The Tyranny of Choice | 11/10/08

Author Barry Schwartz, who wrote "The Tyranny of Choice" focuses on how the unlimited amount of options given to citizens can hinder our personal values not make us feel better. Schwartz believes that when given too many options of the same product we become confused and overwhelmed with all of these options leaving us confused on what product is the best, or fitting for our personal needs. Barry Schwartz believes that there are two types of people: maximizers who want the best and will settle for nothing less; and the satisficers who will settle with what works best for them regardless of whether it is the "best" product out there. After conducting many surveys, Schwartz found that the maximizers are more likely to regret their decisions on products because once they have it, they realize it wasn't all that it was made out to be; his studies showed that the satisficers are more likely to be happy with their purchase because they are not expecting more than what they knew that they were purchasing.

11/5/08

I really enjoy having our workshop days, it is so nice to have many people's eyes look at your paper and give feedback. Every person from my group always gives me great feedback. Every person gives me great advice, so far they all have caught my spelling errors and helped me with my grammar. For revising my rough drafts of both my papers I had taken all of the information that I had received from you and my group to create my final draft. I could not possibly choose who has helped me more, them and you have been a great help.

Free Write | 10/27/08

I am 22 years old, almost 23 and currently in my Senior year of college. Thinking back to when my Dad was my age he was already out of college and working as a CPA. My Dad has always been very smart and school was definitely easier for him than it has been for me. He grew up in a small town in Illinois and knew how important school and education was. He worked extremely hard to get his education and a good job to provide for his family. Since I was a child he had instilled in me the importance of getting a good education so that I can do what he has done for my siblings and myself; he worked hard and saved to give us the education that we needed. Since he has worked so hard to provide us with the best education he could offer us, it has motivated me to do the same for my future children and family. I am in college to learn and be successful in my chosen field of study, and be able to take care of myself financially. My Dad is very wise in recognizing that without a college education it is extremely difficult to provide for yourself, let alone to provide for yourself and your family. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunities that I have been allotted to be successful in this world, and I can only hope that I can do for my children, as he has done for me. Even though the times have changed drastically since my father was 23, one thing hasn't changed and that is the power of knowledge; and that will never change.

PB&J

When our group broke up into our specified tasks to complete this process we let each other do what they felt. We did communicate a little bit before as to what terms should be in the glossary and how our instructions should be laid out. For the most part, we didn't want to specify one single type of PB&J, we wanted the reader to feel like they had a choice between smooth or chunky peanut butter. The easy part of this process was that everyone at the table had experience with this process of making a PB&J. We were on the same page with how it should be executed. The difficult part was thinking of troubleshooting and glossary terms; this was difficult for me because I had never thought of making a PB&J to have safety warnings or that any person trying to make this sandwich would have trouble. Overall, I think that our group collaborated well during this process and working together.

Persuasion

Looking back on the crocodile creek story it was interesting how our group came to the consensus. There is no right answer to this situation. Every character in the story was in the wrong at some point. One person's wrong doings created a domino effect, which caused us to lose track as to who was the true culprit. I cannot remember what scenario that we decided occurred with the characters, or how we got to that conclusion. Whatever we chose, it felt right in our minds because the "what if" scenario we were thinking of led us to what we believed was right.

What is the worst invention?

I think that the worst invention would have to be those jelly sandals. I remember when they were popular when I was younger and I know I begged my mother for a pair. I've noticed that the infamous jellies made a comeback a little while ago and I got a flash back of the discomfort I had endured as a child wearing those jelly sandals. The sandals are completely rubber and rub the backs of your ankles till you have blisters. These have got to be the most uncomfortable shoe ever created and that is why I think that jellies are one of the worst invention, and one of the worst fashion trends.

Free Write | 10/13/08

Thinking about what the best thing every invented is a very difficult question. There have been many valuable assets that have aided to different aspects of our lives. The best thing ever invented would have to be toothpaste. Looking back at portraits done of people in the past, our former Presidents for example, in every photo they have a serious look on their face; you would never see a smile. The reason for this is that everyone had horrid teeth at the time (if they still had any teeth), and the people without teeth wore wooden dentures! Thankfully, with time people had come to realize that oral hygiene is very important and can save you from teeth rotting away. Because of regular brushing with toothpaste and dental check-ups people like you and me aren't running around toothless with dentures.

Free Write | 10/8/08

I have received much needed advice in my day, most of it coming from the mouths of my parents. I have always looked up to my parents for their love and work-ethic. My Dad is very intelligent, which is often hard to live up to. He has always said that, "education comes first". When I was younger I was always a good student, but I never worked to my full potential. My Dad has given me reasons why I should work hard, and an example of someone to look up to. He worked extremely hard in school and at work to support his family; particularly to have the funds to put my sister and myself through school. Now that I am older, I understand why he was always pushing me to succeed and do my best in school; he wants me to be able to do the same thing for my kids someday. When I am finally done with school I know that he will feel a sense of relief and so will I. I will have accomplished something that will greatly affect my life and my future children's lives.

How to eat a lemon

First of all, once you slice a lemon in half the little lemon citrus drops smell so crisp, and fresh. But, remember, you cannot bite directly into a lemon unless you want your mouth to water as if there was a flood in your throat. The one, and only, way to eat a lemon is to squeeze the juice into a pitcher, add some water, and some sugar. Sweeten to taste.

