TOW #24 (IRB): Picking Cotton Pt. 2

In the second part of this touching nonfiction book, we are able to see Ronald's point of view in the whole situation. It is a really big eye opener because Ronald explains his time spent in prison in such a way that if affects every single reader. I mean from the way he explains what everything looks like to the way he talks about the grief he went through, the readers feel emotionally connected to him. Also, it was kind of cool to see the point of view switch from Jennifer to Ronald because it allows the readers to get an understanding of the whole case from everyone involved. Also, we see the troubles Ronald had and how being wrongfully convicted can really mess up a person. Ronald's experience in prison was extremely emotional. For example, he addressed the physical and mental pain he felt. Due to his skin color, the people around him made assumptions of who he was and what kind of person he was. People assumed that he had to be guilty just because he was black, so a lot of racial judgment was involved. This describes the title of the book, "Picking Cotton". It not only describes the literal action of Jennifer choosing Ronald Cotton in the lineup, but it is referencing slavery which alludes to the racism and prejudice Ronald received. Ultimately, I enjoyed the overall book and saw it as a real eye-opener. I am now more aware of the justice system and how important it is to enforce proper evidence in such cases. Also, with all the current shootings going on, proper justice is really important in stopping racial superiority in today's society. Overall, I would recommend this book to others because of the great details, changes in viewpoints that allow for a better understanding, and emotional connection a reader grows to have with each character. 

TOW #23 (Visual): Banksy

       The artwork displayed above is a known painting done by the mysterious artist who goes by Banksy. I have seen tons of his/her work before, but this was one of the main ones I could actually relate to. In today's generation, it seems like teenagers tend to be more concerned with their grades, getting into college, trying to figure everything out that they strain away from their hobbies. In fact, if someone were to ever ask me what I enjoy doing most in my free time, I wouldn't have a proper response. Aside from school and all the activities that come with it, I don't really have something that I feel that passionate about. This kind of deep thinking is what I think Banksy was trying to provoke. It seems as though we put our own hopes on hold to do things that we don't even have an interest in. For example, take a look at an art student. They are really passionate about drawing and creating beautiful pieces of work, yet most of their time is spent towards studying math, science, or history. We prioritize our lives based on what others say, but I think it's about time we prioritize based on what we find to be most important. I'm not saying that classes such as math and science aren't important, but they certainly shouldn't take priority for someone who has a love for dance or music. This painting created a sense of regain for me. Looking at it, you see something everyone always says, “follow your dreams”, covered over such a big red stamp that most would associate with failure or reject. Seeing that right there sort of motivated me into being more bold like Banksy. The painting itself advocates a message that I strongly believe in yet ever followed. I think Banksy’s main goal was to try and push people to actually do something about it.

TOW #22 (Article): Apple Watch

In a recent article presented by Forbes, people are starting to get excited about the reveal of Apple's new wearable technology: a touchscreen watch. This has been an ongoing invention for at least half a year, so for it to be released soon is such amazing news. However, many people feel this new product could end up hurting Apple. Forbes addresses the watch as being too expensive causing many people to not buy it. While many people would disagree, we have to remember this did happen in the past. When Google came out with the Google Glass, it ended up being a bit of a failure. First, people thought it looked ridiculous raising many questions on how wearable technology ever became an attractive product. Secondly, the glass was pretty expensive starting close to a thousand dollars. In the end, Google ended up stopping sales because there was just no profit coming in, so it didn't make sense to continue manufacturing. If the same problem happens with Apple, it could really hurt their stocks and income. Think of all the money put into developing this product, if it fails, all of that goes to waste. However, many people would argue that Apple hasn't failed us yet. I mean every product they have come out with has caused chaos, huge lines, and lots of people spending lots of money. Therefore, I would have to disagree with Forbes and say that this product could end up helping Apple. If it does boom, the profit will be huge and stocks will go up. However, that has to be a risk Apple is willing to take because there is a chance that the whole plan could end up going sideways. Overall, the article does a great job in introducing the pros and cons of Apple's newest invention. 

TOW #21 (Article): The Oscars

One thing that has been getting a lot of attention in the news is the recent red carpet event known as the Oscars. This award show is to highlight our nation's greatest films, costumes, producers, actors, actresses, designers, etc. Every year many social media companies/youtube interviewers/magazines talk about the event in hopes of getting more attention brought to their channel, website, or article. While many people view these pieces, they never really compare one article to another. However, being interested in how different magazines/websites write about the huge event, I decided to compare and contrast the strategies used by different writers. For the first website, I took a look at yahoo news, which many people are familiar with when looking for celebrity gossip. The main attention-seeking strategy Yahoo uses is by categorizing the celebrities into best dressed and worst dressed. This helps to create a connection between all viewers as people start mentioning if they agree or not in the comments section. Also, everybody loves good celebrity drama and participating in the lives of those richer than us. Another article, people magazine, uses different techniques to draw readers’ attention. They focus on talking about who won; this is a good strategy as it draws in the people who didn’t have time to watch the show. It makes them feel like they didn’t miss anything. Also, for people who did watch the show, the strategy acts like a short recap for them in case they missed anything. While the second website was more informative than the first, I feel it better defines what the Oscars is about. While we do get caught up in who is wearing what, it really should be a time to celebrate all the hard work put into so many great, cherished films.