The experience of having a blog has been very enjoyable. I have had the opportunity to explore different tones and to write to different audiences. Any reader of my blog will quickly notice that the voice and tone of my blog change from post to post. This was done purposefully. I wanted to take the opportunity to use different writing styles and experiment with different types of rhetoric. Some of the posts are written with the same tone as the spam posts on facebook. Others are written with a more thoughtful and formal voice. The point of this was to see what writing style was the most comfortable for me and to give me the opportunity to expand my ability to write. What I discovered was intriguing.
Typically, my tone any setting is very formal. I often lack the same playful voice that I tend to have when communicating orally. This is very good for formal settings and is usually good for school. But on other occasions when I am trying to write something entertaining or I am writing to a friend, this type of voice and tone can be contrary to what I am actually trying to communicate.
On this blog, I have developed my ability to write with a more playful voice. Among the more serious articles I have written, I have also written somethings are trivial things, like how quick Perry Baker is. This was fun for me because I hardly ever get to do this type of writing and it allowed me to experiment with different types of rhetoric and to write to different audiences.
In conclusion, I have found this blog a very rewarding experience and I would highly recommend making a blog like this to a friend. It is an exercise in writing that lets people expand their ability to write with different voices and tones.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
14. 3 Amazing Ways You Can Improve your Relationships With Others!
Here you are, alone in a crowded space looking at your computer. Lately, you have been feeling that you have become disconnected with those who use to be closest to you. What happened? How can you bridge this gap that has come between you and the people who use to bring you so much joy? The following are a few tips for improving your social life.
First, disconnect from social media and reconnect in real life. So many of us are becoming complacent in our relationships because we can use social media to keep tabs and communicate through social media. Because we learn so much through social media, we neglect taking the time to meet up with and talk to someone in real life. Taking time to plan an activity and talk to someone in real life will create a world of difference in a relationship that has become stale due to social media. Identify the people you want to meet up with and make it happen.
Second, communication is the language of love. The more you communicate, the stronger your relationship can be. If you don't take the time to talk with someone and find out more about their life, they aren't going to know that you care. You aren't going to create the social situations that built your relationship in the first place. Talking to someone frequently is telling them you care.
Finally, do fun things with people. A lot of friendships go stale because either side stops putting in the effort to do enjoyable things together. Fun is the food of friendship. Without it, friendships become emaciated and can start to die. So, stop taking your friends for granted and get out there and do something fun!
First, disconnect from social media and reconnect in real life. So many of us are becoming complacent in our relationships because we can use social media to keep tabs and communicate through social media. Because we learn so much through social media, we neglect taking the time to meet up with and talk to someone in real life. Taking time to plan an activity and talk to someone in real life will create a world of difference in a relationship that has become stale due to social media. Identify the people you want to meet up with and make it happen.
Second, communication is the language of love. The more you communicate, the stronger your relationship can be. If you don't take the time to talk with someone and find out more about their life, they aren't going to know that you care. You aren't going to create the social situations that built your relationship in the first place. Talking to someone frequently is telling them you care.
Finally, do fun things with people. A lot of friendships go stale because either side stops putting in the effort to do enjoyable things together. Fun is the food of friendship. Without it, friendships become emaciated and can start to die. So, stop taking your friends for granted and get out there and do something fun!
13. Finding a Balance
The key to life for Aristotle was finding a balance in anything you do. Spend too little and you are a scrooge. Spend too much and you become a spendthrift. But, if you spend a moderate amount, you will enjoy a normal, happy life--- according to Aristotle. Currently, my life is not balanced. All my time is spent on work, homework, and religious responsibilities. While I find these things important, recently, I haven't taken any time to do the things that I enjoy like hanging out with friends, reading and playing sports. As a result, I have recently felt an increased amount of dissatisfaction with life. So the question is: how can add more of the things I enjoy into my life while fulfilling my other obligations?
It is possible, but I have yet to find the balance needed to achieve it. Part of the reason I feel that I have struggled to concentrate enough to get things done as quickly as I need to. I get distracted by social media, roommates and other pointless investigations, typically on the internet. Because I take longer to do the things I am supposed to be doing, I have less time to do what I want to do.
