Campus Issue

A campus issue that is affecting my day to day life is the Woman's Quad's visitation hours.  The policy that is in place right now allows for guests to stay only until 2am, even on weekends.  This a very short amount of time and does not always have the students best intrest at heart.  One of my friends had gotten really drunk one night, to the point the we were worried she may choke on her own vomit, but the person taking care of her was forced to leave because visitation hours had ended. This policy was created to ensure that nonresidents were not staying in the dorms past their welcome but this is no longer a good enough reson to keep everyone out.  I believe that we should still be required to sign everyone in to the building but I think they should do away with visitation hours.  We students are now adults and have the right to be treated as such.

Revisions and Planning for Essay 4

1. Between last thuursday and today I returned to my paper to edit my mistakes and also made small revisions.  I changed a lot of the wording to make the paper flow better.  The strongest part of my essay is the introduction.   I thik it gives a good amount of history and insight into why this is a problem. The introduction gave a good background on the subject and I think gave me a lot to build upon.  I'm worried about some of my viewpoints.  I was struggling to come up with one of the opinions and I'm not sure if it is writen effecively. I also dont think it really fits with the rest of my paper.
2. The Courts, the government, doctors, and women were the four perspectives I chose. The courts are opposed to long maternity leaves because it in a voluntary decision which they believe do not qualify for disability.  The government is pro maternity leave because they are striving for fairness between the genders so that our society can opperate on equal levels.  Doctors are also pro longer maternity leaves because they are primarily concerned with the physical and mental health of the mother and child.  And most suprising is that some women, normally low income women, are opposed to mandatory maternity leave for fear that they will loose their job or be discriminated against at their jobs once they finally do return.  I am planning to write a proposal paper to end the debates over maternity leave I want to propose a solution that will give women the option of more time off but also to give them a partially paid leave. Also I will sujest that legislation be passed that assure women that upon return to the work they will reenter their jobs at the same level that they left at.  To create this proposal I think that a majority of my resaerch will be useable, but I will need to look for more articles that describe maternity leaves in other nations to use as examples, and more articles that give the opinion of working women on the issue.  Also while writning the exploratory paper I use a lot of the sources about how the government feels about the issue, I think I will instead I use the sources about doctors and women perspectives most.

Annotated Bibliographies

“Adoptive Mother Granted Maternity Leave.” The New York Time. Pittsburgh: Lake City Final Edition, 2 November 1983. Web.

                                This article followed the court case that Carole Fezar took to the Supreme Court .  This woman had just adopted a child and had requested to go on maternity leave and was turned down by her boss because she had not physically given birth to the baby.  By winning this court case Fezar expanded who the maternity leave laws can apply to.  Because of her actions single fathers, and adopting partents are allowed to take time off to spend with their child.  This article also stated some of the people who were opposed to the expansion. This will come in helpful when trying to describe who this issue effects because it widens the range of people who are able to take maternity leave.  This article will also be helpful whild discussing why some one would be opposed to lengthening the United States maternity leave.

“Career Dilemma: Mum’s the Word.” Pharmacy Today, Online Magazine. Citizens Advice Bureau Information Ltd, 13 November 2006.  Web.

This piece was a letter written to an editor of a magazine. The writer wrote the piece anonymously which allowed her to be completely honest.  The editor also listed the rigths of women who are on maternity leave.  The first right was that while on maternity leave employees get to keep their employment rights and benefits. The second right was that your employer cannot use pregnancy as a reason to fire you and if you are selected for termination you must be offered a suitable alternative job. The third right is that if you are treated less favorably because of your pregnancy it may amount to unlawful sex discrimination.  The article suggests that although women are now allowed to take many women still feel discrimination once they have gotten pregnant or have children. The three rights will be helpful when writing the laws that are in place to protect women.          

Hall, Kermit L. “Pregnancy, Disability, and Maternity Leaves.” The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States 2005, ENCYCLOPEDIA.COM.  HighBeam Research, Inc, 2011. Web.

                                This excerpt from encyclopedia.com discussed the different court cases that have been brought before the Supreme Court concerning maternity leave and pregnancy at the work place.  In the past women were fired once they got pregnant but after laws and several court cases women have gained the ability to fully participate in family life.   As time progressed women gained support from the government and were able to get maternity leave added to the disabilities list that allows for time off work.  The entry gives a non biased overview of the history of maternity leave for women.  This excerpt is very informative and help address who opposes maternity leave.  This site would help to explain the problems women have faced in the past.  Because it is from an encyclopedia there are no biases.

Macintyre, Laura. “Paid Maternity Leave Re-enters National Debate.” Lawyers Weekly. Reed International Books Australia, 2008.  6 June 2008.  Web.

