So You Want To Be An APELC Student.... (TOW #30)

Hello APELC student. You may have heard from people who previously took this class that it is a challenge. This is not a lie to scare you out of taking the course, I can tell you that it is indeed difficult. However, the AP English Language and Composition course is a great one. Just because this class is difficult doesn’t mean that you should be discouraged. If you work hard at it and try your best, you will be fine. One of the great things about this course is that you have the opportunity for continuous feedback from your teacher, your peers, and even yourself. As the year goes on, you gain more skills as a writer, and you also build on skills that you already have. One of the best things about this class was the practice that we get for the essays. We often did timed essays as practice, which eliminated the pressure for a grade. This allowed us to focus on improving our essays instead of worrying about doing well. Continuous practice is great, and as we focused on each type of essay, everyone saw improvement. The improvement carried over on my graded essays as well which was great. Don’t be discouraged if you get a lower grade than you are used to at the beginning of the year on your essays. With practice and time you will get better, and you will be all the better for the AP exam at the end of the year. The same goes for your grades at the beginning of the year. It may be hard at first, but it does get easier. If you try really hard, you should be able to get a good grade that reflects your overall effort in the AP English Language course. Good luck, and have fun!

TOW #29 A Documentary Argument Why We Fight.

 In this documentary, many stories are weaved together to form a single central point. The main point of the documentary was twofold. The documentary shows us that the military industrial complex is upon us in society and that it is a negative and harmful force for the people. I agree with both of these statements, and that the documentary effectively proved it's point through visual evidence and explanation.
   
    The military industrial complex is prevalent in the modern world, especially in the United States. This is proved by various things in society. Currently we are involved in war in Afghanistan, and despite the war in Iraq ending in 2011, there is still tension there. These wars have no clear reasoning. Often if you ask several people about why we are in (or got into) the war, they will give you several different answers. The military industrial complex is this idea. It is believed that one of the major factors in the war was money. I believe this to be true. In society we are faced with lots of economic competition, both worldwide and at home. It  is easy to get caught up in the competition, especially for big businesses. They feel a need to turn a profit, and war is the way to do so. The prevalence of the military industrial complex was shown many times throughout the documentary, most notably (for me at least) during the weapon convention. I had seen some things like this on television (Chuck’s Weapcon!) but I never thought about these conventions occurring in the real world. The convention showed the vast competition and provided a bit of reasoning behind the complex.

    The military industrial complex provides a huge problem. This problem is not for the big corporations and businesses, but for the people, the average joe. They are forced into a war that they don’t even know the cause of, and despite there not being  a draft, there is definite pressure to join in and help the cause. War raises taxes and prices on many things, and the regular people suffer. Meanwhile, the fat cats at the corporations rake in profits at a high risk cost.

    The military industrial complex is an unacceptable way to handle our foreign policy endeavors. Yet, it is becoming increasingly common. As Dwight D. Eisenhower once warned us, the military industrial complex has the power to destroy us. Let’s hope that by taking it under control now, we can secure the future.

TOW #28 A Documentary Analysis: Why We Fight by Eugene Jarecki

This documentary was created in 2005 by Eugene Jarecki. Jarecki is an documentary creator who has won many awards, including an Emmy. Jarecki attended Princeton University and eventually moved to films after producing a few plays. Why We Fight is a documentary that covers the military industrial complex, a topic which Dwight D. Eisenhower stressed in his farewell address to the nation forty four years before the film premiered. The documentary follows many different stories, many of which come together in the end, that each represent varying levels of the complex, and argue for both sides. Testimonies include John McCain, Richard Perle, William Kristol and several civilians who have been greatly affected by war. The film was created to warn and educate all American citizens on the dangers of the military industrial complex.

