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Image Breakdown

Since the introduction of Facebook back in 2003, the company has done little to change its original logo that is denoted by crooked shaped alphabet F. According to the founders of this company, the primary objective of having the same logo and image for the past one decade is to create a brand that is memorable and popular among the users.  The small F symbol seen on Facebook’s homepage stands for word Facebook which symbolizes the connection between an individual and his friends across the world (Ellison, 1150). However, the newly modified image of the Facebook logo shows a person who is confined to a place as a result of continuous use of this social media platform thus leading to isolation.

Question 1: Why did you choose this message?

The primary objective of using this image is to show people the true effects of constantly and consistently using Facebook for long hours. Despite having the best interests at heart, studies have found that the use of Facebook can have negative impacts on the lives of the users particularly the youth. For example, Facebook has been found to encourage isolation among the people as the users tend to be glued to their computers and electronic gadgets rather than moving out to meet people. This behavior significantly affects both cognitive and social skills of Facebook users.

Question 2: What was its original purpose/audience/context?

The original purpose of the image was to show how people can connect with friends. However, what most people did not know is that they can use Facebook not only to connect to their locality, but also to connect with those outside their home countries. The original audience of the message was the youths who are known to be the highest users of social media platforms to connect with friends from all over the country. It is worth noting that any individual intending to use this platform must have an internet connection as well as an electronic device such as computers and Smartphones (Pempek, 235). Therefore, it is safe to state to be abreast with what is happening in all corners of the world; it is prudent to embrace the new technology.

Question 3: How have you changed the image to fit your voice?

To ensure that my audience did not confuse the original message with the new message, I had to modify the original picture to bring another new context to show people how they isolate themselves in their houses when they decide to use much on their time on Facebook (Dwyer, 339). Unfortunately, what most users do not understand is that consistent use of Facebook can be addictive and with time it becomes hard to drop the habit.

Question 4: What is your message?

I intend to tell people that they should tread carefully when it comes to the use of Facebook. They should not allow themselves to be isolated from the rest of the world, considering that there is much more out there than they can get over the web.

Question 5: Are you adding to the original message?

No. I am criticizing the original message. My objective is to reveal the true effects of the use of Facebook on the lives of the people. It can do more harm than good if not monitored and controlled carefully (Dwyer, 339).

Works Cited

Dwyer, C., Hiltz, S., & Passerini, K. ” Trust and privacy concern within social networking sites: A comparison of Facebook and MySpace. .” AMCIS 2007 proceedings, (2007): 339.

Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. “The benefits of Facebook “friends:” Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. .” Journal of computer-mediated communication, 12(4), (2007): 1143-1168.

Pempek, T. A., Yermolayeva, Y. A., & Calvert, S. L. “College students’ social networking experiences on Facebook. .” Journal of applied developmental psychology, 30(3), (2009): 227-238.

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Zen and The Art of Archery

The cuisine of Korea

Haeun Lee

Different countries have different cultures and civilizations based on their traditions and behaviors. Korea is just one of the countries that are known for its sweet and tasty foods that highly depend on its culinary customs.  Korea is located between China and Japan and despite splitting to the northern and southern part; they still share important cultures, traditions, and civilization. Just like any other Asian country, Korea experiences the four seasons and has three major sources of their industrial and domestic water that includes yellow sea, the east sea, and the Korea straight.

Similarly to American eating etiquette, Koreans have their own table rules that are far much strict than the American rules.  For example in a Korean community, a young person having a meal with an older adult should not hold the spoon before the senior. Additionally, Koreans have a specific number of table settings depending on the number of dishes being served. Unlike the current trends in most communities where communities have different courses of meals, Koreans have no course method, and everything is put on the table at once so that people can choose what they want.  It is worth noting that Koreans have a specific table setting for foreigners which is totally different from that of the locals.