                                This magazine article examined some other countries, like the United Kingdom and Australia, to compare their maternity leaves that are mandated by the government.  In Australia women are given fourteen week of paid maternity leaves and in the UK women are given twenty-six weeks of paid maternity leave.  In comparison to these government imposed times off the United States only offers their employees two weeks of mandatory paid maternity leave.  The article is primarily written to discuss the changes that the Australian government was planning to make to their enforced maternity leave, but because it also mentioned what other countries offered it becomes useful in comparing how the rest of the world views maternity leaves. The article stated that the Australian government had concerns about the costs of increasing the length of maternity leave, which is similar to what American concerns about maternity leave.

Michna, Joe.  “Employment Issues: Hartlepool Citizens’ Advice Bureau Manager Maternity Leave.”  Evening Gazette. Gazette Media Company Ltd., 21 April 2010. Web.

                This newspaper article was written in a question and answer format, which makes it appear to be an interview of a person.  By writing in this way the article is very simple to navigate and find information.  It gives information about who can take maternity leave, how long someone can be on maternity leave, and the procedures that a pregnant woman needs to follow when she is requesting maternity leave. This article also stated the amount of statutory maternity pay and how only some female employees will be entitled to it.  These questions and answers, written by Joe Michna, are helpful in clearly addressing what women are entitled to in terms of maternity leave.  Although this article is easily formatted it is not very in depth and only provides a short overview of the term maternity leave.  The article unfortunately never addresses how the women feel of how employers react when women take maternity leave. 

Shandy, Dianna and Moe, Karine. “The Opt-Out Phenomenon: Women, Work, and Identity in America.” Conformity and Conflict. Fourteenth.  Boston: Pearson, 2009. 197-206. Print.

                This article addresses why many women decide to quit working after becoming pregnant.  Many The authors stated that many women feel discriminated against because they are having children and taking time off work.  The women interviewed were all well-educated and had successful careers, but after having children they felt like their work environment would not permit them to go any further.  Some women also reported feeling anxious about asking for longer maternity leave, which added unneeded stress to the soon-to-be mothers. This article was written by two anthropologists, who try to write from a non biased stand point.  These women try to observe but not judge the women and the situations that the pregnant women face.  The authors just present the information and allow the readers to evaluate it on their own. This article will be useful in providing insight into how the pregnant women feel about their maternity leaves and what effects it has on the work place.

Exploratory Essay Topic Proposal

Maternity Leave in the United States is too short for new mothers to adequately bond with their baby and to fully recover from giving birth.  American women have one of the shortest maternity leaves in the world; it is on average eight weeks.  In other countries, such as Switzerland, women can take of up to two years paid, and then return to work with no penalties or demotions.  As a country that prides its self on getting things done quickly, America has made giving birth into a race for many women.  Women who have just given birth, parents who are adopting, recently widowed people with young children are commonly given two weeks in the US to return to work.  This time can be either paid or unpaid, which adds stress to the new mothers if they are depending on the paychecks.  The people affected are women who have just given birth, parents who are adopting, and men who have to raise a baby on their own.  It also affects employers because they are the ones who give their employees their time off.  A woman who has recently given birth will feel that she deserves more time off.  Women are put through emotional and physical distress at be put back into the work force after only the legally enforced amount of parental leave. One person who would oppose the idea of longer maternity leaves would be employers for two reasons.  The first being that it is very difficult for work to be completed if a company is short an employee.  The second reason companies support short maternity leaves if they do not want to be paying someone who is not there doing work.  The company is essentially paying more money for the same amount of work to be done because someone else has to be paid to do the new mother’s job.   I think that mothers should be given four to six months of paid maternity leave because these women are often not fully recovered when they are forced to return too soon, which results in them doing a poor job on their work. 

In Class WA 11/1/11

The problem is how inadequate paternal leave is for working mothers in the United States.

It is important because many women feel they are not given enough time to adequately recover from child birth when they are forced to return to their jobs.  Women are put through emotional and physical distress at be put back into the work force after only the legally enforced amount of parental leave.

The people affected are women who have just given birth, parents who are adopting, and men who have to raise a baby on their own.  It also affects employers because they are the ones who give their employees their time off.

People might disagree because medically two weeks in the average time of recovery for women after giving birth to a child.