In this documentary, the filmmaker wanted to show many aspects of the military today and in the recent past. The main focus was to show how society is turning towards the complex more and more (and why it is harmful). The point was made in many different stories of civilians which came together to show deception and corruption for profit gaining purposes. The different civilian testimonies (including a man whose son died in 9/11, a bomb maker, and the men who dropped the first bombs of war) show how the military industrial complex affect different people. The versatility in effect that the complex has is huge, and its negative influence can spread if it is note gotten under control. In addition to civilians, there were testimonies from many political figures that supported the idea of a military industrial complex harming society. The testimony from political figures qualified everything that was said, making it seem more reliable and less biased. All of these stories and testimonies came together to support the idea that the military industrial complex is not good for America and yet is readily apparent.

Another important strategy in proving this point was the cinematography and style of the film. Throughout, there was an ominous tone to the documentary, as if something bad was going to happen (or in this case is already happening). This was often reflected in the lighting, which remained dark during most of the film. Many of the shot were filmed at night, especially in the case of the men who dropped the first bomb. This added to the tone by making it seem serious and potentially dangerous. In addition to the lighting, the documentary also featured less recent footage that reflected upon events in the past. One such clip was of Dwight D. Eisenhower warning the American people of the industrial military complex, saying that eventually if war will benefit major companies, it may be fought solely for the purpose of making profit. This showed the long time issue of the complex, that it has been a danger for a long time and it will stay so for even longer. To show the complex’s influence in modern society, footage of the first bombs dropped in Iraq were shown and the devastation that they caused was highlighted, striking emotions of fear and sorrow in viewers. 

Throughout this documentary, two things were clear. The military industrial complex is apparent in society, and that this is incredibly harmful to both the well being of our people and our nation itself. Through the use of testimonial and strategical styling, Eugene Jarecki created a documentary that reflects the dangers of living in an a military-industrial world.

TOW #27 A REFLECTION

In my earlier TOW assignments, I struggled with the initial concept of what a TOW really was. I took parts of the summer assignment rubric and used that as guidelines for what my TOWs needed. I often explained the context of the article (text etc.) and what it was about, but I didn’t get into analysis. As my TOWs went on, they got more analytical, and I tried to explain my analysis instead of just presenting it. I could still work on this, as I find it hard to explain my analysis and the why and how of why it was happening in the piece. 

I think I mastered the ability to pick apart a text and get the main purpose very well. Then I also can get examples and rhetorical devices that contribute to the overall purpose of the text. Finding the purpose and argument helped me immensely in writing my TOWs. When I found the purpose, the rest was pretty much in front of me. All that I had to do was explain the analysis. Being able to focus on this skill made my ability to write TOWs, and in fact my TOWs overall, greater than I could have done before. With these TOWs my analytical writing improved, and I am better off because of it. I think with the help of these TOWs I strengthened my skills for argument essays, as I have shown in both grade improvement on essays and overall quality in TOWs. However, i do think that the TOW system could be reworked to provide an opportunity for students to practice ALL types of essays. That would be even better. I gained lots of skills, but most importantly practice which, in terms of writing, is the best thing that one can have. 

TOW #26 A Political Cartoon and A Positive Change

Writing Goals: Clearly analyze rhetorical devices used in the visual text.
Reading Goals: Pick a visual text that  is complex and interesting!

It’s a sad fact about the world, one that can probably be explained by “Murphy’s law,” but quite often, when bad things can go wrong, they do. This is especially true of things that happen because of (or just generally involving) the government. It’s not anybody's fault, but when good things happen, it comes as quite a shock. Political cartoonist Dave Granlund represents this in his political cartoon on recent job growth in America. He uses allusion and bright colors to represent the shock and emotions that the country has faced in this time of unexpected success.

Illustrator Granlund used bright colors and an allusion to express his point in an interesting, yet also effective way. The allusion to Jack and The Giant Beanstalk represents the giant growth of the job market in America as the beanstalk represents the quick, seemingly random growth of the industry. The job market has expanded, and nobody is clear on why. In fact, it came as quite a surprise to most people, including the government and the general public. These people are represented by Uncle Sam, depicted in a confused manner saying, “And Without Magic Beans!” to make the allusion clear, but also to represent the fact that this job growth is seemingly unexplainable.

