My wife and I were just talking about a recent news item about a guy who microwaved his baby. We were both sitting here and wondering what could ever have crossed that man's mind to even give him the idea to do that. Unless he was absolutely out of his mind and seriously had no control over what he was doing, he's a sick hell spawn who shouldn't have children in the first place. His child was two months old, by the way. How can you think to do anything so dastardly, so malevolent, as to torture your child that way? I can understand that itsby bitsy children can be frustrating. When I am alone with my son and he starts absolutely freaking out and gets into an "I only want Mom right now and nobody no one nothing else now now now," I have to take a step back and get my head on straight before reacting. He is so sweet, though, so innocent, as I know without a doubt all babies everywhere are. Anyone that can torture/molest/kill a child certainly deserves the treatment the Lord Himself prescribed, hanging them by a millstone and casting them into the depths of the sea. Some don't realize what a millstone is. It is a huuuuuge heavy rock that is used to grind stuff, like flour, wheat, shoddy college papers, etc., and it weighs thousands of pounds. Tie one of those around your neck and fall into the sea, and then tell me how you fared.
It's funny that some people say, "Oh NO! Be 'Christian' with the person! Don't punish him!" Hah. Read the New Testament, and you'll see for yourself.
I don't mean to become judge and jury right here. Well, maybe I do, but I don't want to declare that everyone who is suspected of mistreating a child should be tossed into jail for 1.3 bazillion years. Give a fair chance, but when it is found that that person has violated a child, give 'im the rock.
I think this has turned out well for what is officially my first entry done completely under the influence of Nyquil. Time for bed now.

Zimbabwe's Ahab

Argument: Robert Mugabe has dictatorially ruined Zimbabwe and unjustly wants re-election.

Audience: Immediately it is the readers of the LA Times, but it is meant for those who are involved/interested in the international political arena.

Ethos: The author speaks of his personal experiences as a white subject of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. He seems very credible, because he was there before and after liberation in 1980, and he personally witnessed Zimbabwe's rise and fall. He doesn't seem like just another "talking head" or inexperienced pundit.

Pathos: He describes the young Zimbabwe as the Switzerland of Africa, in that it was the richest, most literate and prosperous nation on the continent, often helping its neighbors as well. He paints a bright, positive image of the young Zimbabwe, and he contrasts that with its dark, depressing current state. His description of Mugabe almost leaves you with your jaw open, (wondering how in the world is he still in power!).

Logos: His information is accurate. He uses statistic after statistic (granted, with no direct references cited) to show how dire Zimbabwe 's situation is under Mugabe.

I think it is a very effective argument. I took interest a little while ago in Zimbabwe and already knew some stuff about Mugabe, and my opinion of him was not that high. I did read actual speeches of his, though, and found that he is a very persuasive, intelligent, impressive orator. This article, written by an actual Zimbabwean, really puts things in perspective. I wish more people knew about what was happening over there.

Enthymeme: Robert Mugabe should not be re-elected because he has been the primary cause of Zimbabwe's downfall.

Robert Mugabe is the primary cause of Zimbabwe's downfall because he has slighted the nation for his own fortune and interest, he has destroyed efforts to have free elections, and he is starving what once was the breadbasket of Africa.

S- While the article is pretty thorough, I don't think it will have a widespread impact, mostly because many do not take interest in international affairs. Robert Mugabe has shown that he can rig an election in the past, and the same is likely to happen now (especially that he printed over 9 million pro-Mugabe ballots for his 5.7 million voter electorate).

T- This is a typical argument against a dictator. There is nothing outlandish or revolutionary about the content.

A- I believe the article to be accurate. The author himself saw his family lose their money and land because Mugabe wanted to give to his cronies. He himself experienced some of what Zimbabwe has had to pass through. I have read other sources and have found that most of the information is very accurate.

