FW- BOMPs- one stealth mission

The BOMPs. I once belonged to this group. The acronym stands for Bored Old Mill People... and our goal was to do crazy random things, including what we called stealth missions. Unfortunately we had to have a culprit, so there was this girl, we will call Rachel who was the center of our missions. Well, we were actually friends with her, and knew she was a good person, but she was so random that it was easy to come up with false stories to keep us entertained. So, one Sunday night I am in bed, and ready to go to sleep when I get a phone call that went something like this, "Code red, stealth mission. Downstairs. Katy's apt. NOW! Repeat. Code red." So I promptly got out of bed and went down the stairs, I saw Rachel and waved hi- she was talking to a guy in the ward. Well, I knock on the door and hear someone slam into the door before it is "pulled" open only to be stopped by one of those chains that goes across on some doors. They see me and have to close the door to release the chain before letting me in. The moment I am in, they lock the door behind me. The whole apartment is dark, and I hear a harsh whisper, "Get down!"
So I crawl on all fours to meet the group. Apparently Rachel has been seducing and abusing the poor guy in the ward (not really- but you see, we have to save him). Well, she knows we're in there, so we have to climb out the window into the indoor solarium that all the apartments lead out to. Once inside we exit out of a different door so it may appear as if we've been in a different apartment for quite awhile. Well, at this time, Rachel gets in her car and drives off to her secret lair of course and we have to follow, because any plans she might make we have to stop.
Katy, Logan (our unofficial leader) and I decide to take a casual walk around the building to see if she has simply parked on the other side- no such luck. But Logan claims he knows some of her "spots". He tells us that he is out of gas, and we soon find out, so is Katy and I. We can't break the Sabbath, and so it seems our mission is doomed.
Then Logan walks over to a car- not his and says, I'm going to hot wire this car. Katy and I laugh, thinking he is joking. He then proceeds to open the door, get in, he reaches down and the car starts. Katy and I are dumbfounded. Logan yells to get in. I go over and climb in and look at Logan, saying, "Please tell me you did not hot wire the car" He doesn't answer until Katy gets in, but I did notice there were keys in the ignition. After we are driving he says that it's another guy's car in our ward who had given him open permission to use it whenever- he had other means of transportation.
Unfortunately we never did find Rachel that night, or discover her secret plans to do, who knows what would be next. But we did have a very entertaining night, as always with the BOMPs! :)

FW-Dancing

Dancing. One of my favorite things to do. I may not have the greatest technique but I love watching people dance and I love dancing. Granted I don’t always like people watching, but that’s life I guess. I love choreography too- the art of putting together a whole routine. Recently I saw Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up, the first one. After seeing them it makes me want to get up and dance. Unfortunately, I sprained my ankle about a week ago and my limited dancing abilities became even more restricted.

One of my favorite things to do within dancing is choreograph. I love it when the dance moves fit with the music and the words- when they all work together to portray something, it’s one of the most beautiful things ever. I think everything combined with music is my favorite art form- the combination of dance, music and words- it truly leaves me in amazement every time.

And so, even though I’m not completely up to par at the moment, I will start coming up with dances again- they may not be the best, but they are so much fun. It can be a type of exercise and a way to express yourself- there’s nothing greater! I LOVE IT!!!!

RA- song analysis- "Hate That I Love You"

"Hate That I Love You" by Rihanna

Songs in general I think are great users of pathos. The music can help you feel what they are trying to portray. It helps get people into the music and can sometimes involve you to the point where you barely know what is being said.

Then the second strength, in good music, and I like it in this song, is the lyrics. The lyrics can speak both through the pathos and logos. I guess it could through the ethos, but more through the first two. In this song I think it is going more towards the pathos as a strength. It is talking about people who are experiencing the fine line between love and hate. I think most people, at least one day, will eventually experience this, so I think most people can relate to it. I think in this song they are in a fight, yet they still know that they love the other person and that frustrates them. Not really, but they want to be mad at them and frustrated.

I think it pretty sufficiently goes through the emotions to help people relate to the song. And it is typical, in the fact that people who have felt this way could probably describe things pretty similarly. There is no manipulation in trying to convince us to the way it feels, and everything is relevant. When everything is not relevant, it makes the song, long-winded, not concise, easy to get lost in the meaning of the song, etc.