Nation Shudders Response

This article, written by The Onion, was created to point out how Americans have lost the ability to find the meaning behind a large group of text.  The author was stating that without the help of highlighting, bolding, or italicizing readers are unwilling to invest the needed amount of time to be able to understand what is being said.  The article was written to make the reader question how they read long documents.  Do they skim through it until they see something in bold?  This article is arguing that everyone needs shortcuts to while reading to be able to quickly grasp understand what they are reading.  The author took the idea that our society was loosing its ability fully read anything and created a story about the world going into chaos because one block of text had no short cuts for the reader.  This newspaper often has a sarcastic tone of voice and often slightly insult the reader, which are both characteristics in this article.

websites for ad analysis

this is the first image discussed in my paper. http://oijozi.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/creative-anti-smoking-ads/

this is the second image. http://katego.deviantart.com/art/smoking-kills-ad-25245981

Formal Outline

Anti-smoking Ads

Image one is found online at http://oijozi.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/creative-anti-smoking-ads/  

Image two is found online at http://katego.deviantart.com/art/smoking-kills-ad-25245981

Introduction: The firs photo depicts a young man with a cigarette in his mouth and smoke curling around him. Upon closer inspection of the smoke, however, the silhouette of a gun can be seen. In the second image a man’s hands are seen loading cigarettes into a gun with text down the left side of the image.

I.                   Both images include death as a main focus.

a.       The first image shows a gun created out of smoke from the smoker’s cigarette.

                                                              i.      The smoke gun is pointed directly at the man’s head.  This type of bullet wound would instantly kill.

                                                            ii.      The gun also appears to have already been fired because of the smoke rising from the gun’s barrel, suggesting the damage is already done.

b.      The second image depicts a man loading cigarettes into a revolver.

                                                              i.      The gun has clearly not been fired because the man is still loading the “bullets” into their cartridges.

                                                            ii.      This image seems to be geared at people who have not started smoking yet because the cigarettes are brand new and have not yet been smoked.

c.       They differ however in how the images of the guns are received. 

                                                              i.      The first gun is created from smoke which suggests that death is a possibility rather than a reality.

                                                            ii.      The second gun is solid and appears to be able to do more damage.  This image makes me think that it can harm you as well as eventually kill you. It is also the focus of the image rather than the man.

II.                Both images have similar messages so they use like color schemes. >dark colors

a.       Image one is in black and white.

                                                              i.      The lack of colors makes the image more serious. It makes the reader think that the effects of smoking are also black and white, like there are no small bad side effects. Cigarettes will lead you to death.

                                                            ii.      It also throws the gun into greater focus. If the photo was done with real colors the viewer would be more drawn to look at the young man than at the smoke surrounding him.

b.      The second photo utilized dark colors but is not all black and white.

                                                              i.      The background is all black and offers little for the viewer to be distracted by.

                                                            ii.      The text is more visible and hints back to the main subject because they are written in the same colors as the cigarette bullets.

III.             Both ads use text but differ in how much.

a.       The first photo has the words “Kill a Cigarette and Save a Life. Yours”

                                                              i.      The words are small and in the bottom corner, which makes them appear insignificant.

b.      The second photo uses a lot of text to convey information to the viewer.

                                                              i.      The audience will be better informed about the risks.

                                                            ii.      There could be too much text and it could overwhelm the viewer.

Fear Factories Prompt #1

To begin building his argument Matthew Scully introduces the complexity of the issue. Scully states that on a moral level everyone knows that cruelty to animals is "cowardly and a disgraceful sin" (pg 106), however, when it comes to the treatment of farm animals Scully suggests that few politicians are willing to out right oppose the factory farms.  To support this claim Scully provides examples of well know political activists who have never made mention of animal cruelty, like the conservative columnist he was interviewed by.  To follow this Scully introduces the idea that the avocation for these animals is our obligation.  We have to protect them because it is our religious duty to see them as Gods creations.  Scully boldly states that treating animals decently is an essential requirement of living with integrity. Although Scully continues to incorporate the immorality of animal cruelty he also introduces the law into his argument. This strengthens his argument by showing that other have previously tried to change the laws surrounding animal welfare, which give the reader a sense of community.  The reader is able to feel like he will not be alone if he chooses to become anti-factory farms. Then Scully begins to state the ideals that conservative are supposed to live up to and states how they can be applied to animal cruelty. For example, Scully states that conservatives are supposed to respect tradition then he states how factory farms contradict that value.  All these points combine to build Scully's argument.  Also his use of sources show his deep understanding of the field and give accountability to what he is claiming.

Ads

1. http://www.fashionwindows.net/2009/04/kohls-candies-britney-spears/ Kohls Ad
It shows Britany Spears in a pink bathing suit and black heals.
Target Audience: Teenagers and young women
Product: Candies clothing line
Vaules: The ad is assuming that the veiwer values how they look.  The ad thinks that the viewer wants to appear pretty and feminine but also sexy.  It also assumes that they like Britany Spears. The picture is very glamourus and feminine. It shows Britany Spears in a very confident pose, which many of the viewers wish they were.
Claim and Reason:  The ad is making the claim that if  viewer wants to feel as beautiful as Britany they should buy candies clothing line. The ad claims that when you buy Candies you will be as beautifula and confident as Britany Spears.

