TOW #13-Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (Part 2) by Mary Roach

Did you know the human head is the same approximate size as a chicken? No? Yeah, neither did I. Mary Roach writes a humorous book about what really happens to our bodies if they are donated to science. Right off the bat, you know what this book is about, but it’s is not all about death, as in dying, which is something I would like to stress upon upfront. As a matter of fact, it’s not as sad as it may appear and has nothing to do with grieving or coping with loss like many think. It’s a very pragmatic and practical book, well at least the first half, that introduces what your physically body, aka cadaver, can contribute to science when your life has ended. For instance, one’s body could be used for scientific research or even as a crash dummy. Roach really tries to justify why it is okay and right to use a dead body. Roach successfully incorporates a very light-hearted tone while discussing such a gruesome topic of the deceased. She has a perfect balance between gruesome and light-heartedness within the first chapters. Along with her light-hearted tone she adds a lot of “Did you knows?” where the readers got a lot of information like  “Did you know that most crashing airplanes don’t hit the ground from thirty thousand feet, the vast majority crash on takeoff or landing either on or near ground.” Where she also notes that eighty to eighty-five percent are survivable. This exuberant book introduces fact you probably never knew and provides reasoning for how a body can be beneficial to science. Stiff is a book with a universal appeal that any non-scientist can read that basically introduces how they have benefited us whether it be a heart transplants or gender reassignment. So far, I would have never thought I would have found a cadaver so interesting, but I do know.

TOW #12- Society's Addiction to Techonology

Liam Francis Walsh is a unique individual as he doesn't own a smartphone. The New Yorker cartoonist work tend to mocks, as well as ridicule, our cultural tendency towards Internet addition. On top of that he considers himself a late bloomer to the advancement of technology, and tries to keep away from it, using his art as a replacement. In this picture above we see a man surrounded by a dog cone-this dog cone serves as a barrier to keep away from his phone, as it ultimately is his addiction.  In today's society we are incredibly reliant on our phones, and are constantly wrapped up in them. Because of this addiction to technology, we lack a lot of face-to-face communication. Why talk in person when you can do it in front of a screen and get the same point across? A New York Times article notes that "the resulting distractions can have deadly consequences, as when cellphone-wielding drivers and train engineers cause wrecks. And for millions of people these urges can inflict nicks and cuts on creativity and deep thought, interrupting work and family life.". Walsh's black-and-white drawing gives off a negative vibe, as most of it is on a gray-scale. Our addiction to technology has become out of hand, and ultimately guides the future generations to participate in the unhealthy addiction. 

TOW #11- "Corn-pone Opinions" by Mark Twain

Mark Twain, known for the books of “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, writes the short detailed essay called “Corn-pone Opinion”. In this essay he expresses his perspective on public opinion as he defines what a “corn-pone opinion” is exactly along with display how in society we conform, as it is an inevitable action. If people did not conform they would “suffer damage” in “social standing”. Mark’s philosophy about society is that “we get our notions and habits and opinions from outside influences”, which is incredibly true. Our basic human desire is to achieve self-approval, which we ultimately seek in society’s approval, also known as a corn-pone opinion.

To make his argument effective he uses personification, bringing the opinion to life, as opinions don’t always blend in. An opinion “has been born somewhere, at sometimes or other” and then it “got away before they could catch it and stuff it and put it in a museum”. Through the use of personification he displays that some opinions are exuberant and go against the socially accepted opinion, but also how we like to glorify other’s opinions.

Along with personification, Twain uses exemplification adding emphasis to conformity in society over time. “An empress introduced the hoop skirt, and we know the result. A nobody introduced the bloomer, and we know the result. If Eve should come again, in her ripe renown, and reintroduce her quaint styles—well, we know what would will happen. ” If someone of importance were to introduce something new, it would automatically become a fad. Why? Because that is how society works, it happens time after time. The irony in the situation with conforming is that we are aware of the ridiculous need to conform, but still choose to partake in it. This derives from fear of consequence; that if we conform it allows us to avoid being a social outcast

