The Book of Language: How to use it and how others use it

Appeals
  Logos, Ethos, Pathos
  To logic, authority, emotion
Bitzer
  Boring
  Long
Enthyeme
  Claim and reason
Essays
  50 Essays
  Exploration of complicated issues
  Expresses Opinions
  Personal experiences
Everything is an Argument
  Even that pencil
  Humorous ones
  Speak it, write it, read it, see it
Freewriting
  Friday Freewrite Rap
  Peter Elbow
  Random thoughts and stories
George Orwell
  Politics and English Language
  Why I Write
Logical Fallacy
  If you have sex, you will get pregnant and die
  You hate me because you didn't buy me a pony
Logic
  by deduction
  by induction
Parody
  White and nerdy
Proposals
  Call for Action
  Don't be selfish
  Effects
Rhetorical Analysis
  Approach from different angles
  Examine EVERYTHING
  HOW
Rhetorical Strategies
Satire
  Let's eat babies
Syllogism
  Conclusion
  Major, minor premiseStyle
  Lots of ways to describe
  Hardest part is knowing what style words mean
Tone
  Shows personality
  What is the mood of the writing
Toulmin Model
  Claim
  Reason
  Warrent
Vocab
  Know your Words
  (see style)
Voice
  Blogs
  Holiday Traditions
  Literary Narrative
  Make it You

The Female Brain

When  I finished The Female Brain, I wasn't quite sure what to think of it. Throughout the book Brizendine argued that things girls do can be explained by chemical activity in the brain. It is an interesting argument because most people like to think that they control their own actions and this book argues that some things girls do isn't by choice; it is controlled by the chemicals in their brain. Brizendine support her argument with patient stories, personal experience, scientific experiments, and scientific explanation. Her patient stories help explain and illustrate what the chemicals are doing and help make the book less academic. But even so, a lot of the book is discussing specific chemicals and what they do to the brain, making it boring at times.

The thing that made the book most enjoyable to me is that, being a girl, I could relate to some of the things Brizendine talked about. It was interesting to hear that some of the things I do can be explained by chemicals in my brain. But Brizendine began to lose my interest when she began talking about "The Mommy Brain" and "The Menopausal Brain," stages I have yet to go through. Though I think Brizendine has good information she losses interest in readers who can't personally relate to what she is talking about.

Overall, I thought the book was alright; if I was to give it a rating out of 5, it would receive a 2.5.

I don't think the book is for everyone but I do think some people might enjoy it. I would recommend it to older women, who can relate to most of the book. I would also suggest that men don't read it, I can't imagine they would enjoy it... The biggest draw back of the book is the audience is so limited, since, I think, to find it interesting, you need to be able to relate to what is being talked about, and only half of the world is able to...

Vlog:)

If I had a Time Machine

Dear Young Jenna,

First off, would you please brush you hair? I mean honestly, are you trying to provide a nice home for orphan birds? That is really sweet and all, but your hair is not meant to be a bird nest. So if you can't handle have long hair just cut it off! Seriously what are you waiting for? Are you trying to see if your hair will form dreadlocks naturally? Because let me tell you, if you don't start getting those knots out you will probably get dreadlocks and then have to shave all your hair off because you can't get all the snarled out. Or you will wait until just before the dreadlocks form to brush it and it will take you an hour sitting in your grandparents bathroom to get it smooth again. Just do everyone a favor and either brush your hair everyday OR cut it off. NOW.

Also, not trying to be superficial and continue to focus on your appearance but serious don't wear a "GAP" sweatshirt everyday. It is doing more harm than help for your appearance, you can do better. And it doesn't look good to by clothes that are too big for you... Or too small. Find a happy medium and buy clothes that fit and you will wear.

Moving to more intellectual advice... Pick up a book. Go to the library. Find a book that interests you. And read it. It should not take you until seventh grade when you discover the "Princess and the Frog" series to officially find your love for reading. Yes, audio books are great, and definitely better than not being exposed to books at all. But you can't be read to forever. Reading is great! And you are wasting some prime reading years by not taking advantage of books. Cause let me tell you something. You may disagree now, but I swear this is the truth. You do not have a lot of homework. It's true, trust me. So learn some time management; do that one math worksheet right after school and then you will have the rest of the evening to read. Because once you are in high school you have to say goodbye to reading for fun (or sleep, though you sort of say goodbye to sleep no matter what).

Enjoy your childhood. You will always miss what you don't have anymore. Don't waste your time dreaming to be older, enjoy your young years. You might not have much independence but you also have no responsibilities or cares. Cherish that while you can.

Love,
An older and hopefully wiser Jenna

P.s. See you in a few years!

Individuality: Just Be You

Process Analysis

Toulmin Argument:

Claim: It is good to be an individual, and individuality is about being true to who you are.

Reason: One should not hide who they are; to be happy they must embrace it.

Warrant: When you aren't yourself life is hard and incomplete. Being yourself and becoming comfortable with who you are makes life easier and more enjoyable.

Audience: The idea of being yourself is relevant to all ages but it is especially significant to teenagers because it is when people work to find their own identity.