2. http://www.celeble.com/model/adriana-lima-maybelline-ads-collection.html Maybelline Ad
Target Audience: Women
Product: Mascara
Values: The ad assumes that the viewer wants to be beautiful, sofisticated, and edgy.  The ad also assumes that you already wear mascara because it is advertising a specific type of brush.
Claim and Reason: The ad claims that if you use maybelline mascara then their eye lashes will be as think and long as the models. It also claims that the person will be beautiful if they buy this product.

3. http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2008/12/10/first-look-ellen-degeneress-covergirl-ads/ Cover Girl Ad
Target Audience: Older women who are worried about ageing.
Product: Simply Ageless Foundation
Values: The ad assumes that older women want to look young and will buy more expensive products to achieve a more youthful appearence.  The ad features Ellen DeGeneres, a famous comedian, wearing business attire. 
Claim and Reason: Her clothing suggests that if you want to appear serious but look good you should buy this makeup.

My Post Secret

My post secret was the image of a pink bra hanging on a clothes line on a bright sunny day.  To the left to the image was a thick white bar with the words "My BOOBS Made My Career."  I created this post secret with Dolly Parton in mind, however, I believe it applies to a number of other celebrities as well.  I chose this combination of images and words because Dolly Parton is always very happy and nice, like the photo, but you cannot help seeing her giant chest when you look at her.  She looks ridiculous and I think it brought a lot of attention to her, which is why I think her physical appearance affected her career.   I also made the word boobs in bold and all caps so that the viewer would see it first, much like a person who looks at Dolly first sees her breasts then the rest.  My message was simple and explicit.  Dolly Parton is a honest person and is very strait forward which is why i think she would create her card to resemble this one.  The image was bright and colorful in contrast to the words which were in black and white.  The picture also reminded me a little of the country music Dolly Parton is famous for because of the green grass and daises beneath the clothes line.  I wanted the viewer to see the post secret as a acknowledgement of the truth rather than a confession.

Post Secret Response

The post card that I was most drawn to was the image of people's legs in a parking lot.  I found the swirling effect that the artist did really interesting and it made me want to take a closer look.  On this card the author wrote, "Sometimes I try to convince myself that the reason I have no friends is because I'm so beautiful everyone is too intimidated to approach me."  The creator of this text is explicitly stating that they have no friends, but he or she is also implicitly claiming that she lies to her self to lessen the pain of being friendless.  By stating this the creator is appealing to the viewer's emotions, which is why I think the author aimed her post card at his/her peers. It seems like the artist really wants to be noticed, so by creating this card I think she is trying to communicate that desire. If those people were to read the card then maybe they would feel sorry for her and become her friend.  Also by writing her text in this way I think the creator of this post card is a young female, because those are the people who care most about their self image. Teenage girls in particular obsess about how they look and what others think of them, so by stating that her beauty is what drives people away from her the artist is trying to convince herself that she is just as intimidating as the beautiful girls on magazine covers. I think this is why the artist had the image blurry: to show her lie.  She is not really seeing the world the way it is but through a blurred perspective, so she created that same effect for the viewer.  I also found it interesting how the image became clear around one persons feet.  The swirling throughout the post card made it look like the image was revolving around this one part.  Initially this made me think the artist was conveying that he/she was the center of the world.  If you just view the card for it's content you could think the girl is selfish and snobby, but when you look deeper into the meaning you come up with an array of possibilities.

Hungry Planet Photos

As a collection these pictures made the reader see the differences in what is eaten and how much is eaten by individuals trough out the world.  I was able to observe that the people in wealthy countries and large cities were able to eat more because there was more available to them, but the people in underdeveloped countries were left with very little toe eat.  I think because of this food shortage they ate things that Americans would consider gross, such as bugs, pigs feet, and tropical fish.   Much of their food choice primarily comes from tradition but I think these foundations for what you are expected to eat come from a history of little to eat.  I think this is why Menzel called this collection Hungry Planet.

The Pleasures of Eating Question 3

1. Put a group together in your dorm to create a garden club.  The club will be able to rent space on the grounds of the university and plant a garden.  Also by haveing a group everyone will be able to take turns caring for the garden so it will not take up too much time.
2. Use the kitchens located in each dorm building to cook a meal when you can.  This could mean once a week or once a day.  Most likely you wont be able to organize a meal everyday but if you work with a group you will be able to cook in your dorm more often. 
3. Learn the origins of the food you buy, and buy the food that is produced closest to your home.  You can also use this knowlegde to pick local foods when in your campus food court.
4. Buy food from local farmer's markets when possible.  Find one in your city and make trips as often as you can.
5. Learn as much as you can about the economy and technology of industrial food production so that you can make healthier decisions.
6. Learn what is involved in the best farming and gardening. 
7. Learn as much as you can from direct observation and experience if possible.

