Final Blog Post

What to write about, what to write about, what to write about, etc. etc. etc.  I could blabber on about none sense for this last post but that doesn't sound very interesting at all.  It wouldn't be worth a post if I wrote about none sense.  None sense can be interesting, though, which contradicts my previous comment.

I'm wearing a sparkly white sweater today and it makes me feel like I'm walking in a winter wonder land but there's a problem...there is no snow on the ground today.  It is December for goodness sake and this is Michigan! Where is all the snow? We're quite close to a lake, no? Should we not be getting lake effect snow?  Maybe Michigan is always like this, though and I am simply forgetting years past.

My friend wants me to help him with his lab, but how can I help?  I suppose I could help him with the writing portion of the lab. I could give him moral support...put on a cheerleader uniform, complete with mini skirt and matching top and pom poms.  I would scream as loud as I could about doing the lab until their ears bled.  That doesn't sound like a good idea though.  This whole blog post isn't a good idea, not really, but I sort of like it like that.

Open Post

Lately I have been curious about the chemistry of scents. More specifically why do some scents suit men and some scents suit women?  And why do some of these scents turn us on (for lack of a better term) and some disgust us?  Is there something in the actual scented liquid that we are drawn to?  Google would probably be something I go to. I could type in something like, "the science of smells" and check out the first three websites that pop up. The second page can go screw itself, by than google has become hopeless.  Don't even mention the third page! The third page of google is like some weird wormhole and the only things that actually match your search is probably only a couple of letters.  Smell might pop up a couple of times on the second page, but it will have nothing to do with science. It would probably be about farts or something like that.  Farts and scents, they go hand in hand, yes?  I could also google the gendering of scents.  Axe is made for men, their scents are associated with men and women seem to like it (sometimes.)  Vanilla is a ladies scent, and men often enjoy the smell of it on a woman.  Someday I will write a lengthy and detailed research paper on this topic. 

In the Shadow of No Towers Respone

• What is the dominant impression you get from the comic? What do you make of the title of Spiegelman’s series of comics? What is going on in the frames and in the gutters?
• Discuss the images in the comic. What do you make of the various ways in which Spiegelman draws his character (human, cartoon human, mouse, etc.)? Why is he doing this? What effect does it have on his narrative?
• Examine the narrative through the text. What does the text do in this piece? What function does it serve?

It is hard to pinpoint the dominant impression I got from this comic.  It seemed almost cynical, and very dark.  Any humor in this piece was very dark as well.  I felt not exactly happy when reading this comic, instead I felt disturbed but fascinated.  I wanted to keep on reading because it was so incredibly fascinating, the art and the writing that is.  The title is descriptive of and relevant to what is going on in the comic, but not completely straight forward. 

There is a lot going on the frames.  There are many people panicking and racing about.  The style of art changes quite a bit as well.  Sometimes it looks very cartoony and, one could say, old school.  The mouse appears, to me, more human than even the human characters.  A personified mouse is of course the most unrealistic thing in this comic but he is still the most like a human being to me.  The actual human beings in this comic are drawn too cartoony to seem perfectly human.

The different styles of drawings in this comic create a certain effect.  They make the piece seem more hectic and out of control, and this is exactly how the people in the comic are feeling.  It is a reflection of what the characters and the environment of the comic are feeling and experiencing. 

The text in this comic is important, as it gives more insight into the feelings and the panic of the characters.  It also gives insight into the drama and the darkness of the event.  The mouse, for example, is comparing 9/11 to Auschwitz.  This is a powerful comparison, even coming from a mouse.  This comparing of 9/11 to Auschwitz gives a better idea of the tragedy that was 9/11 and the fear that came with it. 

Lewin's diary blog post.

These diaries occur in a stream of consciousness narrative because Lewin is writing down the events as he remembers them, and probably without pausing to think about what he is writing.  He wanted to put into words what he saw and that is it.  This style of writing makes it seem more genuine, less edited or censored.  It feels more like the reader is inside of Lewin’s head this way.  The purpose of this diary is to tell people of this piece of history.  This part of history was incredibly dark and impacted the entire world so it is important that we remember it.  This diary helps us remember it, and it also helps us to learn new things about it.  One could use this text as a historical document in order to tell a more detailed, and more personal view of history.  Instead of simply looking at statistics they can look at specific and detailed events.  The intended audience of this piece is everyone. Historians, victims of the holocaust, and simple every day people are the intended readers of this piece.  Everyone should know of the horrors of the holocaust and this is one way to show them just that.  Lewin’s distance in his writing offers a less biased view of the events.  Emotions become less intertwined with the facts.  By simply stating what happens it allows a reader feel their emotions without being affected by Lewin’s emotions.  I’m not sure there is such a thing as a typical diary, as a diary is something personal and thus something different for each person.  Often though we do see inner thoughts and feelings in a diary but not so much with Lewin’s, and this is something unique. 

