TOW #5: iPhone or Android: Which Smartphone Should You Buy?

iPhone or Android: Which Smartphone Should You Buy?
By: Sam Costello


            The controversy between the iPhone and the Android is a popular one in today's society. Each phone has their strengths and their weaknesses, so audience members ask, which phone is truly the better phone to purchase? Sam Costello, author of iPhone or Android: Which Smartphone Should You Buy? develops 13 different arguments involving an Android and iPhone, but supports each one with different evidence and a different standpoint for each phone. Majority of his arguments for why the iPhone is the better phone, but he does develop a perspective for androids as well. For instance, argument one is considering the phone's hardware. Costello goes into detail how Apple has tight control over software managing of an iPhone, while Androids tend to freeze up and overheat more often. On the other hand, argument number twelve, "User Maintenance: Storage and Battery", supports the Android. Many of his arguments also develop a tie between the two phones, making it complicated for the audience to develop a really strong choice on which phone to choose. Costello's choice in listing arguments for each phone I believe is ineffective, because there is no solidified answer Costello delivers to his audience on which phone to buy.

           Although including arguments for each phone gives the audience a larger perspective on the matter, it doesn't help an argument. On the other hand, some people do prefer to make decisions on their own after the negatives and positives are given and Costello's open argument helps some readers base their choice on their own opinion rather than just Costello's.  I believe as a reader, Costello effectively delivers strengths and weaknesses of each phone helping a reader decide which phone would be best suited for them.

 It's important to take note that when an essay is written about an argument such as this one, it's crucial that one takes into consideration other sources and opinions from other people. Both phones can be argued as great, and both phones can be argued as bad. Sam Costello's opinion is just one of many, and by delivering both perspectives, it's important a reader looks into other sources as well to confirm his decision.          

TOW #24: Rosie the Riveter

          The famous Rosie the Riveter picture, is a cultural icon of the United States. It was made to represent the American women who worked in factories during World War II. During World War II, many women took upon new jobs in order to replace the men serving in the military. Rosie the Riveter represents a women's power and strength, and promotes feminism. During World War II, campaigns used Rosie to convince and recruit females for working in munition and industry. According to history.com,  it stressed the patriotic need for women to enter the work force. Rhetorically, the picture is makes a powerful statement to the audience whether it's women during World War II, or women living in today's society. The arrangement of the picture helps portray the message. The big words "We Can Do It!" draw the audiences attention and also promotes a feeling of hope and encouragement. Rosie is dressed in patriotic colors, therefore defending the fact that the picture was made to stress the "patriotic need" for women to work in factories and industry during the war. Not only is Rosie wearing read white and blue, but she is also holding up her arm to show her muscle. That is very important in the way this picture is arranged, for it exemplifies a women's strength and appeals to other women's emotions giving them pride and determination. The War World II time period was a large step in feminism due to new employment opportunities that weren't originally available to women prior to the war. As well as the arrangement, there is a demanding yet tone of determination that the picture portrays. It's demanding because it is trying to recruit women into the work force, yet determining because its saying "We Can Do It!" and the muscle shows that women are strong and enough and powerful enough. Rosie the Riveter has been an influential icon throughout the years strongly portrays feminism and the growth of women's rights.

Marking Period 4: IRB Intro Post

The Last Lecture
Randy Pausch

        The Last Lecture is about  a man named Randy Pausch, who was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He had a family at home, specifically a wife and three children. Randy was unfortunately diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which has a very low survival rate. Throughout the book he wanted to give a "last lecture" to his audience because it may very well be, his last lecture. The book is broken up into 6 different sections, some telling about his dreams as a child and, some how he met his wife, and others telling about his lessons he has learned throughout his life and dealing with cancer. My brother recently read this book, and I also saw a talk he hosted. Reading this book will inspire me to live my life to the fullest, for there may not always be tomorrow. I'm excited to read Randy Pausch's last lecture and I'm excited for the inspiration it's going to give me.

