"Get a Life"

As most people reading this blog already know, Michigan football is AWFUL this year. With our 42-7 loss to Ohio State last week, Michigan completed their worst season in their 129 year history. With a 3-9 record, there has not been much to smile about. Whether it was losing for the first time to a MAC opponent Toledo by 2 points, failing to win back to back games all season, losing by 35 to Ohio State for the first time in 40 years, losing to Michigan State at home, or losing more than 8 games for the first time ever: there was not much to smile about this year.

With that said, you also must take into account the fact that Michigan was playing this year with first-year head coach Rich Rodriguez---fresh off great success at West Virginia. As everyone knows, Michigan fans have very high expectations for their football team, and as soon as it was apparent that this was a lost season, some extreme heat started coming in--directed at RichRod.

This season, RichRod has endured an incredible amount of criticism and let's just say he hasn't dealt with it so incredibly. Last week, Rodriguez blurted out a statement to the media that in my opinion brought into question the true meaning of sport.

"It's amazing some of the things that people would say (on a message board) or yell at you of a personal nature," Rodriguez said Monday. "You almost want to tell them, 'Get a life'...There's a whole lot bigger problems. Look at the economy."

After hearing this, I was outraged at Rich Rodriguez. I mean really? Telling his fans to get a life and focus on the economy? I guess somewhere in his ascension to making millions of dollars a year coaching football he forgot the reason people care about sports in the first place. Americans daily lives are enveloped with the crumbling economy and the constant stress of maintaing their jobs. Their release from stress? Sport.

Rodriguez is being paid to put a good product out on the field. His job is to satisfy hundreds of thousands of fans that need Michigan Football to do well in order to take their minds off their daily struggles. How do you think those people are going to react when their coach that is clearly underachieving tells them to "get a life."

If Rich Rodriguez is ever going to be successful as a coach at Michigan, he needs to recognize and accept what his job entails. Not only does he need to put forth a good product on the field, but he also needs to tell fans what they want to hear. If the shenanigans we have all witnessed this season continue to fester deep within next year, I wouldn't be surprised if the calls for RichRod's head were coming from the Athletic Department along with those rabid Wolverine fans.

Morality and Sports

Is it cheating if nobody is watching? Most people would answer yes to that question---but if given the chance, knowing they would not be caught would cut any corner in a heartbeat. This hypothetical question got very complicated this week when professional golfer J.P Hayes took sportsmanship to a whole new level.

To play on the PGA (Professional Golf Association) tour, many competitors must pass Qualifying school. In Q-school, golfers can earn eligibility to play full-time on the PGA tour for a year. This week, during the end of Q-school, Hayes committed a blunder that disqualified him from competition. According to the Chicago Tribune, this is what happened:

"On his 12th hole of the first round at Deerwood Country Club last Wednesday in McKinney, Texas, Hayes' caddie reached into his golf bag, pulled out a ball and flipped it to Hayes. He missed the green with his tee shot, chipped on and marked his ball. It was then he realized it wasn't the same one with which he had started his round. He called an official over and was penalized two shots. Later while relaxing in his hotel room, it occurred to Hayes that the wrong ball he had played in the first round might not have been on the USGA's approved list. That led to his disqualification."

Basically, Hayes made a small blunder, one that nobody alive would have noticed had Hayes not reported it. However, Hayes realized what he had done and knew the he should have been disqualified. Rather than letting the small mistake which likely had no impact on his final score disappear, Hayes turned himself in and effectively took himself out of his guaranteed spot in the tour for 2009.

Did Hayes do the right thing? Yes, he was very honest, brutally honest, and lived up to the expectations of sport. However, he cost himself a job during a time in which jobs are scarce in America. Yes, Hayes has earned over $7 million dollars in his career according to ESPN, but a job is a job. Did Hayes do his family a disservice by telling the truth? Does that matter?

I honestly don't know what I think about Hayes's decision. I think it is incredibly honorable that he played strictly by the rule book. However, he was safely in position to qualify for the tour and the mistake he made was really more of his caddy's fault and probably had no effect on his final score. Hopefully, the karma for Hayes will be good in the future and he will not suffer from his honesty. If only men like Hayes were running the economy right now...maybe there would be a little less corruption.

The Private Jet and The Tin Cup

On November 18, The CEO's of GM, Ford, and Chrysler flew to Washington to beg for 25 billion dollar buyout of their failing auto companies. This move was not shocking as numerous companies across America have gone done the tube during the current economic crises and the auto industry is no exception.

