It's strange how the weather does things to people, and to animals. Moods change with the seasons and animal behaviors change. One time at the dog park, when I used to take my dogs, it had rained earlier in the day and that evening, the dogs were much more rambunctious than usual. There were also more fights than usual. Joey used to get depressed during fall and I always used to think he was just making it up or milking it if he really was slightly depressed. But now I fully believe him. While living in Indiana for a year, I was often depressed due to lack of sun. It wasn't that the negative 26 degrees got to me. I can handle cold as long as it is sunny. But without my precious sun, my mood spirals downward. Maybe I have that one relatively new syndrome, "SAD" or whatever it's called, where a person gets sad with particular seasons, usually fall and winter. That's the main reason I left Indiana. I grew up in Kansas, a state that is in the top ten for number of days of sun. Arizona happens to be number one in the US. I really liked Kansas because it has four clear seasons. Tucson has two, maybe, and Indiana has three, maybe four. But Indiana winters are incredibly long, just as Tucson summers are. Kansas is a happy medium. I don't know if I could ever live there, but the older I get, the more possible it seems. However, I would never live in my home town. It is far too small. But in a larger city, that might work. Joey is afraid of tornadoes, though. But that's what basements are for. And of all natural disasters, tornadoes have considerable advanced warning and very low levels of fatalities.

In other news, the kids' movie, Up, is by far the saddest kids' movie I have EVER seen. Joey and I both cried our eyes out, even though he would never admit it to a soul. The sad thing is that the wife of the old man dies, after they had spent their entire lives together. Literally, they met when they were about nine or ten and she died when they were at least in their 60s. It breaks my heart to see an old couple split apart by death. I've only been with Joey for three solid years and known him for four, and I already feel so attached to him. I can't imagine living without him, and I'm not trying to be cliche. This is after only three years! Imagine a lifetime! But I guess whatever happen is supposed to happen. I try to see the good in every situation, but damn! That's a tough one.

And finally, my half birthday is less than a month away. I think I'm going to a little baking party to celebrate. Well, it's not really FOR me, but it just so happens to be the day after my birthday so I will be celebrating even if no one else does. :)

Proposal

The rest of my proposal:

Audience
My target audience is college-aged kids, whether in or out of college, who either don’t know exactly what capitalism (and socialism) is, or who claim to be socialist (and thus still likely don’t know what capitalism is). My secondary target is high school kids, seeing as they are fast approaching voting age and that is the age I want to teach once I have my degree.

Context
Since Obama was voted president, accusations of his being a socialist have been quite abundant. It seems as if more and more people in positions of power—not just within the government but many celebrities, ironically enough—are favoring socialism. Our Constitution was founded upon the ideals of capitalism for a reason, but with all the people in power bad-mouthing capitalism, I fear that in the coming years the Constitution will be forgotten and socialism will be in full swing. The government has already gained more power than ever in the history of the United States, which is in direct complement to a socialist system.
The economic system which a country maintains affects every single citizen within it. In particular, the most drastic effect of having or not having a capitalist system would be on small businesses.

Rhetorical Strategies
Ethos is undoubtedly one strategy that would benefit me. My grandpa is one of those rags-to-riches stories and so I have seen capitalism at work. Additionally, right now I am just a poor college student, but I still support capitalism because it provides the most potential for opportunity. Along with the previous reason of my current financial status, pathos could be employed successfully because many college students are poor and can identify with my situation. As for logos, I doubt my argument would work without it. I will need to use hard facts to prove my point.

Sources
Anything worthy of putting into an upper division college paper should work out fine. This will be tricky, as I think college students are some of the most untrusting and questioning people, especially our generation which has grown up inundated with all sorts of (often unreliable) information on the web.

Medium
My topic is a fairly versatile one and could work with many mediums. I have chosen to do pamphlets because they seem more friendly and less in-your-face. I think they have the capacity to reach a large audience across the UA campus, and being that they are taken on a voluntary basis, I feel people will be more open to the information. Additionally, I don’t think expectations will be very high with a pamphlet, so hopefully I will be able to surprise my readers!