TOW #23: IRB

The Diary of Anne Frank begins on her 13th birthday, beginning with a normal teenage life. Descriptions of boys and crushes, her girl friends, and her school, which happened to be an all Jewish school due to anti-Semitic laws. Anne had an older sister Margot as well. The Frank family had moved to the Netherlands in result of World War II beginning in Germany. But, unfortunately, Germany invaded the Netherlands forcing the Frank family into hiding. Anne's diary helps historians and other philosophers to understand the harsh living the Frank's had to experience. Beginning her diary, Anne writes about her 13th birthday party describing her loving classmates, friends, and family. She continues to describe a boy named Hello, who she believes she loved. Throughout the beginning of the book, Anne uses vivid imagery and first person to achieve her purpose of delivering the real harshness of life in that time. Her details of each event help a reader develop an emotional appeal to what Anne and her family had to go through. Because Anne uses first person, it also appeals to the reader. It feels as though they are experiencing everything themselves, as if they wrote the diary. The audience could be historians, philosophers, or any teenage reader who is curious about The Diary of Anne Frank and the context it entails. I easily flipped through the first part of the book because of the details provided by Anne Frank. The most intense part so far, was when Margot, Anne's older sister, informed Anne what was happening when Germany was invading the Netherlands. The girls started packing thingsup and knew that their lives were going to change. After being put in hiding, it even took Anne a little time to take in what had happened and how she would be living her life for who knows how long. Anne Frank succeeds in appealing to the reader's emotions, once again with first person. So, as a reader, I believed Anne has achieved her purpose of providing a detailed description of her life during World War II and what it was like to be in hiding, and what it was like to be Jewish during this time as well.

TOW #22: Article

"Why does lactic acid build up in muscles? And why does it cause soreness?"
By: Steven M. Roth

     Every athlete knows the feeling of lactic build up in their legs, it isn't the most enjoyable thing. As a runner and soccer player myself, I always wonder why I feel lactic acid in my legs and what I can do to maybe prevent it. This article, "Why does lactic acid build up in muscles? And why does it cause soreness?" is mainly about what lactic acid actually is, and why it may happen. Author Steven M. Roth states that when oxygen is limited to the body, in converts substances into lactate, causing the burning sensation and numbness lactic acid causes. It also includes glucose breakdown, but the article also states that the building of lactate is actually the body's protection from permanent damage during extreme exertion of the muscles. In terms of devices used by Steven M. Roth, the article is introduced with a description of himself, "a professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Maryland, explains." By establishing who he is to the audience, he appeals to ethos and convinces the audience that he is a credible source for the topic. Leading into the article itself, Steven M. Roth includes facts throughout the whole piece of writing to explain what lactate is and how it effects the human body. By using facts, he also establishes logos because his reasons can be backed up with accurate data. The audience can be any athlete, or someone who has experienced lactic acid through exercise. This article explains in detail what lactic build up is. As part of the audience myself, I thought Steven M. Roth was effective. I believe as part of the audience, Steven M. Roth proves his purpose with facts that appeal to both ethos and logos. Also, since the article is from scientificamerican.com, a reader can assume that this article is credible because the website is categorized as a website with research and accurate facts.

