18. A Boy in ISIS. A Suicide Vest. A Hope to Live.

   The title itself, as you can see, makes Tim Arango's article a very appealing one to read. Not that it seems entertaining, but that it contains and empathetic persuasion to it, making people(at least those who have a heart) more likely to read through the article. The article is about a Syrian 14-year-old boy, Usaid Barho, who surrendered to Shiite guards after having volunteered to be a suicide bomber for the Sunnis.
[*side note: As the vast majority of the world knows, Sunnis and Shiites do not get along well...at all. Years of wars between the two major religious Muslim divisions have passed by, and it can be well inferred that there will be even more wars between them.]
Usaid Barho told the Shiite guards that the caliphate (aka- Sunnis) had seduced him into becoming one of them and brainwashed him along with several others into believing that Shiites were terrible people and deserved to die. The caliphate went as far as threatening his mother, saying that if the Shiites were not killed, they would come after his mother and rape her. Usaid then said that he was located to Iraq (home of the major Sunnis and Shiites). When he got there, he realized that what he was doing was wrong, so he quickly volunteered to be a suicide bomber so he could surrender to security forces. The boy later on told officers the real motives of his surrender- he had seen Sunnis brainwashing children, he had seen the hypocrisy and the lies that the Sunni leaders made- and he knew that all of it was wrong, which was why he decided to give up on caliphate desires, and surrender to the Shiites instead. The author then wraps up his article by saying that Usaid Barho plans on moving to Turkey to study, but cannot meet his family yet, and that nobody knows what Barho and his family's fate will be.
   Tim Arango surely picked a somewhat touchy subject to write his article on. Suicide bombings in the Middle East have been trending on news these past few years, and many of us have seen numerous of innocent people dying because of them. The majority of the article is summarizing the happenings of Usaid Barho before, during and after his surrender to the Shiite guards. There are only a few paragraphs where the author inputs external information as a supplement to readers, and he never voices his opinion. The author probably chose to make his article an unbiased one because the subject in hand is not one that everyone can have a "valid" opinion on. The article shows an appeal to pathos, or emotions, through the words and concepts that Tim Arango chose to write about. By talking about Usaid Barho's family and their unknown fate, the author leaves us readers with a tingle on our spines and empathy towards Usaid. The chronological order of the story and the supplements inputed by the author makes the article flow readily and makes it easy for readers to understand the situation and the solution to the whole story of the Syrian boy. Overall, the author did a good job making his article both an informative and a sentimental one- delivering immediate messages about Sunnis and Shiites to readers and telling the story of a boy who discovered what the problem truly was.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/27/world/middleeast/syria-isis-recruits-teenagers-as-suicide-bombers.html?_r=0 

18. Something to Sneeze At

This article begins by explaining how millions of people believe that boosting their immune system is a a great idea. They remain convinced that products that claim to boost their immunity naturally work; however, research shows that they are simply expensive placebos. The author the goes on to explain why boosting the immune system is a bad idea. He specifically explains how the innate and acquired systems work and how boosting them would affect rather than benefit one's life. He also makes it clear how one's body reacts once it has been invaded by a virus. It is also made clear how over-the-counter alternative remedy products can't boost acquired immunity. The only way to do so is through simple vaccinations, or more complicated and rare bone marrow transplants. To conclude, the author explains how extremes are bad: too much immunity can elad to allergies, tissue damage, and even anaphylaxis, while too little immunity can be deadly. The author also gives a plausible solution by recommending the readers to keep a balanced diet, minimize stress, maintain hygiene, and sleep well. "These are interventions that have been shown to help keep your immune system at its best. These alone can "boost" your odds of staving off an infection this cold season."

Jeremy Samuel Faust, author of this article, does a great job explaining why one shouldn't want to boost their immune system by taking pills that theoretically do so. He does an exceptional job at explaining  how the immune system works. The audience should have no trouble understand both the innate and acquired systems as he gave a great explanation while including plenty of details. Throughout his article, he seemed to be arguing why people should stay away from such products. He presents reasons for it, backs them up with great support, and offers a solution at the very end which is reasonable and easily achievable. His word choice and sentences structures are simple yet compelling. I personally had no trouble understand it and the reading itself flows very nicely. Overall, I enjoyed this article and now know to stay away from products that claim to boost my immunity. 


http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/12/boost_your_immunity_cold_and_flu_treatments_suppress_innate_immune_system.html

17. We are all seriously sleep deprived

National Geographic has just announced that a documentary on sleep deprivation will air Dec 7 at 9 a.m. The main topic being discussed will be Don’t worry, we are all tired … and this is seriously harming our bodies. This new approach on the matter that plagues both adults and younger people promises to shed some light on the subject and is long over due. The documentary will explain all of the problems that sleep deprivation can cause; higher risk of obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular disease. In short the documentary cannot be missed.
This article while giving a brief synopsis of the documentary also strongly entices the reader to go and watch it. It does so by presenting relevant information that the article will cover and well as some intriguing facts on sleep. The effort put into getting the readers to watch the documentary can be seen with how author JOANNA ROTHKOPF not only give the time and date of the airing but also posts the trailer right under the article.This article is no doubt meant to be followed trough with a viewing of the actual documentary.

