Just about everything in life is a process. Life itself is a process, from birth to death, with many steps and stages along the way. Formal education is a process, from first grade or Kindergarten to high school or college graduation. Brushing your teeth is a process. Registering for a class is a process. Going to the Etiquette Dinner at Ivy Tech on December 3rd is a process, from finding out about the event from an announcement in class and a flyer, deciding to go, going to the Bursar's office to buy a ticket, and then going to the event on December 3 at 6:00pm to eat a delicious dinner and enjoy the company of your friends, instructors, and other Ivy Tech students. Good writing is a process. In this class, we are learning how to write for academic purposes. With the paragraphs and essays that we write in class, we follow the writing process. Good academic writing, like all writing, begins in the mind, with thinking and planning, organizing those thoughts on paper in form of an outline, writing a first draft, receiving feedback and comments on that draft, going to the Learning Resource Center to make an appointment with a writing tutor to help you and give you feedback on improving your writing, and then writing a final draft, making changes so your writing will be as good as possible, in both content, organization, and format. In conclusion, we see that everything in life is a process, including those important things that we learn in college, like the writing process, which will help make us more successful in college and in our professional lives.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Veteran's Day
Veterans Day: Just Give Me the Steak Dinner, Please
I have mixed feelings about Veterans Day. Every November 11th is Veterans Day. I was in the U.S. Navy from 1970-1973 during the Vietnam War so I am a veteran. I didn't want to join the Navy, but I was going to be drafted into the Army, and I didn't want to go to war and shoot at people and be shot at. I didn't, and don't, have anything against the Vietnamese and Vietnam wasn't attacking the U.S. So I joined the Navy and went to Vietnam on an aircraft carrier. I didn't like being in the Navy. Now I am considered a Veteran, but I am not proud of what I did. Every year I can go to a restaurant and get a free dinner to thank me for my service. Last night I went to Applebees with my family and got a free steak dinner. The server said "Thank you for your service to protect our country." I said "Thank you for the steak dinner. It was good." If a country, like Vietnam, attacked the U.S. directly, I would help to defend my country. But that wasn't the case. I have friends who went to Vietnam in the Army and got killed. I don't feel very good about that. These are high school friends I won't see again. I think the U.S. military and government sticks it's nose into a lot of places around the world when it is none of our business. If a country attacked the U.S. that would be a different story. So I am a Veteran. I have served our country. But, in conclusion, I really don't feel patriotic about what I did. In the U.S. I have the right of free speech to say anything I want about being a veteran. And that's a good thing.
I have mixed feelings about Veterans Day. Every November 11th is Veterans Day. I was in the U.S. Navy from 1970-1973 during the Vietnam War so I am a veteran. I didn't want to join the Navy, but I was going to be drafted into the Army, and I didn't want to go to war and shoot at people and be shot at. I didn't, and don't, have anything against the Vietnamese and Vietnam wasn't attacking the U.S. So I joined the Navy and went to Vietnam on an aircraft carrier. I didn't like being in the Navy. Now I am considered a Veteran, but I am not proud of what I did. Every year I can go to a restaurant and get a free dinner to thank me for my service. Last night I went to Applebees with my family and got a free steak dinner. The server said "Thank you for your service to protect our country." I said "Thank you for the steak dinner. It was good." If a country, like Vietnam, attacked the U.S. directly, I would help to defend my country. But that wasn't the case. I have friends who went to Vietnam in the Army and got killed. I don't feel very good about that. These are high school friends I won't see again. I think the U.S. military and government sticks it's nose into a lot of places around the world when it is none of our business. If a country attacked the U.S. that would be a different story. So I am a Veteran. I have served our country. But, in conclusion, I really don't feel patriotic about what I did. In the U.S. I have the right of free speech to say anything I want about being a veteran. And that's a good thing.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Describing our dreams: the stories in our mind while we sleep
My Crazy Dreams
Have you ever had crazy dreams? Most people have dreams about all kinds of crazy things. Sometimes we can't remember our dreams and sometimes we can. I have all kinds of dreams and nightmares (bad dreams), but the following three are the most common. In the first kind, I dream that I am in college and taking a test. If I don't pass this test, I can't graduate from college. As I look at the test, I realize that I don't know any of the answers to the test questions. It's a terrible feeling and usually I wake up, sweating, until I realize that it was just a dream. The second type of dream is about being lost. I am lost in a city and can't find the place that I am looking for to meet a good friend. Like the first type of dream, these dreams make me feel frustrated and anxious. Finally, I have another kind of "happy" dream. In this dream, I am flying with my arms outstretched in front of me like Superman. I look down at the world below and everything I see looks tiny. It is a great feeling to be soaring like a bird. Then I wake up and realize that I wasn't really flying at all, only in my mind. But it was fun while it lasted. I think that everyone has different dreams, some good ones and some bad ones. In summary, these are the three most common dreams that I have. What do you dream about?
