Sebastian Martinez

English 112 Journal 2013

[riposite]

Question about People's Writing Process

so having done two papers with the class, I have, as I am sure we have all noticed people’s differences in how they prepare. I’ve personally been suprised at the difference in rough drafts. Some people only have 1-2 pages; others have 2 pages plus an outline while others have a rough draft that is close to a final one at 9-10 pages.

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[smartinez6830]

I'm still on the eclectic approach, I've not figured this thing out yet or if there is one method better than the other. I keep making the same mistakes regardless of which method I used.

[smartinez6830]

Assignment 9 | Open Swim | Why is hard to choose a topic?

A student mentioned earlier how difficult is to choose a topic to write about when is left entirely to our decision to pick one. Not surprisingly, other students had previously voiced the same concern; I too have to agree that is been problematic choosing a topic when there are infinite choices. However, I asked myself what’s the real problem here? And today, I found my answer. It seem that we take these journals too serious and want to write something meaningful. But how do we write it in 250 words or chose a topic that the rest would care to read? Are the general considerations. Yet, these latter two did not satisfy me and I came to reason that the problem goes deeper than all the intelligent justifications we have given to the issue.

First, I thought that the underlying reasons for the difficulty of the task of what topic to write about are none other than self-absorption and what others might think of our topics or writing. Although, these might have never been reflected upon before, they appear to be centered even when chosing our assignments. A Journal filled with assignments that most of us will forget in the coming days. Ironically, when these sentiments are considered within this context are not bad things; these concerns show pride and responsibility for our work. But then, do we have the courage to admit that self-apsortion and the opinion of others not only matter but are at the highest of our concerns? And, in the process of admission become better writers. Perhaps, I’m utterly wrong in my analogy or in part I’m right. I must continue writing to find a more conclusive answer… But then, why is so hard to choose? When we Put all concerns in perspective; where do we draw a line for time allocation on which topic to pick? How important will these writings be when looked through the prism of our life? Who are we honestly writing to? Who is the master? Is it vanity or the opinion of other that worry us?

I pondered on these things and I’v been able to answer some of these questions; “I write for myself first…” but no, it’s a lie… I’m still too constrictive for someone that claims to write for oneself. It’s something about writing and the open to criticism that plays around my head and restrains me. It keeps telling me what to write and not to write about. And, that I should write for the enjoyment of others… I have admit it, I now write to pleasure others, but most important for the acceptance their enjoyment brings in. I write to be loved.

[anhnguyenme]

We are living a busy world where most of us have to go to school, to work, or take care of families. Thus, our work and our responsibilities occupy a majority of time we have every day. Some people even think human beings work like a machine in this busy world. They don’t have enough time to think...

[smartinez6830]

I agree with some of the exersices you'd mentioned. Especially with the one on giving. More and more data keeps coming in on how positive giving exercises are for the mind and body. Apparently, people devoted to charitable work are less preopupied with themselves and by putting the time into others live longer and happier lives. I'm all for it!!!! Thanks for writing about this, we all need to be constantly reminded on the things we should be doing. 

[pdemsko036n]

The funny thing about telling me to write about anything is once you give me infinite choices, I cannot decide. Do I write about an old 70’s B-movie I watched a number of years ago? An esoteric subject in particle physics? The political landmine that is gun rights? (Or gun control if you prefer…)...

[smartinez6830]

Infinite choices, yet only one choice. A finite man living in an infinte world. I have the same problems. However, I don't think we suffer from writer's block but from an untrained mind without the habit of writing. And you should write to yourself. It'll prepare you to explain on the obscure topics that no one seems to be interested in. So that when you'll find that someone interested in the same subject, you'll sound like an expert.

[pharoahtames1]

I cant wait for the soccer world cup to begin. This is one of the moments that i can wait to enjoy on my wide screen. There are so many great teams that qualified for this event. My favorite to consider champion would be Argentina or Chile but Spain and Portugal are definite contenders to take the…

[smartinez6830]

The Soccer World Cup (El Mundial de Futbol) is the time that world comes to a full stop. It's like Christmas, every one is happy, every one is finishing up early from work or not going to work to be able to watch the games. It’s a big celebration. I’m also looking forward for the next cup. And, I liked your family tradition.