Brain Storming

If I were a nurse in a concentration camp watching over the experiments of Dr. Mengele, or any of the cruel experiments, how would I be able to stomach it? I probably wouldn't.  It would be hard to sit back and watch a twin be cut in half and attached to another twin.  It would be even harder to provide the so called doctor with the scalpel to do so.  I wonder how the nurses were able to handle the concentration camps.  Were they nazi's or did fate just land them there?  Perhaps they were nurses at different hospitals before the holocaust. Once the holocaust began the nazi's wanted nurses and so they gathered the poor ladies and made them nazi nurses.  Nazi nurse is a strange term and I have a feeling that is not what they were called at all.  They were probably given more official, dignified titles.  Than again at that time, if you were a nazi, nazi was a dignified term.

I should count how many times I have written nazi and nurse in this post.  It is probably used so many times it has become annoying to any reader.  I am the writer of this post and I am already annoyed with my post and its lack of word variety.  Next post I shall work on this.

Open Post

I do not like being told what I can and cannot write about.  It frustrates me.  It frustrates my brain because it crushes my creative juices down into a few little bits of pulp.  Pulp that tastes sour and burns the tongue.  Writing turns from something fierce and raging into a boring job.  It becomes a formula that must be followed.  Build the base, fill in the blanks, repeat.  Where is the fun in that? I know where it is, it's back in that original idea I had.  The original idea that had no set formula, no set structure, no lame idea that was squeezed out of a tube like writing toothpaste.  It will turn out okay in the end but there will be little passion behind it.

On the other hand I suppose it makes me think in a new way, makes me think of something I wouldn't have thought of before.  Somewhere in the future I'm sure I will appreciate this but right now I simply feel intense writer angst. 

Nessi's dead.

Yeah, Nessi passed away. His daughter is alive, though.  People often mistake her for Nessi.  She doesn't mind, though, because it keeps the name of her father alive.  She doesn't actually have her own name, Nessi's daughter, because everyone thinks she's Nessi.  See, Nessi was named by superstitious Irish people and since they still think he's alive they haven't come up with a name for his daughter. This will probably never happen, though, the whole name game business.  If there is no way to prove that Nessi is alive, than how can they prove that he's dead? Now, you are probably wondering how I know Nessi's dead. I would tell you but I can't.  I'm kind of in cahoots with the MIH (Monsters in Hiding) and I have been sworn to secrecy.  The MIH was created to hide monsters such as bogarts (they commonly live under beds so they are confused as "Boogie Men"), mummy's that have come back to life, and even the occasional zombie experiment gone wrong. (Sadly, the zombies are often destroyed because of the danger of brains being eaten.) Back to my point, Nessi is dead, his daughter is alive, and I am a now not so secret member of the now not so secret MIH. Why publish this, you hypothetically ask? Because why not, that's why.

Three Genres

Genre #1: Satirical Review

Important Characteristics: This review is very humorous and clever.  The story it tells is quite humorous, and is making fun of the types of people that might wear a wolf shirt.  If this piece’s goal was to be humorous, and I believe it was, than it should make people laugh.  Exaggeration and crude descriptions in this case helps to make a reader laugh.  It mentions Wal-Mart, which is a very popular super market, so a reader is able to conjure up memories from their own life.  Being able to relate a story to real life, no matter what kind of story it is, is important.  My own satirical review would be much like this.

Purpose: To poke fun at the people who wear these kinds of wolf shirts.  This article is clearly making fun of a certain stereotype of people and of a certain product.  If I were to write a satirical review, or any kind of satirical piece I would most likely want to make fun of something.  The writer does not come straight out and say he is making fun, though, but it is obvious in the way the piece is written. 

Audience: People who are looking for a review of the wolf shirt.
Stance (tone/voice): Humorous, satirical, detailed in a sort of, for lack of a better term, crude way.
Media/Design:  Internet/product review.

Genre #2: Complaint Letter

Important Characteristics: There is a certain amount of frustration in this particular complaint letter, and I am sure there is much frustration in any complaint letter.  Bits of humor, though perhaps not on purpose, do sneak into a complaint letter.  If I were to write a complaint letter I would most likely model it off my complaint letter of choice.  There would be frustration, much description of just what is bothering me so much, and perhaps even some humor will slip in there. The humor would most likely slip in due to a slightly cocky attitude from the writer.

