Real World blunder that was made by someone in the public sphere

A "Real-World" blunder that was made by someone in the public sphere came to mind was one that made by Howard Dean when he was campaigning for President Election in 2004.

He was in the south at the time giving a speech, and he said "I am tired of coming to the South and fighting elections on guns, God and gays. We're going to fight this election on our turf, which is going to be jobs, education and health care."

I think there may be some truth in his statement about the South focusing on guns, God, and gays whenever there is an election. However, this impression is also a stereotype because not all people in the South only focus on guns, God, and gays. People in the south care about jobs, education and healthcare just as much as people in the nouth. I think it was very arrogant of Howard Dean to think that guns, God, and gays is all the southern people can think about and that they are not intelligent to talk about other issues.

Gendered and Unbiased Language

I had an experience of making inappropriate remark in my email once. Luckily, the person I wrote the email to did not make a big deal about it. I was very fortunate.

I'm not sure if you have noticed or not, more and more parents name their girls names that are taken traditionally for boys. For instance, today, more and more girl's names have departed from traditional girlish names, such as Mary or Jane. And more and more parents name their girls, Ryan, Bryan, or Toni...(I personally like it a lot, being a girl myself).

About two years ago, I was sending out my resumes by email to different directors in our institution trying to find a job. I came across a director named Dayle Benson. Intiutively, I began my email by saying: Dear Mr. Benson...

I did not receive any reply from this director...

Months later, I was hired by different person at this department, and came to find out, Dayle was a woman. That totally explained why I didn't get a reply, not to mention that I was so embarassed when I finally met her.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson - double check and do some research before I send out an important email to important people!!

Real World example II

AD from KSL.com on March 18, 2010:

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Layla is a 9 month old Border Collie-Lab puppy. She's beautiful, soft, playful, loving, and energetic. She's house trained, not aggressive, and she loves going to the dog park. We've had her around kids, babies, strangers, and other dogs - she's just as friendly with them as she is with us.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Based on our handout, the ad may be stronger and more impressive to the readers if it is writen as:

Layla is a 9 month old Border Collie-Lab Puppy. She:

-is beautiful,
-is soft,
-is playful,
-is loving,
-is energetic,
-is house trained,
-is not aggressive, and
-loves going to the park!

Real world example

I think the logic behind the error may seem more correct to the writiers because the writers are writing an ad. Their intention is to sell what they are trying to see, not to make a perfect business presentation. By writing exactly how they would say it (Rather than being formal) makes it easier to connect with potential buyers or customers.

Three of the text’s main ideas:
1) One of the main ideas is to organize your research after gathering all the information and data. Sometimes, it is difficult to make sense of all the information, notes, summaries, and photocopies because they may present all the arguments from different perspective. I ran into such experience couple years ago when I wrote a research paper on International Healthcare System. I had to research various healthcare systems in the world. I chose five countries, US, UK, Portugal, Czech, and Sweden. I gathered debates from both sides of argument. I had over 40 journal articles on this topic, as well as several books, notes, summaries. I had read all of the material that was relevant, but when it came to putting my thoughts in paper, I was overwhelmed. I should have organized my resources and data in a way that was easy for me to record my thoughts and make my argument so that I could clearly present my reasoning. It took me over a month to finish the paper, it was painful.

2) One of the text’s main ideas is to narrow a broad topic down to a focused one. It has always been a challenge to me on this subject. Using the same example mentioned above: Internal Healthcare Systems I worked on couple years back. The healthcare system in the US alone can take up over 100 pages if one is to detail all areas of healthcare. In order for me to compare the healthcare systems in the world, I had to narrow it down to 5 countries, and these five countries must have different and unique characteristics, such as nationalized healthcare system, privatized healthcare system, partial nationalized, managed healthcare insurance and such. In addition, I had to choose certain topics to compare. For instance, I had to choose only to look at the financing system, expenditure, access, quality, otherwise, I could be writing over 500 pages of research paper, and no one would be interested in reading them…

3) One other main idea I found interesting is “knowing how to use three kinds of resources.” For the same paper I mentioned above, I was fortunate enough to gather all three different kinds of resources: Primary sources, Secondary sources, and tertiary sources. I went to Sweden and Finland with a group of friends, and conducted interviews and visited various authorities so as to have first -hand experience. And of course, there are plenty of journal articles and books on the subject. However, the challenge for me is to sort through all these data and find my own voice and opinion on this issue.


