-midsized organization
-defines what GAO does
-provides tha tasks GAO performed in 1990
*over 1200 written reports
*provided testimony
*offered legal opinion
*resolved contractual disputes
-discusses the divisions of GAO
*14 regional offices and 2 overseas offices
*4 program divisions and 3 technical divisions

Why provide those types of details?
Kleimann wants her readers to understand not only what GAO does, but the process of the work that goes on. That's why she gave the structural outline of the offices, programs, teams etc to show who handles what and how big the organization actually is. Also, she goes into detail of the work they submit so the readers have a better understanding of what it is they do.

Activity 3, pg. 94

I'm analyzing the midterm paper I wrote for my British Literature class last year. The topic/question was to juxtapose two or more pieces that we read and discuss similarities and differences of the themes. I wrote about John Donne's poem, "The Flea" and Andrew Marvel's poem, "To His Coy Mistress."

I interpreted these pieces as love poems, but more so with the theme of seduction and sexual mischief. Throughout the paper, I quoted numerous direct quotations from the texts such as stanzas, lines and phrases from the Norton Anthology overview that preceded the works. I also used indirect quotations from the authors in what I interpreted their poetry to mean.

For six pages, I would analyze the similar ties of the poems and use the following paragraphs to discuss the differences. Personally, I found it challenging to organize my paper in a constructive manner, yet continuing to be analytical about the texts. However, it turned out to flow rather nicely and during the editing process it was easier to move things around to make it read more synthetically.

My teacher agreed and remarked about the structure of the paper, as well as the thought I put into evaluating both pieces. He was impressed at the way I organized my thoughts to allow my interpretation to be followed easily by a reader. Also, with the extensive use of intertextual techniques, my teacher thought that I did a great job with portraying the poets' work while providing my opinion.

Seen's Graffiti

"Seen" takes over direction. Not much collaboration, "Seen" is simply instructing what he wants his helpers to do. Doesn't ask questions or validate his opinion, just says what he wants and instructs them to to do it. Body language is him turned in to the other guy, standing slightly in front of him and the other guy does not turn toward him, just keeps straight-doesn't even OK at him.

Walks up to the wall to visually show where he wants the graffiti to start. Doesn't ask if that looks good or anyone else's opinion, even when he changes his mind three times. Constantly says, "Listen to me," and "You understand what I'm saying to ya?" even though no one responds.

Explains entire process of the artwork of graffiti. He tells the camera the rules of how to do it, which is what must go through his mind while he sketches and paints.

As he sprays, he continues to hold the picture of the sketch in his hand to make sure the bigger picture looks exactly like the smaller one. Without it, the wall may look totally different than what he imagined. Confesses to having "a hundred outlines" of his final piece, letting the viewers know how lengthy of a process it is.

Yells and dismisses at his partner for suggesting brown paint, emphasizing "red, orange and yellow." Has dramatic, exaggerate and sometimes aggressive bodily movements when he's talking. He also raises his voice when he gets frustrated with his partner. It makes his partner look elsewhere and not want to pay attention to him.

Reflectionon Collabortaive Work

This was the first time I had ever collected data by observing another work. I felt somewhat intrusive on the writers' space, as if I were eavesdropping. However, if I would have sat any further away I would not have been able to hear them. From where I was sitting, I could clearly see and hear the writers collaborate on the project. At first, all I picked up on was their oral composition of the prompt, but as the assignment went on, I noticed their body language and facial expressions as they talked to one another. I could practically visualize them hitting the point of the prompt where they jumped on board together. However, I think that if I had sat directly behind them, as opposed to next to them, they would have been a little more reserved about their creative energy with one another and possibly not have written as much. Giving them their space to work was easier for me, and them, to capture the process of their work.

packet update

I understand now why we should look through different texts when reviewing a final draft. The writer may not have understood the prompt, need help finding ways to collect data or even have problems with putting their ideas into a well-formatted text. Like I said in the last weekly update, I "get" what's going on, it just takes me a little longer to apply it since this is such a different way to go about viewing a writing process.

Rhetorical Activity 3

The article I chose was in the DA today in the opinion section. It was a message from the editorial staff because they are dissappointed to hear about the WVU College Republicans starting their own newspaper, "The Mountaineer Jeffersonian" instead of contributing tho the DA. The writer(s) claim they are "disheartened" about the new paper which will display more conservative opinions than the DA does. They continue their article with describing how each opinion columnist is welcome to contribute whatever opinion they have, especially when it comes to politics.

From what I gathered, the writer(s) stasis argument rested both at conjecture and quality. Conjecture because it implyed that "The Mountaineer Jeffersonian" exisits and is a problem because it is taking away "welcomed" opinions from the DA. This view also falls under quality because without enough conservative opinions in the DA, the opinion section is a bad thing since it wont display an even amount of political opinions, which are important in a collegiate paper since it is there to "inform, educate and enlighten" the students at WVU.