Purpose: To express a frustration, to get a point across, to make your problem known, and of course for entertainment.
Audience: The one that is receiving the complaint letter and anyone else who happens to read this letter. 
Stance (tone/voice): Frustrated and slightly cocky. (The cockiness might translate into something humorous.)
Media/Design: Letter or e-mail.

Genre #3: Obituary.
Important Characteristics: There is a simple but kind tone of voice.  It paints this particular woman in a good light.  It tells the story of a woman’s life, but is not incredibly detailed. 
Purpose: To announce the death of someone and to tell their life story in a nut-shell.
Audience: Family, friends, neighbors.
Stance (tone/voice): Gentle, simple, kind.
Media/Design: Newspaper and internet.

Final Analysis

Name: Vietnam War Protesters.

Genre: Photograph

Outline: #1.

            This photograph is of Vietnam War Protestors.  It is in black and white and in the center of the image is a sign with the words: “END THE WAR IN INOCHINA VIETNAM NOW” painted on it.  A young man, probably in his early twenties, is holding up the sign.  Linking arms with him are two men of around the same age.  All three men’s mouths are open, possibly in the midst of shouting.  In the foreground of the image are more protestors, but only their heads are showing.  In the corner, barely visible, is an American flag. 

Purpose:  The main purpose of this photograph is to show protestors of the Vietnam War.  Based on the photo itself, the photographer seems unbiased and was simply capturing a moment.  It also shows how angry and loud these people were.  The linked arm’s represents the unity between them.

Audience:  The audience was and is all American’s.  An anti-war American would appreciate this photo more than someone who felt differently, but it is intended for both sides to see.

Stance:  As mentioned above the photographer appears to be unbiased on the subject of the Vietnam War and of the protestors.  The people in the photo themselves, however, are not so unbiased.  They are obviously anti-war, and are quite loud and bold about this stance. 

Media: The media of this is version of the photograph is digital, but at one time I am sure it was in print, perhaps in a magazine or newspaper.

Ethos: I do not know who the original publisher or who the original photographer were.  Therefore I am unsure of the credibility of this photo.  I am going to assume it is from a credible source.

Logos: The photo features three men in the foreground of the picture, they all appear to be shouting and their arms are linked together.  In the background are what appears to be hundreds of more people who also appear to be shouting.  This depicts the protestors as a unified group of people.  The sign in the middle of them that states, “END THE WAR IN INDOCHINA VIETNMAN NOW” shows exactly what is unifying them.  This photograph is simply telling the truth of the matter.  This is what the protestors were against, and this how they showed it.

Pathos: The description of the photograph under logos is what makes this piece so strong.  The determination of the protestors is spilling from this photo.  Their heads are held high, they appear to be yelling, their arms are linked, etc.  They are a determined and angry group of people and that is clearly shown in the photo.

Thesis:

            This photograph is of Vietnam War Protestors.  It is in black and white and in the center of the image is a sign with the words: “END THE WAR IN INOCHINA VIETNAM NOW” painted on it.  A young man, probably in his early twenties, is holding up the sign.  Linking arms with him are two men of around the same age.  All three men’s mouths are open, possibly in the midst of shouting.  In the foreground of the image are more protestors, but only their heads are showing.  In the corner, barely visible, is an American flag.  The photographer of this photo did a very good job of showing the unity, and the power behind the Vietnam War protestors. Perhaps also the photographer supported these protestors, in which case he does a very good job of that too. 

Evidence:

      i.         The unity of these protestors is shown in their linked arms.  The linked arms continue out of the edges of the photograph, giving it the feeling that they continue on. 

     ii.         Power is clearly shown in this photograph.  The photographer captured the protestors with their heads held high, in the midst of their chant.  The three men take up most of the photo, making them appear larger than those behind them.  This also makes it seem as though the crowd continues on for miles.  The numbers in themselves represent power.

   iii.         The fact that the sign, with the words, “End the war in Indochina Vietnam now” is center of the photo, shows that the photographer was trying to capture what was motivating these protestors.  By capturing this he was in a way supporting their cause. 

Conclusion:

It is the linked arms, the faces in the midst of chanting, the vast amount of people, the placement of these people in the photograph, and the sign in the center of it all. The photographer made sure to capture these specific elements in order to creature a clear purpose. That purpose is to show the power and the unity behind the Vietnam War protestors. It is also to support the protestors themselves. 

