Rhetorical Things

Marissa. 18 years old, trying to be rhetorical.

[schmittyart]

Bill Nye 9"x12" Gouache on canvas

Sorry for the shitty cellphone pic I got so tired of working on this one I’m just calling it done here. Knowing me I’ll go and try to fix the things that bug me about it 6 months from now and completely ruin it…

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

5/13/15

Throughout the year my partner in crime, Reesa, and I worked on our genius hour project that you may have read about before. The following presentation shows what we accomplished and learned throughout this project, as well as our many failures along the way. 

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

4/20/15

The following images go along with a speech I gave during class. 

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

4/14/15

Public Speaking is something only a few people are good at. Of course I’m not one of them. And of course Mr. Newman assigned a presentation that will involve at least 9-12 minutes of embarrassing public speaking. I found a video that practically shows exactly what I’m like when giving a presentation. 

The difference between the man in the video and myself? He’s on drugs during his presentation. And me? Well I’m just that embarrassing without the drugs. 

A few things that can be taken away from this video to improve your public speaking skills include the following:

Speak clearly and loudly

Don’t laugh during your presentation (it gives others the OK to laugh at you too)

Don’t hesitate in the middle of your sentences

Only use vocabulary that can be correctly pronounced

Make eye contact

Avoid talking under your breath

Use hand gestures but don’t go overboard

Read the audience’s body language and adjust the presentation accordingly

These are just some of the points I came up with after I laughed my booty off over this video. When you’re going to present just think: at least you’re not jacked up on Novocaine like the man in this video!

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

3/23/15

If only I would have researched Buffalo Wild Wings before applying for a job there. 

The summer of 2014 I decided it was time for me to get my own job and make my own money instead of relying fully on my parents. Wanting a job desperately, I didn't care where I worked as long as it wasn't at a fast food restaurant. I had never been to Buffalo Wild Wings but always heard people talk about how good it is so I decided I would apply for a job there, along with many other places. A few days later I got a call about coming in for an interview. Naive and innocent I decided to go to the interview. After a 45 minute interview I was hired on the spot. After working there for almost a year, I wish I would have researched the company and how much work the job actually is.

When people hear Buffalo Wild Wings they think of a energetic sports bar full of lively people and exciting sports.

With that much action and excitement in one restaurant, the employees need to be quick and ready to interact with the lively environment. And it is like that sometimes, but other times it’s not and you have time to take cute pictures :)

I wish I would have researched Buffalo Wild Wings more before applying there and getting a job in such a busy and fast-paced environment.

[humansofnewyork]

"He was really drunk the first time I met him." "I took a shot off her boobs."

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

"I know this to be true..."

One thing I know to be 100% true is that my cat, Socks, is the cutest and best animal in the world. He's my best friend :) I know this to be true and here's why.

Whenever I am doing homework Socks always wants to help...

...by laying on it. And he's just so cute so why would I want to move him when he's obviously comfortable.

Socks is the best cat ever because he never wants me to leave. When I was packing for a trip, he wouldn't let me leave by laying on my bag.

Socks is the best cat ever. I know this to be true because he takes the cutest pictures ever.

He's a keeper because he takes really cute selfies with me.

Finally, he is really fun to take pictures of and here's why:

Alright so here's the thing. I know most people think their pet is the best but I KNOW that Socks is the best. He is so cute and he's my favorite. Socks is the best cat ever and I know this to be true. :)

Truth is hard to define. I would say it's when you don't lie, it's when you know you are right. Being truthful is extremely important.. My opinion is the truth is my cat is the cutest cat every, whereas someone else might not think that the truth. But if you really feel that something is right then it is the truth. Truth is hard to define and sometimes hard to speak but truth is needed.

[humansofnewyork]

"I’m going to find a job, goddamnit.  Nobody is going to force me into retirement at 61.  I moved to New York at the age of 35 with nothing but $1000 and a cat.  I’ve reinvented myself once.  And I can do it again."

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

2/13/15

So this is my first genius hour post of second semester. Honestly, this project is actually not as easy as I thought it would be. I don't know how we are going to get a 7 minute presentation out of the information we have collected. We have intertiewed multiple teachers and got their input on a lot of different concepts concerning college but as of right now I'm not sure how we are going to convert our voice recordings of the interviews and notes into a presentation.