The bright colors in the image reflect the joyous occasion that is job growth in America and tell the audience to be excited about this opportunity. Instead of focusing on the confusion and lack of reasoning behind this job growth, the audience is subconsciously pushed towards the happy event of job growth. Bright colors represent happy things, and in using them, the illustrator makes his true point clear.

Using allusions and bright colors, the illustrator, Dave Granlund, shows the incredible recent job growth in America. He also shows the surprise with which it came, and focuses his audiences attention on the real matter, job growth. Ultimately, these rhetorical devices allow him to effectively make a comment on the state of our government while also celebrating new job growth.

http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/0e062ff7-1cd3-42be-bca1-1af2995149e4.html

TOW #25 Here's Why Facebook Is Making You Download Its Messenger App by Kia Makarechi

Reading Goal: Read an intelligent piece that is relevant to my daily life.
Writing Goals: Create a clear thesis statement and effectively analyze evidence.

We’ve all been there. You log onto Facebook, go to your messages, and a notification screen appears. “Download messenger. This person, this person, and this many of your friends are already using it.” The constant pressure from Facebook to download messenger can be annoying. Through it’s use of statistical data and quotes from important figures in the Facebook world, this article serves to explain the reasoning behind Facebook’s big move and to predict where they may go in the future.
Facebook is, at its core, a business and therefore it must make money; this article uses statistics to show the economic motive that Facebook has behind all of their moves. “Currently, Facebook (including Instagram) accounts for 17 percent of time spent on all connected iOS and Android devices...” (par. 5)  so it already has a huge presence in the mobile world. As a mobile super power, Facebook has the capability to dominate its market and maximize profits. Adding more apps and gadgets to its mobile presence only adds more outlets of profit for the company, whose profits exceed billions of dollars per quarter year. These statistics simply prove that Facebook has an incredible presence in the technology world, only to be strengthened by the addition of newer apps. Facebook, in making these decisions, must think of what the company is, and how they can proceed. This article uses quotes from important individuals within Facebook to represent the company and explain why mobile apps are the right direction (or at least, the direction that Facebook is going in, no matter what). The article quotes Zuckerberg in paragraph 5, stating, “There is no argument. Facebook is a mobile company.” Since this is true, it makes logical sense that they would continue on a path of mobile development. These statements justify the actions of the company, both present and future. Using quotes allows insight into the mind of Facebook, giving readers (and Facebook users) a reason for these pushy developments. Running a major company comes with massive perks for sure, but also massive responsibility. Facebook must keep its reputation as a leading mobile entertainer while creating new ideas for profit and status. This article, using both statistics and quotes from Facebook leaders, provides rationale and analysis to users. This way, the next time that they are pressured to use a new Facebook app, they understand WHY.

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2014/04/why-facebook-is-making-you-download-its-messenger-app.print

TOW #24 From Private Ordeal to National Fight: The Case Of Terri Schiavo By: Clyde Haberman

The moral battle over the issue of continued life support for a loved one is a difficult struggle for all those involved. It puts a strain on everyone and the relationships that they have. This was readily apparent in the case of Terri Schiavo. This article used rhetorical questions and factual evidence to express the horrible situation that Schiavo’s loved ones were in, and how her legacy affected the world.

Through the use of rhetorical questions, the author expresses the emotional roller coaster that Schiavo’s family faced. This topic easily strikes a cord in anyone who has been in a similar situation, but it may be harder to reach those who haven’t. Rhetorical questions such as, “What, if anything, is the enduring legacy of this painful episode?” and “What qualifies as death with dignity?”(Haberman) allow readers to put deeper thought into the topic. Especially in the last question, readers are pushed toward thinking of their own definition of “death by dignity” and how it may conflict with other peoples. They act as thought catalysts for readers. After they won’t be outside bystanders, the readers will be invested in the subject. The rhetorical questions allow the readers to understand the complexity of the situation and understand better the tragic story of Terri Schiavo.

