Blog Post 2 for Ind. Viewing Project

Two essential questions and their answers according to the documentary I watched: 1) How do modern modes of communication affect the rhetorical devices individuals have at their disposal?

With this particular documentary I feel rhetorical devices are the only way that a point would have been achieved.  This mode of communication, which I believe is an informational documentary (visual communication to a wide audience), used the appeals heavily in order to make a point.   It is because this is a visual mode of communication that the appeals are needed because when people see results such as people losing weight it affects them and their mood more so then if they heard someone using a rhetorical device such as an anaphora which would not be so effective in this case because that is used for written communication and not so much visual communication.  Since the video has been invented and more modern forms of communication have formed, written forms of rhetorical devices do not deem effective anymore. To keep up with the times, the appeals are very reliable to either inform, persuade or to connect with the visual audience.  It is in this way that modern modes of communication affect rhetorical devices that people can use, because not all rhetorical devices will be affective and it is obvious that this is so through the documentary I watched and through every other form of modern communication.

2) How have modern modes of communication been perceived and received by the global community?

The modes of communication in our modern world have varying affects on people depending on the age group or generation or maybe even gender.  However people are taking advantage of the new forms of communication that are available. For example, ads in magazines are vibrant and creative with less words then there are colors, commercials attract people through sounds, visual appeals and connections to their inner thoughts.  Texting and phone calls get information to people quickly and easily. E-mails can send messages, pictures, attachments, documents, and videos.  Every form of communication today has so much more involvement then communication a few decades ago.  In my eyes, it is easier to persuade people of today then it was to persuade people to buy something when television was not around. People of today easily receive information through these modes and depends on their mind set on how they perceive it.  The documentary I watched was clearly going for a dramatic affect and showing before and after pictures of people losing weight because of this new juice diet and how they are taking care of their bodies.  This communicated to the public that they should not only eat healthier, but they should exercise, and if they do they will look as beautiful and feel as healthy as every person in the documentary felt at the end of their journey.  People easily believe what they see in this world.  “You have to see it to believe it” is a quote I highly believe relates to modern society and how they perceive the world around them.  Anyone can say a diet works, but if they have hard facts, quotes from doctors, and pictures then most people will take this credibility into consideration and realize the connections they could make to their own life.  Modes of communication of today aim to persuade and connect with the people, and thus far that is how they perceive it. 

Blog Post 1 for Ind. Viewing Project

Bibliography:  Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Dir. Joe Cross. Dir. Kurt Engfehr. Joe Cross, 2010. DVD.

The documentary I chose to watch for my independent viewing is called “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead”.  The documentary is cut in half, one half of the documentary focuses on the life of a man named Joe who realizes his death may come prematurely because of his rare auto-immune disease and his severe obesity.  He finally decides to do something about it by going on a “Reboot” diet where he drinks nothing but vegetable and fruit juice that he squeezes himself and drinks for every meal.  He does this for 60 days and reaches a healthy mark.  The next half of the documentary is about a different man named Phil,  Joe is the creator of this documentary and he meets Phil at a truck stop and they begin talking about Joe’s diet.  Soon Phil begins to do the same diet because he happens to have the same disease and is more than 200 pounds over weight.  This documentary shares their success stories and how this new diet has helped people all over the world to achieve the success that these two men have achieved.

The most prominent rhetorical device from this documentary is ethos.  Throughout the entire documentary the credibility of the diet and this one man’s mission to lose weight and become healthy is conveyed through evidence such as a doctor weighing him and telling him how much weight his diet has made him lose, to the end where the film closes with saying all these mini success stories of other men and women who have lost certain amounts of weight because of this diet. With evidence like this, it is hard to turn away from hard facts and it proves that this new juice diet actually works and could help save America’ obese population. The appeal of ethos affects the audience by having a large movement where more people start doing this diet and more people start to exercise and try to make a healthier life for themselves.  The use of statistical data on how many colors of chicken fill up your stomach compared to how many calories of vegetable fill up your stomach is astounding. This data affects the audience and pushes them to take action to save their health and their lives before they end up being a “cheese burger away from a heart attack” as Phil said during the film when he was in the middle of his diet.

The second most used rhetorical device was logos.  Logos was used every time a doctor was being filmed or a trained physician was giving facts.  The logical facts of what the doctors said cannot be false, otherwise that would be illegal.  These facts help the video because it states this basic general concept, “if a doctor is saying I will die at the age of 45 if I eat 20 hamburgers a day, then it must be true, and I need to take action to stop myself eating too many hamburgers and dying an early death” (this was not said in the video, but it is an example of logos used).  The statistics the doctors use move the audience to take action because it is a reliable source that is telling them to change, which relates back to the idea of credibility and ethos which made the movie as effective as it was. 

Blog 28, IRB POST, 3-26-12

As far as my independent reading book goes, I have stopped reading "The Cider House Rules" by John Irving because no matter how much I read of it I could not get into it.  I found that I was dreading the time when I would actually have to sit down and read the book.  I realized that's not what I wanted to have to do with my IRB book, I wanted to read something I was passionate about and would look forward to reading.  This is why I have dropped that book (with permission) and began reading another book that I simply can not put down and will still be finished by the time the third marking period is over so that I do not run behind with my independent reading.  