I changed some of the points but many of Berry's suggestions can be applied to a dorm setting.  If the reader really wants to live this way then they will make the effort to find reasonable ways to follow Berry's suggested actions.  Also I did this asignment with USC in mind so our dorms provide kitchens and there are plenty of open spaces where someone could make a garden.

The Cooking Ape Question 1

Wrangham stated that how early humans were looked indicates that our food had to be more digestible than just raw meat.  By making this first link Wrangham was casually suggesting that these early humans had to cook to be able to eat their prehistoric foods.  He also stated that the way our bodies are formed is primarily shaped by what we eat.  Wangham then provides us with a time period in which he believes our bodies began to change as a result of a change in how we ate.  Wangham followed this estimate by talking about how long ago humans mastered fire, which happened to be around the same time that human quickly evolved.  By putting these two dates together the reader was able to see the connection by themselves.

I found that your paper flowed very well. I really enjoyed reading your paper and I'm sure that with some small revisions it will be perfect.
The first suggestion I can make in terms of flow is go back and make sure that each paragraph's content relates to it's topic sentence.  This will eliminate the feeling that your points are disconnected.  Also be sure to refer back to Blakley in every paragraph. And finally you need to make sure that you go back in and add more so that you fill the page requirments

Concerns for Rhetorical Analysis

One concern that I have about my paper is that I did not focus very much on pathos, ethos, and logos directly.  Will this hurt my grade?

Another problem I have with my paper is word choice.  I feel like I repeat words too often and some of my words don't feel like they are words that should be seen in a college paper.

Outline for Rhetorical Analysis

Rhetorical Analysis of “The Story of a Snitch”

Thesis: In his article “The Story of a Snitch” Jeremy Kahn, an independent journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, and The Atlantic, attempts to discuss how the term snitching has changed and developed in our society, what effect witness intimidation has on a case, and the effects both of these terms have in a community.  To do this Kahn employs a combination of pathos, ethos, and logos.

1.      By using emotional diction and heart wrenching accounts of snitch brutality Kahn attempts to gain the readers empathy, however, this actually distracts the reader from his main point: that until witnesses feel safe to come forward they will continue to remain obscure.

a.       Kahn heavily relies on the experiences of John Dowery Jr., an attacked and threatened witness, to evict an emotional response from his readers. Although the main story that Dowery provides a real life example for Kahn’s argument it can be mistaken for the main point of the paper.

b.      Kahn also briefly focuses on a number of other horror stories related to snitching, but rather than make you feel angry at the criminals behind the attack these stories make you angry at the police for failing in their duty to protect them.

c.       An additional way Kahn tries to evoke emotion from is by his word choice.  Kahn uses emotional diction. 

2.       Kahn does a satisfactory job of providing views from both people on the street and police, but he neglects to acknowledge the other side of the argument.

a.        He provides quotes from people extremely against informing the police as well as attorneys and police detectives, which give the reader a well-rounded evaluation of the situation. 

b.      Although Kahn does give these peoples views he never provides a person who thinks that the laws are fine the way they are.  Kahn states proposed bills that have been shot down in the past but never provides a reason why. 

c.        At the end of his piece Kahn states a way this project can be fixed: by creating harsher laws, which is a possibility but he does not give any other alternatives and he neglects to explain how this change would help the problem.

3.      Kahn’s directed audience was society at large but concentrated his study to impoverished neighborhoods where this problem is a larger issue.

a.       This paper was originally published in the Atlantic, a paper that is primarily aimed at business men and women.  Because his article was published here Kahn needed to include the input of this type of individual.

b.      Kahn never pays attention to areas other than troubled neighborhoods, which narrows his argument to certain regions and lessens the ability to truly impact change.  Another thing that Kahn does which off puts his readers is by stating the price for making it safer for witnesses. 

c.       The title of the paper points the reader’s attention on to Dowery’s story further distracting them from Kahn’s argument.

Conclusion: Kahn does a good job of making his story readable however he does a poor job of making it relevant to everyone.  The reader is able to keep their attention because they are following a narrative, and although that is an effective way of keeping one’s audience it limits the impact of Kahn’s message.  Kahn’s main focus was on Dowery’s story, which let the focal point underdeveloped and poorly delivered. Overall Kahn’s paper was easy to read, simple to understand, but of little impact.

Working Thesis Statement

"The Story of a Snitch"

In his article, Jeremy Kahn focused on how the term snitch has evolved to encompass a much wider range. To do this Kahn used a lot of emotion and logic to persuade us to his point.

