TOW #29 Letter to a New APELC Student

Dear New APELC student,

Hi there, I’m Jacob Kang. Nice to meet you. I’ll keep things simple, you just made your junior year really hard by taking this class. But you’re one of the special kids out there that is taking APELC, so good for you. Not many people can do this. There is a long and exhausting journey ahead of you, but at the end of the journey you will become a new person.

So I’ll be honest. As I’m writing this to you, I’m looking at a B in the course. Yeah I know, it sucks. But it really doesn’t. The grade really becomes just a letter at a certain point, and to make things better, your weighted GPA actually goes up by getting a B in an AP course rather than getting an A in an honors course. So APELC is worth it.

APELC won’t just make you a better writer, it makes you a better person, a more aware person. You will begin to see the world differently, no joke. You will be able to dissect everything and anything humans create: writings, advertisements, artworks. That is the whole point of this course, to make you a better citizen who is aware of his surroundings and the society that he lives in. There undoubtedly is a lot of writing in the course, but APELC offers so much more.

When I said that there is a lot of writing in this course, I’m not kidding you. The APELC exam itself makes you write three long essays. Your hands will cramp up at some point in the year. I guarantee it. But boy, will you be able to write. SATs will seem like child’s play.

Now when things get rough, and they are bound to, make sure to consult Mr. Yost and Mrs. Pronko. Those two are your greatest resources. They are always willing to help and guide you. That was the mistake I made early in the year. I never really had conferences about my writing with Mr. Yost and Mrs. Pronko, and my essays weren’t improving. The moment I got off of my lazy butt and talked to them, I noticed a definite change. Don’t be scared of them.

You poor thing. I hope you do well in this class. It will be hard. It will be tough. But it change your perspective on so many things. You will be a new person and a new writer. You will learn so many great ideas. And remember, after the AP test, you are free. Enjoy.

-Jacob Kang

TOW #28 TOW Reflection

I looked back at my three TOWs "The Future is Now" from August, one of my first TOWs ever written, TOW #11 from November of President Obama's Speech, and TOW #19 from February of Naruto: the Last's trailer. Honestly put, I feel like I sounded like a child in my earlier TOWs and I'm amazed at the growth and maturation of my writing. I realized that as time went on, my TOWs followed a fairly systematic and straightforward approach that was simple and effective. I knew what I was looking for in texts and I noticed that I better explained author's purpose how effectively the author utilized literary devices. Theses became stronger and TOWs became overall much better.

Due to the TOWs, I believe that I mastered SOAPS, one of the first things we learned in class. Pulling from multiple sources not only gave me more awareness of news in our society but it allowed me to practice dissecting ranges of texts. I can efficiently find what literary devices an author uses and I became apt at learning the context behind texts in order to uncover their purpose in all sorts of writings, articles, speeches, and visual texts.

I believe that I could still improve on creativity. I noticed that a lot of my TOWs followed the exact same pattern after several weeks into the school year. I didn't push myself. I found a system worked, and sadly, I stuck to it. Changing the format of my TOWs could have pushed my boundaries and helped me improve even more as a writer. This creativity could be used in all forms of writing and will be extremely helpful in the future.

TOWs were beneficial in the way that they gave me practice, something that often isn't emphasized in English and writing classes. I was presented with new information each week and I got to practice important skills on each. Even though the TOWs were grueling at times, looking back on them, they were well worth it considering the practice I got and the skills I mastered.

TOW #27 (Visual) Game of War Commercial with Kate Upton

      The Super Bowl has some of the greatest viewership, so the commercials must be persuasive and use strategies to market their products. In this advertisement, the people are advertising a game called Game of War, a free game for mobile smartphones. This game makes money off of in-app purchases, so the more people play, the better chance they have at making money. Game of War targets their game at a male audience and uses Kate Upton, battle scenes, and epic music to convince a male audience to play their game.

    Kate Upton is the mascot of Game of War and is continually used in all the Game of War trailers to grab the attention of their male audience. Kate Upton is a model, known for her appearances in Sports Illustrated, and an actress. She is known for her beautiful and voluptuous figure. In the commercial, Kate Upton is portrayed as a beautiful, confident leader. Many men can't help but be drawn to her and by using her as the main figure in the Game of War commercial, Game of War can draw the attention of males and use it to persuade them to get their game.