TOW #21: Advertisement

        For years now, the competition between PC and Mac has existed and continues to, leading to advertisements like the one above. This advertisement was a PC ad, and it features a Macbook calling a PC a "nerd" and the PC calling a mac a "pretty boy". With personification and diction, PC argues that Macbook contains only attractiveness, rather than value.
         The words nerd and pretty boy, are simple words that can be understood by all audiences, which is effective in the case that PC wants to convince its audience of which computer is better. Clearly stated, the PC is calling the Mac a pretty boy because PC believes that the only thing a mac has is looks and an appeal to the human eye. On the other hand, the Macbook is calling the PC a nerd because although it may be smarter, the laptop is less attractive. Through their word choice, PC is able to argue that they are the more effective computer because they contain the "smarter" applications.
        In addition to word choice, the ad obviously portrays personification. Computers can't talk to each other, but with the use of personification, the ad displays humor and effectively delivers the message that PC is the better computer. This appeals to the audience and makes the advertisement easier to comprehend and keeps the competition exciting.
        In conclusion, with the use of personification and diction, dell successfully delivers its argument and displays that it is the better computer, and that Mac is only successful with its attractiveness. It also makes the audience wonder if its true, does mac only value looks? Is PC really the better computer? Nowadays, mac is statistically the more popular computer, but with this ad, it rises pause throughout the audience whether or not they are making the best choice when they choose which computer they are using.

TOW #20: Article: Death at the Garden by Jonathan Coleman

Reading Goals:

- Define all unknown vocabulary words as I am reading

- Don't read only to find rhetorical devices (read for context as well)

Writing Goals:

- Thorough and flowing analysis for my examples

- Not to sound repetitive 

- Adequateness 

Death at the Garden 

By: Jonathan Coleman

      The sport of boxing has always been a hazardous one, leaving each opponent at their wits end as the final bell dings. With blood and sweat exuding down the boxers faces, no one in the roaring crowd would  have expected the outcome of the match between Emile Griffith and Benny Paret. Jon coleman, the author of several books, developed this essay from "What He stood For: The Many Worlds of Angus Cameron" and displayed the vividness and severity of the fight he had witnessed. To express a moment of death and a moment Coleman and his future mentor Angus shared, Coleman uses vivd imagery and a first person point-of-view.

      Angus Cameron was a legendary Knopf editor, who eventually became Jon Coleman's editor and publisher of his many books. Ironically, both men had witnessed the grusome fight between Emile Griffith and Benny Paret but neither of them would know it until 13 years later, when they actually met.   Anyhow, Coleman's use of imagery precisely portrays the significant moment these two people shared and the intensity of the Griffith vs. Paret fight. "The fight was a slugfest, and Paret nearly ended things in the sixth round. But after six more rounds, things ended for Paret as Griffith punched him senseless against the ropes, sending him into a coma into which he never emerged."(Coleman) Picturing the moment as Coleman describes it, any reader could grasp the severity and ferocity of the fight. After all, Paret ended up dying. "Some part of Benny Paret's death did reach out to all of us. I had not witnessed death before, and what I remember most clearly was the hushed silence in the arena as Paret was moved, ever so carefully, from the floor of the ring onto the stretcher, beginning procession down the aisle of the Garden where I was sitting and where, as it turned out, Angus was, too." (Coleman) With the use of adequate and sensible adjectives, Coleman describes the scene with great precision, helping the reader have a full understanding of what had happened. Also, in addition to expressing a moment of death, Coleman includes how Angus was there as well, experiencing and witnessing the same, unreal moment. 

      Connecting to Coleman's handling of vivid imagery, he also wrote the essay in a first person point-of-view. By using first person, Coleman appeals to the audience's emotions because they are able to read the essay as if they were the ones who wrote it, and as if they were the ones who experienced the Griffith vs. Paret fight. The expression of death and the connection Coleman and Angus shared from the fight can be fully understood through the use of first person. "And instead of talking to many boys back at boarding school about the fight, or to anybody, really, I kept quiet for quite some time, until Angus and I had the occasion -- and, for me at least, the need -- to speak of it years later." (Coleman) The audience can appeal to the way Coleman felt after witnessing the fight as he immediately connects it to his first official confrontation with Angus. 

       In conclusion, Jon Coleman uses vivd imagery and first person point-of-view to express a moment of death, and a moment he and his future mentor, editor, and publisher, would share. Any athlete or person could be the audience here, perhaps more specifically someone who can connect to the context, that is, boxing. This was a moment that Jon Coleman would carry with him forever, just like Angus Cameron did.