Tannen Technique's

In her article “We Need a Higher Quality Outrage,” Deborah Tannen stresses the importance of genuine opposition. Throughout the article Tannen utilizes important writing techniques to help prove valid points and make suggestions in relation to developing proper opposition. In doing so, she expresses some of her own ideas in the article. She believed citizens of America should create logical questions, investigate the motives of politicians, include their voice on important issues, ignore any outside mass media influence, and form valid arguments towards their government. She organizes these topics well making the article easier to read. In other terms, the article flowed
Most writers who write a formal article, essay, or research paper usually tend to write their thesis statement somewhere in the middle of their introductory paragraph. You may even find it somewhere later when the persuasive arguments are being made. Tannen chose to write her thesis in the first sentence of the article. “We need to ratchet up the level of opposition in our public and private discourse.” (Tannen 55). This helps the set her argument by firmly stating her position and allowing for no immediate questions to be asked. This idea of this sentence will be referred to back and forth to emphasize the argument, making it a straight forward statement to rely on and to help her remember her position.
Tannen displays another persuasive technique that the class learned in chapter four. She acknowledges the opposition. She previously wrote a book called The Argument Culture which she recognizes could’ve been used as material by the opposition to refute the current argument she presents in this article. In using this technique and then supporting her change with facts, she successfully defends her position and further displays the authority in which she has. This was a crucial move in her efforts to persuade the audience.
Throughout the first three paragraphs of the article, Tannen is constantly defining the term “agonism.” This is important because she gives the audience different definitions and examples to show how the term will be used throughout her article. She first gives her own definition, then the general definition, and finally the definition as used by journalist. She plays with the example of a street brawl in order to define agonism in a way that the audience can relate to. By doing so she allows a better understanding of where she stands in her argument and starts to build an intangible bind between herself and the reader.
In the body of the article, Tannen makes her persuasive arguments. She uses current events that most people are familiar with to help state her case. This is great for grasping the attention of the reader. “One can argue that the president is using the Sept. 11 attacks to bolster his public profile without going so far as to claim (as does a message circulating on the internet) that he played a role in authorizing the attacks.” (Tannen 55). By tracking back to this thought, she shows the reader how arguments can be organized to show relation between two ideas without falling back to creating wild assumptions. She firmly solidifies her position and reaches deeper with the audience.
Tannen wrote this article strictly for the educated public and lower level politicians. She uses strong vocabulary that she assumes the audience would recognize, but defines vocabulary that is vital to her argument. One would need a dictionary by his/her side to read this article. She plays with certain words and ends up appearing sarcastic with her writing in terms of the context. In defining agonism, she states, “…ritualized opposition, a knee-jerk, automatic use of warlike formats.” (Tannen 55). Not only does Tannen utilize some hard-core vocabulary, but she also keeps the article straight-forward. With each new paragraph in which she introduces a new idea, she keeps to her format and gets to the point, making the task of reading her article an easier burden to deal with.
All in all, this article was well written and touched on the points in which it set out to do. It kept a consistent tone and allowed the reader to enjoy it. Tannen used the best writing techniques set for a persuasive argument which shows that she clearly knows what she is doing. She defined the term important for her article, used current events to help the audience relate to what she is writing, stated her position very early to negate any immediate opposition, acknowledged her opposition and allowed her own opinions and suggestions to enter into the article. Deborah Tannen seems to be a great writer and would be even better in debates.


Works Cited
1. Tannen, Deborah. “We Need a Higher Quality Outrage.” Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Reading Across the Disciplines. 5th ed. Katherine Anne Ackley, ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage, 2009. 55-57
This article can also be found in the Christian Science Monitor October 20, 2004 issue.

Egotistical my Ass

Matter of fact this is exactly how I'm feeling right now when it comes to dance here @ MCLA. I know that there are a lot of good dancers and i know that if I want to reach my personal goal, I have to be better than good, i have to be the best. People view this type of mentality as "being troublesome for no reason," taking arrogance to another level or so and so. If that's so, then Mo'tivated's Blog Real vs Real, just proves that I can have that mentality. Why not try to be better than the rest and show it. Is this world so stuck on "we are all the same" that a simple dancer can't even fathom the thought of being the greatest there ever was. Babe Ruth was considered the greatest there ever was. Muhammud Ali was considered the greatest their ever was and he was a shit talker. But now with new talent and competition always emerging from every part of the globe, I always have to be one step ahead of the best. I want to make a name for myself and stop being told to "dumb it down" with the ego. If I'm egotistical then it's for a good reason. If you can't reach for the stars, become one.

Women are the Perfect Art.