The new book I have picked out is called Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.  This book is the second book in a trilogy called The Hunger Games.  I read the first book in a series that was actually called The Hunger Games, and I fell in love with it.  I bought it only because I heard several people telling me about it being a good book and when I began reading it I could not believe a book could be so addicting.   I finished the first book within a week, and had not picked up the second until I realize I wanted to read a different book for my independent reading novel.  Catching Fire, the book I am reading now is just under 400 pages long and I have already gotten to page 252 in just a few days time.  I am more then elated that I am now able to look forward to reading... to the point where I am sneaking it under the desk in class (not in AP English of course!) or constantly waiting to have a few minutes to sneak a few pages in.

Now, for those who are unfamiliar to what the series is about... The basic summary is that there is a world, most likely in the future, that consists of a country named Panem that holds 12 districts (as if they are states).  The districts are controlled by an overwhelming power called The Capital, where the President lives with all the richest and most glamorous people in the world.  The ruling is harsh, unjustifiable, and gruesome.  There was an uprising a few years before the book's setting, where there were 13 districts, the 13th district led an uprising that got the entire district obliterated.  As a result, each year there is an event called "The Hunger Games" where a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 will be chosen at random from each district to take part in an event where they fight to the death leaving only one lone victor to riches and prosperity. The Capital uses this to maintain power and to make sure another uprising never happens again. The captivating plot and world of fiction and fantasy lead me away and is the reason I am so enthralled with this book.

However, the book "The Cider House Rules", I read over 100 pages of the massive book and still was not interested.  This is resulting from a few aspects. First of all, the type of writing was unfamiliar, somewhat wordy and with a dialect I could not altogether connect to.  The characters were boring, the story was not that interesting and I realized that after 100 pages of reading it was still not brimming with excitement or a captivating plot.  If the book was shorter, maybe I would have finished it.  But there was no way I was going to finish a book over 500 pages by the end of the marking period that I had absolutely no interest in.

Going through this process has made me realize a few things: One, that not finishing a book is alright... and if it's not interesting DON'T read it and two, I noticed I am a reader that looks for a captivating plot that pulls me into the world of fiction and steals me away from reality for hours on end.

NEW BOOK TITLE: Catching Fire

AUTHOR: Suzanna Collins

Blog 27, Week 4, (visual), 3-19-12

SIDE NOTE: Since I usually do a four week rotation with the fourth week being an IRB post..... I wanted to do a BIG IRB that I will do as my "fifth" week cycle blog post next weekend.  Therefore I can get a lot of reading done... and analyze it in the same post instead of doing two IRB blogs next to each other. (Thought this would be best for such a large book).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCE: http://bleachedbrain.wordpress.com/tag/political-cartoon/

For this AOW I decided to do a political cartoon, and I chose this one because I feel it is really prevalent... especially among the young people recently.  Joseph Kony and his leadership in the Lord's Resistance Army has become an apparent "popular" issue in American ever since the youtube video of the current event went viral over night on march 5, 2012.  The video has currently 82.5 million views and explains in detail about Kony's group and about how an American group is planning to stop him by the end of this year.  Now, Kony's group is pursuing to create a world where children live in hell.  He is kidnapping all children from their parents.  He forces the boys to become soldiers, killing their own parents and purposefully mutilating people's faces.  He kidnaps the girls and he makes them sex slaves.  It is devastating and unreal, but most of the world has no idea what the issue is or who Joseph Kony is.

The point of this political cartoon is to show that everyone all of sudden knows the term "Kony 2012" and wears the propaganda and fights for the cause... Yet most people have no idea what they are advocating.  In this cartoon it is showing a person wearing a shirt supporting to the current advocation to stop Kony by the end of 2012, but the person wearing the shirt in the picture does not know what the issue is and is only supporting it because of the popularity it has gained. It is a cartoon showing the ignorance of people towards an issue that really does need knowledge in order to help the cause.

Out of the few rhetorical devices evident the most important one is logos.  The cartoon promotes the idea of logic because I believe the author's purpose was to show that in order to support a cause, one must know and understand what the issue is and how they can help.  It is only logical that it shows ignorance and rudeness to support a cause for popularity reasons rather then for the greater good of the people involved.  The audience for this political cartoon is all ignorant people who are blind to the real reason for the "kony 2012" slogan.   The people in the cartoon look young, which means the people that are targeted for this issue could be as young as teenagers or younger or even a little bit older.  In my opinion, the author's purpose to promote knowledge on the issue has been achieved because when I came across this photo I looked into the issue because I always saw the slogan but did not know what it was for.  Now I do know what it is for and I can support a cause I understand and believe in, instead of blindly following a crowd only following a cause for popularity reasons. 

- Ali Mason

Youtube video of "Kony 2012" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

Blog 26, Week 3, (Written), 3-12-12

Article Title: “Obama Plans Big Effort to Build Support Among Women

Author: Jackie Calmes

Source: NY Times

   This article is about Obama’s new laws, regulations and plans in order to gain more votes from women for his 2012 presidential campaign.  The article discusses what he has done in the past with his actions compared to the future and engulfs Obama’s plan as to get more votes from the women population… which he believes is crucial in order to win the election.