Arrangement
Comparing the two systems is definitely almost a necessity to the argument. My main concern is that the font is easy to read and that the flow throughout the pamphlet is easy to understand.

I don't think the rest of it needs as much work. Sources was another area my group advised me on, to be more specific.

It was just a mattress

I heard on the news a moment ago about a major wreck on Interstate-10 caused by a mattress that flew out of the bed of a truck. It hit a motorcyclist who was traveling with at least a dozen other motorcyclists. He was taken by helicopter to a hospital and does not have life-threatening injuries, thankfully. But this is certainly not the first time something of this nature has happened, where a pick-up truck is hauling a mattress that flies out the back end, causing a pile up and sometimes deaths. I would think people would learn and figure out a way to hold it down. Several years ago, when I still lived in Kansas, someone thought they had figured out a simple way to hold down a mattress in the back of a truck. They just put their kid on it, but an eight-year-old isn't nearly heavy enough to do any good. The mattress and child flew out of the truck. Needless to say, the girl was hospitalized but I don't think she died. Still, it never should have happened, as the wreck today shouldn't have happened. I wonder how this could be remedied. At first I thought the mattress stores could require a particular way of tying down a mattress but then I realized that usually they deliver, with a larger closed back truck. So the problems seems to be with private sales, from one individual to another, meaning a used mattress. How could this be solved? Most of these people probably bought a used mattress because they couldn't afford a new one, so they likely couldn't afford an enclosed truck to haul it.
I don't know how possible it would be to make a law or public ordinance about it because it seems to specific and even a tied-down mattress could likely fly off if not done at least somewhat properly. The closest I come to being a science whiz is that I like The Big Bang Theory, but I bet the direction the mattress is laying has much to do with wind resistance. I've seen people haul them standing the mattress on its side and that seems to work well. Perhaps a simple ordinance about the direction a mattress during transport would do the trick.

On a different topic, I'm struggling with parts of my rhetorical project. My group did not approve my proposal, which I expected, but I really didn't see how my proposal was so much more lacking than each of theirs, with the exception of one group member whose proposal was exceptional. I think they were just trying to be soft in their feedback to me, so it made it seem like mine was no worse than any of theirs, which all got approved. Here is my purpose statement, which needs the most work:

Purpose
My overall expected result is quite simple. I want people to appreciate capitalism as an economic system, specifically in the US. I am tired of hearing about how great socialism is, and I would like for the supporters of socialism to really consider the pros and cons of both socialism and capitalism. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me in that, despite all its faults, capitalism is comparatively the best system to date; I merely want everyone to consider what I have to say with an open mind. Of course the ideal is that my audience will agree, however, I am a realist.

Relationships

I hope to be a counselor one day, after I tire of teaching, both in the United States and abroad. I originally wanted to be a school counselor and that is still most certainly an option. But more recently, as of a year or two ago, I have wanted to be a relationship/couples counselor. Often, when I make my morning or evening bus ride to or from school, I hear couples arguing or disagreeing, whether it be on the phone or if both parties are on the bus. I often see the problem and wish I could help. Also, Joey is really good at relationship issues and has been asked advice--which he graciously gives--from several female coworkers. Strange, men don't usually ask for relationship advice, kinda like how they don't ask for directions. Too bad, really. Men could learn a thing or two if they just asked. I don't know, I think I would be frustrated with people. But at the same time I do like to help people. As cliche as it sounds, that is my mission in life. And any job is frustrating.
Or instead of being a counselor, I could do some sort of matchmaking. I like to link people, though admittedly haven't done it very much yet. This summer, when I would get bored in the long summer session classes, I would scan the room, looking for potential couples. I know it's dumb, but it's just a fun little thing I do to pass the time. I have a few guy friends who have asked me to hook them up, for a relationship, but I don't know enough single females. I have watched that show, Millionaire Matchmaker, and I like it, at least the basic concept. It's not just that it's fun for me, but I think it would be one of the most fulfilling things to hook up two people that end up together for life. And even if they don't stay together forever, as the saying goes, "Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." So at least it will be a life experience. Life isn't supposed to be all happy. I think people stress happiness too much. I certainly think it is something to be sought after but not directly. I think it is best achieved when one follows their passions in life. When this is done, happiness will follow. But it shouldn't be directly pursued. If I were better at analogies, I would insert a great one here.