Women are often portrayed as the Beauty of God in Bliblical mentionings and religious ceremonial rituals. The Like-ness of man but not of man. In ancient Greece, Aphrodite was infact a women, a symbol of compassion, love, and deepest desire. Davinci's greatest materpiece, The Mona Lisa, was his defined portrayal of the perfect art. The planet itself is called "Mother Earth," because the belief that life sprung from the womb of nothingness. Every aspect of life is in some relation with women, whether it be Human, materialistic. The truth is nothing we do can be possible without a "Women's Touch."
dedicated to Monique Symes..it's not perfect but whatever
love ya
peace

Metaphysics: One essence to Ayn Rand's Objectivism

1. Metaphysics: "Reality, the external world, exist independent of man's consciousness, independent of any observer's knowledge, beliefs, feelings, desires and fears. This means that A is A, facts are facts, that things are what they are-- and that the task of man's consciousness is to percieve reality, not to create or invent it." Thus Objectuvism rejects any belief in the supernatural-- and any claim that individuals or groups create their own reality.

2.Esthetics: " Art is a selective re-creation of reality according to an artist's metaphysical value-judgments." The purpose of art is to concretizethe artist's fundamental view of existence. Ayn Rand described her own approach to art as "Romantic Realism"; "I am Realistic in the sense that I place them here and now and on earth." The goal of Ayn Rand's novels is not didactic but artistic: the projection of an ideal man: "My purpose, first cause and prime mover is the portrayal of Howard or John Galt or Hank Reardan or Francisco d'Ancomia as an end in himself--not as a means to any further end."

I have no Influence

I bet that the title is a little misleading. I am influenced by everything around me. It's part of my constant need to fit into a world that degrades the Human Ego. The world only values the ideas of those who created them when the world was in search and need of art and expression. Not to be influenced by those around you is hard. People are always to trying to impress someone or get approval from someone superior so they use traditional methods and just tend to modify it. They never try to create their own works of art based on how they see fit not by how others around them see fit.



The idea to work for oneself is the idea that you choose what you do for work, how you do it and not allowing any outside opinions, habits, traditions or influences to determine how you view your work. To truly love the work you do you must love the earth in which you mold your piece, mankind and the capabililties in which they possess, the very fabric in which you choose to use as your canvus, the tools that allow you to continue through the functions of your work and you must love yourself.



Society views the "Ego" as the negative aspect of human behavior. What they fail ito realize is that the "Ego," there fore the individual is the most important in a society that uses mob mentality. We live in a world that bases itself off of traditions and religion and the beliefs and opinions that only reflect a group. But if an "Ego" does appear, the world doesn't know how to deal with him. They reject his work. They plot against it.

to be continued

A man who is what he should be.

I am an avid fan of Ayn Rand, the author of The Fountainhead, Anthem, and Atlas Shrugged. She herself has created a philosophy called Objectivism. Objectivism: Philos. One of several doctrines holding that reality is objective and external to the mind and that knowledge is reliably based on observed phenomena. An emphasis on objective themes in literature and art.

I have currently been reading The Fountainhead and find it to be one of the most educational and inspiring pieces of literature I have ever layed eyes on. Through the story Ayn Rand lays out a foundation of the ideal man through her main character Howard Roark. A man who nobody can quite understand because his work "architectural design" isn't traditional yet isn't modern. She also displays him as a man who isn't influenced by the ideas or viewpoints of others and knows exactly what he wants.

He is a man who does things the way he wants to and if it isn't exactly how he plans it, he refuses to do it. A man who works for himself.

Howard Roark, in the eyes of Ayn Rand and the audience, is " The noble soul par excellence.The man as man should be. The self-sufficient,self-confident, the end of ends, the reason unto himself, the joy of living personified. Above all--the man who lives for himself, as living for oneself should be understood. And who triumphs completely. A man who is who he should be.
Again this is the same idea as parents would tell their children when growing up. Be yourself and don't be influenced by what the other kids have done or are doing. In this case, nobody influences the decisions Howard Roarks makes. He simply does what he does because he can and wants to.


Howard Roark is the ideal man.

I am the Dream

This blog is a response to the blog that Mo'tivated had written called Erotic Dreams.