Moreover, rather than having a desert at the end of the meal, Koreans have a culture of having whatever fruit is in the season. Most of their meals consist of grains and cereals such as wheat or corns. One of the most common dishes in this community is called “bibimpap” which consists of a big serving of rice with sliced vegetables and meats with the inclusion of red pepper sauce. With the presence of three water mass bodies in the country, fish and seafood have never been a problem to Koreans considering that the three water bodies produce different kinds of sea foods. Notably, fish is used as the main source of protein in the country with small sardines becoming part of every dish prepared in Korea. Moreover, women who have given birth are often served a seaweed soup which is believed to have lots of minerals that come from the ocean.

Despite having a variety of dishes that can be prepared in Korea, there is a signature dish of kimchi has developed to a signature meal in Korea which includes fermented vegetables, Chile peppers, and seasonings.  Despite the fact that this is one of the oldest dishes in Korea, its recipe has changed over time which has led to variations in tastes as more and more recipes are introduced. However, one thing is common to the varieties of kimchi prepared in Koreas, and that is the fact that they all start with garlic, ginger, and scallions. Besides, this meal can be served all year long considering that it is often preserved in large containers which are either let outside or buried to ensure that cold weather does not freeze the mixture.

The fermented vegetables have a strong odor, and so is the taste and flavor of the kimchi. However, due to the integration of different cultures and people owing to increased globalization, these cultures have been slowly evolving.  For example, Korea has been influenced by China as Korea was initially part of China. The cuisine of Korea may seem complex, but it is tasty in its own way just like American food that is prepared in a different way.

Reference

Huber, Lia . “5 nutritious habits of the planet’s healthiest countries” CNN, 13  Sept 2007 ,             http://edition.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/08/31/cl.worldly.advice/index.html?     iref=nextin . Hyun, Judy. The Korean Cookbook. Elizabeth, NJ: Hollym International    Corp., 1983. http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South          Africa/Korea.html#ixzz4fVNuZn1g

Emily, Han. “How To Make Easy Kimchi at Home” KITCHN , 17 Aug 2016 ,                              http:// www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-easy-kimchi-at-home-189390

Zhenyu, Wang . “Changes to American, Korean, and Chinese Barbecue Over Centuries”                           April 2014, Artifactsjournal , https://artifactsjournal.missouri.edu/2014/03/changes

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The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Question

1.Read The Norton Reader: “On Writing,” Stephen King, pp. 293; Respond to question #3;

2.Read The Norton Reader: “From Realism to Virtual Reality: Images of America’s Wars,” H. Bruce Franklin,  pp. 456-471. Respond to question #1

Sample paper

Literary devices

Learning to write: on writing by Stephen King by has far helped me as a writer compared to Benjamin Franklins on keeping a notebook and Joan Didion’s notebook.  Stephen as a narrative writer utilizes different writing skills in his work that are necessary to a potential young writer who is willing or has ambitions to succeed in this industry. Narrative techniques in the story give a more profound intending to an audience and help the readers to utilize creative ability to picture circumstances for better understanding (Dupriez & Halsall, 2016).  There different and unique writing skills that a writer can use in his or her story to drive their message across to the audience some of the widely utilized styles in the story learning to write: on writing by Stephen King include:

1. Imagery- this is the technique employed by authors to use words that create mental pictures and images of a scene. To effectively use this style an author makes use of human senses. For example, the author says that when he was invited to the principal’s office after springing from detention hall, he went with a sinking heart (King & Simon & Schuster Audio (Firm), 2011).
2. Onomatopoeia – this is a technique used by authors through the use of words that sounds the same as, or similar to what the words mean. For example, the author says that he was not sure of the editorial work he was about to take and he groaned inside, and he was shut of Dave’s Rag.

• Personification – this is a technique used in narratives where non-living things are given both human and animal abilities and capabilities to perform extraordinary activities in a narrative. For example, in the narrative, the author states that the G.C.’s eyes suggested that he should take up the job.

All these narratives styles can help me as a writer to give deeper meaning to my audience while at the same time to make my work my work more interesting rather than the use of ordinary language.

References

Dupriez, B., & Halsall, A. W. (2016). A Dictionary of Literary Devices: Gradus, A-Z. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

King, S., & Simon & Schuster Audio (Firm). (2011). On writing: A memoir of the craft. New York: Simon & Schuster Audio.

