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Diary/Journal

So there has been a lot in the news lately about U.S. relations with Russia, North Korea, and what is going on in Syria. I wanted to know more about what was going on so I decided to do some research. North Korea is trying to become a nation with nuclear weapon technology. They had a tested missile attempt recently that failed instantly. Russia has been seen trying to help North Korea and the U.S. is intervening to try and deny North Korea from becoming nuclear capable. In Syria things are very complicated as Russia is in support of leader  Bashar al-Assad. The U.S. supports the rebels and the civilians of the country, many whom are attacked for no reason even though they have nothing to defend themselves with. Recently al-Assad used chemical weapons on innocent people in his country, killing many men, women, and children. Tensions are very high and learning about what is going on in foreign areas is very important. Many people don’t even watch the news or try to learn what is going on outside where they live. Things in the Middle East are also escalating as recently the United States released the largest non-nuclear bomb in history in Afghanistan. In Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan tensions are also rising again and it seems we could be on the brink of war. Also, with the tensions in Israel and everywhere else in the world it makes me feel that no one can get along and that something bad may be around the corner. I hope cooler heads will prevail and we can all get together to do something about what is going on in this world.

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Self Reflection

Many of us think about it everyday, some of us may not think about it all. One thing that I keep thinking about is if there is any other life out there. I always see articles online about how big the Universe is. We are just a spec of dust compared to the rest of the world. With the technology we have today and the missions that NASA has done in the past and is currently doing today, I can not help but be fascinated by the thought that there may be life somewhere besides Earth. These could be any forms of life, although many people think of green aliens or just aliens in general. Although these forms of life may look like aliens I believe that there could be a deeper connection. The thought of a parallel universe has been something that people such as Stephen Hawking has talked about. There was a show about this with Morgan Freeman and he talked about parallel universes. I believe that there could very well be a parallel universe where we are living elsewhere. There was also a probe sent out into our solar system that contained all of our languages and many songs, including some from The Beatles. Someone could find this and might found out where we live. There are also many people out there who have claimed to see UFOS. Even the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers has claimed to see them. These could be aliens or life from somewhere else. They could also just be a military plane that people don’t know about. One thing is for certain, many people are asking themselves the million dollar question. Do they believe in life beyond Earth?

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Journal

This experience of mine was one that I will never forget. It’s the first and only time I have ever been to a Detroit Red Wings game. For this game my mom, a friend of mine, and I drove to Detroit to see the Red Wings play their last home game of the regular season two years ago. We drove 8.5 hours just to go and stayed in a hotel after so that we could drive home the next day. This was during Spring Break of my senior year of high school. I wanted to go to a home game and see them play before Joe Louis Arena would get demolished for the new arena, which is happening this year. I also wanted to see Pavel Datsyuk play before he retired, he ended up retiring the next year. Datsyuk is and forever will be my favorite player in the National Hockey League because he is such an exciting player to watch. At the game we got to sit front row for warm ups and I was a couple inches away from Datsyuk and the rest of the team. After warm ups we went to where are seats were, which were only 10 rows up. During the game the Red Wings won 3-2 against the Carolina Hurricanes. Pavel Datsyuk scored the game winning goal, while Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist had the two goals. With the win, the Red Wings clinched a playoff birth for the 24th consecutive season. The Red Wings ended up going to the playoffs again the next year for a 25th consecutive season, but that streak ended just recently as they didn’t qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 25 years. I look forward to the new Little Ceasars Arena opening next season and I will attend a game there sometime in the future . Going to the game was a feeling and a memory that I will never forget.

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Blog Prompt #10

This class helped me improve my English overall. With this class being EN 211 it was a lot different from my other English classes that I took at Bay College. This class had a lot of writing during it, the most writing I’ve ever had in a class. While I do not like writing too much, it helped me become a better writer and helped me improve with some methods that I have not heard of before. I am a person who likes to write stuff down with as little words as possible because I like to get to the point. This class helped me better describe things with more details then I am used to. I am most proud of getting all the writing done, especially with my busy schedule. This is my last English class that I have to take, and I’m not sure what I could improve on because I have improved greatly throughout the semester. My next step in my degree is taking mostly construction classes because I got most of my Liberal Studies out of the way in my first two years of college. In the future I will improve on just writing things down when I want to. In this class when I read “Shitty First Drafts” it helped realize that just writing something down is a great start. This class has helped me better understand the writing process and staying on topic throughout the paper. This class really did not hinder me all, besides having to write so much stuff.

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Blog Prompt #9

After reading “Why I write” by George Orwell I would say there are a number of reasons why I write. The main reason why I write is because I want to write stuff down so I don’t forget it. Most of the time I only write for classes and papers but when I for personal reasons I guess its just a way for me to write down all of the thoughts that are coming out of my head. I would say more writing is more private because I like to write things that I’m feeling. I’m not really a public-centered writer unless I am writing about something that I know little about and need to do research on. I also do not not like other people looking at my writing too much because our stance on the issue might be different. The quote by Orwell basically means that all writers are usually focused on their opinion and this is what makes them lazy. At the bottom of the writers motives there is a mystery because there is always something that motivates a writer to write something down. The mystery is for the writer and is up to the reader to find out. After reading George Orwell’s book, 1984, I could tell how much passion he had on the topic that there might be someone always watching us. This book was ahead of its time because it really strikes home today with all the technology and cameras around the world. This makes it where anyone could be watching you at anytime, Orwell predicted this in his book, and I’m glad I had the chance to read it.