     Game of War also uses various battle scenes to entice a male audience with the awesomeness of war. Catapults are flung towards the castle, battalions of men fight with swords, shields, and chainmail, and giants tear down the walls of the castle. As a male myself, I can say that many men have a natural tendency to glorify war. The battle scenes in the commercial give war an fantasy-like and adventurous feel to it and grab the attention of male viewers. By making war seem fun, Game of War can further persuade their male audience to get their game.

    The commercial also uses epic music to give the commercial, as the music says, an epic feeling. There is a genre called epic music that is basically orchestra with brass that is used in many movies during battle scenes and war. This kind of music is loud and powerful and can pump up the viewer and glorify fighting. This grabs the attention of viewers and supports the battle scenes and Kate Upton and, ultimately, helps Game of War market its game.

#26 (non-fiction) The importance of the viral Jordan Spieth thank-you note

      Last weekend was the Masters at Augusta, one of the most exciting weeks of the year for golfers like myself. Only the best of the best are allowed to compete in it, and it never fails to satisfy a golf fans love for competition and thrill. This year's Masters made history as Jordan Spieth  won the tournament at 21 years old, tying Tiger Woods, and was the first ever to reach 19 under par. However, this editorial isn't all about golf but how we must be as people. Peter Post uses Spieth's credibility and uses the a note that Spieth wrote as a highschooler to show how we must strive to become people like Jordan Spieth.
     
   Post uses testimonies about Jordan Spieth to build Spieth's credibility as a role model. What's amazing about Spieth is, "what a truly nice guy he is. He is not only the epitome of the athlete who can perform at the highest levels — people also like him. Phil Mickelson said it best right after the round when he was asked about Spieth: “He’s obviously a tremendous player, but he’s just a tremendous individual, too. He’s really been a lot of fun to have on the past Ryders Cup and Presidents Cup teams. He’s just a quality individual. I think it’s hard not to like, not to pull for, the guy.” Not only is he a great golfer, but he a great person. He is talent mix with a real human side to him that makes him the perfect role model for people.

   Post then goes on to explain how Spieth wrote a thank you note to the people who awarded him a scholarship in high school. Post states that, "what is really impressive is that he wrote the note — not a perfunctory thank you but a genuine, heartfelt thank you that addressed the importance of academics as well as golf in his teenage world." In this world of email and quick communication, the high school Spieth took his time to hand write a genuine thank you letter. The actual letter that Spieth wrote shows the Spieth human side and has a sense of innocence that really appeals to pathos and the emotional part of the audience. 

    Thank-you notes matter because they reflect that you are someone who knows how to show appreciation for a gift, a favor, or an opportunity. It is such a simple device, yet they help us to build relationships in ways we may not even imagine. We should all take a lesson from Spieth on how to write a thank-you note that demonstrates genuine appreciation in the moment."

 "

TOW #25 "When Women are Too Thin" by the NYT

      France recently took major steps in the battle against anorexia by approving amendments that will fight against anorexia . The fashion and entertainment business is deforming the definition of beauty in which skinny, and unnaturally skinny is deemed beautiful. This is becoming a health problem and a deadly issue in France and the New York Time editorial board uses factual information and examples of models who died of anorexia to argue that these French amendments prove to global fashion that extreme malnutrition and anorexia cannot be considered beautiful.

     The Editorial Board gives the audience facts and statistics about anorexia to allow the audience understand just how great of a problem anorexia is not only in France, but around the world. There are up to "40,000 people (who) suffer from anorexia in France, 90 percent of them women," according to France's Health Ministry. But this problem is worldwide as, "24 million Americans suffer from eating disorders. There is a law in Israel "against ultrathin models," that went into effect in January, 2013. This shows how widespread a problem eating disorders are and it shows that nations are already taking steps to stop this.