One would assume that these three CEO's would be on their absolute best behavior. After all, it was not a given that congress would give these automakers any money at all. One would therefore assume that these CEO's would try to show congress they were trying to be as cost-efficient as possible in their endeavors, in an attempt to sway congress to believe they truly needed help. With that in mind, read this next sentence from an article found on ABC News:

All three CEOs - Rick Wagoner of GM, Alan Mulally of Ford, and Robert Nardelli of Chrysler - exercised their perks Tuesday by flying in corporate jets to DC. Wagoner flew in GM's $36 million luxury aircraft to tell members of Congress that the company is burning through cash, asking for $10-12 billion for GM alone.

Wow...

In my opinion, these CEO's are a microcosm of what is wrong with America today. The level of corporate greed and lack of strong decision making has strongly to contributed to the downfall of our economy. How can you fly on a private jet to a meeting, spending thousands of extra dollars and fuel, in which you are begging for billions of dollars? The answer escapes me and the auto industry will likely pay the price.

Good Luck Detroit

James Bond and Gender Stereotypes

Last weekend I saw the latest James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. I have never been a huge James Bond fan but I had heard alot about the movie and when my friends wanted decided they wanted to see the movie on Saturday night I figured why not.

I won't give away any main plot points during the rest of this blog but the true integrity of James Bond will be debated. Ok, here we go.

Lately in Sociology I have been learning about Gender Stereotypes and Sex Discrimination. These two socially created, media fueled things are enforced to a near absurd level in the Quantum of Solace. In class, I learned about "controlling images" which are basically expectations or stereotypes which are placed on a certain race, class, or gender, and there are many obvious controlling images shown throughout "Solace."

As is in every Bond movie, the men are consistently superior both in strength and intellect to females. Women seduce men with their bodies, telling girls that their only way of finding success is through whoring themselves out or depending on a man. White men are expected to be superior throughout the world, as there are nearly no black men or any other race for that matter prevalent throughout the movie.

Also, there is maybe one scene in which Bond is not drinking some kind of hard alcohol. Now, this movie somehow had a pg-13 rating, so presumably children as young as 8 or 9 are seeing it. What kind of message do those kids receive when the suave, super-hero that is James Bond cannot go anywhere without having a drink or killing somebody.

I know that this is a fantasy movie in a series that has been alive for years, but the norms it perpetuates are terrible for the development of children. The impact of media cannot be understated and I think by continuing to create and reinforce these stereotypes about gender and also race, the media as a whole, in this case the makers of "Quantum of Solace" are doing the world a huge disservice.

Barack Obama: Choosing the Presidency over his Best Friend?

On January 20th, 2009, when Barack Obama takes his oath of office and becomes the first African-American President in American History he will also surrender his best friend.

How is that fair? Why should the man that is bringing the greatest change this country has seen since the advent of Cellular Technology have to give up his best friend in order to preside over our great, free nation? Well, it turns out Barack Obama's best friend is not a person. His best friend has been known to wreak havoc on thumbs across the world while remaining in the pockets of its owners. Barack Obama's best friend is something that a President simply is not allowed to have: a blackberry.

Before reading these article on CNN.COM and YAHOO.COM respectively:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/17/obama.blackberry.ap/index.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081117/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_blackberry_3

I had never considered the fact that the President cannot even use e-mail or personal phones. The reasoning behind this ban is for two main reasons.

1.There are security concerns. Having a mobile device like a Blackberry would be a security hazard as it may lead to electronic tracking of the President.

2. Presidents are subject to having their records be subpoenaed by courts and are subject to public record laws, so all of their e-mails or conversations can be made public. This means that any "BBM'S" (BlackBerry Instant Mesages) or e-mails could be viewed by all of America.

So, why is this important? I believe the importance lies in the biggest forgotten implication of holding the highest profile job in America:" Life is lived in a perpetual fishbowl. For at least the next four years and then to a certain extent for the rest of his life, Obama will live without the slightest bit of privacy. Unlike other celebrity type figures, every one of Obama's actions are subject to public knowledge. Even his new home, the White House, is like a glorified hotel for the first family, with thousands of visitors and employees milling about 24/7.

Obviously, it is difficult to feel any sympathy for the man that was just elected President of America, but it is hard to imagine that by winning the election Obama won the loss of his privacy. Every President, including Obama today, essentially signs over their livelihood in order to become Commander in Chief.

