This Would Be Easier If......

.... I was on my own? Or maybe with some different people? Sometimes I ask myself these questions when I am part of a group project or team.  I personally really like to work in groups for the most part, because it takes the stress off of having to do everything and having someone right there to review your work.... or is there anyone there? Sometimes I get stuck in these groups or pairs when there are what I like to call "slackers" and so they aren't there to peer review or for that matter do anything.  There are also, the times when there's the one or two "members" that show up, but sit on the side lines.  There are no 2nd string players in this team!  Lastly, there have been the ones that insist on doing most of the work and then complain about how no one else did anything on the team review sheet.  Don't get me wrong, there are students that are easy to work with, do work and split responsibilities, but these are rare seeds.
Hopefully I have some rare seeds in my group, which I think it sounds safe to bet on for now after we talked.
Does anyone have any horror stories with team projects?

Ummmm..... What?

There are times when i talk to people and have no idea either what they're talking about or what their point is even though in their head it makes perfect sense.  Keep in mind that these people are American born and speak English as their first language.  The point i am making is that i don't think that there will ever be a perfectly transparent language.  Each language has their own jokes, sarcasm, slang, ect. which adds to the confusion between languages and religion when it comes to a clear understanding of what's being said.  Also, rhetoric as we talked about in class adds to the demise of transparency because of tricky wording and persuasive gestures.  There are very few things in each language that is understood in the same fashion by everyone around the world.  I think that this will always be the case for generations to come.

There's an introduction?

When buying something new especially if its exciting, most people open the box and try to use it as soon as possible.  Every time for the most part there is this little thing call the "Instruction Manual" that is included in the box that people overlook.  There are those "rare" times when the manual actually needs to be read in order to figure out how to put the product together or know how it works.  Me personally, does usually open the manual, but basically go straight to the needed section and then by the end of the day, the manual is lost.  Anyway, i never bothered to notice that there was the "Introduction" section before what we learned in class.  This section so far seems to be a pretty important part considering it can be the longest single section in the whole manual.

Now that we have been given the task to create our own manual including an "Introduction" section, i find myself needing more help to write it than i think i would need in future sections.  I assume this is because i don't think i have ever read one all the way through.  I personally am doing my manual on how to do the laundry and may specify it for a certain type of clothing, but not sure yet. What are your manual's going to be about and do you feel like the "Introduction" will be one of the more difficult parts to complete?

What Language Does Starbucks Speak?

When anyone is writing a composition, especially if it is expected to be read by a wide variety of people, the audience should be kept in mind.  I find that a lot of articles and reviews assume a lot about the knowledge of the reader.  For example, names of certain types of coffee in Starbucks. I read an article the other day about how Starbucks has been very popular this year due to new additions and flavors in their menus (keep in mind i do not like coffee so much and so I am hesitant in buying drinks at Starbucks).  Then the author went on to rave about all of these various drinks such as "Espresso Macchiato" and "Mocha Frappuccino".  Now, if i knew what in the world a "Macchiato" was, then i might be more excited to go and buy one.  I feel like this article defeated the purpose of trying to influence new customers to try Starbucks, because the only people to understand what the author was talking about were current Starbucks enthusiasts.  Since he himself was probably an enthusiast, he didn't think to mention what these so called "amazing" drinks consisted of.  Did i not get the memo for how "Starbucks people" speak?