I think the song is successful. The lyrics are clever and the music fits it. It's mellow but has a lilt to it. So you don't feel the anger, as they probably aren't really either, they simply want to be mad at the other person and so are in a sense sad that they can't be mad. And so, the r&b feel is accurate, with jazzy singing style. Maybe that's why I like the song so much! :)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK1AplNw3-8

TA- brainstorming- birth order

I don’t know what I’m writing about yet but I’m going to brainstorm some ideas here. I really like knowing about the birth order theories. I’ve actually thought a lot about it before- in my extended family most of the second children were rebellious. We all have a little rebellious streak that runs through all of us, but it came out stronger in the second children. They were never afraid to do what they wanted and stand up for it. I’m not saying the first children were all angels, but I think most of us have tried our best. And I for one definitely fit some of the qualities of a firstborn child.

But the second children have tried to make their own statement. I don’t plan on down-talking my brother but he is a good example of a second child. He is very smart, smarter than me, or at least more capable. I have my own talents but he is talented at more things and to a greater extent. I always did well though, and I think my brother tried to make a statement. He did not do as well in high school- and it wasn’t because he wasn’t capable of it. In order for him to get the same grades as me, he would’ve only needed half the effort. But he wanted to make a statement, and so he kind of did a little opposite of me. He never did anything really wrong, but definitely had a very rebellious nature.

I think my parents did a good job of raising us though. We may all have certain tendencies of the birth order signs, but we also I think are in control of things too. I think we have a pretty good balance of our characteristics. My brother and I are pretty close, and we react to things similarly, so we are able to help each other with a lot of things. But it was because of my brother’s rebellion that has given all of us “children” a little more freedom.

Then there is my sister Carly, a middle child- she is definitely the peacemaker, and was always great to talk to. I knew she wouldn’t take my side, but she would listen to me, which was sometimes what I needed. I needed someone to “side” with me enough to listen. It’s kind of nice. But I love all of my siblings and am grateful for the different roles we have- whether they are due to birth order theories or inherent personalities, or if we were born here in a certain order because of our inherent personalities. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful for it!

FW- my birthday

So, it was my birthday on Sunday... but to celebrate we started early on Friday. The celebration started at Red Lobster for dinner. I invited many people, and one of my friends told me I really knew how to throw a party- you see, I'm a single girl and I invited a married couple, an engaged couple, a few girls and a whole bunch of guys..... more options- well not really, they're just all my best friends. We had lots of fun and they sang to me. Then Saturday I got to sleep in. That afternoon my mom had a cake and flowers delivered to my door with ice cream and balloons. It was really cute. So I invited friends over to help me eat the cake because I knew I was getting more cake the next day, so I had to finish this cake with some help. So I called more friends over and we had a party! It was fun and when they left I got ready and went country dancing with a friend.

Sunday morning, my actual birthday I woke up to my roommate jumping on my bed. She had made me breakfast. I came out to the front room and she had decorated the whole thing with streamers. Then we went to choir practice and I realized she had decorated the whole railing all the way down the stairs and looking back she also decorated the balcony with streamers and balloons. Then we came back and finished getting ready for church. She asked if we could take my car to church cause her car was out of gas. Well when we got down the stairs and got to my car I realized, she did have gas in her car- but my car was completely decorated with birthday sentiments, so the whole world knew I was turning 23- in fact it’s still decorated. Then after church one of my good friends Natalie made me an amazing cake! So good, and then I went over to my boys’ house (they’re my guy friends from freshmen year and some of my greatest supporters) because they had bought me cheesecake and threw another party. Then to top everything off… on my way back home I forgot my phone and had to run back… well I missed a step… and landed on my ankle wrong, and sprained it. So now I have fabulous birthday memories, and a sprained ankle. :)

FW- Car Jacking

Alright, so here goes the new story of the week! So the other day I was sleeping in cause I didn't have class til a little later. Well, my roommate came in and woke me up- Ashley. She told me that in the night Shannon's, our other roommate, car had been broken into. There were four cars in our parking lot that had been broken into and then 32 cars over in the Seven Peaks parking lot had also been broken into. My car had been parked right over on the edge of our parking lot and Seven Peaks, but for whatever reason my car was fine when I checked it. My roommate teaches Elementary school and had to ask someone to watch her class while she talked with the police. She had her ipod adaptor and sunglasses "stolen". She found her ipod adapter a few cars away- it had been smashed and her two pairs of sunglasses were also found a short distance away. So, now she has her window to pay for.