Organization:

I split up my argument by first looking at the effects of just following the crowd or being someone everyone else wants you to be instead of who you are. Then I look at what it means to have individuality. The images help illustrate what being an individual is; being yourself, doing what makes you happy, not letting others hold  you back. 

The Picture's Purpose:

The beginning of my argument is the negatives of hiding in society and these images are dark and gray. The pictures in the second half illustrate how to be an individual is good by showing how it makes live better. When the message switches to positive messages, the colors and pictures turn bright and colorful.

The first part has a couple pictures of crowds to support the fact that there are a lot of people on the world and it is easy to lose yourself among the masses. Other pictures illustrate the masks and fake facade people put on. I begin to transition my argument by using pictures with quotes about individuality; why it is important not to lose it and admitting that it is hard to be true to yourself.

The slide with the poem "we must" is where I switch from showing the negatives of following the crowd to the positives of being yourself. Though I think the whole poem helps my argument, when people watch the video I want them to at least read "we must" so they can realize that a change must be made. If viewers read the poem they will also see it directly relates to the next picture. "We must bring our own light to the darkness." The next picture is a bird flying of into the light with connects the two images. The picture of the bird also representing being free from the restraints and judgments of society. I use images of birds multiple times to support my argument and help readers connect all of the pictures.

The pictures in the second part show people being themselves. The picture of the girl dancing is right after a picture with the quote "Don't be afraid to be different." In the picture shows her following that advice. I do something similar putting the picture that says "smile" next to the smiling boy with paint on his face and the quote "imperfection is individuality" next to the little girl with paint everywhere. The pictures are placed specifically to help illustrate what it means to be true to yourself and an individual.

The Music:

The song I chose is "I'll Be True To You" by Research Material. It helps enhance my argument because it is about being true to yourself. It also starts out with a slower beat and picks up right when I switch from talking about the negatives of hiding to the positives of being yourself. The beat follows my argument which amplify my message



WORK CITED!
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1436/613445810_2249c2d193.
http://api.ning.com/files/5hP81QVbKuQpyKwvG-2vsj5WaTkleNOBWC5A8e1GVlkaF33DrD0ATR2B5KLDrY4E3KNrRvpdG5HWT-cbyIKFAc*Ub2gP2HfS/beyourself.jpg
http://www.motivationals.org/demotivational-posters/demotivational-poster-18023.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KqHsntmp61TLApWd3-M8Dh5se6e37y6t1UlsimZYejOWtZMqv7DZAnnelYrVi5igmwXdlB5t3trSOb7UtdvZc3-oILBKVGh0Yh74WIaLAVtbeN5lPJja2HZ-E4zkWop4BY5d6dPj5BRi/s1600/be_yourself_by_xerces.jpg
http://maxcdn.thedesigninspiration.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Be-Yourself-l.jpg
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvvpjyE7tZ1r0j49ao1_500.jpg
http://www.shebrand.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/courage.jpg
http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnpw2t6lg81qk1141o1_500.jpg
http://observando.net/post/13631605379
http://data.whicdn.com/images/10991096/tumblr_lga99cIAWj1qaf2eso1_500_large.jpg
http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw47dfZNoV1qh8rtqo1_400.jpg
http://darisandi.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/ztped00z.jpg?w=500
http://www.barbizonblog.com/images/uploads/Individualism1.jpg
http://observando.net/post/14056686267
http://xoxobarbz.typepad.com/blog/
http://www.startartkids.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/painter-boy.jpg
http://observando.net/post/14427649240
http://data.whicdn.com/images/3704382/tumblr_l83tqaZyZr1qze4yoo1_500_large.jpg
http://www.ilchilee.org/wp-content/uploads/Expressing-one-s-self-through-art-may-lead-to-a-more-peaceful-world_16000537_800540528_0_0_14234_300.jpg
http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvy2qv0I6S1r5gr02o1_500.jpg

Open Letter

Dear Overly Affectionate Couple,

First, question. Did you really have to go to the same New Year's party as me? I mean you are sort of good together, partly because of the fact that you both seem a little weird but it works in your favor. And it was fine when you made out when the clock struck twelve, it's a weird american tradition but hey it works! It was even okay when you made out on the couch for most of the night. But I do think a line needs to be draw somewhere. When I woke up to hear that people had sex during the night is when you crossed it.
I think it's fine you like each other enough to have sex, your seniors in high school who am I to stop you. But did you really need to have it at a New Year's party, under your friend's pool table, with other people in the room? Was that necessarily?
I get it. It was her birthday, got to have the birthday sex early in the morning. But you couldn't have found a room? Snuck out to your car and done it in the back seat? Even waited until you were at one of your own house?
But instead you just had to have each other right then and there. Under a pool table. Oh so romantic.
But maybe I am just jealous. I hope that one day a boy loves me enough to my love to me at a party with 40 other people under a pool table. Or maybe if I am really lucky a ping pong table.
People who were down stairs at the time of the crime say they saw exposed body parts they wish they hadn't. Your just lucky I decided to move upstairs to sleep. If I saw you doing it I maybe would have to be "that person" and interrupted to kindly ask you to re locate.

Sincerely,
Party Goer