Obama claims he has already brought change to America and now he will have to deal with yet another change in his life...

CC=$$: Major League Baseball and the Recession

140 Million Dollars over 6 years: That's how much money the New York Yankees offered free agent pitcher CC Sabathia last Friday. If signed, it would become the largest deal ever given to a pitcher in Major League Baseball.

When I first read the news of this deal I couldn't believe my eyes. Over the past several months, all I have heard about is the dire state of the economy and about how companies across America have been cutting jobs at a near-record rate. Despite all of that, salaries in Major League Baseball continue to rise. How is this possible? Is Baseball recession proof? Does any of this make sense?

After I began writing this blog, I found an article on the New York Times website on this very topic:

www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/sports/baseball/17rhoden.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The article, titled "Recession is a Relative Term in Baseball" has all the answers to my various questions from this weekend.
First, according to the article, families are more likely to attend baseball games during this type of economic recession: "Baseball, to a greater extent than the N.F.L. and the N.B.A., is dependent on gate receipts. When families begin to feel the economic pinch and stay home rather than take a long trip, many choose to attend baseball games."

Also, Baseball often serves as an outlet for frustration, depression, or agony for people across the country. When things are going poorly at work or at home, many have no place else to turn except for their favorite club. As a result, the money continues to pour in as fans continue to find it impossible to give up rooting for their team. As ticket prices rise, so too does fan attendance. Even teams like the Milwaukee Brewers continue to set team records for attendance, last year breaking the 3,000,000 fan mark for the first time, despite the wavering economy: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/brewatte.shtml

As more fans pour into bigger and bigger stadiums, teams continue to earn more and more money, despite the current crisis. While we will have to wait and see next year if attendance continues its positive trend, I would be shocked to see a deviation from the present direction of attendance.

What this means is super-star players such as CC Sabathia need not worry about the dipping stock market as they are set for paydays unseen in World History.

"We ain't ready, to see a black President"

Above is the music video to the song "Changes" by late rapper 2pac (Tupac Shakur). Tupac was an incredibly influential rapper during the hip/hop boom of the 1990's. Despite being murdered in September of 1996, 2pac and his music have continued to make an impact on popular culture today. 2pac has often been hailed for his sharp verses in which he addresses real life issues such as poverty, hunger, or even politics.

"Changes" was recorded sometime between 1992 and 1996 (the true date is unknown) and released after 2pac's death in 1998. In the song, a verse stating: "We ain't ready, to see a black President," is uttered. I first heard this verse several years ago and found it interesting that 2pac had assessed America as unready for leadership from a black male a mere decade ago. As a result, in the wake of a black President being elected, I have felt profoundly impacted by the prophecy of this late rapper and the feeling that America has finally overcome much of its hateful and racist past.

Obviously, racism and bigotry still exist throughout all of America but clearly something major has changed in the past decade: an evolution of equality. 2pac announced to the world in the 90's that America was still not ready for a black President, but today, by an overwhelming majority (at least electorally), America was overjoyed at the election of a black man as commander in chief.

Unfortunately, there is no black and white answer to what exactly has changed over the past decade to push America towards more racial equality. I wish I could blog here the ten step process that America underwent to reach Martin Luther King Jr.'s "dream," but I can't. Instead, I can only reflect on the unbelievable significance of this election, and I can think of no better way than by showing how far America has come in a short period of time. America's racist roots have been in existence since before America was its own country in the 1700's and were further exacerbated by slavery, Jim Crow laws, and segregation continuing until only 30-40 years ago. It is incredibly to me that somehow in the last 10 years we made the jump from viewing black people as virulent to society to now giving a black man the most power in America.

The election of Barack Obama does not mean the journey towards racial equality is over, but is certainly a huge step in the right direction. Obama's platform for his presidency was "The Change We Need" and I think it is appropriate that the title of the song stating that America wasn't ready for a black President was "Changes." At the end of "Changes," 2pac repeated one phrase over and over, "Things will never be the same...," and after Obama's election, this phrase has never been more true: Things will never be the same.

Obamamania

As I mentioned in my last post, the marathon that was the 2008 Presidential Campaign has finally come to a close and one thing is official: America has become infused with Obamamania. It was my opinion, in concurrence with millions of other Americans before the election, that America needed an Obama election to bring the country together and begin the collective healing process. Over the past eight years, America's collective psyche both domestically and internationally has taken quite a beating. Between 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq war, the collapse of the economy and housing market, and much more, I felt Americans needed a sign or glimmer of hope that sent the message all was not lost.