When I went outside and noticed things I realized these people must have been dumb. My neighbor back at home had her car broken into. The police said they were having a hard time catching the people because they were breaking the back small window- a less obvious window and usually doesn't set off the panic alarm. Even when it does you can walk away and most people even if they go to investigate don't notice anything wrong and then you can casually walk back and unlock the door and viola! you're in! These people broke the front windows... which is very obvious.

Of course, then there is always my grandpa's theory who never locks his car doors. He figures if someone wants something bad enough in his car they're going to break his window to get it. So why lock the doors just so you have to replace a window and the lost item? So, take your pick, or just pray that these idiots in Provo get caught! Cause they have no idea what they are doing- really... I think they need some help.

TA-Intro

Teachers are such a crucial part of our lives. We learn throughout our lives many things that help shape us into who we become. It is our teachers who help us get there. Our teachers are our best support. Teachers come in many different shapes and sizes and occupations. Some are mothers, fathers, friends, acquaintances and some actually hold the title of teacher. Why then, in a world where teachers are so needed do we find ourselves in a teacher shortage? What is scaring them off? What can we do to help people want to be teachers so that our future children will be able to have the same educational opportunities as we once had? What can be done to encourage people to teach and at the same time improve teachers’ quality?

TA-Dear Diary

Dear Journal,
I know it's been a little while, I wanted to write about my dreams and aspirations. I'm still somewhat undecided and hope that by writing to you I might be able to figure it out. I still don't have a major and people who try and counsel me ask me what I dream of. My dreams are crazy- you know. They are either of singing and dancing and performing, walking through houses, or some type of crazy adventure that fits into a blockbuster hit. I would love to sing and perform, but I still don't know that my performance skills are all that great. And it's all about having the right connections and so competitive. I guess it would be worth giving it a try. Then the houses- you know how I love to walk through houses. I collect floor plans, and love looking at the structure and design of the layout and the interior decorations. I would love to go into that but my main problem with that is I feel I'm supposed to be at BYU and BYU doesn't have an architectural program. There are programs that might work, but then there's my dad who doesn't want me to go into that. And real estate's best business days are Sundays- not an ideal career as far as that goes. So, then there's computers. I've always been intrigued with computers and how they work. I want to know more about web design and programming. I could go into that. Then I've thought of being a teacher- I love being around kids. Teaching English isn't my thing. Neither is teaching music. I started going into math education and stopped because I thought it was retarded with the amount of math I needed to learn to teach middle school. Calculus 2 was the first and most basic class in a long list of courses. I mean, come on... if I want to teach a bunch of sixth graders, I don't need to know 500 levels above them, I just need to know more. But I've still thought about the option of teaching physical science. Recently I was talking to someone and they said I should go into business. I've never considered business before, but the more and more I think about it, the more I like it. I mean, ever since I started looking at majors I've been attending seminars, and in one they said you have to make sure of 3 things: you have to enjoy it, make sure it maximizes all your talents, and it challenges your intellect. I never thought that something could maximize all my talents, but with business I think I might have found a solution! I can open a business or a school. I can organize the work with computers, I can use my math skills to help manage it, and I can teach things such as music and dance, or at least have those taught. Or I could open a restaurant. I could do SO MANY things with a business degree. Now, the problem is getting into that so I can continue to pursue what I want!
-Dan Dee

revised:

