Showing Up

          There is an old saying, "Half of the battle is showing up!". This means that you can't "fight the battle" if you are not there, with your gun and ready to fight. What would happen in a war if only half of the Army showed up, and most of them didn't bring their rifles?  They would probably lose the battle, and maybe the war. The application of this saying in the workforce is that you can't work if you are not at your worksite. If you are getting married, it is very important for you to be there...:) In an educational context, it means that it is really important to attend classes. You miss a lot if you don't attend classes; you miss what is covered in class and you will fall behind.  So be sure to come to class every Friday, and if you can't for some reason, please let your instructor know. The students who show up are not always the "best" students, but they show up and do the work and get the best grades. . In conclusion, be sure to show up for class, work, doctor's appointments and other important things.

The Writing Process and Number 7

       Did you know that the number seven is considered a lucky number in American culture?  Four leaf clovers and horse shoes are also lucky. The number seven is important in betting, for example, in Las Vegas. If you get three 7's on a slot machine you might win a lot of money. Rainbows are lucky; they have seven colors. You get the idea. On the other hand, the number 13 is considered an unlucky number in the US.  Many hotels do not have a 13th floor! You follow seven steps to write a good essay: 1. Pick a topic, 2. Think about your topic and Brainstorm, 3. Create an outline, 4. Write the first draft using your outline, 5. Peer review, 6. Revise the first draft based on the peer review, 7. Write and proofread the final draft.  Follow these steps and you will write a good essay every time. Seven  is a lucky number. What is a lucky number in your country?  Are there any unlucky numbers? Are there lucky objects? 

Plagiarism is a No-No

          Don't commit plagiarism. Don't plagiarize.   What?  Many people don't even know what the word plagiarism means. If you go to a college or university, you need to know what the word means.  Plagiarism is a fancy word that means cheating when you write. Plagiarism means when you take someone else's writing and submit it as your own. Or cutting and pasting something from the internet. Or having a friend who is a good writer write an essay for you, and then give it to your instructor as "your" writing. There are three good reasons not to commit plagiarism when you write. First of all, it is dishonest, and it's nice to be dishonest.  Second, it only hurts you when you plagiarize, because when you use someone else's writing, it doesn't help you to improve your own writing skills.  Finally, when you plagiarize, it could have serious consequences. If an instructor finds out that you have plagiarized, you probably will receive a zero on the assignment. In many colleges and universities, you can be dismissed from the school if you are caught plagiarizing in a class. So that's a pretty serious consequence of plagiarism.  So be careful and don't plagiarize when you write, and if you do use another person's writing or ideas, give them credit by referencing/citing  their work in your writing.

The Power of the Number Three

     Three is a powerful number. We see it all around us in the natural world. Triangles. Pyramids. three main parts of our bodies: head, torso and limbs (legs and arms); father, mother, and children; birth, life, death; and so on. Three is also an important number in writing. Every type of writing, from paragraph to essay, to book, has three main parts: an introduction, body, and a conclusion. An essay often consists of five paragraphs, with three body paragraphs after the introduction and before the conclusion. So remember whenever you write, divide your writing into three parts.

May Flowers

We have a saying, "April showers bring May flowers."  Maybe we should change it to "May showers bring June flowers."  Let me explain. It rained a lot in Indianapolis in May this year. Now it is June. My wife and I just planted some flowers because we are preparing to sell our home and move into an apartment or smaller house. We want to make our house more beautiful and easier to sell. We have lived in our four-bedroom house for 17 years. Our three daughters grew up here, but they are all in their 20's now and have left home. Two of them have children. So my wife and I are "empty nesters." We don't need such a big house anymore. Anyway, our new flowers are doing well; we planted them in May and it's June now. It rained a lot in May. It's still raining in June.  So maybe we should change the saying to "May showers bring June flowers."

What are the best times to plant flowers in your country? What are the months with most rain?

Fitness Centers

          Do you belong to a fitness center or gym?  I don't. I think exercise is important and I exercise everyday, but for me, going to a fitness center is boring and expensive.  I like to exercise with a purpose. I would rather walk outside than walk on a treadmill inside. The idea of walking and not going anywhere is strange to me. Why walk on a treadmill inside a gym when you can walk outside and enjoy the view and fresh air? Same with the stationary bicycle. Riding a bike and not going anywhere?  If I want to ride a bike I will jump on my bike and go for a ride around the neighborhood. I walk several miles every other day. I walk to the public library, get a book, and walk home. Two miles. That's walking with a purpose. When I walk, I look for interesting rocks to give to my grandson, Alex, who likes to collect and polish them. Sometimes I go for a two-mile walk with Alex; we stop at a gas station after one mile to buy some candy. He looks forward to walking with me because he knows he's going to get some candy.  Sometimes when we walk together, we take a plastic bag and pick up trash that we find on our walk. We make the neighborhood more beautiful. Once we found a Spiderman hat on the sidewalk. That's his favorite superhero. So we took it home and washed it. He loves it. When I drive to Ivy Tech to teach, I park my car in a parking lot far from the building where I teach.  I take the the stairs instead of the elevator to the fifth floor. So my walking has a purpose. According to statistics, only about 20% of  the people who sign up for a fitness center membership continue to go after a few months. It takes a lot of self-discipline to go several times a week, every week, especially when it is so boring. Finally, there is the cost; most fitness centers charge about $40 per month. I'm cheap, so I don't like to spend money to exercise. I like to exercise naturally, and whenever possible, with a purpose in mind.  Do you belong to a fitness center?  What has your experience been?  

Indiana weather

          Indiana weather is very unpredictable. Crazy. Here in Indiana we say that if you don't like the weather, just wait 15 minutes! March 20th was the first official day of Spring. Now it's April 15th and it is 50 degrees. It was 75 degrees just last week. It is supposed to snow tomorrow and get down to 30 degrees. I'm confused. Even the plants are confused.  The flowers are starting to bloom. The grass is turning green. And it's going to snow?  Is this climate change or just typical Indiana weather?  What do you think?