Csaige's Weblog

Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to use this again.

csaige — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:16:54 +0000

Though it is a very creative and revolutionary concept, I’m not really someone who enjoys writing about himself. I did however, enjoy writing the analytical research paper and posting the op-ed. Maybe if I really get involved in some sort of group or organization later on in life, I might create an online blog for that particular group, but other than that I don’t know if I will actually post anything on a weblog. This has definitely helped me to write to a type of audience I am not used to writing to though, so that is good. I’m sure what I have learned from this I will use in the future. What for? I don’t really know yet, possibly for another class or maybe it will come in handy after I graduate.

From analyitic Reasearch to Op-Ed.

csaige — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:00:41 +0000

The views of my op-ed and analytic research paper have been pretty consistant. Though they do vary when it comes to being one sided. My op-ed is obviously much more one-sided, as it is an opinion paper written to try and persuade its audience. My analytical research paper, on the other hand, explores both points of views quite thoroughly and then it makes a conlcusion. Both assignments I wrote with different mind sets. Since these assignments have helped me with different styles of writing, I think it will be much easier when adressing different audiences in the future. My op-ed, even though it is not as dynamic as the paper, I think it makes for a more enjoyable read among a more vast audience.

What is Too Dangerous?

csaige — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:31:47 +0000

Le parkour, a new emerging activity among the youth of Europe, seems as though it can be potentially harmful to its participants. Jumping off the roof of one building to another and climbing over any obstacle that get in your way seems to summarize this extreme sport. Although this is not very popular in the United States, you could find a plethora of videos and sites dedicated to Le Parkour with a simple google or yahoo search. Even though these videos and sites may hype-up this sport to some extent, they don’t really go as far as to mention any risks or dangers that come along with the practice of such an activity.

Taking place mostly in urban areas, this activity seems as though it may produce some type of disturbance within the community. I mean it makes sense, a group of kids in their teens running around the city. That spells disaster. They could pick pocket or shoplift and then run away, leaping across rooftops for an easy escape from any authority. There haven’t been any actual reports of those participating in this activity, but there was a French movie in which the original founder of the extreme sport, David Belle, starred in. He and a group of fellow Parkourist played a robin hood type role in which they stole from the rich in order to pay for an injury a fan had endured practicing the sport. So these “role-models” that the participants of Le Parkour look up to, set a bad example by stealing from others, which may in turn lead to similar criminal acts among its fan base.

Other dangers that come with Le Parkour are physical injuries that usually are critical are even fatal. Well, what do you expect when you are jumping across and climbing up buildings usually exceeding two to three stories. One thing that troubles me is that in a sport that is so risky and so dangerous, Parkourists don’t even wear any sort of pads or protective gear that may decrease the risk or severity of any injury that one may endure. I suppose it may have something to do with the overall philosophy of the sport, which is breaking free from the norm and making your own path. Call me selfish, but I don’t think I would give my life for a sport or anything I knew I might die doing. That would be like if I decided one day to go out and drive against traffic. Yeah, it would be fun and probably give me a rush, but how soon until oncoming traffic doesn’t swerve? All I’m saying is that I know a bad idea when I hear one, and this is definitely one of them.

Another negative effect Le Parkour may have on the youth who participate, is that it may pose as a distraction from their academics. Whether it’s because they are absent from school due to a broken leg, or devote more time to such an activity rather than homework. This has been the case not just for le Parkour, but for all sorts of sports or school activities. And although this obviously isn’t one of the major threats keeping the youth from taking part in this extreme sport, distraction from academic work has been linked to activity in sports.

Le Parkour also has benefits such as increases in physical strength over time, and becoming a quicker thinker and more decisive. But these things don’t seem to outweigh the dangers that can happen at anytime, unlike muscle growth and quick decision-making which develop over a period of time. These quite possibly may be the reasons this sport hasn’t really caught on in the United States.

Rules & Conventions of the Op-Ed Genre

csaige — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:12:30 +0000

Opinion-editorials seem as though they lack stricly enforced rules like those implied for an academic paper. They also do not seem to be too dynamic, but instead bias. Sometimes they will bring up an idea from the other side just for it to be shot down quickly by the writer. Although the aren’t dynamic, they utilize rhetoric in such a way to connect with a vast audience. They also tend to be five to seven paragraphs in length, about 650 words. These rules and conventions of the op-ed genre were what I had thought of and derived from Curbing Speech at Quinnipiac, an op-ed about Quinnipiac University build

Compare and Contrast: Academic and Popular Audiences

csaige — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:25:53 +0000

Writing for an academic audience, which I was able to experience the last couple weeks, is not just writing, but being able to develop and build on ideas of others. It’s a lot different than writing for a popular audience, not as much thought goes into the writing, or at least not usually, and the tone set by the one writing is altered a bit since your audience is much more than just other students or professors. Anyone can read what you publish online and anyone can publish their ideas and thoughts online, so when you do write online you tend to use a more relaxed style of writing. Also, when writing to popular audiences, they have the ability to write back and interact with other writers which has become a lot easier ever since blogging was created.

The Risks Le Parkour May Pose On Youth

csaige — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:10:04 +0000

Le Parkour is a recently emerging activity among the youth in Europe. It consists of jumping off, around, and over obstacles typically in an urban setting for a more unique commute. Le Parkour follows the idea that going from one place to another doesn’t just have to be a walk down the street among thousands of others doing the same thing. It makes you think and see things in a new way.

The risks this may pose on the youth may be greater than the benefits one receives from participation. On several accounts, individuals have been rushed to the hospital because they have fallen while Parkouring. Physical injury is one of the biggest risks of this activity, but others include the involvement in criminal acts and whether it may be tied to the sport or not.

The benefits of Le Parkour are becoming more physically fit, improvement in mental health/feeling better about yourself, and possible commuting in a more efficient manner. Though the benefits by themselves seem great, how do they compare to the risks? While the risks may not effect everyone in the sport, I beleive they heavily outweigh the benefits one may get out of it.