In the recent decades, advertisers have used sex appeal to enhance their product by screaming for attention. An almost naked Pamela Anderson will definitely scream for some attention in this ad by PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Anderson poses to be juxtaposed to an animal, creating the comparison that humans are animals. People have drawn barriers between animals and humans thinking they are two different species, but this ad is displaying that humans and animals are the same. The matching color schemes is pleasant to the eye, making people want to linger on the ad for longer and understand the meaning. With a sex icon like Pamela Anderson, the attention is automatically grabbed. Then the viewer notices something different about Anderson's body, and starts to pull the meaning from the image and the text. Comparing a sex icon and an animal may be a bit odd to some people, but it uses the exaggeration that humans and animals have the same parts. They are made up of the same things. No human will want to eat their own parts, so why go to a different animal and eat theirs? The text "have a heart, go vegetarian" allows the reader to reflect on their meat-eating habits and if that is really what is morally right to them. On the bottom left, PETA names itself, which appeals to the credibility of the ad.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Sunday, December 15, 2013
TOW #13: I have Asperger's, I play violent video games -- and I'm not going to shoot you
One year after the tragic Sandy Hook shooting, multiple views have been put out about the gun situation, including this one by Jeff White. Now 26 years old, White was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism, at age 10. Along with having Asperger's, White plays violent video games to help with his hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. He's got the characteristics of a shooter, right? In White's view, that's all wrong. White believes that people need to treat people the way they want to be treated in order to fight the enemy of desperation.
White believes it is not the guns and mentally ill people we are fighting, it is the enemy of desperation. Too many stereotypes have now been categorized for mass shooters. Adam Lanza, the murderer of 20 children, was believed to have Asperger's as well. Aaron Alexis, who killed 13 in the D.C. Navy Yard shooting had a history of playing violent video games. Now, people are using vague factors to stereotype others. Just because you have a mental illness and play video games does not mean you are at risk for shooting people. White would like to get rid of those stereotypes and focus on what else can be done do stop the mass murders. He advises to "Stop bullying, support people that ask for help, and care about the people we come in contact with" in order to stop more tragic events. If one lends a hand to someone else in need, that person may remember that forever and want to pay it forward. Nothing will ever prevent something from happening completely, like a seatbelt will not prevent all automotive injuries, but it is a step in the right direction. Fighting the enemy of desperation by providing care and kindness can do nothing but help the situation.
I think White does a well-done job in achieving his purpose. He uses himself and others as a prime example living with Asperger's that he is not fit into the stereotype, and only a select few do. His idea in a world of cruelty and hatred is giving love to those who need it most, and that is the best idea that I have heard yet.
White believes it is not the guns and mentally ill people we are fighting, it is the enemy of desperation. Too many stereotypes have now been categorized for mass shooters. Adam Lanza, the murderer of 20 children, was believed to have Asperger's as well. Aaron Alexis, who killed 13 in the D.C. Navy Yard shooting had a history of playing violent video games. Now, people are using vague factors to stereotype others. Just because you have a mental illness and play video games does not mean you are at risk for shooting people. White would like to get rid of those stereotypes and focus on what else can be done do stop the mass murders. He advises to "Stop bullying, support people that ask for help, and care about the people we come in contact with" in order to stop more tragic events. If one lends a hand to someone else in need, that person may remember that forever and want to pay it forward. Nothing will ever prevent something from happening completely, like a seatbelt will not prevent all automotive injuries, but it is a step in the right direction. Fighting the enemy of desperation by providing care and kindness can do nothing but help the situation.
I think White does a well-done job in achieving his purpose. He uses himself and others as a prime example living with Asperger's that he is not fit into the stereotype, and only a select few do. His idea in a world of cruelty and hatred is giving love to those who need it most, and that is the best idea that I have heard yet.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
TOW #12: The Bling Ring by Nancy Jo Sales (Part 1)
Imagine being a teenager living in Calabasas, California, an affluent city in the hills of Los Angeles. The average income is about $116,000, more than twice the national average. You could have anything you desired, and more. But for seven teenagers, it doesn't stop there. In 2009, word had gotten out that big names in Hollywood--Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, Lindsay Lohan-- had been robbed of clothing, accessories, money, resulting in $3 million stolen. For over a year, the alleged robbers had not been found. So then why would seven wealthy teenagers feel the need to steal over $3 million from celebrity homes? Nancy Jo Sales, a Vanity Fair journalist, took a trip to Calabasas to dig deeper into the alleged group of teenagers referred to as "the bling ring," who risked everything they had to get closer to the real Hollywood lifestyle.
