TOW Rewrite: Finding Musical "Diamonds" in the Slums of Paradise City

Food, running water, and a toilet to go to the bathroom in. These are all things we consider basic necessities and often take for granted. What would life be like without them? The unfortunate reality is that more than 11 million Brazilians live in favelas (slums), and many of them do not have access to such “amenities.” Joao Carlos Martins is trying to change that through music. He recently founded a program at the Paraisopolis Cultural Center that offers intensive weekly music classes. While it offers a new hobby for many, it also opens the doors to a wide array of new job opportunities with considerably higher wages. This is exactly what children of such indigence will need to survive.

As a Brazilian Correspondent for CNN, Shasta Darlington portrays this incredible story with efficacious arrangement. She begins with a very anecdotal and specific approach by detailing the life of Yanca Leite, a teenager who has been influenced by the musical program. By doing this, Darlington easily connects and draws her audience in. She then takes a more general approach by iterating facts of Brazilian poverty from numerous credible sources. This appeals to the audience’s sense of ethos, and it makes the widespread impact that the planned expansion of the program will have intelligible. Concluding with the following quote from Leite creates a full circle ending: "I play with all my heart," she says, breaking down in tears. "If it weren't for music, I'd be a drug addict or a prostitute or out robbing. Because that's the reality here." This creates a very resonating and impactful appeal to pathos. The wealth of important information and factoids presented in the article are not nearly as powerful until the audience is able to individualize their implications.

Darlington uses parallelism to compare the up-and-coming music program in Brazil with a successful predecessor in Africa. She describes the Kliptown Youth Program, which provides support services to youth in the slums of Kliptown, South Africa. This strengthens her argument for the effectiveness of Martins’ program. Logically, if a similar program has proven beneficial to its community, then the Brazilian slums will feel similar positive outcomes. Subtle irony is also displayed when the depressing town is referred to by its nickname of "Paradise City." 

Shasta Darlington created this piece to inform her readers about the humanitarian efforts going on in Paraisopolis, Brazil. In order to do this most effectively, she engaged her readers throughout. This was achieved through her outstanding arrangement, powerful anecdotes, and logical parallelism.

"Zero Dark Thirty" trailer

Over eleven years ago, a terrorist attack took the lives of over two-thousand American lives. From that day forward, the executives of our nation have dedicated countless hours and resources to finding the man responsible: Osama Bin Laden. After years of searching, he was found in Pakistan on May 2, 2011. "Zero Dark Thirty" is a movie that depicts the grueling search process, and the events that finally led to the murder of Bin Laden. The events are factual, and have come from various sources that were involved in the events.

A very convincing trailer for the movie was created, in which numerous scenes are intensely depicted.  Tension seems to rise with each second the trailer plays. From the beginning, it is nearly impossible to take your eyes off the screen. The creator makes great use of music, with a slow piano beat that continues to increase in frequency along with loud background noise. This adds to the sense of suspense as well as the action of the events that are depicted.

There are numerous dialogues that occur throughout the trailer. Between the various mini-scenes and interactions between characters, a black screen pops up with titles and choppy phrases such as “Witness the Greatest Manhunt”, followed by “In History”. This creates a great sense of drama to the trailer, and keeps the audience guessing what will happen next. It also creates

The trailer intends to draw people so that by the end of the two-and-a-half minutes, the onlooker is excited to watch more. Americans are fascinated with the events that occurred before and during the operation, and this trailer is primarily geared towards them. It is very effective in entertaining its audience, however it does not reveal too many vital details of the movie. It ends right before the troops enter Bin Laden’s hideout, leaving the viewer in awe and needing to see more. 

"Teach men to treat women with respect"-- An article dealing with societal issues of women's rights

Contemporary society seems to have a very warped view of women’s rights. This has become evident on multiple incidents concerning sexual violence towards women. On one recent occasion, a teen in Steubenville, Ohio, posted a video of a sexual assault on a female classmate that took place during a party. Bystanders sat and watched as the horrific and demeaning event took place. When asked to come forwards, only two witnesses were willing to testify. While the people responsible are to be tried for their crimes, many feel that a more efficacious impact can be made through government. However, congress recently decided not to reauthorize The Violence Against Women Act. This document works to stop such issues by providing, among other important allocations, bystander intervention and prevention programs on high school and college campuses. Katie Hanna and Monika Johnson Hostler, both venerable representatives of women’s rights organizations, wrote this advocating and thought-provoking piece to display why this issue must be revisited in congress. The longer we wait to address the issue as a society, the more lives will be affected by senseless and heinous sexual violence. The piece uses pathos very well when describing the lives of females that are affected by sexually related crimes. Logos is also used in the rhetorical question, “As for survivors, how can they seek justice and healing if they have little support and resources available?” It is through the perspective of women and a commiserating persona towards society that makes the article a very opinionated yet convincing piece. 