[magally1]

ENG 112

16 November 2013

Education to Change the World

For the past 3 month I have been working on forming a Nonprofit Organization in America. My experience in this area was null but I have been taking classes at Northern Virginia Community College and finally next month I will receive my...

[smartinez6830]

That's great news!!! I'm glad to see your desires are coming through—you'll almost there. I found out the other day that non-profits and local churches have budgets to help out with money, resourses and education to "other" non-profits. One thing though that I noticed, and learned about succesful non-profit is they put money into websites and professional videos with a narrative. Here is an example, http://www.landfillharmonicmovie.com http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/ (College Film students are always looking for projects.) Last, as passionate as you are about the non-profit, you must equally be at collecting money, the sooner you understand this the better. At the end of the month when the board meets is not to talk about ideals, it's about money. 

[jcantwell01]

Journal Assignment 8 – Thoughts on Texts

I believe anything could be a text. I feel it is all part of a learning process. If we could rewind our lives and have the teacher switch all of our texts or symbols around would we know the difference. I do not think so. The new symbols would not be new to us just to the people who were taught using a different system.

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[smartinez6830]

James,

unfortunelty, in order to agree and form a society, we must do it at the exclusion of others. A society is defined as a group with common interests and laws. It’s far more complex for a larger society to be formed, not only it would exclude people but it’s existence will depend on waging war to the ones in disagreement. This world has never been at war because of text misinterpretation or misunderstanding. At the root of the problem lies the control for land, its resources, and its human capitol. Everything else is an excuse.

Sebastian

[magally1]

I have always a hard time trying to find what to write about. In my first paper, sources was my main challenge. I intended to revise my work but did have much time and got sick. With this second research paper I was able to find more reliable sources after debating what to write about. Choosing a…

[smartinez6830]

Erica,

I feel your pain, writing is not easy. Conscious writing is even more painful and arduous and yet satisfying at the end (go figure). I know Steven wrote on pet euthanasia as one solution on animal overpopulation for his last English semester paper. You sould ask him for ideas. According to Steven’s journal, the paper did not make him very popular, which after talking to him that didn’t bother him as to how deeply misunderstood his position was towards euthanasia as a viable solution. In his defense the topic on animal over population was given and presented to him as a problem and he was asked to write a solution for it. Still euthanasia is a highly debated proposition. I hope these observations bring insight as to how to explain your ground on such difficult subject matter.

All the best,

Sebastian

[marylisa13]

Mary Landis

English 112

Professor Webb

Journal Assignment 7-Research Concerns

One of the assignments that helped me narrow down my topic for this research paper was the topic and thesis ideas. This allowed me to look at a broad variety of topics at one time and then I was able to narrow down…

[smartinez6830]

Mary,

The length of your journal describing the process and the topic of this next assignment demonstrate a good start and great commitment towards your research paper. I would like to recommend you watching a 1990 classic thriller on PTSD called “Jacob’s Ladder.” It’s now a cult film with great reviews and possibly a good source to your arsenal as to how the treatment has progressed over the years.

Sebastian

[jclopez1289]

Jessica Lopez

Journal

Mr.Webb

The writing paper for the first one was not that bad; although finding good resource was though. The other difficulties I had on my first essay was the organization it seem to get hard for me when I jumble up all my topics. I am working on getting more organized…

[smartinez6830]

Jessica,

I had chosen both of my topics by following the same model you have explained; something that you don’t know about and something that will be useful in your life. The latter is what I’m most interested about.

Sebastian

[smartinez6830]

Assigment Journal 7 | 2ND Paper | Sebastian

This second paper does not carry the same level of emotional intensity as the first paper did. I chose the topic on habits as an unavoidable continuation from my last subject on willpower. I felt it was necessary to deepen into the matter of habits. However, the subject of habits is dense and it comes with a lot of baggage. Inherently, The word habit has a negative presumed connotation. Although, there are good and bad habits, when the word habit is mentioned rarely one would think of good habits, instead the first thing that comes to mind are negative habits. This is not a light subject, anyone with the intention of replacing bad habits with good habits has plenty of things to overcome, there is nothing pleasant about habits. Nonetheless, good habits have a direct correlation to success in life with innumerable observations showing that the cultivation of good habits is a far greater trait than high intelligence.