With the use of detailed imagery, statistics, and anecdotes, Sales reveals the secrets and ambitions behind the greedy teenagers. Without detailed imagery, the book would lack any feel of the Hollywood life. For readers who have never been to Hollywood or have insight into the prosperous homes, they would not be able to visualize the immense wealth of these Hollywood homes. While breaking into Paris Hilton's home, Sales describes to the readers that "There was a lot of pink and there were crystal chandeliers in almost every room" (7). The imagery allows the audience to visualize the scale of wealth the teenagers already have, and what they are burglarizing from. The use of statistics is beneficial to the audience on the insight of the true case. This is a true story. Anecdotes are woven throughout the story, mostly from the view of Nick Prugo, follower of ring leader Rachel Lee. This gives insight into the real teenager thoughts, and why the reasons behind the crazy idea string of crimes. Prugo explained that with every new item stolen, they were that much closer to living the Hollywood lifestyle.
So far, I think this book is very well-written and Sales is doing an awesome job of following the story as well as following the real case. She seams the two concepts perfectly together. There are parts of the actual burglaries written about, and then it goes deeper into the court case. There is no way for these teenagers to justify what they did, but Sales gives reasoning by including their thoughts on becoming closer to Hollywood.
With the use of detailed imagery, statistics, and anecdotes, Sales reveals the secrets and ambitions behind the greedy teenagers. Without detailed imagery, the book would lack any feel of the Hollywood life. For readers who have never been to Hollywood or have insight into the prosperous homes, they would not be able to visualize the immense wealth of these Hollywood homes. While breaking into Paris Hilton's home, Sales describes to the readers that "There was a lot of pink and there were crystal chandeliers in almost every room" (7). The imagery allows the audience to visualize the scale of wealth the teenagers already have, and what they are burglarizing from. The use of statistics is beneficial to the audience on the insight of the true case. This is a true story. Anecdotes are woven throughout the story, mostly from the view of Nick Prugo, follower of ring leader Rachel Lee. This gives insight into the real teenager thoughts, and why the reasons behind the crazy idea string of crimes. Prugo explained that with every new item stolen, they were that much closer to living the Hollywood lifestyle.
So far, I think this book is very well-written and Sales is doing an awesome job of following the story as well as following the real case. She seams the two concepts perfectly together. There are parts of the actual burglaries written about, and then it goes deeper into the court case. There is no way for these teenagers to justify what they did, but Sales gives reasoning by including their thoughts on becoming closer to Hollywood.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
TOW #11: Article- "$7.25 An Hour Is Not a Living"
As a high school teenage girl, I demand a lot. Food, clothing, technology, a car, (etc). Except there is one problem. Those demands come with a literal price: money, which I don't have a lot of to satisfy my increasing desires. So, like any parent of a teenager would say, "Get a job" was my parents way of basically telling me I had to pay for the unnecessary materials myself. After a summer job of barely getting paid minimum wage and relying mostly on tips, I realized I should not be complaining of receiving minimum wage with my parents financial support. There are plenty of Americans who rely on getting paid minimum wage to live on. And $7.25 an hour is not a pretty number to be receiving as a salary. Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, and Richard Trumka, president of the AFL- CIO, wrote this article about the ludicrousness of the minimum wage using statistics, comparisons, and examples.
The article begins with a fact from the U.S. Census Bureau that structures the points that the middle-class has not been well-treated since the Great Recession. Following that, a statistic, "almost all, 95%, of the income gains from 2009 to 2012, the first three years of recovery from the Great Recession, went to the very richest 1%" (Owens) to support the unfair distribution of income gains. Multiple statistics follow to maintain the focus that the minimum wage for 2013 is unreasonable and cannot be relied on for a middle-class American family. Along with statistics, comparisons are used to compare how low the wage is now, to what it should be with inflation. "If the minimum wage had just kept pace with inflation since 1968, it would be $10.77 an hour today instead of $7.25" (Owens). Including this comparison encapsulates the logic as to why the minimum wage price is so unfair, and why it makes sense to raise it. To wrap everything together, the authors include a real example of just how cruel this legal price is to an average American. They introduce Carman Iverson, a 28-year old mother of four working at McDonald's earning $7.35 an hour. She makes about $400-$600 a month, not even able to pay her rent, $650 a month. Including Iverson's hardships in her life due to the low wage makes the audience feel for the Americans that are unable to get a higher-paying job, and want the American economy to be adjusted to help those Americans suffering on minimum wage. A mother of four like Iverson making $7.35 an hour barely earns enough to stay on time for rent, relying on the government for food stamps. A teenage girl like me, living in the suburbs of Philadelphia, upset about the minimum wage because I want to buy a nice car for myself...well, learning about Iverson was just a small slap in the face. And the article proves itself, living on $7.25 an hour really is not a living.