Lady Power possible response

Nancy Bauer, author of “Lady Power,” wrote this article to question modern feminist Lady Gaga and examine how old society roles still influence our way of thinking.  Bauer first takes the reader through some of Gaga’s claims about her role as a modern day feminist.  Then Bauer describes one of Gaga’s videos, “telephone.”  Following this description she begins to introduce her argument.  Bauer believes that our society’s view of women is still not equal to that of a man’s.  Women, she claims, are still seen as objects, however, unlike in the past men are not the only ones labeling us in this way.  Bauer claims that today women are putting this label on ourselves.  In her article, Bauer directs her argument at women who a relatively young.  By doing this Bauer is limiting the scope of her article down to only a portion of the population.  Bauer constructs her article using ethos and very little pathos.  Bauer appeals to us ethically by pointing out what she calls hook-up-hangover and by accusing us of allowing this to occur. These parts make us question how we act in our own lives and question why.  Although, Bauer does appeal to our sense of ethics she never offers a solution to this problem or offer an opposing view to her argument.  Bauer neglects to acknowledge any opposing arguments, which makes her own argument questionable. Also the lack of pathos makes it difficult to decide my feelings about this topic. I did appreciate how Bauer allowed me to ultimately make my own decisions about the topic but I would like to better understand how Bauer feels about modern feminism.  Overall I found Bauer's weak and slightly tough to follow.

The Story of a Snitch possible response 2

In this article Jeremy Kahn examines the concept of snitching and witness intimidation.  To do this Kahn introduces a story pertaining to witness intimidation and follows what happened to John Dowery Jr., the witness, after he came forward to testify.  As the story progresses Kahn also discusses how the term snitching has changed and developed, what effect witness intimidation has on a case, and the effects both of these terms have in a community. 

To develop the argument Kahn utilizes ethos and pathos.  He creates a strong ethos by providing quotes from police officers, civilians in dangerous neighborhoods, and people who have expressed a dislike for snitchers.  These testimonies provide proof of the issue and add insight into why the problem exists.  Another way the author develops ethos is by providing us with ways to reduce witness intimidation and lessen the bad reputation of snitching.  To appeal to pathos Kahn provided us with the account of what Dowery went through.  Kahn also provided other horror stories of witness intimidation, which developed a feeling of remorse for those attacked and anger at the people who were threatening the “snitches.”  These real life events illicit an emotional response from the reader and thus create a strong pathos.

 This paper Kahn wrote was directed not only at people who live in communities where snitching is considered a taboo but also to society at large.  In his article, Kahn focused on how the term snitch had evolved to encompass a much wider range.  He noted how rap music and modern television shows were now showing snitching as bad and as a result there was a drop in the amount of police cooperation.

Cindy Sherman and Lady Gaga extra credit

Cindy Sherman was an artist in the late twentieth century who specialized in photography.  Her photos were created to examine a variety of issues, such as the woman’s role in society.  When I looked at her pictures I thought they were pretty but overall I found them thought provoking.  I think in this sense she and Lady Gaga are very similar.  They do not create their art just for art’s sake; there is always an underlying reason.  One of Sherman’s best known pieces, entitled “untitled, 1992,” depicts a broken female doll in a pile of condoms.  I think her piece was trying to show that people perceive women as sex toys.  Her piece was abstract though so I am not completely sure that this is the correct interpretation of her art.  Lady Gaga also likes to let her audience decide for themselves what her purpose is.  In 2010 Lady Gaga walked on to the VMA’s stage to accept an award dressed head to toe in meat.  Lady Gaga and Cindy Sherman make their audiences think about reason and normalcy which is why I find Bauer’s comparison accurate. Both women are strong and sure of themselves, which makes them similar. 

Womb for Rent - For a Price

Ellen Goodman wrote her article, “Womb for Rent- For a Price,” to introduce the issue of international surrogacy. Goodman began her article by explaining what and how international baby production developed.  Goodman claims that an industry has emerged as the result of an increase in the number of women trying to obtain international surrogates. She then stated that women in poor countries had found a new way to make money; they would be surrogates for people willing to pay.  Goodman sympathized with those who are infertile and looking for cheaper ways to find surrogates for their babies, however, she was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of women selling out their wombs. 

Goodman stated that by engaging in any part of this process the people involved were coming closer and closer to selling themselves and our children in to slavery.  By making this statement Goodman is appealing to the reader’s emotional side.  Slavery is a very strong word which is wrapped in a lot of history and pain. It paints a clear picture of both unethical and immoral actions. Goodman places this pathos word and others near the end of her article to persuade her readers into feeling sorry for the babies and the women who sell their wombs. The emotional diction forces a reaction. 

            This emotional diction also contributes to the tone of Goodman’s article.  Goodman began her paper very respectfully.  Goodman was not criticizing or judging the industry.  She just stated what the situation was and why people were turning to it as a solution to their problems.  I liked this part of her paper because the author was letting me, the reader, decide for myself how I felt about this peculiar situation.  Then during Goodman’s conclusion her tone changed.  Her paragraphs were now full of emotional diction and her opinion. She was now pushing her feelings and views on to me, which I did not appreciate.  Goodman was no longer a bystander to the action; she was actively telling me it was wrong.  I like to come to my own conclusion about a topic, so this conclusion made dislike the entire paper when really I just did not appreciate Goodman’s conclusion.