The position of the writer(s) is obvious because they work/write for the DA so of course they don't want competition to their paper. However, I don't think their stasis was achieved because they didn't do a good enough job supporting the idea of an alternative place to freedom of expression.

Weekly Update

So far, I understand everything we are doing in class, however, the readings are easier for me to follow than our class discussions. It's not the content of what we are learning that I get confused with, it's our approach of looking at things. I'm used to just writing about whatever I want to or whatever will answer a question. It's hard for me to think about where the writer is coming from when writing a text and the process of how it gets done. I think it takes me a little longer than most people in the class to understand everything because I'm not used to thinking like that. That's why I get so nervous with the exploratory essay and the letter of inquiry because I'm not sure if I'm doing everything right!

Writing Process of my Exploratory Essay

When thinking about the exploratory essay, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. I've never taken an English or a writing course like this one before, so I panicked. Luckily, I remembered Mr. Wible saying that you don't HAVE to end up with the PW you initially wrote about in the essay. This calmed me down, so I brainstormed about what kind of PW interests me.

As I was trying to come up with something good, I found myself constantly going on the Internet to check whatever it was I thought was important at the time. Since MIX is my default page, I checked my e-mail a bunch of times until it hit me. I never EVER look at the news announcements on the MIX page until that day in the midst of my procrastination. As I started to scan the news, club announcements and job openings, I realized I never put one thought into what goes behind all of that preparation and publishing. I quickly jotted down some questions about it on a notebook page and then panicked again. "There is no way I can make this 3 pages," I thought.

I started thinking about other PW jobs around campus that I had never considered. As I was looking around my room at all of my WV stuff trying to have an idea sparked, my friend's little brother, who is a freshman at WVU, called me to catch up on things. He started talking to me about his classes and how he hated them and the stupid "awareness plays" his university 101 teacher was making him see, but I had to cut him off because he gave me two new ideas! I hung up the phone and started writing down more questions about the people who write those silly plays we are required to see as freshman, and how the course catalogue book was edited and even drafted.

Questions started flowing! I was really excited because not only did I have three jobs I could pick from, but they were all easily accessible since they were based on campus. After I had at least 6 questions for each PW, I started to write my paper and sure enough it made the cut!

Kairos

Kairos = an advantageous time for rhetorical activity. In the image on page 46, the figure represents "time" by the wings on his feet. He is also holding a scale, which represents judgement and what the appropriate time is for the appropriate judgement.

discourse community

I'm a big sports fan, in particular a St. Louis Cardinals fan. When watching games, it's unspoken knowledge that you wear your teams colors or jerseys. When writing about sports, you always compare your team's players to those of another team in that division, because ultimately your team will play theirs. So you need to have a broad span of knowledge of other teams. And you always want to be positive about your team! No one wants to read negative words on their team from an alleged fan! Also, it's customary to learn the correct lingo for your team. You don't want to call out the wrong name of a player, the wrong nickname of your team or the wrong chant.

Rhetorical Activities

1) The two magazines I found laying around my room were Glamour and Women's Health. Each of them had articles on two subjects that were relevant to the end of summer and beginning of an academic year: weight loss and the Human Papilloma Virus. The writers created kairos by taking advantage of the fact that the magazines are issued a month earlier than they are implied for, the September issues are available in August, to offer knowledge for women to shed some extra pounds (or maintain their diets) before the summer is over and people start to cover their bodies with more layers of clothing. Also, since magazines like Glamour are targeted for younger, possibly collegiate, aged women the articles on HPV were kairotic because they know that girls are starting a new academic year and should take advantage of student health offerings of the vaccination. The author in Glamour also used her article to mention a few other "health watches" that women should pay attention to after their "summer flings" just as the author in the Women's Health magazine used the opportunity to talk about new recipes that are "healthy" and that use "fresh fall foods".

4) As I was moving back into my apartment a few weeks ago, a guy was walking down my street on the way to grab himself some dinner. He saw me struggling to haul my suitcases and trash bags full of clothes up three flights of the rickety stairs we call our "fire escape" and he stopped and offered a helping hand. I was the only one of my roommates around and had at least five more trips to go, so I gladly accepted his offer. Twenty minutes later, after he had not only carried the heaviest bags each trip, but also made the last two trips on his own while I stopped to call my dad and let him know that I had safely made it to school, I offered the guy a beer. It was the only thing I had to offer that seemed reasonable for everything he had just done for me. Surprisingly, he declined. I wasn't offended, but I was curious as to why a young guy in Morgantown would decline free beer and he replied with the fact that he was underage and he was being deported to Iraq in a few days. As he continued to tell me about the training, testing and pressure he had gone through in the past few months, I couldn't help but feel sorry for this kid, literally a kid, who was about to go serve our country, protect our citizens and honor our patronage in another country and yet not be able to sit and have a beer with me. Why is it OK for him, an eighteen year old, new graduate of Morgantown High, to pick up a gun and go thousands of miles away from his friends and family to be scared out of his skin with visions that he was just legally allowed to witness in the movies, and not have this beer with me?