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Saving Private Ryan Movie Review

One of my all time favorite movies is a movie called Saving Private Ryan. This movie depicts a mission that happened in World War 2 on the European front of war. The beginning of the movie shows probably the most carnage ever in a war movie scene as it shows the allies attempt to storm and take Normandy Beach. After the bloody battle a team of 8 men is assigned to go and rescue a soldier name private Ryan who is believed to be somewhere behind enemy lines. Private Ryan is one of four brothers who all enlisted into the military during World War 2. His other 3 brothers all died so that is why the team is sent to go find him and bring him home. His mother received all 3 telegrams at the same time from the Army and shows a scene of her heartbreak. The team of 8 people goes on their mission to try and find Private Ryan but experiences numerous difficulties along the way. A few of the team members are killed in different battles and almost all hope seems lost. The remainder of the team finally meets Private Ryan in a remote town with his company. The team tells him about their mission and tell him that he’s allowed to leave and go back home. Ryan tells them he doesn’t want to leave and will fight with his men. An epic final battle results between the linked up Americans and incoming Germans. Private Ryan survives but all but 1 of the original team members dies in the battle. The final scene shows an older Ryan with his family at the cemetery where the man in charge of the mission of finding him is buried. This movie is and always will be one of my favorite movies.

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Blog Prompt #8

In the book Palestine there are some pages where people are questioning why there are so many journalists and why the keep coming but not doing anything to help them. On pages 161-162 Palestinians are telling him about some of the torture that goes on and are asking why there are so many journalists. They ask why the U.N. resolutions are not being with held and how Americans care more about animals than them. I believe Sacco included this in the book because he wants to show you what they think and how life is like for them. On pages 242-243 the mother Sacco is talking to is asking him what good is it to talk to him? Sacco doesn’t know how to reply but says that the policies are unjust. The mother says she wants actions to get their land and humanity back, not just words. I believe Sacco included this into the book because he is showing how sometimes people are being interviewed by lots of people but nothing is being done. The people there don’t want to keep talking to reporters or journalists until something useful can actually be accomplished. The mother also shows Sacco the scar on her son’s head after he was hit on the head by an Israeli soldier. Sacco is seeing first hand how bad things are and makes him wish that he could do more to make a difference. Overall, I believe these two sections helped show what the people are dealing with and what they want.

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Blog Prompt #6

I read an article that was about the world’s biggest meat producer and its struggles with bad beef allegations.  The company, JBS SA in Brazil, has transformed itself into the largest meat producer by snagging overseas rivals in a decade-long, $20 billion acquisition spree.  Authorities in Brazil said on March 17 they’re investigating evidence that employees of JBS and at least 20 other companies bribed government officials to approve the sale of tainted meat.  Federal police raided slaughterhouses and alleged some operators stuffed sausages with cardboard, used acid to mask the smell of spoiled steaks, or knowingly shipped salmonella-tainted cold cuts. This brings up a big issue of having meat inspected before it can be bought so it is safe to eat.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Brazil accounted for almost 40 percent of the world’s broiler-meat exports in 2016. I believe this issue is very serious and should be one of the top things on our agenda. We don’t want people getting sick or even die because this meat business can’t inspect there meat and do it the right way. I totally agree with what was being said in the article, as it is just flat out wrong to be selling tainted meat for profit. This article did inform me on the issue but I would like to look in to it a bit deeper to see if there are any other strings attached. It makes me want to do further research on meat sales and makes me want to study about this issue.

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Slumping Red Wings

For decades the Detroit Red Wings have been the signature team that all NHL hockey teams look to become. They have made the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs every year for the past 25 seasons which is currently the biggest streak at the moment out of the 4 major professional sports. As of today the Red Wings are in last place in the Eastern Conference and have the worst odds to win the Stanley Cup out of every single NHL team. They only have 21 games remaining and are 12 points behind the nearest team that they could catch for a playoff spot. With the success this organization has had over the years it is surprising to see just how badly they have struggled this year. Some things have also not gone the Red Wings way as injuries and some questionable calls have greatly impacted the season. The Red Wings are also in rebuilding mode for the first time in 25 years. The team’s core of players that got them all to the playoffs are very old now and a lot have even retired and stopped playing hockey. The management of the team and the coaching have also been in discussion about the downfall of this year’s team. Owner of the team Mike ilitch, recently passed away on February 10. Ken Holland, the general manager of the team, has also been under heavy fire for not giving the younger/faster players more opportunities. Head coach, Jeff Blashill, has also been under fire, just as any coach whos team is doing poor. It would take a miracle for the Red Wings to be able to come back and even make it into the playoffs. It likes like this season might the start of a rebuild the team will have to do.