       

Snoopy and Doonesbury

2. What main argument does Schulz make about writing, editors, and revision? What evidence from the text supports this interpretation?

            Charles Schulz, in his peanuts comic, is trying to make a point about writing, editors, and revision.  Snoopy in this particular comic seems to think that he does not need to revise his piece at all and that is simply wonderful on its own.  The editors keep sending it back, though, and so they obviously think different.  I am sure Schulz faced much criticism and had a lot of trouble publishing his comics at first.  He kept pushing it though, and most likely revised some of the pieces at least a little, and finally was published.  Perhaps, though, Schulz barely changed anything from the original comics and simply did not give up on them.  If that is the case than maybe this comic about Snoopy trying to get published is saying that you should not give up, and you should keep on pushing.  Although Snoopy also has a bit of a skewed idea of what getting published really means.  He seems to think it will make him rich and famous, as was the case for his creator.  This is very hard to do.

1. According to Trudeau, what is wrong with the American higher education system? What visual and written evidence supports his argument? How does Trudeau make use of the conventions of comics to support his argument?

Trudeau believes that the American higher education system is, as stated on page 180, “dumbing down” the college curriculum.  The comic strongly supports this notion.  At one point a character in the comic says, “Hell, we offer two courses on ‘The Simpsons’.”  This is in a support of the characters argument that the courses are not too difficult in fact they are too easy. The man this character is talking to is explaining all of the complaints they are getting about the courses not being student friendly enough.  The main character of the comic is present (Doonesbury, I assume is who that is), and this helps for the audience to connect with the comic.  The readers are familiar with the main character, and so having him appear in the beginning and the end possibly helps to make the comic more entertaining, and maybe even more insightful. 

Katrina blog post

2. Identify the intended audiences for this photograph. What evidence from the photograph supports this interpretation?

The damage Katrina left behind affected thousands of Americans and so I believe the intended audience for this photograph is all Americans.  The majority of the people in the photograph are African-American, and they are all struggling to board a bus that will take them to shelter.  This does not mean, however, that the photo is intended for African-American’s only.  It supports the fact that African-American people were struggling after Katrina and receiving minimal help, possibly because of their race.  All Americans, but especially the government, could have helped fix this.  I put emphasis on the government because they are the ones with the most power, thus they could provide the most help.  It is argued that they did not provide much help because of the race of these struggling people.  The government should help all people, though, no matter what their race might be.  They are still apart of this country, and deserve to be helped when needed.  They especially deserve to be helped after such a terrible thing like Katrina.  This photograph, in my eyes, says just that.  If the intended audience of this photograph is all Americans, than perhaps the next time something like this occurs they will strive to push for more help to be brought to the people. 

Adbusters: The Blackspot Unswoosher

2. Analyze the visual elements of the ad, including the font used for words, the color shading, sizing, positioning, etc. How do they support/not support the overall purpose of Adbusters' argument?

            The ad for the Blackspot Unswoosher shows an image of the shoe with its different parts labeled.  Beneath this image is a description of the product.  I am not so sure how effective this advertisement is in selling its product.  The text is bold and intense, which is not very appealing in my eyes.  They could have been going for this bold and intense font in order to seem just that, though, bold and intense.  If this is the case, they achieved their goal and the advertisement is indeed effective.  The image of the shoe shows all of the angels and aspects of the shoe.  There are also labels pointing to the different parts of the shoe.

For example the recycled tire sole is labeled.  It does more than just label what the physical thing is, though.  It also labels the sole as “union made”.  This “union made” label supports what the shoe was made to do.  According to the text below the image it is made out of vegetarian materials, organic hemp uppers, recycled tire soles, and, as is also stated by the label, it is made by a union factory.  Obviously this shoe is advertising an eco-friendly, union supporting, shoe. 

            I do feel that the way the advertisement is set up is quite effective.  The whole of the shoe is shown, the pieces of the show are labeled, and labeled in such a way that it supports the ideas behind it, and it features a description of the show at the bottom.  If I was a person looking for an eco-friendly shoe than I would be very persuaded by this advertisement and I would want to buy this shoe. 

"Why Are We Dressing our Daughters Like This?" Blog post.

1.     In "Why Are We Dressing Our Daughters Like This?" Lianne George writes: " Girls as young as 6 are adopting the external cues of womanhood, adorning themselves not only with lip gloss and nail polish, but also body sprays, skin glitters, and spa lotions." How does the previous quote support the purpose of George's essay? Do you agree with George that allowing girls to wear lip gloss, nail polish, etc. opens up the possibility for girls to dress in sexually provocative ways? Why or why not?

