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Right, which means that having a keen awareness of the audience to whom you are writing or speaking is of paramount importance. The concept of "audience" will be an important one this semester. I will often ask you to cater your writings to their intended audiences. And the reality is, even though you may not think about it, in most cases you do this automatically. For instance, in this discussion forum, you are probably writing in a style that you feel is appropriate for an audience of mostly freshmen college students.

Advertising is LOADED with rhetoric, and it's usually not all that subtle. Have you ever seen an Axe bodywash commercial? How about Cialis? In politics, generally rhetoric can be a bit more tricky. Fortunately, we're in prime season for political rhetoric and we will have a project that focuses on how the candidates each approach "being rhetorical."

Two thumbs-up for being concise AND covering a lot of ground. Also, good work digging up a good academic resource from RPI. I have used that exact source before in previous classes and may very well use it again this semester.

This is crucial, and I am pleased that you raised this point. We are ALWAYS acting rhetorically, even when we aren't writing college papers or giving oral presentations.

I think this is an interesting point that might be worth exploring a bit more in-depth at some point in the semester. Does The Daily Show get a "free pass" due to its status as a comedy show? What are some undoubtedly valid arguments it has presented over the years, and what are some examples of arguments that maybe get lost in the slapstick?

This comment reminds me of a discussion I have had with previous classes about the rhetoric of clothing and body decorations (tatoos, piercings, etc) Many students would often say something to the effect of "My clothes help me express who I am as a person." I sometimes think of Facebook the same way - it's like the clothes we wear on the Internet.

Brilliant!

Great point, Troy.

I wouldn't go as far to say that I am particularly "good" at cooking but it is something that I enjoy. I did an internship during my senior year in high school at Publix Supermarkets in their photography studio where we shot all of the photos for the weekly sales ad that they produce. It was really interesting to see how much work goes into preparing the different meals for photographing. They brought in a food stylist to "style" the food to make it look the best it could for the shot. Ever since then when I cook I almost worry more about the presentation than anything which, often leads to sacrifice in taste.

A food stylist. There's a job I never knew existed. Cool.

I don't seem to be passionate about much, but cooking is definitely one of them. I watch the Food Network Channel almost religiously. I use cooking as an escape from regular life because it is one thing that I can really control. I like knowing that not only are there concrete ways to make something, it's okay to stray away and do your own thing. I started cooking because in my family, girls are expected to start making food early. I just got lucky that I really liked the idea of cooking. I've taken a few baking classes and really wanted to major in culinary arts, but science just seemed more practical. Food is one thing that I can easily move from culture to culture and have now learned what spices go with what places. I'm glad that I have grown up with Indian food all my life because I find that starting to cook Indian has made it easier for me to cook other types of food. It also gives me something to connect to with the women of my family because sharing recipes is something I can finally be a part of. Cooking is something that comes in handy with many things and my passion for it keeps building with every new thing I make. I realized that if I could be anything, it would be a host on my own cooking show, but since I feel better on the other side of the screen, a hobby is all it will be.

Cooking is a pretty big deal in my family. Pretty much everyone in my family is an excellant cook, including both of my parents, grandparents and all of my aunts and uncles. This is more than likely due to the fact that my heritage is predominantly Italian and Italian people historically love to cook and eat as well. Nonetheless, cooking is something I consider myself very good at and apparently others do as well, as I have received numerous compliments on my cooking. As in a restaurant, where customer satisfaction is all that matters, your main objective as a cook is for whoever you're cooking for to be completely satisfied with the meal that you've prepared. It feels good and satisfying to know that your cooking was enjoyed and appreciated. Even though I really enjoy cooking, a hobby is all it will ever be. I don't plan on making a career out of it. In fact, I only started to cook almost out of necessity. Both of my parents, who are now seperated, work for the airlines, with my dad being a pilot and my mom being a flight attendant. Me and my younger brother live at home with my dad, so while my dad is out of town flying, which is usually for about five days out of the week, I've taken on the responsibility of cooking for my brother and whatever friends he has over. Not only does home cooking save a bunch of money, but if you learn how to do it right, you don't need to sacrifice the quality of the food by not eating out. There's also a freedom about cooking that I enjoy. When you go to a restaurant theres specific things to chose from, but when you cook at home, you're menu is limitless. Cooking also gives me a chance to put my own twist on classic meals and make them to better suit my own taste and the other people who i'm cooking for as well.

