English 112 Journal

Jeremy Blackbird

[jcantwell01]

Journal Assignment 9 – Open Swim

I would like to take a moment to speak on a subject that has me a little upset.  I am sure most of you have Face Book accounts.  Just wondering if any of my peers have stumbled across this new feature or event taking place on Face Book and what your thoughts are about it. 

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[jblackbird6101]

I do not think the videos should play.  I think the videos loading automatically makes it compulsory to watch, to an extent.  Especially if the videos are offensive or trashy, they should definitely be optional to watch.

[jblackbird6101]

Journal 4

I had originally planned to write about the Federal Reserve and central banking systems and how they are funneling money into a global oligarchy, but that's old news.  This was likened to a "conspiracy theory" in class last week, and I tend to agree, though I lean more toward "conspiracy" than toward "theory."

I also think this may help to relieve some of the mental and emotional stress it has caused me over the last year.  Believing for 10 years that I was going to be with this girl for the rest of my life and investing my time, energy, and money into that goal, and then having those dreams shattered for reasons I still don't fully understand took a serious toll on my mental health.  Luckily, I was raised by my mother who, above all else, is an unshakable optimist, and instilled in me the unwavering hope for a better tomorrow, no matter what today has left me with.

I'm still working this all out in my head; it's only been a little over a year since my breakup.  I still think about her every day, and I feel like writing about her and having some random people give their insights may help mend my still-wounded heart.  Here goes nothing.  =P

Count: 289

[jblackbird6101]

Journal 3

To Justice Moore: why did you feel that it was unnecessary to discuss this idea with anyone?  Since you are working under the hand of God, wouldn’t you think that He would give you the ability to persuade them to join you, or persuade them Himself through His own means?  I don’t doubt your motives, but it certainly could have gone better for you had you mentioned your plans to someone before you enacted them.  The sculpture could even still be there today, and you might have never been suspended.  If this is something you truly believed in, you should not have done it so carelessly.

To Moore’s supporters: while half of the Ten Commandments are excellent values by which to live, half of them are also dedicated specifically to one group’s idea of God.  While I don’t doubt the existence of God, I have great doubt in the existence of one belief system that works for every one of His children.  Shouldn’t there be other displays of scripture, such as at the U.S. Supreme Court, instead of one gigantic 5,200 pound rock displaying only the beliefs of Christians and Jews?  The Bible is a wonderful resource to many people of the world, but so are the Koran, the Torah, the Book of Mormon, and an incredible number of other holy texts.

To the civil liberties groups: has any society or civilization ever truly and absolutely separated church and state?  The answer is no because that is an impossibility.  Every law regarding ethical and moral responsibility either comes from, or has influenced, or at the very least has some relation to some religious belief.  The display itself is merely a code of laws by which a certain group of people live.  An artistic representation of a code of laws has every right to be in a place where people determine whether or not someone is breaking our code of laws.  Is your argument that because this sculpture of laws also happens to have religious connotations, it should not be allowed in a public place where law is practiced?  Well then we might as well rewrite our entire code of law also so that it has no religious underpinnings.  Good luck with that; I’m moving somewhere where there is actually text in the lawbooks.

Word Count: 467!

[supervdragon]

Hello class,

My name is Vanessa Mondragon. I was born and raised in Falls Church, Virginia, but my family is from El Salvador. I am currently a full time student at Northern Virginia Community College working towards my nursing degree. I work as a part-time receptionist and babysit as well. I...

[jblackbird6101]

Hey!  Nursing is a noble profession.  Just make sure you treat your aides nicely.  We are truly your eyes and ears.  ;)

[daveycruz]

Take a look at your writing

My first and largest issue with my writing is project management. I am not very good at choosing my subjects, and I am even worse at time management. In a previous class I chose a reading for an assignment and spent a week writing about how much I disliked...

[jblackbird6101]

Haha it's kind of funny that you already know what the book's remedies are for your writing difficulties.  I was kind of in that spot as well.  I know many writing techniques that I don't put into practice and probably should.  But hey, that's why we're in school, right?  =P

[tnetsa]

English is my second language. Even though I learn English since Kindergarten in my country, I still struggle in writing without error. As I mentioned I used to take English courses in my country. However, nobody uses it outside the class room. I have learned that the best way to learn to speak..

I found it easier to start with writing down the ideas first, in other words - clear concise statements, scattered randomly over a page. Then I develop each statement further, sort of dressing it up. When the rough structure is ready, I insert transitions, then write introduction and conclusion. Spelling, punctuation, vocabulary come last.

[jblackbird6101]

I think your second paragraph is a great idea.  I often have difficulty remembering all of the things I want to say in a discourse.  I say it as it comes to mind, but I almost always end up forgetting some important piece of my thought because my mind goes off on a tangent.  I'll have to try your way.  =)

[daveycruz]

Who am I?

Right now, first thing, before my coffee? Alright, I’m a 36 year old who lost his job, his place, his fiancé and his mind all around 3 years ago. But then I stared seeing a therapist. Then I picked up a second part time job. Then I got a full time job. Then I started coming back to...

[jblackbird6101]

I like this because I also recently "lost" my fiance and very nearly my mind.  Luckily my brain used a very effective defense mechanism known as displacement, and instead of being mad at her (into whom I had put 11 years of time and money), I got mad at this ridiculously overbearing and imperialistic government administration.  So in a way, losing her actually helped me stop being a sheep.  Kudos for getting your life back together; I'm still working on mine. =)

[jclopez1289]

Hello classmates,

My name is Jessica Lopez, I am 23 years old attending Northern Virginia Community College as a full time student. I am a fulltime employee at Fairfax Realty and a single mother of a 5 year old who is entering kindergarten next week Tuesday. I have lived in falls church city for...

[jblackbird6101]

Hey Jessica.  You do indeed have a lot on your plate.  I admire your desire to be a nurse, currently being a nurse aide and having been through about 60% of RN school (I got bored).  RN school is very tedious and time-consuming, but I'm sure that degree will pay off.  Best of luck!

[jblackbird6101]

Journal 2

The chapter of Rules for Writers regarding commas is enlightening.  It gives many examples of where exactly commas should be.  I usually use commas when I want the reader to pause and think before they continue the sentence, but this is unnecessary.  The book says commas are basically used to separate list items and to add description without creating a run-on sentence.  I will try to incorporate this concept into future discourses.

My impulsiveness is simply a result of writing from the heart.  I say what I want to say and don’t think about how it might sound to someone else reading it.  I rarely plan a piece of writing and rarely revise it.  I think the best advice the book gives on this is on page 35 of the “The Writing Process” section.  It says “…focus, purpose, organization, content, and overall strategy… receive attention first (when revising).”  This chapter should help my writing be more readable and effective.

Word Count: 208

[jblackbird6101]

English 112 Journal #1

I’m in this class both because it is required to transfer to Mason and because I enjoy writing.  It is often a great relief to see my thoughts and feelings turned into something tangible instead of just floating around in my head and heart.  I also very much enjoy discussing these thoughts with others and gaining a broader perspective on them, drawing on others’ experiences and incorporating them into my own paradigm.

My goal in college is to learn the ebb and flow of the global economy so that I may one day be able to undermine the central banking system, which has essentially given an exceedingly small number of people nearly unlimited power over the evolution of society, as well as be able to provide a solution that does not so heavily favor so few people. 

Something at which I believe I am quite skilled is seeing patterns.  I see patterns in different types of people, in the media (which I despise; don’t get me started), in nature, and in almost every other facet of life.  I wish my brain would organize it all into something I can express to a wider audience, and I’m hoping college will help me with that.

Word Count: 297 :)