Related:

Explain in detail what the phrase “Carrying the Fire,” means in regards to the book.

Question

1. What did you take away from the ending of the novel? What do you think is the intended take away for the general audience? Is there a difference from what you got to what you think the author intended?
2. Explain in detail what the phrase “Carrying the Fire,” means in regards to the book.

Sample paper

Question 1

From the ending of the novel, it is easy to tell that the boy’s attitude towards his father and the life, in general, was gradually changing.  He knew that they were living in a dangerous time where every man was for himself yet he wanted his father to help the needy. This is a clear indication that regardless of the situation in life, there is a need to remain positive and share the little is available with those who are worse.  I think the author wanted to show the importance or the need for comradeship, unity, and friendship in the society (Kerouac, Dillon, & Audible, Inc, 2016,). If only the man had a good heart, he would have helped the young man who had stolen from them regardless of his crime. Forgiveness was the key issue in this situation.   There is no great difference between what I got from the novel and what the author intended me to get.

Question 2

Carrying the fire in this scenario indicates the taking up of the mantle from the man whose health was deteriorating.  By carrying the fire, the boy would assume the duties and responsibilities of his father and hence lead him through the remaining part of the journey as well as protect him as he had done throughout the journey (Kerouac, Dillon, & Audible, Inc, 2016,). Despite the differences in ages and characters between the man and the son, the boy was supposed to finish what his father has started in the case he died or was too weak to do anything. Therefore, the boy would become the leader, with the responsibilities of making tough decisions that would largely determine their fate whether they would live or die out of hunger, thirst or attack from the bad people.

References

Kerouac, J., Dillon, M., & Audible, Inc. (2016). On the road.

Related:

Why doesn’t the man ultimately trust the four strangers they see, the three men and the pregnant woman?

Question

1. Many parables end with a moral explicitly stated. What explicit lessons does Jesus append to his parables?
2. Is it possible to deduce more than one moral from a biblical parable? Think of additional or alternative morals that you might draw from one of Jesus’ parables.

Sample paper

Biblical parables

Question 1

During his on earth, Jesus Christ used short stories to teach moral and spiritual lessons by similarity. Parables were meant to give a better understanding of God and his kingdom to those who have little knowledge about Him, unlike the disciples who already knew the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, most of these parables were based on the agricultural life of the people in the community that was familiar to His initial first-century audience.  Through the comparisons of the mysteries of the kingdom of heavy to what the people went through in their daily lives, gave them a better understand and a mental picture of the heavenly kingdom (Seesengood, 2015,).  Although Jesus interoperated His parables, much of the interpretation and internalization of the parables were left in the hands of his audiences to think about the kingdom of God, Gods love, mercy, and forgiveness, Christian love, humility, and stewardship.

Question 2

The nature of the parable is to invite the listener to interpret the teaching in his own understanding irrespective of whether the speaker has already given his or her interpretation. Therefore, Jesus’ parables have and can be interpreted in more than one ways. For example, one can deduce more than a single lesson from The Parable of the Prodigal Son. The first lesson in this parable is that God is all merciful and He will always forgive and accept those who go astray but repent and come for forgiveness. Thus, no matter how badly the human race can be messed up, they are not beyond forgiveness and redemption (Twining, n.d.,). The second lesson of the parable shows that no one can be forced to come back to the fold. It is a personal decision that to come back, repent and ask for forgiveness. The same manner that the father did not look for the son, God will never drag his lost sheep home but will wait for them to come and forgive them.

References

Seesengood, R. P. (2015). Shifting Biblical Parables. Oxford Handbooks Online. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199967728.013.30

Twining, W. (n.d.). The Ratio Decidendi of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Rethinking Evidence, 397-416. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511617249.014

Related:

Why doesn’t the man ultimately trust the four strangers they see, the three men and the pregnant woman?

Question

1. “We are too busy to chew over ethics” (paragraph 21), Tisdale observes. What does she mean by ethics? Does she engage with what you consider ethical issues in this essay? Explain.
2. Although Tisdale takes a pro-choice position, a pro-lifer could use parts of her essay against her. What parts? What are advantages and disadvantages of including material that could be used in support of the opposition?