Have you ever had crazy dreams? Most people have dreams about all kinds of crazy things. Sometimes we can't remember our dreams and sometimes we can. I have all kinds of dreams and nightmares (bad dreams), but the following three are the most common. In the first kind, I dream that I am in college and taking a test. If I don't pass this test, I can't graduate from college. As I look at the test, I realize that I don't know any of the answers to the test questions. It's a terrible feeling and usually I wake up, sweating, until I realize that it was just a dream. The second type of dream is about being lost. I am lost in a city and can't find the place that I am looking for to meet a good friend. Like the first type of dream, these dreams make me feel frustrated and anxious. Finally, I have another kind of "happy" dream. In this dream, I am flying with my arms outstretched in front of me like Superman. I look down at the world below and everything I see looks tiny. It is a great feeling to be soaring like a bird. Then I wake up and realize that I wasn't really flying at all, only in my mind. But it was fun while it lasted. I think that everyone has different dreams, some good ones and some bad ones. In summary, these are the three most common dreams that I have. What do you dream about?
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Painting nature with Bob Ross
In my last post, I wrote a paragraph explaining why I like Indianapolis and the beautiful colors on the trees in the fall in Indiana. Click on the link below to see a little video about a TV show called The Joy of Painting that used to be on TV where Bob Ross taught people how to paint pictures of nature. I remember I watched this show when I was a kid, not to learn how to paint, but because I liked to watch him paint and talk about it. He taught millions of people to paint in this way. Notice that he points to his head and says that all you have to do is believe, and you can do it. It's the same with writing; it all starts in the mind with good thoughts.
Click on this link to see the video: The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross
Click on this link to see the video: The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross
Monday, November 3, 2014
Fall is my favorite season: a word picture paragraph
I have always thought that fall is the best season of the year. Below is a short paragraph giving three reasons why fall is my favorite season. In this paragraph I will try to describe the fall, creating word pictures in your mind.
Fall, My Favorite Season of All
I love the four seasons, and there are good things about each of them, but for me fall is the best season for three main reasons. First of all, fall is the beginning of football season. I love to watch high school, college, and professional NFL games live and on TV. I watch most of the games on TV. I am a big fan of the Indianapolis Colts, and never miss a game. Last year I even got to see a game at Lucas Stadium with my wife because a doctor who she works with gave her two tickets. Second, I love the fall festivities, beginning with Halloween and Thanksgiving and ending with Christmas and New Year's Eve. These are great times to spend with family and friends and enjoy delicious food and friendship. For example, I love Thanksgiving the last week of November because we eat delicious food like turkey, potatoes, corn and pumpkin pie. After eating so much, I usually have to lie down and take a nap in the afternoon, which is nice too. Finally, I love the fall foliage. The trees and bushes are so beautiful in October and November when the leaves turn so many different colors, like brilliant red, bright orange, purple, yellow and green. It seems like you see all of the colors of the spectrum when you look at the trees. It's a good time to take a drive in the country or take a walk in the woods or park to see all the colors in nature. In conclusion, for these reasons, and more, fall is the best season, for me. What is your favorite season?
Fall, My Favorite Season of All
I love the four seasons, and there are good things about each of them, but for me fall is the best season for three main reasons. First of all, fall is the beginning of football season. I love to watch high school, college, and professional NFL games live and on TV. I watch most of the games on TV. I am a big fan of the Indianapolis Colts, and never miss a game. Last year I even got to see a game at Lucas Stadium with my wife because a doctor who she works with gave her two tickets. Second, I love the fall festivities, beginning with Halloween and Thanksgiving and ending with Christmas and New Year's Eve. These are great times to spend with family and friends and enjoy delicious food and friendship. For example, I love Thanksgiving the last week of November because we eat delicious food like turkey, potatoes, corn and pumpkin pie. After eating so much, I usually have to lie down and take a nap in the afternoon, which is nice too. Finally, I love the fall foliage. The trees and bushes are so beautiful in October and November when the leaves turn so many different colors, like brilliant red, bright orange, purple, yellow and green. It seems like you see all of the colors of the spectrum when you look at the trees. It's a good time to take a drive in the country or take a walk in the woods or park to see all the colors in nature. In conclusion, for these reasons, and more, fall is the best season, for me. What is your favorite season?
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