In any legal analysis piece, there are data and facts that support the technical side. The technical information adds to the legal and emotional side of the article, and it therefore encompasses an entire argument. The author states, “Larger questions remain, affecting an estimated 25,000 Americans deemed by doctors to be in a vegetative state” which shows that many people are in a similar situation, just less in the public eye. The author makes his points more reasonable by allowing readers to infer that this is not the only case, and that this wasn’t his main point.

Terri Schiavo’s family and husband were faced with a difficult decision. It took strength and courage from all to face the media backlash that they all were privy to. This article serves to commemorate Terri and too give a nod to her loved ones for staying strong in this difficult time. 

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/04/21/us/from-private-ordeal-to-national-fight-the-case-of-terri-schiavo.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=OP_FPO_20140421&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1388552400000&bicmet=1420088400000&_&_r=1&referrer=

IRB INTRO WILD BY CHERYL STRAYED

Wow, I can’t believe this is already my last I-R-B intro post. Seems like it was just yesterday that I picked up All The President’s Men. Well, time to move on I guess. I think for this marking period, I am going to try a memoir. I keep hearing about this book, “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed so I finally decided to do it. Also, they’re making a movie of it with Reese Witherspoon, so I felt I had to read it before the movie comes out. Wild is a memoir about Strayed’s journey of more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail (and some other places). Hopefully, this book will depict the lessons that she learned in her journey and I can take them and apply them to my life. I hope to gain knowledge on a more spiritual level from this book, as opposed to the more technical information that I got from the other books I read this year. Here goes nothing....

TOW #23 Doing School by Denise Clark Pope

I’ll be honest... when I first started reading “Doing School-How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students,” I didn’t think it would catch my attention. After all, how could it possibly with such a long title? And yet, as I find more and more often today, I was proven wrong. Again. This book was entertaining and funny but also serious and informative. Most of all, and what appealed to me most from it, was that it was so relatable to me. As a high school student going through the exact education system and experience that this book discussed, it took on a whole new level for me. It wasn’t simply talking about an intangible idea, suddenly this book was taking a look inside the four walls of my high school (theoretically speaking, because we have more than four). Therefore, I really appreciated this book and got a better understanding of what it really meant to say.

This book could probably be interpreted in several different ways based on it’s audience at the time. However, I don’t think it could ever not be understood at all. The main point is right there in the title. “Schools are doing x,y, and z, and I’m going to show you how...” is what it seems to say. Through the use of extensive examples, the book does indeed show the “how” behind the problem. In addition, Denise Clark Pope uses clear wording and simple diction to get her point across. She doesn’t cloud her meaning with pretentious diction or imply that she is more intelligent than her readers. She recognizes that the people reading the book are the ones who can make a difference, and are very therefore important. She treats them as equals and her attitude shows through in her writing. I really, really, liked this book. 

TOW #22 A Visual Text: The Malaysian Plane is STILL MISSING.

As you probably know, or well, let’s be honest, you DO know, (unless you’ve been living on a stranded island for 7 years, but I bet even that lady knows now) that the plane from  Malaysian Airlines, flight number 370 has gone missing. The plane seems to have vanished from the Earth. Countries all over the world are looking for it in what seems to be a hopeless search. Where could it possibly be? That’s the question on everyone’s minds. This political cartoon from Jeff Darcy-who has made several on the subject over the past couple of weeks- reflects the baffled attitude that the common public shares.

