Elisabetbjanes's Blog
Just another wanna-be author, biologist, photographer, and crazy NorwegianArchive for Uncategorized
Visual Post
Bibliography:
Mashkuri, Gretchen Dow. “Tiger Woods and Family.” Morning Paper. 16 June 2008. 19 Dec. 2009. <http://www.morninpaper.com/2008/06/tiger-woods-wins-us-open/>
Kim, John. “Nike.” The World Cup and CSR. 19 Dec. 2009. 19 Dec. 2009. <http://worldcupcsr.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/guest-post-nike-csr-in-south-africa-and-sport-for-social-change/img_0740/>
Van Valkenburg, Kevin. “Tiger Woods Wins The Masters.” The Baltimore Sun. 9 Apr. 2009. 19 Dec. 2009. <http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/thetoydepartment/the_conversation/>
“Privacy.” Tiger Woods’ Yacht ‘Privacy’. 1 Oct. 2009. 19 Dec. 2009. <http://www.usmra.com/photos/Tiger_Woods_Privacy/>
“Jumbo Angel Wings and Halo.” Fun ‘n’ Frolic. 19 Dec. 2009. 19 Dec. 2009. <http://www.funnfrolic.co.uk/party-store/ index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10_99&products_id=4871>
“Par 3 Golf Course.” MacAllen Ridge. 19 Dec. 2009. 19 Dec. 2009. <http://macallanridge.com/amenities>
“Tiger Woods.” BikerBernie’s Weblog. 19 Dec. 2009. 19 Dec. 2009. <http://bikerbernie.wordpress.com/>
An Appeal to the people
<- (1) This ad shown on TV is an appeal to pathos. This picture of a little boy loaded with a rifle, pistol and multiple grenades simply tugs at one’s heartstrings. Appeals to pathos are often used to move the reader, viewer, or audience to action in order to make something better. However, sometimes, the appeal can go overboard and become offensive or repulsive, moving the reader either to disgust or pity, but not action.
This is simply a typical pack of cigarettes, but there is an argument on it nonetheless. In big bold letters, the words, “Smoking Kills” – a warning from the Surgeon General. This ad appeals to logos – most people do know that to be true. The ad is appealing to one’s brain and warning against taking up the deadly hobby. (2) ->
The last appeal, that to ethos, is demonstrated by an ad for President Obama. Appeals to ethos are designed to inspire the audience, make them feel part of the situation, or a I-feel-your-pain situation.
(1) http://endtheoccupation.org/img/original/counterad_woodley.jpg
(2) http://site.dropcents.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/luckystrike.jpg
(3) http://www.individualsole.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/barack-obama-antar-dayal-poster.jpg
Education, the key to success
There is no doubt that President Obama is a polished speaker. An excellent speaker uses three types of arguments to sway his/her audience to believe or agree with the argument he is presenting. Appeals to emotion (pathos), credibility or ethics (ethos), and logic (logos) should all be used within context to maximize a speaker’s potential. In Obama’s September 8th speech at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, he made use of all three as he discussed the importance of education.
Arguments from the heart are often used to build a bridge between the speaker/writer and the audience. In other words, the speaker is trying to say, “I know how you feel.” Obama gave a personal anecdote about the difficulties of learning when he related how his mother made him get up at four in the morning to teach him extra lessons before her job because she couldn’t afford to send him to the school where all the other American children went.
Arguments based on character or credibility are capitalized to demonstrate the speaker knows what he’s talking about. Obama highlighted the numerous speeches he’d given previously about education. He also mentioned that his father had left when he was two – this is another way to make him seem more “real” – or not so far removed from the audience’s lives.
Arguments presented through facts are designed to provide evidence for one’s argument. Obama appealed to the logical side of his audience by saying, “And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it.” President Obama urged the students to study hard and follow their dreams in order to succeed and become the problem solvers of the future.
~ Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. – President Obama
Loose lips…
Everybody’s heard about the unfortunate outburst of Rep. Joe Wilson, r-South Carolina, during Obama’s address of Congress. (He shouted “You Lie!” at one point when Obama said that the current proposition would not cover illegal immigrations…ironically, the current proposition actually did cover illegal immigrants but the amendments were later defeated.)
I feel sorry for the poor guy. Here he is, probably over worked and tired and most likely having too much on his plate listening to a speech about health care – a heated topic on any day. And here he hear’s President Obama contradict what he himself knows to be true. Utterly without thinking, the words just burst from his lips as everyone stops and stares at the person who dared to break the sacred silence. I can so totally picture myself in his seat. Poor Wilson – all that pathos aside, his remark was not only ill-timed but it might cost him his job. Respect is shown to the president not because of who he is personally or what programs he supports but because he is the president. Wilson’s unprofessionalism is regrettable – most decidedly he regrets his outburst the most.