Some ways my previous research methods may be outdated:
One way I used to do my research was to camp out at the library and find the journal articles that I need, made copies of them, highlighted the important passage. Now it is so much more convenient to use internet and library database to find the journal articles I need. I can even use google search engine to find articles using only key words, name of the authors. Time has changed for sure.


Practice questions:
A
1. My sons-in-law’s homes
2. Arkansas’ rivers
3. Jim and Joan’s house
4. The Ph.D.s’ research
5. McGraw-Hill, Inc.’s advertising
6. Fred the electrician’s estimate
7. Anyone else’s idea
8. Witnesses’ depositions
9. The airport’s upper level
10. One of my friends’ daughter
B
1. The tree surgeon could not save the limb of the White spruces.
2. The user’s manual for the new software package was so confusing that most consumers returned it to the company.
3. Windows’ intuitive commands make it easy for users to move from one application to another.
4. I will be in Hawaii on Mother’s Day, in New Mexico for April Fools’ Day, and in California for Veterans Day.
5. Grover Cleveland was the people’s choice.
6. Each participant filled out the Readers’ Comment Forms.
7. Now that he has his bachelors degree, he plans to get his masters, and possibly his doctorate.
8. The National Secretaries’ Conference will be held in Huston this year.
9. For appearance’s sake, the feuding vice presidents keep their differences to themselves during the monthly staff meeting.
10. My brothers-in-law’s idea was to have the family reunion at a spa.
11. We have been invited to a holiday party at the Roths’.
12. The idea of the telephone companies was to offer discount rates to seniors.

RE: Citing lectures

These articles are so helpful!!

The summary of the lecture notes.

1) This article tells us what source is and explains the difference between primary source and secondary source. Primary source is raw data that does not itself give us the analysis of your subject. Secondary source, on the other hand, does give us inference on your subject, and we may accept or object. The article goes on to say that it is our obligation, service, and advantage for us to disclose our sources. It not only gives us the creditability to discuss the subject, but also gives our readers an opportunity to verify our data.

2) This article lists the rule of integrating sources into a paper. It includes summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting source. The article explains in detail the principles of how to summarize, paraphrase, and quote the sources, as well as when to italicize and underline sources. The article also offers the general rule for quoting sources.

3) This article shows us when to and when not to cite the sources. We should cite the source when we use factual information or data found in a source; when we quote verbatim two or more words, or even a single word or label that is distinctive or striking; when we summarize, paraphrase ideas arrived by another person; when mention someone else’s work. We don’t have to cite the source when the source and page location of the relevant passage are obvious; when dealing with “common knowledge”; when using phrases that have become part of everyday speech; when draw on ideas or phrase that arose in conversation. The article also includes different methods of citing and how to acknowledge united sources.

4) This article explains what plagiarism is and the consequences of plagiarism. For instance, when not citing: information or data from its source, other people’s idea, a verbatim phrase or passage. The article also mentions special hazards of electronic sources and how to avoid high-risk situation; for example, don’t leave work until the last minute because some assignment takes a lot of time, and, when taking notes, make sure the distinguish your own thoughts and ideas from the sources you are citing from.

5) The final article teaches us many different ways to decorate the paper and make it look like million dollars according the format you are using, for instance, MLA, APA, etc. The article also says that MLA is normally used for humanities majors, and APA is more for social science and science with some exceptions. The article also shows us the way to list the references used and how to cite reference under different circumstances and according the format and style you are using.

They say, I say Summary

First, let me just say that this is a great book and an excellent resource for writing. I wish I have known about this book before! My writing life would have been so much easier! Absolutely love it!!