Dear Journal,
Today I wanted to write about my plans for the future hoping that by writing to you I might be able to figure it out. People trying to help me find a major ask me what I dream of. My dreams are crazy- you know. They consist of singing and performing, walking through houses, or some type of crazy adventure that fits into a blockbuster hit. I would love to sing and perform, but I still don't know that my performance skills are all that great. And it's so competitive. It’d be worth a try though. Then the houses- you know how I love houses. I collect floor plans, and love looking at the structure, design of the layout and the interior decorations. I would love to go into that but my main problem with that is I feel I'm supposed to be at BYU and BYU doesn't have an architectural program. There are programs that might work, but then my dad doesn't want me to go into that. And real estate's best business days are Sundays- not ideal. So, then there's computers. I've always been intrigued with computers and how they work. I want to know more about web design and programming. I could go into that. Then I've thought of being a teacher- I love being around kids. I started going into math education and stopped because you have to know like 500 levels above what your students know- retarded. But I've still thought about teaching physical science. Then someone mentioned business. I've never considered business before, but the more and more I think about it, the more I like it. I mean, ever since I started looking at majors I've been attending seminars, and in one they said you need 3 things: you have to enjoy it, make sure it maximizes all your talents, and it challenges your intellect. I never thought that something could maximize all my talents, but with business I think I might have found a solution! I can open a business or a school. I can use my math skills, computers and I can teach. I can open any type of business. I could do SO MANY things with a business degree. Now, I just have to pursue what I want!
-Dan Dee

FW- Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras. When most people think of Mardi Gras they think of New Orleans and all the parties and festivities that happen down there. It is true, there is a lot worth experiencing in New Orleans, and New Orleans has made Mardi Gras famous. But that’s not what it originally started out to be.

Mardi Gras was comes from the French words meaning Fat Tuesday and always comes 47 days before Easter. It always happens the day before Ash Wednesday which is right before the Catholic practice of Lent. It’s the day to indulge in all the good foods that you might have to give up when Lent starts, like a one last hoorah before starvation sets in.

There are many traditions involved in Mardi Gras. I don’t know all of them, but I’d like to share with you a few things that I do know. First, there is the King Cake. King Cake is very delicious, especially if you get one of the cream filled ones. They are in a ring. All of it is symbolic. It is in a donut shape similar to a crown. And then inside they put a plastic baby. This baby represents the baby Jesus. And it is in the shape of a crown because he was a King. This cake in a sense represents Jesus’ Birthday Cake. And whoever ends up with the baby in their piece is responsible for buying the next year’s cake.

Then the parties- everyone loves a party around Mardi Gras time. There are always lots of feasts of plenty of Southern food. And there are always plenty of parades and plenty of beads for everyone! Mardi Gras is a holiday in Louisiana- everyone has school off and there are very few businesses open.

Well, today was Mardi Gras and so HAPPY MARDI GRAS to all! In commemoration of Mardi Gras I made Jambalaya. Unfortunately I was unable to get a king cake and I have no beads to show for it.

RA- The Forgotten

Audience- All American citizens in the 1930s

Ethos- The Forgotten was painted during the Great Depression, so it was credible and a valid concern for the average American at the time.

Pathos is the strength. It helps you see the view of a man who is forgotten. Since it is during the Great Depression I would imagine that he has lost his job, is broke and feels like his life is falling apart. And he means nothing anymore to the world around him. I think it appeals to the aspect of fear that probably existed in people. People were afraid of losing their jobs, of becoming completely destitute, of not having anywhere to go, any contribution, and to be forgotten by the world. To have no one care about their well-being or how they are doing.

STAR:
S- I think it was sufficient, as it appeals to the general person's fear of being forgotten and it makes you hope that you will not end up one day in his shoes, and possibly create compassion for those who already have been in a sense forgotten.
R- It is very relevant to the time it was painted for. Like I mentioned in pathos, a lot of people at the time were afraid of being forgotten and at the same time realized that others were being forgotten. I think this painting helped open people's eyes to what was going on around them and also was something they could relate to.

I think the painting is very effective. It appeals to the people of its time to help them realize what they were feeling.

TA- Heartbreak?

Audience: Girls who have had enough with relationships or are heartbroken.

Relationships. Some last, and some end in heartache. There are some who have a hard time breaking up even when they feel it's right. Girls don't like breaking up because even if they know it's not going anywhere, they don't want to be the "mean guy". Somehow the idea of breaking some guy's heart appears selfish and we, as girls don't want to do it. We prepare ourselves for the breakup, and come to terms with it. We're emotionally ready, and then the time comes, we break some poor guy's heart. And then we find that because we broke their heart we now hurt inside, not because we want them back but because we know we hurt them. And because we hurt them, we decide that we never want to hurt anyone again, and so, as a result we will just avoid all relationships, then we will never have to risk breaking anyone's heart.