     What makes anorexia a very real problem is that it can be fatal, for the Editorial Board of the New York Times gives examples of models who died of anorexia. Im 2006, "Brazilian-born model Ana Carolina Reston" died of anorexia. "French model Isabelle Caro...weighed only 60 pounds when she posed for an ad campaign in 2007" and she died in 2010. These deaths show that anorexia can be deadly. People often think of eating disorders as simply minor problems to a person's life, but when a full grown women is only 60 pounds in the case of Isabelle Caro, there can be very real consequences. This qualifies the actions that the French government is making as they are creating laws that will help save the lives of their citizens,

    The three laws will "require models to get a medical certificate that their body mass index is a minimum of 18. Employers who hire models who don’t meet this minimum would risk a fine of about $83,000 and a prison term of up to six months." The second amendment will require digitally amended photos to meet a certain requirement and the photo cannot be unrealistically thin. "The third amendment would punish websites that promote unhealthy weight loss and anorexia with a fine of 10,000 euros and up to one year in prison." These steps that the French are making are a sign of the change needed in today's society and are steps that not only France, but the whole world should be making as well.

Ana Carolina Reston (death 2006) 

What anorexia can do

TOW #24 (IRB) Killing Kennedy part 2

       I finally finished Killing Kennedy, and it was not a disappointment. Few history books captured the same intensity and excitement that this book had. Killing Kennedy, written by Bill O'reilly is mostly about Kennedy's assassination and the events that led up to it, and O'reilly uses dramatic style and a present tense to deliver the history of Kennedy in a thrilling way to the American people.

      What makes this book so interesting is the dramatic tone that O'reilly writes in. At the end of every chapter, O'reilly has a type of dramatic foreshadowing or ending that leaves the reader wanting more or feeling some kind of emotion. At the end of chapter 5, O'reilly ends the chapter with, "Oswald is unhappy that his return to the United States has not attracted widespread media attention...he has no idea that he is being secretly watched by a very powerful concern." At the end of chapter 26, when Kennedy was killed, O'reilly ends with, "He leaves behind a beautiful widow, He leaves behind two adoring young children. He leaves behind a nation that loves him." This style of writing caters to his audience, the common American people. O'reilly wants the American people to know more about Kennedy's assassination, so he has to use an exciting and emotional style of writing that will keep a reader interested and wanting more, a very effective thing to do on O'reilly's part.

      Something really interesting about Killing Kennedy is that it is entirely written in the present tense. "Oswald is unhappy", "Lyndon Johnson does not tiptoe when it comes to foreign relations..", Jackie sobs. Her body jerks as pain courses through her." The present tense makes the entire story realistic, once again appealing to the theme of thrill in the book. A history book written in the past tense makes everything seem long ago and be tiresome and boring to a reader. However, the present tense makes things exciting and action packed. Something seemingly trivial such as changing the tense of the book made a huge impact on the style of the writing and was extremely effective for O'reilly's purpose.

     

 Mr. O'reilly himself

TOW #23 (Visual) WWF Shark Ad

       Pop culture and entertainment has recreated the shark as a savage, blood-thirsty, terrorizing creature, but sharks are relatively passive animals that kill only 5 people a year (compare this to 24,000 people dead from lightning strikes). These animals are a vital part of the ocean's ecosystem and are one of the top predators in the ocean. However, we kill over 8000 sharks a year, mainly for their fins for a favorite Asian dish, shark fin soup. The World Wildlife Fund is trying to put a stop to shark exploitation and uses simplicity to send that message.

     This WWF advertisement's most distinctive element is its simplicity. Simplicity in both image and words. The picture is split into two identical oceans. One has the fin of the shark showing and one has no shark. The audience can instantly tell the difference between the two without much thought because of the obvious contrast between the two pictures. 

     Centered in each of the two images are small white words. The image with the shark says, "Horrifying." The WWF is basing this off of the popular belief that sharks are scary creatures. Although they only kill an average of 5 people a year, the human psyche, because of cultural influences, sees the top fin of a shark and instantly pictures the horrifying shark and the terror a shark causes. 

