TOW #17 - A Scientists’ March on Washington Is a Bad Idea

In A Scientists’ March on Washington Is a Bad Idea, Robert S. Young is able to expose the truths about current climate issues and the solution to solving these exact issues, but specifically not marching about it.  Robert S. Young is a professor of coastal geology and the director of the study of developed shorelines at Western Carolina University.  Robert S. Young has received a BS degree in Geology from the College of William & Mary, an MS degree in Quaternary Studies from the University of Maine, and a PhD in Geology from Duke University. He is quite an experienced and studious fellow, yet a strong advocate for solving issues related to climate change, specifically raising sea levels.  His article is in response to the strong want for a march for science on Washington, just as there were marches across the country after inauguration day. Geared toward an audience of people supporting the cause of ending climate change, he indeed explains why there should not be a march for science on Washington because it would simply politicize science and “turn scientists into another group caught up in the culture wars and further drive the wedge between scientists and a certain segment of the American electorate.”  In order to show his central argument, Young utilizes the establishment of credibility and analogies.  In the beginning Young says, “I am a coastal geologist. I direct a center where our mission is to conduct scientific research and then communicate that science to elected officials, regulators, even private entities and the public.” By stating his own occupation it helps add to his credibility which in effect appeals to ethos.  This makes his argument more clear, logical, and simply correct. Young also ends the article with an analogy stating, “If tens of thousands of us show up, it will simply increase the size of the echo chamber.” An echo chamber is defined as an enclosed space for producing reverberation of sound.  By comparing this to performing a march for science, it shows that it will only make opinions loud and more prominent, but no solutions will be found by doing so.  He is able to show that this march will only make the voices loud, but not show and educate the true science behind these types of issues to people that do not understand them in order to make change.  In my opinion, I fully agree with Robert S. Young in the sense that a march for science would not make sense and not solve any issues.  The people that are skeptical about climate change need to understand that there is nothing to be skeptical about it and that is is pure science.     

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/31/opinion/a-scientists-march-on-washington-is-a-bad-idea.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

TOW #16 - Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disaster, and Survival

In the memoir, Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disaster, and Survival, Anderson Cooper recounts his experiences with different types of news stories in a variety of places.  Anderson Cooper is an American journalist, television personality, and author.  He is most known for his work in CNN news.  Hurricane Katrina prompted Cooper in writing this book, which was open for any type of world citizen, no matter who they were or where they came from.  In an attempt to present a new perspective on world crises and conflicts, Cooper wrote about many different events like the tsunami in Sri Lanka, war in Iraq, and the Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans. In the beginning of the section about Hurricane Katrina he says, “Since covering Hurricane Charley in 2004, however, I’ve continually volunteered to report on hurricanes. It’s not just the storm itself that I find compelling, but also the hours before and after.  There is a stillness, quietness.  Stores are shut, homes boarded up.  In many ways it feels like a war zone” (Cooper 125).  Through the use of analogy by simile, Cooper is able to explain just how scary and raw a disaster really is.  Most people that are unable to experience such a traumatic event like that, is unable to really understand what it is like.  So by comparing this terrible natural disaster, Cooper is able to put into perspective just how terrifying it really is.  Soon after this, Cooper explains his experience with Hurricane Katrina and says, “It’s easy to get caught up in all the excitement, easy to forget that while you are talking on TV, someone is cowering in a closet with their kids, or drowning in their own living room” (Cooper 127).  By presenting this harrowing imagery, readers are able to see the true reality.  Cooper extends to the audience that have just watched news about a disaster like this, but never experienced it.  Most people when watching news on TV don’t realize that while they get “caught up in all the excitement” they do indeed forget that people are struggling to survive.  He is able to connect with that audience and really show just how scary it is.  Without this perspective, I would feel less informed about crises like that.  In my opinion, I think Anderson Cooper’s memoir was staggering, and a book I had a hard time putting down.  I felt more informed after reading it, and quite really more sympathetic for people that have gone through such terrible times like the ones he talked about in his book.  I would recommend this for anyone that is interested in conflicts across the globe.