The article begins with a fact from the U.S. Census Bureau that structures the points that the middle-class has not been well-treated since the Great Recession. Following that, a statistic, "almost all, 95%, of the income gains from 2009 to 2012, the first three years of recovery from the Great Recession, went to the very richest 1%" (Owens) to support the unfair distribution of income gains. Multiple statistics follow to maintain the focus that the minimum wage for 2013 is unreasonable and cannot be relied on for a middle-class American family. Along with statistics, comparisons are used to compare how low the wage is now, to what it should be with inflation. "If the minimum wage had just kept pace with inflation since 1968, it would be $10.77 an hour today instead of $7.25" (Owens). Including this comparison encapsulates the logic as to why the minimum wage price is so unfair, and why it makes sense to raise it. To wrap everything together, the authors include a real example of just how cruel this legal price is to an average American. They introduce Carman Iverson, a 28-year old mother of four working at McDonald's earning $7.35 an hour. She makes about $400-$600 a month, not even able to pay her rent, $650 a month. Including Iverson's hardships in her life due to the low wage makes the audience feel for the Americans that are unable to get a higher-paying job, and want the American economy to be adjusted to help those Americans suffering on minimum wage. A mother of four like Iverson making $7.35 an hour barely earns enough to stay on time for rent, relying on the government for food stamps. A teenage girl like me, living in the suburbs of Philadelphia, upset about the minimum wage because I want to buy a nice car for myself...well, learning about Iverson was just a small slap in the face. And the article proves itself, living on $7.25 an hour really is not a living.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
TOW #10: Smoking Ad (Visual Text)
After extensive proven studies of the risks of smoking, people nonetheless continue to smoke cigarettes. Multiple companies are devoted to creating awareness of this lethal product, just like this advertisement.
Automatically, the ad catches the attention of the viewer because of the naked man and woman being the subject. The eye lingers on the picture for a while longer to create meaning from two naked individuals on a public advertisement. The next thing noticed is the abnormal inferno taking place in the middle organs. Wondering why, the viewer can then infer this is due to smoking, because they both have a cigarette in their hand. This thought process is automatic for most people, and they can quickly gain the message that smoking is damaging to the body. A main effect of smoking is the covering of tar chemicals on the lungs, and the picture of the lungs on fire encapsulates the danger of smoking. Using one man and one women shows the audience that this can happen to anyone. With a bare body and a bare background, the advertisement concentrates on how the image will make the viewer feel. The icon in the bottom left corner lets the viewer know that the advertisement is coming from a credible
company. The ad is using exaggeration to catch the audiences' eye to the lungs on fire and prove the purpose that smoking does nothing beneficial to the body, it only creates a place of hell for the lungs.
I believe the ad achieves its purpose that smoking is a horrible thing to expose the body to. It only creates a place of hell for the body, and I think that message is clearly communicated through this ad.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
TOW #9: Air Pollution as a Heart Threat by Deborah Blum
Air pollution was just declared last month by the World Health Organization to be one of the world's most dangerous environmental carcinogens. In an industrialized world like today, more and more people are becoming conscious of the dangers health wise and environmental wise of air pollution. It is obvious to connect air pollution to the threat of cancer, especially pertaining to the lungs, but does one ever associate air pollution as a threat to the heart?
A new study has just came out with striking evidence that air pollution can not only worsen heart problems such as cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes, but it can also cause it. The topic of this article attracts attention of people who are health conscious. On the context of saving your life, Deborah Blum appeals to pathos by talking about what a big problem air pollution is today, and the multiple threats it holds. Blum quotes multiple scientists and their studies to use as evidence. By using this evidence, the author automatically appeals to logos and gives herself credibility by using credible sources. Blum uses statistics and scientific diction to inform the public that air pollution is more than just a threat to the lungs. I believe she achieves her purpose well and uses multiple sources to appeal to the logic of the situation. I am now well informed of all the threats air pollution poses, and not just containing to the ones pertaining to the lungs.
IRB Intro Post #2: The Bling Ring by Nancy Jo Sales
The Bling Ring, by Nancy Jo Sales, follows seven teenagers residing in Calabassas, California who are not your ordinary teenagers looking for trouble. These kids successfully stole more than $3 million from clothing, jewelry, and accessories belonging to celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom, and Rachel Bilson in 2009. Now a Sofia Coppola film, Nancy Jo Sales writes this book about the famous robberies after being the journalist following around these seven fame-obsessed teens.
After hearing that the movie about to come out was based on a true story, I was very intrigued to learn about how easily these teens got away with the burglaries for over a year and the audacity they had to have to even pull this off. I saw the trailer to the movie, then found out it was a book, and could not wait to read it. I hope to understand all of my questions after hearing about the story. I also hope to gain an appreciation for a new genre: journalism. I have yet to read a book by a journalist so I am very excited to start The Bling Ring.
After hearing that the movie about to come out was based on a true story, I was very intrigued to learn about how easily these teens got away with the burglaries for over a year and the audacity they had to have to even pull this off. I saw the trailer to the movie, then found out it was a book, and could not wait to read it. I hope to understand all of my questions after hearing about the story. I also hope to gain an appreciation for a new genre: journalism. I have yet to read a book by a journalist so I am very excited to start The Bling Ring.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
TOW #8: Mirroring People by Marco Iacoboni (Part 2)
Mirroring People, by Marco Iacoboni, was written to easily share the crazy world of the brain and all of its talents. Specifically, Iacoboni concentrates on the wonders mirror neurons. We can thank those little things for making a human, human. They are responsible for the feelings of empathy and having a "warm heart" instead of a "cold, hard heart." Without these, humans would not feel empathy from others.