    The picture with no shark also has white words, "More Horrifying." At first glance, one would wonder, "why would it be more horrifying if there was no shark?" However, an informed citizen, after careful thought, would realize the meaning behind this. The truth in shark exploitation and the rapidly declining number of sharks. The WWF is using this fact as the base in their argument that an ocean with no sharks is even more horrifying than an ocean with sharks. The advertisement is extremely simple, and in this case, with simplicity comes intensity, and the WWF was able to deliver a powerful message because of it.

TOW #22 (Non-Fiction) Protect the Police from Armor-Piercing Bullets from the NYT Ed-Board

America's 2nd amendment allows the right to bear arms. However, there is now less in less need for guns in this developed world. In fact, guns are leading to more problems in America as shootings are becoming more prevalent in the past years. This leads Americans such as one of the authors in the Editorial Board of the New York Times to want gun restrictions. The author uses examples of gun violence and the authority of the federal government to argue for gun limits in America.

The author first uses the recent controversy of 5.56 mm steel core bullets that "can be used in newly adapted handguns to provide lethal force to pierce the vests and body armor used by law enforcement officers" to introduce the topic to his audience by using a current issue. She states that many people are rallying against the production of these bullets since the can pose a great threat to Americans and especially the police force that would have to face these bullets if the bullets got into the wrong hands. The author then reminds the reader of the "schoolhouse massacre of 20 children in Connecticut" that happened two years ago, the Sandy Hook Massacre. By bringing up this horrible incident which was a high point in anti-gun feelings in America, the author appeals to pathos and evokes emotion to further her argument for gun restrictions. The author effectively persuades the reader into seeing her point through both facts and emotion.

The author also appeals to ethos as he refers to the federal government and the action it is taking to place limits on guns in America. Concerning the 5.5.6 mm steel core bullets mentioned earlier, the "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives"  sensibly propose[d] banning it in the name of greater gun safety." Also, "the gun lobby is marshaling gun owners and legislative allies to oppose the ban, falsely accusing the Obama administration of exceeding its authority through some backdoor attempt at gun control. The law, however, is clear: Armor-piercing handgun ammunition has been banned since 1986, and the firearms agency has the responsibility to regulate the law’s enforcement." The government is also working on a bipartisan proposal between "Representatives Peter King, Republican of New York, and Mike Thompson, Democrat of California" to extend the government's reach in gun sales and gun checks. By using the American government, the author builds an incredibly strong ethos that cannot by argued against easily. 

                                    5.56mm bullets

TOW #21 (Non-fiction) Mr. Obama’s Historic Move on Cuba

      Towards the end of 2014, America and Cuba broke down the political, social, and economical barriers between the two to begin a new history of America-Cuba relations. Although there are many people in the United States who disagree with what America did, The Editorial Board of the New York Times believes it was the proper move and an important change to American foreign policy. The Editorial Board of the New York Times used quotes from the leaders of both nations and factual evidence to show how America made the right choice in opening up to Cuba.

      The New York Times uses quotes from both Obama and Raul Castro, the Cuban president, to praise this new step to America-Cuba relations. Obama says, “These 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked. It’s time for a new approach”. This shows how practical Obama was in his decision and how he made the right decision. Obama made the right choice to open up to Cuba. Castro says, “We must learn the art of coexisting with our differences in a civilized manner". This quote from the Cuban president shows Cuba's willingness to cooperate with America and escape from the isolationism that hindered the nation's growth for 50 years. By using the words of the two leaders of both nations, both willing to cooperate with each other, shows how America-Cuba relations might turn out for the better.    The New York Times also use evidence that appeals to logos to show the leaps America and Cuba are making in diplomacy and policy. The Obama administration said the the changes in relations have, "the potential to empower Cuba’s growing entrepreneurial class by permitting commercial and financial transactions with the United States. The White House also intends to make it easier for American technology companies to upgrade the island’s primitive Internet systems, a step that could go a long way toward strengthening civil society." The Cuban government also released, "unnamed American intelligence agent who had been imprisoned for nearly 20 years and Alan Gross, a 65-year-old American subcontractor who had been imprisoned in Havana since 2009." While the US, "released three Cuban spies who have served more than 13 years in prison. The prisoner swap paved the way for a policy overhaul that could become Mr. Obama’s top foreign policy legacy." Factual evidence like this shows the effort the two nations are putting into the relations and commending them for the work they are doing to establish healthy connections with each other. The New York Times' Editorial Board believes that Obama made the right move in ending America and Cuba isolationism and, "in all likelihood, history will prove Mr. Obama right."

