"Well, Now What?!"

Ah Ha! I finally finished the layout of my blog today in class. And from the looks of its simplicity you wouldn't think it took as long as it did to perfect. However, it took me a coons-age to find the right image I wanted to incorporate in my title. After looking through tons of "street sign", "the open road", and "window of opportunity" images I went with the little tangerine guy featured on this post. He's going to be the mascot of my blog, and I'm very fond of him as well. I named my blog "Well, Now What?!" , and I think the tone of uncertainty in the title really goes along with the look of panic on the tangerine's expression....so I'm pleased. I wanted to go with a simple/ almost blank template in order for my blog to look organized and clean. I also used a white template so the focus would be more on my information and of course the many images I like incorporating with my posts. I am trying to center my tangerine image in the title, but I am having difficulties doing so. Any suggestions? Other than that I'm excited to see my blog grow!

The Right Look

Formulating a layout for my final project is way harder than I expected. I guess when you know other people are going to see this, it motivates you to perfect the look of the blog in every aspect. The other night I completed the layout of my blog, including the banner, however it didn't have the vibe I wanted it to. I used an image I took myself back in January of a sunset that looked pretty cool. But when I pasted it on my blog along with my title, it just didn't do it for me. I ended up looking at the Corbis site and found some really great images! At first I found a good one that had a man in a business suite lost in a labyrinth. It looks really cool and fits with the theme of my title, "Well, what now?!"..but I want my blog to represent more of an adventurous theme more than the lost and confused theme. So, I looked up some more images and found a wonderful image of a woman in a convertible with the top down and her hair int he wind. It sounds a little hokey but the actual image looks pretty cool. I believe f the layout of my blog turns out right, then it will be a great foundation to the rest of my work. It's just about finding the right look (which can be quite daunting). I just better find that certain look soon!

Pearls of Wisdom

Thanks to Lauren I read an AWESOME website that basically advocates the whole inspiration behind my final project. It's called Road Trip Nation and it consists of four friends who were about to graduate from college and had no clue as to what they wanted to do with their lives. They felt the pressures of conforming to the idea of law or med school, but knew that wasn't what they wanted to do. So, instead they came together and traveled the US in a van searching for inspiration from strangers as to what they did with their lives ( kinda reminds me of The Beats On the Road..soo cool!). This concept has turned into a phenomenon and is featured on PBS. The inspiration behind Road Trip Nation it is exactly the concept I want to illustrate throughout my blog (except on an international level as well). The blog is really interesting to read, feel free to check it out : roadtripnation.com. Thanks Lauren!

It's All Happening!

So, I have been working on my blog these past few days, which is really exciting. It is a bit of work trying to get the layout just right but I think its going to turn out well. I am STILL gathering the last bits of information... I still happen to stumble upon new blogs and cites. But I think I'm going to cut the chord on the information intake so I don't become too overwhelmed by all of my findings. I plan on posting a little sample of my layout before the night is over, so get excited! ( I know you are!). Well, that's what I've got right now...it's all happening!

The Public Sphere

I seriously love how my rhetoric capstone class overlaps with this class. Not only does it give me more material to blog about (which is always nice) , but it also gives greater insight into the often ambiguous world of rhetoric. The other day we were discussing "the public sphere" and whether or not such a thing still exists. Basically, this public sphere is a place for people to set aside any differences they may have, (race, age, class, etc.) and discuss current issues with out any biases. Ironically, when this public sphere was first introduced it only consisted of white middle aged men of the bourgeoisie class. So obviously there were not many differences to set aside due to the fact they didn't allow women, the working class, and/ or members of a different race to participate in their discussions. No wonder they got along so well! Now that there's so many different kinds of people in today's society allowed to discuss their thoughts, it seems like this once unified public sphere is disappearing. If anything, with personal blogs and facebook pages, its becoming more personal. But who knows, maybe this mysterious public sphere never existed to begin with.

Here We Go!

Today I have gathered what I THINK is enough information to fuel my project, therefore it's time to start the design of my blog (which I probably should have started last week, but I didn't so...whoops!) Right now I am still brainstorming for a name, and I believe this is one of the most important parts of a blog (and the hardest to come up with). I want it to be witty, simple, and of course memorable (easy right?) Not really! I've been searching the web and found some different blogs concerning teaching, volunteering, etc. abroad and though they have inspired me to organize my blog a certain way, the titles I saw were a little lack luster. So, I'm just going to have to kick my creative juices into gear! It is kind of exciting starting a brand new blog about something I am interested in. I feel like its a small child or something. I have to help it develop and grow into something that will hopefully end up being a success (or at least something that will enable me to pass the class!). But, overall I'm excited about working with my blank canvas, and yet at the same time kind of intimidated as well.
Oh! and though I have gathered quite a bit of info about my project, if anyone else has heard of programs for newly college grads (programs that relate to volunteering or interning...or anything really, feel free to let me know! I would love the input :)

"How Far Will You Go?"

So, I found another great organization to present on my final project. Since I am doing alternative "jobs" for recent college grads I thought what better institution to advertise than the Peace Corps? It's such an awesome opportunity to be able to go any where with in the world and volunteer time in order to better human kind! Basically, you can pref where you would be interested in going and what type of work you may want to do while abroad. The contract is for two years and it looks great on any resume (not to mention the life changing experiences it comes with!). I think it's pretty cool, here's the website if your curious: http://www.peacecorps.gov/

The Blog:More Than A Black Hole In Cyber Space?