On an entirely different tone, I am so glad for random holidays like Veterans' Day. I wonder why November 11 was chosen. It's even better when it falls in the middle of the week. The UA's schedule of honored holidays is beyond me. They seem to arbitrarily pick special days to honor and likewise totally ignore others. I wonder who gets to decide. Undoubtedly the people near the top. Perhaps Robert Shelton himself! I don't have a problem with their dates, I just wish there was more of a pattern. It sucks to expect a day off only to find it on the regular schedule.

The Missing Story of Ourselves

This essay from class was quite inspiring and at the same time maddening. I think it worked well that the author cited countless stories of women who had risen up, out of their extreme poverty, against the odds. Relating this back to my own social witness topic, none of these success stories would have been possible without capitalism. Other systems do not allow people to rise up. Where they start is where they stay; it's a life sentence. Did these women struggle? Hell, yes. But they were given a chance to improve, and they did. This chance would not have been granted in other systems.
The maddening part is, of course, the ridiculous white congressmen who make policies that affect so many people about whom they know nothing. Perhaps a requirement of being a congressman should be some sort of volunteer work in an underprivileged community. Volunteer work generally isn't required for a job, but many jobs look favorably upon those with volunteer experience, and I've even heard of that being the difference between being hired or turned away. Of all jobs, those in the Congress seem to be the ones that should require experience outside one's own world. At the same time, if volunteer experience is required, then is it really volunteer? I don't really care what it's called as long as people are seeing those who they influence so greatly.
Unfortunately, for every story of success that Vivyan Adair tells, there is one to match that will catalyze the stereotype of lazy, unfit parents. I can see why those who are working and not on welfare would be upset. I, myself, probably qualify for welfare but I squeak by without it, with Joey working his ass off to support us. Then, just last night, Joey had a guy come into his store to buy three movies totaling $20.46 instead of paying his $16.23 in late fees that had been sent to Collections. And he has cable and at least three game systems. Joey would love to have a Playstation Three, and has been dreaming of one for well over a year now. But we can't afford it because we pay our bills instead. That's what really irks me, and I think I am not alone in this. Don't get me wrong, I am absolutely NOT opposed to welfare for those who really need it. My best friend in Kansas has two young kids and only survives through WIC and Welfare programs. She is a wonderful mother. But they don't have cable, and they get by on basics. I gave her a small TV I used in college the first go-round that I didn't want to haul across the country in my move. It is an older TV that I bought refurbished by a delightful old man. It still works, so they still use it. It cost me $50, six years ago. My point is that I have no problem with welfare going to families and individuals who truly need it. But I could show you people in my own apartment complex who abuse the system and that is frustrating to no end.
I appreciate this piece by Adair. It inspires me to work to get where I want to be, and reminds me of my desire to work in government to make positive changes.