TOW #10 The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf

      Virginia Woolf, a English writer along with one of the foremost modernist of the twentieth century, composes a symbolic memoir known as "The Death of the Moth" where she ultimately compares life and death. In Virginia Woolf's narration she writes about the active journey in nature of a moth, where the readers learn as the story progresses that she is a parallel with the moth. Through the character of the moth displays the simplicity of the moth, and that acceptance is inevitable when it comes to death. At the time the essay was written Woolf was unfortunately battling a mental illness that made her reflect on her life in a negative way. Woolf reveals her lack of self confidence as she considers the "frail" moth as "pathetic" in life and foreshadows the impending doom that the moth will fate. Woolf creates a moving, yet hopeless excerpt to display the idea that, in her eyes, death is a fight that you cannot win. Woolf utilizes rhetorical devices such as a desperate tone, metaphors, and diction to convey the feeling of pity. Although the moth is at it's end of life, Woolf's uses words like "superb", and "succeed" to illustrate that effort that was made by the moth despite its lack of hope. Overall, in this piece, the character of the moth is a tangible representation of Woolf’s mental illnesses (she battled bipolar disorder and depression) as she struggles and doesnt know how to handle it. 

TOW #9- How to Hook Up Your Home Theather by Wilbert Plijnaar

    The very famous Walt Disney Company is a leading diversified international family entertainment enterprise, known for many classic movies including Mulan, Cinderella, Bambi and many more that we all know and laugh that simply makes us burst into tears out of laughter. Disney captures the amazing and magical  stories behind fairy-tales, folklores, and  fables to turn them into whimsical, humorous movies that light up your home.
     On top of creating dozens of Disney classics, they also produce wonderfully comical short films that give their audience a greater purpose in just five minutes. Wilbert Plijnaar, an employee at Disney and director of "How To Hook Up Your Home Theater" featuring the popular cartoon character of Goofy. Plijnaar in a span of four minutes ridicules the American obsession with new technology and makes mockery of the complexity of setting it up. Through this short film the main character, Goofy, feels the urgency to get a new television set in which he does but struggles in setting it up. The unknown narrator takes the viewers step by step of the process of getting a television: going to the "high tech wonderland", aka the store ; waiting several days impatiently for this  TV to come; finally dealing with the inevitable fury and rage that comes with all instructions. Now, from the intended audience perspective, children, this short is simply a comical clip of Goofy simply being...goofy, when in reality Plijnaar presents the readers with an extreme amounts of sarcastic tone, humor, and satire. The narrator states in his overly happy saracastic voice, "A convenient trip to the neighborhood electronic boutique will fulfill all the average consumers needs" as many are aware that most trips are NOT convenient. With his sarcastic tone his makes mockery of the unhealthy need that people have for the newest products, as it is not a necessity to have the newest technology, like society makes it be.

    Plijnaar seizes the materialistic ways, when it comes to technology at least, of people in hopes to get people to notice the addiction. Almost all of us have wanted that "new" product. Plijnaar manages to take a humorist approach on letting his audience know that technology shouldn't control as much as it does.

IRB Intro #2- Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

    For my new IRB I decided to read Stiff: The Curious Live of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach, a well-known humorist. Now, typically I do not take too much interest in the science field, partially because I cannot mentally wrap my head around certain concepts, and I don't know how I feel about deceased bodies. That being said, from what I have read, this book seems to take what could of been a disgusting topic/too informative into a humorous approach on human cadavers that informs the readers about the scientific contributions they made. Another reason why I chose the book was because of the titles for each chapter, right off the bat I noticed they were clever and funny, automatically pulling anyone in. Overall, I am incredibly excited to read more of this book!

Tow #8- The Tipping Point (Part Two) by Malcom Gladwell

     Malcolm Gladwell, also a staff writer for The New Yorker, cleverly illustrates to readers what the meaning of the tipping point theory: a magical phenomenon when a trend spreads like wildfire. In the second half of the fascinating book he explains the power of context. The power of context explores the impact of peer influence and community influence, one of the main reasons a product becomes popular. He tells his audience exactly what makes something popular and considered a fad. As he takes his readers through the process he includes subtle hints of humor and sarcasm to make the readers crack a smile. He includes a substantial amount of evidence including presenting his readers with philosophies, case studies, and examples in which an idea or trend faces the tipping point. This allows the readers to better comprehend his theory. Throughout he writes about the multiple causation to make something "trendy"; that its not just society that either builds something up or breaks it down. The book was completely fascinating and allowed a new perspective to be gained from the readers. The Tipping Point is a lively and engaging study of fads that you will not be able to take your eyes off of.