TOW #15 - Ask Alexa? No, Hear This Alexa

In Ask Alexa? No, Hear This Alexa, Alexa O’Brien reflects on Amazon’s newest technology known as echo, which includes a voice recognition and natural language platform named Alexa. Alexa O’Brien, the author, was prompted in writing this article due to the similar names between herself and the ‘robot’.  Right around the holidays was when this new technology of Amazon began to rise in popularity.  But Alexa (the author) is not very fond of this addition which is shown in her diction and hypophora.  Geared toward an audience of anyone, O’Brien attempts to show the truth of these new additions to technology, which are basically classified as ‘robots’. In the beginning of this article, O’Brien asks a question which states, “No. I ask you — this real Alexa asks you — when did possessing hands become inconvenient?” By starting off with a deeper question it allows for O’Brien to utilize the rest of the article to in fact explain her answer and show that we shouldn’t need technology like Alexa (the robot) to get through life. She simply wonders why we can’t just get through our daily tasks by ourselves, with our own hands. O’Brien’s diction also helps to show her true opinion of Alexa (the robot), which indeed isn’t too positive.  She says, “Imperturbably obedient by design, Alexa appears to offer us a new level of control and choice, always on demand. The miracle of convenience allows us to romanticize this unilateralism to operate everything from our light bulbs, security systems, thermostats, music and media with a simple voice command — even as we disengage from people and depersonalize the institutions that enable real connection and collective agency.” As O’Brien summarizes what good this new technology brings to us, she spills the truth of this very institution.  As we make more and more gadgets like Alexa, we are decreasing our very own human interaction.  By using words like disengage and depersonalize O’Brien is able to reveal the reality of this situation and how it is really going to hurt the human population in the long run. In my opinion, I believe O’Brien was able to effectively reveal her opinion of technology in a very sophisticated and simplistic way.  I agree with her opinion in the sense that as we make more technology we are losing that precious and real human connection and interaction. But I hope that it isn’t true and that we indeed do not lose that human connection.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/opinion/ask-alexa-no-hear-this-alexa.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

TOW #14 - Apple iPod Advertisement

In the mid 2000s the tech giant, Apple, released a new advertisement for their MP3 player, the iPod. This advertisement came a few years after the initial release of the iPod which made significant improvements to the way that people could listen to music on the go, as they no longer had to carry around cassette tapes or CDs. The short commercial was made by the company in an effort to persuade viewers to purchase the product through the use of music and silhouettes to appeal to their emotions. The commercial begins right away with the playing of an upbeat song with a quick, dance like tempo. Along with this music, images of silhouettes can be seen using the iPod while they dance along. The use of an upbeat song like the one that Apple chose for the commercial has great potential to cause an emotional response within a viewer. This emotional response would make it more likely that the next time a viewer of the commercial feels a similar response to music, they may connect the feeling with the iPod from the commercial that also caused these feelings. Ultimately, this makes the viewer more likely to purchase the device. On top of this, Apple’s use of the dancing silhouettes for the commercial is also hugely significant as it symbolizes that anyone can use the iPod, no matter who you are or what you look like. It also shows that people should feel free to express themselves in any way that they want, in this case through dance, no matter who you are. This is huge as viewers may feel more inclined to purchase the iPod as it could offer a sense of self expression and even of equality as the commercial for the product is not targeted at any one specific group of people. Overall, I do believe that Apple was able to effectively accomplish their goal of persuading users to purchase the iPod through their numerous emotional appeals. This is also clear due to the massive success of the iPod, selling hundreds of thousands of units across the entire globe and they are still selling today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlHUz99l-eo

