Tow #10- Wall Street Journal Article/ "Typhoon Haiyan: How a Catastrophe Unfolded"/ Te-Ping Chen, James T. Areddy, and James Hookway

When a situation sounds desperate, many times, people prepare for the worst. But what happens when the situation really is terrible and most people aren't concerned? Such a problem occurred in the Philippines with the arrival of Typhoon Haiyan and the catastrophic results afterwards. The majority of people in Tacloban, Philippines weren't bothered by the threat of a storm; it seemed like any other storm, one of many they get each year. Those who did prep didn't prep enough... and the storm changed from a dangerous inconvenience to a disaster. Writers Te-Ping Chen, James T. Areddy, and James Hookway masterfully use imagery and exemplification to illustrate the scale of the catastrophe that happened in Tacloban and appeal to an educated, concerned audience by filling in missing details about preparations for the devastating typhoon.

The authors' use of imagery really puts in place the setting of the article and helps to explain why the typhoon was such a problem. By describing Tacloban as a "city on the rise", readers can imagine what would happen if a large storm hit a city like NYC or Philadelphia, and therefore have a more familiar picture of the catastrophe in their minds. The imagery also sets up the enormity of the storm and its effects, creating sympathy in the reader. The authors' audience is more involved in the story now that they are more knowledgeable about the Philippines and preparations for the storm. The news of the typhoon is more personal to Americans if they can picture what happened, since events in the Philippines are sometimes very different from events in America.

The authors' included many examples in their article as well. These examples range from short explanatory captions on main "characters" in the article to quotes from people who prepared for the storm and struggled with what to do after the storm hit. This exemplification provides evidence for readers that backs up the claims the authors' are making and the descriptions they present about the Philippines. Real life examples make the story more connectable and personal that just a news report; they, along with imagery, make the article worth reading out of many in the Wall Street Journal.

Chen, Te-Ping, James T. Areddy, and James Hookway. "Typhoon Haiyan: How a Catastrophe Unfolded." Wall Street Journal Online. The Wall Street Journal Newspaper, 24 Nov. 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

Tow #9 (Visual Text)- Bath and Body Works Lotion Bottle/ "P.S. I Love You" Scent/ Bath and Body Works

In some cases, love is associated with luxury. The same idea goes for the statement “Money can’t buy happiness” because whether or not it’s true, it can apply to things that we buy that make us feel happy, make us feel luxurious, make us feel loved. The Bath and Body Works bath and fragrance line thrives off of this idea, and uses it to sell their products. One of their Signature Collection scents, named “P.S. I Love You” employs powerful diction and appeals to logos in order to sell. Words like “nourishing”, “enriching” “soothe”, “protective”, and “conditioned” make the potential buyer feel like the lotion will be healing and relaxing in a safe way. The lotion also seems beneficial through other phrases like “moisture barrier to rough, irritated hands and cuticles”, “leaving hands feeling soft”, and “soothe dryness”. These appeals to logos directly state what the lotion should be able to do and explains why through its diction.

The description of the lotion’s scent also appeals and uses powerful diction to sell itself. By being described as a “modern, unforgettable fragrance that is inspired by the many beautiful ways to love and be loved”, the lotion connects to the potential buyers emotions, appealing to pathos. The lotion mainly targets a female audience who enjoys relaxing and feeling luxurious. Its emotional appeal calls out to women more than men and is meant to make them feel nostalgic or remind them of good times centered on love. The store is known for being luxurious (sometimes considered expensive) and for being seasonal, another appeal to pathos and the emotions of different times. The lotion probably sells best around Valentine’s Day and is seems very effective in sending its message, due to the success of Bath and Body Works as a store and the fact that the lotion is part of a Signature Collection. 

IRB #2 Introduction Post

"The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese"

By Michael Paterniti

This book is about how author Michael Paterniti's life was changed by a story he heard. While on a trip to Guzmán, Spain in 2000, Paterniti visited a limestone cave called the "Telling Room" and heard a fascinating tale about a mystical piece of cheese. Afterwards, he and his family move to Spain and Paterniti continues to look into the story, finding out that it is also connected with a mysterious murder plot based on betrayal and revenge. He learns the secrets of the village people and starts to live by their ways. The book is a mystery and a memoir detailing Paterniti's experience and the stories of others. 

I chose this IRB because I love mysteries; they are probably my favorite genre. But the IRB had to be a nonfiction book, and I got interested in memoirs while looking for a new IRB. My first IRB, 1491, was based on historical fact and theory, and I wanted to go i different route entirely while still keeping the topic somewhat related to history (another one of my favorite things). Originally when looking for a book though, I found one of Paterniti's other books, Driving Mr. Albert, and became interested in that. Then, on Amazon.com, I was looking at others and found The Telling Room.It involves another one of my favorite things, food, and any book that combines mystery, food, and history has to be good, in my opinion. 

Tow #8- IRB/ "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus"/ Charles C. Mann

Keeping up with his purpose, Mann continues to provide examples against stereotypes throughout the rest of the book. However, as the real facts of Native American life come out, "1491" becomes a bit more theoretical. Through the continued use of quotes, Mann employs his authority as a historian to his argument and analysis. He includes the theories and beliefs of others, on both sides of his argument, but rarely shows any opinion or bias indicating what he thinks really happened to the natives before Columbus. The book turns much more serious and evidence-based as it moves into the 2nd and 3rd parts, away from the earlier introduction/background-information chapters. Mann also applies many visual texts to his analysis. "1491" blends maps, graphs, charts, and historical photographs with its story seemingly as a way to provide evidence and examples, or just to reinforce ideas in an interesting way. For information he deems as extra or especially controversial, Mann uses footnotes. He relies on footnotes from the beginning to the end of the book, making “1491” seem somewhat disorganized, as if he forgot to mention many things. On a more positive note, though, it makes the tone more relaxed, even more unprofessional (but in a good way), so they book does not suddenly transform into a textbook on Native Americans. Another thing Mann is very skilled at rhetorically is continuing to reference his rhetorical questions and the myths/stereotypes that are his counterargument. This questioning and counterargument maintain the book’s awareness of other theories, keeping “1491” credible, and more importantly quotable. The purpose, to educate readers about true Native American history, seems to have a further purpose besides refuting myths and stereotypes: it analyzes arguments that are becoming more popular among historians, and could be taught in school in the future. Overall, as a non-fiction piece of literature, however, it continues to be factual and present Mann’s argument in the best, most believable light.  

Mann, Charles C. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus. 2nd ed. New York: Knopf, 2005. Print.