ErinRhey

Blog Portfolio IV

2010-11-30T16:00:00Z

Since the last blog portfolio, I have learned more about websites. I have created a simple website out of HTML, which was very challenging due to the precise nature of the job. If even one tiny error is made, the whole site can be flawed and not able to work. I also learned even more about creating websites effectively. I learned about what users want to see on a site in order to make it visually appealing and user friendly. For example, pronouns should be used appropriately and sentences should be active, or inspire action in readers. Everything should be very clear and easy to comprehend. In addition, meaningful links should be written. Links should always contain enough information to create easy navigation in order to know what is being accessed. All information should be accurately represented. I also took a series of tests to ensure that I know what I am doing with these aspects. Now, I am working on creating a sophisticated site about my professional identity. I chose to portray myself as poet and create a website supporting this fact. I took great time and effort to comment on blogs for this portfolio, however, I have had an incredible amount of trouble posting due to constant errors with my submissions.

Interaction

I have interacted with a multitude of people about a variety of different topics. I commented on a post about Rihanna and winter fashion in addition to an intriguing story about the nature of our existence. I posted a comment about the concept of home and how it changes as time goes by.

Depth

I had in depth discussions about the nature of beauty that is often overlooked in everyday life as well as the nature of journals and what makes them important to their owners. I also wrote an in depth poem about words.

Discussion

I discussed the idea of heartbreak inspired by a moving poem by DJ. I also participated in a discussion about New York City.

Outside Material

I brought outside material into my post about "Desiderata," a poem I love. I also posted a link to my sophisticated site.

Ethos

I incorporated ethos into my writing with my poem "The Way Things Were," a nostalgic poem about growing up. My poem "Peace" also contains ethos as it discusses the feeling of calmness and how to attain this.

Convention

I used hashtags to specify my post as part of my el236 class. In addition, I used creative titles such as for my poem Blue Skies All the Way and The Universe: Inspired by Desiderata. I also used creativity with words in my poem Go With the Wind.

Blue Skies All the Way

2010-11-29T19:37:18Z

if life had no speed bumps

how boring would the road be

if there were no storms

how would we enjoy clear weather

for every good moment must be a gift

must be seen as the blessing that it is

should never be overlooked

or ignored

or chalked up to what is deserved

life must be enjoyed

we are owed nothing

we do not DESERVE anything

except for that which we earn

nothing must be handed to us

and sometimes

the joy of the climb

is better than the feel of standing at the summit

for there is much to experience along the way

rainy days present opportunities that blue skies cannot even understanding

the darkness can reveal that which light sometimes cannot show

honestly we do not want blue skies all the way

but instead, the lessons that stormy days can teach us

and the joy of the journey

that is all we have

The Universe: Inspired by Desiderata

2010-11-29T18:59:26Z

"Desiderata"
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy
-Max Ehrmann

"Desiderata" is a timeless poem that has lasted a century. Below is a poem of my own that is inspired by the above masterpiece.