    Since this article was on the front cover of the New York Times newspaper… that enables it to be a credible source and therefore helps to push the author’s purpose further.  I believe Calmes’ reason for writing this article is to one) possible push women to vote for Obama or look into his new work on their behalf, or two) for people to gain more information about politics and make an informed opinion on their own about how they feel about this situation and the upcoming election.  The audience for this article could be women in this country or any potential voters looking to get their vote in for this year’s presidential election.

    There are a few rhetorical devices the author uses to create a credible article and one of which is her use of statistics… statistics help this article because when people are reading about politics they want facts.  They want something they can look at and make an opinion off of, and that can not happen if someone is writing a political piece with no idea as to what they are talking about or if it is true or not.  She uses statistics to explain the different bills and acts Obama uses as well as other aspects of his presidency.  Another rhetorical device that is used… but not intentionally is her use of ethos to present her credibility.  Although, this is established through her work in the NYTimes and her status as a front-page writer.

    I was able to analyze this piece easily because I am a girl in this country…  and in less then a year I can vote.  It is because of this that I chose to read a political piece that could help me understand what is going on this country and since this piece related to women I was even more enthralled to read this.  The author has reached her purpose and I know this because I am a reader and soon-to-be voter in this country and it is articles like these that make information ready and available to me when I need facts to make decisions. 

Blog 25, Week 2, (Written), 3-5-12

Article Title: "Whitpain Fires Police Officer Charged With DUI"
Source: Ambler Gazette News (online)
Author: n/a


   According to the article a police officer of the Whitpain township was fired after 24 years because of driving under the influence of oxycodone and alcohol and was also charged with striking his wife 5 times during the drive.  It has been reported that he is awaiting a court date and that on the day of this event the man and his wife were drinking in a bar and got into a quick fight which continued into the dangerous car ride that ended this mans career. Although this took place in August of 2011, he was arrested for his actions on January 23 2012.
  A scary thing to think about is that this man is a police officer.. a symbol of comfort in the eyes of the community and in society as a whole.   A man who is not even new to the force, but has actually spent a quarter of a century in police work and still is able to cause this type of destruction.  This leads me to believe that anyone can become anything despite a title and that even the people who are supposed to be the leaders in society can mess up their lives and become the aspect of their lives they have spent so much time preventing.
  The context of this article is during the end of last year into the beginning of this year and is showing a new shift into the police work of Whitpain township.  The purpose of this article is one, to get general information to the public about a situation that could potentially effect other people, and two, it is possible an article to show people that even the "good" guys mess up and the people we depend on could become the people we never thought we would need to worry about.  Personally, I respect and fear police officers because of their prominent role in society as the law regulators who are the tell all and show all of laws and regulations in our area.  And now that this has happened it is hard to believe that someone we all trust has let us down.  The audience is then the surrounding community that has to endure this information and understand it in order to benefit their lives.
  I'd say this is credible because it is from an official local website.. and the article establishes credibility (ethos) through statistics and quotes from the actual people involved that could not be made up without a reliable story line.  This story is also on other websites which gives more proof that it is real, therefore the credibility is established and then proven to be true.  Another evident rhetorical device is the use of pathos (briefly) when the article leans towards discussing the wife of the police officer and how he beat her when he was drink.  This pushes the audience to feel a sense apology for the woman and realize the wrong that the husband did to her.  Pathos is also used when the article states how long the man has been  a working police officer.  It my eyes, it makes me feel sad and regretful for the man because he just messed up the rest of his life and will not be able to take it back.  This will always be on his record and a part of his life and that is what connects me to this article... the way in which i feel bad for this man.   It is also in this way the way the author is using their inner voice to connect with mine.  They wanted me to feel this way at certain parts of the article, at times objective and other times filled with emotion.
   The purpose of the author was achieved because it is now a well known story on the internet and it has gotten me, as a reader, to think about this situation and apply to every day life.  Everyone is able to make mistakes, even the people that seem the most trust worthy or seem as if they are the icons of the world.  People as important as police officers make decisions that ruin their lives, it isn't just drug addicts and alcoholics.  This article has opened my eyes to a more broader view.

- Ali Mason

Blog 24, Week 1, (Written), 2-27-12

       For this article of the week I read a famous short story called "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.  The short story is about a town in the context of a time period that is fiction but placed in the distant past (maybe present, it is questionable), that hosts an event each year called The Lottery.
       The event takes place in the midst of June where every person in the town gathers around to draw slips of paper from a black box.  The papers are all blank except for only one that has a black dot.  Within the first round, whoever draws the black dot now has to move on the second round where that person and their immediate family have to draw again.  This time when they draw a slip of paper the person who gets the black dot is then stoned to death by the rest of the town. The creepy part is that it is a ritual and no one thinks anything of it... family and friends kill their loved ones because it is a tradition.  The history behind this is that the person killed is a sacrifice for a good crop season.
      In some ways this connects to other parts of the world in the ancient civilizations... some tribes of people who have human sacrifice for their goods or to promote good weather or health.  In this case it is a civilized town that does this through a lottery and apparently (it is implied) every other town does this as well.  
     There are many different interpretations as for the purpose for this short story.  The author's intention could be among a plethora of ideas. However, the way I interpreted the story was that the author was trying to convey modern society and how in some ways we are just as corrupt.  Although society today does not do go around killing people in order to give up sacrifice, we have laws and proper authority and civility but it might be a parallel to other things in society that have become a prominent issue. Otherwise it might have been just a pure imaginative story worthy of writing down. The main target audience would be anyone in the general public.
   From a rhetorical standpoint, a device used most evidently was suspense.  This is because from the very beginning it starts out with misleading cliffhanger adjectives that make you think of spring time, and a quant little town that is quite calm and peaceful.  The discussion of the lottery is not filled with hatred or bewilderment yet it is described objectively making the reader guess for the entire story what exactly is the main point of this lottery.  It is only in the end that it is revealed the lottery is actually a quite nefarious event that results in the murderous death of a citizen, and even then all is not revealed.  It ends with someone being stoned to death with no follow up events. The final lines are, "...and then they were upon her."  This is referring to the people all gathering around Mrs. Hutchinson which was the woman who "won" the lottery.
  In this way juxtaposition is also used because the word lottery is usually associated with money, or something beneficial to the winner that results in the overwhelming feeling of felicity, but in this case something so special does not occur and the lottery is associate with death.  These two elements posing next to each other is an example of juxtaposition through written rhetoric.