http://www.salon.com/2014/12/03/we_are_all_seriously_sleep_deprived/

17. Will Integrating Women Into Fraternities Help Reduce Sexual Abuse?

The article begins by talking about the fraternity gang rape that happened last month in the University of Virginia. The school has temporarily closed down all fraternities on campus and are discussing whether they should completely ban fraternities, since it has happened  many times before. It had been proven that men who enter fraternities are three times as likely to commit rape as their fellow students who do not. The author then brings up that what could put an end to these acts of sexism is allowing the integration of women in the frat houses. The author points out that clubs at Princeton have been integrating women into their frat clubs. The author also includes that last year, the vice-officer of Tiger Inn, one of the frat clubs at Princeton, did send out inappropriate and sexist e-mails to the club members  in regard to how women "don't belong in the club," proving that allowing females into frat houses would not completely end the sexist behavior.
The author of this article, Amanda Marcotte, wanted to show the public if allowing women to join frat houses would be a step in the right direction. To do this, she used evidence from researches, proving her information to be valid. The also showed both sides of the coin, explaining how allowing females to join these frat clubs could potentially end sexist behavior but also showing how sexist can still continue despite it (the Tiger Inn case). She maintains an unbiased tone in the beginning of the article, but shares her opinion on the very last paragraph. She states that at least the frat club of Tiger Inn was able to solve its problem, the vice-president who sent the e-mail was punished and even sent to trial, meaning that "getting more women into the mix might contribute to an atmosphere of more accountability."

17. "Should a Therapist Reveal Herself?"

     Therapy has become common lately as it is said to psychologically heal a person. Yet, with the vast growth of therapy, how effective is it actually? Each therapist has the essential role of reflecting on the continuing process with each patient and to make course corrections as they become necessary. With this, many times a session will emphasize only on the patient. What is the therapist himself also reveal his problems; what is a therapy session consists of both the patient and the therapist? The author of the article, Barbara Wolfer, suggest that in fact it should flow this way. Revealing some of themselves as appropriate times, with appropriate patients, makes the therapists seem more human and thus enhances the therapeutic process. 

     The author of this article, Barbara Wolfer, is very effective in her writing. Her main purpose is to persuade a new concept in therapy and she does it very well. As a psychiatrist herself, she uses her own beliefs and experiences to support her claim. Overall, her supporting experiences are very well written and convey a very firm statement. She writes quite informally which gives the whole article an impression of communication. Her tone is very friendly and inspiring as she imposes her thoughts in a smooth and amicable way. With this, she persuades her idea very well. I personally really enjoyed this article and had my view on therapy changed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/opinion/should-a-therapist-reveal-herself.html?mabReward=RI%3A17&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&region=CColumn&module=Recommendation&src=rechp&WT.nav=RecEngine&_r=0

17. The Topics Dystopian Films Won't Touch

Ever since The Hunger Games was released, American culture has grasped the new era of dystopian films. Novels are being written than turn into popular films that not only the teens love. However, while these movies warn their audiences of "over-reliance on computers, totalitarian rule, class warfare, pandemic panics and global warming" they don't mention anything about racism or sexism. All of this was the introduction to the main idea of the article which is that the dystopian movies don't include problems we have in divisions of society today. These movies make their audience think that these problems vanish in the future which doesn't make sense. The author then goes on to give examples in the movies like Hunger Games and Divergent which support his claims.

The tone of the article is mainly formal when the author is addressing the idea that these serious issues need to be shown and not hidden away. He especially talks strongly about the fact that Hollywood does not take the opportunity to talk about theses touchy subjects. They merely just brush it off. However he also uses a touch of humor around the middle of the article as a sort of comic relief from the topic of these heavy subjects. The purpose of the article was not only to inform the reader of the fact that most movies don't mention these subjects, but also to persuade other movies to do so. He does this by appealing to the readers emotions by describing these problems in society. The article concludes with an example of a book that does mention the issues of racism and sexism and the author urges future movies an novels to do so as well.    

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/11/the-topics-dystopian-films-wont-touch/382509/?single_page=true

17. The Earliest Crash Test Dummies Were Cadavers

This article by Sarah Laskow, a writer and reporter at The Atlantic, is about the progression in automobile safety and the contribution made by the anthropomorphic test device, or otherwise known as, the crash dummy. Laskow writes in praise of the crash dummy, informing the reader of it's origins, usages, developments, etc. The crash dummy was first used in America's aerospace program, intended for testing jet ejector seats. After  its great contribution to the aerospace program, it was then used for everyday automobiles. They were then developed more and more as time went by and cars became more sophisticated. The crash dummy later became more anatomically correct, with material that reacted similarly to actual humans.
Laskow writes in an informative and formal way. She does not try to connect personal anecdotes, talk casually, or appeal to emotion. She takes solid statistics and displays them with accurate information from credible sources. The article is intended to inform and praise the contribution, to automobile safety , that the crash dummy has made.

17. Bands, Balloons, and Protesters

Every year in New York, the Macy's store holds a Thanksgiving parade. However, this year Maslin describes a group of protesters who walked alongside the parade. The author introduces the article with a usual description of the highlights in the parade: the helium filled character balloons, and bands marching down avenues. Maslin also makes a point to include the protesters in this description, explaining how this year there is an uneasy atmosphere in the traditionally happy parade. A fact that most people are aware of these days is that of the grand jury`s action on the police man who shot Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager from Missouri. The crowd of protesters was seen beingchased by policemen, as they attempted to stop the parade and hold signs up in honor of Michael. Although many demonstrators were arrested this gloomy Thanksgiving day, many still refused to leave the parade.
Maslin`s purpose in writing this article was to tell Americans about the effect that the jury`s decision has had on the common American, even in New York City. The language used demonstrates the feeling of the holiday, happiness and pre-Christmas excitement. At the same time, however, the author gives the reader a sense of tension in the air because of the protesters. The language is casual and almost anti-formal, as the author gives details about both the members of the holiday parade as well as interviews of protesters. Overall there are two aproaches that Maslin takes on analyzing this year`s Macy`s parade, the usual festive activities of the holiday event, as well as the new factor of riots and police men chasing protesters because of the incident with Michael Brown. Although the article is merely ten paragraphs long, and quite short, the author fulfills her purpose in explaining the effect that the grand jury`s decision has had, and is yet to have on this year`s usual holiday spirit.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/28/nyregion/macys-thanksgiving-parade-new-york-ferguson-protesters.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=mini-moth&region=top-stories-below&WT.nav=top-stories-below&_r=1