R- It is very relevant, indeed, since the elections are coming this Saturday. However, those who will read the LA Times will not likely be Zimbabwean voters, especially since no Zimbabwe diaspora is granted voting rights.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-godwin25mar25,0,7210173.story

I've been up since three o'clock this morning and have had one hellish day. I don't feel like writing about any of mu sources or some other argument or style analysis. I am getting sick, and my throat is burning. My wife has the exact same symptoms I have. Hopefully our baby doesn't get sick from being with us.
I hate my Irish Dance class. It is called a beginner's course, yet nearly everyone else in there is already a dancer, and a lot of the steps are at a level higher than a beginner like me can catch onto quickly. I dread that class more than I do any other class, and that includes Theoretical Syntax and my senior seminar.
Today I was sick, so I sat out the entire class. My wife is in the class too, so we have our baby each week. He is usually well-behaved, though the lack of attention sometimes gets him upset. Today I had him in my lap as I sat there on the wall. I was so tired and sick that I fell asleep, but I managed to fall asleep sitting up and still supporting him in my arms and lap. He was mesmerized by the dancing and noise. He has never really gotten to see the dancing that takes place. He was so interested that he barely made a peep the entire class period. He would specifically watch my wife, even when she had her back to turned to our direction. She ended up near us in one of the steps, and he yelled out, "Mom!" Of course, he is only three months old, so he most likely wasn't actually saying a real word. His babbling just happened to come out in that sequence of sounds which coincided with a real English word, one very applicable at that moment. It was really cute.

Free write

My grandfather's Uncle Kazimer and Aunt Ona left Lithuania in 1900, which was earlier than most of the family left. They moved to England to live in a small Lithuanian community in Manchester. They had two little daughters there. In early 1904, the family was hit by a flu epidemic going around England. Both daughters died, one being two and a half and the other about nine months old. Kazimer and Ona, distraught, left England in search of a better life in America. Here they started their family again, and the two daughters were not mentioned very much. In fact, nobody remembered the girls' names after Kazimer and Ona died. Their children have all died off as well. My dad's cousin (the granddaughter of Kazimer and Ona) told me last year that there were two daughters who were born and died in England, yet nobody knew anything about them. I wanted to find them so they could all be sealed together (we sealed Kazimer and Ona and their children born here in the US in December). I looked many times for the girls' records, but to no avail. I kind of gave up last year and figured I would probably have to wait until the Millennium to find who they were. However, I felt impressed to look through some random British records on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning (as I was in class, actually...). These were records I had searched through before and found nothing, so I wasn't quite sure what to look for. However, after a bit of looking and playing around with the name spellings (their last name was spelled like five different ways by the British), I found the two girls whose dates and birthplaces made them very likely candidates for the two daughters. I sent the info to my dad's cousin, and she felt very impressed that they were the two girls looked for. She's not a member of the Church or anything, but she had a very strong impression that they were the two daughters, so much that she told me she was sure that they were the girls. I felt the same. We found them! We were able to seal them to their parents yesterday in the Provo temple. It was wonderful. I am sure they were all happy to be together once again. I can't imagine how it was for Kazimer and Ona, too. Imagine losing your first two children, little girls, to disease in a foreign land you really didn't know, with most of your family still in the old country. They died over a hundred years ago! They have waited that long to be found and rejoined to their parents.

In-class paragraph

Audience: consumers of Krispy Kreme vanilla cream-filled doughnuts

Krispy Kreme lovers who wish to eat as healthily as possible must face this question every time they buy a doughnut: "Which doughnut choice is the healthiest option?" Now, we all have our personal favorites; some like classic original glazed, while others like the sleek, cosmopolitan "doughnut of the month." Some prefer doughnut holes, and others cream-filled doughnuts. For those who like vanilla-filled doughnuts, particularly, the two options are: 1. chocolate frosted or 2. glaze-covered. Saturated fat accounts for the greatest nutritional difference between the two. The chocolate-covered has around 10% more saturated fat that the glaze-covered. Therefore, glaze-covered is the healthier cream-filled doughnut.



Sorry! I just recently did some goofy paper about the healthier choice between Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and I used that same data for this. It was kind of fresh on my mind.

Indiana Jones movie trailer

http://www.imdb.com/video/user/me705352951/
Here's the link for anyone who hasn't seen it and/or wants to see it.

