AOW #15- "Rules to Stop Teachers and Students From Getting Too Social Online"

"Rules to Stop Teachers and Students From Getting Too Social Online"
by Jennifer Preston for New York Times (Dec. 17, 2011)
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/business/media/rules-to-limit-how-teachers-and-students-interact-online.html?_r=1&hpw

This article was about limitations regarding social networking sites and school. It talks about boundaries that are/have been set and their effectiveness. It also brings up cases of abuse and success of social networking sites in schools in order to support both sides of the argument.

The context of this piece is how popular social networking sites are and how controversial the subject of their use in education is.

The purpose of this piece is to give an unbiased explanation of the pros and cons of social networking sites and their use in schools and education.

The audience for whom this is intended is all students, teachers, parents, and faculty members, especially those who are concerned about the use of these sites in schools. It can also appeal to anyone interested in social networking sites and their role in society.

Rhetorical devies of this article include:

• They Say, I say- Rather then disproving the "they say" part, each piece of both sides of the argument is supported with facts, statistics, court cases, etc. 
• Appeal to Logos- This article uses many facts, statistics, court cases, etc. in order to support their argument and create a balance between the pros and cons of the situation.

I think that the author accomplished her purpose because this article gives a very thorough, in depth look at the impact of social networking sites in education and what boundaries work and don't work.

AOW #14- IRB- "Holidays on Ice"

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

David Sedaris comes from North Carolina, raised in a family with 6 siblings. He began his career in comedy after dropping out of Kent State University to travel around the United States and read excerpts from his diaries at local clubs. He then went on to reading these hilarious stories on the local radio station, eventually publishing these stories into several books.

This section was composed of 3 short stories about the holiday season. He describes events in past holiday seasons that he finds humorous and can effectively describe in order to make his audience laugh. Out of the 3 stories in this section, my favorite was the first, which described his short-lived career as an elf in SantaLand of Macy's in New York. His portrayal of his time working as an elf was funny and entertaining to read about.

The context of this book is David Sedaris' holiday tales as told by him to his fan-base.

The purpose for which this book was written is to tell readers about the hilarious stories of Sedaris' holiday seasons.

The audience for whom this book is intended is those interested in Christmas and the holiday season. Also, it is mainly written for fans of Sedaris and his writing style.

Rhetorical elements of this book include:

• satire- Sedaris consistently creates humor out of every situation he describes. He describes in detail very funny stories that have actually happened in his life.
• syntax- Sedaris uses extreme punctuation such as repetitive exclamation marks (!!!) to express emotion in his writing. He uses them to show excitement and loudness.

So far, I think Sedaris semi-accomplished his purpose. I am not fully satisfied with his sense of humor as I sometimes find him offensive, though that clearly is just his style. I think that certain parts of his stories are funny though and have made me laugh out loud.

AOW #13- "It's their world..."

"It's their world...(We're just keeping up with it)"
by David Keeps for Lucky Magazine (November 2011)

This is a credible source because it is a popular, well-established magazine.

This article was about the Kardashian family, their fame, and their television show. It talks about the author's meeting with the 3 sisters and what they were like. It also discusses their personal opinions on their fame and television show.

The context of this piece is the current immense fame and popularity of the Kardashians and their extensive impact on today's media. Also, their show is currently a huge hit that many people watch.

The purpose for this piece is to tell the readers about the Kardashian family and how they became the phenomenons they are today. Also, it informs fans about their favorite Hollywood family, and what their past, present, and future look like.

The audience for whom this piece was intended is fans of the Kardashians or anyone interested in their life.

Rhetorical devices in this piece include:

• testimony: This article is based on an interview with the Kardashian sisters were they each shared their personal thoughts, and then was formed into an article.
• syntax: The author uses syntax to express how the Karshasians actually talked/acted. For example, "Oh. Meh. Goh." 

I don't think the author accomplished their purpose effectively. The piece was pretty boring and not very informational. The author could have delved deeper into the lives of the Kardashians or focused on more interesting topics in their lives, rather then being so general and boring.

AOW #12- Advertisement: Sharpie Commercial

Sharpie Commercial- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OaH7m1vii0&feature=related

This is a credible source because Sharpie is a well-established company that has been around for many years. The commercial is also presented on many well-known and credible television stations.

This commercial is of a bunch of sticky notes that a guy writes on in Sharpie pen. On each sticky note, he writes something he loves that relates to a girl. He then sticks them to the wall to spell out "Will you marry me?".

The context of this piece is a young man who wants to propose to his girlfriend by telling her everything he loves about her and their relationship. It also used to introduce the Sharpie brand pen, when everyone is currently used to Sharpie making mainly permanent markers and highlighters.

The purpose for this commercial is to introduce the Sharpie pen and highlight its uses.

The audience that this advertisement is intended for is anyone who is uses pens or likes the Sharpie brand.  It strongly appeals to anyone who has a soft spot for love, marriage, or proposals.

Some rhetorical devices from this advertisement include:

• appeal to pathos: The commercial strongly appeals to the emotions of anyone who has a soft spot for love, marriage, or proposals. It is so romantic and cute that it makes the viewer say "awww!" and hope that the girl says yes!! 
• arrangement: The commercial starts out with a sticky note saying "I love..." and then goes on to show several sticky notes with the things he loves written on them with little pictures. After flashing through a bunch, the camera pans back and you see the guy sticking the final sticky note on the wall and they spell out "will you marry me?" and he stands back. 