I'm pretty sure I have ADD because I am the man at this. Whether it's in class, at work, or studying my mind is never where it should be. I always find myself losing focus on what I'm working on. One of my favorite things to wonder about is business ideas. I never seem to have enough money so; I'm always trying to think of new ways to produce a little extra cash flow. Nothing has ever followed through, unfortunately, although I have had some good ones

Its strange that of all the words listed i would pick wondering, but its the one that applies to me the most. I grew up as an only child and as such I had to invent ways to keep myself entertained. I love reading and watching movies but i can spend hours just daydreaming.

I think I am equally as good at laughing as I am at offending. I think the two go hand in hand. I don't really know how one can be good at laughing, it just sort of happens. It's the sense of humor that makes it happen. In my opinion if you can dish it out you better be able to take it. My personality involves a lot of laughing; not at other people's expense per se, but I definitely find a lot of things funny in my everyday life. Keeping a good sense of humor about you allows you to not take life so seriously. There tends to be a lot of ironic circumstances in life that are just too peculiar not to laugh at. However, with that comes the occasional offending comment. Some people do not understand my offhand sarcasm. Or my witty banter. I would also include that one of my favorite things to say online or in texting is LOL. Or Hahaha. But this is not granted so easily. I am not the type of person that finds everything funny, because it would devalue the truly hilarious things in life. I am not easily offended, but I can tell when a joke contains an offensive truth. Unfortunately, I do find myself taking it too far or not understanding why a person gets upset, because I'm so used to being easygoing about these things. There are a lot of times when I have to say "Aww, come on, you know I'm just kidding…".

When I looked at this list of words the one that jumped out at me the most was laughing. I have a great sense of humor; I love to laugh and to make other people laugh. I would say that I'm really good at cheering up my friends and family whenever they are upset about something. I believe that people really like that about me. Life would be way too serious without a good laugh wherever you can find one! Sarcasm is one of my favorite types of humor. I am very sarcastic about a lot of things. Many times people are amused by it but sometimes they can get offended! Most people understand though and know I'm just kidding! I also love watching comedians like Mitch Hedberg or Dane Cook. They always give me a good laugh!

When looking at this assignment, the word "instructing" stood out to me above all others. It's a weird thing to claim to be good at, but I believe that I am great at instructing. It's not that I'm a bossy person; I just tend to be a huge perfectionist. Usually in group situations I would rather be the leader than a follower because I like giving out orders and instructing people to complete certain tasks. When I took cooking classes with my friends and older sister I unintentionally was always the one giving people their jobs for the day. Maybe I have a slight OCD problem but it just bothers me if things are not organized to my liking so I would rather delegate and make sure things go according to plan. Instructing can also be used in terms of teaching, which I am equally good at. I usually can break material down into simpler and more understanding terms and teach it to someone who is having difficulty grasping those particular concepts. When I took chemistry my sophomore year of high school, my best friend at the time, was struggling every class period and couldn't understand the concepts the way our professor would teach them. Because I did, I was able to break down the lessons and teach it to her in a way that she had no problem comprehending. I guess in certain ways, instructing is one of my best qualities as well as my worst. It makes me an excellent tutor but also a slightly controlling team member. I think I just need to realize everything doesn't have to be perfect.

I believe that I am good at listening. Whenever a friend or anyone in general needs to vent about someone or something, I always try my best to be available. I actually listen and for the most part, if I am not overwhelmed with occurences in my life, I genuinely care. I offer advice when I feel it is necessary. Even if I give bad advice, or even if they do not take it, I still offer it just in case they decide to use it. Having someone that is able and willing to listen to you, whether good or bad news, helps to release stress. Although I think I am a good listener, I am horrible at talking. I do not like to share my feelings with many people. The only emotions I do show are when I am happy or excited. When I am sad or unhappy I do not like to share those feelings with anyone because I do not want to burden other people with my troubles. Even though I feel like sharing my troubles with my friends produces stress for them, I have been told that not talking to them stresses them out more than if I had just talked to them in the first place. So for anyone who is listening and cares to take it, my advice is don't keep your feelings to yourself because it just brings more stress to everyone involved! Let your friends and family know what is going on in your life and both you and them will be less stressed.