Sample paper

We Do Abortions Here: A Nurse’s Story

Sallie Tisdale in her essay We Do Abortions Here: A Nurse’s Story, she states that those who practice abortion are too busy to chew over ethics. In this context, the author uses ethics to refer to the moral principles to determine whether a patient should go on with abortion or not.  Medically, there are those who have a legal right to perform abortions, but there are also those who should not be allowed to abort an embryo. However, according to the nurse in this particular facility, they have no time to evaluate and decide whether the available patients are qualified to undertake abortions as well as evaluating the repercussions and consequences of the intended abortion (Peterson & Brereton, 2008,). From the essay, it is easy to point out that the nurse does not engage ethical issues in her work since abortions should not be performed to every person and it is morally wrong.

Despite stating that abortion is a matter of choice and privacy, there are parts of the essay that can be used against her in the case of complications in the process. For example, she states that she watches the shadows that creep up unnoticed and suddenly darken a patient’s face as she screws up her future. Moreover, she goes on to say that she rarely mentions the pain the patients must endure during the process meaning that she keeps some important details away from the patients (Peterson & Brereton, 2008,). One of the advantages of the inclusion of materials that can be used by the opposition is to give people a chance to choose what they want, but on the other hand, the information can be used against her in the case of mistake or accident that may occur during the process

References

Peterson, L. H., & Brereton, J. C. (2008). The Norton reader: An anthology of nonfiction. New York: W.W. Norton.

Question

I want you to write your own version of the essays we’ve read so far in class. Many of them are about things like first jobs, experiences in the neighborhood they grew up in, or experiences in society that change who they are.

Sample paper

Personal experience

Immediately after finishing my college where I specialized in accounting, I was so excited, and I only had one thing in mind, and that is to find a job and support my life after school life. One week after my final exams, I began the long journey of seeking employment in various institutions with the hope of securing a better job. After two months of walking up and down in the city, I landed my dream job at Cots industries as an assistant accountant. My primary duty in the organization was to assist the senior accountant with the preparation of assets, liability and capital accounts entries as well as summarizing the current financial status of the company by collecting information from different departments of the organization. I was excited for the opportunity given to me to put whatever I have learned in class into practice.

The senior accountant was a senior man who played a father figure and was committed to showing me all the secrets and practices that I can use in the accounting industry to become one of the best accountants. As a good son, I blindly obeyed his commands and followed him wherever he went. With time we become good friends, and we trusted each other to the extent that we would share secrets and life experience with each other. After three months of intense training, I was good at my position to the extent that I would go through all accounting books to check whether all the books were updated correctly and to correct any mistakes.

On this Friday afternoon, as I was going through the books, I noticed an irregularity with the accounting books and immediately contacted by a friend and senior accountant John.  I expertly explained to him where the mistake was and why I felt that the books were incorrectly recorded.  That is the moment he pulled me aside, and softly whispered to my ears that to succeed in the industry and to live a comfortable life, one needed to be “clever.” At first, I did not realize what he meant, and I sat there confused looking at him waiting for an explanation. Instead of explaining to me what he meant, he went to the door and slowly and quietly closed it and came over to where I was sitting and handed me 50, 000 dollars. By now, I realized what he was doing. He was bribing me and buying my silence so that I would not report him to our seniors.

As a good accountant, I know that transparency and accountability are key to excelling and succeeding in the industry. I politely declined hi offer but promised him that I would say nothing to anybody. However, the secret between us did not last for long as the company’s auditors found the same mistake and realized that approximately two hundred dollars were missing. Immediately we were summoned to the manager’s office, and the auditors together with the manager demanded an explanation for the missing money. We both stood there rooted to the ground with no words, and we only looked at each other. After hours of interrogation and persuasion, John finally admitted his actions but luckily enough he said that he planned the whole scheme alone and thus, I was not part of the scam. While he went to jail and paid the stolen money, I lost my job for obstruction of justice since I did not report the theft in the first place.