17. Michigan Cop Stops Black Man for Walking With Hands in His Pockets in Freezing Weather

In this article, Daniel Politi talks about a cop who stopped a black man normally walking with his hands in his pocket. Brandon Mckean was walking down the street when a cop stopped him. He asked why the cop stopped him and started to film this whole situation. The cop simply answered that a person called telling about a suspicious black man walking with his hands in his pocket. Mckean just got outraged and kept saying why is a black man making people nervous. The cop told Mckean that he was simply doing his job and that he had to check on him since the neighborhood is nervous. The cop did not understand why Mckean was making people nervous and agreed with Mckean, that this whole situation was just absurd.

Daniel Politi writes one paragraph summarizing the whole situation. He also includes the actual video of what Mckean has filmed. In addition to that, Politi writes all of the dialogue occurred between the two. From this article, it is safe to say that Politi is pointing out a good cop. Today, we hear about police brutality and racism among the blacks, however, this cop kept his cool and did not use harsh language or police brutality. Since Politi added the actual dialogue and the video, it makes the article much more effective. It keeps the readers attention and gives a satisfying sensation because there is actual footage.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/11/30/brandon_mckean_michigan_cop_stops_black_man_for_walking_with_hands_in_his.html?wpsrc=fol_fb

17. Full Bellies, Thankful Hearts

           We seem to remember about starving children around the world only when our bellies are full. “Recent studies show that we find it easier to turn our eyes to those who are less fortunate when we have enjoyed some abundance ourselves. As Christians, we are designed to both enjoy and share God’s good creation with gratitude and compassion.” People become more generous towards those in need, once they have experienced satisfaction. Jesus taught us not to be gluttony but to live in generosity; and our generosity does not begin because we are full and does not stop just by a piece of pie. We must live daily in the sense of generosity.

        The author if this article, Rob Moll, has the intention to inform. The essay has the writing and format of a story, however, at the end the author transmits a message: that humans especially Christians should be generous daily. That is something taught by Jesus. His tone is persuasive; he wants to make people think especially because it is near Thanksgiving break. His audience is Christians around the world. Throughout his piece he does not want to seem to harsh and demanding; Moll is just trying to send out a message for people to be more generous and thankful for what they have.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/november-web-only/full-bellies-thankful-hearts.html

17. Turning Customers Into Cultists

In this article, editor Derek Thomspson explores the meaning and use of brands in marketing. He begins by definig what a brand is; "a signal, good or bad, that influences a consumer’s decision to buy a product." He talks about how, with the age of information, informed customers decrease the effect of a brand in infuencing consumption. However, he explains that too much information and choice can be harmful and make buying more difficult. Thus, customers still tend to return to a default brand. Furthermore, brands don't just affect purchase, they communicate identity as well. According to Thompson, religious cults serve as inspiration to many brands who seek to attract customers through identity and community. Research shows that being part of a group makes us feel more individual, and that people are motivated by other people, not by companies or corporations themselves. Therefore, this "us against the world" mentality is what grants big brands like Apple their success as compared to brands that are cheaper and even potentially better.

This article is mostly informative in nature, but it does contain some visible elements of rhetoric, as do most articles related to marketing. It adresses the three areas of rhetoric, ethos pathos and logos, though not as much as in a fully persuasive piece. There is obviously plenty of logos, logical data, in examples related to TV and medicine marketing, as well as reliable sources, such as Susan Fournier (a professor at Boston University) and Eileen Barker (a British sociologist). There is ethos, credibility, in real-life evidence of cult-like marketing strategies in companies such as Airbnb and Yelp. The pathos, emotional appeal, is more subtle and found in the wording within the piece, ysing such words as "identity," "individuality," and "us-against-the-world." Right from the start, Thompson makes allusion to the comparison of brand marketing to cults, comparing customers waiting for new Apple products to "Wiccans worshipping before Stonehenge." Also, he uses a
chronological sequential organization, following a thought process to a conclusion, without jumping around between ideas. His organization works very well, and his article overall does a good job of informing, without overwhelming, the reader.

http://m.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/12/turning-customers-into-cultists/382248/

17. Are Flip Phones Having a Retro Chic Moment?

     Over the years technology has become a big part of the fashion industry. Maybe this is why the fact that Anna Wintour used a flip phone at the US Open shocked the fashion world. Has this women who is the definition of chic returned to the era of "ancient" technology? Well, Wintour was not the only one seen using the unforgettable flip phone. Rihanna, Kate Beckinsale, Scarlet Johansson, and even Iggy Pop have been seen using the phone. Many politicians have also adopted the new trend. But it is a fact that flip phones are much more economic for callers and texters. They are also very durable. And the weirdest idea is that they are retro chic. Those old flip phones match some people`s personalities more than new smartphones. Plus by using a flip phone, one can say good-bye to their internet obsession. It is all about living the moment. But why are flip phones such a polemic fashion statement? They are original, refreshing, and counterculture. Like everything else in the fashion world, whatever is unique and different, stands out.