THE UNIVERSE

the universe has all within its grasp

as far as you can run

as hard as you can fight

YOU LOSE

and you WILL ALWAYS LOSE

stop struggling and let your life unfold

for what point is there in trying to win a simply impossible battle

embrace your place in this universe

as you are precious

even if you cannot feel it

even if you cannot see

live this life well

and never forget to love

as it is always within grasp

even if it inches away, its always there

know how little you know

realize your own naivety

and rejoice in it

above all

seek peace and find it in the small corners of life

in the simple joys of living

and realize that nothing is in your control

Go with the Wind

2010-11-29T18:48:08Z

GO WITH THE WIND

STOP HANGING BACK

STOP HOLDING ON

AFRIAD TO LET GO

AND SEE WHAT EVERYTHING CAN BE

SCARED TO EXPERIENCE WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN

LIFE IS GOING TO HURT

AND THINGS WILL MOVE FASTER THAN YOU CAN KEEP UP WITH

BUT GO WITH THE WAY OF LIFE

DONT DRAG YOUR FEET

OR GET LEFT BEHIND

KEEPING MOVING

GETTING PUSHED AHEAD

INTENT NOT UPON THE DESTINATION

BUT INSTEAD ENJOYING THE RIDE

LOOK AHEAD AND SEE WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON

TO EXPERIENCE THE TRIP

FOR YOU CAN NEVER TRAVEL THE SAME ROAD TWICE

AND NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME WHEN YOU LOOK BACK

SO LIVE AS IF THIS IS YOUR LAST MOMENT

AND TOMORROW TIME WILL PASS ON

The Way Things Were

2010-11-29T18:38:00Z

things can never be the way they were

when i was a child

and all was peaceful and calm

and worry was simply a word in the dictionary

that i couldn't read anyway

and responsibility was too hard to pronounce

it was a roadblock extremely f----a-----r down the w i n d i n g road

and the BIGGESt thing i had to decide

was Spongebob or Rugrats

and the summer breeze really was magical

just like Santa and Christmas morning

things can never be like this again

for i have grown

become an adult

whether i want to or not

i have left the shoes i used to fill

tucked into a box in the basement

and my teddy bear

replaced with a laptop

my peace of mind

replaced with a drive to succeed

looking for a future

a job

a family

the big show

this has become my reality

my near future

when times moves far too quickly to keep up

and now i realize that this is the way things are

now.

and things will never be the way they were

Peace

2010-11-29T18:32:21Z

peace

peace be with you

or just peace as in peaceful

as in all is well with the world

can one find peace amongst the chaos of confusion

that is this world in which we live

when everything is falling apart

landing at pieces at your feet can you find this

fleeting or lasting

can this be found

and if so

can it be kept

in a cage where it will always be found

as long as it is kept alive

or is it something that must be at the forefront

coerced into staying

convinced to be a friend

to be the glasses you can look through

to be the hand that covers your mouth to keep you from saying the wrong thing

to be the light in the darkness of anger and irritation

at the sure problems of life

where can one find peace

and how can it be attained

peace

peace be with you

Words

2010-11-29T17:13:06Z

what are words

just letters strung together to create something

but what

an idea of unfathomable importance

why are some afraid of them

and hide from them at all costs

yet others love them

and keep them in their pocket

to use as a defense, a concealed weapon

a best friend

always by their side

residing within their mind at all times

at the tip of their tongue

ready to leap to action when the call arises

these people integrate words into all aspects of their lives

friendships

relationships

often meeting disapproval

or misunderstanding

their needs never fully met

they reside in the gray of life, never in the black and white

for they are uncomfortable there

they want to think

to figure out

to stay away from the status quo

to blaze a new trail

and write their own map of the world

for words are not just a means to an end

a way of explaining how to arrive at point b

they are an art form

a means of speaking to themselves

and the universe

a way to figure out their tiny place in this galaxy of questions

ideas and misunderstandings

seeking approval from their conclusions

toying with their ideas for endless hours

caught up in the excitement of invention

each and every times their fingers take to the keys

or a pen

or their dreams write ideas on the walls of their minds

bursting to be seen and heard

searching for another to see what they see

comprehend what they have found to be true

for in this world of certainly

words stand alone

symbolizing

rescuing

destroying

of limitless power

what are words

a force like no other

Blog Portfolio III

2010-11-11T14:43:54Z

Since the last blog portfolio, I have learned many more new ideas and concepts. First, I worked with a classmate to make a multimedia project. This entailed making a video that highlighted a key part to being a student of Seton Hill University. We chose to make our video about the Performing Arts Center. Through time, my partner and I filmed several aspects of the theater and music experience including piano and dance. My partner used Animoto software to edit the video while I concentrated on the writing aspect of the project. The video turned out looking extremely professional thanks to my partner's ability to creatively arrange a video. On the other hand, the writing was changed several times, each time pushing it more toward a personal experience of Seton Hill University and farther away from the documentary we had originally planned to make it. Through this, I learned more about the writing process as well as video editing and the foresight that goes into each of these ideas. By having the opportunity to view other students' videos and writing, I was able to learn what makes a video project such as this interesting and intriguing. For example, one must be sure to use music and video clip transitions correctly to avoid the video looking convoluted. Then, we began learning about websites and what makes them interesting and effective for their audience. For example, one should be careful to make home pages easily navigable. Things such as clickable pictures without any accompanying text should be avoided at all costs for they aggravate the reader. All sites should be very user friendly. Then, we began working with HTML code ourselves, creating a mini website called "Sarah's Website" in which we simply played with HTML as well as style sheets, learning how to link the two. I had major problems with tiny errors such as typos that would ruin my entire site. I learned that one must be VERY careful when typing these things, one must almost have computer-like accuracy. The next thing we are going to do is create our own website with a page about ourselves. I am currently in the process of doing this.