Related:

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Question

Read The Norton Reader: “What Should a Billionaire Give—And What Should You?” Peter Singer, pp. 368; Respond to question #1;

“Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr, pp. 324; Respond to question #1

Sample paper

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Question 1

According to the author of the essay, “what should a billionaire give and what should you” Peter Singer, a collective effort from all individuals irrespective of their financial power in saving the world can yield more and better results rather than dividing the world and asking individuals to help the needy solely without help from others. However, despite the fact that his answer makes sense in that more people would benefit from our help if the entire world acts as a team, it will be unfair to those who have less compared to those who have plenty (Carr, 2008). Billionaires have enough money and resources to use and give to the needy compared to low and middle-class individuals in society. As a result, all people should do their part based on their power and abilities to help the world rather than waiting for the rich. A collective power and effort can work miracles.

Question 2

Nicholas Carr, the author of the easy “is Google making us stupid?” feels that in a significant way, Google is making scholars and students lazy to conduct researchers and read like there before. To justify his claims, Nicholas gives an example of Bruce Friedman who frequently blogs about the use of computers. According to Bruce, he has lost the capability to read and internalize long articles on the internet or printed (Carr, 2008,). Through the internet, scholars can efficiently and quickly search for relevant information. It worth admitting that despite the internet making people lazy when it comes to reading, it saves scholars a lot of time which is then used to further their research and studies.

References

Carr, N. (2008). Is Google Making Us Stupid? Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, 107(2), 89-94. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7984.2008.00172.x

Singer, P. (2011). What Should a Billionaire Give—and What Should You? Giving Well, 13-24. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199739073.003.0002

Related:

EXPERIENCES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Question

For this second essay I want you to write your own version of the essays we’ve read so far in class. Many of them are about things like first jobs, experiences in the neighborhood they grew up in, or experiences in society that change who they are.

Sample paper

EXPERIENCES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD-Personal essay

Since ages, man has been known to be a social being who likes to associate himself with social groups that suit their interest and desires.  My childhood was not smooth as I would have loved mainly because I grew in a neighborhood that was constantly affected by the lack of security and theft as well as robbery.  Depending on the neighborhood a child grows up in, he or she can either lead a positive and a better life or he can a negative and a life full of misery.  A neighborhood can determine one’s destiny.

My earlier life took a wrong and a downturn when my father died at a tender age. At the time, my mouth was unemployed and being the first born I had to find a way to help her financially to raise my siblings.  As a result of our poor financial background, we were forced to move to Kosovo, a neighborhood that was famous for its black market deals and drug trafficking. Schooling was not a priority to me considering that my mother could not raise the money to fund my education and feed my siblings. As a result, I started taking up small jobs from wealthy families to make a living and help the rest of the family. However, after working for about two months, I noticed that my efforts of making a decent living were no bearing as many fruits as I would have liked. I had to find another way of making money or rather we would starve to death.

At the moment, I had found friendship in Jonas, who was a college dropout. He was a decent young man who was far much better financially than my family and made his daily bread from taking online jobs and helping high school students with their assignments.  Every evening after a long day work, I would pass by his house where we would sit down and listen to music from his computer. With time, I developed an interest in his work and begged him to teach and guide me so that I can make a living just like him. Being a friend, Jonas readily accepted my request, and soon I started training. My financial condition acted as a motivator, and I was giving, my all to the training so that I can take the minimum time to master all the necessary skills and start working.

This was like a dream come true.  After was relatively good, Jonas informed me that I could start working, but I need to purchase a laptop. This was a nightmare to me since I had no enough money to feed myself and my siblings leave alone to purchase a laptop. Lucky enough, he offered to provide me with one which would be repaid later after I earn enough money. The following day, I passed by his house, as usual, to pick up the laptop.  As I am writing this story, I am in prison serving my six-year sentence for handling stolen goods. My friend Jonas gave me a stolen computer, and he was only pretending to be my friend. As I came to learn later, Jonas was dealing with stolen products and only used his writing and assignment work as a diversion so that people would not suspect his devilish acts. He freed the neighborhood after I was apprehended by police and despite my innocence to pleas to the police; I was sentenced to serve six years in maximum prison.

Related:

Norton