Iacoboni writes this to share with the public the intricate and extremely competent aspects of the brain. In doing this, he appeals to logos by giving examples of everyday use of mirror neurons so the reader can understand more easily. He also uses anecdotes to portray an everyday sense of these neurons with his own experience. His audience he writes to is anyone interested in psychology and neurology, even if they are not scientists themselves. Because he uses simple terms in portraying information about mirror neurons, it makes it easy for anyone to pick up the book and have a good informational read. It is apparent throughout his reading that he has a passion for science and neurology. Through his diction, he creates a yearn of interest from the reader, which is what keeps the reader entertained throughout almost 300 pages. Most books about science can be extremely boring, but Iacoboni keeps the reader intrigued by adding things, such as anecdotes, to connect with the reader.
I believe he achieves his purpose in sharing this discovery, making it interesting and coherent for the public. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in psychology and neuroscience. In a 279 page book, Iacoboni definitely keeps the world of science entertaining and intriguing.
Iacoboni writes this to share with the public the intricate and extremely competent aspects of the brain. In doing this, he appeals to logos by giving examples of everyday use of mirror neurons so the reader can understand more easily. He also uses anecdotes to portray an everyday sense of these neurons with his own experience. His audience he writes to is anyone interested in psychology and neurology, even if they are not scientists themselves. Because he uses simple terms in portraying information about mirror neurons, it makes it easy for anyone to pick up the book and have a good informational read. It is apparent throughout his reading that he has a passion for science and neurology. Through his diction, he creates a yearn of interest from the reader, which is what keeps the reader entertained throughout almost 300 pages. Most books about science can be extremely boring, but Iacoboni keeps the reader intrigued by adding things, such as anecdotes, to connect with the reader.
I believe he achieves his purpose in sharing this discovery, making it interesting and coherent for the public. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in psychology and neuroscience. In a 279 page book, Iacoboni definitely keeps the world of science entertaining and intriguing.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
TOW #7: Teach Kids to Daydream
There have been multiple times in a classroom setting where teachers would yell at students, "Snap out of it!" to regain their attention, or randomly call on a student, off guard, to send the message that they need to start paying attention. With this reaction from teachers, most would think daydreaming is a horrible activity for the mind to engage in. Actually, it is the opposite.
Parents want their children to get the most beneficial amount of hours of sleep each night. Sleep deprivation has been linked to many things such as stunt physical growth, encourage illegal substance use, increase moodiness and irritability, show symptoms of ADD, dramatically increase the chance of car accidents among teens, and a decrease in academic skill. Though getting a good amount of sleep each night is important, daydreaming is equally important as a mental downtime.
What teachers and parents do not know, is that daydreaming is an extremely productive activity for the mind. In this article the author, Jessica Lahey, talks about all the benefits in the context of a world that is obsessed with health. She specifically targets parents and advises them to teach their children how to daydream and gain all the benefits it poses. Using outside sources such as cognitive psychologists, Lahey appeals to ethos by using specific evidence from these scientists. She recalls psychologist Jerome L. Singer's book, Daydreaming: An Introduction to the Experimental Study of Inner Experience. In his book, he writes that daydreaming is our default mental state. The brain has two networks: working memory and daydreaming. Once one is on, the other is shut off. So if the brain is in working memory, it cannot daydream. That is why Lahey advises the parents to take their children out on a walk with no technology, no anything, and just look up to the sky and daydream.
The purpose of writing this article is to inform and advise the parents and teachers of the world that daydreaming is very beneficial. Lahey wants adults to think twice before snapping their kid out of deep thought. She also advocates for parents to try daydreaming, and to open their minds of creativity after a stress-filled day. Daydreaming may not seem productive, but it is equally important as getting those solid hours of sleep.
Parents want their children to get the most beneficial amount of hours of sleep each night. Sleep deprivation has been linked to many things such as stunt physical growth, encourage illegal substance use, increase moodiness and irritability, show symptoms of ADD, dramatically increase the chance of car accidents among teens, and a decrease in academic skill. Though getting a good amount of sleep each night is important, daydreaming is equally important as a mental downtime.
What teachers and parents do not know, is that daydreaming is an extremely productive activity for the mind. In this article the author, Jessica Lahey, talks about all the benefits in the context of a world that is obsessed with health. She specifically targets parents and advises them to teach their children how to daydream and gain all the benefits it poses. Using outside sources such as cognitive psychologists, Lahey appeals to ethos by using specific evidence from these scientists. She recalls psychologist Jerome L. Singer's book, Daydreaming: An Introduction to the Experimental Study of Inner Experience. In his book, he writes that daydreaming is our default mental state. The brain has two networks: working memory and daydreaming. Once one is on, the other is shut off. So if the brain is in working memory, it cannot daydream. That is why Lahey advises the parents to take their children out on a walk with no technology, no anything, and just look up to the sky and daydream.
