TOW 18: With River Blindness, 'You Never Sleep'

Voluntarily rubbing a red-hot machete up and down one's back was not an uncommon sight where river blindness was rampant. This disease, technically known as "onchocerciasis," is a rare tropical disease where one gets infected by flies. Getting bitten by one these infected flies will lead to its reproduction in the person's  body. Severe side effects can occur, such as blindness or intense itching when the worm dies. The rubbing of the red-hot machete was a practice to eliminate the itching, along with pouring boiling water on one's body, or even breaking a clay pot and using the jagged shards to itch. Great efforts have been made for the elimination of this disease, such as Merck's generous donations of a vaccine called "ivermectin," which kills and paralyzes the worms. Social consequences have occurred, as those infected are isolated. Because of this, marriages have been confined to those in one village so incest has been on the rise. Total elimination of this disease in Uganda by 2020 is a goal that will hopefully be achieved.

This article was written by Elizabeth Landau from CNN News.

This article was important in context. It tells of an underrated disease that is inflicting major harm on many people in distant countries. Pharmaceutical companies are already in action, donating medication. It tells the audience that such diseases are still widespread in developing countries, and it raises awareness that we can all do something to help.

The purpose of this article was to tell of an unfortunate disease that is widespread in Africa. Its negative effects on the physical body as well as the social consequences were discussed.

The text was written for the general public, but those in the health or pharmaceutical industries are probably going to be most impacted by this, as they hold some power to be able to bring positive change to these areas with medication and vaccines.

Pathos was used in this article. Landau wrote about one particular man named Semanza who had river blindness. He was isolated from his own family, and no one would approach or befriend him because of his skin from excessive itching and the flies that flew around him. After using invermectin, he gained happiness as well as a wife. This inspirational story really impacted the emotions, as it shows the positive, life-changing effect of one vaccine. It was also upsetting to realize that because Uganda is still a developing country, these vaccines are not widespread and are only available through the donations of large pharmaceutical countries, which probably compelled many people to do something to help.

The author's purpose of telling about the river disease was accomplished. Her usage of pathos to appeal to emotions, as well as her facts and real-life stories all contributed to our further knowledge of a majorly underrated disease that is currently impacting many in Africa.

TOW 17: The Kiss (edited)

This painting is called The Kiss by Austrian artist, Gustav Klimt. He was an Austrian symbolist painter, with most of his works revolving around the female body. One of his most prominent paintings is the one above, The Kiss. Canadian artist Charles Moffat claims that The Kiss is "widely considered to be the greatest painting ever, better than even the Mona Lisa” (Gaylord para 8). The fact that a professional artist considers this painting to surpass the world phenomena, the Mona Lisa, is an amazing feat that goes to show the talent and aesthetics that Klimt was capable of.

The Kiss was a breath of fresh air after Klimt’s previous paintings were initially negatively received by the public for their “perverted excess.” The Kiss was different in that it was able to portray the passionate love between a man and woman without explicit images, but rather doing so subtly and discreetly. This painting displays a man and a woman embracing and engaging in a passionate kiss. The color scheme utilized in this painting portrays a happy ambiance around the couple with the widespread use of yellow, a bright and cheery color, clearly capturing the main focal point of the painting. Although the bodies of the couple are not explicitly shown, their closeness to each other symbolizes how a kiss has the power to unify two people as one. The isolation of this couple with no other visible people represents an ideal world, in which love has the power to overpower all other distractions. The placement of the couple on a colorful meadow filled with flowers again contributes to the gay and joyful emotions that love evokes.

Klimt's rhetorical device of color scheme was very unique. After further research, it was discovered that Klimt had used fresco, mosaic techniques, and oil painting in this work. Several different methods were used to create this painting, symbolizing the different schemes necessary for the different interpretations and evocations of love. The varying colors utilized in this painting portray the diversity of love. Love is not something that can be easily summed up in one word, and the complexity of the colors and techniques used goes to show that love is a complicated yet beautiful idea.

The painting is for the general public. However, it mainly appealed to the specific group interested in Klimt’s art because of his unique style. A large portion of his paintings contained erotic images that were referred to as “pornography”, which was not a concept that many accepted. In addition, many in the art industry gained their inspiration from this specific painting and his other works. The Kiss served as inspiration for other painters, such as Rudolf Fila and Egon Schiele. It has also been the source of inspiration for Christian Dior’s 2008 spring-summer collection and a Japanese band’s album cover. Klimt’s widespread influence of his paintings reveal the large network that the painting impacted, far beyond his intended audience.

