Living as Human Lab Rats

         

          The article tells the story of an unnamed person who is suffering a stage 4 spring of melanoma cancer. They got qualified for a new treatment plan that is still in the works and only 30% effective. Now, they are living their life as a human 'lab rat' used for experimenting with the disease. Their entire life it legitimately an experiment. I don't think anyone should be pushed into signing their life away for risky experimentation or used as a lab rat for an untested drug. I think its great that science is coming closer to a cure for the horrible disease of cancer, but I truly feel bad for this poor person.Unfortunately, "The scary truth is that many of us in the cancer world — both doctors and patients — are winging it here, just hoping that the cure doesn’t kill us along the way." (Williams).
           This narration uses a ton of ethos evidence. I feel horrible and sick to my stomach. They discuss the horrible side effects, constant doctors visits, dehumanization, and fear of failure. The narrator somehow seems to stay in somewhat good and joking spirits. They say things like " but so far, I am considered quite the achiever around the fourth floor. My doctor beams at me like I’m Christmas morning." and "On my better days, I feel connected to something very big. I feel like my diseased body has a purpose. And then sometimes I feel like a combination of Henrietta Lacks, those kids from “Never Let Me Go” and Michael Palin’s doomed brood in “Monty Python’s the Meaning of Life.” " (Williams). The article simply speaks for itself.


http://www.salon.com/2011/11/24/my_life_as_a_lab_rat/singleton/

new concept: prenatal flavor learning

           This article is about the new(er) concept of "prenatal flavor learning". It's the idea that women who are pregnant have some power to control their babies food preferences to some extent. Obvious there are other reasons why children prefer certain foods besides the fact that that food is what their mother ate while they were pregnant, but it can effect certain things. The article says that if a pregnant mother eats a variety of healthy food while they are pregnant, the baby will be exposed to certain "tastes" of the amniotic fluid they have in the womb. Yes some people think its sort of gross, but this new theory could help reduce childhood obesity and encourage healthier eating. A baby that is only on 13 to 15 weeks old in its mother's stomach develops taste bud and by 16 weeks has taste bud receptors! So, research shows that the food tastes that babies are exposed to in the womb may make them more desirable when they are born. Personally, I think its a cool concept. I mean, even if it doesn't work 100% guarantee that if a mother eats broccoli when they are pregnant that their kid is going to love broccoli more than cookies- but its a chance to maximize your child's health I think mother's should take.
            The author, Lena H. Sun, uses a lot of ethos in her article. She introduces a lot of doctors and specialists that have experienced the concept first hand. She paraphrases some of their findings and always includes "Trout said" or "research shows" (Sun). It can get repetitive but the reader knows that it's not just the writers opinion, its the findings from a reliable source. It's even present in the title of the article, "A mother’s food choice can shape baby’s palate, research shows". The authors purpose was clearly to inform the general audience about this new idea and she is extensive in her explanation. I think the audience group that this was aimed at, and that would be most interested in the article, would obviously be pregnant mother's or women who are thinking about having children. The author even includes some tips from the doctors on what foods to eat while they are pregnant. Although the material itself was relatively dry, I found it interesting and I think its has many positive outcomes. Eating healthy can't really hurt anyone anyways? And as Sun says, "
Just another reason to go heavier on the greens this Thanksgiving." (Sun 21).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-mothers-food-choice-can-shape-babys-palate-research-shows/2011/11/17/gIQAqcYooN_story.html

inShare

Sexist Baby Clothes?