The purpose of writing this article is to inform and advise the parents and teachers of the world that daydreaming is very beneficial. Lahey wants adults to think twice before snapping their kid out of deep thought. She also advocates for parents to try daydreaming, and to open their minds of creativity after a stress-filled day. Daydreaming may not seem productive, but it is equally important as getting those solid hours of sleep.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
TOW #6: Anorexia Awareness Ad (Visual Text)
We live in a world where society puts so much pressure on people to look perfect, especially in the fashion world. Because of this pressure, 24 million people are suffering from an eating disorder in the United States. This ad, with one glance, automatically encapsulates the dangers of having an eating disorder, specifically anorexia. As the brain reads from left to right, the first thing looked at is the pretty sketch. As the brain continues to scan the ad, it reaches a malnourished, frightening, underweight woman looking and dressing the same as the pretty sketch. The text boldly states "you are not a sketch. Say no to anorexia." The position of the two images allows the brain to connect and contrast them, realizing that the image on the right is completely unhealthy. The purpose is clear after reading the text, that anorexia is unhealthy and humans cannot be like unrealistic figures. Because this is a real issue that many people are fighting with today, it appeals to pathos and is easy to connect to. People in society need to fight to be happy with their own image, and try not to duplicate fantasy figures and become unhealthy. Targeting teen girls to young adult women, it is quite logical for them to say no to anorexia because of the unhealthy risks it poses. The small text in the upper left hand corner "star models" is the modeling agency sponsoring this ad, making it credible. The juxtaposition portrayed in this ad emphasizes that human body cannot be an unrealistic figure. People suffering from image issues need to fight to say no to anorexia, and be happy with their body. I think this ad definitely achieved its purpose. The woman to the right grabs the viewer's attention automatically and shows what anorexia can do to the body.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
TOW #5: Where does aid money really go -- and what is it spent on? By Charles Lwanga Ntale
There are thousands of organizations throughout multiple countries that exist for the purpose of aiding other countries. This aid can accommodate things like food and commodities, advice and training, and debt relief. But the questions have been posed: Does all this money actual go to the recipient country? Is this cash actually spent in places of need? Surprisingly, much of this money is lost and only about 30% of rich countries' aid goes to other nations in need.
In a world where multiple countries are tied to each other in need of assistance, the article opens up with irrefutable data of recent aid, along with color coated data pictures to support the claims made. Appealing to logos, this article establishes its credibility right off the bat with unarguable data. The text, along with a picture, actually states that the author is director for Africa for Development Initiatives. Being director of this non-profit organization that supports development activities of communities establishes his credibility on this topic of aiding development of countries. Targeting the general public, he appeals to pathos by introducing data about the poorest people around, like countries in sub-Sahara, and the money they are not receiving from this so-called "aid."This also ties back into appealing to logos, because the data used is not falsified, the people have no choice but to feel upset about this topic.
Appealing to pathos is crucial in this text because in the end the author calls the people to action. His purpose in writing this article was to inform the public about the unjust actions going on, and asks for their help. With a better understanding, the people can help change the policies happening now with international aid. They can help assist making decisions that will spend the money more efficiently, having almost every dollar go to the aid of the people. If all of this is done, the people most in need will receive the amazing benefits of international aid and get to live a wonderful life.
In a world where multiple countries are tied to each other in need of assistance, the article opens up with irrefutable data of recent aid, along with color coated data pictures to support the claims made. Appealing to logos, this article establishes its credibility right off the bat with unarguable data. The text, along with a picture, actually states that the author is director for Africa for Development Initiatives. Being director of this non-profit organization that supports development activities of communities establishes his credibility on this topic of aiding development of countries. Targeting the general public, he appeals to pathos by introducing data about the poorest people around, like countries in sub-Sahara, and the money they are not receiving from this so-called "aid."This also ties back into appealing to logos, because the data used is not falsified, the people have no choice but to feel upset about this topic.
Appealing to pathos is crucial in this text because in the end the author calls the people to action. His purpose in writing this article was to inform the public about the unjust actions going on, and asks for their help. With a better understanding, the people can help change the policies happening now with international aid. They can help assist making decisions that will spend the money more efficiently, having almost every dollar go to the aid of the people. If all of this is done, the people most in need will receive the amazing benefits of international aid and get to live a wonderful life.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
TOW #4: Mirroring People by Marco Iacoboni (Part 1)
I think it is quite safe to assume that most of us at one point in our lives have watched an emotional movie and found ourselves choking up a bit. Or heard a sad story, perhaps dealing with sickness or death, and you felt terribly upset, even if you never met the people who it affected. It is normal to say, "of course someone should feel this way, we are human." After all, that is true. But has the question ever been asked, "why do we feel this way?"
