Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
or as my husband says "Merry Chrismahanakwanzika" 
OMG! Part 2
I am so freakin’ happy. I turned in the final draft of my big research paper for my Literary Analysis class on Friday. My prof gave me the best compliment when I let her read the almost finished paper last Monday. She said it was good – she was ready to put an A on it (except I had to make a conclusion and works cited page), that it was graduate quality work, I could use the paper for my graduate thesis, also that I should enter it in a writing contest currently being held and finally that my paper was good enough to be published in an academic journal. WOW. I just had to do a little finishing work on it and make a concluding paragraph.
Well after such a great compliment I kind of got scared to work on my paper – I was afraid I would mess it all up or something. I worked on it though and turned it in thinking that it was not the most brilliant conclusion I could have done but I finished it and could work on it more later. My prof emailed me today and gave me an even more awesome compliment than before. This is what she wrote me:
Brilliant.
Gorgeously constructed argument.
Sophisticated use of the text, other critics, and post-colonial theory.
Wow. Thank you so much for your persistence.
You should take great pride in this essay, put it in your portfolio for graduation, and keep it around if you need a writing sample for graduate school admissions.
I made comments and suggestions, but only because:
- you really should submit this to one of the university’s conferences
- I’d like to use this to show future students how the finished product looks when all of these skills are brought together. (without your name, and only with your permission)
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I am so excited. Not only am I getting an A in the class (which was very challenging) but now I feel validated. I love writing, I have always loved writing but writing research papers (academic writing) always scared me. Now I know I can do it and kick ass at it. I was also worried about graduate school – do I have what it takes to make it through?… but this experience has shown me that I can do it.
Creativity
"Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression."
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Oh man, do I feel that quote. I often feel that when I write, either papers or in my blog. Sometimes words just aren’t enough; or you don’t have enough time.
Detroit
"We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes."
Motor City’s woes extend beyond auto industry
‘All of Detroit is not going to hell’; can city avoid drumbeat of doom?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28327490/
This is an interesting article about Detroit, although the title is kind of a ‘DUH’ statement. The article doesn’t have a lot of solutions on how to pull the city out of its downward spiral. The same stuff that is happening in Detroit is happening in Flint (city about 80 miles north of Detroit where I go to school). What can be done to save the cities? A whole lot of jobs would help but also people need to start visiting the downtown areas more. That will not happen until there are more businesses downtown, which won’t happen until more people visit, live and work downtown. So where are the jobs going to come from? There are only so many jobs the medical field can offer, what else is there that pays well? Nothing much since our manufacturing is gone. This is a horrible situation that has been building for decades – Michigan (between both Detroit and Flint) is ground zero for this bad economy now. What can be done? What is going to pull Detroit and Flint from turning to rubble, what is going to save the U.S. economy?
Bizarre…..
"Bury me with my cell phone"
I find this article extremely interesting. My husband thinks that this is stupid – burying people with their cell phones. I think it is wierd but I am not sure that it is a bad idea. I think it may help people with their grief.
So I wonder….
There is this thing I have been wondering for a long time now… this has nothing to do with my friends in person or online so don’t pay any mind to this dear friends.
So what I wonder is …. who is it that has been checking my msn space at least once, sometimes 3-4 times a day, Monday through Thursday? This has been going on for quite some time, since about last February (possibly before). Someone was checking my msn space like clockwork 3 times a day. So I put an IP tracker on it. I found out it is someone with a State of Michigan IP (Michigan State Governement IP) address. Now I wonder who that could be? Is it the governor of my great state of Michigan? I could only hope. Could it be someone who admires me and my writing? That would be wonderful but, I wish if that were the case, that they would send me a friend request. It could be someone who is just curious about me – that would be fine to, I guess, but 3 to 4 times a day most weekdays and sometimes on the weekend too (yeah, I know the home IP too – that isn’t hard to figure out)? Huh?? Could it be someone who dislikes me and wants to use my writings against me? Could be, could be. I don’t know, I just don’t know. I was hoping this someone would learn some things but unfortunately I see that she has not …. but maybe if she keeps reading she will. She may even be back today, even though I know she has visited twice already today. Maybe around 3:30 or 4 I would bet. Oh yeah, she’ll be back becuase she was just over checking my myspace. I wonder too, what is she looking for? I can make assumptions but they are only that…
Oh and in case you are wondering what your IP is you can check it here http://www.find-ip-address.org/ And, my special visitor (or stalker?) if you want me to confirm yours just email me.
And for my friends I will explain at a later date.
Jacquelyn's Space 