Perhaps, then, the solution is to reward myself for concentrating and getting things done in a shorter amount of time than I normally would. If I set time limits and really focus on getting things done within the time limit that I set, I will have more time to do the things that I would prefer to be doing. As a result, I will have a more balanced life to enjoy.
It is possible, but I have yet to find the balance needed to achieve it. Part of the reason I feel that I have struggled to concentrate enough to get things done as quickly as I need to. I get distracted by social media, roommates and other pointless investigations, typically on the internet. Because I take longer to do the things I am supposed to be doing, I have less time to do what I want to do.
Perhaps, then, the solution is to reward myself for concentrating and getting things done in a shorter amount of time than I normally would. If I set time limits and really focus on getting things done within the time limit that I set, I will have more time to do the things that I would prefer to be doing. As a result, I will have a more balanced life to enjoy.
12. Homework: Is It Worth It?
As I have moved through my career here at BYU, I have had a lot of different experiences with homework. I have had homework that has helped me learn and be able to do well in a certain subject. There has also been homework that was purely a waste of time and didn't serve to further the education of any of the students in my class. The third situation I have found myself in is in classes that have absolutely no homework because the teachers expect you to study and prepare for the tests by yourself. In the different experiences, I have come to ask myself whether or not doing homework is actually worth the effort I put into it. What was the conclusion I came to? It depends.
In classes where the subject can only be learned through the application of the principle of being learned in the class, such as in chemistry or math, having good homework is crucial. Without it, it is impossible to properly prepare for tests and failure is imminent. However, there are other classes, such as student development classes, where learning is possible without homework. In such classes, it is preferable and more beneficial to not have any homework in the class. It can be detrimental to my ability to learn when way too much homework is assigned in a class where having homework isn't useful.
Teachers should make sure that the homework they are assigning will actually help the students they are teaching to practice the principles being learned in the class. If the homework takes longer than it should, the length of the homework should be shortened.
In classes where the subject can only be learned through the application of the principle of being learned in the class, such as in chemistry or math, having good homework is crucial. Without it, it is impossible to properly prepare for tests and failure is imminent. However, there are other classes, such as student development classes, where learning is possible without homework. In such classes, it is preferable and more beneficial to not have any homework in the class. It can be detrimental to my ability to learn when way too much homework is assigned in a class where having homework isn't useful.
Teachers should make sure that the homework they are assigning will actually help the students they are teaching to practice the principles being learned in the class. If the homework takes longer than it should, the length of the homework should be shortened.
Monday, November 27, 2017
11. Provo Housing Market
Utah Valley is home to two of the largest universities in Utah: Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University. Both of these schools have large student bodies that create a large demand for housing. However, this demand for housing is condensed into a small area---mostly in Provo, just south of BYU campus. This high demand for housing in a small area causes the price of rent to be very high for the quality of apartment compared to other places in Utah. Although the demand for housing naturally drives the price of rent up, either rent should be artificially lowered, or the overall quality of apartments in Provo should be raised.
If the apartment managers in Provo do not want to raise the quality of apartment to the standard typical to the modern age, they should lower their rent prices. The demand for living arrangements here in Provo is artificial. If it weren't for the universities, the number of people living in the area would drastically decrease. Because of this, the managers really can charge whatever they want because the students will have to pay it in order to go to school. But this is also true of a monopoly, which is why the government doesn't allow monopolies. If that is the reason monopolies are banned, then there should also be regulation on what the housing managers can charge students so rent can be kept reasonably low.
If the housing managers don't want to lower rent and no one wants to support the students by forcing lower rental rates, then the quality of apartments should be improved. If students have to pay a lot, they should get an apartment built to the quality they are paying for. A good apartment in a nicer area in Utah costs $800 a month. Between all the roommates, most students in Provo are paying $2,100 or more for poorly built apartments from the 1980's. This is not fair nor is it appropriate.
To finish, students are being forced to pay large rates for poorly built apartments here in Provo. Elsewhere, they would be getting much more for what they are paying. It is just and right to either lower rent or raise the quality of apartments in Provo.