While this is a political cartoon, Darcy recognizes that this may be a touchy subject. therefore, the cartoon is not overtly funny. In fact, like most political cartoons, it is professional and lightly humored. In order to reflect the fact that confusion is shared by everyone, the news channel reporting in the picture is “CNNMSNBCFOXABCD” which is funny, but also serious. Nobody really knows what is going on. In fact, as Darcy points out, it’s like a search from the popular series, “Where’s Waldo?” There doesn’t seem go be an answer, much like in the Waldo books. In order to display the incredible difficulty that all search parties are going through, Darcy depicts Waldo in the picture. Waldo looks as baffled as everyone feels. In showing Waldo, Darcy implies many things that central around the theme. He implies that even Waldo is easier to find than the plane and that Waldo, who is arguably the hardest person to find (if he was real), is confused. Both of these ideas add to the air of mass confusion that everyone is facing, but do so in a respectful and not overly obnoxious way. We can only hope, as Darcy seems to, for the best.

http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/70b9e29d-fb2c-4111-af8c-b095742633c5.html

TOW #21 The Age Of Individualism by Ross Douthat

What was most interesting about this article was not the idea that it presented (which was indeed very thought provoking) but was instead it’s ending. Judging from the opinions presented in the article, I was in the mind set that there would be a definitive endpoint. Yet, the article didn’t serve as one. It was more of a “probably” sort of thing which seemed a little out of place with the rest of the article. Besides the ending, however, this article by Ross Douthat in the New York Times (appropriately titled, The Age of Individualism) provides both analysis of the current societal trends and political behaviors (of the younger mindset) and a glance as to what is in store for the future.

This article discusses the “millennials” (a category that I fall into, from what I gather) and their trends in political views. Even though the millennials are turning to different views collectively, these views now represent a growing individualism within each single member. This was a little difficult to understand at first but, as the article says, “It (individualism) explains both the personal optimism and the social mistrust, the passion about causes like gay marriage and the declining interest in collective-action crusades like environmentalism, even the fact that religious affiliation has declined but personal belief is still widespread” (par. 4) Individualism means not that the people of the new generation all think differently, but that they think for themselves most of all. The article then presented an interesting idea (one that relates to an earlier point in my latest essay, that history repeats itself.)

“The advance of individualism thus eventually produced its own antithesis — conformism, submission and control” (par. 9) This idea was what intrigued me so much about the article. Articles on individualism are abundant these days (after all, it is “The Age of Individualism”) but nobody really ever stops to think about what happens next. According to this article, the future holds a collectivism to it that can only be inspired by the technological age. I thought this was an interesting direction, and it certainly made the article more interesting. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

TOW #20 Doing School by Denise Clark Pope

The students of today spend their time panicking, procrastinating, and pressured, (the three P’s, if you will). The main question that Denise Clark Pope tries to answer, is “why?”. Why are students so inclined to cheat and lie their way through, only to find that they don’t understand the material? Why are they spending their time complaining about it rather than being proactive? Why are they so stressed in the frist place. Pope’s book, “Doing School: How We are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic and Miseducated Students” serves to answer these questions, and provide some explanation for the stressed out student generation.

Although most likely directed at a teacher driven audience, the book is versatile in that it can appeal to anyone. Who doesn’t love a good explanation? This book can appeal to students,parents, even grandparents. This is due, in part, to the use of relatable language. In addition, the use of examples is also at play. 

Real life examples allow a deeper understanding of both the school systems and their effect on the students.The book starts off with one example from Faircrest High, discussing several teachers idea of the perfect student. One teacher even claimed that if she had a son, she would want him to be just like one of her students. All of these students had incredibly high grades, were well rounded, and involved in ridiculous amounts of extra-curricular activities. These students are doing the same thing as hundreds of thousands of students all over the country, and most likely worldwide. However, these students are an exception. Most students find themselves doing these same things because they are feeling pressure to compete with these “exceptional” students. This causes unimaginable stress for the students, who as the book quotes, “ go to get good grades which brings them to college, which brings them high paying jobs, which brings them happiness.” The various examples in the book serve to show the stress that students feel to succeed. It feels as if their whole life is riding on their high school career. 