To store a vision in the back of your mind is the action of hiding one's thought. A dream or fantasy isn't any different. When to display that vision, dream or fantasy, you let your most sacred thoughts run careless along the canvas in which you create your art. Might it be paper, dance floor, wood, plaster, metal ect. Another reason why mind readers are considered "Phony." They can't quite grasp the realization of the actual thought. The meaning of the thought, dream, or fantasy. The meaning only comes from the need of an "object"(may it be person or material or an idea)or the lack there of. But when your thoughts and dreams are exploited unto a canvas, your deepest desires, thoughts, goals, and very purpose is also exposed.
What if in fact, our dreams are defined by the need? What is the need influenced by? I strongly believe our dreams can be influenced by one's inner qualities. The positive qualities which suggest our character, personality, thoughts and motivations. The negative qualities which also influence these certain aspects of oursleves.
In old Roman Catholic beliefs, each being has 7 holy virtues and 7 deadly sins which one can commit. The virtues being that of Chastity, Abstinence, temperance, diligence, patience, kindness, and humilty. The 7 deadly sins being that of envy, greed, lust, gluttony,wrath,sloth, and pride. Each virtue and sin affect the qualities which define the desire within a dream.
Some might say that the dream or image that we get when we sleep plays like a movie except through your eyes. I have never really had a dream where i can see myself as a bodily figure walking through the scenarios of the dream. I am usually looking at a dream the same way that i see during the day. which isn't important right now because i'm focusing on a bigger topic.
Erotic dreams fulfill the subconscious desire or need for sex which can be influenced by the sin of lust. Erotic sex dreams about a neighbors spouse fulfills the need for sex through lust and envy. You know you can not have your neighbors spouse but you want them. Therefore the thought is held in your subconscience only to be active later when your subconscience is at it's peak. It's peak is when you can invision the thought when your awake and conveying to an audience through a canvus. Might the canvus be through words, art, or action. First the thought of the sin, then the dream, then the word, art or action.
Long story short our dreams are our deepest desires defined by the sin or virtue that satisfies the need.

The Break Down of The Dawn

Chapter 113
Al-Falaq: The Dawn
The Holy Qur'an

This surah from the muslim transcript is one of my favorite pieces of written work. Read the Surah the read my analysis on it.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
1. Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn,
2. From the evil of that which he has created,
3. And from the evil of intense darkness, when it comes,
4. And from the evil of those who cast (evil suggestions) in firm resolution,
5. And from the evil of the envier when he envies.

The Dawn represents the daybreak, signicantly a representation of the cleaving through the darkness. The Lord of the dawn is the gradual manisfestation of the truth and it's ultimate triumph after it had been revealed.

The last three verses signified the judgment and consideration of one's affairs to another. There fore creating a sense of envy. The wanting of what another has. This also suggest that one works for what he gets and success will be more glorious when achieved properly.

The intense darkness is the inner wantings of another who manipulates to achieve ,"evil suggestion."