I believe that I am a pretty social person, considering that I am good at both listening and talking. I try my best to listen to people's problems when they need to talk, and I appreciate when they do the same for me. I believe that I have always been good at this, especially through all the high school "drama" with boys, stresses, and fights. All of my friends, especially my best friends, know that they can come to me whenever they have any issue that they need advice on or they just need to get something off their chests. They all know that I won't judge them, I will only listen and give my honest input when I feel that it is needed. I think that good listening skills are a very important trait to have.

I would have to say that writing on an interesting topic is one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy all sorts of writing. In writing you either do research and learn allot about a particular topic. Writing is also a means of expressing oneself. One is able to express who one is or where one has been. How much history would we know if our ancestors did not write it down? If Lewis and Clark never wrote in a journal we would know nothing of their travels into the West. I enjoy writing and am fairly good at it because I understand its importance. Many papers that I have written have described my most memorable experiences. Many others have described who I am and what my life has been like. Writing is a way to never be forgotten. Someone may read one of my papers one hundred years from now and know much more about me than a classmate which I never speak with. I am good at writing and enjoy it very much because I think it is one of the best ways in expressing oneself to the world around us. The one thing that I dont enjoy is writing about uninteresting topics. I love writing about history or people. One topic that I dont think I would enjoy writing about would be Physics or Chemistry. I enjoy and am good at writing if it is a topic that I am interested in.

I feel that I am good at writing. It may not even be that I am good at writing, or just that I feel good when I am writing. It doesn't matter if I am writing a poem, lyrics to a song, or writing a novel that I hope one day to finish- when I'm writing, I am at peace. I feel so in control when I write, and at the same time, I feel so helpless how the words just pour from my fingers so effortlessly. I suppose it's only fitting that I would be a writer. Both my parents have an amazing way with words. The first time I came home from spending time with my dad at the age of 16, the letter he gave me to read on the plane ride home brought tears to my eyes. And the sheer passion I see in my mother's eyes when I see her teaching her journalism class tells me that had she made different choices earlier in life, she would be a fearless journalist, desperately seeking the true story behind a political scandal, or a famous novelist like the great authors she looks up to with such high regard. Yes, there is no question that part of my writing abilities comes from both my parents, but the way I write is my own. Whether I am angrily blogging, or happily jotting down haikus, I feel the most like myself when I have a pen in one hand and a notebook propped by my knees cradling my left hand as it scrawls across the pages, or at my computer with a blank screen yearning to be filled with thoughts.

Reading is something I really enjoy. My mom and dad both read a lot and since I was little they always encouraged me to do the same. I'm not very good at writing but I appreciate others' talents. One of my favorite authors is Chuck Palahniuk. I have read many of his books and find the way he tells the story to be very interesting and unique. I wish I could write like that! I regret that I don't read as often as I used to but since I started college I've been pretty busy reading textbooks instead of novels!

Talking is one of my favorite things to do. However, it can also be one of my least favorite when the person is not interesting. Striking up an inteligent, interesting, and witty conversation can really be quite pleasurable. I like talking because you meet alot of very interesting people that many times have something worth saying. For instance; I was in the airport about a month ago on my way back from Yellowstone and Glacier National Park just kiling time; when I found myself in a great conversation. The man I talked to was older with a son beginning college this semester, just so happened they were going to be around Yellowstone on one last pre-college family vacation. Of course this immediately warranted some talking. I found myself telling them the few places they absolutely could not miss, along with some that respectfully could be. This, believe it or not, brought alot of joy to me. I knew that they were also, like me, going to experience a moment that really cannot be fully explained through talking alone. Something you really "had to see to believe!" Now that I am home, I realize that I learned so many interesting and wonderful things that really should be talked about. On the flip side, talking can really be annoying and quite unpleasurable. When discussing things that are really your own business like grades, yet everyone and their grandmother has to know. At times when you are in a hurry and need to be somewhere, but you feel bad just turning away from a conversation that many times you don't feel to be very pleasurable. So talking most times is fun, but can also be boring and drawn out. So if you have something to talk about spit it out, and let it be heard.