~ Politeness is merely the art of choosing among your thoughts – Madame de Stael
What a torturous thought…
Most people in America cringe at the thought of torture. Understandably so. Images of beatings, burnings, whippings, and (heaven forbid) waterboarding immediately come to mind. Most undemocratic nations do not condemn torture and less than gentle interrogation methods; in fact, most of them use them for simple crimes such as theft, arson, etc. Everybody knows China has an extensive torture program…North Korea no less. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan…the list stretches on and on. These countries really don’t care who knows they torture their own citizens as well as those of other countries.
But everyone thinks it’s wrong for America to torture. Why? If it’s okay for China and North Korea to torture, than why is it different with America? Is the fact that we are a “democracy” and that there is “liberty and justice for all”? Is it because we have actively condemned the nations that promote torture? Personally, I think it’s a combination. The American government openly condemns torture. But take a look at its past. Our newspapers are often dotted with the most recent scandal that the Justice Department has uncovered about the CIA. I thought the whole purpose of having a CIA was so that they could perform the nation’s dirty deeds and get away with it. Apparently, Bush thought so too, at least, that’s what it appears from all the memos released about torture. President Obama said that he wanted the nation to move forward, not backward.
“We’re still evaluating how we’re going to approach the whole issue of interrogations, detentions, and so forth. And obviously we’re going to be looking at past practices and I don’t believe that anybody is above the law. On the other hand I also have a belief that we need to look forward as opposed to looking backwards. And part of my job is to make sure that for example at the CIA, you’ve got extraordinarily talented people who are working very hard to keep Americans safe. I don’t want them to suddenly feel like they’ve got to spend all their time looking over their shoulders and lawyering.” – Obama’s response to George Stephanopoulos’s question about prosecution of the Bush-era employees on January 11, 2009 (1)
Obama has also placed a ban on further use of torture and certain interrogation tactics. So, the real question now is whether or not the quasi-legal or not so legal activities of the CIA are going to be prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Eric Holder. First of all, torture is ineffective. In certain instances, it is necessary to get information very quickly due to pressing threats, but on most occasions, torture can lead to wrong information and misleading statements from the one being tortured. I personally think that torture should either be abolished from the United States or we should come out and say that we are doing it, not pretend that we’re not when we really are. This is for a couple reasons. One, it clearly defines our position so that there can be no he said, she said type of messes. Two, if we are going to allow torture, then we shouldn’t be ashamed of it. North Korea and China most certainly are not ashamed of their policies. Sometimes the need for safety for 300+ million people should outweigh our reputation in the world. Three, regardless of our stance, we need to let the past be past. Dragging up the dirt of the past only smears our already damaged reputation with the world and jeopardizes our future security. If we released all our past methods and techniques, other countries and/or terrorist organizations could train their operatives to get around them. The best thing now for America is to sweep past abuses under the carpet and start afresh. No good will ever come from digging up all the dirt, least of all by the Justice Department who was allegedly the ones that claimed certain practices were legal in the first place. Give the people the benefit of the doubt and let the dust settle. Who knows, the torture may have prevented 9/11 from happening all over again. We haven’t had an attack on our homeland since then, maybe in part to the illicit activities of our government.
In conclusion, do we as Americans want a pristine reputation or do we want safety? Does the end really justify the means?
The Things most people want to know about are usually none of their business ~ Shaw
Laws grind the poor, and rich men rule the law ~ Oliver Goldsmith
(1) USA Today; Obama: Time to look forward, but Bush aides aren’t above the law. (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/01/61177294/1) – January 11, 2009
Which is more dangerous: guns or cell phones?
The number one killer of teenagers (roughly between 16 and 19) is vehicular accidents, which accounts for over one in three of deaths for teens. (1) In fact, 3,490 drivers age 15-20 died in car crashes in 2006. (2) (Approximately 40% of teenage deaths) No other hazard comes even remotely close, with homicide at only 14%. According to a 2005 survey done by the Allstate Foundation, (1,000 teens ages 15 and 17) 56% admitted they used cell phones.
Ford, through use of driving simulators, tested the responses of both adults and teenagers to traffic conditions around them. In only about three percent of time for both groups did the drivers miss signals for potentially dangerous events. When the simulation was re-run with the use of a cell phone, the adult percentage jumped to over 13% but for teenagers, it skyrocketed to 54%. (3)
So, when talking on a cell phone, the chances for accidents more than quadruple for adults and are multiplied 18 times for teenagers. Is the convenience of being able to text and chat with friends while driving to school or work worth the risks? You tell me.
~ Apparently we love our own cell phones but we hate everyone else’s. – Joe Bob Briggs
(1) – Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online]. (2008). (http://www.cdc.gov/MotorVehicleSafety/Teen_Drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html)
(2) – Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association – (http://www.rmiia.org/Auto/Teens/Teen_Driving_Statistics.htm#national)
(3) – Autoblog – (http://www.autoblog.com/2005/11/30/teen-drivers-and-cell-phones-dont-mix/)
First for me
“I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.” – Jack London
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