While this type of intangible idea of America being "united" by one man is debatable, after the collective roar of America early in the morning on November 5th, I think there is no question the healing process has begun. Millions of Americans, young and old, black and white, came together on election night (and morning) to celebrate the election of America's first black and certainly most cultured President.

You can debate whether Obama's economic policy will further destroy America. You can debate if Obama's Universal Health Care plan will do more good than bad. However, there is one thing that is absolutely, 100% clear and not debatable: There is a sense of energy and hope reverberating throughout a majority of America that has not been felt in over a decade.

To me, there is an obvious reason that Obama represents change and hope to most of America. Barack Obama's race is not the only reason America has never had a President like him before. I believe Obama, unlike most of the 43 Presidents before him truly earned his spot at the top of the American government.

His parents, Barack Sr. and Stanley Ann, certainly didn't provide him an easy path to success. Obama only saw his father once after the age of two, lived in Indonesia and Hawaii during his childhood, including years he spent with only his grandparents while his mother studied in Indonesia, before working his way from Occidental College to Columbia to Harvard. In spite of all these difficulties, Obama has always come away the victor, staring down pressure and delivering success. Unlike #43, (George W. Bush), who virtually rode his surname to success, Obama did it all on his own and America can't get enough of his success.

Now, for the first time in many of their lives, those that feel they had no hope for success have a new role model: Obama. Now Americans have someone running their country that not only earned his spot at the top, but showed that success could still come via the old fashioned formula: hard work.

WIth many of America's "elite" falling victim to their own greed in recent months, such as the CEO's at Lehman Brothers or Bear Sterns, Americans not at the top of the economic or political food chain know somebody is looking out for them. While those in the upper tax brackets may feel left out by this whole feel good story, they must continue to hope that through the revitalization of America will come a happier and safer America for them too.

Of course, this honeymoon period of good feelings with Obama will inevitably end sometime in the near future. Obama will need to step up and show that he has what it takes not only to boost America spirits but also their economy and international safety too. However, I think that in the back of Americans minds will remain this newfound sense of hope that was brought by the election of a once little boy from Hawaii: Barack Obama.

Politics in the Classroom

Now that America's Presidential election is over (finally), I felt like it would be interesting to look back at how the process of the election played out in my English 225 classroom. While the precense of the upcoming election was definitely felt in all of my classes, I experienced much more discussion and learning about the election and each candidate in my English class.

In my opinion, there are both great values and significant constraints to political discussion in the classroom. Let's start with what I think are the best parts of talking politics in class. Over the last two months of class my knowledge and understanding of each Presidential candidate and the entire election process probably quadrupled. My knowledge grew through a variety of different activities and assignments in class: We constantly discussed the debates and campaigns throughout the class, we needed to maintain these wonderful blogs every week, and also had to write an essay supporting the platform of both sides of an important, current event (I chose the positions of Barack Obama and John McCain on Pre-conditions before negotiating with Iran).

Through this constant immersion within the political world on a weekly basis, I learned far more about every issue than I would have had I simply researched every topic on my own. I was also given the opportunity to hear the opinions of my classmates through the papers and discussion which was a unique experience. How many other chances do you get to participate with a group of highly educated college students in discussing such a vast variety of political fodder. I was educated on our health care situation, the debate over the morality and legality of abortion, the war in Iraq, and more during my many discussions over our papers and I took that education with me to the voting booth.

However, there is of course a downside to so much learning stemming from discussion in class. Everyone brings their own personal political biases to class and this places a serious constraint on discussion. Sometimes it is hard to tell whether somebody is trying to sway you to their side of the political spectrum or is really speaking the truth.

With that in mind, others do not feel safe enough to actually speak their true feelings about a political subject. In the classroom, it feels necessary to be as politically correct as possible while not trying to offend anybody. Obviously, many political subjects are very tricky and potentially distressing for some, so saying the wrong thing could be very awkward in class. Rather than being able to have an open, comfortable conversation as you would at home with friends, discussions in class have to be very confined and straight-forward.

