Writing My Essay Was Like...

Reality

Some people will argue that seeing is believing and that the physical presence of something makes it real, but I have to disagree. In the Bible, the disciples said that Jesus had resurrected from the dead, but Thomas refused to believe. He claimed that he would not believe until he could see Jesus and put his hands in Jesus’ wounds. This is how Thomas got the title "Thomas the doubter." So to me not everything in this world that is real is necessarily physically visible. This is also true because many things we see are not real. When people get old, tired or under the influence of drugs, the can sometimes start to hallucinate. The real definition of reality cannot be summed up into one sentence. My best fit for it would be all events, ideas and things that have happened or existed in the past and that continue to happen and exist in the future. The truth is reality, but many times it is impossible to know what is true and what is a lie. So reality will never be truly know all of the time. In order to make the best guess at what is real or not, we need to use previous knowledge, our best judgment, faith, and some common sense. Do not always believe what you see, because our eyes can deceive us.

Cheating

I promise not to cheat or plagiarize on any tests, essays or other work for this class. The main reason for this, other than facing certain expulsion and loss of a degree if caught after graduation, is the pride I take in my work. My dad taught me to never half-ass anything and I try to do that in all aspects of my life. Cheating would be a prime example of half-assing. I also am stubborn. I do not like to ask for help or directions. By cheating, I do more than ask for directions, I ask for a ride. Thats why I will not be using other peoples work.

Image of Rhetoric

from http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/on-the-economists-cover-only-a-part-of-the-picture/

The picture on the left was the cover of a summer edition of the magazine the economist. The picture on the right is the actual photo taken used on the cover. So why did the economist decide to cut the other two people and Obama's knees out of the picture? Simple it was all part of their rhetoric. The real picture simply shows three people, together, staring at debris on the shore of the gulf. They appear to be contemplating,, brainstorming and working to fix the problem. The oil rig is simply a scenic image in the background, demanding little attention in the image. Without the shore and the two other people the artist completely changes the message for his or her audience.  The cover picture shows Obama alone with the  oil rig. In the new image the rig demands all the attention. It appears that the rig is the reason for Obama's lonely and defeated look. He no longer looks in deep thought but rather ashamed and broken. The message has turned from one of promise and potential progress to another of embarrassment. The audience is tricked into believing a completely different message from a little cropping and photoshopping to make a deceitful and power image.

About me

Hey everybody,

My name is Tim O'Neil. I am an applied economics and statistics major here at Clemson. I am a second semester freshman. I was born in Rochester, New York, but have lived in Cincinnati for the past fifteen years. I am the youngest of five siblings, and the first to go to school out of state. I enjoy playing most all sports but my favorite to play is soccer; I have been playing since I was five.  My favorite sports teams are the Bills and Reds. I really enjoy watching movies and relaxing. I hate spiders and most people think its strange that I do not like chocolate. My favorite animal is a penguin. I listen to just about all music excluding country and rap. I work at a concert venue back in Cincinnati and enjoy seeing the free shows.