Although this paper is not easy to write for its material is somewhat indiegestible. This paper is much easier on the mechanical parts, the organization and research.

[smartinez6830]

Assignment 8 | Text | Sebastian Martinez

Text can be anything, everything conveys a message, Marshall Mcluhan used as an example the lines from Romeo and Juliet:

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

It speaks, and yet says nothing.

With regard to the second question, If so, what implication does it have on laws, newspaper, etc? I don’t even question the idea that anything can be a Text. Therefore, I can’t answer if so from a theoretical perspective; we don’t live in a society where only written text has meaning. Text comes in many form and affects all communication and interpretation. That’s why even airtight written laws with the intention for no room for misunderstandings are constantly being reinterpreted, the ending of movie might have one hundred different meanings. It’s argued that the medium by which the text is carried through might evoke dissimilar emotions from one medium to another. For this reason, it’s been said before that “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Text may set through an arbitrary system of symbols, and the text may have an arbitrary intention, a concern that worried many thinkers in antiquity and now, however, the act of reading implies freedom. "Reading is directed creation,” Jean Paul Sartre. In other words, by reading the reader is a co-creator of the text, the reader has the ultimate interpretation and if it means anything

[smartinez6830]

I don’t have anything to write about this assignment, I’m very disconnected to contemporary culture wars. A few years ago I was so appalled to the constant bad news and political rant that I decided not to read or watch the news. I unplugged. Since, I still don’t have cable or care much about…

[riposite]

sometimes though, things that don’t seem immediately tangible do effect us; are you so sure you can afford to ignore the wider discussions ? They may end up impacting you and by the time you realize it it may be too late to alter the outcome, the old for want of a nail theory

[smartinez6830]

My position on the disenchentment to large controvertial issues is that I came realized that I’m mortal with little time left. My most precious comodity is time, and I can’t afford to loose one minute of it. Nonetheless, I prefer to worry on matters that have an unquestionable wide approval. But even when considering good intendended issues, such as eradicating world hunger, I would still measure it to see if is worth my troubles. As I stated earlier, I concerned on smaller causes that I know I can make a difference on. Let me explain; I’m disturbed with poverty an hunger, however, I no longer would contemplate contributing money or time to a large organization wanting to get rid of world poverty, I would much rather allocate resources to a small orpanage in Haiti, where progress and proposed projects are visible and accountable for. A tangible or arms reach objective.

I have to agree in certain respects on your position for meaningless, at least for me larger objectives and culture disagreements are meaningless, even commercialized. Meaningless in the sense that; why would I in my limited time worry when some of these perennial larger issues are part of the inevitable cycles of life that are condemned repeting themselves?

[magally1]

I agree. We may not change the world but we can contribute to change someones world.

[riposite]

Culture Wars Journal Entry

Greetings noble Americans. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gaius Cassius Longinus; but you have learned my name perhaps in its shortened form, as spread by that insufferable yet prolific British bard from Stratford on the Avon in his play about the life of…

[smartinez6830]

I enjoyed reading your elocuent discourse on warning signals to a state similar to the affairs of Ancient Rome. However, I don’t see how it ties in with Ecclesiastes. Certainly, there are parts in Eccleisiastes that foretells of history repeting itself. But as a whole, I read it as if, be careful but don’t worry too much because at the end is all meaningless, and no one would care to remember. With regard to the meaningless life, keep in mind this was the perspective from a king that indulge from all pleasures first—a life well lived. And from that perspective of having it and experiencing all, he recognizes that little we can do to add and extra hour to our life through work and worrying, and that we are better off finding meaning by being preocupied with godly things.

