Response to a response

This is the second time it has been pointed out to me that I open my fourth paragraph with the same sentence I use to end my first. I did that intentionally for effect, but perhaps such an effect is more effective in a speech and I shouldn't use it here.
In the fourth paragraph, my use of "called back" twice in such close proximity just needs to be changed. I missed that in my first edit, which is unusual, because that is something I tend to notice and try to change.
The comment about most people not knowing what open or closed posture are is definitely true. I'm not sure, however, if I should just say, "switching postures," because that also sounds confusing. Maybe it just sounds that way to me, but I'll have to look into a way to make it better.
The bit about my needing a more definite conclusion is definitely true. I just kind of left the essay, which kind of drops the effect of the whole thing. It looks like I need to make my point a little clearer.

What is an essay?

I think an essay is a sort of writing that has a strong personal presence. It should feel like the author is speaking to the reader. It can be about anything, but the personal presence is crucial. Moreover, for an essay to be good, I think it needs to be written with a passion. That is, the author has to care about the writing and has to want to say something. The author has to have something to say, and to write a good essay, has to want to say it.

Essays?

The Stunt Pilot and Ali in Havana are different from most essays I've read, although they do accomplish the purpose of conveying information to an audience. Whereas they didn't lay out a clear thesis, they did give a multitude of details on their subject and get the author's viewpoint across. These essays are definitely somewhere between short stories and essays, and I don't know exactly what it is, but they have more of an essay feel, despite conveying information in a story-like format. Perhaps the many intricate details or the deep explanations are the cause of this feeling. The stories are so packed full of information, that they become essays. What makes it difficult to notice you're reading an essay is that every single fact is presented to the reader with an image, rather than simply stated and left alone. That attribute alone can give anything the tone of a story. An example comes in the explanation of gravity boots in The Stunt Pilot. Dillard explains the concept of gravity boots, and then gives the image of children running around to find their parents hanging upside down like bats.
I think an essay doesn't need a thesis, per se, but rather needs to educate a reader on a subject. Throwing in a point to prove is merely a bonus. Both of these compositions are loaded with information on a certain subject, and that's pretty much the only parallel I see with other essays.

Games, Games, and Lots of Work

So I finally have all of my gaming systems (N64, PS2, my roommate's X-360) hooked up to my TV, along with a secondary sound system positioned for use with the TV. It's kind of funny - at the beginning of the semester my RA said that subwoofers are pointless because high volume is a no-go, but I have two now, and no trouble about either.

On the work front, things are still picking up, which I'm happy about. The more I have to do, the higher percentage of my work gets done, and I'm closing in on being busy enough. I don't know why, but I do my best when I'm spread very thin. With any luck, my sleep schedule will fall into place with my work before too much longer. I'm perfectly capable of balancing games, social things, and homework/class, but the balance has shifted more towards work in the last two weeks, and I just need a few more days to finish the transition. The weekend should help. This still-working-at-3:00 A.M. has got to go (at least it's on its way out).

I got guitar hero three and started out on expert - already making progress - what i'm psyched about though is that now I have two controllers, both kramer strikers, which are my favorite kind. let the games begin! (my left forearm is already sore from playing)
In other news, "Eagle Eye" is a pretty cool movie - tell your friends.
My folks visited this weekend, and that was a lot of fun - I like getting to see them.

Research subject

With no time left to spare, I have finally decided on a research topic: How does the swing dancing community at Virginia Tech differ from swing dancing communities elsewhere and from those of other forms of dance?
It's a mouthful, and I'm hoping that the work shopping process helps me produce a better way of saying that.