Little Cosmic Artsy Connections
Have you seen Woody's Midnight in Paris yet? I know. I know. It's been 6 months. But it didn't release in India and it took me some time to get my hands on a print. Read more...
aarthig, Yesterday, 2:22am
Is Donald Draper the unisex Carrie Bradshaw?
Okay, bear with me. Especially male fans of Mad Men. This might seem like a long shot, at first, but I think Carrie is Don and vice versa. Read more...
aarthig, May 20, 2:24am
Did Dev Anand's Guide portray gender liberation?
As young Indians, many of us take for granted the change that has shaped our lives and made so many things possible, from vetoing power in who our partners can be to whether we want to marry at all, from wearing a short skirt to staying out late. MJ Akbar writes very eloquently about Guide and how it challenged the societal norms of the time. Today, most of us don't even flinch at Rosy's decision to leave her husband, run away with a lover and pursue dance.In fact, we applaud it. Why, if you really cannot stand your husband anymore, leaving him is a natural option, many of us would think. And you love dance? Well, make a career out of it. At the time, these choices were not so easy for a woman to make. Even the male lover is castigated by his neighbours for bringing a woman home to live with him. The premier of the movie and the reception it received, as Akbar tell us, was tepid. Read more...
aarthig, May 20, 2:24am
Since I am posting links, here's something from Boardwalk Empire
Season 2 of this amazing HBO show has just ended in the US and I am torrenting it from pirate bay as I type this. The writing and amazingcharacterization makes it a must watch for anybody with a passion for storytelling. One of the characters, Richard Harrow, who loses half his face in World War I, is taken under Jimmy Darmody's wing. Ironically, by turning him into a killer, Jimmy gives Richard a new lease of life. As an assasin for Jimmy, the former Army marksman, once again, has a sense of purpose. Here's what he (or writer Terence Winter) has to say after Jimmy dies this season.... Read more...
aarthig, May 17, 2:23pm
A lovely little piece
I read this beautiful piece by a 21-year-old writer and really hated myself for a few minutes. For my lack of focus as writer, for not trying enough to be a good reader, for my failed efforts at blogging original stuff rather than posting links. But most of all, joy, as always, at discovering a wonderful piece of writing. Read more...
aarthig, May 17, 2:23pm
Being accountable as an independent writer
One of the biggest advantages and one ofthe majorpitfalls of being a freelance writer is that you are not accountable to anyone. Of course, there are people, primarily editors - many of them faceless - that you remain in touch with when you promise them a story or are assigned one; but that's about it. This situation can immensely boost your levels of personal productivity and satisfaction, as you chase goals and work that are important to you. And because they're important to you, you give the jobs you've bagged all you've got. But you also become very vulnerable to procrastination and the other dangers associated with it - depression, guilt, lack of productivity and so on. Read more...
aarthig, May 14, 2:24pm
Why we should let the Tomatina festival be
Last week, in Tamil Nadu, astudent was chased into the Adyar river and pelted with stones by a gang of overzealous anti-corruption crusaders. He drowned.As tragic as it is, I am not surprised that somebody died for refusing to support the anti-corruption movement in the country. Over the last few weeks, as Anna fervour has taken over, we've proved our lack of tolerance towards anybody with a different point of view. And it's not just Anna supporters. When non-supporters found themselves in the majority, they heckled the hell out of those who did support the movement, as we saw on various online networks and in real life. Of course, as Indians, we're no strangers to intolerance; having to deal with subtle to severe forms of it, on a regular basis in our society; in the new post-Anna era of anti-corruption, anti-wrong, anti-indulgence hysteria, anything that doesn't seem righteous is being... Read more...