Define Patriotism

Patriotism is very difficult to give only one definition because it has so many. When looking up definitions of patriotism I found a quote from Socrates, "patriotism does not require one to agree with everything that his country does and would actually promote analytical questioning in a quest to make the country the best it possibly can be." Along with this definition, I found a more contemporary meaning that came about it the 19th century, being patriotic was now linked to nationalism. Nationalism is defined as, "and ideology, a sentiment , a form of culture , or a social movement that focuses on the nation." There is no one definition for patriotism, every person has a different definition for it that personally relates to themselves.

Free Write | 9/29/08

I have this friend, his name is Brent. He is my friend, though I don't really know why he is. Brent has the characteristics that most people would typically steer-clear of, myself included. He is full of arrogance! He thinks he is the most smooth talker on this earth and only speaks about himself. Just writing about Brent brings up feelings of sadness. I don't want to be speaking badly about him behind his back, but this is the personality of Brent. I guess it is my own fault for having a friend that portrays a less than satisfactory persona; but deep down I know that his narcissism is a big front he puts up. I guess that's why we're still friends, I've seen him cry once, so I know he's not always the tough guy. I think that Brent and I will be friends for a very long time, maybe he will grow out of this stage evemtually.

How to Eat an Orange

In order to eat an orange, you must first remove the peel. You can do this a number of ways, you can use a knife to score the peel; or you can dig your fingernail into it. Once you score the peel you can slip your fingers underneath to begin pulling it away from the fruit. Discard the peel. After the fruit is exposed, you can pull the orange apart in perfectly bite-sized sections and enjoy.

Operating Systems

I personally have not hopped onto the Mac bandwagon yet, I use windows. I have always used Windows and rarely messed around on a Mac until this year. I like sticking with what I know, that is why I use Windows. Although, I do want to learn Mac OS as well as I know my Windows.

Free Write 9/17/08

My brother has an odd sense of humor. In fact, it is gross what he finds funny. He likes to tell stories in great detail about subjects that are a little inappropriate. I don't know if they are necessarily inappropriate but they are topics that people don't casually discuss. The worst part is, when he is telling these stories, or jokes, he laughs histerically throughout his dialogue. When trying to hear what he is saying over all of his laughter I cannot ever keep up with what he is trying to convey. Every time he tries to be funny, he is the only one laughing, while leaving every one else with a massive headache.

WSUV Events

There are many events held at WSUV, but many of them are during classes. It seems every time that I look at the upcoming events and find some that I would like to attend; I am unable to go due to the scheduling. I'm sure that I am not the only student who feels this way, something has to be done. I understand that they try to fit in with everyone's schedule; for me it is a different situation, being that I live in Portland. Due to my commute, it is very difficult for me to make it out to campus and finding time between, before, and after my classes. I hope that others are in the same position as myself, maybe there will be a change in scheduling with the voices of others heard.

9/15/08 Free Write

I have had many memorable meals in my day, but one particular meal I had last March was especially wonderful. I was on a road trip through California with my boyfriend, who is from San Jose. We had made reservations to eat at this restaurant where he had used to work. It was a very nice restaurant and very spendy. Joe, my boyfriend, didn't think anyone working there would remember him; but they did. We enjoyed one of the best meals I have ever eaten, and expecting to pay a lot for it. After we were finished eating the waiter brings the check over, it was only $20!!! We couldn't believe it, the waiter had discounted over $50 for us! We were so thankful for such a good meal that didn't break the bank; this was a very memorable night because I know that I will probably never get that lucky at a restaurant again. :)

9/10 Free Write

I was thinking about humans and how our brains work. I have been curious to find out if dogs' brains work similarly to humans by means of the equalibrium? I am not scientist, but I would like to conduct some tests to find out. I had my dog, Snickers, perform some simple tests to see how similar they are to humans. I played with him for awhile and then took the ball we were playing fetch with away, in order to see his emotion. I found nothing. He did want the ball, but when I began to pet him it seemed as though he didn't even remember us playing fetch; he was perfectly content. It seems that without the ball he was fine, just as long as he was getting a little attention he didn't mind one bit. My results concluded that as long as love and attention is given, dogs and humans are content.

Free Write 9/8/08

When I was 15 my dad decided to take my mom, sister and I on a month long vacation. This seemed fun, until I found out that the purpose of the trip was to see every National Park in the West. It seemed as though it was the longest and slowest trip of my life, because at the time I wasn't old enough to respect the scenery and the point of the trip. Now, as I look back on the trip as an adult I realize the importance of that family vacation. I only wish that my parents had waited a few years to take us on this trip, so we could've respected and admired the beautiful scenery all around us. Now, I would really like to go back to Yellowstone, see the Red Woods and Sequoias and Glacier National Park. I would love for my parents and sister to be there with me. Family vacations are so important, but it's funny that you don't realize the importance of the trip until after it is over with.

Introduction

My name is Christie Hougham, I am currently a senior at WSUV majoring in DTC, though I love areas of Fine Arts (especially painting). As far as my writing history, it has been a bumpy road. English has always been a difficult area of study for me. I have always had issues with grammar. I am excited for this class because I am not used to writing short and concise works. I think that this class will be very beneficial in improving my writing skills because I can concentrate on a smaller amount of text, rather than a large essay.