     This is a very light weight article written by Michael Musto to The New York Times. The article is mostly informative, but has a bit of a persuasion in it. He starts out his essay by informing about the comeback of the flip phone. He uses various public figures to prove his point. He then states that he also owns and uses one. By using many arguments to justify his use of a flip phone in the technological world of today. By doing so he really persuades the reader by using the idea of originality and uniqueness.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/27/style/are-flip-phones-having-a-retro-chic-moment.html?ref=fashion

#17 "Do You Have a Light? Ralph Lauren Does"

           Ralph Lauren will be unveiling its newest and most expected product this week: the new Ricky bag with light. Ralph Lauren, a famous American brand, is known to be the epitome of classic in the fashion industry. Its classic polo shirts, chinos, and Ricky bags are all time favorites. However, the brand has a new goal: define modernity. In the age of technology and development, what better way is there than to incorporate technology into their products? Thus came the idea of the Ricky bag with light. The new Ricky bag has an internal LED light and a built in USB charger for a smartphone. Bags with internal lighting and bags with chargers have been made before, but a bag with both has never been made. The new Ricky bag is a game changer. It breaks out of the classic label Ralph Lauren has and steps into the “fashion’s premier tech company”. The all time classic Ricky bag is currently $3,500, and the new Ricky with light will be sold at $5,000, with limited amounts available. As our world becomes more modern, not only does technology industry develop, the fashion industry also moves along with it, incorporating the highest technology possible into the finest qualities of fashion.

           Vanessa Friedman, article of this article, writes about the new Ricky bag and its qualities. The article is very informative with all the details about the new step Ralph Lauren has taken. It informs the readers about its qualities, prices, what it means in the fashion world, and how and what has inspired the company to be able to reach this idea. Her language is simple and polished, making it clear and easy for the readers to understand. Friedman’s tone is neutral, but there are hints of approval when she praises the brand for its innovative creation. Overall, the article is informative and easy to comprehend. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/fashion/do-you-have-a-light-ralph-lauren-does.html?ref=fashion

17. Technology is making us blind: The dangerous complacency of the iPhone era

The author starts by showing how technology has become an issue to our generation and he says that for it to change , our culture has to change. He says technology is more and more responsible for the loss of our freedom from the corporations and government. We are blind and  we do not care if our privacy is being depleted by the way technology controls our lives. He says that how we use our technology  cannot be changed because of how unconcerned and unaware we are of the growing dominance of coporations and government in our lives. We are powerless against the government and so our privacy is invaded, technology makes us blind of this fact and we keep unconcerned of problems like this. He then goes on in saying how the way people view technology has changed since it was invented. It was once feared by people as the author uses the movie "Terminator" as an example of fear of technology. The way it is viewed has changed since then, it is not anymore viewed as a threat but as a way to improve one's own life. Technology is more and more growing to be part of humans, and it is a way of being narcicists according to the author. The more technology, the more comfort and self expression there will be.
The author is very successful in transmitting what he wanted to transmit. He successfully starts by stating the problem and thesis that will drive the whole article. Then he develops his points with good and relatable examples that support the reasons very well. The pace of the article is not to fast and no too slow. The way he explains the change in the way technology is viewed is very affective. He starts and ends the essay talking of the way technology is decreasing the privacy of each individual in society and how each of us is unconcerned about it. The author starts and ends the essay  with the same idea stating the dominant impression fo the essay. The essay was clear and direct in what it wanted to say.

http://www.salon.com/2014/11/29/technology_is_making_us_blind_the_dangerous_complacency_of_the_iphone_era/

17. Shop Yourself Happy

Olga Khazan wrote an article on how to “squeeze the most pleasure out of holiday purchases.” Behavioral economists found out that people’s happiness from shopping comes from more than getting good deals. In 2011, psychologists Elizabeth Dunn, Daniel Gilbert and Timothy Wilson from the University of British Columbia, Harvard, and the University of Virginia, respectively, made a study on how to shop in a way that makes the consumer happy. They came to eight rules to solve the dilemma. The first is to buy experiences, such as traveling. The second is to help others, not yourself. The third is to buy many little things instead of just one big thing. The fourth is to not buy a warranty. An example of this is keeping a cracked phone for a while and changing it when a new one comes out rather than fixing it and then changing it. The fifth rule is to buy now and consume later, building anticipation and making the person happier when they actually consume the thing. The sixth is to consider details. The seventh is to not spend time comparing process from different shops; because doing so can lead to over-thinking and paying too much attention to factors that don’t matter. The last is to “go with the flow” because sometimes people enjoy things more just because others like them. The psychologists came to the conclusion that money can buy most, if not all things that make people happy, and the fault is our own if it doesn’t.

            Khazan’s article was mostly informational, presenting the findings of three psychologists on how to “shop yourself happy.” She includes the universities they went to, adding credibility to the article as a whole. The psychologists came up with eight rules, and Khazan presents them in an informal way, explaining them clearly and giving real-life examples of how they would be exercised. Her diction is informal and appealing to the reader. She was very successful in presenting the information clearly and convincing the reader to follow those rules.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/11/shop-yourself-happy/383215/?single_page=true

17. Thankful for Saturn

In this article, Phil Plait talks about how he is thankful for the planet Saturn. He says that appreciative might be a better word for this case though. He goes on to explain that "this ridiculously gaudy bauble of the solar system" never ceases to amaze him since it is "overwhelms his artsy brain with beauty." He then lists the reasons he is thankful for the fast giant: its ring and shadows, light and shadowplay, and intermix, giving a brief explanation for each with pictures and a video. He admires the ring and shadows that are caused by it and appreciates their beauty. He also adds a picture to show what looks like. He finds the light and shadowplay of the planet intriguing; he attaches a video taken by the Hubble telescope back in 1995 showing the planet's tilt and rings. Lastly, he admires and finds spectacular the rare gas mixture on the surface of the clouds on the atmosphere. To conclude, he talks about how odd is it to think of such thing during Thanksgiving.