aarthig, May 14, 2:24pm
The broken dreams of Dhobi Ghat
Over the last few weeks, there has been a furor over the state of Mumbai's roads. Potholes, sinking bridges, dug-up spots, dislodged stone blocks and so on. Most or at least, many of the roads, are managed by the local civic body, BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), controlled by the Shiv Sena, and is festering with corruption and ineptitude. But I am not going to talk about the roads today, I want to talk about a famous local Mumbai tourist spot that also falls under the purview of the BMC - the Dhobi Ghat at Mahalaxmi;the largest outdoor laundromat in the world. Tourists flock to the flyover/overpass from where they can see a small part of the vast washing area, as the dhobis, the washer-men and women, scrub and beat the clothes clean. Read more...
aarthig, May 12, 2:24pm
The Beauty of Sylvia Nasar's Beautiful Mind
Source:Simon & SchusterI have had a crazy schedule over the last few weeks, travelling, setting up a new Read more...
aarthig, May 10, 2:23am
Exploring academic writing
Writing has always been the best way to express one's opinion to a huge mass. As the global intellectual community is huge, the style of writing is always influenced by one's culture and discourse community. So, the idea of good writing may differ from person to person, according to his personal, social and intellectual background. I think good writing is that persuasive piece of written expression, in which one persuades his audience of his ideas in a logical and direct way, making use of different instances to prove them, without talking much about irrelevent and trivial matters in his writing. An academic writing should also be written in a formal way, with proper mechanics and expression. Indeed, good academic writing should involve a good research on the issue, and should address something regarding what most people think about the issue, and comment on those general ideas. Read more...
sandip, May 9, 2:23am
Article Summary
The Case Against Babies The article I chose is titled,"The Case Against Babies," by Joy Williams. The purpose behind this article is to promote awareness of the overpopulation of babies. The audience the author is appealing to is men and especially women. The context of this article is present and the text was aimed at making a statement that babies are overrated. One strategy of this article is the repitition the author uses. The author purposely repeats and imphasizes on BABIES BABIES BABIES. Logos is appealing to the audience through logic. The logic behind this article is women want to have babies. Couples want to have a child. Ethos is appealing to the audience through the credibility, character, and confidence of the writer. I feel that the author is very confident about the topic; however, I didnt feel that there was a lot of credibility. I have no idea who... Read more...
Savanah Levake, May 9, 2:23am
Savanah;Kate;Shao-Yu Professor Johnson English 108-2 March 27, 2006 Diverse Education Systems In this paper, we will be discussing the similarities and differences between American educations compared to other countries. Also, the difficulties one faces while transitioning from one education system to another. Our ideas originated solely from our groups personal experiences and stories we shared to develop the realization that different cultures have diverse education system. Amongst our group members, Shao-Yu Chen, is from Asia and decided to come to the University of Arizona. Shao-Yu spoke about the differences between the educations systems of Asia compared... Read more...
Savanah Levake, May 9, 2:23am
What makes good writing
I think good writing consists of a main topic that the author is passionate about. I feel that good writing must be pursausive and interesting to the targeted audience. Writing always has some purpose behind it, whether is trying to get a point across or pursuade people to understand your views. However I think the most important thing about writing is being able to get your point across to people and pursuade them to believe what you are saying. I feel that people should always be able to read your writing and take away a sense of who you are, not only as an author but also as a person. With my writing, I feel that teachers have all the power when deciding what makes a good piece of writing. Good writing is up to the teachers discretion. If I were to write an essay and turn that same essay into two different english teachers, it would probably recieve two totally different grades. Therefore, I think you have to write in the manner which you know your specific teacher is... Read more...