Eating Peanut Butter

Five years ago, I was dragged into the faith of Islam when my family and I began attending Mosque # 13. Islam taught me to be more appreciative of other religions and make me a better individual. Although I never enjoyed going to the mosque and I was always doing the opposite of what the faith required. In fact I hated the faith. But in spite of my dislike for the Islam at first, I’ve tried to understand and love this religion that others may call peace.
This sect of Islam is called The Nation of Islam. It has the basic principles of that of the Suni or Shiite tribes, but target the minority or oppressed people of America. Some important people have come from the Nation of Islam; Malcom X, Louis Farrakhan, and Elijah Muhummad. Knowing this, it felt kind of good to be involved in Islam. I was proud but I still disagreed with a lot of the beliefs.
Muhammad’s Mosque # 13 is a little building that can hold about 200 people and is located in Springfield, Massachusetts. Because of my unwillingness at first to go to mosque, my mother deprived me of free time with my friends. This made me want to jump off a bridge into a pile of clams.
My personal beliefs never used to mix well with Mosque # 13. My Minister’s ideas bothered me. His lectures were mostly about how we all have some purpose in life and one given fate depending on how we live are life. I know that’s not what the Nation was about at all. It’s about following in the way of Allah through the methods given to us by the prophet Muhummad written in the Holy Qu’ran. I never cared for what he said anyway. I think that statement could also apply to the other members that mysteriously disappeared or did not attend the Mosque regularly. At times, there would only be 6 people that attended a night meeting out of the 70 people that were considered active participants in the Mosque. I was kind of ashamed and felt that everyone who didn’t attend was Hypocritical. I was one to talk.
My mother said, “If you don’t have God, then you have nothing at all.” As a person who likes to live life day by day with no concern about Heaven or Hell, I tended to accept that there was a God and that he loved me for living. At home my mother insisted that I do my five daily prayers, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. I would go into my room and set up the carpet in front of my mom and close the door. Then I would sit on my prayer rug and read the next five issues of my favorite video game magazine. Instead of finding time for God, I read codes and cheats for some of the hottest games on the market.
I nearly gave up on what little faith I had completely when I first found out there were dietary restrictions. While attending Mosque # 13, I read two manuals. The How to Eat to Live volumes were two books that contained information about foods I could or couldn’t consume. They stated that peanut butter is unhealthy for the digestive system because it takes too long to process. I didn’t believe this was true because I ate peanut butter all the time and it never slowed me down. I loved peanut butter. I ate so much peanut butter it flowed quicker than water through my body. Not eating peanut butter was just another idea I threw away in the deepest dungeons of my mind where all other stupid thoughts are stored away. It’s like the trash can that you see on computer desktops. Don’t like an idea, throw it away, but always be able to bring it back up again. The whole idea that there was a restriction on food at all was ridiculous because no one should tell a person how much of what they can eat. If a person wants to indulge himself in Hometown Buffet and eat all the onion rings and chicken he can, then who is to stop him.
I continued to eat the foods that I was required not to eat. Slowly I noticed a change in my physical behavior. I started getting sick off of all the junk food I was eating. Pork and Chinese food in general were among some of the reasons for this. I’d also gotten slower and my reflexes weren’t so slick, which is exactly what the dietary manuals had mentioned would happen. I was gaining weight which didn’t look to good on the swim team either. And let’s face it, playing football after eating fried chicken is not the brightest thing a person can do. After all this I decided to change my eating habits. I now do not consume light bread, collard greens, salmon, caviar, pancakes, fried chicken, chips, and beverages with food coloring in them, and pork.
All the emphasis that was put into my studies and prayer also had an effect on what I thought about the faith. The more I was forced to study the more I actually wanted to study. It was interesting to learn how Adam and Eve were not the first people on the planet, but the first sinners. They were the first to deviate from the original people. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried to resist the fact that I actually needed this faith in my life, it never seemed to satisfy me with success. Finally, I came to the realization: Why fight it?
Also, my ideas about prayer and faith started transforming completely from semi-agnostic to semi-orthodox (as if). When praying in a peaceful mindset with no distractions, I now feel closer to a supreme being in which the minister would call Allah (God). I actually enjoyed having a one on one relationship with god through prayer. Islam began to have a positive impact on me.
Through all the disagreements and fast food sicknesses I finally accepted the faith of Islam. Change isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Although it took me a whole 3 years to actually get used to this new lifestyle, it was actually quick enjoyable. Not that I’m saying that Islam is all fun and games, it’s just that I rejected it without giving it a second thought to it. The same happens to one person from another. You don’t really know a person until you give him a chance right? So, even though I eat what is required now, the one thing I refuse to compromise is my eternal love for peanut butter.

A random Blog Post about Myself

Choosing a name for me became more of a hassle than an actual privilege. Yet, Kenny seemed like a reasonable appellation. After my birth in the city of Springfield, where nonsense roamed the streets, my mother decided to pack our things and move to Holyoke, Mass. The birthplace of Volleyball became my home for the first 10 years of my life. My family later moved to Chicopee then decided that Holyoke was just a better living environment.
My name means, “Born of Hell-Fire,” and “Handsome” in old Scottish tongue. I never knew this until I researched it for my fourth grade class assignment. I attended Marcella Kelly Elementary School between the ages of six and twelve. My current occupation as a full-time student in MCLA constantly reminds me of my elementary education and how I have changed over the years.
As a child, I thought the world fought against me. I believed that my teachers also fought against me. As if they never wanted to see me succeed. I thought I did things the right way when writing and my teachers totally disagreed. They constantly critiqued my work and sometimes discredited my work as Under the Standard.
Now I know that my teachers only cared to improve my writing skills not degrade them. Now, as a student majoring in the Fine and Performing Arts, I use my writing as an art form. To express myself within the world of artistic abilities is my goal. The arts fulfill me. I dance to relieve stress and feel comfortable in front of crowds. I sing and write to express my inner thoughts and emotions. Also, I play drums because I can. Art is my verb.
I enjoy eating. The fact that my body can consume any material that is fit for the human anatomy makes me happy. I love observing the texture and the quality of a well made dinner. I love eating out at fast-food shops; especially McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s. I also enjoy eating at restaurants like Olive Garden and Mr. Hyde’s.
I was given this assignment to write about myself in a 500 word essay with out using the “To be” verbs. This assignment couldn’t have come at a better time. I didn’t think I could nail it. This assignment became very difficult when I started running out of things to say about myself. Of course, my instructor did state that this one particular assignment would test me and my ability as a writer. I didn’t believe her. I kind of just disregarded what she had said during that one class. My mind went wondering like a students mind tends to do. So, now it seems that I could only write things that have no importance in this essay. Great assignment professor.
In my pursuit to write about myself in an essay with out using the “To be” verbs, I have gained a skill that could be useful in any future assignment.