Phil Plait, author of this article, comments on how he is thankful for the planet Saturn and explains why. He lists the reasons and gives a brief explanation for each. He also presents two images and a video to help the audience visualize and understand the reasons for his admiration. They however, are not very effective as they portray what he thinks is attractive, and not necessarily the audience. The pictures are plain and black and white; the typical pictures shown that everyone has seen of the planet, nothing special or unpublished. His reasons for finding the planet attractive are also very personal, not everyone has special admiration for planets... The language he uses is easy to understand and the reading is fluid. Despite the essay not being very relatable, Plait was able to convey his ideas and make his point on why he appreciates Saturn.


http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2014/11/27/saturn_three_views_of_the_magnificent_planet.html

17. Your Airport's Bartender Problem

 The article covers about the modern problems with bars in airports. Everyone who has been to an airport know the popularity amongst drinks in airports- there are bars everywhere. And they are almost always packed with people. Why is that? The alcohol calms some people down before they "ascend to 35,000 feet." However, author Wayne Curtis noticed that this hype has "cooled down" these past years due to certain problems. First, TSA and FAA clearances were required to enable bar staffs to sell alcohol in airports. Apparently, numerous bars have been rejected from obtaining these clearances- hence, obtaining them is somewhat a hard task. Another problem, mentioned in the essay, is that "airports are never in the hip parts of town where the cool-kid bartenders live." Also, employees have to go through the same process of passengers- they must go through the process of finding a parking space and going through airport security. Managers of airport restaurants an bars are working to direct the bars to a new direction that will lead to success.
  Wayne Curtis uses a structure in which he proposes a problem and suggests a solution to it. By doing so, he successfully shows readers the message he is trying to transmit (that bars are losing their popularity in airports). By using second person pronouns in the introduction (i.e.-"you've got an hour until boarding starts [...] you're ready [...]."), Curtis engages his readers into the article, making the passage as a whole feel like a conversation between the author and the readers. The essay itself is persuading/convincing and shows a hint of urgency in the author's voice. Overall, the essay successfully shows what the main idea is and its solutions.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/12/your-airports-bartender-problem/382241/

17. This Odd American Holiday

In this article, Amy Julia Becker talks about how Thanksgiving taught people about dependence. First, she starts off the introduction by talking about the other holidays, and how Thanksgiving differ from them. There may be wither religious differentiability or people don't celebrate it as much, but in Thanksgiving people just thank each other. Then, she talks about her husband, Peter's, experience about being grateful. She talks about how he went to church with his three children by himself, because she had to teach in another sunday school, and how he was grateful for the situation. Although it may not have been the happiest moment, there were people who helped him and he was able to deal with the situation with patience. Therefore, Peter was grateful and dependent on others. Becker says that being grateful is similar to being dependent. With this in mind, Becker talks about how people aren't grateful about the things that people take for granted. And how we should recognise the things given by the world and by God and be thankful for them.

In my opinion, Becker did a good job transmitting her idea. First, she introduced the topic clearly and gave a background of what she was going to talk about. Then, she states her main idea and give the example about her husband. She is able to support her opinion by talking about how her husband was being both grateful and dependent on others. Finally, in the last paragraph, the conclusion, Becker summarises all her thoughts. In the conclusion, Becker also explains how people can be more thankful towards others because only with the help of others, by being dependent, can people survive.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/amyjuliabecker/2014/november/this-odd-american-holiday.html

16. The Four Types of Sleep Schedules

   Erwin Schrödinger, a famous and successful Austrian physicist, made major contributions to the fields of quantum mechanics, color theory, and general relativity during his life. The weird part of this is that he was unable to make these contributions in the morning. Erwin is so determined to sleep in the morning that, once a major university called him and asked him if he could do a lecture that was schedule for early in the morning, he accepted it but he told them he would not work in the morning. Surprisingly the university agreed with what he said and changes his lecture to the afternoon. Scientists call people like Schrödinger of “owls” which are people who are more alert in the evenings and prefer to wake up late. This is one of two basic sleep schedules. The second sleep schedule is “larks,” people who prefer the early mornings. Scientists from Russia are proposing that there are currently four chronotypes, in other words, sleeping schedules. In addition to “owls” and “larks” there are also the people who feel energetic during both morning and afternoon, also those who feel sleepy all day long.

       The author of this article, Olga Khazan, did a very good job and had an excellent structure for his essay. Khazan’s purpose was to inform the reader about the new discovery that the Russian scientist made, which was the two new sleeping schedules. The author had a happy or smooth tone towards the essay it were as if he was entertained by his own writing and later article. That provided the reader with good feelings and encouragement to continue reading the essay. Khazan uses comparison throughout his essay; by first, comparing the “owls” with the “larks.” Secondly, comparing the energetic people with the sleepy people; third, comparing all four of the sleeping schedules. The resources used by the author are accurate and reliable. The results of the study made by the Personality and Individual Differences showed that 29 larks showed higher energy levels at 9 a.m. than at 9 p.m., that 44 owls, the opposite was true and they usually went to bed about two hours later than the larks. Both the sleepy and energetic people went to bed and woke relatively at the same time. The energetic people slept about a half-hour less than the other three groups, which is about 7.5 hours of sleep each night.

