Persuasive Letter

Dear Barack Obama (yes, I'm going to write to the president),

Hey, man, how's it going? It's been a while since we've hung out. Ever since you won that second term, it seems like, I don't know, maybe you're avoiding me. But that's okay, it looks like you're kind of a busy man. So let me get to the point. I wanted to talk to you about America’s eating habits. Now I know there is only so much you can do, and so much you want to do, but I think I can convince to take a serious look at this issue.

Everyone knows America for being the land of the free and the land of the fat. We just have so many options available and people do not have self-control. Of course, there are the exceptions, but they are few and far between. Now look at Canada. Yes, Canada. We can’t have worse eating habits than Canada! They are right there above us, so people are going to be comparing the two countries. (Logos) We have step it up a little bit! Now, I know you, Barack, we cool. I know you are not a health expert. That’s why I called somebody who is. I’m not sure if you know him, but he goes by Dr. Oz. Now this guy is great. Just a little bit about him, he is a Turkish-American cardiothoracic surgeon. He has master’s degrees from both Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. (Ethos) And I watch his show, and let me tell you, it’s amazing! I believe that Dr. Oz can be the one to lead this country in a new, healthier direction. And here’s the thing; why wouldn’t you do this for your country? You are the ruler of the free world with responsibilities. Do you know what I see when I walk out into the world every day? I see people in need of help. They are unhealthy, in all their ways. Do you not see this? People are dying because of their eating habits. (Pathos) This can be changed. Will it be tough? Yes. Can we do it? YES WE CAN!   

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Review of Rhetorical Appeals

     Rhetorical appeals... do you know them? Let's review them: logos, ethos, and pathos, but not exactly in that order. There's really no order at all, actually. Let's start with logos. Logos is the rhetoric appeal that deals with our sense of logical reasoning. I'll try to put it in basic terms. Think about when you read something and say, "Oh, that makes sense." What you read was logical, and therefore, an example of logos. Ethos is a little different. This rhetoric appeal has to do with someone's character or merits. Here's an example. Bob has his doctorate degree in ice cream serving and currently works at YoLo's. Since we are talking about his assets and skills, this would be ethos. The last of these, but certainly not least, is pathos. Pathos deals with our emotions. It's that thing that- ... Guys, I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore. I've been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and I only have three months to live, and I feel like my life hasn't been fulfilling, like I've wasted my days here on earth... Did you feel sympathy for me? Did you actually believe me?! You probably didn't, but anyway, that was an example of pathos. So let's put this into practice. Here's a commercial using all three of these appeals.
     Do you want/need a VHS player? If you answered no to this question, clearly you don't fully understand the full capabilities of the VHS player. Do you have video tapes lying around that you would just love to watch again? If you buy this device, you don't have to go through the hassle of looking for the old movies on Netflix, Amazon, etc. (Logos) You think you would be the only one to use it? Dr. Phil uses it, too! He loves it and says it's amazing, and you should believe him because he has a Ph.D. in psychology. (Ethos) Now, I'm one of the last that is actually selling this product and I think- [*off air ("What? Really? Wow, okay..")] Folks, I am actually the only person still selling VHS players. I hate to say this on tv, but I really need you guys to buy these from me. This is all I have, and I have a family to support. A wife and three kids. And two dogs. And a gold fish. Rent was due last month, so hurry up and buy... please! (Pathos)

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Annotated Bibliography: Useful?