TOW #13 - Popular Tree and Electoral College

With the holiday season in full effect, one would hope that people would recognize this as a time to come together. However, with the recent and controversial results of this year's election, it seems to be pretty difficult to find peace from the many divides present in society. One of the political divides that currently exists is highlighted in a political cartoon by artist R.J. Matson that appeared in USA Today. The cartoon depicts the separation between two political parties, the democratic party and the republican party.  R.J. Matson illustrates the use of symbolism and juxtaposition of two ideas as a way to expose the reality of the 2016 election. The blue tree on the left is titled the “Popular Tree” and the red tree on the right is titled the “Electoral College”.  These two titles show the outcome of these two political parties in the election.  From the results, the popular vote was given to Hillary Clinton and the electoral college picked Donald Trump.  This idea is exposed through the use of symbolism by using the political parties representing tree’s and a title for each one.  This cartoon also illustrates juxtaposition as two ideas are being contrasted to show an over arching theme.  The democratic party has been associated with the color blue and the republican party has been associated with the color red.  These two trees are drawn next to each other to show the vast differences it had in this past election, which is something that we have seen before, but it was extremely unexpected. By contrasting these two parties, it shows the divide that is still among our nation as the holiday season approaches and as our President-elect Trump will soon be known as the official President of the United States of America. In my opinion, this cartoon did a great job of really making the argument simple and stand out as a way to grab people’s attention.  I agree with this cartoonist, but it is something we can’t change as it already happened, but it is something that in my opinion keeps me fighting for what I believe in.


http://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/opinion/cartoons/2012/09/18/daily-editorial-cartoons/1411813/

TOW #12 - Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disaster, and Survival

In the memoir, Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disaster, and Survival, Anderson Cooper recounts his experiences with different types of news stories in a variety of places.  Anderson Cooper is an American journalist, television personality, and author.  He is most known for his work in CNN news.  Hurricane Katrina prompted Cooper in writing this book, which was open for any type of world citizen, no matter who they were or where they came from.  In an attempt to present a new perspective on world crises and conflicts, Cooper wrote about many different events like the tsunami in Sri Lanka, war in Iraq, and the hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans.  In the beginning of the first chapter Cooper explains, “I’m standing in a pile of rubble.  Beneath me the ground seems to move, twisting and turning in on itself.  It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust.  The ground isn’t moving at all.  It’s maggots, thousands of them.  Writhing, squirming, they feast on some unseen flesh” (Cooper 11).  Through the use of extensive detailed imagery, Cooper presents an image that most people would not expect to see or even experience in a lifetime.  Most people that were not involved in the event and just watched the news on a TV did not see such harrowing images like what Anderson Cooper saw that day, so this gives yet a unique but disheartening perspective on the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka.  In the section about the war in Iraq Cooper saw a headline titled, Iraq Explodes, the following day which sparks thoughts to himself which say, “The headline could just as easily have been ‘200 Gallons of Water Delivered to Neighborhood Near Baghdad Airport.’  It would have been just as accurate, though arguably not as important.  Perhaps the soldier I spoke to earlier was right: sometimes Iraq is not like what you see on TV” (Cooper 62).  Through the use of Cooper’s inner-monologue, it presents logical thinking which speaks for the purpose itself.  As much as people watch news coverage of different events, it will never be the same if you were in the exact place that the event happened.  In my opinion, I really am enjoying the book and I am very excited to read more.  By only reading half of the book, it gives me inspiration to look for many different types of news coverage so I can get many different perspectives rather than just an image or a short article.

TOW #11 - "Ain't I A Woman?"

Many years before the Civil War, tensions began to grow stronger and stronger between the North and the South on prominent issues like the need for rights and equality.   Sojourner Truth was an African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist.  Truth was born into slavery and escaped to freedom in 1826 with her baby daughter. In 1851, Sojourner Truth gave a speech titled, “Ain’t I A Woman?” which rallied African American abolitionists and women in general.  In her speech, Sojourner Truth asks many questions, one of which that titles her speech. Truth begins to ask, “Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him” (Truth Par. 4). By asking this question, she shows the prominent role of women throughout time.  She appeals to different audiences like women, men, and even people affiliated with a religion which helps bring home her point that women are just as important and equal as men.  Another question she repeats throughout the text is, “Ain’t I A Woman?”.  This question is followed many times with tasks that she as a woman does daily or even can do.  It shows her passion and acts as persuasion to her audience which brings attention to the inequality and even shows what tasks women are really capable of doing, just like men are as well.  She also uses this question as a way to shut down people who believe in the typical stereotype of gender roles in a society.  She is able to use repetition and ask even more questions throughout her speech in order to rally her audience in supporting equal rights.  In my opinion, I believe Sojourner Truth’s speech is an extremely passionate and invigorating speech that I really enjoyed diving into.  I fully believe with all of what she says and I wish I was there to hear the speech, hear her voice, and in that voice hear the passion she had for the topic of inequality in such a rough time.