TOW #6-"The Lessons of Japan's Economy" by Steven Rattner

This article addresses the similarities between Japan's current economy and the United State's economy. It starts on an optimistic mood, saying that Tokyo has been recovering fairly well from its years of economic stagnation. However, the author then points out that three things, namely bureaucracy, tradition, and overregulation are holding it back. He addresses tradition by pointing to how Japan's aversion to firing people has caused a greater dependence on manual labor instead of newer technologies. Like the US, it also suffers from tax loopholes and needs a better tax policy. The article ends on a hopeful note, conceding that although Tokyo has fallen behind other Asian cities like Shanghai, it could still get back on track.
One of the rhetorical devices the author uses is a full-circle ending. He begins by mentioning the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe's "three arrow" policy and ends reflecting on the effectiveness of this policy. It also appeals to logos by citing many statistics, including that Japan ranks last among 24 developed nations in terms of entrepreneurial activity.
The audience of this article is probably people who are somewhat informed about economics. As someone who isn't really informed about such things, some of the statistics the article listed confused me because I wasn't sure what point the author was trying to make with them. Overall, I don't think the author achieved his purpose, which was to point out mistakes Japan has made that the United States could learn from. Had the author incorporated more detail about the US economy and made more comparisons, I may have understood. However, since I am probably not his audience, maybe he didn't feel the need to. I also noticed that he did not mention a lot about government overregulation, even though it was one of his three key points.
Steven Rattner is a Wall Street financer, chairman of Willett Advisers in New York, and economic analyst for MSNBC.

Tow #5: Media-"Just Checking" Cheerios Commercial

In this commercial, a young girl walks up to her mom with a box of Cheerios and asks her mom if Cheerios are good for the heart, like her dad said they were. Her mom replies that Cheerios has whole grain oats which can remove cholesterol, which is heart-healthy. The girl smiles and walks off with the box of cheerios. In the next scene, her dad wakes up to find that a bunch of Cheerios have been dumped on his chest. The commercial ends with the Cheerios slogan "Love."
This commercial primarily plays off of pathos. The little girl's charm makes the viewer want to smile immediately, and the viewer cannot help but smile at her innocent misunderstanding. The loving family dynamic also gives a warm feeling. In the last slide, the use of the color yellow creates a sense of happiness. But the central idea of the commercial is an appeal to logos, the fact that Cheerios contains whole grains which lower cholesterol. Also, although perhaps not rhetorical device, the commercial shows a mixed-race family, which shows that all families, regardless of size or structure enjoy Cheerios. This could also be subtly be trying to say that there is no “typical” American family.
Cheerios is a popular breakfast cereal generally targeted towards families with children. The viewers of this commercial are probably moms and dads, so using this "family environment" is an effective marketing strategy.
Cheerios may have a dual purpose in showing this advertisement. On one hand, they certainly want to sell their cereal, which they do by exalting its health benefits and through a heart-warming family interaction. Beneath the surface, they may also be trying to say that there really is no “typical” family, especially with the growing voice of LGBT community and increasing number of single-parent families. But the use of a mixed-race family, which generated controversy, may have been purposefully done to increase awareness about the ad and ultimately the product. Cheerios has certainly achieved this purpose, as this ad and its effects have been reported on in newspapers like the Huffington Post and online news sources, with over four million views on the original commercial on Youtube.

Tow #4: (IRB) Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance is the autobiography of the 44th President, Barack Obama. Even as a young child, Obama never knows much about his father except from the stories his mother and grandparents tell him. When his mother and father finally divorce and his mother marries Lolo, an Indonesian surveyor, Obama goes to Indonesia as well. He eventually returns to Hawaii to live with his grandparents and finish schooling. He goes to college, eventually transferring to Columbia, where he learns that his father has died in a car crash. Obama eventually decides to become a community organizer from Chicago, where he begins after initial doubts, to make some changes.
Although I have finished the entire book, there are many examples of rhetorical devices used throughout. In particular, Obama employs in media res to hook the reader, starting with the news of the death of his father before backtracking and filling in the other details of his life. He also uses a lot of foreshadowing. Obama writes, “Beneath the layers of hurt, beneath the ragged laughter, I heard a willingness to endure. Endure-and make music that wasn’t there before.” (pg. 112). These rhetorical devices add to the readability of the text because the story is constantly moving along. I think Obama’s purpose overall is to allow the public to know him more; to know his background, what he’s experienced, and show that he’s not an average candidate. This autobiography was published as he was running for junior U.S senator from Illinois, so it was definitely written as a way for voters to know him beyond his speeches and policies. Although I have not yet finished the autobiography, I do believe that President Obama has achieved this purpose. He is honest in telling his story, careful to show his true character and at times, flaws. Today, President Obama is the 44^th president of the United States of America. As his autobiography states, he was a community organizer in Chicago before graduating from Harvard Law School. After graduating, he became a civil rights attorney and taught at the University of Chicago Law School. In 2009, President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize.