Savanah Levake, May 9, 2:23am
Self-transcendence and healing
With the advancement in medical science, people are being more and more interested in alternative medicine and natural ways of healing. In “Self-transcendence: A Resource For Healing at the End of Life” Doris D. Coward and Pamela C. Reed observed cases of a number of people who felt a sense of healing after going beyond their own-self and expanding their consciousness to something greater than their own being. Reed and Coward are professors of nursing in University of Arizona and University of Texas at Austin respectively. This article was first published in 1996 in "Issues of Mental Health Nursing". Their idea of self-transcendence is significant in healing especially people facing end-of-life situation. Read more...
sandip, May 9, 2:23am
Rhetorical analysis essay second draft
Self-transcendence and healing (second draft) Read more...
sandip, May 9, 2:23am
In this paper, we will be discussing the differences between educational cultures focusing on Asia versus America. Our ideas originated solely from our groups personal experiences and stories we shared to develope the realization that different cultures have diverse education systems. Amongst our group members, we cultivate dissimilar backgrounds which allow us to embark on our personal experiences from our cultural differences relating to education. One of our group members, Shao Yu Chen, is from Asia and decided to come to the University of Arizona located in America. Shao spoke about the differences between the education systems of Asia compared to the United States. Her input allowed the other group members, Kate and Savanah, to compare their educational experiences growing up in contrast to Shao’s. Read more...
Savanah Levake, May 9, 2:23am
About This Blog
Welcome to Neil Johnson's Online Study Space. Read more...
Neil Johnson Online Composition, May 9, 2:23am
Class Today - Friday 13th January
Today we introduced the idea of rhetoric into the class and went over the key assignments for the semester. Rhetoric it was suggested is about persuasion and exists all around us in different forms. Read more...
Neil Johnson Online Composition, May 9, 2:23am
About Chang Lee
I'm born in Seoul Korea and have spent the last two years in Seattle Washington for going high school. I am in Pre-Business major right now. My family is in Korea. I like to play basketball, soccer, skiiling, and frisbee. Some Korean friends are taking English 108 class, but not in this class. I traveled some other countries like Italy, Japan, China, and so on... Read more...
Chang's House, May 9, 2:23am
My Essay
You’re in Safeway, buying groceries and you head towards the tea and its warm leafy drinks section, products ranging from the old fashion Indian tea to the new fad teas such as orange tea or such of that taste. But you aren’t interested in these specific drinks; instead you are looking for something that can appease your intensely upset stomach. So should you choose the old Chinese remedy tea over a box of fine delightful Twinings English breakfast tea, or the other way around? Well, honestly the choice is yours and I am not here to discuss what and what not types of tea brands you should buy, instead I am here to discuss the dangers of several types of commercial herbal tea to our health. Read more...
Composition 108, May 9, 2:23am
Neil Johnson Online Composition
In today's class we followed up on what we did on Wednesday - by looking at the famous Martin Luther King speech - known as the 'I have a dream' speech. We tried to locate in detail where the power of this rhetoric was located. Firstly we looked at pathos, logos and ethos and then in detail at style and diction. Hopefully this will help students when they come to write their own analysis. Read more...
Neil Johnson Online Composition, May 9, 2:23am
Neil Johnson Online Composition
Neil Johnson Online Composition Read more...
Neil Johnson Online Composition, May 9, 2:23am
Questions in RED!!!
Good writing can be broken down into several aspects, and I believe writing will not be as “good” with out these characteristics. First of all, the writer has to be knowledgeable with what he his writing about. He [the writer] cannot possibly write a masters thesis without completing high school. He also has to have deep insight into his topic, stating or restating the obvious is very mundane and boring. The write has to take the topic and view it from a different angle which is perhaps a more interesting approach. Dissecting the topic and indulging the information one step at a time is also very vital step to insure a very well informative piece of writing. Other factors of good writing include syntax, word choice, tone, structure, style, grammar and punctuation. Good writing also has to include coherent paragraphs. You cannot talk about motorcycles in one paragraph then switch to nuclear biology in the next paragraph. The paragraphs have to relate to each other in some sense and... Read more...
Composition 108, May 9, 2:23am
Introduction
My name is abdulrazzaq al-othman, but you can just call me abdul. I am 19 yrs old and I come from Kuwait. I am a freshman at the U of A and this is my second semester at this university. I hope to enjoy this class and get to meet and know my peers well. Read more...