President Raul Castro addressing the Cuban public on the new policies with America

TOW #20 IRB Killing Kennedy by Bill Oreilly

     So there was a slight change to my IRB. At first I was going to read Killing Lincoln, but I found out that I didn't own it, but I did own Killing Kennedy which is from the same series as Killing Lincoln. Killing Kennedy, written by Bill Oreilly who is a political commentator and author, is about the events that led up to Kennedy's assassination and the effect it had on America after Kennedy's death. The book also contains information on the Cold war, the rise in communism, and the Mafia which all had an impact on Kennedy's presidency and death. In Killing Kennedy, Oreilly elaborates on Oswald and details the daily life of Kennedy in order to completely disclose the life and assassination of Kennedy that is often shrouded in rumors and mystery. Oreilly believes it is a story "all Americans should know."
    Oreilly's narrative tone really helps keep the book interesting and realistic. The book itself is in a chronological order, and not only does it narrate the life of Kennedy, but also the lives of the people around Kennedy and Kennedy's killer, Lee Harvey Oswald. Most history books tell the reader that Oswald killed Kennedy and move on. However, Oreilly elaborates on Oswald, "a former U.S. Marine Corps sharpshooter... in the Soviet city of Minsk... a defector at age nineteen,... the slightly built, somewhat handsome, enigmatic drifter,... convinced that his socialist beliefs would be embraced in the Soviet Union." Oswald is now given a more human characteristic than the barbaric image the average American has of Oswald, giving the book a more historical perspective and less biased view. This historical perspective allows the reader to learn the truth of Oswald and further understand the circumstances of the entire situation between Kennedy and Oswald.
      Oreilly also details the daily life of Kennedy in the White House which gives Kennedy a more human characteristic and shows the facts of the Kennedy that many do not know. President Kennedy had an, "aching back" which caused him to "the indoor pool-always heated to a therapeutic ninety degrees." He received, "regular injections of the anesthetic procaine to ease his suffering." Kennedy took, "naps for exactly forty five minutes. Other great figures in history such as Winston Churchill napped during the day. For Kennedy, it is a means of rejuvenation." These details about Kennedy unveil the facts of Kennedy that are unknown to many. Kennedy becomes a real person more than just an assassinated president and explains to people of this time why Kennedy's assassination had such a tremendous impact of the course of American history.

TOW #19 (Visual) Naruto: the Last trailer

     Here's a topic a little new to my TOWs, anime. I have a passion for manga and anime, especially a manga called "Naruto" that recently ended after 14 years of popularity. Naruto is considered one of Japan's greatest mangas and has been within the world's top five best selling mangas since 2001, the year of its first release. In commemoration of Naruto, there is a movie even coming to America on February 21, in which Steven Sung and I will watch in New Jersey. The trailers for the movie are extremely exciting to me and I've been watching them and preparing myself for the movie for the past week and a half. One particular trailer uses scenes from the manga and a timeline of the entire story to remind viewers history of Naruto and how much they love Naruto in order to get more people to watch the movie.

     This trailer uses scenes from the manga to remind viewers of their love Naruto. Naruto has many epic moments and the trailer tries to capture all of it. Every person that has read Naruto through the mangas knows the scenes that appear on the trailer, the scene where he learns his first ninja jutsu, the scene where he blocks a punch with his head for his friend, his battle with Sasuke, his first attempt at sage mode (that's the part where his pupils turn into blocks), and his emergence as the Sage of Six Paths. Now this undoubtedly will not make sense to people who don't know Naruto, but for a fan, this is 14 years of his life that he dedicated to Naruto and lived with Naruto. The trailer captures these nostalgic and emotional moments through the actual scenes in the manga which makes the Naruto loving audience have the need to watch this last movie of Naruto.