   After reading this story (a few times) I was still astonished by the ending.  The first time through I literally had chills from how gruesome and blunt the story really was.  The author almost tricks readers into thinking the story will be calm, kind, simple, possible and most likely happy... That is until Mrs. Hutchinson begins to sound frightened and scared to go through with the lottery when she realizes her family has "won" and is moving on to the next level.  But by that point in the story I was completely confused and trying to understand what was going on.  I was thoroughly misunderstanding what was going on from the very beginning.  The lottery was not really a prized lottery at all, rather it was a picking for the next sacrifice.  




- Ali Mason

Blog 23, Week 4, FIRST IRB post (MP3) 2-20-12

Book Title: The Cider House Rules
Author: John Irving

       The setting of this book is between the late 1890s into the early 1900s around World War 1 and post World War 1.   I read the first two chapters which was pages 1 to 78.  Although this seems short, the book's dialect is a little difficult to comprehend when you first read it.  There are many terms and phrases that are difficult to depict and the events at times are hard to follow. The book is evidently about a man named Wilbur Larch who has grown up in a world of abortion, orphans, prostitution, and neglect. The first chapter introduces this doctor and his orphanage institution in the town of St. Clouds.  Then it introduces an orphan named Homer Wells who has lived in four foster homes which have all failed and is now a permanent orphan in the institution.  After revealing this child's early life, chapter two reveals Wilbur Larch's life and how he has become the man he is today.  He grew up with a love for medicine and bacteria, and kept running into events in his life that tied to him back to the world of sexually transmitted diseases and the "devil's work" of abortionists. The book explains his slow acceptance of proceeding with abortions as well as births at the orphanage and explains events that led to his actions. Although confusing, the book is slowly developing a story line but I am still unsure of the plot.
     The context is early 1900s where abortion is just becoming legal in some areas of the united states, the Boston area and Maine, and during a time where people performing abortions were not necessarily doctors, but people who came up with their own detrimental ways of removing the fetuses.  Although the plot or conflict is not necessarily evident yet, it is implied that it will be the upcoming adventures of Homer Wells life and his growing up, and the final years of his beloved doctor Wilbur Larch.  I am also unsure as to why the title of the book is "The Cider House Rules"... but from the information I have already read of the book it might be the case the the orphan house in St. Cloud's is this "cider house" and the "rules" it is referring to is the act of Wilbur Larch delivering babies as well as performing abortions to which rules could be inflicted upon and brought up.  The Lord's Work and the Devil's Work and the rules that go alone with both.  However there were evident rhetorical devices that helped John Irving create the story that is still finding a hold in my mind...

Anecdotes:  Anecdotes are most evident because of their importance in the story.  Throughout the entire first two chapters anecdotes from the past are brought up to explain the present situations in the orphan house.  Anecdotes of Homer Wells' foster homes and Wilbur Larch's past aggressions and struggles show the reader why things are the way they are in the present tense of the book.  They are explained with absolute validity and explanation to thoroughly lead the reader into what emotions the author wants them to achieve.  In this way the author is linking to the reader's inner voice to paint a picture in their mind what exactly the author wants them to see.

Repetition of Phrases:  In the book this phrase is repeated: "he would force himself to remember: he had slept with someone's mother and dressed himself in the light of her daughter's cigar.  He could quite comfortably abstain from having sex for the rest of his life, but how could he ever condemn another person for having sex?" This is repeated at least two or three times in light of the doctor remembering his one encounter with a prostitute that gave him an STD and he later ended up giving his first abortion to this woman and neglecting to give one to her daughter several years later.  Sex has become his enemy because his one encounter brought hims so much pain, and memories that will forever be with him.  Or perhaps he abstains from sex in order to not be the father of an aborted child or the father of a child who ends up an orphan.  After viewing so many women going through the tortures of child birth and abortion and often dying in the process, his views on sex have moved him to becoming abstinent.  This quote is very important in order to show the exact view point of the doctor and where he stands when it comes to what he has done and what he will do in his future.

Intense descriptions of Imagery:  Imagery is used very frequently in the book because every description and event is very different from the last.  Without imagery the reader would be lost and would not know the difference between the characters (which are abundant) and the events that each one took place in.  The imagery is able to give readers the proper tone to which is appropriate and to show the mood of each event in the lives of the characters.  And eventually the images will tell the whole story, and the words will mean nothing.. meaning the pictures we see when we read this book will become more important then the words used to describe each event.   The story will develop a plot and the resolution will be solved with the use of the amazing imagery produced in the story.