Talking is another trait that I am good at. Although I don't particularly like talking in front of large groups of people, I love just talking to friends separately or in a group. Sometimes I find that I even talk too much, but my friends get used to that after knowing me for a while. I work in an environment in which it is required to be able to go up to people I may not know and start up a conversation. I may not always have been good at talking to people I don't know, but my job has persuaded me to actually like talking to people I'm not familiar with. I don't mind telling people how I feel, especially when I am upset about something-I can never keep anything inside for too long.

When it is all said and done, coaching is something that I have always wanted to pursue. I look at coaching as a way to help kids of any age get through obstacles that may come at them. Coaches are always telling us to never let up on that last lap, always run your hardest and touch the line. Never tell yourself that you can't do it or that something is too hard. You can take the most common used phrases in the gym and put them in life like scenarios. Life throws things at you left and right, if you gave up on the very first try, then how are you ever going to be successful in anything you do. It is very hard to do anything half speed, and if you never put forth your best effort how are you going to know what your potential is? A lot of people often do not even attempt a task because they psyche themselves out before they even try it. Sometimes it is just automatic for one to think that it is too hard, or there is no way one can do that. I want to be that coach or that person that helped someone succeed in the gym and then that person use those very simple lessons in life. A lot of coaches will coach to win games. But the best coaches are the ones who coach to help young kids become better people. Sure, it is a lot more fun when you win, but at the end of the day if you can't take anything home from it then what is the point.

Although I am no Ernest Hemmingway I would venture to say that I have a certain propensity for writing. I believe that this stems from my childhood; I would find myself dozing off in the shower where I was suddenly interrupted by my father who had unexpectedly walked in to the bathroom and then began to quiz me on spelling terms. While this may appear weird or bizarre at first glance, it helped me realize the power that words have. Standing there, I would wonder, "Why is he doing this? All I want to do is try to reminisce on the dream that was so rudely interrupted." But no, he was in there every Wednesday morning preparing me for the spelling pretest that was to come later that day. It wasn't until I had grown to the ripe age of a middle schooler that I realized how important writing was, not only could you tell fascinating stories but you could convey a message that would carry a deeper symbolism. During my seventh grade year two of my essays were entered into contests, both placed 1st or 2nd in their respective contests. These results inspired and encouraged me to continue my writing. As senior year of high school arrived I worked diligently to receive as much financial aid as I could. At the end of the year I had received over $15,000 in scholarship money. My first year of college was paid for and with this I was paid handsomely to attend. These events are why I consider myself a writer.

As I looked through the list of words on this page, it occurred to me that nothing really stood out as an actual strength of mine. I mean, I guess I do a good job of listening, talking, laughing, and even complaining, but how can you be good at something everyone else can do? It was the word "composing" that really caught my attention. For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed listening to music. I'm not sure why, but there is an indescribable feeling that comes over me when I hear a song I really enjoy. I guess it's something of a natural high for me. But as great as it is to listen to one of your favorite songs, it can't quite compare to playing one of your own tunes under the heat of stage lighting, in front of a crowd of cheering fans. Before moving to Tampa for college, I played the guitar for a band called South Atlantic. We never really experienced any major success, but we did play shows across the state of Florida. Now, nearly two years after our departure, I still have the desire to continue where the band left off. Unfortunately, composing a hit song has proved to be one of the greatest challenges of my life. I guess there is a reason why it's so difficult to get recognized by major record labels. I don't think that the art of creating a musical masterpiece can be taught. I believe it's one of those talents you either have, or you don't. So I guess what I'm really trying to say is, if I could choose one word from the list to help describe something I wish I were good at, it would definitely be composing.