      The trailer also follows a timeline format where it starts with the young Naruto and as the trailer goes on, the story of Naruto also goes on. The very beginning of the trailer shows Naruto being born and his young self. As time went on, Naruto grew and Naruto got stronger. The trailer shows the momentous moments in Naruto's life, the suffering he went through, the enemies he faced, the friends he made, the friends he lost. The fan is reminded of his life with Naruto and 14 years of growth. To myself personally, this trailer made me sort of sad since I knew that the anime and manga that I loved for my whole life was ending and this movie was going to be its last mark in history. This made me want to watch the trailer even more because the timeline system reminded me of Naruto's growth and my growth with him which made me really need to watch this movie. I know it may sound silly to "grow with a fictional character," but when something has been a part of your life for almost the whole of it, it becomes very real, and this trailer wants to remind me of that.

     

TOW #18 Non-fiction Editorial "ISIS is the enemy"

ISIS is becoming a more real threat every day. Just a few days ago, they burned a Jordanian pilot and released a video of it. These sort of grotesque and inhumane acts that ISIS is committing require leadership from the global community, and according to the Washington Times, America needs to lead the charge towards eradicating ISIS. The Washington Times uses experiments to show that America and specifically Obama has to take actions to stop ISIS.

Most of the editorials evidence comes from an experiment that was conducted by Ari Horowitz that shows why America's leaders have to take charge and crush ISIS. Horowitz conducted the experiment at UC Berkeley where he walked around the campus waving the black flag of ISIS, but "only a few turned their heads or muttered a few words of lethargic protest. A few students raised their hands in salute with the clenched fist of the “revolution.”A little later, he walked across the campus waving the flag of Israel with cries of praise for the Jewish state. This aroused the lethargic students. Boos, hisses and cries of “child killer” and “Zionist genocide” followed him across the campus green." 

Through this experiment, the author is trying to show that even the best and brightest of America are unaware of the true atrocities of ISIS. The author then quickly brings up the point that, luckily, it isn't the students at these colleges that are making policies, but it is the powerful people in the government. If the best and brightest are not fit enough to lead the charge against ISIS, who will? Obama has to bring in a competent overseas militant leader that take effective action and back that person with powerful determination of his own in order to end one of the greatest threats of this generation.

ISIS Beheading, showing the cruelty and barbarism of ISIS

TOW #17 Non-fiction "Editorials say football is on right path with player safety changes"

With the Super Bowl tonight, the only thing in my mind was football, football, and football. But I still have to write a TOW, so what better topic to write about than football on Super Bowl Sunday? Football is America's sport, but it hit its roadblock a couple years ago when head injuries became a major issue. However Bill Bradley, an editor of nfl.com, using a comparison between past football and present football and a quote from president Theodore Roosevelt, argues that football has changed for the better and is still a valuable part of America.

Bradley compares how rules in football, both in game and in practice, have changed from the past to show how football now is much safer for players. Recently, "the NFL and college programs have been introducing rule changes to prohibit players from returning to a game or practice if they have sustained a concussion." The players union in the NFL came together to limit "physical contact in practice, once a major source of injury." Teams now "only practice once a day and generally save tackling for the actual games" and the restriction of "water at training camps to "toughen up" players" is a thing of the past as dehydration became a major reason of injury. Football has become a much safer sport and can not be criticized for unsafe practices.

Bradley also quotes president Theodore Roosevelt which establishes Bradley's own appeal to ethos by quoting such an influential figure. Bradley argues to "not overreact to a handful of tragic injuries and legislate or litigate away a game that means so much to so many Americans.Teddy Roosevelt, the president who "saved" football in an earlier era, warned that abolishing the game would result in turning out "mollycoddles instead of vigorous men." "It is to my mind simple nonsense, a mere confession of weakness," he thundered in 1907, "to desire to abolish a game because tendencies show themselves, or practices grow up, which prove the game ought to be reformed." Even Roosevelt supports football, making football an even more American game and valuable part of American culture that can't be erased because of a small number of head injuries.