     Hello, fellow readers- or reader! Today's topic is annotated bibliography! (I don't know how to make that sound more interesting than it actually is, so yeah...)
     So what is annotated bibliography? It's pretty simple really. Basically, it is a regular bibliography, except it has a summary after each cited source. What do these summaries include? When you write summaries for an annotated bibliography, you should make sure they include the source's main idea and also a good idea of what content is in the source.
     So now that you are an expert at annotated bibliographies, let's go a little deeper, shall we? Let's talk about the purpose of an annotated bibliography!! (There really is no way to make this sound more interesting.) One of the obvious purposes of annotating a bibliography would be to describe and evaluate each source. This is great because it provides the reader with some context on the sources you used. Another reason would be to show your audience the quality of research that you have done. When you write that summary of one of the sources you used, we can pretty much tell if it's legit, or crap. Additionally, you might be able to include information in your summary that may not have been necessary or relevant to your paper.
     Who uses annotated bibliographies? I would actually like to know the answer to this question myself. But if I had to guess, I would say readers. It really depends on your purpose of writing. Let's say you are a writer, and you are writing for the general public to inform them on a specific topic. You might include an annotated bibliography for the readers if you want them to know additional information that can supplement your paper. However, if you are writing a paper for English class and doing an annotated bibliography because your teacher wants you to learn about them, most likely your teacher will be the only one to benefit from your annotated bibliography.
     Speaking of benefits, there are quite a few! If you have a good annotated bibliography, then, as I mentioned before, it can enlighten others of additional information on your sources. Also, it establishes your work as a good source, and it can even reflect you as a great researcher. So yeah... I guess it's useful.

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Review of Sources

     Hello, my fellow readers! So, I recently picked my sources for my topic. I picked some pretty good ones! So just to recap, my topic is about Canada and the U.S. and I am comparing their eating habits. If I had to pick a side to this potential argument, I would say that the U.S. would have worse eating habits than Canada. As a matter of fact, 13 Interesting Facts about America's Eating Habits pretty much agrees with me. Or just says we are terrible in general. But it's nothing we didn't already know, right? Here's something interesting! One source actually says that we are changing our eating habits... for the better! Yes, on the Wall Street Journal, a study says that "Americans' eating habits are taking a healthier turn. So, it is possible that, if we are not already, that America can catch up with Canada on healthiness or even surpass them! Although I say it is possible, I believe that this is highly improbable. Well, we talked about America; what about Canada. One of the sources I have talks about the eating patterns of Canadians. It basically states that a lot of them, especially the younger generation, like to skip breakfast, the "most important meal of the day"! How does this affect the health of the population as a whole? I'm not entirely sure, but I will definitely find out! The source I got this from is a website (don't worry, it's legit) and the title of the webpage is Consumer Corner. I think that this is my favorite so far, because of all the statistics it has. Any site can tell you crap, but do they have the facts to back it up?
     I think that I will have to keep looking for sources that will work for my paper. Really, none of the sources I have actually has an argument of the U.S. versus Canada. If I don't find one, I will probably have to just compare the facts. I think I will also look for more sources that are clearer about the eating habits of each country. I'm getting really interested about who will win this outcome. We may already have a clear winner, but I don't know for sure!

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Will Canada Win? (Paper Topic)

     So one day, I'm sitting in class and my teacher says, "You have to write a twelve-page paper! Oh yeah, and it has to be about food!" It's fine, no big deal. I just have to pick a topic that is interesting enough so that I actually do it. I've always been mildly curious about the Canadians and their culture. Mostly because they speak French over there and I love the language. Although that has nothing to do with food, I decided to go through with it, anyway. So here it is: "Eating Habits: The U.S. vs. Canada". I think it has a nice ring to it. I am really curious, though, about how we eat and how it compares to another country, such as Canada. Does its proximity to us affects its eating habits? I don't know, that's why I'm doing the paper.
     So basically with this theme, I plan to uncover the truth about the eating habits of the U.S. and Canada. Of course, we pretty much know about the U.S.... so just Canada, then. And it will most likely be a two-sided argument. Which country has the worse eating habits? I would like to research which types of food is popular in each country, as well, and find out which is "healthier". Of course, if we use our standards to define healthiness, will this account be accurate? But I digress, as usual.
     What if Canada is worse? What if we (meaning the class, because I'm sure other, less ignorant people know about this) find out that Canada has worse eating habits? That would be an ego booster, huh? Although I believe the exact opposite, it would be a nice surprise. I don't know, when I think of Canada, I think of people eating like fresh fruits and vegetables all the time. I actually know some people from Canada and they eat healthy almost all the time. Of course, I know this doesn't exactly mean anything, but it's something. It's all prior knowledge I have.
     I don't want to reveal everything about my paper. If I do, my 12-page paper will seem less interesting. Speaking of that, I should probably get started... 