A New Revan

Yesterday I took my littlest dog, Annie, to Petsmart to get her nails trimmed. They were really bad, as the person who trimmed them commented. While there, I also looked at shock collars for Revan, for when he fights with the other dogs. He is food aggressive and toy aggressive. If any dogs get close to him when he is eating or chewing a toy, he will try to attack. Even the cats he will chase off while growling. So Joey's idea was to get a shock collar in order to shock him out of that mindset. So a Petsmart worker comes over to me and asks if I need any help. I asked her about the collars, of which there were at least 15 to choose from, and she said she would go get someone who knows more about them. Shortly thereafter, a guy appears to provide more info. I ask him about the collars, briefly explaining Revan's situation. He explained to me that the problem with shock collar is that they have to be used at the precise moment or else it can actually intensify the situation. The shock must be administered when Revan just starts growling, which is usually easy for me to see and hear, however, consistency is also a key thing with dogs (and kids). So if I'm not there to do it every time, or if I miss a time, then it will be rendered practically ineffective. Instead, he suggested that I do training, to which I immediately told him that Revan attacks any dogs he meets, out of fear. I shouldn't have taken him to the dog park so often when he was young. That's where he picked up his bad habits. Anyhow, I had decided that he just wasn't a dog park dog. And I hoped that we wouldn't often encounter a new dog. It always makes me nervous to take him outside cause he is so huge and I can't control him fully. So this guy recommending doing training classes with him. He has been conducting training for eight years and his specialty is aggressive dogs. Wow. How perfect. I now have hope for Revan. This guy also makes it a habit to try to squeeze in an extra class or two for free. And to make things better yet, the classes are guaranteed, unlike the shock collars, and they cost a little less than the collars. I went to Petsmart for a simple nail trim and just to check my options on collars and I left with the hope I had lost months ago. What a wonderful feeling. I really think Revan will respond well to training because he did well with my first trainer who I paid too much and didn't get my desired results. He does decent on a leash, after working with her, but my intention was to address his aggression issues. She took the roundabout approach and that didn't work for him at all. This new trainer told me he would get Revan with other dogs as soon as possible to work on that fear. Woot! I am sooo excited.

Teaching English in Japan

I came upon a site that will be of great value to me in my search for a teaching job in Japan. In my perusal of jobs there, I have discovered that most prefer and some require a year or more of teaching experience. Most also prefer the native English speaker to have a working knowledge of Japanese (makes sense), which I have none. However, I have an idea to resolve this issue. After graduating the UA, while I'm teaching here in order to gain the necessary experience, I can take a Japanese class from the UA or maybe even just from a Japanese student who really knows how to teach. I would prefer my money to go to a single student rather than a huge entity, however, typically a huge entity has a good setup. Better yet, I just realized I could potentially audit a Japanese course, as I don't need the credit; the proof is in the pudding, meaning that I will be able to demonstrate my knowledge and won't need proof that I've taken a class to gain said knowledge. I don't think they care HOW one learns as long as they have learned correctly. Also, some prefer a TESOL or ELL or ESL (all those acronyms) certificate, which I do not have, and thus could also procure during my first year of teaching. Although, I'm not so interested in that and it doesn't seem as necessary as learning some Japanese. After all, I will be certified to teach and I think that is the most important thing. Additionally, I have met a few internationals who tell me I am good at explaining English, so hopefully the school I apply with will agree.

Have I mentioned here before that I learned about a guy back in the 1800s who was a hyperpolyglot because he was fluent in something like 12 languages and was conversant in 14 more? That amazes me. I've heard, though, that once one learns a third language, the forth and on become pretty easy because of the connects between languages. After all, the Indo-European languages all hail from one proto-language so it makes sense that connections could be established.

Anyhow, I'm thrilled about my plan. The reason I want to teach in Japan as opposed to any other country is because I have a friend who lives there. She is native Japanese and I met her my first time around in college. She was so eager to improve her English and had many intriguing questions for me. I learned a few words in Japanese through her, but I know nothing about the structure of the language. I actually wouldn't mind teaching elsewhere, but she has wanted me to come to Japan for years and I would love to see her home and learn about her culture. Perhaps after Japan I'll go somewhere else to teach English. That's one thing I appreciate about teaching: it's a fairly versatile degree to hold. I can travel the world with it! My only concern is when to have kids. Haha. I have to squeeze them in somewhere an I'd prefer not to have a kid in another country primarily because I wouldn't want to deal with the paperwork of making them a US citizen.