Composition 108, May 9, 2:23am
Summary
This text discussed the potential dangers of commonly used herbs. The author, Ryan J. Huxtable was a professor of Pharmacology in the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona. The author’s audience is primary the heavy herbal drinks and herbal provision consumers; however that also includes wandering minds. The purpose of this text is to indulge awareness about potentially lethal herbs. Whether they are cooked or boiled or eaten raw, they may and can cause harm to humans. This article was published when he was a professor of Pharmacology at the University of Arizona, currently he is retired. Professor Huxtable wanted to clear up the health factor that is always associated with herbs. We humans are very ignorant when it comes to herbs and anything affiliated with it. We tend to think that it is healthy, especially the numerous boxes of tea that we purchase in different exquisite flavors. We drink them in quantities and feel “better” and “healthier” after we swallow... Read more...
Composition 108, May 9, 2:23am
Good Academic Writing
The definition of the good academic writing is hard to define because it’s different between countries. In Asia the main point is coming in the end, but in America the main point is existed in the first paragraph. Actually, I was learned about what is the good academic writing in the USA. In Seattle, I went high school for two years and took English 107 last semester. At that time, the good academic writing should have introduction, supporting ideas, and conclusion. And the thesis could be interesting and clear. Also, when supporting ideas connect to the thesis, supporting ideas should be related. In the supporting idea paragraph, the main idea has to be supported by illustration and some quotes from books. Hence, the conclusion rewrites from the introduction with different words, it should mention the main idea again. I think the most important thing is reader’s attention because if my essay or book is not fun, no one wants to read mine. Read more...
Chang's House, May 9, 2:23am
Summary of 'Crimes and Passion'
I read the article, “Crime and Passion,” is written by Ken Lamberton, a former high school English teacher and a former Florence State Prison inmate. Mr. Lamberton has won awards for his creative writing. This article is mostly talking about his experience in prison, Tucson, Arizona. Mr. Lamberton described the prison like an artist colony because a lot of people were there. Some inmates had the great artist talent, so he was so impressed by them. Jerry was so good in music, so he led the worship music in church. Also, he could sing gospel with playing the guitar like Willie Nelson. However, Jerry was not the only musician who impressed Mr. Lamberton at that time. Actually, they did not read a note of music but played by ear. Their listening skill was so good. Year later, after Mr. Lamberton had learned to play the guitar himself and began to lead praise team at their prison. But musicians and songwriters were common in prison. He really joined the creative writing workshop,... Read more...
Chang's House, May 9, 2:23am
A Little About Me
In high school, a lot of my friends know me as the short asian chick. That's because I'm 4'11 (hopefully), Cambodian (southeast asia) and obviously a female. I was born in a camp on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. Fortunately, we moved to the California when I was 4 . Even though my first language was khmer, I learned to read and write only the English language. My family moved here, to Tucson, when I was 12 and since the University was right down the street, it was the best reason for me to go to college here. Read more...
Sitha Ith, May 9, 2:23am
Summary: Searching For Life On Other Planets
The article discusses the possibility of life on other planets and the theories and technologies discovered to search and prove there is life in other planets besides our Earth. It’s written by two astronomers at the Stewart Observatory at the University of Arizona; Roger Angel, who is a Regents Professor of Astronomy and Neville Woolf. This article was publish in Scientific American in 1996 targeting other scientist or those interested in astronomy as there readers. After reading the article, I believe this article persuades you to believe that life on other planets does exist. It answers the question “Is life on earth alone in the universe?” Living in the 21st century, technology is always growing. As people we always search for more. Now with advance technology searching for more has become very easy. Astronomers can now answer to the questions and ideas that are created in movies. Read more...