TOW #7-A Sweet Devouring by Eudora Welty

Eudora Welty writes a colorfully vivid and personable account of her love for literature as a child called "A Sweet Devouring". Welty examines the books and their characters, as they were her source of happiness. She continued to pursue her passion for literature by getting a B.A in English from the University of Wisconsin.The book lover and author won the Pulitzer Price in 1973 and was the first living author to have her works published in the Library of America. Her purpose was to simply express her love and enjoyment of books, as they are more than just cover and paper, but more along the lines of what properties go into a novel that makes it genuine and lasting. During her childhood her family faced financial issue, and books were something she could resort too. Personally, Welty used vibrant images, humor, and especially anecdotes, as most of the essay is an anecdote of her childhood. She is also able to connect with the readers because of her amazing flow and a personality that just pops through the pages. A good example is her use of the simile as she compares the French bread to books stating that no one can just have one slice. This allows her to connect to her audience which is anyone who was is in love with reading, especially as a child, ultimately making it more relatable. Welty flawlessly redefines the meaning of a book in "A Sweet Devouring".

TOW #6- How It Feels to Be Colored Me by Zora Neale Hurston

        Zora Neale Hurston is a known for her short stories, plays, and essays. She went to Columbia University where she was offered a scholarship, and graduated with a B.A in anthropology. In her short story "How It Feels to Be Colored Me", her autobiographical essay, she writes about finding her true identity and the natural self-pride she has. Hurston doesn't consider herself as being "tragically colored", like others around where she lives. Although she doesn't get upset by the discrimination against African-Americans in her town, she does recognize moments where she feels racial tension and differences. She is not only speaking to those who are African-American or white, but everyone to encourage them to have self-pride. She employs strong diction, positive tone, and metaphors to illustrates her purpose. Through her strong diction she displays that she is well educated, which during the time the short story was written (1928) was not considered a norm. She also uses an incredibility positive tone when discusses her life, even with the hardships she faced. Last but not least she ends her essay with a metaphor, referring herself to a "brown bag of miscellany propped against a wall". This is where she gives the audience a better understanding of her emotions of the time. Ultimately, Hurtston goes over the racial boundaries and makes it apparent to her audience that she does not fit in with the social ideologies.

TOW #5- Lego Commercial

A Lego, one of the most popular toys invented; almost every child has owned one at some point. A new Lego commercial probably comes out, at least, every six to eight months. Lego's lastest campaign, labeled as "Inspire Imagination" with the recent placement of "Keep Building", deals with the atypical gender roles. Lego creates a new image of girl empowerment. In the sixty-second clip directed by Brigg Bloomquist, known for creating multiple Nike and Neato commercials, plays on the relationship between moms and young daughters and the empowerment they can use through the imaginative thought process, such as being a doctor and pilot. The targeted group for the commercial is for young girls and basically tells them to "be who they want to be" and "achieve what they want to achieve". There are many commercials that deal with girl, even women, empowerment that are very similar, definitely making it unoriginal. Ultimately, the purpose is to shows young girls they can achieve anything through the use of the Lego's, meaning they need to buy them, because a Lego evokes creativity. Brigg Bloomquist creates a powerful tone through the use of inspiring music. Not only does he set a inspirational tone, and uses the same amount as an other women empowerment commercial. He appeals to his audience through warm memories and a motivational speech, a very common strategy to use when trying to motivate. Overall, I think he achieves his purpose mainly through the inspirational setting, but isn't just another cliche on women empowerment? Hasn't the public seen this already? So, what really makes this stand out? Overall, it's been done before; it doesn't mean it's not good, just it's unoriginal unfortunately.