On the Preservation of a Good Temper in a Housekeeper

Catharine E. Beecher, author of “On the Preservation of a Good Temper in a Housekeeper,” defined a housekeeper as being the woman who commands her home. It is her job to see that her home runs smoothly and that everything essential gets done.  Back in the time period when Beecher’s book was written men were seen as the head of a household but women were expected to run their home. In her paper Beecher makes the assumption that most women run their homes with help. She assumes that most women have maids and nurses, so a large portion of Beecher’s paper is dedicated to the fair treatment of the household’s help.  Beecher believes women set the tone for how their households function, and when these women are calm when addressing their employees their homes tend to run better. Beecher claims that the best way for a woman to run her home is with tranquil emotions and no angry tones.  A woman who has control of her emotions when dealing with troublesome situations in her home will create a happy life for herself and her family. Although I found the content of the article a little dated I found Beecher’s main ideas true. 

The excerpt mainly focused on treating the house employees with a cheerful temper so that they will work harder, however many of the ideas can apply to many other situations. A person who approaches life with a calm temper will be able to achieve happiness more easily than an angry or stressed person.  In the paper Beecher gave three ways for a person to achieve this cheerful temper.  The first was to point out that scolding people was in very bad taste, and that women who reprimand others in public are not seen as lady-like.  Beecher means that it would be embarrassing to the scolder. When I see a person yelling at their children in the grocery store I feel bad for the children.  No matter what they do no one deserves to be yelled at.  The second suggestion Beecher made for women was to allow people to make mistakes.  Mistakes are a part of life and women who expect for mistakes never to happen are bound to be disappointed.  I found this suggestion most helpful because it is easy to look around the world and see people who are expecting too much, one example being brides.  This afternoon I walked into my room and my roommate was watching Bridezillas. This show focuses on women who set too high of standards and make no allowances for human error.  These women would definitely benefit from following Beecher’s suggestions.  The final suggestion Beecher made was to look at all the unplanned events that occur in a woman’s home and to regard them as an act of God.  Beecher observed that no one spoke angrily when true tragedies occurred because these events are seen as a part of God’s plan, but when minor mistakes are made by maids or nurses some women act as though it is the end of the world.  If these housekeepers were able to see these minor hiccups as part of His plan they would be able to have the calm temper that Beecher was promoting. 

Catharine Beecher wrote this article a long time ago however many of the points she made about calm tempers are still true today.  A person who can live by the guide lines Beecher proposed would be a much happier person.  Beecher stated that women were looked at and judged by how they conducted themselves; that statement is very much true in present times.  Everyone is judged by how you look but what I think is more important is how a person acts. Beecher is correct that a calm temper can inspire others, make you happy, and promote your eloquence.

Am I My Brother's Keeper? Response

In this article Elie Wiesel and Richard D. Heffner discuss their reactions to the multitude of information that our society is now bombarded with.  Wiesel believed that as humans we are only able to taken in a limited amount of information and be able to remember it later.  He defines knowledge as the information we take in and remember.  The media gives multitudes of information about many different topics.  Wiesel states that we are overly informed about too many things.  We are now able to read news in the newspaper, listen to it on the radio, watch it on the television, or even see it live online.  There are now hundreds of locations to access information that we often find ourselves overloaded with information.  These media sources tell us that we need to respond to events and that it is our moral responsibility.  Wiesel thinks all the information pulls our attention in a lot of directions and makes concentrating on one cause difficult.  Many causes are left unattended to which Wiesel draws our attention to, like the racist killings in South Africa.  We are expected to help those who are in need but with so many people to help it is often difficult to decide who to help.  In the beginning of the paper Wiesel discusses the phrase “my brother’s keeper,” which is found in the bible and its implications to today’s society. He questioned whether people today could really consider themselves their “brother’s” keeper when so many people need our help.  The Bible tells us that we should help each other but when so many people need assistance we are left to either choose one person to help or wait until we are told to help a certain person.  Wiesel uses the example of Cain and Able to explain how poor communication can lead to a neglecting of our responsibilities.  He believed that because we live in a world of much increased information we are neglecting more of our ethical responsibilities. To emphasize this point Wiesel mentions how images of concentration camps were in magazines around the country for five years but that we did nothing.  The reason for this, Wiesel claims, is because we are informed about too many things.  I do not agree with this idea however.  Being well informed is not a problem but allows us to really focus our attention on to what matters most to us rather than just what is on the cover of the newspaper.  I also did not like the writing style of the paper. I felt as though I was listening in on someone’s conversation or watching an interview.  It did not allow me to feel as if I was participating in the argument, which left me feeling a little isolated.