The painter's purpose was accomplished. Klimt managed to create a beautiful painting displaying the idea of love through a kiss, without using graphic images. His use of different colors and textures added unto the complicated idea of love, while maintaining a neat and concise painting that was able to appeal to the mass audience.

TOW 16: Aaron Swartz, Tech Prodigy and Internet Activist, Is Dead at 26

Aaron Swarth, a brilliant computer programmer and Internet activist, was found dead in his apartment on Friday. He was going through a difficult time as he had publicly exposed 4.8 million documents from the MIT database, as he believed they would be beneficial for the public to know. He could have faced a fine of $1 million, as well as 35 years in prison. His trials were to begin in April. Police had determined that he had committed suicide by hanging in his Brooklyn apartment. Swarth was a brilliant young man who had developed Reddit, the Internet sensation in Internet politics, as well as Demand Progress, the Internet activist group.

The article was written by Sam Gustin, a reporter from TIME that writes on business, technology, and public policy. TIME Magazine is a credible source.

This article is important in context. It displays the far-reaching effects of a not-perfect American judicial system that has the ability to make people do extreme things. Swarth's family believed that the decisions from the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney and MIT contributed to Swarth's suicide. This article will hopefully be a stepping stone towards a more reliable and fair judicial system.

The purpose of this article was to tell of the recent death of Aaron Swarth, his successes, and the possible implications behind his suicide.

The text was written for the general public, however, it would probably gain the most interest from Internet activists and supporters of Swarth's works.

Parallelism of words and clauses was used in the article. Gustin writes, "'Aaron’s insatiable curiosity, creativity and brilliance; his reflexive empathy and capacity for selfless, boundless love; his refusal to accept injustice as inevitable...'" (para 4). Beginning each clause in a similar way brings more attention to the words that describe Swarth. Using such complimentary and praising words to describe Swarth make the reader feel more sympathy for his death, and how a valuable life has just disappeared.

The author's purpose of telling the incredible successes of Swarth, along with the possible reasoning behind his death was accomplished. After reading, it was evident that Swarth was a highly intelligent young man with much potential to grow as a leading Internet activist. However, he was suffering from depression as well as a looming trial case, which could have heavily contributed to his death.

TOW 15: Ohio sheriff confronts protesters in football rape case

An Ohio officer was put under much fire after it was discovered that he had seen a picture of a young woman tied by her ankles and wrists, and watched a footage of several teenagers joking about an assault. In order to protect the local football team which the two teenagers responsible for the assault participated in, the officer brushed the footage away and simply said that the young boys were being "stupid." The protest of about 1,000 people urged the officer, Fred Abdalla to be taken off the force. They also passed around the microphone and shared their stories of rape. The two teenage boys will be tried under juvenile terms.

The author of this article is Drew Singers, and it is from Reuters, an international news agency. It is a credible source.

This article is not necessarily important in context, as it simply tells of a group of peoples' unhappiness with the way a sheriff handled a case. However, it can be a large warning for other officers and sheriffs on how they should handle similar cases in the future, to take footage and evidence more seriously and not brush them off so easily.

The purpose of this article was to tell of a sheriff's attempt to approach the protesters and try to tell his side of the story. 

The text was for the general public.

Pathos was used. "The protest's masked leader ... invited up to the makeshift stage anyone who was a victim of sexual assault. Protesters immediately flooded the platform, which was slightly smaller than a boxing ring" (Singers para 11). Having the protesters come up and share their difficult stories is an example of pathos. In addition, those willing to share was a large number, as described by its size as "slightly smaller than a boxing ring. Although this may have been a tactic used to make Abdalla feel guilty, it is still a strong use of pathos to include this small detail in the article. It gives the readers something on an emotional level to connect with, and it may even persuade the readers into supporting the protesters on their rally against Abdalla.

The author's purpose of telling the sheriff's attempt to exonerate himself, as well as the protesters' rally, was achieved. Although more background information was told, it still included a good amount of what the protesters were doing and saying. 

TOW 14: The Kiss

This painting is called The Kiss by Austrian artist, Gustav Klimt.