(not late)

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/the-four-types-of-sleep-schedules/382596/

16. "When Your Childhood Home Isn't How You Remember It"

     Childhood is something everyone cherishes. Countless fights with siblings, bike rides, swimming, laughter. Yet, the one thing that most people cherish is our home. As a child, our home ultimately feels like our "own" home; your own home. You feel like it's yours and it has always belonged to you. That was not the case for Hana Schank. Having her parents divorced at a young age, Schank feels as if her various "homes" in fact do not belong to her. With that, her only true feeling of belonging was her first home; the home she remembers most. Several years later, Schank visits her home and realizes major changes in the house. As it is now owned by someone else, Schank's memory of her childhood home is completely different from what is it now. To this, she once again feels that void of not having anything truly belong to her.
     Hana Schank, the author of this article, writes a personal account of her experience revising her childhood home. She is very effective as she writes everything in first person, conveying every moment with lots of details. Writing as first person also gives the article a lot more emotion where the reader can relate to her thoughts, evoking empathy towards her. She uses very good imagery and word choice which made it easy for the readers to picture what she is thinking. Personally, I really enjoyed reading this article. It performs its job perfectly as it actually caused me to think back to my own childhood home.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/magazine/when-your-childhood-home-isnt-how-you-remember-it.html?mabReward=RI%3A14&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&region=CColumn&module=Recommendation&src=rechp&WT.nav=RecEngine

16. This video perfectly captures how Germans felt when the Berlin Wall fell

Twenty five years ago in Europe the 87 mile-long ribbon that divided the Soviet Union from the Rest of the free world crumble under the cheers of gleeful Germans. In theory it was erected to protect the fascist from the anti-fascist is West Germany. However it true purpose was to keep the east side of Europe under the rule of the soviets, hence the nickname “Iron Curtain”. This joyous moment is hard to put into word, realizing this the article presented a video that encompassed the milestone in history. The video is a news report done on the day when the wall fell. It shows how the Germans essentially kept pushing their freedom. First approaching the wall, then climbing it, then dancing around it, and finally trying to tear it down. The video essentially gave a glimpse into the joyous day when the looming symbol fell to the ground, as demonstrated by the cheers whenever someone climbed the wall and stood on top of it.     

The tone of the author in the article is somewhat formal. After all the topic is an infamous event with a happy ending that holds immense emotional links too many crowds across the world. However, it also has a cheerful tone. As if; “Rejoice the wall was torn down! 25 years ago.”  The video, of course is a refreshing take on the over-covered history subject of communism and like the article states shows how people reacted to the demise of the wall. Altogether a happy reminder of a event taken place 25 years ago.                          http://www.salon.com/2014/11/09/this_video_perfectly_captures_how_germans_felt_when_the_berlin_wall_fell_in_1989_partner/

16. 5 Tools That Are Transforming STEM Education

In this article, Alexandra Ossola tells us about five different tools that are transforming/improving the STEM education. First, she tells us about 3-D printers. This machine allows the user to print any object they want. This allows engineers and designers to make what they want more tangible and physical. Second, she tells us about the usage of Ipads. This device is useful because it allows eaiser access to many different things in just one device. It also allows the teacher to communicate to there students easier making it easier to teach. Next she tells us about graphing calculators. These calculators are way more advanced that normal calculators. It allows students to have access to graphing and even connecting to computers for deeper understanding of graphs. Fourthly, she talks about legos. Legos allows students to have visual building blocks. It promotes to pair math concepts with how they are written to creating sophisticated robots ]. Lastly, she talks about fight simulator. This allows students who dream in becoming a pilot be prepared for the future. By flying in a simulator it lets the students have a better grasp in that field of study.

Alexandra Ossola wrote this article in order to inform us. By judging from the title, it may sound like the author is trying to promote these 5 tools, however, Ossola simply wrote this to share her studies. Ossola writes this article in a organized way. She does not have a bundle of paragraphs, but she tells us each tool and talks about that tool. By using this strategy, it makes to article easier to follow along and know exactly what she is talking about. Overall, this article is very organized and informative.

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/11/five-tools-that-are-transforming-stem-education/382305/

16. For a Lasting Marriage, Marry Someone Your Own Age

The title of this article tells us what it wants to say with the whole essay. THe author tells us how ,statistically, marriages with a greater age difference have higher percentages of divorces. Studies from the university the author works in show that the higher the age difference, the higher the chance of divorce is. He starts by saying that age is not the only factor that makes the rate of divorce greater. He says that the success of a marriage also depends on them having money, having children, and the length of time a couple spends dating before they "tie the knot." The statistics show that age is in fact a very big factor when coming to the subject of divorce. Age is significant because with an age difference, there is the difference in life experience and cultural reference points. When the two people are from different generations, a lot is different from one another.
The author is successful in this article. I was able to read and understand everythign easily and quickly. He was objective in his writing and he successfully took a side in this subject. The fluency of the article was good for it was in balance (not to fast and not to slow).
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/why-to-marry-someone-your-own-age/382520/

16. Pepsi Is Testing Doritos-Flavored Mountain Dew

The article begin with a directly with a thesis: "Pepsi recently conducted taste tests of a Doritos-flavored Mountain Dew. A “nacho-flavored chips”-flavored soda". The first reaction to this new flavored drink was on Reddit by a Kent State University Freshman, Steve Barnes, who had tasted the free samples that were being offered. At first, Quartz thought that it was a stunt but then Pepsi confirmed that they were actually trying out the new flavor. Many people who tried the drink were surprised by the taste and said that it "wasn't that disgusting”.