Family anf Technoology

My family is very different than the Campbell family.  My family is normally the last to get the new technology in my hometown. My mother is not a fan and does not like computers.  She works as an accountant which places her in front of a computer screen all day.  My mother preferers to have as little technology around as possible which i guess has rubed off on me.  Unlike many of my friends, I have no problem going with out my cell phone for an extended period of time and I do not suffer from the constant need to check Facebook. The Campbell family has grown up with all the techjnology at the center of their relationships, my family is not like that.  We spend time with each other rather than on the internet.

Hooked on Technology and Paying a Price

            Matt Richtel wrote this article to describe the growing roll that technology is playing in our everyday lives. He uses the personal example of the Campbell family to help us see the strain that technology places on our relationships, time use, and increased brain activity. The Campbell family showed the reader an extreme case of technology in the family setting.  I think Richtel used this example to scare the readers into lessening their personal use of technology.

To further stress the point, that we need to shrink the amount of time spent online, Richtel uses quotes from notable researchers to support his claims.  One researcher remarked that “technology is rewiring out brains,” which Richtel used to emphasize the impact these new technological devices have on our minds.  This quote is implying that our society’s increasing dependence on technology physically changes how we think. To follow this thought Richtel gives us, the reader, other sources stating similar results.  Many of the college studies are showing that rather than increasing our ability to multitask these innovations are lessening our ability to remain focused.

By using these real life examples Richtel tries to persuade the reader to change their technological ways.  I found Richtel’s argument convincing because while reading through it I found myself examining how often I use my iPhone and computer.  I do not think the article will make me change my ways, however, because I do not use my devices as often as Mr. Campbell.  Richtel used the Campbell family to show us how addicted we could become to our technology, but I think this example’s extremeness makes it less persuasive because it is not completely relevant to my life. Although Richtel’s article did fulfill its purpose in making me question my own technology use but it did not make me change my ways.

Get Smarter

Jamais Cascio, author of “Get Smarter,” used his article to proclaim support of mind enhancement drugs.  Cascio believed these drugs would become common place in our society. He claimed drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall soon would be easily accessed by all who wanted them.  Cascio stated that this new augmented intelligence could propel us into the next era of human existence. He explained that the drugs would become common place because those who refused to take the medication would soon be at a disadvantage to those who were dosed around them.  Those without the drugs would have to begin using the medications or risk being left behind.  The problems with this new drugged society, unforeseen by Cascio, are the possible side effects brought on by these treatments.  These bad effects include resentment by the individuals that could not receive the medication and the unexplored potential health hazards brought on by these drugs.

Even if these drugs did become over the counter medications at local drug stores in the United States, as Cascio predicts, it unlikely that they would be so easily found in underdeveloped countries or even poor neighborhoods. The citizens too impoverished to purchase the medicines or too far away from the pharmacies would have an unfair restriction placed on their potential. These people would be unable to perform on the same intellectual level as those who are administered the medications. The increased gap in the society classes would result in tension between those with and those without the treatments.  History has shown that humans long for equality and will fight to achieve it if they must.  This unfairness would doubtlessly lead to arguments and possibly wars.  

Along with the threat of hostility between those who have and those who do not have the drugs there is the threat of possible health effects unexplored by Cascio. He neglected to state the effects these drugs cause in our mental processes and our bodies.  Patients who have been prescribed these drugs for an extended period of time complain that they have increased difficulty concentrating when not using the medications.  Also some people experience headaches once they have been taken off the treatments. When these drugs are in our systems they make our mind work faster and for a longer period of time. The medicines change the way our brains function so when the drugs are no longer there our brains have trouble performing to their original ability. Cascio stated in his article that many of these drugs are still primitive, which is true. Many of the drugs have not been carefully studied yet because they are relatively new. Without these lengthy studies we are unable to fully understand how these drugs will affect our bodies and would be putting ourselves at risk if we were to take them in the way that Cascio suggests.

   The idea that someday everyone will need medication if they want to keep up with the rest of society is terrifying and most likely impossible. For Cascio’s vision to come true there would have to be a way to ensure that all people would have access to them and that there would be no harmful health effects.  There is no way to make these medications fully attainable, so there no way for Cascio’s idea to become reality.

Reading Response #1

"Is Google Making Us Stupid", written by Nicholas Carr, was an essay written to examine the loss of deep reading ability in our society. Carr believed that internet reading had changed the way our memory circuits work.  The flashing advertisements and multiple articles on one site made it difficult to stay concentrated on one document.  Carr commented that he had difficulty concentrating on anything that was longer than three or four paragraphs.  I found this interesting because while reading his essay I found that my mind was straying to other things unrelated to his topic like he was describing.