ARCS pg 230

Ethos is the character or reputation of a rhetor. Ethos must be established with an audience using intelligence and appeals. I read several articles from an assortment of magazines ranging from GQ to Forbe's. In Lauren Sherman's article America's Downsized Cities in Forbe's Magazine, she used Bruce Sprinsteen, Billy Joel, and John Mellencamp as a source of reference describing city's losses in population; this directly related and piqued interest in probably most of her readers. The Coffee Fix: Can the $11,000 Clover Machine Save Starbucks, an article found in WIRED magazine where author Matthew Honan used many witness' quotations and catchy slang like "pricey" and refers to the coffee as being "Jessica Alba hot". These descriptions appeal to readers that are young and 'hip'. Goodwill towards readers is established through these applications to what they find interesting and attractive. In the advice column of articles found in Cosmopolitan magazine, Six Ways to Train Your Boyfriend may be found to lack ethos, at least it did for me, because I feel that such widely read material for women should be realistic, helpful, and positive; not material that suggests human relationships should develop similar to the way humans and animals interact.

Ethnographic Report Additional Questions

How long does it take for you to feel like you've educated yourself enough about the business you're writing for?
How long does it take to write the quaterly report?
How long does the speech take?
Before you begin a project how much time do you spend outside of the office brainstorming for it?
Do you ever get on a roll and work for hours on end, or in contrast, get writer's block?

"Kairos" is the right rhetorical moment, it is a special notion of space and/or time; situational time, similar to opportunity. In my book, this window of time is compared to a sprinter who knows just when to accelerate in order to beat their competition during a race. While reading an article on CNN.com today about Rhianna and Chris Brown's relationship, the author used kairos at the right time when she introduced why victims of abusive relationships go back to the perpatrator. Reasons include the period after an abusive event where apologies and over-compensating acts take place, and how instinctively humans who are attached emotionally have to stay in the relationship in order to survive. The subject came about smoothly within the article.

Reflection Blog from interview

As an interviewer I can tell there are many benefits to having a set of questions prepared for the interview session. During my and Megan's exchange, running out of questions never became an issue, but in the event of a lack of knowledge or interest in the topic of her ring i would have been stuck and miserable trying to devise new questions for something I knew nothing about, all the while on the spot! Luckily our conversation flowed smoothly; my questions always led to follow up questions. I find that talking to people about something they care about can be fun and you learn much about a person through their descriptions of how the obtained the object and what the object means to them. My strength would be in listening to people; body turned toward them focused on the speaker and paraphrasing their sentences to reaffirm I am listening. My weakness could be in remembering to write down all of the details from the interview; and also being observant before the interview begins. My preconceptions did not inhibit my interview any, that I know of. My only preconception lied in thinking Megan was not engaged, and that was cleared up with my first question. Interviewing people is a fun informative way to learn more about people.

Artifact-Based Interview

1.) During quiet time I observed that Megan's diamond ring was worn on her left ring finger; symbolizing engagement to marriage. She wears it everyday and once toward the beginning of the semester I asked if she was engaged and she said no. It is made of either silver, white gold, or perhaps even platinum, it has a center large brilliant shaped and radiant cut diamond with a medium on either side, and next to the meduim are three small diamonds on either side. These could be cubic zarconia but they look like real diamonds; I am no professional though. Maybe she wears it as a joke and never plans to marry but sports the ring as if she were. I wonder where she got it- a loved one? Maybe she enjoys its beauty and or likes the idea it gives people that she has intentions to marry. Megan wears a couple of other pieces of jewelry, none of which stand out like the ring on her left hand does. The ring connects me to marriage and happiness, romance and love. My sister has a marquise shaped brilliant cut engagement ring with three diamonds on it. I assume because I asked her if she were engaged at the beginning of the semester that it isn't an engagement ring and therefore more likely to be fake.
Megan's ring is from Kay's Jeweler; when I previously asked if she were engaged she'd been wearing a different, smaller diamond ring on her left hand that stood as a promise of engagment. I didn't notice the new ring symbolizing the change! She and her boyfriend became engaged Jan 30th so she has had the ring a month now. He asked her in their apartment one evening after work while she was wearing pajamas and had just washed dishes; he told her they didn't need a new couch and that something else was more important. As he reached in his pocket he got down on one knee, brought the box out, and asked her to marry him. He picked the ring out himself, and everytime she looks at it Megan is still startled by its beauty and reminded she has wedding plans to make. She wants the wedding in 2010 during Fall in Morgantown. She tells me if it were ever lost she would be devastated first and then scared to tell her fiancee, although its under a lifetime guranteed warranty. It was an unexpected gift, he was late coming home from work because he had been at her parents house getting approval and showing off the ring. Her family is excited; loves her new fiancee and already consider him a son. She thought it wouldn't happen until next Decemeber when she would graduate.She did not cry after she said yes but was tremendously happy and surprised, he was nervous because she unintentionally hesitated before saying yes due to her extreme shock, afterward he was very happy. The ring I first noticed was a gift from her fiancee before the engagment that symbolized his commitment to Megan because when they first started out it was rocky, he still lived with his ex girlfriend who hadn't moved out yet. After the ring fortunately the ex left, and then he moved in with Megan.

