Reflection on "There is No Unmarked Woman" : 12/16

     There are many stereotypes placed upon women in today's society. According to Deborah Tannen's piece, "There is No Unmarked Woman", this was also apparent stereotypes placed upon women in the past. Tannen describes the time she went to a conference and how all the women seemed distinctly different from each other. The men, however, all seemed to look uniform. Tannen relates the idea of making decisions about hair, clothing and makeup as being marked. To me, the phrase "there is no unmarked woman", means that a woman have to complete actions that will help her become "accepted" into society, not generally to help please themselves.
     Tannen talks about titles such as "Ms.", "Miss." and "Mrs." These three titles are marked. Men only have the title "Mr.". Tannen believes that women's titles make them tell stoires about their lives. Personally, I agree with her. Why should one be judged based on what their title is? Will it make a difference in obtaining a job position? When filling out college applications, their asked for my title. This made me feel insecure in a way. Why do they need to know my title? I'm only a student. Tannen also states "If a woman's clothing is tight or revealing, it sends a message - an intended one of wanting to be attractive, but also a possibly untended one of availability." This can be connected to others around the world. Why does tight clothing have to be associated with "asking for it"? This goes to show how women can be judged for everything they wear. Clothing is something that is very personal and can be a source of expression. With judgement, however, they are limited in the ways that they can express themselves.
     An appeal to ethos is present in Tannen's piece. She refers to Ralph Fasold's book, The Sociolinguistics of Language. His book talks about how women are treated unfairly due to the language and culture that they are exposed to. She also appeals to pathos. Tannen seems to talk about how society treats women more than how they are praised by society. This is done in hopes of creating a sense of sympathy among readers.

Reflection on Pillow Angel Ethics : 12/2/16

     Does everyone have the right to make decisions for themselves? This is the question at hand in "Pillow Angel Ethics", where a bran-damaged girl, Ashley, has her health decisions made by her parents. This article seemingly has a profound impact on the disabled community, claiming that it is not morally correct to rid one of their dignity by making someone undergo an untested treatment. Although the author doesn't specifically state her point of view on this issue, she writes about more people that disapprove of the occurrences. She is able to prove her point by stating quotes by other people. Those that are disability advocates have strong feelings about this issue. They stated "... Ashley was not sick, and the treatment was untested... that's not healing, it's gambling." This also creates a sense of pathos by using effective diction. The word "gambling" creates a negative connotation. In this sense, it makes it seem like Ashley's parents are playing with her life-as if there is a chance for trial and error. 

     This text can definitely be connected to those around the world. If one is in the same situation that Ashley's parents were in, they can benefit from this article. They can benefit by either incorporating the same procedures that her parents used or completely disregard the procedures and look at them with disgust; they learn what to do or what not to do. Another way that it can be connected with the world is if people do agree with the parent's decisions. A doctor stated in the article that some people "...don't have the money for a personal aide a home." Assuming that Ashley's parents have to pay for the medical expenses, they have to work in order to make money. This money may not be enough to hire a personal aide at home to watch over their daughter. Others around the world may be able to connect to this on a personal level. 

Reflection on Logical Fallacies : 11/23

     We are surrounded by arguments everyday. We argue to teach; we argue to stand up for ourselves; we argue to prove a point. While this is the case, not every argument is an effective one. For example, some people may say that their argument is more valid solely based on the fact that everyone else agrees with them. Others may not even take an opponents argument into consideration; they may state something that has nothing to do with the argument itself. These are examples of logical fallacies. In the book "An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments", the author's purpose is to teach about logical fallacies. He is able to successfully do this by the use of effective illustrations. The illustrations made it easy to follow each type of logical fallacy. The author also mentions Stephen King, who is a world-renowned author. It allows the reader to establish the fact that the author does know what he is writing about by referencing King as one that he has learned from. The author's book is very effective; it provides visuals for those who have a had time thinking about what each argument looks like in real life.
     After learning about logical fallacies in class, I realized that I have used logical fallacies before. One example would be the tu quoque fallacy. This is when someone answers another person's question with criticism (answering criticism with criticism). It is like being a hypocrite. This causes the problem at stake to be prolonged-it doesn't solve anything. An example of this in dialogue would be if Person A said "Why do you get McDonald's so much?" and Person B replied with "Why do you eat so much fast food?" Person B did not answer Person A's question; they just continued asking more questions. Another example of a logical fallacy is an ad hominem. This is when an opponent attacks another person's traits rather than their position. An example of this in the world was when people attacked Hillary Clinton due to the fact that she was a woman. The slippery slope fallacy is when one states that a series of events will lead to something bad or unacceptable. Some parents may say that if their child gets a bad grade, it will lead to them dropping out of school which will eventually lead them to living on the streets. In reality, this does not happen to every child that gets a bad grade in school.

