Yay for feedback!

I was a little skeptical about the instructions and how I would be able to make a comprehendible set. Its difficult to write instructions on something that is second nature for you. Like cooking. I cook so much I improvise, don't measure, etc. So to sit down and draft it out so that it anyone can understand it is difficult. Hope i did a good job.

Im excited about getting to cook my chili this weekend so I can add pictures to my directions and make sure i have all the steps.

I have really enjoyed the draft and group evaluations of the instructions. So much constructive criticism, and I feel that it has really helped to make my instructions better.

Random but I have gotten all my days mixed up this week. Thinking today was Tuesday instead of Thursday. Definitely need to get it together to make sure I get my assignments done on time.

Chili...mmm mmm good!

Instructions are everywhere! We use them every day. When we drive, when we start a new project, and when we take a test or quiz. It's kind of crazy to think about how often we use them. Anyways when we got the assignment I was a little nervous. A majority of the examples we received in class were very scientific, technical, basically complicated. At least for me since I am not a very tech savvy person. So when it came time to decide what my instructions were going to be about I was nervous. Was it going to be acceptable? Well my idea of how to cook chili was! I got excited about it because I love to cook and can make chili in my sleep basically. Plus it gives me an excuse to make time to make some in the future! Bonus!!!

Anyways so I was going to do chili. When we moved onto the second part of the assignment, introductions, I got a little nervous again. When you see recipes they are usually online or in cookbooks. They don't really have specific introductions for each recipe. Just a general intro. Well then i started to think about how I was going to write my instructions. After decided who my target audience was it became easier. My audience is college students who have just moved off campus and need a quick easy meal that they can cook and save for a day or two. Got to love leftovers!

I believe introductions address the audience, tell them exactly what they will get out of completing the instructions and about how long it will take. At least those are qualities I have come to look for. My introduction is done and I am excited to see how peer editing goes. Hopefully the style I chose is acceptable.

How Often You See Rhetoric

According to Bitzer's definition of rhetoric having 3 parts; exigence, audience, and constraints, I believe that President Obama's speech is an example of rhetoric. The speech was the traditional speech given to kick off Ramadan and while he did so he used that time to address the controversial issue of the mosque being built near Ground Zero.

I came to the conclusion that exigence meant an outstanding issue that needs to be addressed. In the speech it was the controversy over the mosque and the kicking off of Ramadan. If you ask me it was a fitting time to get a response or to combine them. A lot of people have voiced their opinions of the topic of the mosque. One day while watching CNN I heard someone say that it was a deliberate plot to mock what took place on September 11th. I know my opinion on it but I am curious to find out what other people think about the mosque being built.

Anyways back to rhetoric. The second part of Bitzer's definition was the audience. Not necessarily the mass it was being targeted too but someone in class mentioned the audience also being someone who has the power to change or fix the exigence. In the case of the mosque it could be many people. Americans, government officials, anyone who can help ease the minds of those uneasy of the matter.

The third part of rhetoric was the constraints. In the speech, technically the law allows the mosque to be built but changing the attitudes is another thing.

One thing that really stood out to me within the speech was Obama's way of pointing out who the enemy actually was. How it was Al Qaeda instead of the entire Muslim culture.

I really enjoyed looking at this speech and interpreting it as rhetoric. Makes you think how often you see rhetoric in your daily lives...