Yet, someone once told me that if it doesn't hurt when you break up, then you never really loved them in the first place. And so, every time we risk being in love, we risk breaking a heart. When we truly love someone it will hurt when we break up. But the risk is still worth it. There is a love waiting out there for us that will surpass all others. Hearts will heal- although sometimes it does take some time. Love will find a way to make it back into our lives. So to all those girls who think they never want a relationship again- take a girls' night out and give love a second chance!

FW: The One

A lot of people in the world tend to believe in "the one", in soul mates. Are they real? Apostles will say that there is no such thing as the one- that any two people who are willing to make the sacrifice can make it work. But yet, we are counseled to pray about who we marry, to see who we will have the most happiness with. And I believe that I knew my family before I came here. That I chose to come to my family. And so, what about my future, if I was able to pick my parents, wouldn't my kids be able to pick their family? Their parents? Would there be a soul mate?
My opinion is that we don't believe in soul mates because that would eliminate choice. We would feel as if we were destined to be with someone, no matter what. So what if they end up choosing not to remain faithful here? Would one then be destined to be with someone heading the wrong way? The answer is no. And that is why we don't believe in soul mates. It would eliminate our choice. We all have the best ability to be as happy as we can be, and it will not be determined by whether or not that someone special remained faithful. And so, I believe in "ones". Possibilities. And the one we marry will be one of the possibilities and also the one we choose.

RA- Striking a Blow for Democracy in Asia

Audience: People who read the Washington Post. Probably for all those who wish that every country in the world could be democratic. Those who are concerned for other countries and their freedom and their independence. People willing to write their congressmen about the decision of removing rule of law aid from Cambodia.

Argument: WATCO removing rule of law aid from Cambodia on democracy?

(A) Removing rule of law aid from Cambodia will (B)destroy democracy because (A1) if rule of law education is removed there (C) will not be enough educated citizens capable of supporting a democracy.

Method:
Ethos: The article tells us that the writer is a "law professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law and director of its Cambodia Law and Democracy Program". He also establishes his credibility by all the knowledge he shares. You really feel like he knows his stuff.

Logos: I thought the article made a lot of sense. He was able to pull in lots of good points showing how Cambodia is too unstable to support a democratic nation on its own.

STAR:
S: I don't think he could've covered much more that was relevant. He showed how it would fall apart if they let the rule of law education funding go.
T: He used a lot of quotes by people who would know. Including an Asian Wall Street Journal for insights of Asia's own Hun Sen.
A: I didn't feel manipulated, and I feel like he used all the points accurately. History will show that his points are accurate.
R: Everything related to how removing rule of law aid would affect Cambodia and as a result, us as well, since we would be responsible for removing the aid and starting a domino effect.

Effectiveness: I think the article was very effective at convincing people that rule of law aid needs to stay in place. As long as people have time to write a letter to their Congress men, I think they will at least want to if they care at all about the well-being of others.

TA- intros

A young girl with long brown hair. Bright blue eyes. Loves friends and music. Full of life. Life seemed perfect. Then one day her life turned upside down. A stranger. Everything seemed like a nightmare from which she couldn't escape. This young girl, who had so much to live for, is now faced with a choice. She is pregnant. What should she do? There is abortion or the choice to keep the child, or to put it up for adoption. What choice is right? Should abortion be allowed to provide a way out for girls like this?

Pro-choice. What is it? It's the stance that people take for pro-abortion. They say that it is important to give women the choice. That they should have the choice to carry the baby or to abort the process. That we should be free to choose. It's all about agency. But is that really what it's all about? It seems like a lot of girls have the choice when they choose to have sex. So is having the second choice to carry the baby or to abort it really a valid choice or is it avoiding responsibility?

FW- Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Alright, so my story begins last Wednesday night when my roommate played a joke on me that had me worrying and staying up later than I should have. So my bad day begins on Thursday morning. I have an 8:00 class, which I missed my alarm for COMPLETELY! So, I finally wake up in time to hurry to my second class. Well, I woke up and found that all of my necessary clothing items were still wet and in the wash. So I hurried and switched them over, but to no avail... I still missed my next class. So I felt awful. It's the second week of class and I've already missed school. I must be the worst person alive. So the rest of the day wasn't very productive.