The direct answer to that question is mirror neurons. There are actual neurons in our brains just for the purpose of empathizing and connecting with others. After this discovery, the author writes this book to share with the public the amazing breakthrough in neuroscience. Marco Iacoboni, a neurologist and neuroscientist now working at Geffen School of Medicine in UCLA, takes the reader through an easy read about the studies of mirror neurons. Targeted for any interested young adults to elders, this book is broken down for any dummies of the public, an easy read for anyone. To break this down, he mostly introduces a question of the mind, then goes into an experiment done about, the results, and then the conclusions. For example, he inputs an anecdote about cooking dinner while his daughter is doing her homework. Her study materials are blocking his view from seeing what she is doing, but he can still immediately understand her movements even though he cannot see them clearly. How is that possible? He then elaborates on the experiment done with monkeys, and the results. All of this is in easy, dummy terms, not hard to understand science ones.
Iacoboni writes this to share with the public the intricate and extremely competent aspects of the brain. In doing this, he appeals to logos by giving examples of everyday use of mirror neurons so the reader can understand more easily. He also uses anecdotes to portray an everyday sense of these neurons with his own experience. I believe he achieves his purpose in sharing this discovery, making it interesting and coherent for the public. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in psychology and neuroscience. In a 279 page book, Iacoboni definitely keeps the world of science entertaining and intriguing.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
TOW #3: Organ Donor Ad
Even in today's world with innovative, ground-breaking medical technology, a need for organs is still a top priority. Each day, an average of 18 people die for lack of availability of organs. Every 10 minutes, a name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list. So what does that have to do with the people not in need of an organ? This simple advertisement explains the importance with two subjects, and two sentences. With a simple background and little text, the photograph draws the eye into the young girl next to the trash can. The juxtaposition used in this ad exaggerates the difference between organs that will become useless, or organs that can go to this sad, sick girl. The ad appeals to pathos by using the girl and portraying her face to be very sad and needy. Targeting young adults to elders, No person would want to give their organs to the trash over a sick little girl. Elderly people have a strong feelings towards little children, so this ad could effectively change their mind and become a donor with the little time they have left. Another powerful aspect that grabs the viewer's attention is the content of the text. The "you decide" part makes the viewer feel as if the decision to save the girl's life is in their hands. That feeling is effective in getting the viewer to do something about the girl's life, which leads into the purpose of this advertisement. The purpose is to convince more people to become organ donors. By doing this, they can save lives and put their soon-to-be useless organs to good use. I believe this ad is very effective in achieving its purpose. The little girl's face looks so needy, I suddenly feel awful for the world having an insufficient supply of organs to save lives. The simplicity of the ad leaves me with a deep, aching desire to help. I do not want my organs becoming useless in that trash can, I want my organs to do good for the world. I want my organs to save a life. This ad effectively makes me want to become an organ donor.
http://donatelife.net/understanding-donation/statistics/
http://donatelife.net/understanding-donation/statistics/
Sunday, September 22, 2013
TOW #2: How Shootings Stigmatize People Living With Mental Illness
In light of the recent Washington shooting, fear, anger, and sorrow has emerged. Unfortunately for Americans, these feelings are nothing new. The previous few mass shootings such as the Navy Yard, Newtown, Aurora, and Virginia Tech, are responsible for the stereotype created about people with mental illnesses. Michael J. Fitzpatrick writes about his views on this subject. Being the executive director for National Alliance of Mental Illness, he believes Americans stigmatizing against people who live with a mental illness escalates the problem. Centering around the topic of mass shootings, the article opens with the use of pathos, describing how these tragedies affect Americans. The author then goes to explain the amount of Americans troubled by a mental illness. He backs himself up with statistics, establishing the appeal of logos. He also uses a counter-agument so no holes could be poked in his own argument. The past shootings have been mental individuals turning to violence, but he kills that reasoning by putting in perspective how many Americans are living with a disorder and how it is not so uncommon to have one, but the violence is uncommon. Fitzgerald continues to establish his purpose that there should be no stereotype against people with mental illness. In a deeper purpose, he is trying to prove that the reactions of the American people from these tragedies stimulate more tradgedies. People living with an illness go into hiding with the fear of being discriminated against. This can recede their progress at becoming healthier. It is very unlikely that people dealing with mental health issues respond with violence, but because of America's reactions, the people who need help the most cannot receive that help. I believe Fitzgerald accomplishes his purpose and proves that the stigma against sick people needs to end. The use of logos strongly back up his claims and the use of pathos makes me want to do something to stop these tragedies. He establishes his credibility by noting his position in the National Alliance of Mental Illness. Like Fitzgerald says, Stigma cannot win in this race, or else things will not get better.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
TOW #1 - Article: If We Can't Have 'Face Time,' At Least We Have FaceTime
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-krug/if-we-cant-have-face-time-at-least-we-have-face-time_b_3916379.html?utm_hp_ref=technology&ir=Technology
Since the new millennium, the question asked everywhere: "is technology ruining our society?" According to Huffington Post writer and frequent blogger Jamie Krug, technology is doing quite the opposite. In the context of a world continuously stating the negatives of technology, no one focuses on the positives. Debates go on everyday about the cyber-crazed society, and Jamie Krug writes this to put her opinion in. She opens the post with a humorous line about her child publicly asking when Daddy is coming home. The humor and use of pathos opens the readers views of the topic up so they are not one-sided about the situation. Krug explains that because of her husband's job, the kids never get to see him before they go to bed. Instead of face time before bed, physically being with each other, the kids FaceTime their dad, the newly innovative tool to virtually have a live video chat. With this tool, the kids can always say goodnight to their father, even when he is miles away. It also brings the family together. Since their grandparents live far, it is a way to interact virtually face to face instead of just communicating over the phone. Her purpose is to support the opinion that technology has many positives for our world, and it is bringing people together, not separating them. I believe Krug did a good job of achieving her purpose. She uses many real life examples of how technology has impacted her life for the better. She touches on her special needs son who has trouble communicating but does a better job interacting when the conversation is face to face. This is a prime example of how technology has benefitted her life.