        
           This article addressed the seemingly stupid idea of sexist sayings on infant clothing. Baby clothes with sayings like "pretty like mom" or "smart like dad" seem to be stirring up quite the controversy. That clothing line is just one of many that seems to stereotype girls into the princess and girly-girl type, while portraying little boys as geniuses or MVP's. I honestly think its one of the silliest things I've ever heard! Yes, some of the cute little sayings on infant clothes aren't necessarily true but I don't think they should be taken completely seriously. Some little baby girl could wear a shirt that says "pretty like mommy" and grow up to be the president of the US and look nothing like her mother. Or a boy could wear a little "Daddy's little genius" shirt as a baby and grow up and fail classes in high school or college. They are cute and shouldn't be taken as seriously as some of these moms are taking them, however little girls shouldn't be stereotyped into pretty but ditsy "sweetie pies".
           The author seems to agree with the ridiculousness at first but then she brings a deeper point to the surface. Beyond just the clothing they wear as baby's, she feels that girls shouldn't feel like they are limited to either pretty princess or math geek; they should be able to be a pretty girl who is good at math and grows up successful. I agree. The article is pretty straightforward and addresses the issue from all angles. She adds some humor(but it's so true) when she  gives examples of sayings for boys ("daddy's genius" "MVP" "perfect little man" "mr. personality etc) versus girls ("pretty like mom" "too pretty for homework" "daddy's angel" "sweetie pie" "sweeter than sugar" "cupcake fairy" etc). She writes " Dream big, baby girls! Boys may be on a course for greatness, but you can be a dessert!" (Williams 6). I thought it was funny- because it's true. She also reaches out to her audience at the end of the article when she writes " want my daughters – and yours – to grow up in a world in which they can brag of their math prowess or their rascally natures on their own shirts. Not shirts pinched from the boy’s collection, but their own. They can rock them with their tutus and their glitter headbands if they so desire; they can still be pretty. But they need to know that just because you’re a girl, you’re not limited to being anybody’s fairy, princess or fluffy little cupcake." (Williams 9). I think that little paragraph would really appeal to mothers that have daughters. I thought the article was interesting and the author did a good job of trying to explain that "our XX chromosomes do not instill any natural aspirations to be Tinkerbell or to wear tiaras." (Williams 8).

http://www.salon.com/2011/11/21/the_war_over_sexist_onesies/singleton/

Facebook Secrurity Breach

         

             This article by Hayley Tsukayama, discusses the recent security breach of Facebook profiles. This widespread attack has cause graphic images to appear on some peoples profiles which raises concern about the websites venerability to hackers. Hackers were granted access to accounts by tricking websites to copy and paste a url in their browsers which gained them personal information and access to edit their accounts. The company is working on tracking down the hacker accounts that are responsible and fixing the problem. Facebookers are not happy.
             The article was pretty straightforward and to the point. It was simply a summary-like article that included what will most likely happen in the future along with what's going on now. The seriousness of the problem was represented in the author's diction. She uses words like "one of the worst security breaches in history" and "unprecedented" (Tsukayama). She explores possible solutions to the problem along with how it came about. She uses ethos evidence when she writes, "Daimon Geopfert, a security expert for RSM McGladrey, said that this was one of the largest Facebook attacks he has seen. The scale and speed were “unprecedented,” he said." (Tsukayama). This proves readers that this is actually a big problem and people aren't overreacting. I also thought it was funny ( but very true) that the author wrote "The presence of the photos upset many Facebook users, who took to Twitter to say they were weighing whether to deactivate their accounts." (Tsukayama). Sounds exactly like something our society would do... one social networking site having problems?- go complain about it on another.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/facebook-hack-raises-security-concerns/2011/11/15/gIQAqCyYPN_story.html?hpid=z3

Ashton Kutcher's Massive Twitter Fail!