This book allows personal insight that is invaluable to everyone. It shows the flaws in our current school system and provides insight for improving it. In addition, it lets people know that they aren’t alone, many other people are struggling and stressed. It’s a call for understanding at heart.

TOW #19 The Anti-Economist: The Digital Revolution That Wasn't by Jeff Madrick from Harpers Magazine (Jan 2014)

Reading goals: For this TOW, I want to read a serious article. I find myself reading fluffier type pieces so for this one I want to read a more professional type piece from a respected source.

Writing Goals: In this TOW, I want to have control over my language. I want it to flow nicely and effectively express my meaning while keeping within the word limit. I also want to have a strong thesis that supports my claim.

Technology is a double-edged sword. It can help and hurt the economy and the citizens. In “The Anti-Economist,” Jeff Madrick uses historical exemplification and factual evidence to create professional and analytical insight into why modern inventions have failed.

To provide insight into how new technologies fail to reach potential, Madrick must establish what this potential is through the use of historical evidence. Madrick uses examples to reflect the general attitude toward machines. He mentions the Luddites, saying that they are “only the most famous example of workers who fought the labor force.” (par.4). In using “only,” Madrick shows that there have been several different times where this has occurred, that opposition is constant. Other examples show technology’s effect on society. He mentions, “in the 1950’s and 60’s, productivity and wages rose unusually rapidly, and unemployment remained low.” (par. 4) In using similar examples, the author is able to create a sense of pattern and expectation for technology. He says, “increasing prosperity has been the norm” (par.4) with the addition of new technologies previously. Later, he presents the technologies of modern times. From precedent, it can be assumed that, as in the past, “some jobs are eliminated, but more and better paying jobs often replace them.” (par. 11) Madrick, after establishing potential, proves the failure of new technologies, using statistics as a tool.

Having established precedent for technology’s benefit to society, Madrick expresses the lack of benefit of new technology with statistics. First, he presents statistics about expectations for modern technology. He quotes Businessweek, “we’re talking about 3-4% growth,” (par.6) in terms of the computers effect on prosperity in the job market. This continues to build the idea that technology is prosperity. As further statistics show, modern technology falls short of this expectation. Madrick explains that productivity has increased, whereas employment decreased. He presents employment rates from major companies in 1955 compared to rates of major companies today, which are much lower. (par.9) Utilizing statistics, Madrick highlights the lack of benefit that citizens are receiving from technology, falling short of expectations. 

Through his use of statistics and historical evidence, Madrick sets precedent for technology to succeed. He also shows that modern technology fails to live up to these expectations, and the only choice we have is to hope for the next big revolution.

TOW #18 How A Math Genius Hacked Okay Cupid by Kevin Poulsen

Who doesn't like a good unconventional love story? Not the mushy, overly romantic Notebook stuff, but the messy, funny, heartfelt kind? Maybe it's just me, but I'm a sucker for the stuff, and that's exactly what this article was. A truly unconventional, unbelievable (and AMAZING) story. 

It starts with a vivid description of a man. Interestingly, the article included a picture as well, a touch that I believe highly attributes to the overall effectiveness. The picture of Chris McKinlay lets you imagine the story as a movie, and as it plays out in your head, it really does reel you in. The descriptions act as another catalyst for the minds motion picture. The text reads, “Chris McKinlay was folded into a cramped fifth-floor cubicle in UCLA’s math sciences building, lit by a single bulb and the glow from his monitor. It was 3 in the morn­ing, the optimal time to squeeze cycles out of the supercomputer in Colorado that he was using for his PhD dissertation.” One can just picture McKinlay sitting in his cramped desk, pouring over numbers and absent mindedly getting distracted by his own profile. When the idea of hacking OkCupid hits, it hits the audience as well. This process takes them through the journey, instead of viewing it, readers are now living it. The descriptions explain EVERYTHING, from the statistical data analysis process, to the types of women in each group, even the conversations that women had with McKinlay are expressed. These additional details really convery the painstaking and all-consuming work that had  been done on the project. Most importantly, they inspire hope. If a math professor with little social skill can find love, why can't you? McKinlay found the most popular questions within his target, deciphered which cluster was most popular to him, and was able to revolutionize online dating. This article provides an inside look at the mystical world of online dating, showing that if one really does try hard enough, they can find love. And isn’t that what we all really want? A chance?
READ THE STORY: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/01/how-to-hack-okcupid/all/&src=longreads

IRB INTRO #3 Doing School: Aka the explanation of how school makes me crazy.