If the apartment managers in Provo do not want to raise the quality of apartment to the standard typical to the modern age, they should lower their rent prices. The demand for living arrangements here in Provo is artificial. If it weren't for the universities, the number of people living in the area would drastically decrease. Because of this, the managers really can charge whatever they want because the students will have to pay it in order to go to school. But this is also true of a monopoly, which is why the government doesn't allow monopolies. If that is the reason monopolies are banned, then there should also be regulation on what the housing managers can charge students so rent can be kept reasonably low.
If the housing managers don't want to lower rent and no one wants to support the students by forcing lower rental rates, then the quality of apartments should be improved. If students have to pay a lot, they should get an apartment built to the quality they are paying for. A good apartment in a nicer area in Utah costs $800 a month. Between all the roommates, most students in Provo are paying $2,100 or more for poorly built apartments from the 1980's. This is not fair nor is it appropriate.
To finish, students are being forced to pay large rates for poorly built apartments here in Provo. Elsewhere, they would be getting much more for what they are paying. It is just and right to either lower rent or raise the quality of apartments in Provo.
10. Late Night Snacks
At the moment, I am doing two things: pondering what I should write about in tonight's blog post and eating a piece of pie. It is about midnight and the logical half of me is thinking two things: I should be asleep and I shouldn't be eating a piece of pie. The really isn't any need to discuss whether or not going to sleep is a good idea, but eating at night is an interesting topic to me for several reasons.
First, as a college student, eating late at night is sometimes a necessity because I have no other time at which I can eat. I spend long hours on campus each day because I have two jobs on campus and I am also taking a large number of credits. Add my tendency to study in the library and you might as well say I live on campus.
The other reason I eat at night is that I need the energy. Often, when an assignment calls for a late night, amount of brain power I have can be boosted by a meal or a snack late at night. This can be the difference between getting my homework done and falling asleep ahead of time.
The problem I have with eating at night is that I tend to gain unwanted weight when I eat late at night. I noticed that on my mission when I was only eating dinner after 10 o'clock, I started to put on the pounds. Looking for a way to get rid of the weight, I stopped eating late at night and the weight came right off. From personal experience, I find that it is unhealthy to eat after 9 o'clock.
In the end, it is a personal decision whether or not you want to eat late or not. For me, it is a trade-off. Sometimes, due to time constraints or late night fuel needs, I have to eat late at night, even though I would prefer not to.
First, as a college student, eating late at night is sometimes a necessity because I have no other time at which I can eat. I spend long hours on campus each day because I have two jobs on campus and I am also taking a large number of credits. Add my tendency to study in the library and you might as well say I live on campus.
The other reason I eat at night is that I need the energy. Often, when an assignment calls for a late night, amount of brain power I have can be boosted by a meal or a snack late at night. This can be the difference between getting my homework done and falling asleep ahead of time.
The problem I have with eating at night is that I tend to gain unwanted weight when I eat late at night. I noticed that on my mission when I was only eating dinner after 10 o'clock, I started to put on the pounds. Looking for a way to get rid of the weight, I stopped eating late at night and the weight came right off. From personal experience, I find that it is unhealthy to eat after 9 o'clock.
In the end, it is a personal decision whether or not you want to eat late or not. For me, it is a trade-off. Sometimes, due to time constraints or late night fuel needs, I have to eat late at night, even though I would prefer not to.
9. Perry Baker is Quick
There are some things that can be debated: whether or not Trump is a good president, whether or not joggers are a good fashion trend, and who the best quarterback in the National Football League might be are just a few examples of debatable topics. However, something that is not and should not be debatable is whether Perry Baker is quick or not.
To give a little background on the subject, Perry Baker is 31-year-old from New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He is currently a member of the U.S. Men's National Sevens team and is ranked second in career tries for the team. Baker played football in college and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles before an injury cut his football career short and he turned to rugby.
His resume speaks for itself. It is quite obvious that he is athletic. But the reason he is so good at what he does is that he is so quick. Perry Baker can run a 10.26 100 meter dash. I'll bet that is at least a whole second faster than anyone you personally know. His flat-out sprint speed combined with his agility makes him one of the most dangerous players on the pitch.