Interaction

I have interacted with a variety of people about different topics. I had a discussion with several others about the nature of personal passions, namely sports. I commented on Patrick's excellent poem of description of a woman as well as DJ's interesting idea about hyprocrisy. I also commented on Rachel's blog about the immense importance of the liberal arts core and the stress that comes with completing it. In addition, I commented on a blog about the stress of scheduling.

Depth

I have had in depth discussions about the music of Relient K and the importance of worthwhile lyrics in songs. I participated in a discussion about personal preferences involving HTML. I also wrote a poem with great depth about the nature of the uncertainty of life.

Discussion

I have discussed the value of warm weather and the annoyance of prerequisites in terms of class requirements. I also participated a little in a discussion about the nature of using rants in blogs and their effectiveness.

Outside Material

I linked the YouTube video as well as the writing for the multimedia project that was required for the Griffin's Challenge to my blog. I linked outside material with my tweet about an excellent site for finding meaningful quotes.

Ethos

I appealed to ethos in my poem about destiny and its nearly rhetorical nature.

Convention

I used convention in my poem "Lily Pond" that is about this tranquil setting in nature. I structured the poem's word flow to resemble to moving waters. I also used a creative title in my poem "Perceiving Perception." I also used a hashtag to let my classmates know where to locate the multimedia project.

U-turn: Inspired by Robert Frost's Road Less Traveled

2010-11-11T14:23:18Z

dont you love when you are heading in one direction

happily

freely

and without doubt that you are in fact

travelling the way outlined on you internal map

and everything seems so crystal clear

and all is within reach and just beyond the fingertips of work

age

and effort

simple time passing in joy to reach a point where you achieve what the dream is

and locate what is at point B of this journey

but then you see it

and you wish you hadnt

curse the time when you took your eyes off the road

and you saw a little detour

a path a little less traveled

one that you cannot located on your map

one that is not accounted for

one that is not known

and you turn

just a little in your seat to catch a glimpse of it

and what could be that direction

beyond anything you've ever seen before

and you turn back to the road

stretching out before you with in black and white

no gray in between

no decisions

a simple plan

a major

a career

the one you have known forever

no road bumps

nor potholes

and your destination can be felt

seen and touched by eager fingers

yet that road still rests in your mind

refusing to give up hold

and then you think

slowly at first

cautiously

what if?

what

and you quickly stop yourself

you dont know enough

you have already decided after all to stay on course

to never deviate for that is not the way of the plan

but what might happen if you could change your mind

what could come of a new idea

what could come of a different path

this road less traveled

what do you do

u turn

around

and head into the unknown

head a direction you heart tells you to

ignoring the doubt

and what is at the end of this road

no one is quite sure

but it will be a different journey to get there

down a much more beautiful winding way

Perceiving Perception

2010-11-11T05:13:33Z

how is it that you can look at something

and say it is this

and i can look at something

and see a thing completely different

how is this humanly possible

do we not all have eyes

when we perceive something is it not an arrangement of colors and shapes within the eye

yet as we use this knowledge to draw conclusions about the world around us

how can we each view the world differently

have different takes on the most important subjects

how is it that a concept of vast importance can be explained in black and white form