This quote in a sense summarizes the ideas of the essay itself.  It shows, in one sentence, the things girls are doing to themselves to try to be prettier.  The essay is talking about how young girls are putting much focus on material things that will somehow alter or enhance their appearance.  I do agree with George on some levels.  I do not think that an emphasis should be put on makeup when it comes to little girls.  I do, however, think that it is ok to let little girls play dress up.  When I was six years old I played with all of the things listed in the quoted sentence.  And now, at eighteen years old, I do not have the desire to dress provocatively.  I do, however, feel most comfortable and most confident when wearing makeup.

      This essay does make me wonder whether or not I feel that way because of the makeup I played with when I was younger.  I recall once dressing my face up with my friend, and my mom telling me how gorgeous I looked.  This made me very happy, of course.  Did I feel so happy because I felt pretty?  Or did I feel happy because I had received praise for something I had done well?  Although I played with makeup when I was younger I never wore clothing that was ever considered provocative or inappropriate for my age.  I have however seen images of very young girls, sometimes only five years old, dressed up in clothing that should only ever be worn by a grown woman, to put it simply.  I do believe that this would affect a young girl and open up the possibility for her to dress in sexually provocative ways when she grows up. 

       

Relating to Richardson.

Last week I asked you to read "Compare and Contrast" in your textbook. For your blog post due tonight at midnight, please compare and contrast your experiences with EITHER Richardson or Engkent. You can approach this prompt from any angle you see fit. You might discuss your experiences with: relating to your family members or significant other through (body) language, offensive language, a time when you could not use language to express your thoughts/desires, or learning a new language. Make sure you pull a direct quote from either Richardson's or Engkent's text as you compare and contrast your own experiences.

   
          It was not very easy for me to relate to Elaine Richardson’s piece, “My Ill Literacy Narrative: Growing Up Black, Po and a girl in the Hood”.  The title really says it all.  I come from a lower middle class family, but we are not poor.  I am very white, and I have never lived in the hood.  I am indeed a girl, but that only allowed to me to sympathize with Richardson, not relate to her. 

            Something I can relate to with Richardson is the part about showing her brother affection, and how he rejected it in public in order to look tough.  She writes about this on page 48: “I ran into his classroom and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, which he promptly wiped off.”  When I was a little kid my sister ran up to me, in front of my friend, and gave me a big hug.  I was completely mortified.  Though I am relating to Richardson’s brother and not Richardson at this moment. 

There have been many times when I have not been able to use language to express my thoughts or desires and Richardson also had many moments like this.  These moments usually come to me when I am angry, or sad about something.  Take for example when my sister and I were both still kids, and she would tease me and make me cry.  It was difficult for me to express to her my anger and frustration with the way she was treating me, so I cried because it was the only reaction I could think of. 

In some ways I am able to relate to Richardson, but not on a literal level. 

"Why My Mother Can't Speak English" Assesment.

      Identify the obstacles that prevent Engkent's mother from learning to speak English. According to Engkent, what responsibility does he attribute to his mother for her inability to learn English? What responsibility would you attribute to Engkent's mother for her inability to learn English?

Engkent’s mother is a Chinese woman in her seventies who has never learned English in the thirty years that she has lived in Canada.   His mother immediately blames her deceased husband for never letting her learn English.  It is true that her husband strongly persuaded her to never learn the new language, most likely out of fear of her changing into a non-Chinese woman.  Engkent does not blame his father for his mother’s lack of English, though.  Engkent does, however, believe that perhaps her heritage is playing a very strong role in her never learning.  Engkent believes that his mother is afraid of losing her “Chinese soul” if she were to learn English.  By only speaking Chinese she is somehow holding onto her traditions and her heritage.  

I personally look to her deceased husband for the reason for her never learning English.  She was incredibly loyal to her husband and always listened to what he told her.  When he told her she should never learn English, she listened to him.  Another factor is her only socialization being with Chinese speaking people.  It would be very difficult to learn a new language if you never heard it spoken and never spoke it yourself.  Her only ever socializing with Chinese speakers is her husband’s doing, though.  The husband is than also responsible for her never conversing with an English speaker.  I indeed put the responsibility for Engkent never learning English on Engkent’s father.

Reading Assessment.

