Websites

I found the Casual Argument Website was pretty helpful. I though it did a good job of illustrating a sample argument that was easy for just about anybody to relate to. The site was organized well. I also really liked the Exercises for Casual Arguments. I think that showing by example is a great way to teach. The interactive portion of the site is a nice way to get the students involved in the learning process. I didn’t like the Mission Critical Website as much. It has a lot of information and, in my opinion, seemed overwhelming. I think it could be better if the site had a different organization strategy. It did have a lot of good information and the interactive portion is also a helpful learning tool. Overall, I think that both of these sites could be helpful to students that are studying these topics. I would highly recommend the interactive portions.

Horoscope

A member of your household could be going through some rough times, Cancer, and as a result might become overly dependent on your moral and emotional support. This is flattering, but it could also be a drain on your energy. Carefully consider what you really need to say to your friend. Sometimes you have to hit a person over the head with the truth (figuratively speaking) in order to wake them up.

I looked up my horoscope on the internet today, which I never do. I don’t really believe in horoscopes or the prediction of the future. My household consists of myself and my fiancé. He isn’t going through a rough time, so the horoscope is falsifiable. There wasn’t a whole lot of information other than this in my horoscope today. I do think that these horoscope “readings” put out information that could very easily fit many people’s lives. I am sure there are many people out there that have a household member that is struggling with something; and possible depending on them emotionally. Like I mentioned I don’t really believe in the prediction of the future, but I have noticed that I do fit the “characteristics” of a cancer (my zodiac sign). I have a friend that reads her horoscope on a daily basis. I think she believes in readings. Maybe there is a manifestation that happens from reading the horoscopes and believing.

There have been many times throughout my life that I can look back on and think I misjudged a situation or person. I try not to judge people, but I think it is part of human nature to form our own initial opinions. Years ago I transferred to another office within the company I worked for. The people in the office were all very welcoming, except one female. She and I were close in age and had similar physical features. I felt uneasy around her, and I was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. Her and I never spoke to each other or tried to get to know one another. Based on my initial observations I had decided she was stuck up. But over time she and I began to have casual conversations that eventually grew to us going out for lunches together. I decided that I had misjudged her. She and I actually had a lot in common and got along really well. We began to form a bond which grew exponentially over time. We have remained close friends over the years. I was even her maid of honor in her wedding.    

Plagiarism

With so much information available at our fingertips many college students are tempted to commit internet plagiarism. It's as easy as cut and pasting. This is why many college professors use software such as turnitin.com to help them detect plagiarism in student's papers. I definitely agree with Sadler that plagiarism is a serious offense and the offender should be penalized. Hunt, on the other hand, is in favor of plagiarism. Plagiarism is stealing someone else's thoughts and ideas. How is that okay? Part of being in school is to learn to think and create things from our own thoughts and ideas. Sadler views plagiarism as stealing, which it is. Working through assignments teaches students to think and struggle through their own material. Sadler argues that plagiarisms is not only bad for the individual but society as well. As students, we must have the ability to analyze and construct arguments. Plagiarizing teaches the student nothing. Bottom line is, if plagiarism was okay it wouldn't be banned from schools and carry such heavy consequences for offenders. 

Sensationalism

Real all about it! Sensational news seems to be the selling point for some media outlets. Our textbook explains that many news stories are chosen for their entertainment value rather than for their newsworthiness. It’s important for news organizations to attract large audiences in order to keep their sponsors. So they report on the stories that get America’s attention. And sensational news does just that. I thought it was interesting that the book mentions our tendencies to remember sensational events and how it can affect our outlooks. One example used was the school shootings at Columbine High and Virginia Tech. The Columbine shooting in 1999 had such an impact on America and was so sensational that when the Virginia Tech shooting occurred 7 years later it made us feel like school shootings occurred more frequently than they really do. Natural disasters, crime, celebrity gossip, etc. are often given more air time than more newsworthy stories. Interesting….      

The Media

My earlier media experiences used to impact my worldviews and values. When I was younger I was more vulnerable to the stories in the media. It’s like the saying, “don’t believe everything you hear”. As I’ve gotten older, I realize that not all media presents creditable information. Many newscasts offer stories and information that is biased and/or misleading. Government and sponsors may play a part in what information gets the spotlight. It’s important for us to be media literate. Instead of just taking the media’s word for it we should be able to understand and critically analyze news reports. I think that having the ability to do this will expand and challenge our worldviews. We’re not challenged if we just believe and adopt everything we are told. The book gives many great examples on bias and misleading information. The one I thought was interesting was American media reporting that biological weapons laboratories were found in Iraq. This was never fully investigated before the press release. It’s believed the information was intentionally misreported to gain American support to invade Iraq.