Main point: GO SEE THE NEW INDIANA JONES MOVIE.

Audience: Movie watchers, Americans, fans of previous Indiana Jones movies and maybe women who still think Harrison Ford is hot...?
(I am joking about that last part, though I know that there are women who do find him attractive, even though he's like 120 years old)

Ethos: The movie relies heavily on highlights from the previous Indiana Jones movies, showing how "He protected the power of the divine, ...saved the cradle of civilization," and "triumphed over the armies of evil." The artists use his past conquests and expeditions as justification for another movie. It is credible that Indiana Jones, though a little long in the tooth, would still have an adventure or two packed in him. It also uses the image of the American flag to show how American he really is, and how he can "save America" again.

Logos: The images from the previous movies are real (in that they do come from the other movies). Of course, Indiana Jones movies do not exactly portray nature and the force of gravity, for example, as they really are. He is able to undertake stunts that would kill most, including flying into the windshield of an oncoming truck and making a coy remark about it, as you stand up unscathed. It does portray Indiana Jones as being older and a bit rougher around the edges, which is logical, since his last adventure was roughly four centuries ago.

Pathos: The music automatically attracted me. I am a huge fan of music in general, especially orchestral pieces, including some movie scores. If I know a movie has an awesome score, it will give me more impetus to go see it. The music appeals to my tastes and emotions. Furthermore, the artists use the image of the American flag to appeal to the American audience, since Indiana Jones is the quintessential United States-ian action hero (in my opinion). If you watch it closely, they show this black box with official print on it saying "Roswell, New Mexico" the bastion of alien lore, as well as the general vicinity of Area 51. That will pique the attention and intrigue of alien legend and governmental conspiracy lovers.

S-I think the trailer is sufficient to get some people to watch the movie. I know I want to watch it, though my wife saw the trailer and felt it wasn't captivating enough to convince her to watch the movie.

T-It follows the typical movie trailer schema, using engaging images and catchy quotes from the movie, combined with perfectly timed explosions, kisses, races, chases, and the like.

A-I think it basically is accurate in showing the content of the Indiana Jones movie, though I do not know for sure since I haven't seen the movie for myself (it comes out in May).

R-It is indeed relevant, because many folks have been wanting a fourth Indiana movie for two decades.

Success- I can't say whether or not it is a success, since the movie has not come out yet, but I have seen several links for the trailer on websites and blogs. That means that at least people are taking note. I imagine the initial turnout will be huge, maybe even record-breaking.

I am tired physically, tired mentally, tired emotionally, and tired of writing about friggin' energy or education (as I completely lack one and am bombing the other). Ergo, I am not going to analyze another one of my sources or anything like that (no rhetorical analysis right now). I don't know where I want to start on my next paper. I guess one issue I could write about "waiting periods" some insurance plans make you go through. What I mean is that if you have a preexisting condition (like epilepsy or mutant-third-eye-in-the-back-of-your-head syndrome) and you take medication for said condition, you have to wait anywhere from 30 to 90 days before the insurance plan will pay for that medication. I know they have reasons for it, though I don't know too well what they are. I, for example, have epilepsy. I take this one medicine twice a day which makes me completely normal (if you could call me "normal" in the first place). However, those pills without insurance cost $5.00 a piece (at least that was the price four years ago; who knows about now). Fortunately my insurance plan through work is one of the seemingly few that do not require that waiting period. That is really really good for me, since I can't afford to go a certain period of time before getting my medicine. I know that a lot of other insurance plans have that waiting period because I looked at many plans before I got my current job. In fact, that insurance is really my main motivation for staying at that job. Anyway, I can read about the justification insurance companies make when requiring this period, I can read about the counter arguments by insurance companies which do NOT require that period, etc. We'll see what I can rustle up.

About my intro (an addendum)

I have no idea why, but I cannot read the content of my introduction after the addressees unless I highlight the text. I tried fixing it to no avail. You may have to do that, too. If it comes up fine for you though, disregard this message.

