Nichols Pond Clean Up

Dear... (Insert Name/Title Here)

I realize it is the wrong time of year to be bringing up such matters as this, but after winter comes spring, and with it will come one of the more... distasteful attributes of this issue. So here it goes.

I live in Spencer, it's a small rural community between Van Etten and Candor, and about 23 miles from Ithaca. It's a pretty nice town, there's a supermarket, gas station, a few churches, pizza place and bank. Your typical upstate New York town. Unfortunately, in the center of town just across from the super market is Nichols Pond. I suppose it must have been pretty nice originally, but now it is merely an eyesore. The surface of the pond is coated in algae, the spread of which is only slightly ebbed by the fountain that was recently put in. No one goes in the pond due to the fact that it is in dire need of a good dredging, and in the spring time the nearby school playground stinks from the dead fish floating on the surface and collecting near the banks.

I realize that funding for such a clean up is not easy to come by, but I think it would be beneficial to the town if it were to be done. We can spend millions on unnecessary additions to the school, but naught on the cleanliness of the town?

Mirror Images Chapter Two

Traditional Means of Establishing Context and Discovering Your Argument

Define 'Traditional' for me? It seems that this chapter should cover the 'old' method of establishing what it is you care enough about to write an argument for, and how to put it into context? Wouldst thou bequeath unto mine ears the meaning of yon statement?

(So, who wants to play old-school?)

Mirror Image Chapter One

I must admit, I saw the title of the first chapter "A Brief Introduction to Argument" and showed it to my boyfriend. He snickered. Apparently he thinks I am already pretty adept with this topic.

Given the title, I guess it would be safe to say that I expect this chapter to cover the basis of argument. Its definition, the different types, ect.

(Though, it would be nice if it could help me win more arguments with my boyfriend...)

Open Handbook Notes

Given that the first chapter of the book is titled The Writing Process, I would expect that this section will contain the 'basics' of how to write an essay. The first thing I notice is that it discusses purpose and audience... I was under the impression that such things would have been covered in Academic Writing I? I also note that it discusses reading critically, I am not so sure why this is for Academic Writing II rather than an intro to writing course.

Happiness (Edited)

Happiness is defined as a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Even in the happiest life, there are moments that stick out as being uniquely 'happy'; each has their own unique characteristics that make them memorable or force them to stand out against the rest. For some it is the day they graduate high school, the senior prom, the senior trip, a competition, the day they met their significant other or the day they received an accolade. In my life, I have experienced my own versions of these events, and none of them begins to compare with the happiness I felt when I saw my child for the first time. I do not think I will ever forget what it was like when I went to my first ultrasound. I was lying on the hospital examination bed feeling nervous; what if something was wrong with the baby? What if there was something wrong with me? So many worries were going through my mind. I know I envied my partner's ability to consume caffeine at that point. All through the preparation I was worried, though I doubt it lasted more than three minutes. Then, my baby was there on the screen; and it was moving. I could see its little heart beating and watch its feet twitch. They may seem like small things, but relief and joy flooded over me. I started crying; that was my baby on the screen. The pride and happiness I experienced were like nothing I had ever felt before. Everyone experiences happiness in their lives, and each person has a different way of ranking the joyful moments in their lives. Some reflect on that last big win, others have their own milestones. For me, actually being able to see the life that my partner and I created surpasses any other. I'm pretty sure seeing my partner hold his first child will probably surmount it, and being able to hold the child myself will crown even that. But for now, nothing compares to the sight of my child for me; it will be with me for the rest of my life. It shows to me without a doubt, that though a person may be happy with their life as it is, there is always some way for that little extra happiness to show through.

Happiness essay... (Time to hang myself)

There are many happy moments in a person's life; each has their own unique characteristics that make them memorable or force them to stand out against the rest. For some it is the day they graduate high school, the senior prom, the senior trip, a competition, the day they met their significant other or the day they received an accolade. In my life, I have experienced my own versions of these events, and none of them begins to compare with the happiness I felt when I saw my child for the first time.
I do not think I will ever forget what it was like when I went to my first ultrasound. I was lying on the hospital examination bed feeling nervous; what if something was wrong with the baby? What if there was something wrong with me? So many worries were going through my mind. I know I envied my partner's ability to consume caffeine at that point. All through the preparation I was worried, though I doubt it lasted more than three minutes.
Then, my baby was there on the screen; and it was moving. I could see its little heart beating and watch its feet twitch. They may seem like small things, but relief and joy flooded over me. I started crying; that was my baby on the screen. The pride and happiness I experienced were like nothing I had ever felt before.
Everyone experiences happiness in their lives, and each person has a different way of ranking the joyful moments in their lives. Some reflect on that last big win, others have their own milestones. For me, actually being able to see the life that my partner and I created surpasses any other. I'm pretty sure seeing my partner hold his first child will probably surmount it, and being able to hold the child myself will crown even that. But for now, nothing compares to the sight of my child for me; it will be with me for the rest of my life.

Project topic

I am thinking I may wish to base my project around the pond in the center of Spencer. It is located directly on Mainstreet, and yet is one of the filthier aspects of the town, and the fountain they tried to use for beautification does nothing but draw attention to the large ammounts of algae just out of its reach. The pond smells horrible in the spring, due to the large ammounts of dead animals and other debris. The attractiveness of the town would be augmented by transforming this eyesore into a landmark or scenic tourist attraction. They have been attempting to clean it up for at least five years, but thus far, little or no progress has been made.

First Blog

Hey! I finally figured out how to set up my blog! I'm still not exactly sure what I am expected to type here... but at least I got it up, right?