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

1/29/15

Luck is everywhere..whether it be good or bad. In my life, I feel as though I see more bad luck than good luck, especially during my senior year so far. The months of September through early November seemed to bring me the most bad luck. September was supposed to be a lot of fun, I was supposed to go on a mini vacation with my boyfriend and his family to see his sister get married. Well, the night before we left for the wedding my boyfriend picked me up around 8 pm to run some errands. Around midnight, on our way home, I fell asleep in the car. Wrong place and wrong time because next thing I know I was woken up to a loud crash and I was thrown against the dash of the car, with airbags hitting me from every which way. My boyfriend hit a semi-truck going 40 mph because he fell asleep. All I could think at that moment was "my mom didn't even want me to go out tonight, if I would've listened this wouldn't have happened" and "I shouldn't have fallen asleep". I knew this was some sort of bad luck and boy was I in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My dad had just bought me my first car, a brand new 2014 Ford Focus. Around 2 weeks later I was driving home from school at about 1:30. I was so excited because it was a beautiful day that day, I had my windows down, music up, and was ready to go home and relax. Crossing through an intersection a block away from the school a lady mindlessly turned left in front of me and we collided. She claims she didn't see me coming. Wrong place and wrong time for me once again. Out of any of the other cars on the road that day, why me? Bad luck, that's why. I thought I got lucky by getting this brand new beautiful car but bad luck struck me and I had $16,000 worth of damage to my 2 week old brand new car. 

After that 2nd accident my boyfriend and I got in a minor accident together, again. Now I started to believe I was a bad luck magnet and that I was prone to car accidents. My mother and I decided I would start to see a therapist to talk about my anxiety and "bad luck" and one my way to the therapist, you'll never guess what happened. Yep, another car accident. My mother and I were stopped at a red light getting off of the highway. Turning right she had the oppurtunity to turn during a red light but she chose not to. Moments later we were rear ended by a semi truck. We should have turned right on red..We were stopped at the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Sad to think that I am more times than not in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that seemed to be the truth through the months of September through October. 

[taylorswift]

Since you asked, redheadswift……… This is the art on the walls of my NY place— they were birthday presents from my background singers/friends, Kamilah, Clare, Eliotte, and Melanie.

It’s been a month and I still have a really hard time walking by these pictures on the walls and not laughing so hard I have to sit down.

AKA best birthday presents EVER.

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

1/21/15

Restaurantgirl, foodieblogroll, as well as many well known critics are looked to when deciding which new restaurant to try out. Having such an influence on whether people would choose a restaurant or not, Teresa and I decided to write a review of our own. We chose Lonestar Steakhouse to review because we both enjoy a good steak and feel as though we know enough about other steakhouses and what they offer in order to compare.

Walking towards the steakhouse I was greeted by a building that didn't have it's sign fully lit up (not a big deal but I like the best of the best quality and this didn't seem too promising).

When inside my always fabulous date Reesa and I were welcomed by a full and lively environment. Being 6 o'clock on a gloomy Wednesday night we did not expect this. Nonetheless, the greeter was friendly and asked for a name for the party as well as if we would prefer a table or a booth. Having the option was great and made me feel important. There wasn't a wait and the greeter was quick and efficient. The faulty lights on the building didn't seem important after we were greeted with such fabulous service when entering the restaurant. 

Overall, first impression receives a 4 out of 5 stars from me!

Jen, our waitress, was a very sweet lady and I was excited to have such a lively waitress. 

Although she was extremely friendly when she initially greeted us, she failed to fully take care of us throughout our hour stay. Unfortunately she only visited our booth three times throughout or stay..Once to take our drink orders, once to check how the food was, and one last time to give us the check and take the picture with us. 

Halfway through our visit the restaurant slowly died out. There wasn’t much going on in the resturant overall, there aren’t many tvs around the restaruant, besides behind the bar which was all the way across the restaruant.

With how empty the restaurant became, there really should not have been any reason Jen neglected to take care of us. 

Sadly, service will only receive a 2 out of 5 tonight. 

Moving on to the food (my favorite part)!

When taken to our designated booth, the greeter handed us over-sized menus that had the state of Texas printed right on the front. I had no problem finding exactly what I wanted on this large, descriptive menu after examining all of my options. The main section on the menu was STEAKS, written in all caps and bold where you could not miss it. There was, of course, many more options on the menu, including fish, salads, wraps, and the kids menu. I would have to say overall the options for food were all healthy options but aside from that there was a healthy options section of the menu.

Before ordering our food, bread was brought to the table. Unfortunately, Jen was not the one to deliver this to us. Although the bread tasted heavenly, the presentation was not as great. 

The bread was brought out to us in a messy basket. The butter was spilling out of the little container into the basket and onto our bread prematurely. I was disappointed with how poorly the food was presented to us. 

After reading this canvas of a menu and enjoying our bread Reesa and I decided on what we would eat tonight. Reesa decided on salmon with a side of mac and cheese and steak fries.

I decided upon the classic center cut 8 oz Sirloin with a side of mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. After setting my plate down I was asked to cut into my steak to insure that it was cooked to my liking (medium well). I appreciated that they take the time to make sure the steak is cooked just the way the guest asked.

When we received our food I was disappointed by a few things. First off, once again, Jen had not brought our food out herself. Secondly, I thought the portion size of my mashed potatoes was too small and my mac and cheese did not look too appealing. 

Reesa's mac and cheese looked a lot more appetizing than mine did.