Since the new millennium, the question asked everywhere: "is technology ruining our society?" According to Huffington Post writer and frequent blogger Jamie Krug, technology is doing quite the opposite. In the context of a world continuously stating the negatives of technology, no one focuses on the positives. Debates go on everyday about the cyber-crazed society, and Jamie Krug writes this to put her opinion in. She opens the post with a humorous line about her child publicly asking when Daddy is coming home. The humor and use of pathos opens the readers views of the topic up so they are not one-sided about the situation. Krug explains that because of her husband's job, the kids never get to see him before they go to bed. Instead of face time before bed, physically being with each other, the kids FaceTime their dad, the newly innovative tool to virtually have a live video chat. With this tool, the kids can always say goodnight to their father, even when he is miles away. It also brings the family together. Since their grandparents live far, it is a way to interact virtually face to face instead of just communicating over the phone. Her purpose is to support the opinion that technology has many positives for our world, and it is bringing people together, not separating them. I believe Krug did a good job of achieving her purpose. She uses many real life examples of how technology has impacted her life for the better. She touches on her special needs son who has trouble communicating but does a better job interacting when the conversation is face to face. This is a prime example of how technology has benefitted her life.
IRB intro post #1- Mirroring People
The independent reading book I chose to read this marking period is called Mirroring People by Marco Iacoboni. This is a book on the science of mirror neurons and psychology of how humans connect with each other through empathy. The author is a leading neuroscientist explaining the science of our "smart cells" in our brain allowing us to understand others. I chose this book because I am into neurology and psychology. This specific book jumped out to me because it is groundbreaking, new research capable with our modern technology and researchers. It is easily relatable and interesting to me because it is dealing with the science of humans. By reading this book, I hope to gain a better scientific knowledge of how and why humans can empathetically feel others through neurons.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
What Broke My Father's Heart by Katy Butler
This photo describes how the father's brain in the story continued to fight and grow stronger but eventually had to surrender. In the meantime, the heart outlived the brain because of a pacemaker. The brain could not uphold the weight it was enduring.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Patient by Rachel Riederer
This photo relates to this particular story because Rachel Riederer went through a troubled time and there was darkness all around her. Continuing to get through her recovery, she finally sees the light of the situation and makes the best out of it by learning from it.
Patient by Rachel Riederer is about a young college girl who got ran over by a bus and takes the reader through a long journey of recovery. For author Rachel Riederer, this was a true horror story that happened to her a few years back at Havard University. Riederer's writing also appears in Guernica, The Nation, and Capital New York. She currently teaches writing at Baruch College. The context of this essay is the bus running over Riederer. Her purpose of this essay is to convey that even if one does not believe "everything happens for a reason," one should still believe that "everything happens for the better," and that life throws twists and turns so instead better things can work out. I believe the author achieves her purpose. Throughout the story, the girl is struggling with understanding how people could believe that everything happens for a reason. Her thoughts throughout the story consist of "why me?" and who to blame for this happening to her. Towards the end, her mindset changes. She starts to believe that because of this happening, better things will fall together. "I will meet someone, do something, go somewhere--that could only happen because the texture and timing of my life were changed..." (179 Danticat). Because of this situation, her timing in life will better fall together, or so she believes. In this essay there are multiple accounts of profanity used, therefore the audience targeted is older teens. Since the story is told in first person and the main character is a 20-year old, her thoughts and feelings will be most appreciated by a reader of that age, give or take a few years. She uses humor and a sense of bitterness in a lot of her thoughts, and another peer would most understand that humor. This also is apart of the rhetorical devices used. None of her wording is extremely difficult to understand. She gets to the point of how she is feeling with humorous diction. The story is also cut into 10 different sections, which breaks the story up into different important events. This achieves the author's purpose because all the events come together to form the entire incident, which leads to her understanding that better things will happen because of it. Because of her bitter humor, this new understanding is a big deal to the main character.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Long Distance by Victor LaValle

This picture shows that what is on the outside is not always what one feels on the inside. The man in the story lost weight and changed his whole appearance, but he still feels the same insecure way he did previously.