Perry Baker is quick. There is only so much I can say to describe it. The best way for you to know for yourself that this is true is to watch him at work on the pitch. So go do it right now. Seach Perry Baker on Google and click on the video tab of the results. If you do that, you will be treated to the spectacle that is Perry Baker blazing past his opponents on his way to scoring a try.
To give a little background on the subject, Perry Baker is 31-year-old from New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He is currently a member of the U.S. Men's National Sevens team and is ranked second in career tries for the team. Baker played football in college and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles before an injury cut his football career short and he turned to rugby.
His resume speaks for itself. It is quite obvious that he is athletic. But the reason he is so good at what he does is that he is so quick. Perry Baker can run a 10.26 100 meter dash. I'll bet that is at least a whole second faster than anyone you personally know. His flat-out sprint speed combined with his agility makes him one of the most dangerous players on the pitch.
Perry Baker is quick. There is only so much I can say to describe it. The best way for you to know for yourself that this is true is to watch him at work on the pitch. So go do it right now. Seach Perry Baker on Google and click on the video tab of the results. If you do that, you will be treated to the spectacle that is Perry Baker blazing past his opponents on his way to scoring a try.
8. Hey, Political Facebooker, Keep It To Yourself
In the course of making this blog, I have mentioned social media a lot. It's a hot topic and it is a part of most people's daily lives. Because of that, I think it is something that deserves a lot of discussions. That being said, I have a bone to pick with social media. From the title, I think it is probably pretty obvious what I have to say and who it is addressed to. To be fair to me, if you have made it far into the post, you're going to have to finish it to understand what I really mean by the title.
To set the scene for you, I am going to paint a picture. You will need to use your imagination, so close your eyes. Now open them; you're going to need to be able to read what you are supposed to imagine! Imagine this: you just finished a long day at school and work and you are sitting on your sofa at home at long last. As you wait for your meal to cook, you pull out your phone and decide to rest your mind by hopping on social media for a bit. You're hoping for some entertainment: maybe your nerdy friend posted the newest Star Wars trailer for you to watch, your weird friend may have posted another series of funny cat memes for you to browse through, or you might find that cute guy or girl you met the other day and try to slide in their DM's. You get through the first few pictures of engagements and you give them their obligatory likes. Now the search for entertainment has begun. But, as you search for funny cat memes and the latest Long Beach Griffy videos, all you seem to come across is people posting angrily about politics. Ranging from logical, infrequent, and written out with pure intention to illogical, daily posts written to anger the public mind, these trumpets of unsolicited opinions cover your news feed, choking out the already rare entertaining posts. Shaking your head, you turn off your phone without accomplishing any of the goals you originally had in mind. With that, our example comes to a close
Now, I don't mean to say that it is a bad thing to use Facebook to share opinions and ideas. But, it also isn't the reason I use Facebook or any other social media. I use social media to stay in touch with friends and to entertain me when my brain is fried and I don't want to do anything else. I understand an occasional political or opinion-based post. However, when that is all I see when I am on social media and when the ideas are poorly thought out or cliche, it really starts to get on my nerves. It kills my desire to use social media and often severely lowers my opinion of the people who posted whatever it is.
For the reasons stated above, I feel like if all you do on Facebook is vent about politics, you need to realize that you are preaching to people who don't care and probably won't be convinced by what you have to say. Which means you should probably go and vent out your ideas somewhere else. And this goes to you as well, news outlets. Any intelligent person will not rely on social media as their main source of political information. Either keep it to yourself or go put it out there where someone cares.