- Ali Mason

Blog 22, Week 3, 2-13-12

2012 Superbowl Commercial

Topic: Samsung Phones

Audience: Cell Phone Users!

http://www.youtube.com/user/samsungmobileusa?v=CgfknZidYq0

   For this week, since the superbowl recently occurred, I decided to analyze a commercial from the superbowl.  It is a well known fact that these commercials are especially prestigious and wild to attract the millions of people watching the same exact channel.  The commercial I chose was an ad advocating the new Samsung Galaxy phone while downplaying the apple iphone.  The context of this commercial (besides being in the middle of superbowl sunday) was obviously the new creation of the Samsung phone and the idea was to attract more people to this type of phone then the amount of people who were looking to buy iphones this year... this is also the purpose.    Rhetorical devices that were being used in this commercial are, communal memory which is used when people say things such as "this feels like detention" or when people are using different phones other then the samsung galaxy it pertains to the memory of the people. It is dependent on the fact that these people already know what these things are. One would need to know what detention is or feels like to relate to the one character who relates standing in line to that.

  This alludes to the fact that the commercial's one aspect of an audience would be high school students... the use of the word detention relates to the high school age group and connects with their inner memory and mind.  In a way it subconsciously pushes them to realize "YES i understand! I don't want an iphone! It takes too long standing in line!".  Although the commercial does use factual statistics which is another rhetorical device to explain the different facets of the phone it does not use a lot of factual statistics to create the commercial.  For the most part it uses pop culture and entertainment to tell the story of this one little phone and to create a new wave of excitement for the purchase of this new phone.  The commercial also shows people going from gloomy to extremely excited over this new phone which shows the audience who is watching the commercial that if they buy this new phone they will feel the same way... In this way the commercial is using pathos to appeal to the passion of the audience.  The rhetorical placement/situation of this commercial really help prove its point and get a broader sense of what audience they are actually hitting.

  Since the people in the commercial look so happy while they are using their new phones, it might push people to buy them because of this possibly false vibe that this is what they are getting when they purchase the phone.  Hyperbole is another rhetorical device because of the extreme exaggeration of excitement and events going on during the duration of the actual commercial. 

   The purpose for the commercial was met because the commercial continued to play on several different occasions (both before and after superbowl sunday) and it obviously was bringing business because of how often the commercial ran and the times that it ran.  Yet the only true way to tell if the product's commercial actually gained prestige and popularity would be to document sales of the item post-superbowl sunday.  

  I would say, as a viewer, that the commercial was actually quite effective.  The commercial made me feel the same emotion that each character was portraying and thus, interested me into purchasing this phones.  Who knows? Maybe it really is the next iphone... only better!

- Ali Mason

  

Blog 21, Week 2, MP3 2-6-12

MR. GABRIELE! I just looked at my blog tonight and it has shown me that this article of the week never published... Apparently i saved this as a draft instead.  I'm sorry I didn't catch this earlier!  I hope it has published successfully now:

This article of the week is an evaluation of the actual NYTimes website.

   Every week we are picking articles from different sources although we do not usually take the time to analyze the sites we are taking the information from.  Why do we choose the sites we choose? Why is the New York Times a website we so often call upon? The answer is in the rhetorical choices the web designers used to create the website.  The website is designed around the most recent context of the world. The home page is centered around news that was published within hours of the readers reaching the page.  There is also "Today's Paper" section, "Most Popular", "Video", and other intriguing topics that would get the reader's attention.  The context of the website is solely based on what is hot and happening and what is most relevant to the readers.  I believe the website also intrigues readers because the articles are short, interesting, and from a variety of topics that hit every age group and there are hundreds of different authors.  There is a variety you can not get from just the newspaper.
    The purpose for this website is so the New York Times has a broad range audience other then just the local New Yorkers.  With such a broad website this information could go global with readers looking into these articles from even the smallest of countries who have access.  A benefit is also the fact that websites can be translated into different languages, much easier then having to translate thousands of physical newspapers.  Another advantage is that the website states the time that the website was updated, which is quite frequently.  In a sense this shows credibility because the readers know they are getting the full most updated website and information possible.  The website currently says it was updated about 40 minutes ago.. that is a short time span and qualifies the recently added articles and information.  Through these different forms the rhetorical devices that were used were: Organization (for the set up of the website and intricate details that form the context and appeal), Ethos (which is established through the updated times and other areas of the website... a broad span of authors and editors), and Simplicity because the website is simple enough for readers to scan through the website and find what they are looking for in a short amount of time.
   The creator of the website actually was smart in their idea to create a way to register into the website and basically become a member of the New York Times newspaper, this is a great way to promote propaganda for their cause and spread the word about this newspaper.  People want to become a part of things, and looking at a website where you can be an active member intrigues people to join and become a part of that society.
  The true purpose for the website (bringing in a broad range of visitors globally and nationally) is achieved because of how evident it is in today's society, it is a "big deal" news paper that has been labeled as a true and credited news company.

- Ali Mason

IRB # 3 Layout/Choice

Title: The Cider House Rules
Author: John Irving

This book is lengthy, therefore it might have to be split up between two marking periods. (Mrs. Pronko suggested this?) And otherwise I will split up the sections of readings to have ABOUT 110-120 pages.