Long Distance by Victor LaValle is about a man recounting the events of his relationships and the lessons he had acquired. He was self-concious about his body, and he would never go out with any lady since he was too embarrassed. Instead he would have relationships over the phone. After losing weight, he started dating different women but never lost the negative view of himself and his body even though all of the fat was gone. The author, Victor LaValle, has 3 novels, an eBook, and a collection of short stories. He has received numerous awards such as the Guggenheim Fellowship, American Book Award and awards from the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Nation, and Publisher's Weekly. Because some parts of the essay are explicit, the audience targeted are adults, or readers with a mature mind. The context that brought about this essay is the main character reflecting on his past relationships and views on himself. When he was overweight he enjoyed the relationships he had over the phone, content with the fact that they may never meet. On the other hand, when he was in shape, the physical relationships he had never measured up. Without the reminiscing of his past relationships, the reader would have never known his feelings about them. The author's purpose is to convey that inner feelings and self body image takes a while to change, especially when it is changing from a negative view to a positive one. Even after the main character lost weight and went to have physical relationships with women, he still looked down on himself in the same way. He feels that his old self is still under the new skin and will never be fully replaced. I think the author achieves his purpose well throughout the story. Thoughts from the main character convey that he still feels and acts physically like his old self. After many relationships, in and out of the bedroom, in the end he still feels the same way. Not only does it take a lot of physical work, but it also takes a lot of work mentally to fully change your body image and insecurities.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Topic of Cancer by Christopher Hitchens
It is important to notice the little things in life before one realizes that life is almost over. The author of this essay lost his life due to cancer, and did not notice the little things that cancer affected until they were gone.
The author in this article wrote about his cancer he had just been diagnosed with, his thought process during the days and months following his diagnosis, and little things that cancer had affected while he was trying to continue living a normal life. Christopher Hitchens was an author and journalist contributing to multiple publishers such as New Statesman, The Nation, The Atlantic, The Times Literary Supplement, The London Review of Books, and Vanity Fair. After having three New York Times best-selling books, Hitchens died of cancer. In this article, he is credible to the topic of cancer because he speaks about his experiences dealing with cancer. Hitchens touches on personal cancer moments like when he was told his "immediate next stop would have to be with an oncologist" (85 Danticat). Terrifying realizations he writes about like "how I discovered that my cancer had spread to my lymph nodes, and that one of these deformed beauties--located on my right clavicle, or collarbone--was big enough to be seen and felt" (86 Danticat). Talking about these experiences also leads into Hitchens's rhetorical devices used. The detail and pathos in his diction on the personal level connects with the reader because he is letting the audience feel more connected to him. The audience targeted is young adults to old individuals that understand the topic of cancer. Even if someone has not been affected by cancer, he makes it easy to let the reader connect with him by sharing his personal experiences. The context is because Christopher Hitchens was stricken with cancer, a modern disaster that affects almost everybody, directly and indirectly. The author's purpose was to connect with the audience by sharing his thoughts, thought process, and his life on the topic of cancer after being directly affected by it. I think the author achieves his purpose. He connects with the audience by sharing details about trying to live a normal life while he notices cancer is affecting little things he does as apart of his daily routines. Detail like realizing he no longer has hair to shave on his beard, or his upper lip started to look like somebody's maiden auntie achieves his purpose of connecting with the audience on the topic of cancer.
What Really Happened by Madge McKeithen
This story is distinct because it is told instructionally, in second person. It is vague in the events of the story and exactly what is happening. This picture displays the injunction and ambiguity of the essay.
What Really Happened by Madge McKeithen is telling a story written in second person in an instructional tone. The story includes no names about a man who has decided to visit another man in jail who killed his wife and the main character's very good friend. Lots of time has passed since the murder and the story describes the events preceding the visit and a few after. It includes the effect of the death on the main character's life. The author, McKeithen, received her education from the College of William and Mary and Johns Hopkins University. She has written multiple essays that have gotten published including a review of a memoir that was published in The New York Times Book Reviews. The context of this story is the murder of the main character's friend, and his desire to visit the offender in jail. The most important thing about this essay is the diction. The author tells a story, but it is in second person, which is very different from other essays. Most sentences are short and to the point while still being detailed about the scenery and events. In many paragraphs, words become repetitive to explain what is going on around in a more clean and cut way. Pathos is used all throughout the essay, focusing around the murder and the distress the main character is in because of it. The audience targeted for this essay is adults and young adults, understanding the concept and effect of murder. The author's purpose is giving advice to release the feelings of distress that are being held in, make amends with what happened in the past, move on and continue living a good life, but most of all, never forget what happened. The main character goes to visit the murderer, make amends with what happened to his friend, he continues to live his life and be sociable, but never forgets his friend. I believe the author did achieve her purpose because it tells the story instructionally to do all of that. In the end, it includes a paragraph instructing how to continue on with life after the visit but also to "Hear her now. Hear love life" (Mckeithen 140) and continue to remember the person who left the earth long before her time.
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