To set the scene for you, I am going to paint a picture. You will need to use your imagination, so close your eyes. Now open them; you're going to need to be able to read what you are supposed to imagine! Imagine this: you just finished a long day at school and work and you are sitting on your sofa at home at long last. As you wait for your meal to cook, you pull out your phone and decide to rest your mind by hopping on social media for a bit. You're hoping for some entertainment: maybe your nerdy friend posted the newest Star Wars trailer for you to watch, your weird friend may have posted another series of funny cat memes for you to browse through, or you might find that cute guy or girl you met the other day and try to slide in their DM's. You get through the first few pictures of engagements and you give them their obligatory likes. Now the search for entertainment has begun. But, as you search for funny cat memes and the latest Long Beach Griffy videos, all you seem to come across is people posting angrily about politics. Ranging from logical, infrequent, and written out with pure intention to illogical, daily posts written to anger the public mind, these trumpets of unsolicited opinions cover your news feed, choking out the already rare entertaining posts. Shaking your head, you turn off your phone without accomplishing any of the goals you originally had in mind. With that, our example comes to a close
Now, I don't mean to say that it is a bad thing to use Facebook to share opinions and ideas. But, it also isn't the reason I use Facebook or any other social media. I use social media to stay in touch with friends and to entertain me when my brain is fried and I don't want to do anything else. I understand an occasional political or opinion-based post. However, when that is all I see when I am on social media and when the ideas are poorly thought out or cliche, it really starts to get on my nerves. It kills my desire to use social media and often severely lowers my opinion of the people who posted whatever it is.
For the reasons stated above, I feel like if all you do on Facebook is vent about politics, you need to realize that you are preaching to people who don't care and probably won't be convinced by what you have to say. Which means you should probably go and vent out your ideas somewhere else. And this goes to you as well, news outlets. Any intelligent person will not rely on social media as their main source of political information. Either keep it to yourself or go put it out there where someone cares.
7. Three Specific Reading and Writing Goals For This Semester
Today, we were challenged in my writing class to make some goals for reading and writing during this semester. We got a list of some ideas for improving our reading and writing skills. As I went through the list, there were three that I thought would be really helpful. Specifically, I decided I will take notes, make a purpose question and note down questions about things that I don't understand.
There are a few reasons I chose these three techniques for improving my reading in writing. First of all, taking notes will help me pay more attention while I am writing and will give me more ideas as I start to write. Next, writing down a purpose question for everything I write and for what I am reading will really focus my thoughts and help me to understand the subject more. Finally, writing down anything I don't understand will allow me to search out answers to my questions, helping me to be better informed and more prepared for future reading and writing.
As with all good goals, they need to be based on a plan to implement them. So, I decided I will start this out by having a notebook to write down my notes and questions in. I will start by writing my purpose question at the top of a paper. This will be followed by notes on the subject down the middle column, with questions I may have written in the left-hand margin.
I really believe implementing these techniques in my reading and writing over the course of this semester will help me to improve all my writing and to get more understanding from all the assigned readings that we will have in this class. I really want to get the most out of this class and I think that this is the way to do it.
There are a few reasons I chose these three techniques for improving my reading in writing. First of all, taking notes will help me pay more attention while I am writing and will give me more ideas as I start to write. Next, writing down a purpose question for everything I write and for what I am reading will really focus my thoughts and help me to understand the subject more. Finally, writing down anything I don't understand will allow me to search out answers to my questions, helping me to be better informed and more prepared for future reading and writing.
As with all good goals, they need to be based on a plan to implement them. So, I decided I will start this out by having a notebook to write down my notes and questions in. I will start by writing my purpose question at the top of a paper. This will be followed by notes on the subject down the middle column, with questions I may have written in the left-hand margin.
I really believe implementing these techniques in my reading and writing over the course of this semester will help me to improve all my writing and to get more understanding from all the assigned readings that we will have in this class. I really want to get the most out of this class and I think that this is the way to do it.
6. This Guy Studied How to Have Stronger Families. You Won't Believe What He Found Out!
Bruce Feiler is a normal guy, just like you or me. He puts his pants on one leg at a time, he has to brushes his teeth, and occasionally spends more time on the internet than he probably should. Another thing that makes Bruce a lot like you and me is the fact that he doesn't always have a well-functioning family unit. In his attention-catching article, "The Stories That Bind Us," he describes a scene of complete chaos that ensued his rebuke of one of his nephews at a family dinner.
Unlike most of us, Bruce used this scene to do something quite incredible. He spent years researching and uncovering information about how to make teams, specifically families, function better. What he learned during these years is even more incredible and unexpected: families that have a stronger family narrative tend to be much more stable.