This article was written with the purpose to amuse the reader. It as a short read with only enough information to inform the reader about the subject. The author does use quotes from Reddit(social media website) users who tasted the drink and also includes an excerpt from and email that was sent to Quartz from Pepsi concerning the validity of the new flavor. The author uses a very causal tone that makes the article feel like a conversation with a friend. It was a humors article that was truly amusing.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/pepsi-is-testing-doritos-flavored-mountain-dew/382542/

16. There Are 100 Women in Congress for the First Time Ever

This article is about the major milestone reached on Tuesday night. For the first time in American history, the number of women sitting in Congress is a triple digit. On Tuesday, Alma Adams of North Carolina won a special election for representative of the 12th Congressional District. Since this was a special election, she will not have to wait for the January elections and will be seated shortly, making her the 100th woman currently sitting in Congress. This article also talks about importance of Emily's List that devoted her time to electing pro-choice women in 1985. Because of her, there are now 100 female House members and 19 female senators. The author points out however, that this milestone may be temporary, because when the votes are tallied and the next Congress comes in January, these numbers may drop (or increase hopefully). But for the rest of the year, they'll be a hundred women in congress and a "general trend into the right direction."
The author of this article is very brief and to the point on this article. She starts by showing a picture of Alma Adams and explaining how she came to Congress. The author also included a graph showing the amount of women in Congress from 1917-2014. We can how women slowly got more right and how America went from having one woman in Congress to having 100 and how big of a deal it is. This graph was provided by Rutger's Center for American Women and Politics, which is a reliable source and proves that her information is valid. She also has a biased opinion about this event, and believes that having an equal amount of men and women and Congress would be better for the country and she claims in the end of the article that it was a "general trend into the right direction."

16. God’s Grace Through the Pain of Pregnancy

In this article, Marlena Graves talks about pregnancy. She introduces her article by talking about women who are unable to bear children, or infertile. She talks about how she became infertile before bearing her second daughter and how painful it was. However, after a year and a half, she gets pregnant again. The news of her being pregnant made her cry for hours of happiness, but also of worry because she had a medical condition called hyperemesis gravid arum. This condition made people nauseas and vomit so severely that women could get post traumatic stress. She connects this story with Kate Middleton, and explains how she had to stay in the hospital because of her condition. Graves also talks about how she felt sorry because she would not be able to help her family with the new baby for 10 months because of her condition. She talks about, since she had moved to a new neighbourhood, no one knew her condition and did not help her. She reminds herself of how, as a new child grows, she herself is dying. That many women are not able to survive because they live in poverty and are not able to afford things. That when she is pregnant, she likes to think that she is a saint that is giving birth to a child. However, that is not true, Graves gets stress, frustrated, and angry, but God is the one helping her in these cases. Soon enough, the neighbourhood starts the hear the story about Grave's condition and helps her and her family. Through all this, Grave is able to see how God helps his people. That there are many women who don't have what it needs to raise a children suffer. Therefore, she says, "Lord have mercy; Christ have mercy" for those who are not privileged.

Marlena Graves does a good job stating her opinion. Though, sometimes I think she went stray from her topic. Graves starts from her introduction by giving the background. Then she talks about her experience, how she suffered because of her new neighbourhood, but soon got accustomed to it. Her topic seems to talk about how God provides people to help others and how she is sad by the fact that there are many women who are not privileged and suffer from that fact. In my opinion, I think Graves' main topic is that she can understand the pain of pregnant women, but there are many cases in which she is not able to help. However, by talking about her story, she starts to get astray and the article ends up with two topic. The beginning and the end were about the main topic, but the body had many parts about some extra topic.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2014/november/gods-grace-through-pain-of-pregnancy.html?start=1

16. The Caffeine-Alcohol Effect

    Mixing a energy drink with alcohol is one of the most common way young people drink today. However, what those people don`t know is that this can have a much more serious effect than just sticking to booze alone. This mixture makes one think that they are not as drunk as they are, and it causes them to crave more. The effect is that the person has a greater chance of being involved in an incident of some sort. Since 1987, bartenders have been mixing drink such as Red Bull into all types of alcohol, and they have conquered the public. Ever since, the frequency of drinking emergencies  have increased as well. From 2007 to 2011, 2,600 emergencies related to alcoholic energy drinks. On the other hand, restaurants and bars have started adding more and more of these drinks to their menu. Drinks such as Four Loko, which contains four cups of beer and one cup of coffee, can be found at convenience stores. The caffeine in energy drinks helps mask intoxication, which makes the person underestimate how drunk they actually are. They also make a person feel stimulated and awake, which makes them want to drink more. It also helps make the person more addicted to the drink, the same way one is addicted to coffee or smoking. 