Overall, despite the potential biases or constraints on political discussion in the classroom, I am very happy that we took the time to delve into politics during this historic campaign period. In my opinion, there is no chance I would have been as educated or informed on every important subject before the election which may have altered my vote. I think that in the future, smallish classes like my English class (usually about 15-18 people) should definitely at least try to talk politics in the class, even if it means trying extra hard to avoid stepping on anybody's toes.

225 Blogging: An Interactive Experience

In my last of many, many blogging assignments for class this week (3 to be exact) I'm going to lead you, my reader, on an interactive experience through the blogs of my peers in class in an attempt to create a dialogue about the different ways my peers and I engage the rhetorical situation of blogging.

While that last sentence is certainly a mouthful, maybe coming close to rivaling Martin Luther King Jr.'s one page long sentence in his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," (ok maybe not), I think you will soon understand what I mean by an interactive experience. In this blog I'm going to be taking a look at my classmates blogs to see how our blogging styles or techniques are similar or different and how we utilize ethos, pathos, logos, claims, warrants, evidence, etc...

To do this interactive dialogue, I'm going to use the blog of my classmate that writes under the alias mpro;). Mpro's blog is probably the blog I read most frequently amongst my classmates and there is a reason for this. I feel like his blog always invites the reader in with a serious, but informal tone. I always feel welcome to read and comment on his blogs, possibly influenced by his inclusion of a little smiley face at the end of the blog and a friendly sign-off, such as Happy Election Day eve or Sleep Tight.

This blog also seems to always include an exciting title which grabs the readers attention, such as Palin is too "rogue" for McCain. After deciding to devote my attention to his blogs I almost always notice the ethos of Mpro. Most of his blogs are based on an article or other source, which shows that he has educated himself on whatever he is writing about before he shares his thoughts with the world. Using outside articles also tends to aid Mpro, as he can use strong evidence from the articles to support his claim and warrant.

If I had one suggestion for Mpro, it would be breaking up his blogs into shorter paragraphs. This way, instead of having several large paragraphs which can sometimes make a reader feel like he has more to read than he or she actually does, each blog may flow more smoothly. Overall though, I definitely would recommend reading Mpro's blog: http://mpro2133.blogspot.com/

I am also going to look at the blog of my classmate that writes under the alias Chanchri. This blog is certainly one of the more open, informal, and exciting blogs in the class. With titles such as Welcome to Earth all you newborns....World War III has arrived, this blog knows how to bring in readers and then win them over using Pathos. By reading one or two of Chanchri's blogs, you can tell that she is always not only speaking her mind, but putting all of her emotion into each blog. This is often done quite effectively, as her emotional appeals rub off on the reader, making him or her feel as though they cannot oppose such a passionate and honest writer.

This blog also often includes an outside source or two which is posted in the blog. As I said earlier when looking at Mpro's blog, including sources in blogs like this often boosts the writer's ethos and logos. I feel more inclined to trust Chanchri, as I know her blogs are based in outside sources, which also include evidence to support her claims. Chancri's blog can be found here for those interested:

http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/~chanchri/

In the end, I have enjoyed scouring the blogs of my peers. I tried to be fair when critiquing or observing my peers blogs, but I felt that it wasn't hard to shower them in praise, as I feel like most of the blogs in the class are well written and include most of the main pillars of a strong argument: ethos, pathos, and logos

Vote Yes on Prop 2

http://www.mlive.com/annarbornews/opinion/index.ssf/2008/10/election_letter_ignore_propaga.html

This week, as an assignment for class, I am supposed to find a local editoral (see above) and critique the ethos, pathos, and logos of the article while including an analysis of the claim, warrant, and evidence of the article. I was pretty happy with this specific assignment, because I had just read a short, but powerful editorial about Michigan's proposal 2 (which is being voted on today).

First, let me give you some background information on what exactly ethos, pathos, and logos mean. The three words find their native roots in the Greek language, and can be translated to mean ethic, pathetic, and logic. Ethos is connected to the moral character of the writer or rhetor. A strong argument will also have strong ethos, meaning the argument is morally sound and trustworthy. Pathos is an appeal to the reader's emotion. In a strong argument, you want to have the ability to sway the emotions of whoever is receiving your argument, as this way you have a better chance of swaying them to your side of any issue, as they can connect to you. Logos is the third of Aristotle's three modes of persuasion and focuses on using logic, or scientific or mathematical proof in an argument. Generally, this type of data may be more difficult to dispute than an emotional appeal, so you also want to find logos in your arguments.