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Is Ignorance Really Bliss? (Skills to be Learned)

     During my semester in this class, I hope to learn a variety of skills by listening and completing the assignments given to me. I wish to gain all the knowledge I can from this class so that it serves me well, starting from the time I complete the course and so on...
     Let's talk about what can stop us from achieving these things. There is only one word that comes to mind: ignorance. If you don't know what ignorance is, then you are... well, ignorant. Of course, we all are ignorant to a certain degree; none of us are capable of learning (or gaining) absolute knowledge. So let's take it to a smaller level: English. Specifically English 1020. Theoretically, if I were to pass the class with an A+ and learn all of the knowledge that was offered to me in that specific course, I would no longer have ignorance (of English 1020, that is). Obviously, we know that literally speaking, that this is nearly impossible, if not completely. There are many factors that go into this: the books we obtained for the class, the students in the class, and, of course, the teacher him/herself. But for simplicity's sake, we will ignore this logic.
     Now, I reviewed the list of "skills to be gained" carefully, and found that there was one that I am unfamiliar with. Being able to write a thorough precis? (Don't be too hard on me, I'm not yet completely knowledgeable in English 1020.) I might be ignorant to this concept, but I will surely learn. Also, I would like to improve upon some of the skills mentioned on the list: rhetorical analysis, researched argument, avoid plagiarism, being able to expand on ideas, and develop my individual writing process. Notice, these skills have one thing in common. I picked these skills, not only because they are important, but also because I would like to become a better writer. You see, writing is a skill that is not just meant for authors, news paper editors, and etc. Writing is a form of communication. When a person can write effectively, he/she can inform another, if that person chooses to. You can entertain someone, make them laugh. You can persuade them to a certain side of an argument. Writing can be powerful; it is simply up to the writer him/herself.    
     
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Blog Post 1 - Ted Talk: Fahad Al-Attiya: A country with no water

     I decided to listen to Fahad Al-Attiya because the subject matter sounded really interesting. When I did listen to him, I found out about the fascinating history and present of the country of Qatar. The challenges that the people of Qatar had to overcome were ones that were taboo here in America. Citizens of the country were forced to scatter because resources (including water) were so little and scarce. They couldn't develop, they couldn't urbanize. Most people died around the age of 50. It wasn't until 1939 when the struck oil and began a breakthrough. Years later, the economic growth of the economy is 15%, life expectancy reached 78, and water consumption is among the highest in the world. This change occured in less than 60 years. The country has used technology greatly by adopting a desalination machine.This, of course, is how the country gets its water. This machine, however, is only a temporary fix. Al-Attiya, along with other engineers, are working on a machine that will produce 3.5 million cubic millimeters of water a year. And this is very possible if the machine runs on a renewble source. What resource could that be, you ask? You see, Qatar has an advantage: they get 300 days of sun.Using the sun as a renwable energy source will greatly benefit the country. This will potentially lead to more farming, which will supply the country with its own food. And this will lead to a reduction in the percenatge of imported food. Fahad hopes to have the plan implemented in two years.
     When I saw this, I was so inspired by how this country gathered together and brought together its resources. The country urbanized and developed, not just because of the resources (although that is part of it), but also because of the will of its people. The country is 60 years old, and has a lot of potential. Fahad said that he his will for Doha (Qatar's largest city) was for it to become a millennium city, like Rome or Paris. I think this is possible simply because of how fast the economy is going and the determination of Fahad and other engineers with the same goal.

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