blog numero 7

Using " A meal in the Making" from Researching Place I observed one of my housemates prepare soup this afternoon. I gained access by going downstairs with her to watch her make it; she was willing, curious, and amused. I assumed Stef would read the directions, measure exact water, and use a spoon to eat soup; all of these assumptions proved to be wrong. Stef makes Top Raman so often that even if she didn't use an excessive amount of water while making it, she definitely would never need the directions. First, Stef breaks up the hard uncooked noodles while the bag is still intact. Then, she opens the bag and pours the noodles into a larger-than-usual bowl, and adds the water. Patiently she waits while the Raman cooks in the microwave and while she does she adjusts the packet of seasoning so that all of its contents are at the opposite side to the one she cuts open with a knife. Once the noodles are cooked and soft, she grabs two napkins for each hand on either side of the large bowl in order to remove it from the microwave without burning her fingers. She slowly carries it to the counter, adds and stirs the seasoning packet, and strangely, grabs a fork to eat it. At the kitchen table she enjoys her carefully prepared Raman.

Blog 6 pg 303

The Web site organization group I chose to analyze how, and how well, they suited its aims to audiences was a conservative teacher's discourse. Words like mandate for change are used which apply to teacher's hopes and dreams. This article uses "teacher talk", refers to Titles, school Modernization programs, and special education programs. Non-education affiliated audiences, such as myself, do not know the exact meaning of these terms. Readers who are passionate about and do associate in the educational realm understand and immediately relate to the article. The article mentions, many times, money; which is an interest of every educator in our nation. The "current education program" is debated as working or not, and how it should be of main concern. Also mentioned is the tax-payer's money; audiences not of the education discourse do not know what this entails; all that I know is that tax payer's money play a large role in teachers income. This Web site, found on about.com, did a good job with aiming a specific audience and using appropriate language to reach the optimum level of success.

Pg 94

I am going to use Jack Selzer's work to analyze on how it "uses, builds on, takes a position with respect to and adds to prior publications". Selzer's study of how Nelson created his writing uncovers techniques, thought processes, and ways to improve writing. Nelson conducts phone conversations, reviews information, and knows his audience in order to create the most successful documents possible. Selzer's work in making this observation uses and builds on Lester Faigley's article about the perspectives for research. Faigley describes many ways to formulate ideas and Selzer uses one of the perspectives mentioned. Selzer's subject Nelson often knew the audience he was writing for and would choose his words according to this knowledge. Faigley describes this as the social perspective and therefore their articles coincide and position with each other.

Blog 4

The first criticism I read and agreed with was where the author's peer commented on the few amount of examples in the reading. With the examples needs to be details also, which were improved by the final draft. In the final version, the author not only provides characteristics he's obtained through experience, but his educational background; and in a smooth, informative, and persuasive manner. Where in the second paragraph he elaborates on his education it becomes even more convincing. He has taken many different courses that he describes painting a complete picture of his well-roundedness, whereas in the first draft he isn't as descriptive.
With the instructor's comments I totally agree with the augmentation of the first paragraph, where the author provides convincing evidence that he is ideal for the job opening. His logic needed to be more specific and more persuasive, and in the final draft this was possible. Then, with the criticism about the way he described his internship, the author changes the structure by the last draft. He doesn't go into much detail about the internship, which is where the instructor recommends he adds more about that experience. He adds the responsibility, team work, and hard work he had to learn during these internships. The exercise the author of the resume used to pin point his skills and experience seemed to help because the same information appears on the final draft. Using that exercise he was able to organize and describe all of his skills and experience. The brainstorming exercise didn't seem to serve as many purposes as the peer/instructor editing or the freewrites.

Faigley Blog 3

It is important that professional writers maintain accurate communication through their writing not only with their clients but within their workplace. Writing is a great medium for communication; detrimental to many business associate's success in the working world. There is a social aspect to writing; without this capability, many members of our society would be left in the dark and unable to express their own needs. Research and editing plays a large role in professional writer's work, and these processes change while society changes.

Selzer Blog 2

Selzer visited and oberserved Nelson at work while also interviewed him extensively to analyze his writing habits by using Emig's "Research on Composing" methods. Nelson plans and arranges his writing more than he ever revises, a more unconventional way; and is done so according to his audience's wants and needs. Outlines are extremely important to Nelson's writing. He drafts at his desk using a pen and paper, and sometimes consults fellow colleagues or the library for added background information. Nelson seldom reconsiders any of his writing and every sentence is put forth with confidence. He writes alone and and arranges the content very carefully with a short but important revision process.

Blog number one

Professional writers are technical communicators, web designers, content and publication managers, grant and or proposal writers, science and medical writers, and are employed by many editing duties. These guys gotta do all kinds of stuff- prepare and develop writing to help organize, present, manage, edit and analyze texts for other people. Talent is required for this occupation along with extensive training. Pro writers can choose from all kinds of backgrounds, there are degrees offered to those who pursue them. Creative and motivated people make good pro writers, especially if they enjoy their work. The part about professional writing that interests me if working with people who don't find writing easy; working with them to express their ideas/goals for say a business they have invested everything in and need help with their moral and industrial goals. I would like to learn more about what a pro writers daily work life actually consists of, and exactly what it takes to be a good professional writer.