TA: My rough intro

Dale E. Klein, Chairman
Gregory B. Jaczko, Commissioner
Peter B. Lyons, Commissioner
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Mail Stop O-16G4
Washington, DC 20555-0001

Dear sirs:
As you are aware, the Tennessee Valley Authority (hereafter designated as TVA) submitted its combined license application for Bellefonte Nuclear Station Units 3 and 4 in October 2007. In an effort to provide cleaner, cheaper power for the Tennessee River Valley and the Southeast in general, the TVA wishes to resume construction of the Bellefonte Nuclear Station, which construction has been on hold for two decades. As an independent researcher and one who has frequented the greater Huntsville, Alabama region throughout his life, I wish to address some vital issues as the Commission reviews TVA's combined license application. Nuclear power automatically finds some degree of resistance throughout the United States. Environment activism groups like Greenpeace have published extensive rebuttals of nuclear energy, including the many possible meltdowns and malfunctions that have occurred over the years, as well as any detriment to the surrounding environs. Perhaps even more important is the danger to the residents local to the plants. To counter such arguments, the TVA has composed a lengthy, thorough safety program to prevent accidents and harm. What, then, would be the consequences of allowing the TVA to expand and complete construction of the Bellefonte Nuclear Station?

FW: Epiphanies

So last night while I was trying to write out the methodology for my senior paper (which methodology I would turn in today). I was doing it with about 2 hours and 40 minutes of sleep from the night before, as well as a grand accumulation of sleep deprivation from the last couple of months. I was somehow still awake, I think by virtue of the fact that I took too many Excedrin, trying to chisel out the methodology for what I realized would be a flawed, futile work. I have always been into dialects and sociolinguistics, but this paper was going to be over an alternate etymology of an epithet referring to residents of the Appalachian and Ozark Mountains. I realized, though, that all the supporters of my argument love to recur to "17th century documents" to back up their claims, yet these documents were nowhere to be found. Seriously, I found no viable proof to back up the claim. It dawned on me that if I tried to pass this off as a senior paper, I would basically be the laughingstock of the linguistic community.
It suddenly hit me what I should write about. It is kind of late to revamp my entire paper, but hey, I have taken similar action before (like for English 312). I decided to pursue a topic that has really intrigued me, especially since no dialectologist or sociolinguist has written about this yet. It has to do with the way native North American English speakers are now starting to pronounce certain consonants intervocalically. As I reviewed this idea with my TA today, he said that it would be a great step into my desired field if I could get my study published. He said that nearly any MA program would accept me because of it, and many PhD programs would highly consider me also. This would be the beginning of a dream come true. I want to teach what I love on the university level one day, preferably somewhere back East.
I know this will bore everyone who reads it, but it is on my mind right now, so I figured I could write about it better than anything else at the moment.

Free to write whatever...

Well, I sure as heck don't want to write about energy right now. In fact, energy is what I will soon not have, since I have to wake up in about three hours to finish homework that I didn't get done over the weekend. I go to work at 4:30 tomorrow morning, and I need at least a couple hours before that to get my stuff done. I go straight from work to school and don't have a break. On top of it, I will most likely have my son with me.
My son, James, is growing like crazy. Today my son finally held his bottle for the first time. A week or two ago he tried taking the sacrament when it got passed to us, something neither I nor my wife was expecting in the least. He is huge for his age, like a percentile somewhere in the 90's for his size. We compared him to our friends' one year-old daughter, and he came up to her nose. We stood him up next to the two year-old child of another friend on Friday, and he came up to the child's chin. James turned three months old on Saturday. He's already wearing six month onesie's with a sweater that is for nine month-olds. His hands are huge for a little kid's, too.
He's been talking an awful lot lately. Of course, I say "talking" when it is really babbling. His phonetic inventory is growing daily it seems. Before long he will be talking back to us :). In way of language, I speak to him in Spanish, and my wife (who is Latin and of course speaks Spanish) talks to him in French since she served her mission in Switzerland and France. He's going to be so confused when he gets into Kindergarten, but once he gets everything in order in his brain, he's going to shoot way above the monolinguals. Exhaustive studies have shown this. Of course, I don't want to go back into the education topic again.
This is us after church today: