Why Men Fail

In the New York Times article titled "Why Men Fail" David Brooks points out many reasons as to why women are advancing in the world at a rapid pace, while men are kind of falling behind.  The world as a whole is constantly changing and making improvements.  Brooks makes the comparison to immigrants who have physically moved to a new country but are keeping their minds in the old one.  It is stated that twelve out of the fifteen fastest growing professions are dominated by women, and that is primarily because they require skills that women are more likely to possess for neurological and cultural reasons.  Being able to sit still and focus at an early age, being emotionally sensitive, and being able to communicate well are a few of the traits listed that are believed to be possessed by more women than men.  It was a bit of a surprise that women are just as interested as men in campus hookup cultures in order to get sex without having to deal with any sort of commitments.  Women are interested in this so that they can have fun but not get distracted from their school or careers.  Brooks makes a good point by saying men still follow the rules of masculinity, while women have abandoned feminist conceptions and started a clean slate.  Women are adapting a lot easier than men in a world that is changing so incredibly fast, and men need to step it if they want to continue to hold any positions of authority over women in the world.

"New Rules" by Thomas Friedman

In the article “New Rules” that was published in the New York Times, author Thomas Friedman explains that children ages seven to sixteen are being given the opportunity to learn computer programming in schools in Estonia.  This curriculum was created because of how difficult it has become for companies to hire decent employees.  It is stated that unemployment rates are highest for high school dropouts and lowest for people with four years of college.  He refers to the phrase “work hard and play by the rules” that was coined by Bill Clinton in 1992.  Friedman talks about how President Obama has been using this phrase and he believes that if you live by it you can expect that the American system will deliver you a decent life and a chance for your children to have a better one.  It is said that in the future “illiteracy will not be defined by those who cannot read and write, but by those who cannot learn and relearn.”  This statement is very true if you compare it to the way society has been growing.  A lot of the jobs that you wouldn’t need a degree for are slowly diminishing, and a lot more are becoming available for college graduates.  These newer jobs are all because of technology advancement in the world.  The huge amounts of technology are raising the skill levels required for many of the jobs being offered, making them harder to get if you don’t have a degree.  At a democratic convention, Bill Clinton talks about how we need to invest more into our people through community colleges, Pell grants, and vocational-training classes.  By doing this, it is hoped to increase the amount of people graduating from college with degrees.  

Essay Questions

1) Are we allowed to use other sources as well as the video to provide facts and credibility to our candidate?
2) What is the best way to write my paper without inserting my own opinion about the topics?
3) Is there a certain outline for the number of paragraphs we should use?

Muslim Rage

The Newsweek cover photo definitely shows the outraged and furious emotions of the Muslims in the photo.  It’s very clear that the two men in the photo reflect the emotions of many Muslims in response to the YouTube video posted that was making fun of Muhammad.  The title “Muslim Rage” in huge font on the cover draws a lot of attention to the article.  Depending on the viewpoint, some people were mad and irate just like the men in the photo.  Others took things from a humorous perspective and started a trending topic on twitter called “#MuslimRage.”  This just shows the affect that media and social networking sites can have on the issues in society.  Whether or not the topic affects you determines how you will react.  The men in the photo are wearing Muslim headdresses, which is quite often pointed out and ridiculed by Americans.  This is such a huge part of the photo on the cover of Newsweek, and most definitely gives the public what they want.  The people in the photo are obviously starting a riot of some sort due to their anger about the video.  There is also a caption along the bottom of the photo that says “How I Survived It; How We Can End It.”  This caption gives out the idea that this could be ongoing for quite some time.  The trending topic on twitter has also brought up a lot of controversy.  While many people find it humorous and continue to participate in the trending topic, others find it highly offensive.  Again, this just depends on how much the situation relates to you and how you choose to react to it.  The whole riot began in the first place to gain publicity and awareness towards the outrage of the Muslims.  By making the front page of Newsweek, I’d say that was accomplished in a way.  More people are aware of the situation, even if it brought on the ridicule on twitter.  

Visual Rhetoric Paragraph

The visual element that grabs my attention first is President Obama sitting in a chair with the camera focused completely on him.  Everything in the background is blurred out, which makes you concentrate on Obama even more.  The background music also captures your attention and makes everything seem a little bit more serious.  The most important point of the video is the choice Americans have to make in the next four months.  He talks about Romney’s plans and how they have already been attempted in the United States.  He then proceeds to tell viewers how he will improve the economy by strengthening the middle class.  The video is mainly focused on Obama himself, so color and style don’t make much of a difference.  The only text included in the video is “The President’s Plan: Strengthen the Middle Class” which he reinforces by explaining how he plans on doing that.  The argument being made is simply that Obama thinks he will do a better job at strengthening the economy than Romney will.  This was made during the presidential campaign and intended for all Americans in order to gain popularity and votes.  The video provides lots of ethos towards President Obama.

Visual Analysis of Video

 What visual elements grab your attention first?

President Obama is sitting in a chair, the camera focused completely on him.

 What other details reinforce that impression? How?

Everything in the background is blurred out, which makes you concentrate on Obama even more.  The background music also captures your attention and makes everything seem a little bit more serious.

 What is more important? Less important?

The most important point of the video is the choice Americans have to make in the next four months.  He talks about Romney’s plans and how they have already been attempted.  He then proceeds to tell viewers how he will improve the economy by strengthening the middle class.

 What about color and style? What impact do they have on your impressions?

The video is mainly focused on Obama himself, so color and style don’t make much of a difference.

 How does the image direct the viewer’s eyes and reinforce what is important?

Like I stated earlier, everything in the background is blurred out, making you focus on the main person in the video.

 What text is included? How does the text relate to the image? 

The only text included in the video is “The President’s Plan: Strengthen the Middle Class” which he reinforces by explaining how he plans on doing that.

 What argument is being made? Consider: when this was made (kairos), who is the

audience, what is the purpose (exigency). 

The argument being made is simply that Obama thinks he will do a better job at strengthening the economy than Romney will.  This was made during the presidential campaign.  The audience is all Americans.

 List details that provide ethos, pathos, logos.

The video provides lots of ethos towards President Obama.

Chapter 6 Precis

In chapter 6 of “Choices 2.0” (2010), author Joe Marshall Hardin emphasizes the affect media has on the daily lives of people, and how it easily captures the attention of most viewers.  He believes that the media is influencing people in the ways that they advertise such as radio, internet, television, billboards, or magazines.  The author analyzes the ways of media in order to educate the reader on how to evaluate the media from a writer’s point of view and use it in their own writing to catch the reader’s attention.  This chapter was intended for college students, but anyone can benefit from it.