TOW Post #11 (Article): The Change of Nutrition

            Over the years, America's industries have all undergone incredible change. From producing organic foods to trying to find the cheapest methods to feed cattle, the American food industry is very different from what is was fifty years ago. This article talks about how those changes are resulting in a worser nutrition and health for the younger generations. With the use of humor and statistics, Jill Ettinger is able to show how much food industries have changed. Throughout the essay, Ettinger uses humor. Starting off with the introduction, Ettinger states how grandparents say that "all they had to eat was a plate full of boiled muttons" (1). While this is proven to be a mere exaggeration, it adds a flare to the overall piece. The audience is able to get a laugh out of just the thought of eating boiled muttons. Humor plays a huge effect to the article as it takes such a serious topic and allows it to be seen as more relaxed while still being something that needs to be discussed. Along with humor, the author uses statistics as another strategy to show the undergoing change in food industries. Throughout the article, Ettinger brings up statistics as a way to back up her claim. She states, "more than 100 billion animals (not including fish) will be eating genetically modified feed before being slaughtered" (3). This fact makes her claim about the change in animal feeding stronger. Ettinger, with the use of statistics, is able to persuade the audience to agree with her stance. Without evidence, nobody would agree with her because there is no proof given. Therefore, I find the overall piece to be effective. The purpose of provoking a change in how food is produced is able to be accomplished with the use of statistics and humor.

TOW Post #10 (Article): ISIS Terrorists Strike Again

   Over the past few months, the United States has had many encounters with a terrorist group in Syria known as the ISIS. The first occurrence happened in August as this group was able to kidnap an American journalist. After torturing the innocent man, the terrorists went on to behead him on camera and send the video to the United States government. This same instance has happened again with an aid worker and soldier named Peter Kassig. The ISIS group has struck again by beheading yet another innocent man in Syria. In the article, author Mariano Castillo writes about the remembrance of Peter and future actions taken by the government by appealing to pathos and using an informative tone. Towards the beginning of the article, Castillo writes about the heartbreak experienced by Peter's friends and families. He goes on to say how the family has "asked for prayers for the safe return of other captives" (24). By including this quote by the family, Castillo is pulling at the heartstrings of Americans. He is emphasizing the fact that this is occurring over and over again. The goal of this is to get the Americans against the terrorist group as well. Maybe having the public know the extreme measures of this event can cause for some persuasion towards the government in taking action. Another strategy used by Castillo is his use of an informative tone to help explain to the audience what exactly is going on. He states, "ISIL is another term for the group ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, which calls itself simply the Islamic State" (50). Including key information such as where this is happening and the group responsible, Castillo is able to provide the public with general information. Obviously, most of the stuff is classified, but Castillo still wants the public to have an overall awareness of what is happening. The reason for this is that this can help build a big enough protest against the ISIS for some military action to occur, and the public knows what international incidents are occurring regarding normal American civilians. 

TOW Post #9 (Visual): Day of the Dead

  Recently, the holiday El Dia de Los Muertos, the day of the dead, was celebrated throughout most Spanish-speaking countries. The meaning behind this holiday is to celebrate the lost loved ones who have unfortunately died. However, this holiday is viewed as a celebration; mourning and sadness is actually very offensive to the holiday's meaning. In the above picture, the photographer (unknown but picture was found on CNN) captures the simplistic yet meaningful celebration going on in Spain. The picture gives a tone-down effect to the audience while still maintaining the importance of celebrating the holiday. One of the strategies that allows the audience to feel this way is the simplistic viewpoint. In reality, this is a picture of a very hilly area in Spain with many alters and small establishments created throughout the area. Knowing how simply these people are celebrating while still cherishing their loved ones provides a new perspective for the audience. We are able to see how holidays really aren't all about the expensive décor or fancy events; a holiday can be celebrated simply by the basics. Another strategy that is effective in giving the tone-down effect is the use of small details. With a short glance, the photo looks pretty neutral, as far as colors go. However, the added pop of blue from the stands and yellow from the signs bring the whole picture together. The small addition of vibrant colors definitely helps to make the picture more alive rather than boring. The photographer used the details of the scene with the casual celebration of the holiday to create a piece in which the audience is able to see how simplistic a celebration can be. Looking at other photos from the celebration of El Dia de Los Muertos, they are definitely more towards the flashy décor side. Most of the pictures don't focus on anything serene or calm; it's all decorations, fireworks, gifts, etc. Therefore, aside from giving off such a tone-down effect, the picture also offers a different viewpoint on how the holiday is celebrated and enjoyed.

IRB Intro Post #2

In the second marking period, I will be reading Bossypants by Tina Fey. It is a humorous book that covers Tina Fey's life, starting from her childhood to her success.

TOW #8 Post (IRB): Blink Pt. 2

In the book Blink, towards the end, Malcolm Gladwell, the author, starts to focus on the idea of judgement. He mainly focuses on the brain's method and reactions, and ties that to the reason humans judge. In the chapter, "Seven Seconds in the Bronx", Gladwell uses organization and classification as two of his main strategies to get his purpose across. First, Gladwell sets up the chapter in a very neat way. He talks generally about the topic then starts to list his reasoning using numbers (ex. 1.). Here is where classification now plays a part. Gladwell, then, classifies the rules into categories and explains how each category affects our reasoning behind judging others. Malcolm goes on to say how "the most common -- and the most important -- forms of rapid cognition are the judgements we make and the impressions we form of other people" (Gladwell 194). His usage of classification helps the reader connect all his ideas together. He is breaking down this vast idea of rapid cognition into categories, one being judgement. This strategy allows the reader to understand each individual reason, and connect them back to the big picture: why our brain does what it does and works the way it works. This method is very effective when writing because the reader is aware of the purpose since everything connects back to it. Another effective strategy used mostly towards the end of the book is real- world examples. When categorizing the big ideas, Malcolm would give specific examples to help break it down. For example, when explaining how easily we judge someone, Gladwell says, "when we meet someone new, we often pick up on subtle signals, so that afterward, even though he or she may have talked in a normal and friendly manner, we may say, I don't think he liked me" (Gladwell 194). This method is helpful because it helps the reader understand Malcolm in a perspective they are used to; they understand where he is coming from and what he is saying. Ultimately, the usage of classification, organization, and real world examples really help Gladwell to sell his purpose of informing people the wonders of our brain.