     In this article for The Atalntic, Amy Nordrum tries to inform people about how drinking alcoholic energy drinks can have a much more serious effect than regular alcohol. She uses many sources and studies, giving credibility to her work. She informs the reader about something that most people do not know. Throughout the essay she refers more to young people and student, since they are the top consumers for the drink. She uses simple and informal message, but at the same time is able to transmit her message effectively.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/the-caffeine-alcohol-effect/382023/

16. Is the Army Working to Deny Benefits to Veterans?

Twitter, the largest social network used to share information, is on the low. Many high-ups have abandoned the network since the start of this year, and the reason behind it are the changes being done to the system. CEO Dick Costolo, according to employees, is described to bounce from one idea to the next. The changes he is implementing seem to be affecting the network, causing many to discard it. As a result of this, Twitter has lost 10 percent of its value, falling to just over $40 a share. The rate of the growth of monthly users has also declined, leaving Twitter as stagnating company. In no way is the company dying, and in many aspects it is distancing itself from Facebook. However, there are many paths it could take to solidify its own identity; the actions needed for this solidification to occur should be done sooner rather than later.

In this article, Alison Griswold, informs he readers of the slight decline Twitter has been experiencing in the last few months. He starts off presenting several names of important people who abandoned the network and the explains the probable cause of their departures. He also adds information from 'The Wall Street Journal', giving his paper some credible data. He presents some numbers showing the decline of the company as well, which gives the readers an idea of how much Twitter has been affected. Griwold's article is clear and presents reliable information on the topic. He succeeds in making his point is an informative tone.



http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/propublica/2014/11/muckreads_medical_device_fraud_racial_profiling_in_texas_and_more_great.html

16. For a Lasting Marriage, Marry Someone Your Own Age

            Many factors can sway the success of a marriage, such as the amount of money the couple has, having children, and how long the couple dated before betting married. Age is also a great factor, and the closest in age the couple is, the less chance they have of getting a divorce. A study examined 3,000 recently married and divorced Americans and calculated what factors led to the success or failure of marriages. Scientist Randy Olson made various charts illustrating the findings of that study. One-year difference in age makes the couple have a 3% chance of getting divorces, 5-year differences have an 18% chance, and 10-year differences have a 39% chance of getting divorced. The odds of having a successful marriage with larger gaps such as 20 or 30 years are “almost never in your favor.” A difference in age doesn’t determine the success of a marriage or not. What the study collected are statistics, not destiny. However, problems may arise from a large age difference, so it is better to get married to someone in your own age group.

            Megan Garber, a writer for The Atlantic wrote about the impact age has on marriages. She uses information from a study, which examined couples in America, married and divorced, and portrays the findings of this study in a simple way. She includes graphs from the study in her article, which is good for visual learners, who learn better by seeing graphs rather than reading long paragraphs. She concludes by adding some words of wisdom, saying the conclusions of the study are statics and not destiny, telling people it is okay to marry someone with a different age than them. She was successful in revealing the findings of the study and in encouraging the reader that marriages with large age differences can be just as successful as marriages with small age differences.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/why-to-marry-someone-your-own-age/382520/

#16 "The Life of a Pot Critic: Clean, With Citrus Notes"

           Jake Browne is a pot critic for The Denver Post. He has written 27 reviews so far. Many people may ask what a pot critic does. Mr. Browne explains how a pot critic is just like a food critic or a wine taster: they review the quality of the product. Marijuana was been legalized in Colorado since this January, and Browne has been writing reviews on types of pot for the paper. In his review, Browne evaluates the state of the product, the smell and taste, and the quality. He writes about even the most intricate details such as what it sounds like when it burns or if he can taste the fertilizing chemicals on it or not. However, the most important aspect that he covers, which no over food critic or wine critic does, is the feeling that it gives. In his reviews, he explains the effects of its highness. Although this job is relatively new and quite a bit quirky, Browne states that he enjoys his job. He has had other jobs in the past, but he is very satisfied with his current job. In the article, he says, “I feel lucky to be this person in the middle of a historical moment, and I don’t think we’ll see anything really comparable to it. And, you know I like pot; I think it’s a fun topic. Somebody has to cover it. So why can’t I be that guy?”

             The article basically covers the story of Jake Browne and his job as a pot critic. Jessica Bennett, the author, informs the reader about Browne’s background and all aspects of his job. Her language is light and informative. Because this is an informative article, Bennett focuses on the chronology and structure of her article, strategically introducing the topic and then connecting it with the beginning of the whole story about the job. Her writing is easy to understand and overall, her article has a very positive tone.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/fashion/the-life-of-a-pot-critic-denver-post-clean-with-citrus-notes.html?ref=fashion&_r=0

16. The "Mommy" Problem

This article describes the pains and expectations that are included in the life of moms today. The author, a single mom herself, speaks down upon the classification put on all mothers, who are now expected to give absolutely all of their time to their children and homes. By giving her own experiences as an example. Havrilesky explains how society has shifted from respecting the women who raise the next generations, to downgrading them to a label and expecting more than is possible from their capabilities. The author calls this the "Mommy bow", which is put on all the activities done by female parents especially. Harileski seems to speak for all mothers in America, who seem to feel overly exhausted and burdened by society. The author concludes article by stating that by watching out so carefully for children's rights, mothers have given away their own rights. Harileski finally encourages mothers not to listen to what society says about motherhood, but do it the right way; raise children and keep the home while still having a life of their own.

The author's thesis can be located in the third paragraph, where she states how motherhood is now viewed as a lifestyle and no longer as a relationship. The total purpose of the essay is to show a mom's perspective on the changing expectations for mothers. Also, the author contrasts a mother's lifestyle today with one's fifty years ago. This serves to show how much expectations are becoming higher and more impossible for mothers. The audience is mainly directed to mothers, as the article is written to encourage and persuade mothers to ignore today's society. Overall the author uses great speech, and her own experiences as evidence to prove the thesis. The informative article is well structured, and served its overall purpose.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/opinion/sunday/our-mommy-problem.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-top-span-region&region=c-column-top-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region&_r=0