Blog # 10 My Writing

Wow. I really do feel that my writing has been affected by this class. I feel that I've kind of learned to think outside the box. When I say that I mean it literally. I feel like I've learned more than just five paragraph format, the general-to-specific specific-to-general type of thing. I feel like now, after seeing that that is not the only type of writing out there, that I can have more creativity show through in my writing. I actually really appreciate it because it seems like before, all of my papers were so bland and all the same. Now, I feel like I can spice them up with the techniques we learned.
Another thing that I learned and liked was he fact that your thesis doesn't have to be your last sentence. I know how stupid that sounds, but honestly, I never knew that. It kind of gives your paper a new spin. Honestly.
Yet another technique I will not forget is the MLA documentation. I know I still have a problem with it sometimes, but honestly, I've never felt more comfortable with it than I do now. I'm also really happy that we can't sell the SFWriter back because I totally would, and we can't so I know I'm gonna have it for a long time lol. All in all though, I think this class, with the topics we wrote about, helped me to become a more comfortable writer. After all, it's college now and it's intimidating and I think that going into further English classes down the line, that I will FINALLY feel comfortable in putting my own twist on things.

Blog # 9 Responding to McGowan

Reading the sentence given on our syyllabus doesn't do the actual sentence from the book's excerpt justice. I 100% agree with McGowan. Since the invention of the printing press, news getting to the masses has played an ever so important part in politics. I definitely agree with his claim that it has become a "propaganda organ of the state." I think if you look at that statement, it answers all of your questions. It truely is an organ. I think personally what McGowan meant by this was that to be an organ of something means to be a necessity. How could something function without its organ? I think that is why he chose that language because he's making a very important point; a dig if you will. He's saying that the state (the government) now (more than ever) needs the media. It is fueled by the media. However crooked and biased it may be. As I matter of fact, I think that the more crooked and biased it becomes, the happier the politicians. I think that if 100% neutralized news came out, (which I think would be impossible), people would be shocked by its contents. There are so many important, life threatening things out there that we don't know about, but it doesn't matter because if we at least know that 400 pound Bill Spencer is on "our side" at the end of the day. I mean look at my reaction the other day, everyone, including myself, were all laughing about my reaction to hearing all of this stuff. But it was genuine. I mean I think this could be the big one. I think that this is the one that could do us in. It's this type of dishonesty and corruption that is the silent killer. Why? Because people don't know about it. People know that our troops need to get out of Iraq; that's a widely known view. But, people don't know that every night, the television they sit in front of to gather the world's events isn't giving them the whole picture. Not saying everyone doesn't know, because I'm sure, some more well informed people do, however, I think that if that many people knew, they would be abandoning their viewing seats and heading to the streets right about now.