Blogging is taking over my life! Well..not really...but I do find myself talking about it WAY more than I did before this class started. I sometimes even stumble into discussions with other people about it without even meaning to. For example, yesterday my roommate and I were sitting on the couch being pretty worthless to be honest and for some reason we started to talk about blogging. Shortly after, this "talk" turned into a discussion/debate about the pros and cons of blogging. Not only were we discussing blogging on what could have been a productive Saturday, but I found myself on the "pro blogging" side of the debate. My roommate made the point that blogs were like the black holes with in cyber space. Everyone uses their blogs to write about their own lives and the reality is no one really cares about what's going on in another stranger's life : basically, it's narcissistic. I could relate with her stance on blogging because that is the same exact opinion I had about it for quite some time. And honestly, with some blogs I still do feel like that. However, I did make a defense by saying how blogs can help launch new and exciting ideas to the public * fo free!* AAANNDD how it can improve writing skills, critical thinking, etc. etc. etc. Anyways, no one actually "won" the argument but I just find it funny how often blogging can really come up in a convo with out expecting it!

" Hi! This is Kate from the University of Missouri calling..."

So, I have just started this "awesome" (but not really) job with the Mizzou Alumni Association. Basically I call Mizzou Alumni and beg them for donations (yeah, I'm one of "those" , don't judge). And though sometimes the job can be quite boring and/or degrading, I do find myself using quite a bit of rhetoric when conversing with the Alumni ( that is when they actually pick up!). They (meaning "the man") provides us with a script to follow when taking to the Alum. It's supposed to have the power to convince the "unassuming" Alumni into giving me their money. In my training packet it's called "building an argument" and I am currently debating whether it can really work over the phone (or at all). It says that by introducing myself as a current Mizzou student and by using my first name, right then and there the caller and I make a bond "that cannot be broken" haha. Then, after the first mini bond I'm supposed to build rapport by talking about other things that might interest them thus convincing them they can "trust" me. Sometimes I think it works, but I also think a lot of it depends on if the people I am talking to are empathic or spawns of satan. When I talk to a lot of the Alum I do like to hear about what they have done with their lives and what they plan on doing in the future. But usually these "deep" conversations are ironically had by people who cannot give any money. And more times than none I get hung up on rather than talked to , so who knows if this "building an argument" stuff really is effective in the telemarketer world as my boss claims it to be. However, whether it works or not, I still have the joy applying rhetoric to my everyday life ( that is once again if the people I call ever pick up the phone!) .

To Wiki or Blog? The Age Old Question.

Originally I wanted to present my final project as a blog, however now I am kinda thinking it over. I started to do a blog, and thought it would be a great way to make my project more interactive. My initial wish was to have other people post about what they did after graduating college (other than the traditional grad school, etc) and express any pearls of wisdom they may have about their past experiences. I thought it would be a great way to inspire other soon to be college grads and also give them a network of people who had "been there and done that" to interact with. However, as the days go by I am accumulating soooo much information that it's making me a bit worried about being able to organize it all on a blog. So, here is my ultimate conundrum : I believe a wiki would be more accommodating with all of the info I'm reeling in, but then again it would wipe out all of the interacting a blog would contribute (which I believe is an important facet to the project ). So....I'm going to continue on with my blog, but if I find it getting too messy, I might just make a Wiki to go along with it! We'll see how it goes!

Progress!...WAHOO!

The wheels are finally turning in motion concerning my final project. I have researched, researched, and researched different programs and agencies for newly college grads to sink their teeth into! First off, I found a great website aimed at grads looking to teach abroad. It provides information about companies who coordinate programs for English-Speaking natives to teach in Asia, Europe, and Africa elementary, middle school, and high school students. The website is called /www.transitionsabroad.com, and it has a ton of really cool information about going abroad and provides answers to many questions one might have about each program. And if teaching abroad does not sound enticing, there is also a section about volunteering or working aboard in all of the continents! I think this cite will serve as a great foundation for my own blog about alternative career choices for the new college grad. One draw back I did pick up from the site is it has SO much information the homepage can seem to be overwhelming; I didn't know where to go first! So, I am going to use this cite as an example of what NOT to do when designing my blog. Figuring out what you may want to do with your life is stressful enough, so making a clear and organized blog will hopefully serve more as a sanctuary of inspiration, rather than a hodgepodge of information. But I'm still excited about the discovery of the cite!

Everything Bad is Good For You! YAY!!

Yesterday in my Contemporary Theories of Rhetoric capstone course, I heard another great topic that yet again crosses over to this class! One of my classmates brought up a book he read recently called Everything Bad is Good For You by Steven Johnson. Basically, Johnson makes the argument that the video games our media constantly advertises actually enhances the development of children's minds. He says video games encourage children to think in more abstract and intricate ways...something books cannot always do. While reading a book is more of a passive activity, Johnson believes the ever popular complex video games that line the selves of stores require children to solve complicated problems and utilize their critical thinking skills. Johnson also makes the argument, that if the video game had come first, and the book second, no one would ever believe a book would be more beneficial over a video game. Johnson says, "video games help players cope with issues such as decision making, problem solving, and cooperating with others (more applicable to strategic and multi player games)", something books don't necessarily do.
After hearing Johnson's book, I contemplated whether or not his argument was a viable one. Why does the video game have such a bad reputation with in our society? I mean, so many people are advocates of anti-video game use, but yet so many people own them! Why are there so may mixed feelings about video games presented in our media? Do books get more credibility just because they have been around longer? Or rather, would they be treated differently had the video game come first? Should this technology substitute some facets of traditional book learning? All of these questions still float around my brain unanswered, but it is a topic worth pondering.

Article found at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/46756/tv_is_good_for_you_according_to_steven.html