Sitha Ith, May 9, 2:23am
Rhetorical Essay Draft #1
In the article, "Searching for Life on Other Planets", the idea address is simply the title. For years humans have questioned the life outside earth. Authors J. Roger P. Angel and Neville J. Woolf attempt to answer the question by providing what they, as astronomers, know, discovered and describes the technique to use in order to find the answer. The answer may not be provided for many more years from now. They say "Science is patience" and that'sexactly what astrology is (especially if you’re looking back millions of years when you’re looking at a star). In this article, published in Scientific American in 1996, the author persuades the reader that there are possibilities of life outside our earth by simply addressing the necessity of life, how they attempt to use the idea, and the technology they will use. All of which isscientific reasoning. Read more...
Sitha Ith, May 9, 2:23am
Rhetorical Essay - Draft #2
In the article, "Searching for Life on Other Planets", the idea address is simply the title. For years humans have questioned the life outside earth. Authors J. Roger P. Angel and Neville J. Woolf attempt to answer the question by providing what they, as astronomers, know, discovered and describes the technique to use in order to find the answer. The answer may not be provided for many more years from now. They say "Science is patience" and that's exactly what astrology is (especially if you’re looking back millions of years when you’re looking at a star). In this article, published in Scientific American in 1996, the author persuades the reader that there are possibilities of life outside our earth by simply addressing the necessity of life, how they attempt to use the idea, and the technology they will use. All of which is scientific reasoning. Read more...
Sitha Ith, May 9, 2:23am
The Four Questions
“Good writing” can be defined as a well written paper. A paper with out errors, misspellings, and the organization is excellent. “Good writing” can also be a piece of work that touches you and perhaps invokes emotions. All writing can be defined as “good writing” depending on the person reading that piece of work. Some one knows if is a nice piece of work if they enjoy reading it and it keeps their attention the whole entire time. I would characterize a bad work as one that I am not interested in reading, or one that does not catch my attention on the first page or in the first paragraph. “Good writing” is a piece of work that the general public can agree on as a decent article, story, novel, or poem to read. Certain people love poetry and can describe poems as “good works.” While others may disagree saying they hate poetry, but they love mystery novels; then the call those mystery novels good pieces or work. You never know it is good writing unless you read it,... Read more...
Kate Schnepp's Blogs, May 9, 2:23am
Proposal: Diet Pills
You’ve seen it on T.V. The words “I lost 30 lbs.” grab your attention and you’ve been hypnotized to buy their product. What is it? They say more than 80% of Americans are overweight. The only exceptions are those in Hollywood. Those actors and actresses on T.V who doesn’t seem to gain a pound but can easily shed pounds in weeks! The secret is out, if you want to look like a celebrity without giving up the things you love to eat, you can take diet pills. Diet pills are more popular than ever, giving promising results in weeks so you can look like those on T.V. Many have tried them and many are still on them, hoping for results day after day. Zantrax 3 boosted their sales when a bottle of these pills slipped from Britney Spears’ purse. But have these “enhancement” really worked. If they have, what must be done? If they haven’t, what are their problems? Are there side effects? Do these pills offer amazing results? Upon this... Read more...
Sitha Ith, May 9, 2:23am
Annotated Bibliography
Source Citation: Kirn, Timothy F. "Brazilian diet supplements contaminated with drugs.(News)." Family Practice News 36.4 (Feb 15, 2006): 8(1). Read more...
Sitha Ith, May 9, 2:23am
Research Paper- Rough Draft
The ancient Greeks valued fitness above all else. Michaelangelo performed illegal autopsies, a crime punishable by death in his times, to understand the human body. He went on to portray the most perfect humans the world has ever known. Today, our world is governed by how thin we are. Children learn at a young age that being anything other than thin is to be classified as being ugly. What they don’t realize that being obese can lead to health complications later on. In this day and age of working lunches, fast food and quick fixes, stress levels are abnormally high and there is simply no time to relax and discover ones self. People mistake being fit with being thin. One turns on the television and sees girls that look damn near anorexic, guys that look like they live in the gym ingrain in most people the obsession to 'get' perfect bodies. It is also little wonder that on the same television channel one sees advertisements for diuretics, weight loss... Read more...
Sitha Ith, May 9, 2:23am