TOW #4- The Tipping Point

      Malcolm Gladwell is a best-selling author as well as a phenomenal speaker; He is known for books such as Blink and Outliers. A common pattern within his books is the study of the mind, its function, and the ways of psychology, and how it is used in present day society. In The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Male a Big Difference Gladwell basically demonstrates how a "trend" becomes a trend. He quickly starts off with what actually makes society love a trend or not, and the process it goes through; as well as supplies the readers with the three rules of the tipping point. Obviously, since this novel pertains to psychology it would probably be great for anyone in the psychology field per se, but it can also serve the purpose to educate various readers on the simple decisions we make, as well as the power we hold for trending items. That being said, his purpose can really vary and be interpreted many ways. As of right now, Gladwell is illustrating the powers that society holds, and how even the smallest decisions can lead to the largest effect. Essentially, how a social trend takes off, like previously stated. Along with his charming insight he uses a variety of several rhetorical devices that further justify his purpose. Gladwell uses the simple rhetorical strategies of exemplification, incredible amounts of logos, outstanding tone, etc. Gladwell writes "When we say that a handful of East Village kids started the Hush Puppies epidemic, or the scattering of the residents of few housing projects was sufficient to to start Baltimore's syphilis epidemic, what we are really saying is that in a given process or system some people matter more than others." (19) not only can the readers get a sense for his honest tone, but they also see his use of logos. Gladwell constantly refers to historical events or places whether it be Paul Revere or the invention of Sesame Street.

TOW #3- Most Shocking Second a Day

Honestly, I would say that I am extremely critical of TV advertisements because I feel as if most of the times the directors demonstrate life in a false way, or it’s always “hey jump on the bandwagon!” For example, a Proactive commercial, a commercial where the spokesperson varies from Julianne Hough to Jessica Simpson to Katy Perry to some other famous female; the commercial, I feel, basically says “hey if you use proactive your skin will be as clear as Selena Gomez”, when in fact they most likely pay hundreds to get their face to look that way. They deceive their audience with Photoshop and a lot of makeup with the ultimate purpose to make money. Just because a majority preach falsely, doesn’t mean they all do. So, I chose “Most Shocking Second a Day” a commercial directed by Martin Sterling and the foundation Save the Children. It was incredibly effective for me. Martin Sterling is well-known due to this commercial, but other than that he has done little videos here and there. Basically, the commercial addresses the life of a little girl living in a war in London, however it’s actually based off the war in Syria and the children being effected, which could be hard to spot because it’s in the background. He spreads little hints throughout like the guy screaming about the war in when she is exiting the car, or her father holding a newspaper with a headline pertaining to war while she is watching television. Within a year it shows how she becomes homeless and a fatherless refugee. It then ends with “just because it isn’t happening here doesn’t mean it isn’t happening”; the purpose is to display how disastrous events are going on everywhere in the world, and even though sometimes we do not face it, doesn’t make it less important. Personally, I thought it demonstrated more than to donate to their foundation. It shows that just because we don’t understand something, does not mean we get to judge it. Obviously, its audience is towards everyone because not only donating helps, whereas so does being aware. Sterling uses a great amount of pathos, tone, and mood through the characters. It’s effective because it doesn’t make the viewer feel guilty or saddened, but more conscious about their surroundings. As well as it isn’t as forceful as maybe a SPCA commercial. Overall, it allowed me to become aware of how thankful I am and to be more empathetic of others situations.  

TOW #2- Once More to the Lake by E.B White

Once More to the Lake, written by E.B White, is a short story that demonstrates the relationship between his son and him. White tells tales from his childhood lake house, where he then brings his son many years later and ultimately faces his internal conflict. E. B White is known for writing children books such as Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little and is a contributor to the New Yorker magazine. For most of the story he is at the lake with his son, which acts as the constant through the story; a symbol that he reinforces several times. From the beginning he presents a very playful and positive tone towards the readers, which is accomplished through his word choice. His general audience is people who struggled with moving on that can relate to what he was going through, which in his case is moving on from his memories. Despite the fact that he writes a very interesting and detailed packed autobiography he could have caused confusion due to the quick time jumping. He tends to jump from his experiences as a child to his son’s experiences; this allows confusion because it may be difficult to distinguish the two characters. The reader’s quickly learn that he is scared to go back to the lake in fear that it has changed and his son won’t get the same experience as he did as a young boy. I found the story line to be confusing to follow and he could have used better rhetorical devices than he did. I felt as if his whole story was made up of imagery, and did a great job including the five senses, but because it was difficult to follow I didn’t know what character he was using. The conflict that White faces is distinguishing himself from his son and realizing that he is growing older, getting closer to death. He notices that the lake hasn’t changed, but something is different, with that being said the readers learn that he is the changing variable. Ultimately his purpose was probably to entertain his reader, and to demonstrate the struggles he faced in hopes to connect with the readers, which is some ways he successfully did.