Social Media : 11/18/16

     Social media is something that plays a role in our daily lives. It is a non-living thing that seems to control the way we think, talk and view others. Although social media also has the ability to connect people from great distances, it also has potential to create problems, such as firing up arguments. In the anecdote "Don't Fight Flames with Flames; Social Media Arguments: Can't-Win Propositions", the author tells a story about how he got involved in a social media argument. He appeals to the audience through the use of humor. Instead of just telling a simple story of how everything started and what the end result was, he recounts how his friend texted him to stop. In today's world, a friend wouldn't usually track your every move on social media and tell you to stop arguing with someone. He also tells people to try to see how quickly they will get attacked on social media for voicing their opinion. Of course, no one would want to get attacked by "the digital mob." The author also uses rhetorical questions. He states "So what's a social media user to do? Not share links or offer opinions because the mob won't like it?" The audience is not expected to answer those questions but it allows them to think about what they would do in his situation.
     I can relate this text to myself. I use social media often; there are multiple "apps" readily available on my phone for me to go on at anytime and anywhere, as long as I have suitable phone service. The fact that everything is instant allows me to get notifications about everything. On Twitter, I can get caught up in my own little world. This consists of me voicing my own opinions. In turn, others can see my remarks and reply to them. Some people feel as if opinions are facts; they do everything in their ability to try to prove you wrong and make you feel bad about yourself. This text can also be connected to the world. People around the world are constantly interacting with each other. Take YouTube for example. Some creators have followers all over the world. With different platforms of social media, they are able to connect to everyone with a click of a mouse. In worst case scenarios, followers from around the world can argue with each other; this is something that you can't do in real life if someone is 16 hours away from you.

Reflection on Freakonomics "Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live with Their Moms?" : 11/5

     Many people think that drug dealers have it easy; this is not necessarily the case. They're trying to make a living by potentially selling illegal drugs. These drugs may have been smuggled in from other countries. The dealers could have gone great distances to obtain "rare" drugs. The author of this piece is saying that although drug dealers may seem to be able to make easy money, their life isn't easy; some still live with their mothers. The author uses pathos to get his point across. He states that drug dealers have a 1 in 4 chance of being killed. This creates a sense of fear among the audience. It makes the audience question their values. Will you be willing to risk your life to do something that you could be killed for? What about risking your life to potentially be caught and put in prison for? In addition, the author also makes use of diction. One sentence states "You must start at the bottom to have a shot at the top." This creates a sense motivation for some people. Everyone starts at the bottom; it's just a matter of how hard you're willing to work to get to the top. This use of diction allows the audience to see how hard people will work to get what they want. In my opinion, the author does not answer his question of "Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?". This question is only stated, with no statement as to why they do. When the author states that dealers don't make that much money, it doesn't directly state whether or not it results in them living with their moms.
     A text to world connection can be made in a sense that there are drug dealers out in the world today, some more powerful than others. They tend to get arrested very easily now, due to the increased intelligence of the police forces in their respective areas. The idea of having to start at the bottom to have a shot at the top also applies to other areas besides drug dealing. It can be applied to things such as a job position or sport teams.

Reflection on Hazlitt's "On the Want of Money" : 10/21

     Money makes the world go round, or does it? William Hazlitt believes that yes, money is a necessity, but it can cause problems. He states "one cannot get on well in the world without money." Hazlitt then starts his next sentence with "to be in want of it." This is making statements as to what one is risking when they obsess over money. Hazlitt uses rhetorical devices to further his claim that money can cause problems. For example, he made use of pathos. He states "To be in want of it, is to pass through life with little credit or pleasure; it is to live out of the world ...". This evokes a sense of sadness in the reader; it makes the reader question how they're living their lives. Are you surrounding yourself with money to the point that you don't care about anything else? Are you genuinely happy or are you happy solely because of money? It allows the reader to potentially have an epiphany. Hazlitt also uses diction effectively. a He uses words such as "neglected" and "exile". These two words lead to the appeal of pathos. Instead of using the word "neglected", Hazlitt could have easily used an euphemism to get the same point across, such as "ignored." The word "neglected" provides a stronger meaning; it makes it seem as if one is being left alone and looked down upon. "Exile" creates a sense of worry for the reader. No one wants to be an exile in their own country. It makes one feel embarrassed that they are rejected.

