Wendy Garriga's Blog

Lie Detector

2009-12-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

In the essay, "Lie Detector" the author describes what the body goes through when you lie. He basically says that lying is a strain on the body and that it is not natural. Although I never thought about lying in that way, he makes perfect sense. The lie detector is a machine that basically senses stress, which can be caused by lying. Since stress is a bad thing, we can conclude that lying a strain on the body. He also states that he isn't absolutely sure that it is bad for the human body. He just says that it might be the cause of certain health risks.

How to Give Orders Like a Man

2009-12-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

In this essay, Tanen talks about direct and incorrect communication. In my opinion direct and indirect communication can both be equally effective. The catch is that communicators must learn to interpret both of them correctly. This is sometimes a problem because if one of them doesn't interpret things right, things don't get done, and some things can go horribly wrong. If I had to choose, I would say that direct communication is more effective because although it can be thought of as rude, or harsh, the message is still the same. For example, if you tell someone "type this letter and send it out by 1:00 p.m." the person will think that was a rude way of saying it, but they will not misunderstand the meaning. Indirect communication however could be by accident or on purpose because it has room for interpretation. If you ask "is there a phone?" someone could tell you "yes" instead of giving it to you. Therefore I think that direct communication is more effective.

Marrying Absurd

2009-12-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

In the essay Marrying Absurd, Didion describes the act of marriage in Las Vegas as something that is not taken serious. She describes it as something that isn't planned out and is a "spur of the moment" decision; it is also very cheap compared to a regular wedding. When it come to weddings my opinion is "to each it's own". Everyone has a different image on how they want to get married, and if someone wants to do it in Las Vegas then they should have every right to do so. I believe that the author's opinion on the Vegas wedding is that it is impersonal, and I dont think she really considers it a wedding. However, I also think that she is not totally against it because in the end of the story, the bride that is getting married said that her wedding was "just as nice as I hoped and dreamed it would be". This bride also appeared to be sober because it stated that she was pregnant.

The Halocaust

2009-12-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

Bruno Bettelheim's essay "The Holocaust" made me think about how we deal with difficult times in history. In this essay he states that the name "Holocaust" takes away the horror and emotion of the event. He believes that by using names like these, people can talk and refer to events like the Holocaust, without having an emotional attachment to it. He thinks that this is a bad thing because when people stop thinking about the horrors of events like this, they might forget. Forgetting about the holocaust and it horrors means that history could someday repeat itself.

Cinematypes

2009-12-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

The essay "Cinematypes" written by Susan Allen Toth was a very good essay in my opinion. It was funny, interesting, and well written. The structure of the essay made it very easy to understand the differences between the different dates the narrator went on. I also liked the ending where the narrator goes to the movies by herself. At this point you realize her message. That she felt comfortable being out on her own, and that she wished that life was like the movies she likes where "the men and women always like each other".

The Whale Rider

2009-12-08T08:13:00.000-08:00

The movie "The Whale Rider" is a very touching movie filled with symbolism and meaning. It is about a little tribe in New Zealand that is falling apart. The main character "Paikea" is the granddaughter of the chief of the tribe. Although her grandfather doesn't approve because she is a girl, she tries very hard to practice the ways of the tribe. In the end of the movie she becomes the new chief through her bravery and determination, and helps the tribe come together again. The end of the movie is fantastic because you see how the members of the tribe change. Everyone reunites and works together to finish building a canoe that represents their tribe.

Sex, Drugs, Disasters, and the Extinction of Dinosaurs

2009-12-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, "Sex, Drugs, Disasters, and the Extinction of Dinosaurs" was very interesting. It describes three theories on the extinction of dinosaurs and uses data to back up these theories. Even though the first two theories (sex and drugs) would explain the extinction of dinosaurs, there would be no way to prove it without having a live dinosaur to test them. Therefore, the third theory (disasters) is the most recognized one. It is the theory that a meteor struck earth and the dust that resulted from it blocked all sunlight. This theory is one that could be tested since a live dinosaur is not needed.

I Have a Dream

2009-12-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

The “I Have a Dream” speech was one of the best and most powerful speeches ever made. It appealed to the audience, and made some great points and examples. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos to appeal to his audience's emotion. He describes the life of a negro in his speech to let his audience feel what they are going though. He repeats phrases like "One hundred years later" and "Now" for effect, and repeats "I have a dream" to give his audience hope. In my opinion the best part of the speech is the way that Dr. King gave it.

