Extended Definition

The word I chose for the extended definition assignment was the word Tolerance. A few weeks ago a professor from one of my classes happened to use the word and bring up the point that most people view tolerance as a virtue. What it really means is you will forbear something, but you really see the thing that is being tolerated in a negative light.

For example, you might tolerate eating veggies at dinner but you hate them. On a grander scale you might tolerate immigrants but as the word suggests, you don't like them. It is an interesting word and it is true if you say someone is tolerant you mean they have the virtue of granting someone/something the permission to deviate from what you consider proper or legit. I pose these questions: Can you use this word to denote a virtue? Is tolerance a good thing, or should the word acceptance be a better word to promote?

Editorial

The topic I chose was bathroom cleanliness. I feel it is a problem at OU and it pertains to everyone who goes there. It is a health issue in particular: germs cause illness and people are being exposed to possible blood borne pathogens.

I have also talked to many people who find this issue disheartening, meaning that we are at a higher institution of learning where adults go to school, and many of the uncleanliness issues comes from this group of people and it should not.

This issue is important and can easily be fixed if a little effort is put forward.

Strategies I find most persuasive

I find data the most persuasive. If there are some facts to back up the subject I am more easily persuaded. It makes it more valid to me. I look for these types of arguments because it makes the argument have more truth, it is not just an opinion or story but an actual fact. Some problems with this is that some things can only be argued there is no data or there is sometimes is conflicting data.

I don't mind personal experiences because I like to hear those stories but they are not as persuasive to me. I look for these because it helps explain the writer's interest in the topic.

Free Write Blog

I have to say that revising was hard work!

I was apprehensive at first when we were told to not look at our papers for a week, but I did. I think that is what actually allowed me to revise. I was able to distance myself, and when I reread it I could understand what editors of my paper meant when they gave revising ideas. Thank you editors for helping me out!

Hopefully, my paper is much better than before.

On "Reviewing A Manuscript"

I have to join in with the author in saying I'm not certain of my qualifications to review manuscripts! I do love to read other classmates work, although I do not know how helpful I really am.

When I bring a paper to be read and dissected for revision, I expect respect and honesty. I don't like it when people just say "this is good" to protect my feelings. I would rather be told if it stinks. I know I am far from a perfect writer so nothing you could say would hurt my feelings, unless you were mean to me:)

I pretty much follow most of the revisionary advice people give me, but it depends from who it comes from too. I have to feel trust towards the person who is doing the revising that they have a good understanding of English and of what I am trying to say in a paper.

On "On Writing" by Stephen King

One of the things that struck me about the pages we read this week was that the number one tool in your toolbox is vocabulary. When King showed the examples of the several types of vocabulary it really impressed me how words can change the style, tone, and meaning of a work. When he talked about just using your normal vocabulary and not trying to dress it up, it made me think of when I was back it high school and I would look up word in a thesaurus to sound smarter. Luckily I have abandoned that practice! I agree that you should use the word you thought of because that is usually the word that portrays what you are trying to say, how you want to say it, and it reveals your voice.

On "A Brief History of Memoir - Bashing" by Ben Yagoda

Can you lie in a memoir? Of course you can, but should you? In my opinion, when a person lies it leaves the genre of memior and enters into fiction. There is no point of writing a memoir if you are going to exaggerate and lie about what happened.

I have to admit I am a person who does not care for memoir for the general public. For example, My grandfather from Germany wrote some memoirs before he passed away and I am very glad because it allows me to know more about him, but he wrote it only for his family. On the other hand, I would never pick up one written by a "famous" person, it does not interest me.