The book is about an orphanage set in rural maine with the main character named Dr. Wilbur Larch who is the founder and director of the orphanage.  The book is about this man,  his ether addict and his days as an obstetrician and an abortionist and about his favorite orphan Homer Wells who is never adopted.

- Ali Mason

Blog 20 , MP 3, Article, 1-30-12

Article: "Before Prom Night, a Suspect Was the Girl Next Door

Author: Abby Goodnough and Bruce Weber

Source: New York Times Website

   The article I read was about a girl named Melissa Drexler who has become infamous for the events that occurred during the girl's prom night.  Drexler apparently gave birth to a baby in the bathroom stall at the prom, and promptly disposed of the baby in a nearby trash can.  Later, her boyfriend John and her family disclosed that Melissa never looked pregnant or acted pregnant.  It was a shock to everyone when the story was laid out.  The article does not mention whether or not Drexler herself was aware of the pregnancy, and it is still unknown whether or not the baby was a stillborn child or if she had killed it in the restroom.  Today she has spent a little over 3 years in prison of her 15 year sentence, and was released on parole.

  This happened on June 6 1997, and to this day is still a huge topic known nationally. The purpose the authors had for writing about this event from an objective view was to give the public a chance to make their opinion whether or not this girl killed her baby or did not, or if she knew she was even pregnant. It is a credible article because of the many cited quotes of various people involved with the case.  It is interesting to note that even though this happened back in 1997, the story is still notorious today.  The band Nickelback even wrote a song about the event titled "Throw Yourself Away" and Drexler also has her own page on wikipedia. 

Rhetorical Devices Used:

-There were not that many specifically used rhetorical devices. But the devices I could pick out are as follows:

Direct Quotes: Quotes are used throughout the 5-paged article.  Each person interviewed was either a family member, a friend, prosecutor or other official related to the case.  These quotes helped show the reader what the article was about and the significance pertaining to each part. Direct quotes from the actual prom night also showed the exact order of events that happened that night as well which led to an effective story. 

Anecdotes: Little anecdotes that relate to the prom night, and events leading to the prom night were used in this case to convey the whole of the story.  The anecdotes created a really dramatic article that made it interesting yet informational. 

Imagery: The article was very descriptive, with the events, the exact story of the prom night, and some details were so descriptive that I will probably have nightmares about this story for a while now.  But if that is what the author intended it has worked... the imagery gives you chills down your spine and creates the creepy tone this true article possesses.

The authors achieved their purpose because it was very informational, and since it is still on the NYTimes website over 10 years later... I'm assuming the popularity of it is still rising. 

Blog 19, Final IRB Blog for the Second M.P, 1-23-12

Section: Pgs 99-154 (Ending after the epilogue)


  The ending chapters of the book "Heaven is for real" are about the main character Colton, and the different facts he claims God gave him to tell humans on earth.  For example, Colton's father, Todd who is also the author of the story, brings Colton to a home where a Christian man is old and dying of sickness.  As Todd finishes praying with the man's family, Colton walks back to the man and says "The first person you'll see is Jesus".  After this accusation Colton's family becomes even more intrigued with his words.  As well as these random acts of God, Colton begins telling things AGAIN that he could have never known before.  Such as what the throne room of God is like.  Something that really sparked in my mind was that Colton revealed facts that are even unknown to the writers of the bible.  Within the bible it states that Jesus will sit at the right hand of God, which is exactly what Colton described but then Colton said who sat at the left side of God... Something that is not stated in the bible.  He tells his father that it is the angel Gabriele, which completely makes sense to his pastoral father.
  From an objective standpoint, this book and with its concluding pages brings me to realize that even the most outstanding disbelievers in God and faith could be swayed into these words.  A simple toddler who has the most innocent faith from God.  To him, religion was not brought to him through a priest or through the words of the bible.  God came to him himself (as so the book says) and showed Colton what the afterlife will be like.  The concluding words in the book explain that as the years wore on, Colton continues to give facts to his parents about what he saw, he continues to explain in simple terms and at the most random moments.  But everything he does say is backed up by child-like ignorance that could not be faked 
  The context of the last few chapters is when the family begins to openly tell people of their son and what he has seen and has expressed.  This brings the book full circle and explains how the book got here and what it has done for the family.  The purpose of the author in this section would be to fully give credibility to his son, and to his family for their purpose in writing a book... which was not for fame but to spread Christianity to the world.  There were also many more rhetorical devices that were clearly evident in this section then any other section.
   Author's purpose was achieved because the book is now nationally famous!


R. Devices:


Imagery:  Each chapter is something new Colton has revealed about heaven and/or Jesus and God.  To efficiently explain the different things Colton has said, Todd uses extreme imagery and detail to try and give the audience just a small glimpse of what he has seen through his son. 


Bible Passages/Ethos (Yes, combined in this case):Bible passages are majorly used towards the end of the book to give credibility to Colton on his expressions of God and things he has "seen" when he went to heaven and back.  The bible passages are shown frequently.... for example, Colton claims that Jesus sits at the right hand of God. Now as a four year old, he would not know this fact because in a preschool sunday school kids learn that Jesus loves them and that's basically it.  Showing a bible passage to back up that what he is saying is true makes the ethos of Colton that much more effective. 