Should We Have a Culture

2009-12-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

The essay “Should We Have a Culture” was very interesting. I thought that the authors views on culture was very different from most, which was very refreshing. In my opinion, it is important to have a culture, but I also think that we need to question it sometimes, and make sure that we agree with it. Culture is part of who we are; it is our past. It is absolutely fine if you carry on traditions that run in the family; however, I think that you should only do so if u believe in it. It is important that we think for ourselves because things like racism and other negative things are part of culture.

Sexism in English

2009-10-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

The essay "Sexism in English: A 1990s Update" written by Alleen Pace Nilsen, is very interesting. The authors believes that there is evidence that there is sexism in the English language. Based on her findings, it is very easy to assume that there is indeed sexism in English. In my opinion however, words are what we make them to be. When the English language was created there was in fact a lot of sexism. Today however, sexism has decreased substantially. If we look at these words as sexist, then that's what they'll be; but if we ignore the form in which they were created, then they are just words.

Why We Crave Horror Movies

2009-10-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, the essay "Why We Crave Horror Movies" written by Stephen King, has a lot of truth to it. King states that everyone is "mentally ill". He believes that people watch horror movies because they want to "show that they can, re-establish our feelings of essential normality, and to have fun." I agree with him because horror movies bring nightmares and fears to life. By watching these movies, we are being masochists. In a way I also believe that we are all insane on some level. We all want to see who dies at the end of the film, and how. This could definitely be considered a form of insanity.

Neat People vs. Sloppy People

2009-09-23T17:09:00.001-07:00

In my opinion, the essay "Neat People vs. Sloppy People" isn't a great essay. For one, it is biased. You can easily tell that the author is sloppy, and therefore shows sloppy people as "better" people. Secondly, it is an exaggeration. I believe that sloppy people were represented as they are in this essay, neat people weren't. Neat people tend to throw away many things, because they see some items as invaluable, but that doesn't mean that they "send the children off to boarding school" because they are too messy, or that they "place neatness above everything else." Something else that this essay didn't mention is that there are also people that are in between. They are neither neat, nor messy.

"Why don't we complain?"

2009-09-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

The essay "Why don't we complain?", is an important essay. It shows us that we have become a silent society. When something is wrong,no one does anything about it. Sometimes we figure that it might get fixed because someone else will speak up, or we stay silent to avoid confrontation. Not complaining is bad in a society because when we complain about something, usually it gets fixed. When we become mute about issues, they go unresolved. Complaints are a way of us using our freedom of speech. It is a good way to keep power balanced, so that it doesn't tip to one person or group.

The Way to Rainy Mountain

2009-09-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

The Way to Rainy Mountain is an extremely descriptive story. At first this story was very confusing, but when i read it again it became clear. I got confused in the part where he states that the Kiowas had surrendered to the U.S Calvary, and then he goes back an talks about the beginning of the Kiowas and how their customs came about. This confused me because of the switching in time. Apart from this, it was a touching story with a good moral to it; culture can never die if you keep passing it on from generation to generation.

Reaction to "A Hanging"

2009-09-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

"A Hanging" was a really good short story in my opinion. It shows what humans are capable of, and how we deal with certain things that we do. For example, the guards in the story show no emotion toward what they do. They kill people every day and don't feel anything. I think that they learned not to feel anything when they kill because they figure that they can't do anything about it, so why hurt themselves emotionally. I also liked this story because of the dog. In this story the dog shows compassion towards the prisoner; something that none of the human beings were able to do.

Borges and I

2009-09-02T18:18:00.001-07:00

Borges and I was a confusing story but after reading it a few times, it became clearer. Borges and Spinoza are the same person, but either he is schizophrenic, or he is describing the two different sides of him. I realized this mostly because of the last sentence where he states “ I do not know which of us has written this page” .I think that when he says "I am destined to perish, definitively, and only some instant of myself can survive in him" he means that since Borges is the "writer" and literature is immortal, then he will live forever.
The way I navigate the different roles in my life is by changing the way I act depending on what role I'm playing. For example, when I'm in school, I'm less talkative and I act more professional, but when I'm with friends I tend to talk a lot and I can be more relaxed. Even though I act differently depending where and with who I am with, I'm still the same person. I have the same thoughts, and I'm still the person that loves to sing and go to the movies and have fun.