This advertisement semi-accomplished its purpose. It was an extremely cute commercial and I liked it a lot, but I was more focused of the sticky notes and the proposal than the pen. It would have been a better commercial for Post-its than Sharpie pens. 

Unit 2 Reflection

Thomas Hobbes carefully explains his views on mankind and government in his work, Leviathan. In this piece, Hobbes describes the state of mankind as everyone being at war with everyone. He goes on to describe how each individual follows the Law of Nature, which is to seek peace, and follow whatever means possible to defend oneself. I agree with Hobbes' claim that each individual follows this Law of Nature and that they must do so since everyone fights against everyone for the common goal of peace and contentment.

Hobbes describes the state of mankind as everyone being at constant war with everyone else. He explains that each individual has the same basic wants and needs, including food, water, shelter, and everything else needed for basic survival. In this case, he goes on to explain, everyone must compete with everyone else to have enough of these things for themselves to survive. I agree with this claim because it is very true that everyone has these same basic needs. It is obvious that people will do whatever it takes to meet these needs, no matter what or who is in their way. An example of this in current society is seen by homeless people and homeless shelters. Those who are homeless are struggling to meet the basic needs that those who are wealthy so easily have and take advantage of. They are constantly at war with the world of those who are more privileged than they because they need these things to survive. This is why there are constantly beggers out on the street, who only want someone whose needs are taken care of to sacrifice a bit of money or food to help them survive. And yet, every day, there are people who walk right past these beggers without offering even a penny, sometimes because they chose to ignore those less fortunate than them, but also because they might subconsciously fear themselves eventually being forced to do the same. This example confirms Hobbes' claim that everyone is at war with everyone because the less fortunate people are constantly at war with those who are more fortunate, yet those who are fortunate live in constant fear of losing their privilege. 

Hobbes also claims that everyone human follows the Law of Nature, which states that each individual must seek peace and follow it, and by all means defend oneself. By this, Hobbes explains that every person strives for the common goal of peace, happiness, and contentment. Every individual strives to meet their basic needs, at which point they can be at peace. But, along with seeking peace, every individual must do all that they can to protect themselves. An example of Hobbes' Law of Nature can be seen in strikes. In a strike, employees refuse to work until their demands are met. In most cases, this involves money or a raise in salary. Those who go on strike are demanding to be better compensated for the work that they do. This shows the Law of Nature because every person who goes on strike is seeking peace, in that they want to be making enough money to meet their basic needs. Strikes show personal defense because those who go on strike are defending themselves against inadequate compensation by employers. 

In Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes describes how mankind is constantly at war with one another and how every individual follows the Law of Nature. This claim is very true and evident in today's society. Hobbes correctly identifies the state of mankind, and his claim holds prevalence and truth even today. 

AOW #11- "A Shopping Guernica Captures the Moment"

"A Shopping Guernica Captures the Moment"
by Peter S. Goodman for The New York Times (Nov. 29, 2008)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/weekinreview/30goodman.html?ref=blackfriday

This is a credible source because it is in the New York Times, which is a well-known and well-established news source.

This article was about a Wal-Mart employee who was trampled to death attempting to police crowds at the Wal-Mart opening on Black Friday. The article briefly describes the incident, then goes on to talk about how it was practically inevitable due to the current economical status of our country, which is the reason that there is such frenzy on Black Friday. It discusses how because our economy is so poor at the moment, it is easy for stores to create a demand for items and make them seem like they must be purchased immediately for the best deal, when in fact that is not the case. This has become the central reason that Black Friday is such an ordeal these days.

The context of this piece is the current economic situation that our country is in. Also, the current hype that is Black Friday, and its affect on people.

The purpose for this piece is to explain why Black Friday is in fact such a rip-off and how the extremity of it is actually absurd, unnecessary, and in this particular case, deadly.

The audience for whom this piece was intended is anyone who went or plans on going out on Black Friday. It is meant to teach those people how unnecessary it actually is.

Some rhetorical elements in this piece include:

• arrangement- In this article, they start off discussing a few tragic incidents in history and comparing them to the Wal-Mart employee killed on Black Friday. They discuss this incident for only a second, then go on to explain why Black Friday has become what it is today, and how absurd it actually is.
• diction- The diction in this article is extremely dry and blunt. It basically very harshly accuses every person who goes out on Black Friday of being ridiculous and falling for the sales techniques of the stores. It leaves no room for debate and never discusses the opposing views.

I do not think the author accomplished their point. I initially thought this article would talk about the Wal-Mart incident, which I had never heard of before and was interested in learning about how such a tragedy could possibly occur. I think that the author used way too much of his own opinion and much too harshly generalized every person who goes out on Black Friday.

IRB Assignment Preview #2

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

3 Sections:

• SantaLand Diaries; Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!; Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol pg. 3-76
• Based Upon a True Story; Christmas Means Giving; Dinah, the Christmas Whore; Jesus Shaves pg. 77-130
• Us and Them; Let It Snow; Six to Eight Black Men; The Monster Mash; The Cow and the Turkey pg. 131- 166

I chose this book because the cover immediately attracted me to it. I absolutely love Christmastime; it is by far the greatest time of year! I am already so excited for the holiday season and can't wait to start blasting Christmas music in the car! As soon as I saw this book, it made me smile to see the Christmas images on the cover. I talked to Ms. Pronko who recommended the author and told me about other stories of his that she has read, though she hasn't read this one. This book seems funny and entertaining, plus it will absolutely help get me in the mood, even more than I already am, for the holiday season.