For this new marking period, I will be reading Doing School by Denise Clark Pope. I decided to start reading it, mostly because when I asked Mr. Yost for a book recommendation he handed me this book, but also because it seems really interesting. The title is followed by a colon and a simple explanation. It reads, "Doing School: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed-Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students." Although I absolutely abhor this style of titling a book (there's a back cover for a REASON!) I genuinely feel that this short addition sums up the book pretty well. Or, so it seems as of now. The book is a more serious spin on nonfiction writing than I've been reading, and I am intrigued as to how it will go. I can't wait to read this book and see, as a student; how schools are influencing me. Here goes nothing... 

TOW #17 Happy (not at all) Groundhog Day... (What a great movie!)

It's that time of the year again. February has just begun, and besides being the birth-month of some incredibly important people (namely, me and Abraham Lincoln, February 12th all the way) there are some other major yearly events too. The beginning of February means the end of football season,  and (we can only hope) the end of winter. Or at least, it’s announcement, which is promptly determined by a groundhog.  It’s an incredibly odd system that we’ve come up with. Every year we set a groundhog loose and base our weather predictions on it’s view of it’s shadow. If he sees his shadow, it’s six more weeks of winter for us all (joy...) and if he doesn’t, THE END IS NEAR. Each year, our own personal morale for the next 6 weeks is determined as PA citizens by a groundhog. This entire event is reflected in this hilarious (albeit depressing, as I am a believer in the powers of Puxsutawney Phil) political cartoon:

The image reflects the classic scene, a crowd of hopefuls decked out in excessive winter gear stand awaiting the approval of a groundhog. There are newscasters and little kids, it's not just a superstition, it's a huge spectacle. The weather in the background shows a bright sun, contrasting greatly with the snow on the ground, and yet it so accurately depicts the unlucky streak that we’ve been having all over. It’s frustratingly accurate, and humorously so, the entire thing is kind of a joke. The author of this cartoon, whether he be a believer or not, clearly understands the impact that the groundhog has. He depicts the groundhog as a self-aware little guy  who is in denial. I’m sure NOBODY wants more winter, not even him. The groundhog, covered by vast white “snow” is hanging out on a lounge chair with a Hawaiian style shirt and lemonade. While this depicts the sad reality of our holday, it also represents the hopeful society that we have. Even though we know it’s goign to be a cold, long winter, we still muster up the spirit to celebrate anyway. Happy groundhog day, I’m off to go see the movie.
http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/399d197f-52a6-4754-8158-7bcfd0b8cf60.html

TOW #16 I am a Stranger Here Myself

I really, really liked this book. First off, it was hilarious. Although, I’m pretty sure most things Bill Bryson writes are indeed hilarious. He is just a funny guy. I’ll have to read more of his stuff in the future, I like the style of his writing. Although, that may have just been because it was not exactly a book. It was more a compilation of newspaper articles. I thought that was super cool (I have a big interest in journalism, and therefore this especially appealed to me).

The biggest appeal to the book, besides the intriguing style with which it was put together, was definitely the anecdotes that came along with Mr. Bill Bryson’s journey. Not only is Mr. Bryson hilarious himself, his life, or maybe it’s simply the way he describes it, is also laugh worthy. And I’m not talking about a simple chuckle or “lol”. I mean actual laugh out loud, laugh till it hurts laughing. I don’t usually laugh at books, but here with this book I (apparently) made an exception. I’d love to meet Bryson some day. He turns even the simplest of events into a chaotic disaster, or a hilarious turn of events. 