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Blog Prompt #5

My Name is Rachel Corrie teaches us a lot about activism. In the book, Rachel is always writing down things she would like to do in her journals and writings. She wants the poor to have a chance, people with no or sub-par housing to have at least average housing, and wants peace for all. It teaches us that even one person can stand up for what they believe in and can also make a big difference doing it. Rachel is eventually killed by an Israeli Army bulldozer, while she was trying to protect the demolition of a Palestinian home. There are a number of causes I would definitely fight for and some I would even die for. Some issues and topics are very important to me especially when my family and friends are involved and I would fight for what is right always. I think we have a huge responsibility for fighting for people who can’t fight for themselves. We are more privileged as a Country and should try to help those who came up in severe poverty and didn’t have much of a chance to improve their lives. Saying this, I also think we should try and take care as much of our countries people in harsh conditions first and also assist other people whenever we can. Five people that I wish I would have met before they died is a hard one. I would like to have met Gordie Howe who died recently who played for Red Wings a long time ago. I would also have liked to meet Elvis, John Lennon, JFK, and Robin Williams.

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Blog Prompt #4

As with most English classes and many other classes you will take, you will have to give some presentations to your peers. Just the thought of public speaking to your peers or just public speaking in general gives many people the shivers. There are things that can make your presentation good or bad. Things that can make your presentation good include being well prepared, making sure you know and can relate to the material you are presenting, and remaining calm and relaxed before and during presenting. Just as there are things you can do to make your presentation good there are also things you do not do that can make you have a bad presentation. Some things that usually transfer to a bad presentation are: not being well prepared or practicing your presentation, not being familiar or educated about the topic you are presenting, and not getting a good night sleep or being too nervous. I usually prepare for a presentation by a somewhat similar routine. First, I usually make a powerpoint to assist me in my presentation. I make sure I know my material well and make sure that I even practice it to myself by looking in the mirror. I think of possible questions people might ask about my presentation and answer them to myself. I do have some anxieties when it comes to presenting in front of people, as most other people do. I am more of an introverted person so I usually get very nervous before I present. As soon as I start and get into my presentation I get more and more comfortable however, and the rest usually comes pretty easy.

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This is my ad that I am using for my Ad Analysis paper. Enjoy.

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Blog Prompt #3

After reading Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts” on Educat I would honestly say my writing process is a combination of being a planner, reviser, and procrastinator. I like to plan as much as I can before I start an important paper or piece of writing. I like to brainstorm any ideas I have right away and write them down so I can try and add them to the paper later. I also am a reviser because I am constantly looking over my paper for errors and things that I can do to make my paper or piece of writing better. Lastly I would say I am also a procrastinator when writing as I sometimes lay off of my writing until I come up with good or better ideas. I think all of these writing processes can be used in one single writing or paper. I do have a few anxieties when it comes to writing as most other people do as well. These include trying to not wait too long to get a start or get finished on my paper as it can stress me out a great amount. I also like to ask the teacher questions if I feel lost or confused so they can help clarify something if I am having trouble. I do use pre-writing strategies and they can differ depending on the topic of the paper. For a lot of papers I like to use a venn diagram which compares different things on how they are similar and how they are different. Also I like to brainstorm any ideas I find important and write them down as soon as I can. Things that I could change about my writing process to make it more clear and better would be to make sure I am using proper grammar at all times. This includes the correct use of commas, semi-colons, periods, question marks, parentheses, and others. Another thing that I could do to make my writing more successful for this course would be to make sure that my paper has a proper flow to it from beginning to end and that it isn’t jumping everywhere. A paper should be consistent to whatever topic is being written on.

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Blog Prompt #2

This is an advertisement that uses a common stereotype in today’s world, which is that men, especially husbands, can’t cook like a wife can. This is not always the case as some of the best cooks in the world are males and not only females do all the cooking. The intended audience for this ad is husbands/males, as the saying above goes “So easy a husband could do it.” This is showing that the potato must be easy to cook and must not take that much effort or time to make.

I think this advertisement is effective because I think it would not only appeal to husbands and males but to a bigger market also with females. With the limited time people have now a days a quick bite to eat makes a big difference and I think both genders would likely buy this. The problem with this stereotype is some people might find it offensive and might not buy it, but I would probably give it a try.

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Blog Prompt #1

Hi, I am Tyler Waisanen. I enjoy hockey, football, golf, hunting, the outdoors, video games, meeting new people, and hanging out with friends and family. This is my first year at NMU and second year in college. My first year of college I went to Bay Community College in my hometown of Kingsford, Michigan. This is where I took my prior English classes before coming to NMU for EN211. My past experience with these classes was a great one as I enjoyed the curriculum and learning about previous authors and literature. 

My English classes in high school were relatively easy from what I remember as we covered things such as Romeo and Juliet and a decent amount of Greek Mythology, which I find very Interesting. My strengths in English class are being able to relate to most of what we are learning about even though it is in a different time period. My biggest weakness in English class would probably be my grammar and long speeches. I like learning about previous literature and how they influenced today’s literature. I dislike how some things are repetitive in English. My expectations for this class are to learn the best I can and to become a better student in the English area. My goals are to receive an A and to be the best student and person I can be.