Appositives: Appositives are used to explain the different people who are continually coming up in the story, and the new ones.  For example of this, the author uses an appositive to explain his wife "I left Sonja, now seven months pregnant, with Cassie.." (Pg 117).  This is effective in this way because it keeps the reader focused and made it easy to figure out the context of each part of the book.


  

Unit 3 Reflection

Unit 3 Reflection
By: Ali Mason


  In order for a society to properly work together and create a standing relationship that creates safety and ordinance for all involved a few things are needed from the citizens of a community as well as the government from that community.  Through three different readings from history the obligation of both the citizen and the government are evident. Beginning with the earliest work, Patrick Henry speech at the Virginia convention in 1775 is a basis for many citizen morales that should be followed and most importantly, the duty of the government is clearly stated and pressed in his speech.
  Examples of these claims is evident in in the entire second paragraph that is addressed to the president (Henry's opening to his speech and response to president's first words).  In a nutshell he explains that no matter what the issue is at hand, a government should be completely honest with its citizens. Meaning false hope should NOT be advocated and the urgency of current issues should be upheld and dealt with as a whole nation and not making the citizens blindingly believe their government that is giving them sugar-coated information.  Clearly Henry is saying that the duty of government is to be honest and open with its people, no matter what the situation is.  Proof of this is in his words in paragraph two, "Mr. President, it is natural to indulge in the illusions of hope.  We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth... Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not?" Along with this he claims the duties of the actual citizen within the government by saying that he is an experienced man who is willing and able to serve the country at every need she has.  "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experiences" (Paragraph 3). By saying these words, Henry is basically saying that if the government tells the truth and is willing to work through everything to get the liberty the people deserve, then the duty of the people would be to go through with what the country needs. Whether that be drafted into the army, or throwing themselves into manufacturing goods to keep the country out of a depression.  Now this is from a man's point of view.  The next piece of work is by a woman during the 19th century.
  This woman's name is Elizabeth Cady Stanton and was the prime advocate for women's rights.  She spoke at the Seneca Falls Convention through a speech that had unmistakable parallels to the actual declaration of Independence and was thereafter named the "Declaration of Sentiments".  One of the many ways she informs the government of their duties is through her statements directed at the men, but then are put into effect through the government.  For example she says, "He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice." This quote directs the government into forming new laws and regulations that promote the equal citizenship and rights of all people.  The duty of the government in her eyes is to not be sexist towards either gender and to adjust laws so that they are equal among women and men. And as this is the duty of the government, the duty of the governed would then to follow these laws religiously. Whether it is a woman or a man, a citizen will respect their country just the same.  And Elizabeth Stanton wants the nation to understand, to recognize that, and to put that into effect. Although her statements in this declaration were primarily based on what the government needs to do for the people, there is another man who wrote a speech that at its heart conveys ever efficiently what the duties of a government are and vice versa involving the governed. 
  Bill Clinton was a man stuck in a political complication that was losing advocates from his recently full group of supporters.  As his affair with a young woman unveils he realizes that a speech must be made in order to keep order in the country and for the country not to lose hope it its President.  It was an apology to the nation and was given in 1998 on August 17.  Throughout the piece he recognizes what he did was wrong but then blames citizens for the recently corrupted nation.  He states the duties of HIS job in society as a part of the government when he says "We have important work to do -- real opportunities to seize, real problems to solve, real security matters to face" (Paragraph 10, Page 2).  In his eyes, through this quote, he is saying that a government is there to provide strength to solve the nations problems and to deal with the safety and security of the nation.  The private life, according to him, is of no concern to the governed and should therefore be neglected as evidence that he is an unfit president.  The duties of the governed in this situation would to be to support their president and forgive his apologies, but then to also stay out of the private affairs that belong to him.  No matter who is involved with the government, they are always just innocent civilians themselves making along in this world.  Who is a citizen to say anything bad about their leader when the matters at hand do not effect the way the country is ran?  In this way Clinton blatantly states the duties of the governed and of the government through his apology to the nation... that in the end, wasn't really an apology at all.

Blog 18 Week 4 (2nd IRB Post) 1-17-12

Title: Heaven Is For Real
Author: Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent


Section 2 Read: Chapters 10-18 (Pgs 47-98)


     This section of the reading is the concluding pages of the original event the 3-year-old Colton endures when his abdomen experiences a life-threatening emergency involving his appendix and excess abscess that needed to be cleaned out.  The beginning of this section reveals Colton is getting better after his first surgery, but then when the parents are about to walk out the hospital doors to finally take their little boy home the doctor yells for them to stop; new problems have came up.  Apparently a second surgery would be needed. As Colton has a second bout of problems his parents are literally dying on the inside, and when he finally gets better and is actually problem-free they take him home.
   It is after this when Colton begins to speak religiously and speak of Jesus and of his importance.  As a 3-year-old Colton knows virtually nothing of the sort, pre-school sunday school does not teach details about the bible.  Yet soon, Colton is revealing that he has actually seen heaven, he has seen Jesus, he has seen the baby his mother once lost in a miscarriage before he was born, and he has met family that died before he was even born.  This section of the book is Colton revealing everything he has seen and experienced when he left his body when he was in the hospital and visited God and Jesus in heaven.  Colton reveals that Jesus told Colton he needed to go back to answer the prayers of his father, and the family is frozen with astonishment as Colton continues tell stories of God and the bible that he could never have possibly known on his own. Therefore he must be telling the truth because of the validity of his answers to every direct question.


