TOW 3: Apple adds to lawsuit with Samsung

There has been a highly publicized legal war between Apple and Samsung, two companies that are atop the list in mobile devices. Apple has recently added six products to its ongoing lawsuit with Samsung. In August, a 1.05 billion dollar was awarded to Apple concerning certain patents that Samsung copied. Now, Apple will try for the same outcome with six other products. John McCrank is the author of the article, a highly publicized journalist for “Reuters.” If a verdict is reached in favor of Apple, it will likely have a tremendous negative impact on Samsung’s business. McCrank’s intent is to inform his readers of a significant court case in the technology world. He is appealing to an audience of readers that are interested in and may use Apple and Samsung products. Additionally, the audience consists of people who have money invested in the stock of either company, since the outcome will affect the economic trends of both organizations. McCrank uses somewhat of a storytelling mode to illustrate the timeline of the recent case. The two companies are juxtaposed to show how their responses to the trials have differed. The article is effective in offering a non-bias summation of the recently renewed case between two technology giants. 

MP 2 TOW 2: The Power of Voting

This past election was an important time in American history. Two very different candidates took the stage, and voters decided the course our country will take for the next four years. However, there were also many Americans that were considering not voting at all. In this political cartoon, Jeff Parker depicts the negativity of their actions. Parker is a cartoonist for the Florida Today, and also draws for various television shows. The cartoon is entitled “What is the most powerful place in America?,” and shows the White House, The Pentagon, the U.S. Capital, and a voting booth which is the selected item. This intends to show where the power of our society truly comes from. It also is meant to encourage possible voters to exercise this power and vote. Irony is used in this cartoon, because the viewers do not expect the most powerful image to be the smallest of the group. Parker also uses color quite well. The red check next to the voting booth is the most vibrant and noticeable color of the piece, drawing attention to it immediately. While the cartoon is rather simple, Parker is quite effective in achieving his purpose. It can become very easy for Americans to forget that they hold the true power because primary elections only happen once every four years. This is instrumental in reminding Americans that their vote truly is important in the grand scheme of things. 

MP 2- TOW #1: To our veterans- thank you for your service

Today is Veterans Day, a time when we all are asked to look back and reflect on our lives, appreciate the ones who have served for us, and be grateful for the liberties and freedoms that they have protected. The title off this article nearly says it all, “To our veterans- thank you for your service.” Cathy Maxwell, a prolific writer in editorials for Fox News, gives tribute to our war veterans in this nicely written, concise yet well-spoken article. It is very important that the article is published on the Fox Website today. Many Americans take their rights and liberties for granted because they have become so accustomed to them. Veterans Day is a spot on the calendar that is set in stone for us to step back and both evaluate and appreciate our proud lives as Americans. This is what Maxwell intends to invoke in her audience of Fox readers. Parallelism of sentences is used quite effectively throughout: for the majority of the article, Maxwell begins each sentence with “Thank you.” This structure is used to show gratitude to war veterans, their spouses, their children, and their parents. Pathos is the most resonating appeal used, with sentences such as, “Thank you for sacrificing time with your families and missing those significant milestones the rest of us take for granted.” An anecdote is included at the concession of the article that serves as a window into the life of a former Air Force officer. By using these three strategies, among others. Cathy Maxwell succeeded in achieving her intentions of gratitude, reflection, and pride in her article “To our veterans- thank you for your service.” 

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/11/11/to-our-veterans-thank-for-your-service/

Outliers: the final post

In the first post, I talked about Gladwell’s unique explanations to success. In this section, he uses these ideas to talk about not only success, but failure as well. He starts by exploring the series of family feuds and deaths that occurred in the Appalachians during the 19^th century. Gladwell proposes that much of this can be attributed to the idea of “culture of honor”; that, according to cultural and geographical ramifications, violence was an acceptable solution of the time. He then explores the very controversial topic of plane crashes, and suggests that a pilot’s heritage and descent is just as to blame as his or her piloting skills. Gladwell also examines the KIPP schooling program, and how its constant focus on continuous learning has helped thousands of underprivileged youth obtain success. Malcolm Gladwell has established his presence as an influential non-fiction writer through his numerous best sellers, including Blink and The Tipping Point. Although some of the excerpts in Outliers are not necessarily related to one another specifically, Gladwell uses them to instill a sense of curiosity and interest in his readers. Due to the diverse amount of topics discussed throughout his book, he appeals to a very wide array of audiences. The people who would buy this book are most likely the ones who are interested in well-supported alternative theories. Gladwell continues to use anecdotes and logos extremely effectively. He also uses well written descriptions of each topic to introduce them, and complex yet necessary diction that is specific to each chapter. The Epilogue is what I believe made Outliers most impactful. Gladwell dares to do something very few non-fiction writers do: he uses his own personal story to enhance the points presented in the previous chapters. By relating his family’s story to the idea of “outliers”, he not only increases his credibility as an author but also as an expert in the subject area.