Bruce discovered this surprising information by interviewing the famed Dr. Marshall Duke from Emory University. Dr. Duke had spent years studying kids to find which kids were the most stable. It turns out, according to his research, that kids who know the history of their family tend to be much more stable.
For most people, this is incredibly surprising. However, it is important to note that these findings aren't that far from what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches. The Church puts particular importance in the work of genealogy, or the study of one's family. This helps members of the church create strong family narratives. It means family traditions and knowledge of what has happened in the family's past is very prevalent among even the children of the family. This heralds back to a scripture that is very familiar to the members of The Church, which states that the hearts of the children will be turned to their fathers. Well, Mormons, it looks like you did it again. Way to focus on building up those families.
Unlike most of us, Bruce used this scene to do something quite incredible. He spent years researching and uncovering information about how to make teams, specifically families, function better. What he learned during these years is even more incredible and unexpected: families that have a stronger family narrative tend to be much more stable.
Bruce discovered this surprising information by interviewing the famed Dr. Marshall Duke from Emory University. Dr. Duke had spent years studying kids to find which kids were the most stable. It turns out, according to his research, that kids who know the history of their family tend to be much more stable.
For most people, this is incredibly surprising. However, it is important to note that these findings aren't that far from what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches. The Church puts particular importance in the work of genealogy, or the study of one's family. This helps members of the church create strong family narratives. It means family traditions and knowledge of what has happened in the family's past is very prevalent among even the children of the family. This heralds back to a scripture that is very familiar to the members of The Church, which states that the hearts of the children will be turned to their fathers. Well, Mormons, it looks like you did it again. Way to focus on building up those families.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
5. Ryan Hamilton: The Man, The Myth, The Comedian.
As I listened to Ryan Hamilton discuss his life in a comic manner, I tried to understand who his intended audience was. He began by talking about his uncanny ability to appear chipper and optimistic, even though on the inside he just felt alright. This struck me as entertaining, as it appeared to do for so many others in the audience. I think that the reason so many in the audience, which includes a wide variety of people, can relate to Ryan is two-fold.
First, Ryan has an incredible smile. It is broad, tall and shining white, revealing all his teeth clearly. This kind of smile comes across as energetic, enthusiastic and incredibly happy. So, naturally, many in the audience assume that he is in a very good mood because of his smile. Hearing contrary to what appears to be fact is humorous to all those who watch him say he is doing alright with a huge grin.
The other reason that it appears that Ryan is able to appeal to a general audience is that many people feel like they are putting on a happy face while they really feel differently inside. Because of the context, the audience will laugh, but if this were in a more serious context, they would feel a connection because of the truth in what Ryan is saying. To put it simply, it is very relatable humor for a very large audience, which makes it very entertaining.
In conclusion, there are two types of humor that Ryan uses to appeal to a very wide audience. Ryan appeals to many peoples sense of physical humor with his wide, toothy grin. This naturally brings smiles to the faces of all who see him. The other type of humor that Ryan uses is an appeal to a wide audience by pointing out a relatable problem that many people experience. This is entertaining to people because they feel the same way as him.
First, Ryan has an incredible smile. It is broad, tall and shining white, revealing all his teeth clearly. This kind of smile comes across as energetic, enthusiastic and incredibly happy. So, naturally, many in the audience assume that he is in a very good mood because of his smile. Hearing contrary to what appears to be fact is humorous to all those who watch him say he is doing alright with a huge grin.
The other reason that it appears that Ryan is able to appeal to a general audience is that many people feel like they are putting on a happy face while they really feel differently inside. Because of the context, the audience will laugh, but if this were in a more serious context, they would feel a connection because of the truth in what Ryan is saying. To put it simply, it is very relatable humor for a very large audience, which makes it very entertaining.
In conclusion, there are two types of humor that Ryan uses to appeal to a very wide audience. Ryan appeals to many peoples sense of physical humor with his wide, toothy grin. This naturally brings smiles to the faces of all who see him. The other type of humor that Ryan uses is an appeal to a wide audience by pointing out a relatable problem that many people experience. This is entertaining to people because they feel the same way as him.
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