   The purpose for this section of the book is to show how the author (Colton's father) was convinced that his son was telling the truth. To convey to the audience that if a Pastor was convinced of this actions then it is a pretty valid argument for the audience to believe in it as well.  I believe the author is credible because all of the information is primary information and there are also other witnesses to back up everything his father has written about in this book.  The context of this section is Colton's revelations about his experience and the family's need to document every word in order to show the world of the miracles God really does perform. 


Rhetorical Devices Used:


Credible Quotes:  The author has listed quotes from the bible that back up everything Colton has explained and described.  These quotes show that Colton is telling the truth and not just making things up on the spot.  


Ethos:  Ethos is used because the author has credible in this situation because his son is the main point of the entire book.  Having first-hand information in this case makes ethos a valid rhetorical device for this book.


Logos:  Logos is used when Colton expresses everything he sees in heaven.  He says things that Jesus told him to do and what to say and what the truth is about different events.  And since everything he says can be proven by the bible quotes offered by the father who is a pastor and the author in this case, then it is logical to believe everything Colton offers to the table.


  The purpose of the author was achieved because it clearly shows his belief in his son and that everything his son says is true and believable.  By showing the audience that be believes his own son he proves to the audience and to his readers that they will be able to believe his son as well. 

Blog 17 (Week 3) (Written) 1-9-12

Ambler Gazette: Business Section..
Article: 8 Things You Shouldn't Buy in Winter
Author: Matt Brownell


   The organization of this article is written in a list formation with a description under each item. The "8 Things You Shouldn't Buy in Winter" are: Vegetables grown in the summer, warm-weather items, camping gear, suitcases, computers, snowblowers, cars, and linens. The context of this article is that it is currently the winter month of January where a lot of stores advocate their "white sales" and try to sell a lot for the start of the new year. While the author who wrote this article obviously wrote it in the hopes that he would be saving some people some bucks during the winter. 
   This piece was obviously an inferred opinion based on observations by the author on certain items during this time in the year and the way he introduced the list of items created a credible back ground knowledge because he used wording that was reader friendly. It made me, as a reader, trust his words and want to read on to see what he had to say. In the article there is also a visual so it attracts visual people as well and adds to the interest of the article.  Rhetorical devices he uses are:


   1) Organization -- Organization is the most important rhetorical device in this piece because it is easy on the eyes of the reader which leads to an interesting and easy read.  The list-type style of the article gets the author's point across but also gives the reader the facts quickly and efficiently. 


   2) Statistics -- Statistics are used to give some credibility to the author's claim. He states different facts about various stores but that backs it up with a quote that gives him credibility and ability to write that fact in his article.


   3) Ethos -- The author shows his credibility for writing this list/article through quotes, facts, and real-life situations.  Since this is an Ambler news source this means that the article was written from a credible person who lives in the area.  The statistics and his establishment of credibility go hand in hand in order to effectively achieve the purpose of this article. 


   The author achieved his purpose because his credibility proves his ability to write the article and for people to read this and believe him. I say this from a reader's standpoint and am now going to tell my mother to never buy summer vegetables in the winter.

Blog 16 (Week 2) (Magazine Cover) 1-2-12

This magazine cover is from the December 2011 issue of Elle Magazine.  Looking at all the subtopics it mentions, the context of the magazine is the holidays.  To the bottom left it clearly says "Gift Guide!" and since it is the most eye-catching (because of the large font size) that alludes to the context.  The purpose for this magazine is to attract women (of all ages) and to appeal to their sense of fashion and femininity by persuading them to purchase the magazine and possibly taking the advice of holiday "gift ideas" that is inside the magazine itself.  Placing a well-known celebrity on the cover also intrigues people because they are drawn to the popularity of celebrities.  I was able to tell this magazine was for women because one of the sub-topics in the upper left hand corner says "the perfect party dress".  Obviously that is aimed at women who are looking for new clothes for a new years party or holiday party.  Unless men are now wearing dresses (besides the female wanna-bes) this magazine is based on female personality and desire.

The rhetorical devices used in this magazine cover are:

1) Placement/Arrangement - placement and arrangement are used with the celebrity picture and the surrounding captions. The biggest words are obviously arranged and placed that way because of the certain attraction to that topic the magazine editors wanted to intrigue.  The placement of the title, in all capital letters and on the top of the page is there for people to quickly identify the magazine they are looking at.

2) Contrast - Contrast is used with the color scheme.  There is an all white back round dotted with black and harsh red letters that make the words stand out.  There is also the celebrity photo with her tan skin that stands out when compared to the white back round.  This rhetorical device helps intrigue readers because of the appeal to their vision.

3)Punctuation Style - In this case i believe punctuation style is a rhetorical device because the sporadic apostrophe marks seem inviting in the eyes of the reader. If the punctuation is exciting then the readers will feel the same way.  And it is because of this that it is a rhetorical device used to achieve the editors purpose for the magazine.

The purpose is achieved for this magazine if a lot of people bought the magazine and also brought business to the stores that are promoted within the magazine as well.  Since the magazine is fairly popular, I would say that the purpose was indeed achieved.