It portrays a man and a woman embracing and engaging in a passionate kiss. The color scheme utilized in this painting portrays a happy ambiance around the couple. The large use of yellow, a bright and cheery color, brings attention to the main focal point of the painting. Although the bodies of the couple are not explicitly shown, their closeness to each other symbolizes how a kiss has the power to unify two people into one. The isolation of this couple with no other visible environment represents an ideal world, in which love has the power to overpower all other distractions.

Klimt's rhetorical device of color scheme was very unique. After further research, it was discovered that Klimt had used fresco, mosaic techniques, and oil painting in this work. The different colors utilized in this painting portray the diversity of love. Love is not something that can be easily summed up in one word, and the complexity of the colors used goes to show that love is a complicated yet beautiful idea.

The painting is for the general public.

The painter's purpose was accomplished. Klimt managed to create a beautiful painting displaying the idea of love through a kiss, without explicitly doing so. His use of different colors and textures added unto the complicated idea of love, while maintaining a neat and concise painting.

TOW 13: "Magic Mushroom" Drug Shows Promise in Treating Addictions and Cancer Anxiety

Psilocybin, an active ingredient in over 100 species of mushrooms, has been a hot topic in the field of research. After it was banned in the 1960s because of its misuse, psilocybin has been brought back again to research its effect on behavior. After this drug was distributed to twelve cancer patients ranging in age from 18 to 70, over a six month span, the participants reported that they no longer considered themselves overly anxious or worried as they were before. However, psilocybin is unlikely to be used to treat addictions because it can have several mental side effects, such as psychosis or psychological distress. However, further studies on psilocybin may be useful in developing similar drugs, but without the dangerous side effects.

The author of this article is Maia Szalavitz, a neuroscience journalist from TIME Magazine. Both Szalavitz and TIME are credible sources.

This article is important in context because it tells of a potentially breakthrough medicine that could revolutionize the lives of those suffering from anxiety. Although the undergoing research does not promise anything, the results of psilocybin have the potential to eradicate anxiety.

The purpose of this article was to tell of psilocybin, a drug that is currently being tested to determine its effects on those suffering from anxiety.

The text was written for the general public.

Ethos was used in this article. In order to get the readers to believe that this article was credible, Szalavitz included direct quotes from Charles Grob, a chief child psychiatrist at UCLA and Paul Kenny, an associate professor of neuroscience at Scripps Research Institute in Florida.

The author's purpose of revealing the current research on psilocybin was accomplished. It can have revolutionary effects on people suffering from anxiety, as studies have shown that this drug minimizes the effects of anxiety. Hopefully, the research may be progressed and positive outcomes may be put forth from this drug.

TOW 12: Freakonomics

The first half of the novel, Freakonomics, was very interesting. Levitt and Dubner opened my eyes to the reasoning behind past and current issues. For example, what do teachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Cheating. Teachers cheat in order to raise test scores for a raise or promotion, whereas sumo wrestlers cheat in order to gain prestige and wealth in sumo competitions. The novel often brought up the topic of incentives, that people work, coerce, or do whatever it takes because of that incentive. Is it true that real state agents really do what's best for the clients? Research and evidence shows that even if the price of the house could go up, agents rarely go through that extra work and advertising because their additional commission would be very small.

The authors were Steven Levitt, an economics professor at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Dubner, an author for the New York Times. The collaboration of these two prestigious scholars makes for a reliable, truthful, and intelligent novel.

This book is very important in context, because it acts as a myth buster. The novel utilizes actual data and research to back up its truthful claims, which are about current issues.

The purpose of this book was to manifest the unknown and hidden side of issues and events from the past and today. The book had a purpose of making known the real reasons behind happenings and issues.

The text was written for the general public.

The novel contains ethos. In order to make known to the readers that the authors are credible, it included multiple articles published about Levitt. Levitt and Dubner also made sure to insert actual evidence to make their points more substantiated and reliable, such as actual results from the Chicago public school system testing, and evidence from the houses that real estate agents sell. In addition, snippets of articles about Levitt were included, which were published in the prestigious New York Times. All of these factors played an important role in establishing credibility and reliability in this novel.

The author's purpose of revealing the unknown reasoning behind certain issues was certainly accomplished. The reasons were not something that any layperson could have predicted, but was meticulously established with much evidence and reasoning by Levitt and Dubner. My mind was blown when I read about cheating teachers and dishonest real estate agents. The overall topics of this novel were very interesting, which made for a very enjoyable read.