[riposite]

is indulging in all pleasures a life well lived?

the point of using the passage here was to point out the pride that the US has, thinking that its ideals, ideas,and even its failures and foibles are somehow unique and new. Or even the discussion we are having over what duty the citizens have to each other or the state or vice versa. It’s all been done and tried before, and only our vanity and arrogance and lack of classical education keeps us from seeing it. I freely admit I am not taking the whole of Eccleisiastes ; but simply the part it is arrogant to assume we are special-that it is anything other than pride; if we do the same things as those before us, we are doomed to the same results.

[smartinez6830]

=========================================================

"is indulging in all pleasures a life well lived?"

That would depend on who you ask and the interpretation of the question. Nikos Kazantakis would have no problems answering with a YES, to satisfy the body with intensity in all life's endeavors; from work, spirituality, spontanety, to eating and love. In his novel, Zorba the Greek, the main character responds to a similar question:

“If a woman sleeps alone it puts a shame on all men. God has a very big heart, but there is one sin He will not forgive. If a woman calls a man to her bed and he will not go.” 

However, in my defense, I did not mean a life well lived as in well equals to good or with a superior moral compass or in constant enjoyment. I implied well l as in fully or entirely. I meant an unrestrictive life of experiences, generalizing that a king would have access to those things. A king that in old age, would end up with a full inventory of good and bad experiences; and wisdom to draw from for his conclusion on what should we preoccupy ourselves during our lives. 

[smartinez6830]

I don’t have anything to write about this assignment, I’m very disconnected to contemporary culture wars. A few years ago I was so appalled to the constant bad news and political rant that I decided not to read or watch the news. I unplugged. Since, I still don’t have cable or care much about…

[riposite]

sometimes though, things that don’t seem immediately tangible do effect us; are you so sure you can afford to ignore the wider discussions ? They may end up impacting you and by the time you realize it it may be too late to alter the outcome, the old for want of a nail theory

[smartinez6830]

My position on large controvertial issues is that I came realized that I'm mortal with little time left. I'm still worry and concern on things, but I choose to worry on matters, that have a general pro consensus. I'm concern on topics that I know I can make an impact on. For example; I no longer would contemplate contributing money or time to a large organization wanting to get rid of world poverty, I would much rather allocate resources to small orpanage in Haiti, where progress and proposed projects are visible and accountable for. And, I have to agree in certain respects on your  meaningless position, at least for me these larger things are meaningless, even commercialized. Meaningless in the sense that are circles that are inevitably repeting themselves.

[nickieng]

Education system is one of the most noticed issues in nowadays. Educational methods are also a controversial topic. The way that we train young kids will affect directly to their personality and ability. We have some different perspective views in how should we train young generation. In Asia,...

[smartinez6830]

I had the opportunity to experience both educational systems, the strict and the not so strict, and I can tell you there isn't a right or wrong. I enjoyed both, however, there is one thing that I would much rather see in the American Educational System, and that is the school uniform. 

[jcantwell01]

James Cantwell

Culture Wars - Environment

After, spending many centuries observing the human race, we aliens have all, but given up, on your species.  Imagine a group of people that cannot even agree with each other about environmental issues.  The very air they breathe, the water they drink, contaminated reduced to ruins by corporations for massive profits.  Humans allow their Neanderthal heritage to shine through by gleefully purchasing the very products that destroys their environment. 

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[smartinez6830]

Why are we so unresponsive to the environment? Well, I came to the conclusion that is because our bodies are adapted to live and survive now. We can only hold our breath for no more than a few short minutes. The future is meaningless if we can not get air into our systems in the next minute, the body and mind is constantly preoccupied with the present and not the future. This living in the present is reflected as to the little care we give to environmental issues. A somewhat similar perspective is Zizek's view. He argues that we are not hardwired to understand or internalized a world catastrophe. We talk about the fragile environment conditions but we see beautiful green trees all around us, a future of desvastation is too distant for us to worry about and incongruent with our present. Althought our greatest resourse, oil, is from a past catastrophe. Still, it's unimagianable for us to take on immediate action in restoring it. According to polls, we believe that the world destruction would come first from an alien attack than from our own environmental problems. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGCfiv1xtoU