Elaine Richardson's "My Ill Literacy Narrative: Growing Up Black, Po and a Girl in the Hood"

Why does Richardson identify this narrative as an "ill literacy narrative"? Which events does she share to support the concept of "ill literacy"?

            At the end of “My Ill Literacy Narrative: Growing Up Black, Po and a girl in the Hood” Elaine Richardson defines the word ill.  She says, “In today’s vernacular one of the meanings for ‘ill or sick’ means skilled, so that ill literacy refers to skilled literacy.” (page 58).  The use of ill in its slang form in a way correlates to all of the events she writes about.  Ill is known by many to mean skilled.  When Richardson is raped as a young girl she explains that this is all apart of the role of the male and the role of the female in the African American society.  A man needs to feel dominant whereas the woman is supposed to submit to him.  During the time of this rape this was seen as normal, just as using the word ill to describe something as skilled is perceived as normal.

David Sedaris' "Me Talk Pretty One Day"

What role does dialogue play in the way that Sedaris makes sense of the challenges associated with learning French? How does it support/not support the purposes of this essay?

            David Sedaris uses dialogue in his essay, “Me Talk Pretty One Day” to express the challenges of learning a new language.  In this case he is learning French.  The teacher he is learning from is a cruel woman who enjoys ridiculing her students.  Sedaris does not understand everything she is saying though.  He writes what the teacher is saying in English (so the readers can understand it) and throws in the occasional gibberish word when he doesn’t understand something in French.  For example, on page 65 he writes, “’If you have not meimsllsxp or lgpdmurct by this time, then you should not be in this room. Has everyone apzkiubjxow?’”  The gibberish words in italics are the things he can’t quite understand.  If I for example, a native English speaker knowing very little French were to go to France I might hear something similar.  There might be a few words I would understand but everything else would be foreign to me.  This supports to the essay quite well.  It immerses the reader into Sedaris’ head.  We hear what he hears when he writes the dialogue in such a manner.  

Graduation Questions

Question: How does Angelou define academic success and achievement in "Graduation"? What evidence from the text supports this interpretation? How might you compare/contrast Angelou's depiction of academic success with your own?


          Maya Angelou defines academic success and achievements by the status that is gained by achieving something great through hard work. For example, on page fourteen, the narrator talks of all of the stars she has received. She has received stars for her perfect attendance, and her exceptionally good academic work. The narrator feels proud of these, because they are symbols of her hard work and intelligence.

An example of how important the graduating achievement is to the narrator can be found on page thirteen. Angelou writes, “….and it didn’t worry me that I was only twelve years old and merely graduating from the eighth grade. Besides, many teachers in Arkansas Negro schools had only that diploma and were licensed to impart wisdom.” Angelou is saying that academic success can be defined by our gained status, such as the status that comes with being a graduate.

I believe that the status an individual achieves from graduating from college, for example, can go a long way for them. This is just like how graduating from the eighth grade can take a person a long way in the story “Graduation”. The rewards gained from working hard in school are also of importance and can also take a person far. In high school, being an honor roll student can help that student get into a good college. In “Graduation” gaining stars for her hard work could motivate the narrator to try even harder in high school. 

First Post

Hello blog readers, my name is Emily Davenport and I am currently a freshman at Western Michigan University. I hail from the Grand Rapids metro area, but I lived in Iowa once upon a time. My favorite color is blue and my favorite animal is a dog. On the note of dogs, I have a handsome, big and fluffy dog named Cola. In the past I had many pet rats, and although many people are turned off from these lovely creatures I think they make wonderful pets.  Writing is something I absolutely love to do. Also, like anyone else love listening to music and reading books.

My blog example is http://www.whatsgoodattraderjoes.com/, "What's Good at Trader Joe's".  This blog is full of reviews, as in it reviews almost all, if not all of Trader Joe's groceries. "What's Good at Trader Joe's" wants to inform its readers of everything that is good, and everything that is not so good at Trader Joe's. The writers of this blog love this particular grocery store, and so this why they decided to write a blog of this kind. This blog has a very friendly tone, but it's also informative. It's an easy read, it's fun to read, but you can learn about Trader Joe's food from it too. Anyone reading this blog is probably a fan of Trader Joe's themselves. If not a fan, perhaps they're curious about Trader Joe's and the things it has to offer. "What's Good at Trader's Joe's" is informing their audience of the good and bad of their favorite grocery store. I quite like the design of this blog. I like it because it's simple. The only pictures in this blog are pictures of the food they're reviewing. There are also occasional advertisements but they don't distract from the blog in my opinion.