"School Shooting Vultures"

Recently there was an extremely saddening and disheartening event in Sandy Hook elementary school in Newton, Connecticut. A 20 year-old male entered the building and killed twenty-six individuals, twenty of them children. In the aftermath of this event, the media has been undergoing a lot of scrutiny. The murderer, Adam Lanza, has had his name and face posted all over the news, making him notorious and infamous. Many argue that the media is taking advantage of this aspect of the event to obtain views and ratings, rather than focusing on the lives of the children and teachers that were lost. This cartoon depicts these stations as vultures hovering above the school. The piece was created by Daryl Cagle, founder and owner of Cagle Cartoons, Inc. It is most likely intended for Americans who are fed up with our media. Many believe it is a cause for the increase in violent shootings like this one, because the attackers name is so widely posted that they become famous. The purpose of the article may be to point out the urgency of the issue to encourage media reforms. Cagle personifies the media entities as vultures, which allows him communicate a lot through the connotations of the birds without actually saying very much. The cartoon is in black and white, which allows the message to resonate better with the average onlooker. Overall, Daryl Cagle produced a well-thought-out interpretation of the events. However, it may have been more effective if he was more specific on his message, because it seems that it could be interpreted in a multitude of ways since the birds are not specified as vultures anywhere except in the title.

To view the cartoon: http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/9c209b15-4698-44ef-99a7-8e86aedaf2c7.html

Retirement options and acceptance grow for "gay boomers"

During the 1960’s, a multitude of movements occurred that concerned gay rights. During this time, the LGBT was created and championed by a very passionate group of people. Many of these people are now retiring. In the past, it has not always been easy for them to enjoy the same rights and liberties as straight Americans. For example, there are no laws that stop hospitals from not allowing a gay spouse to visit their partner. Historically, such inequalities in rights have caused many homosexuals to go back into the closet when their “health and mobility left them dependent on strangers for help.” However, as times and perceptions have changed, gay rights concerning retirement and the elderly have continued to improve. Jen Christenson, a long-time writer and producer at CNN, wrote this article. The article appeals to readers of CNN that are in support of gay marriage, as it takes a generally pro-choice stance. The backbone of the article revolves around a gay CEO considering retirement, and in this way Christensen uses anecdotes and storytelling to enhance her information. Towards the end, pathos is used effectively when the fear of a future when gays do not receive the necessary help is foreshadowed. The article intends to show the great improvements that have occurred in the way of retiring rights for gay people. However, it also shows where the shortcomings are that need to be addressed moving forward. Christensen does a good job in this piece of achieving these intentions. She cites a lot of evidence and arranges the article in an easy-to-follow, interesting manner. 

For more, visit: http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/09/health/lgbt-retirement/index.html?hpt=he_c1

The Professor and the Madman: Post 1

Simon Winchester is a prolific and esteemed British author who was educated at Oxford University. The Professor and the Madman accurately shows his extraordinary lexicographical skills as he guides readers through the interesting story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. The book opens with a jaw-dropping story of a killing in the streets of Lambeth, England. The murderer, whom it is revealed is insane, is none other than William Minor. He later becomes one of the most prominent contributors to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. This dictionary is so prestigious because it is the most full, detailed, and intricate representation of the English language. Winchester describes the dictionary as, "...a last bastion of cultured Englishness, a final echo of value from the greatest of all modern empires" (Winchester 27). The Professor and the Madman was published in 1998 by HarperCollins in New York. Winchester wrote this book to depict the perspective-altering stories of both William Minor and of the dictionary. He targets an audience of people who are interested in language and inclined to learn about its history. A wide array of sophisticated diction is used, implying the novel is more geared for the avid reader. Interesting uses of denotation and connotation are instituted in the framework of the book. At the beginning of each chapter there is the entry of a word from the Oxford English Dictionary. Throughout that chapter, the messages of the word as well as their implied connotations are explored. Parentheses are incorporated heavily throughout Winchester’s prose, used to provide a multitude of information. There are certain aspects of the book that are very effective. The anecdotes are very interesting and the syntax is extremely well developed. However the overall accomplishments are depreciated due to tangential writing. Winchester often digresses from one topic to another, oblivious to the reader’s attention span for detail. 

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.