leaving all gray from the spectrum of knowledge

yet equipped with hard facts

we each take a side

and each side has opposing views

how can this possibly humanly be

what is this perception we all speak of

how can it dictate our ideas of life

down to the very core of our being

what determines perception

we each perceive the answer to this to be different

is it genetic

learned

inherited

evaluated individually

or of an unknown source

such as the concept of mind and body

Destiny

2010-11-11T05:04:07Z

is destiny decided

it is the same as fate

a predetermined destination that we cannot control

some would say so

is it a hand reaching out into the darkness

as nothing is yet written

and even less is decided

is this the truth about the nature of destiny

or is it a hope that all that should come to pass will come to pass

in whatever way it all should

is it possible to have faith in the good of life

in the hope of tomorrow

yet the knowledge of tomorrow is so vastly limited

is the absolute truth less important

than the bumpy journey along the way

down roads that one must travel alone

or up highways with best friends close by

what is destiny

can this language we use describe it

do we have the knowledge to even begin to match these ideas with words

perhaps not

perhaps we are not to be able to comprehend that which is beyond the abilities of our senses

so is destiny simply a belief

differing for each person

an issue constantly on the mind of those who recognize its significance

or does it have significance

is it yet another useless form of dead end thought

or an eye opening directional tool more important than one can possibly comprehend with limited human knowledge

or is even this to be an unknown

what is destiny

Lilly Pond

2010-11-11T04:49:48Z

a blanket of color covers the surface of the lake

as leaves float weightlessly on the reflections

trees and sky gazing up from the water's depths

waving at their reflected images mirrored in the clarity

all things green and beautiful reach toward the pond

intent on becoming a part of an ethereal image

the viewing of which a human is not always invited or welcomes

as flowers drift softly across

jewelry for the water's decoration

gently caressing the water's edge

resting in groups to peacefully drift away together

as the white wood of a bridge arches playfully

over the untouched area of beauty below the feet of those who dare intrude upon the scene

softly, the pond calls to all who dare to share in its quiet glory

no need for admiration save for that within the hearts of those who pass by

Just Another Day?

2010-11-10T17:15:19Z

Did you ever have a day

when you arose with the notion

that each day is just like the rest

and you could go about each day with your eyes closed

and you walk out the front door

without a single ounce of joy about the day to come

and you are numb

indifferent to the world around you

then you see something

hear something

feel something that changes you at your very core

a small event

a child laughing at the simple joy of living

or a couple holding hands as they walk on a fall day

making the least romantic event beautiful

or something earth shaking

bad news that changes the face of the earth

or news so phenomenal that the very foundation of life

is shaken and upset with joy

and literally changed in a way

that can never be reversed

this is no ordinary day

yet it is just another 24 hour period

maybe even a mere minute or moment of one

one out of a million

yet one of a million moments

when everything on the face of the earth can change

in this blink of an eye

What is hope?

2010-11-04T18:22:03Z

what is hope

a fleeting, longing feeling drifting away in the wind

is it a genetic ability

something that some cannot attain

or is it involuntary

sometimes it arises when there seems to be no way

what is hope

an emotion or a state of mind

an accident or a pretermined concept

a thing that mets its height in the past

during the time of our forefathers

and the development of America

a time when rights were established for all

and equality came to meet law

is this the result of hope

the effect of hope on the human psyche

is unparalleled

unequaled in power to any other force

both of nature and manmade

it is of limitless value and yet is free

to all who allow it into the chasms of their mind

it exists in limitless quality

yet is a precious commodity

for the conditions must for right for one to capture hope and keep it alive

for many forces work against one's ability to nurture hope

and in many cases

it starves

or freezes

pushed away from the very person who needs it most

for there is nothing hope cannot do

it saves lives

gives meaning to existence

and sheds light on the unknown

hope is a candle that cannot be extinguished

except by he who covers the light

it is a friend

a guardian

yet fragile

for those who do not care for theirs find that it dies

starved

or frozen

and then you are alone

and must find a way to get new hope

Let it Rain

2010-11-04T15:57:04Z

blue hides behind the gray

completely enclosed in its grasp

white mist slips across the valley

afraid to climb atop the hills

the bare trees staring into nothingness

a seclusion like nothing else

as the puddles gather on the concrete

covered with floating leaves

awaiting the next boot to pull into their freezing grasp

a rainy day glaze covers the eyes of all

pulling them toward warmth

away from the crisp air