Also, a claim is generally interpreted as your argument, the warrants are the reasons for your argument, and your evidence is how you support your argument.

Now, on to proposal 2. The proposal involves the treatment of stem cells and research pertaining to stem cells---for more information follow this link here:

http://inkslwc.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/michigan-ballot-for-2008-proposal-2-stem-cell-research/

The editorial I am focusing on urges its readers to "Ignore Propaganda" because Proposal 2 "saves lives." Now, right off the bat, it is clear that the claim is to vote yes on proposal two and that the warrant for this action is because it saves lives. This title also involves pathos, as it is plays to the emotions of the reader. Would you want to vote against saving a life?

The first half of the editorial brings the late-Christopher Reeve into the discussion. I think this is the writer's attempt to involved ethos and pathos, as saying Reeve would support Prop 2 gives him not only a moral backing but also an aura of reliability as Reeve was both a likable and trustworthy man. It also plays to the reader's emotions, as does one really want to oppose Reeve? He was a hero to many Americans and was certainly one that Americans would not want to double-cross.

The second half of the editorial refutes many of the claims made by those that oppose Prop 2 saying: "Proposal 2 doesn't throw open the doors to unethical research, it doesn't increase taxes and it continues Michigan's prohibition on cloning." He then finishes with a last emotional appeal, saying that Prop 2 can save lives, meaning that if you vote no you are against saving lives. The main problem I have with this part of the editorial is the writer's lack of evidence. How do I know it doesn't increase taxes? How do I know it doesn't throw open the doors to unethical research? I need to see some logos or clear evidence to sway me here. While the writer is strong on pathos, he is definitely lacking in both ethos, and logos/evidence.

I enjoyed the editorial, but if it was written as an assignment for English 225 with Ms. Griffiths, I would have given it around a 75. Sorry Daniel A. Heumann.

To Blog or not To Blog

As my countless number of supporters (estimated in the tens of thousands) already know, I have been maintaining this "blog" for the past two months for my English 225 class at the University of Michigan. Since I began this epic journey towards a greater understanding of human existence through blogging, much has changed in the world, including: gas prices (down in Michigan to around 2 dollars), the stock market, and also my definitions for writing and argument.

That last paragraph is a perfect example of the unique freedom of afforded by blogging. I can essentially say anything I want as long as it can be backed with sufficient evidence or a solid motive. I can be satirical, as I tried to be in my last pargraph, I can be serious, as I am in many of my blogs, or I can just share my opinion on any old topic of my choosing (as long as it pertains to the class curriculum). In an essay, especially one for a class like English 225, I often feel constrained to speaking in third person, and keeping any personal biases or opinions out of the paper. Basically, I feel like I have to be as objective and fair as possible. While this should also be a top priority in blogging, I feel like it is my job to speak my own mind on every subject I address. Obviously, claims and warrants without evidence are still useless, but I think a little more subjectively is definitely appropriate.

However, there are definitely also constraints on blogging. Sometimes, it is hard not to feel a little self-conscious during posts. I feel the need to constantly ask myself whether the reader has any interest in what I am saying. When I am writing a paper for class, there is an obvious reason for my work's creation, but here it feels different. While my blogging is "assigned," it feels like a very freelance and individual operation, so it is really my word and opinion that is on the line. Also, a blog is often not the greatest space to develop the type of argument I was taught to make. This type of argument is best created through the typcial 4-8 page paper, where there is plenty time and space to carefully and neatly lay out different evidences and support for my different claims throughout the paper. In my blogs, I have to make my arguments in a much shorter and informal space, which is uncomfortable at times. I think this opportunity can be fun, but is definitely pretty challenging at times.

I would for sure say that blogging has opened myself up to a more broad definition of writing and argument. As opposed to before, when my definition of argument and writing was more generic, meaning I did not think there were that many ways to creatively or originally write or propose an argument, I now feel aware of the adaptability of argument. A strong, succinct argument can be made not only in a newspaper article or 5 page university essay but also in a 2 paragraph blog. An argument could be made in one sentence, as long as there is a warrant, claim, and evidence provided. An argument could even be made in a photograph, even though that is not really relevant to what I learned from blogging, so I'll leave that discussion for another day.

To wrap this up, I won't shed too many tears the day I hang up my figurative writing cleats when this class is over, but I will definitely keep in mind the interesting lessons that blogging has taught me.

5 minutes until Election day...