can have a never effect on your kidneys. At the same time though, some doctors and researchers say that there are supplements that can help to prevent disease or cure, especially in elderly people who rely on vitamins. Maybe supplements can help to prevent diseases or maybe they do slowly break down your body and have negative effects on your kidneys and or other organs inside you, but without any research to prove it, they are just opinions and theories. With all of this being said, my topic is very hard to cover. With no clear-cut evidence or factual information, I wouldn't be able to write a paper that convinces people that supplements are not only a waste of money, but they're also very harmful.

Paper Topic Ideas ; 365 Words

The theme I have chosen to write my paper on is the long term affects of supplements, specifically the supplements that gym members and athletes use to enhance their physical appearance and strength. I have chosen this topic, because it is interesting to me and not something that is boring and dull. I have grown-up in the gym and I have used supplements myself. I have taken many different supplements, some of which I couldn't even pronounce the name of. I'd like to write a paper on this theme, because i'd like to learn more about not only the body and the way it reacts to these supplements, but to learn about the affects that the supplements have on your body long-term. I have recently stopped taking supplements, because I hear too many stories about supplements ruining people's kidneys and other organs. Another thing to think about is that these supplements are VERY expensive, imagine the money people would save if they didn't buy them.  I mean, what if you just get old. What happens when you're forty years old, stop taking the supplements and can no longer workout? Does the muscle just turn to loose skin and fat?  I'd like to find out how many people think that short-term success is worth long-term effects. I think people are being tricked into buying these high dollar products that harm the body more than they help. Companies like "GNC" advertise these supplements and tell people these "results" that even the "average" person can achieve. All they have to do is drink this shake, or take this pill and boom, shredded abs and big muscles. What if GNC told their customers that their supplements could shut down their kidneys or affect them later on in life when they stopped taking them? I'd assume not many people would continue to buy their products if they were more educated on the affects that these supplements can have on the human body. I'm gonna take my paper in the opposite direction of GNC, i'm gonna argue the fact that the high dollar supplements that people are buying are a waste of money and have more negative affects than positive affects.

Five Skills ; 427 Words

The five skills that I would like to improve on while in this class would be : how to properly format a paper in MLA/APA format, understanding plagiarism, knowing what to do when you get stuck writing a paper, properly using in-text citations, and knowing how to find credible sources through Google. College consist of writing paper after paper. With that being said, I believe that if I could improve on the five skills listed above that It would be beneficial for me, and not just in this course, but in my future courses as well. I would say that of the five skills I'd like to improve on, I'd like to improve the most on "knowing what to do when you get stuck writing a paper." I get distracted very easily and then I find myself stuck in mid-paper and really don't know what to do. Throughout high school, my teacher would tell me just to get up and walk around and think about something other than the paper, but i'm also not a very patient person, so once I start something I wanna get it over with as quick as possible. If I could just find a way to continue writing after I get stuck, that would be very helpful. The other four skills that I would to improve on could all be classified under the same category I guess you could say. All of the papers i'm gonna write in the future are gonna have to be in MLA format, because of my major. These papers are not only gonna have to be typed correctly in MLA format, but also be credible, therefore I need good sources. Google provides good sources, you just have to know how to go about searching and that's where I struggle. Most of the websites that pop-up when I search for sources are ".com" and ".org." Being able to find credible sources like ".edu" would be very helpful. Finding these sources though really means nothing if you don't know how to cite them in your paper correctly. I understand WHY you should cite, but sometimes I struggle at knowing WHEN you should cite. Plagiarism is a very big deal when it comes to writing papers, so I feel like I need to get better at in-text citation and just citation in general. I guess I would say that I need a little review of what the meaning of "plagiarism" is and all of the ways that you can prevent it. Improving these five skills would make a huge difference.

TED Talks ; 363 Words

The two Ted Talks that I spent my time watching and learning new information from were "Can we eat to starve cancer" by William Li and "The hunt for General Tso" by Jennifer 8. Lee. The first thing that stood out to me about both videos is that the speakers Mr.Li and Ms.Lee are both very educated on the subjects that they are discussing. Ms.Lee told numerous facts that I would have never guessed were true. Who would have ever thought that there are Chinese people who have no idea what "fortune cookies" are? I mean, when I think Chinese food, I think fortune cookies. Another interesting fact that I learned was that Chop Suey was very much more famous in America than China and when translated back, "Chop Suey" means "odds & ends."  Chinese food is still today a very big part of America's culture. There are Chinese buffets in almost every city in America, but as shown in the video, Americans have tweaked Chinese foods to the point that they have become unrecognizable to the Chinese. Everything is life starts to evolve and change over time and just like Ms.Lee's lesson, Mr.Li's taught me that as well. Dr.Lee discusses cancer and the evolution of cancer and cancer stimulators over time. The fact that diet causes thirty to thirty-five percent of environment that causes cancer shocked me. Diet, of all things, causes cancer. Although most people look at what not to eat/drink on a diet to prevent cancer, Dr.Li looks at things that you should eat or drink instead, things that fight cancer cells. Not only are these videos very useful, but also very interesting. When watching these videos you start to realize how uneducated that you are about things that don't seem very important, but really are. How many people really know that what they eat at a "Chinese" resteraunt isn't really Chinese, just Chinese names and really American recipe/food. Who would think that you could prevent cancer through diet or the fact that diet can be deadly and cause cancer? You never really know as much as you think you know.