Here is the summary for each chapter:

1) The first chapter, “They Say”, tells us to find a way to engage our audience. It gave an example of a speaker in a conference arguing his position without telling the audience why. He left the audience clueless for the entire speech. It goes on to urge us, as writers, to explain what we are responding to before offering our argument so that our audience has an idea what we are talking about. In this chapter, the authors offer different ways using various templates to help us apply the ideas the authors trying to convey.

2) The second chapter, “Her point is”, shows the importance of summarizing what other people say. The authors argued that if a writer who can not or will not suspend his own beliefs when summarizing what other people say, he is more likely to produce summarized that are more biased then a writer who can and will. In addition, a writer who summarizes what other people say must not take the words or sentence out of context.

3) Chapter 3, “As He Himself Puts It”, suggests that, as writers, we should not quote any comments just because it is convenient. The quotes you use must support your argument, mean something in whatever you are writing, and relate to your context. The authors also demonstrate this concept by providing various templates to help us introduce quotations.

4) Chapter 4, “Yes/No/Oaky, But”, moves away from the “they say” from the previous chapters to “I say.” The authors show the ways we can respond to other people’s argument. We can agree, or disagree, or agree and disagree simultaneously. The authors also provide different templates to help us agree or disagree with others in various ways.

5) Chapter 5, “And Yet”, helps distinguish your own opinion from other people’s opinion as well as finding your own voice in writing. By clarifying who is saying what, it clears the ambiguity. In this chapter, the authors also offer many examples of applying the concept.

6) Chapter 6, “Skeptics May Object”, points out that while criticism is hard to receive sometimes, it can play to our advantage sometimes. The authors went on to ask us to write with other people’s objection in mind so that we can think more thoroughly while we write. This helps us become more responsible when we write. The authors also suggest learning the art of disagreeing, and demonstrate the difference between “bullying your readers and genuinely persuading them.” Again, they offer many different examples to apply the art of disagreeing.

7) Chapter 7, “So What? Who Cares?”, brings up the point of saying why what you say matters. This is to establish a purpose for your writing and tell your readers why they care about the topic you are writing. This can be done by asking yourself “so what? Who cares?” when you write, and try to answer this question. The authors offer different templates to help us apply the concept.

8) Chapter 8, “As a result”, instructs us to make the transition from one sentence to next more smoothly. It addressed the issue of connecting your writings. The authors list some transition words that help the reader go from one place to another. The transition words include words that compare, contrast, and conclude. In addition, when repeating your own words, it is best to repeat them differently so as to make the writing more interesting while connecting the parts of your writings.

9) Chapter 9, “Ain’t So/Is Not”, teaches that while we are taught to write differently from how we speak normally while writing, it is not necessarily true that we need to abandon our own voice. It points out that academic writing should be relaxed, easy to follow, and even have some fun. To succeed in college, the writer need not limit the language to the strictly formal language.

10) Chapter 10, “But Don’t Get Me Wrong”, shows us how to use metacommentary to clarify and elaborate. Metacommentary is to restate what other people’s words in your own words and voice your own opinion. The authors offer different templates for introducing metacommentary.

11) Chapter 11, “I take your point”, teaches us the courtesy we should have for others after they make their points, and we should not respond by going off on a total difference issue. We should acknowledge other people’s point when we enter a discussion.

12) Chapter 12, “What’s Motivating This Writer?” asks us to look deeper in what a writer is trying to say. It is not just to listen to what the writer is saying, but to understand the writer and be able to translate the writer’s word in your own words. The authors also suggest us to read more critically instead of just taking the word at its face value.

13) Chapter 13, “The Data Suggest”, teaches us the writing used for scientific writing. The writing starts with the data, then presents theories. Moreover, scientific writing is very different from other academic writing. The writer needs to explain what the data means and use it to make his argument. The authors provide different templates for us to use in scientific writing.

14) Chapter 14, “Analyze This”, suggests different approach for writing in the social sciences. Social science is the study of people. It requires different approach from scientific writing because human behavior is more complicated than data. In this chapter, the authors list some example of interpreting the writing for social science.