     This text can be related to the book "The Pearl." In the book, Kino finds a pearl, in hopes that the local doctor can help his son that was stung by a scorpion. He shows the townspeople in which they all begin to become jealous. He is later attacked that night because of his ownership of the pearl. Later on, the pearl continues to bring him more problems, such as people following him and eventually the death of his son. This text goes hand in hand with Hazlitt's idea that one needs money to survive but it can also bring troubles. Hazlitt's essay can also be related to the people of the world. Some people believe that money is everything. They care so much about it that they forget that other things and people exist. He states " ... and neglected by friends ...". This can be the case for some people as a result of the want for money.

Relfection on Ambien CR Commercial : 10/8

     Commercials are made to attract an audience to show interest and buy the product. One commercial that was looked at this past week was the Ambien CR commercial. It showed a woman having trouble sleeping and when she took the sleep aid, she was able to fall asleep better than she did the night before. The creators of the commercial used logos to create an effective commercial. They mentioned statistics, as well as a visual on how the sleep aid worked. This commercial makes me think about the world today and how the commercial may be convincing to some people. Today, those who have trouble sleeping often see doctors and buy medicinal products to help them. Ambien CR can be one of those products that help them "fall asleep and stay asleep", like the commercial stated. Additionally, this commercial makes me think about other commercials that are viewed today. Every commercial has the aspect that they have something that another competitor may not have. For example, Verizon and T-Mobile often have commercials that say that the other company does not have a specific deal. The Ambien CR commercial stated "unlike other sleep aids...". This may make a person more interested in buying their product since they said "unlike". It creates a thought to the audience that Ambien CR is unique. This also supports the fact that the creators of the commercial used effective diction to draw an audience in.

Trump and Clinton's Convention Speeches : 9/24

     After reading through both presidential candidate's speeches, it is no doubt that both have the ability to appeal to different types of audiences. In addition, both candidates are capable of being able to sound convincing to attract supporters. Donald Trump seems to appeal to ethos and logos more often, while Hillary Clinton appeals to pathos. Trump constantly repeats that he, alone, will be able to do many things that will "Make America Great Again." He uses statistical data to show that he knows what is going on around the world and it helps appeal to logos. On the other hand, Clinton establishes a sense of unity. This is done through the appeal to pathos. One of the strongest emotions is fear, and she is able to create a feeling of fear in her speech. She says, "Bonds of trust and respect are fraying." This means that if we, as a country, do not cooperate and work with one another, we will be on the very of distrust; chaos will be inevitable. Those who listened to her and read her speech may feel a sense of hope if she becomes the president.
     Trump mainly attracts businessmen. Those who want change immediately may want to vote for him. His speech makes him come off as very independent and demanding; this shows that he will make change as soon as possible. Clinton appeals to the working class. In her speech, she said that her family came from a working class. It shows that she worked very hard to get to where she is now. She states "The family I'm from, well, no one had their name on big buildings." This shows that she understands how to working class feels and that she will do everything in her power to help them. Clinton's speech was more effective than Trump's. People like to hear about a sense of unity, especially in a time like this. Right now, there is violence and crime throughout America. Clinton says that if we come together, we will be able to make a difference.

Bush's 9/11 Speech : 9/16

     Bush's 9/11 speech was, indeed, a very moving speech. An appeal to pathos is prominent in this speech. Bush explains the situation in a heartfelt way, knowing how everyone must be feeling at this time of terror. He is able to address his audience in a simple, yet engaging way. His use of words exemplifies that the country must stand together; this creates a sense of unity and hope for the people. For example, he uses words such as "... have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness... unyielding anger". Since Bush was the president at the time, he has immediate ethos. Logos has also been appealed to in this speech, as he address the horrendous occurrence of this event. Overall, Bush's 9/11 speech is an example of a well written text, as all parts of Aristotle's Rhetorical Triangle have been used.

Testing Post : 9/15

My name is Brianna and I like going to concerts.