Later that evening I got hungry and decided to make something for dinner. Well, I knew I had a blog due so I brought my laptop and space heater out to the kitchen with me. Well, after a little while I wanted to go check my notes to make sure I was doing the blog right... just to find that my bedroom door was locked. So I spent the next few hours trying to break into my own room. My roommates and I tried carding it, using bobby pins, wire hangers, I even ruined a fork to try and use. We tried everything I know how to do. (By the way, the hinges are on the other side of the door as well as the screws that hold on the doorknob.) And still to no avail. My roommate's parents own the place and we asked if they had a key. No one has a key to the bedroom doors. The front door is a different lock and so no one has the key to the bedrooms. So I finished my blog and went to sleep in the front room. Thus ending my very awful day.

The next morning I had to of course track down a locksmith. Who came as soon as he could and I was FINALLY allowed back in my room! :)

TA- Enthymemes

WATCO doing laundry when it's someone else's turn to do laundry on the relationship with the other person?

Audience: Jessie, young girl, single, thinks of herself first

(A) Doing laundry when it's someone else's turn destroys (B) the relationship with the other person because (A) doing laundry when it's Charlotte's turn (C) ruins Charlotte's life.

Implicit Asssumption is that whatever ruins Charlotte's life destroys the relationship with Charlotte.

WATCO Dan Dee going to BYU-H on Dan Dee's education?

Audience: Dan Dee's father who is against her going to BYU-H verses BYU because he is afraid she will get married, that it will cost more money, and that her education won't be as good. Good father who wants what's best for her, but also has certain traditional views that he holds to. Very opinionated

(A) Dan Dee going to BYU-H will enhance (B) Dan Dee's education because (A) Dan Dee going to BYU-H will (C) allow her to study in a liveable climate, and thus allow her to make it to class unharmed by the elements.

Implicit Assumption: That whatever allows Dan Dee to study in a liveable climate and make it to her class unharmed by the elements will also enhance Dan Dee's education.

RA- Riders new ultra fit Lee Jeans

The ad targets middle aged woman/moms who want to look good and may have a little bit of a stomach. (In Nov. 2007 Better Homes and Gardens).

The article is trying to persuade women to buy their jeans.

The ethos or credibility lies in the brand name. Most people know the brand name and know their jeans to be reliable.

The article appeals the emotions of women of being self-conscious. It lets you know that these jeans will instantly slim you and that there is a new panel that is to help with tummy control. The two women modeling the jeans let you know how happy you can be in these jeans and how confident they will make you feel.

The logos: it shows you that logically the jeans come up high enough to help with tummy problems.

The effectiveness of it... I think it is very persuasive. However, I know that I have problems finding jeans that fit me right, and I'm assuming that most women who would be interested in jeans like these would also be a little reserved. They interest would probably be piqued but they wouldn't fully believe it until they had gone to a store and tried on a pair. But it should at least get them into a store which is definitely a plus.

FW Louisiana

Louisiana. Some may say that it is just the same as any other state, but I would argue that it is as close to foreign you can get without actually leaving the country. There is a wide mixture of people and cultures all put together and they have formed a very unique culture unlike anywhere else. I served my mission there and was able to experience a lot firsthand. For example, they have lots of unique food. The people down there love their food- no offense, but you can tell just by looking at them that they take food seriously. They have a wide variety of seafood, southern home cooking, and then the Cajun style is mixed in. The Cajun spices add such tremendous flavor that it just simply can't be described. And then they sometimes have crawfish boils and shrimp boils. A boil consists of making a large amount of your choice of seafood, corn on the cob, potatoes and Cajun spices. Then when it is ready to eat, you pour it out on a plastic table cloth and you dig in with your fingers. It was one of the most amazing things ever.
As far as language go, you may say that the state official language is English, but it isn't. Not really. You see, I speak English, and I've met people with all sorts of accents, but never before have I had to pray for the gift of tongues when listening to someone speaking "English". This comes from the Cajun and Creole influence.
Then, most people know about Mardi Gras and the New Orleans idea of celebrating, and what beads are for. But most people don't realize that beads are used at EVERY holiday, they have parades all the time and throw beads and it's considered to be a family event.
In Louisiana the people are very warm and welcoming. They don't mind if you're a stranger, but you should probably make an appearance in the daytime just so they can see you better. I met some of the greatest people on Earth in Louisiana.