In addition, Bryson keeps it light, as it should be. The light writing, shown by Bryson’s short sentence structure and to the point word choice. This may have been due to the newspaper style structure, but it kept the book very fun to read. It never dragged on or became boring. IN addition, it was easy to put down and come back to after a long break. This was also in part due to the singularity that comes with the newspaper structure; the chapters were written singularly, so they can be read as such. This doesn’t exempt readers from binge-reading though. Bill Bryson really can hook you in, without you even noticing.

Tow #15 (ish?) When A Food Writer Can't Taste by Marlena Spieler

Everyone loves food. Or at least, I do. I love to cook and bake, and I have many kitchen accident stories to prove it. In fact, my skin is now partially blue because of my cooking skills, but that's a different story. The one that I've just read is much more horrifying. A woman who devoted her life and career to food (which sounds AMAZING, I think I need to re-evaluate my career and life plans) suddenly found herself in a horrific accident. This accident was not just traumatic, it was life altering. Luckily, Ms. Spieler survived the accident. However, her taste buds, and her memory of what food tastes like, were gone. I’m sure for ANY person, this would be a terrible accident. However, for this woman, a food blogger, it was one of the worst things that could happen.  Through this article, she wishes to express her pain, but also how she accomplishes her life. Little by little she works on her self. She has good days, and she has bad days. It’s an important lesson (what can’t you learn from food?) and her use of imagery helps express that. She states, “Tamales were as bland as porridge. Bananas tasted like parsnips and smelled like nail polish remover. It got no better as days went by. Gently sautéed mushrooms seemed like scorched bits of sponge. Red wine was just flat and sweet or unremittingly bitter.” Because of the imagery and raw description of what the author goes through all the time, readers can put themselves in her shoes, immerse themselves in the story. When she explains her story, we can relate. We remember the taste of chocolate, it’s rich velvety feel, and we taste the hot acrid mush that our author describes. The stark difference lets us feel sympathy and relate, and that is exactly what our author needs.

TOW #14 Revisiting Resolutions, 10 Years Later by Abby Rabinowitz

Originally, I had planned on doing a very dry, very boring story for my TOW. However, while procrastinating said assignment, I came across this article on Buzzfeed. It relates to the new year, and it was fun. So without further ado....

At the age of 24, feeling down on herself for not doing as many great things as she hoped, Abby Rabinowitz made a list. The list represented the things that she hoped to be and do within six months. The list, if looking at it from the six month standpoint, is INSANE, but the author provides a more realistic view by offering a ten year reflection. 

The list, with it’s demanding requests (19. Learn French; become fluent in. 20. Learn Spanish; become fluent in.) is the most important aspect of the article. It shows not only how a woman imagined her life being so much different than it is, but also the ability to dream outlandishly that we often lose later in life. I believe that there is a saying, “shoot for the moon, because if you fall you will still be among the stars.” (or something like that, maybe I made it up?) Anyway, this quote, real or not, is exactly what the author is trying to explain. Though she may not have kept in touch with everyone she met at 24, she does now have a fulfilling writing career and published article. Most of all, she is ahppy. Throughout the story, Rabinowitz shows that despite not keeping up with these outlandish requests of a young 24 year old, she is perfectly happy, and probably better off. There is an important lesson to be taken from this article, and it is not to take yourself so seriously. If you set incredibly difficult goals for yourself and focus only on them, when you inevitably fail at something, you will feel worthless. Instead, take life for what it is, and great things will come to you. Also remember that great things take time, what you want to accomplish in 6 months may take 10 years, but hey, you still accomplished it.

In case you want to read the article (WHICH I RECOMMEND) here it is: http://www.buzzfeed.com/abbyrab/revisiting-resolutions-10-years-later