1. Devastating Hits in Football

IRB Introduction #3 "Killing Lincoln"

My third IRB is actually something my father recommended to me. The "Killing..." series, which features other influential people like JFK and Jesus, by Bill O'Reilly talks about how the lives of these people influenced the world and how their deaths influenced the world even more, or something like that from what I heard from my dad. O'Reilly supposedly goes after a lot of the conspiracies about Lincoln's life in "Killing Lincoln." I'm currently learning about Lincoln in APUSH so I'm really excited to see what this books got to deliver.

TOW #16 IRB Post "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond

I went into this book thinking that it was going to be about how the Europeans crushed and conquered the "less civilized" nations through guns, germs, and steel. To me, that was what the title of the book implied, but Guns, Germs, and Steel is about much more than muskets and conquistadors. It's about the differences in human civilizations all around the world and why things in human history happened a certain way. Through the use of pictures of people and an outline of numerous topics, Diamond argues that it is necessary to understand the people and societies of history and the world in order to further understand ourselves as humans and to further understand our futures.

One thing that really stands out in this book is its use of visual rhetoric that shows the human side of history and allows a better understanding of history than words can transfer. In sections of the book, Diamond inserts pictures of people. These people include a "Khoisan woman from the Kalahari Desert of Botswana", "Western European, former president Charles de Gaulle of France", "a Tingus woman from Siberia", and "Aboriginal Australians from Arnhem Land." The different faces, skincolor, facial structures, and attributes of all these people show a human side to history that is often left in most history textbooks and historical studies. Diamond uses these pictures to show that history is about the people in it and how they interacted to create the history we know today. He reminds us that it was people that developed this world and will continue to in the future.

Diamond also goes over many topics in the book, not just guns, germs, and steel as the title might suggest, in order to show the different aspects of history and the numerous reasons why history was shaped a certain way. Diamond talks about farming in "History's Haves and Have Nots" chapter, domestication in the "How to make an almond" chapter, writing systems in the "Blueprints and Borrowed Letters" chapter, and governmental systems in the "From Egalitarian to Kleptocracy chapter. By going over many topics, Diamond can prove that human civilizations are comprised of many different aspects. By knowing how these different elements created different societies, we can understand the differences in humans and our civilizations and better understand ourselves in our own unique societies and the path we are heading.

Our friend, Jared Diamond

TOW #15 Doritos Time Machine (Visual)

The Super Bowl is great. Not only does it come with an exciting game and family fun time, but also features some of the greatest commercials of all time. These commercials pay a lot of money to the station airing the Super Bowl due to the enormous viewership and work hard to make memorable and funny commercials that will sell their product the best. From the last Super Bowl in 2014, one commercial was particularly memorable. It was a commercial from Doritos. In the commercial, Doritos utilized the cuteness of the boy and his dog and humor to evoke an emotional response from its audience so that the audience would remember the commercial and remember to buy their product.

Most of the commercial was an overload of cuteness so that Doritos could grab the attention of its viewers and keep the audience hooked. The commercial depicted a cute little boy named Jimmy with blond hair and a cute golden retriever. Everybody loves cute kids. Everybody loves dogs. When the two things combine, there is an amount of cuteness that would make any average American Super Bowl viewer say, "Aww." There would not be the same effect if there was an angry looking teenage boy with his dog fighting pitbull to do the job. Doritos specifically chose Jimmy and his loyal golden retriever to grab its audience's attention, thus, allowing their product to by memorable, and in the end, sell their product.

Doritos also utilizes humor, like most commercials do, to make their commercial memorable and. ultimately, sell their product. After Mr. Smith goes in the time machine and Jimmy takes his Doritos, an old man comes out of his house and Jimmy and his dog to get off of his lawn. As Jimmy and his dog scurry away, Mr. Smith comes out of the time machine. When he comes out, he sees an old man and immediately assumes that the old man was Jimmy since he believes that he went into a real time machine. He says, "Jimmy? Your so old! It's the future!" The humor not only comes from Mr. Smith's hilarious assumption but also from the bewildered face of the old man as his face is being held by a man he doesn't know. This humor allows for an emotional response from the audience in laughter and makes the commercial memorable. And when a commercial is memorable it allows people to remember a brand and in the end, buy the brand. By using effective appeals to pathos, Doritos was able to capture its audience, keep its audience entertained, and make its brand more known and more loved.