But overall we both agreed that the mac and cheese wasn't as delicious as we were expecting. Reesa said her salmon was amazing and probably as good as, if not better, than her mom's salmon.Never taking seafood before, I decided to try a piece. Surprisingly, I loved it! Lone Star has taken my seafood virginity and I couldn't be more happy with how delicious it tasted. Likewise, my sirloin was amazing. I really enjoyed my meal and despite what I thought, it filled me up completely! The food tasted really good!

Lone Star recieves a 3 out of 5 for food presentation and a 4 our of 5 for taste.

To conclude our visit at the restaurant, Jen brought us the check. Steakhouses are usually expensive but Lone Star was surprisingly fairly priced. Spending only $18 on my meal, I was content.

With the prices not being extremely expensive, I believe it is expected for not everything to be as perfect as one may wish. Although, I do believe there are many things Lone Star could have done differently in order to impress their costumers further. 

For pricing I give a 4 out of 5 stars.

The restaurant itself was lively and the environment was fun. The servers were all dressed in flannels and bootcut jeans, to give off a Texas feel. Although the restaurant is located in Joliet, IL, overall they did a wonderful job making the environment feel as though we were in the heart of Texas. The staff all walked around with smiles, the restaurant was clean and well taken care of, and the guests all seemed to be enjoying themselves. The tables were all clean, which is a great sign because what’s worse than walking to your table and passing 5 unbussed tables? The bathrooms were clean and stocked as they should be and didn't make me want to vomit when I walked in. Lone Star in Joliet had a wonderful environment to eat in and I will definitely consider coming back. Overall, I believe this is the restaurant to go to if you’re looking for a juicy steak and some Texas hospitality! Lonestar offers the Texas feel one would look for when visiting a steakhouse, as well as has many features that welcome audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Whether going for a family dinner, girls night (like Teresa and I), or date night (like the couple in the booth next to us), Lonestar in Joliet has something wonderful to offer to all its guests. 

Lonestar at a glance:

4 out of 5 stars for first impression

2 out of 5 stars for service

3 out of 5 stars for food presentation

4 out of 5 stars for food taste

4 out of 5 stars for pricing.

Overall: 3.4 out of 5 stars

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

1/16/15

Miss America 

The nation is always in awe when it comes the time of the year for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Related, the Miss America Pageant is just as much relying on appearance for entertainment, if not more so, than the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The criteria to be a contestant in the Miss America Pageant, one would think, would solely be based on appearance but surprisingly it is not. I believe the criteria is super vague and not fully thought out but is attainable for many women. Based on prior knowledge of the Miss America Pageant, I do believe the set criteria is accurate but doesn't give full insight on what it really takes to qualify because lets face it, the criteria to be in the Miss America pageant in 1933 compared to now are just completely different. Time magazine did a great job capturing the differences in this wonderful article: http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2042043,00.html.

Under the criteria list, "Be in reasonably good health to meet the job requirements" is listed. I agree with this but I believe they executed the way of listing it was not appropriate. In order to be considered for the Miss America pageant, we can all agree that you don't have to be in "reasonably good health" but rather, you need to be extremely fit and small..Just look at the picture below to see the contestants of 2014..none are in "reasonably good health" but rather look super amazing. 

I agree with the criteria listed for the Miss America pageant but if I were to write the criteria myself, I would have made the list more specific and I would've added more to the list, including having points about having a likable personality, being physically fit, etc. 

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

12/14/14

Remix Project

So the end of my first semester of senior year is already here and honestly it has gone by so fast. Although I've been through a lot in my personal life throughout this semester, school wise I have been doing really good. Anyways, this blog has been a lot of fun for me to keep up with throughout the semester. 

My last rhetoric assignment entry for this semester is my remix project. Newman assigned for us to take one of the 6 papers we wrote this semester and remake it..but not as a paper, rather, as a video. Take a look: 

I remade my compare and contrast essay by showing different characters in animated movies that went from being the "bad guy" to a "good guy" just as Gru from Despicable Me had. This project was a lot of fun, hope you enjoy watching it!

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

12/7/14

After going on change.org, I can across a petition in attempt to make declawing cats in the state of California illegal. At first I thought this idea was dumb because, as a cat owner and lover, I would rather cuddle a cat that doesn't have claws opposed to one that does. After reading through the description of the petition, though, I do agree that cats do need their claws for self defense. 

photo: (http://angiesdiary.com/society/pets/cat-behavior-why-cats-claw/)

Also, I don't like the idea of a cat going through the pain of surgery for something that they have every right to keep. I could argue for both sides of the story, so to keep this short, the petition is available to be signed. 

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

Synthesis

Writing about Taylor Swift was something I enjoyed a lot because obviously I really like her. The whole music streaming versus buying music is a very debatable topic and so it was a lot of fun to write about. Having an argument and being able to incorporate my opinion into the essay was great.

synthesis

[rhetoricalkittens-blog]

Recitatif Paper

This paper was the most difficult paper for me to write. Although I know it is not my best work, I'll still post it. Writing about reading a story through a different "critical lense" was hard for me to imagine and therefore made writing a paper about it difficult as well. 

Recitatifpaper