glad that the semester is over

I am so glad that this semester is coming to a close. It seems like it has lasted for years. I can't believe the amount of work that I have done (and haven't done). It seems like a lot longer than a few months ago that I started classes for the semester. I could swear that I've been going to my science class for about 20 years. Oh well. At least I'm gonna have an awesome summer.

Passion in Writing

I choose to write with passion whenever possible. To me, writing without passion is like sex without climax. It is like Van Gough without color. It is beer without carbonation. It is empty. It has no feeling. It is cold. It is lifeless.
I write what I feel. I feel what I think. By conveying my thoughts with passion, I draw in the reader. My goal is to make the reader FEEL what I feel. If the reader feels what I feel with the same intensity that I do, I have effectively written with passion. I want the reader to react with emotion to all of my writing. I want the reader to feel that anger, that pain, that arousal, that I felt when I wrote. I want a reaction.
I don't want to see a reader put down my writing without saying something. I don't want it to seem like a waste of the reader's time and effort. I don't want empty writing like is found in technical writing. I'm not writing a user's manual for a microscope.
So what am I saying?
I want to be the best writer that I can be. But I want to be that writer on my own terms. I write using nonstandard language(swearing), odd metaphors, awkward wording, etc. because it is my writing. I write with the reader in mind, but my writing is a translation of my thoughts, therefore a part of me. If it is a part of me, I want to convey my own thoughts and emotion through the language that I thought it in.

**Swearing about the smoking ban**

THIS BLOG HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO CONTENT.

Who's Reading?

One thing that English 111 has taught me a lot about is audience awareness. I've learned that a paper can be written using excellent grammar, perfect punctuation, and great organization but still miss the mark. An author that can target their audience and stay focused throughout the writing is able to better convey the point of their writing. An author that knows their audience is much better able to adjust their writing style and language usage to identify with that audience. Since we will be writing argumentative papers, it is of utmost importance to identify with the audience in order to make an effective argument.
For example, I could write a paper arguing for the legalization of marijuana. If this paper was targeted at marijuana users, I would use very different language and style than if I was writing it to a legislator. It isn't very likely to make an impact with a legislator if I use terms like grass, weed, etc., although these terms may appear in a version written for the marijuana user.
I'd like to say thanks to Stephanie for teaching me about audience awareness. This is one part of my writing that was really lacking. In previous classes, I hadn't even considered the audience, other than the instructor. I believe that with this knowledge I will definitely become a better writer. Hopefully, I will also become a more effective writer when it comes to argumentative writing. I know that I will be considering the audience from the first steps of writing a paper from now on.

your mother likes whats in my blogs

I don't like to blog. I think that blogging is a waste of time. I don't think that this blog has anything to do with English 111. I understand the reasoning behind doing blogs as part of the English class, but I still think that it is pointless. When blogging, grammar and spelling mistakes are acceptable. I don't understand why mistakes would be acceptable in any English class. Blogging, in my opinion, is just another way for people to bitch about things. When I look at some of the blog replies, I see more bitching. I thought that I signed up for English 111, instead it is turning out to be Whining 111. I'm sick of blogging. I'm sick of reading other people's blogs and replies.
I think that blogs would be better if we were given specific assignments for them. For instance, blogs could be about current events, school issues, or politics. If we wrote assigned blogs it would be easier to compare them to one another. This way the blog spotlight would have a better defined set of criteria.
Another option would be to blog about assigned issues, but from the opposite point of view. I think that if this was done, blogs could be utilized as a learning tool. Just throwing a few ideas around.

Give me my Parking Spot

Ok. Maybe this is just bitching, but why do so many people enroll at ICC and then drop within the first few weeks. All this does is crowd the halls and take up parking places that students who are trying could take. Why should those of us who are serious about college have to walk a mile or wait for a bus because so many others decide that they can go to classes for a week or two.
Now I've heard people say, "just leave earlier." I don't agree. I've tried coming to class early and there is still no place to park that doesn't involve a long hike to get to the main building. I'm pretty sure that I could get here the night before and still not find a good parking spot.
Why doesn't ICC have parking stickers or passes like so many other colleges do? If they would start requiring stickers and giving preference to those who have been there more than one semester this would solve the problem.
I don't think that I personally deserve a great parking space that is really close, but maybe I deserve a spot that isn't at the east campus parking lot or next to the gym. Those spots should be given to those who are yet to prove that they are going to stick with their classes.

Myself as a Writer

I really don't know where to start when looking at myself as a writer. Hmmm.....I guess that I am definately a careful writer. To clarify, I write slowly and with a lot of thought going towards what the final paper, essay, etc. will be.
I tend to write many separate drafts of assignments. This is my process to achieve the best possible writing that I am able to do. It also gives me a chance to catch simple mistakes such as punctuation.
I also tend to get the opinion of others on my drafts before continuing. Usually this is in the form of others in the same class or even the class instructor. For instance, last semester I had to write a 12 page term paper for my history class. By the time that I handed it in, I had completed 4 drafts and had it reviewed by 3 other students and the class instructor.
In being a careful writer I also tend to edit my ideas on paper by crossing them out. This way I can always go back to what I have previously written for ideas. This seems to work out best for me when it comes to the style of wording that I use.
In addition to saving my ideas, I also like to mimic (not copy) other writers' styles. I read quite often. When reading I like to take note of differences in writing styles. This includes tone, rhythm, fluidity, and use of writing devices such as alliteration. By modeling my writing after those that I admire, I am able to adapt and improve my writing.
So I guess that I'm a careful writer.