 

Tow #3-(article)" Are We Hard-Wired for War?" By: David P. Barash

In this thought-provoking article, Barash looks towards our biological make-up to try to refute the idea that war is simply human nature. He starts with the claim of the other side, citing various sources such as The National Interest and New Scientist. He then looks at our evolutionary relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos, two similar species that are very different in how they address conflict. Barash narrows this idea by then citing different tribal groups, all of which have different ways to deal with conflict as well, and many of them peaceful, and concludes that war is not simply human condition. This idea is essentially the author’s point. As people look at the growing tension in Syria and United States intervention, they may wonder if humans are simply wired for war. But in this article Barash dispels this misconception. Through his use of anecdotes and appeals to logos and ethos, Barash makes his argument more convincing. For example, he establishes the claim from the other side before moving on to his own, which makes it seem like he has carefully considered both sides of the argument. He also has science and history to back up his claims. Finally, Barash ends strong with a story about a Native American girl who dreams of two wolves fighting, and asks her grandfather what it means. Her grandfather says that one wolf represents peace and the other war, and that whoever wins in this eternal struggle is the one she feeds. This illustrates the point that humans can decide whether to make peace or make war. The audience of this article is probably the American public, because they have seen the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and are weary of more fighting. The author achieved his purpose by thoughtfully looking at all sides of the argument and pointing out examples and counterexamples, showing that war is not wired into the human brain. David Barash has been a psychology teacher at the University of Washington-Seattle since 1973. He has written numerous books about violence and other human behaviors.

Tow #2- (article) Rebel Yell: Creating Punk at the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Jonathan Van Meter

In this Vogue article about the influence of punk, which will feature in Metropolitian Museum of Art’s exhibition “Punk: Chaos to Couture.” Punk, the author believes, is like a competitive sport of who can be the most outrageous and therefore show the most dedication to the form. The author then tells a story of his own discovery of punk and of one of his “punk” friends. He extends this to other “punk” celebrities today, include Madonna and Lady Gaga, who are characterized by the sometimes inappropriate things they do or wear to that grabs attention to show a context of what punk is. This punk subculture is derived from punk music, which started in about 1975. Punk fashion is characterized by clothes with outrageous symbols and leather or vinyl clothing. The author probably wrote this article to inform people about what punk, which many older people associate with hooliganism, really is. He says, “Every now and then I hear myself mutter under my breath, “That is so punk rock.”… Sometimes it’s an acknowledgment of heroism, sometimes nihilism.” The point about punk is that it goes against the established order and is meant to shock. It shouldn’t be seen as bad; it’s merely another form of expression. The audience would probably be adults, because they may have less of an understanding of what punk is than teens. Throughout this article, the author uses anecdotes and allusions to achieve his purpose. For example, he characterizes his punk roommate, Mortimer, as someone with stereotypical “punk” qualities, like his Mohawk. But he also describes how during a Chistrmas party Mortimer wrapped himself with Christmas lights attached to a long extension cord so that they actually lit up. This makes it appear that punk is a way of creative, unfettered thinking. He also alludes to the movie Edward Scissorhands to describe a physical appearance. I believe that the author did achieve his purpose, because he certainly made me reconsider what my image of punk is. When I think of punk I think of the music and clothes, but the author mentions little of either in his article. Instead, he focuses on the relationship between punk and the public and the purpose of this culture. Van Meter started his career writing for the Atlantic City magazine. Since then, he has written for Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and many others. Van Meter was the former editor-in-chief of the Vibe magazine, which focuses on street music culture.

 

 

An example of "Chaos to Couture" on the Red Carpet, as shown by Katy Perry.

 Source: http://www.behance.net/gallery/Met-Gala-2013-Punk-Chaos-to-Couture-On-The-Red-Carpet/8661215

Dreams From My Father (IRB)

Dreams From My Father is a memoir of the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama. President Obama wrote this memoir as he was preparing to campaign for senator. This book delves into his past and a little bit about who his parents were. He talks about his grandparents, about moving, and about school. Eventually he goes back to Africa for a period to rediscover his past.

I've always intended to read this book, but until now, haven't had the time. As the first African-American president of the United States of America, Barack Obama is currently making history. But I'm even more interested in how he came to be where he is, and the obstacles that he has had to face and overcome. Many times with high public officials, we either place them on a pedestal or demonize them, forgetting that they sometimes have some of the same experiences that we do. I've never read an autobiography of a politician before, but I have high hopes for this one.

Tow #1- Media: "How Schools Kill Creativity" by Sir Ken Robinson

 

 

 

Picasso once said, "All children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as you grow up." In this speech, Sir Ken Robinson makes a profound argument that institutions are actually squandering the creative potential of their pupils. Robinson introduces this problem by showing the creativity of young children and how they are unafraid of making mistakes. He argues that with the current school systems in the world, mistakes are stigmatized and that students are educated "out" of creativity. Throughout the speech, Sir Ken Robinson states that the fundamental idea of education needs to be rethought. This speech informs others about the diversity of creativity, which is very valid today because 21st century problems require a lot of different approaches and perspectives. Robinson achieves his purpose by primarily employing humor. His jocular tone makes the audience want to listen. Robinson even digresses on the occasional tangent, which gives the audience time to laugh, before he continues with the topic. Robinson also uses anecdotes to illustrate his point. For example, he uses the example of Gillian Lynne, who managed to find her passion and succeeded even though her talents did not lie in academics. Overall, I believe that Sir Ken Robinson accomplished his purpose. Although I've always thought of intelligence as diverse until now I have never questioned how school system works. After hearing this talk and the very valid points and interesting anecdotes that Ken Robinson has shared, I have a better understanding of why this system is not for everyone and how it can sometimes even unknowingly repress talent. An educator for many years, Sir Ken Robinson certainly has great credibility. He completed his PhD at the University of London and was a professor of education for twelve years at the University of Warwick and received many honors, including the Peabody Medal. In 2003, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his dedication to the arts. His most recent book, Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything, is a New York Times Bestseller and has been translated to over 20 languages.