TOW #27: College Rejection

    In an article on The Onion, there was a spoof on a "tragic story" of a boy, Kevin Grant, who didn't get into his first choice college and proceeded to go on with a positive attitude. The article went on to say that beyond Kevin's optimistic responses, that his life was over and he was now never going to go anywhere in his life. It claimed that resulting from this his social class will be lowered, he will never get a decent job, never be able to pay for a house or afford a family, his living standard will go down and his whole life will be completely changed for the worse. This article is a depiction of how much modern society stresses about the decisions of colleges and education in general. Students and parents put so much emphasis on getting into not only good schools, but the school of the kids choice. The large emphasis creates a "life or death" scenario in which a precedent is set that if the student does not get in, their life is over and there are no other viable options. This idea that has lingered over the present generations is ridiculous and proof that our society is moving more toward a materialistic, competitive one in which we isolate what we want and only work toward that in order to be "successful." I enjoyed this article because I feel it was an accurate depiction of the irrational behavior that overcomes many in the process of picking a college or job, and the precedent many believe that that choice sets for one's life.

TOW #26: Hawaii

     CNN recently launched an article on the progression of Hawaii's transition to 100% Renewable Energy. Being islands with so much natural resources such as water power, volcanoes, etc, Hawaii is the perfect state to start this challenge. They have already begun the transition with total of 23% of Hawaii already completely reliant on renewable energy. The islands hope to achieve the 100% by 2050. While that seems far in the future, they are aware that they have to pace themselves, regardless of already having a huge amount of renewable energy being utilized. The use of this renewable energy would be less expensive than the usage of natural gases and other forms of energy. Many parts of Hawaii though, are experiencing some issues with the full transition. On the actual island of Hawaii ("the Big Island') many hotels are hesitant to take this leap because they power their hotels using generators which run on fossil fuels. While although many parts aren't sure about the effectiveness of the full change, the change will come slowly but surely over time. Many other places around the world and cities in America have also attempted to go completely reliant on renewable energy and have been successful. Many find it important that eventually all states and countries get on board with the changes.
     This article appeals to logos due to the excessive amount of statistics utilized throughout it to depict the changes occurring and the timeline of the project. It also appeals to ethos because many knowledgable people are cited that are experts in the fields of energy and environment.

TOW #25: Football

This political cartoon is representative of the Super Bowl this past year. There was a popular incident in which many believed the Patriots deflated the ball on purpose to help them win the game. Many contradictions were posed in result of this assumption all surrounding the upcoming Super Bowl. This cartoon shows the assumption that the referee was in on the scheme and allowed the ball to have low pressure regardless of the violations it posed for the game. One of the players is depicted as annoyed and as an elephant, which usually stands for a Republican. This shows how this issue transcended into a political problem due to the view points surrounding it and how it can possibly reflect on the political affiliation of the teams. I enjoyed this cartoon because it reflected a large issue that was at hand just a few weeks ago and it utilizes a socially relevant topic to political issues. It was also very effective in getting its point across to represent the contraversy at hand. 

TOW #24: Fat America

This political cartoon is depicting Obama and Uncle Sam. It is stressing the idea that American is spending too much and getting "fat" on the spending scale. It shows Obama sitting upon the budget like it is his seat. He is telling America "it's time for dinner." This symbolizes Obama's spending and how he is fattening America and continues to spend. This cartoon appeals to pathos because it provides a perspective for the viewers to see how Obama is dealing with America's budget. It also uses a familiar face of Uncle Sam, who is usually on the thinner side, getting to be obese. This characterization makes it known that America is breaking the spending scale. The perspective this cartoon shows allows viewers to understand the full extent of Obama's actions on America. It also relates to many issues happening in America today and is versatile in what one applies it to. I enjoyed this cartoon because it is so easy to understand and also can provide a new view on many issues. It leaves it up to viewer interpretation but also narrows in on a specific aspect of economy and government right now. 

TOW #23: Self Diagnosis

        On CNN there is an article addressing how many people find it more effective to self diagnose themselves. It explained how many people when they come down with symptoms turn to the internet and Google to figure out what is wrong with them. The issue with this is that many sources give false information and can also lead the patient to false conclusions. Many sites can either provide very out of the box treatment options, or can add up the symptoms and lead to a major extreme. When one see's these conclusions of their symptoms, such as more often than not, cancer, they begin to panic. It is then that they finally consult a doctor just to be almost always debunked and sent home with a prescription for cold medicine.
       This article takes into consideration the positive aspects of the internet in these situations when the information provided is utilized correctly. Sometimes, people actually find an effective treatment of symptoms or easy cure.
       The author used logos and pathos through the article. She included statistics regarding those who turn to the internet as their first source of wisdom and diagnosis. Many quotes from doctors were also included to provide their perspective on these habits. Pathos is applied because it appeals to many people because almost everyone is guilty of getting a little riled up over something small with their health. This article appeals to people of all ages and everyone has been there at one point in there life or knows of someone who acts as a hypochondriac at sometime. I enjoyed this article because I know I am guilty of doing these self diagnosing from time to time. Also, I know many people who rely heavily on the internet on their information and I see how detrimental it can be.

TOW #22: Natural Selection

         In a piece on The Onion, the "massacre" of natural selection. It proclaims that a total of 38 quadrillion organisms have been killed due to natural selection. It explains how many helpless organisms "were wiped out in cold blood ” due to the "rampage" that the "killer" went on. This article utilizes juxtaposition of the process of natural selection to the "the work of a hardened, practiced killer.”  It refers to this natural process as taking the lives of many helpless organisms. The article also refers to how the process of natural selection works by addressing how it attacks the most vulnerable organisms, which, like natural selection, is what happens. It also references how these attacks are bound to continue and that no organism is safe. This article was interesting because it showed a new perspective on a commonality in science. Since the discovery of natural selection, most people have always viewed it as it was presented, whereas this article presents a more gruesome outlook on the process. The author uses the juxtaposition of a killer to demonstrate how this process has killed more organisms than anything else. The article itself was also somewhat of a fallacy because it falsely compared two things that are not really similar, but could be if looked at in that perspective. I enjoyed this because it gave me a new view of a scientific discovery and also gave me a good laugh at the comparisons. 

TOW #21: Like A Girl

During the Super Bowl, a commercial aired that was aimed toward feminism. The commercial was based on an interview of a boys perspective of how to do activities "like a girl" and a boys perspective. The first perspective displayed all negative, stereotypically interpretations of how to do certain activities "like a girl." While the second demonstrated strength, speed, and pride in the activities. This commercial was created to show how the portrayal of women need to be changed because it is diminishing the girls themselves. It displays how girls are capable of the same achievements and strengths that boys are and should not be penalized because they are girls. The commercial also gave notice to how many younger girls are disregarding the stereotype and taking pride in who hey are and what they can do. The commercial appeals to a large audience because it is aimed toward the feminism movement, which all women take a part in, which ever way possible. It also sent a positive message to the public about completely changing the connotation of what it is like to be a girl. I definitely enjoyed this commerical because I thought it was perfectly portrayed and got the message it wanted to across. It also opened the doors to many advertising campaigns that will contribute to the feminism movement. This commerical gave a message that will stick with people and truly make a difference.