    
         Wednesday night Ashton Kutcher tweeted “How do you fire Jo Pa?” he wrote. “#insult #noclass as a hawkeye fan I find it in poor taste.” He then, of course, got slammed by his eight million followers. These horrified followers were quick to deem him an "idiot", among other things. Kutcher's mistake was really how he dealt with the whole ordeal. He halfheartedly apologized, admitted himself to have acted stupidly, and  then explained that this media outlet was getting 'too much for just one individual' and is now going to turn his feed over to his editorial team. Eventually, he did what I think should've been done in the beginning, he deleted the offending post and sincerely apologized in his own words. "But here’s what he shouldn’t do: wuss out. And that is exactly what Ashton Kutcher did." (Williams 5).
          The author, Mary Elizabeth Williams, uses other examples of celebrities who have felt the fire of twitter an social media. For example, Cee Lo Green after he tweeted a critic who didn't enjoy his show "must be gay". You can tell the author has an opinion throughout the article. She writes, " headlines across the world have made clear, the legendary 84-year-old was not ousted this week because of his age or his job performance. Instead, he was fired for his lackadaisical response to charges that former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky allegedly sexually abused a young boy in a campus locker room....You’d think Kutcher, who has his own anti-child sex trafficking foundation, would keep himself more abreast of the major child abuse scandals – especially those that allegedly involve that trafficking of human chattel. Apparently he didn’t get the memo." (Williams 2-3). She also voices her opinion in paragraph seven when she asks, " Really, dude? You have power and reach enough to use your Twitter celebrity to raise funds to fight malaria and you can’t handle your own “platform”? A “platform” largely devoted to people telling each other what bar they’re sitting in at any given moment? That is so effing weak." (Williams 7). I couldn't have said it better myself. She also deems Kutcher a hypocrite. She explains, "He even threw in a self-deprecating picture of himself standing next an “I’m with stupid” sign. Ah, was it just last spring that Kutcher boasted that he “only played stupid on TV”?" (Williams 4). She accuses him again after she mentions him handing over his platform to his company. She responds, "That’s pretty pathetic, especially from the man who just two weeks ago tweeted glowingly about the “willingness to fail.”"(Williams 9).Well Ashton Kutcher, it doesn't really seem to be your month, does it?

http://www.salon.com/2011/11/11/ashton_kutchers_massive_twitter_fail/

Outside Reading (#2)

     "And she wondered if maybe you could not go from [hypothetical] brother and sister to boyfriend and girlfriend, add that much more love and commitment, without feeling too close for comfort." (Picoult  461)    
          I finished my outside reading book, The Pact by Jodi Picoult, and really liked it! Picoult used a ton of ethos evidence to get under the readers skin emotionally. I also liked that she really did her research on the legal court and psychological aspects and conditions brought up in the book- all of which were interesting to read about. I think she really exemplified the ripple effect that occurs after the death of a seemingly perfect young teenager. She also ventures into the many masks of guilt and truth, inviting the reader to discover the difference between what they know and what they thought they knew. Her writing really captures the relationship between husband and wife, best friends, brother and sister, and high school sweethearts and how those relationships can evolve with time. The story was, for the most part, a love story; but, there are little fragments of mystery thrown in which made it doubly enjoyable to read. My only complaint was that I basically knew how it was going to turn out in the end. It's like I knew the plot was probably going from A to B but I couldn't figure out the truth of how it was going to get there, or why. Jodi Picoult did a good job of relating to the majority of her young adult audience and the book, especially towards the end, was a page-turner. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a powerful romance or engrossing mystery, and it completely lived up to my expectations.

now its TWENTY kids and counting...

          
         I'm sure most of you know TLC's famous family, the Duggars. Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have announced that they are expecting. Again. This article brings up the freakishly large family and also the seemingly unnecessary public scorn that is thrown at them. I think if they want to have more kids, why not? However, I think Michelle should be careful because her pregnancies are getting more high risk- I mean there's only so much one body can take. Especially with a history of preeclampsia, Michelle could face some serious health issues. The public seems to think this entire thing is outright enraging. I don't really see how it's effecting anyone expect the Duggar family so the extent of the public scolding is ridiculous. It's their choice, and their problem (or blessing, depending on how you look at it), not the public's.
          The author, Mary Elizabeth Williams, uses a lot of quotes from the Duggar parents that show that they are excited and feel blessed to be expecting another child. This seems to override all the negative things the public is saying. She also uses a personal experience to express her thoughts as all children to be blessings. She belives, "The Duggars are similarly holding steadfast to their belief that miracles don’t look the same to every set of eyes. And they see baby 20 as just as much of a blessing as No. 1 . The Duggars’ blessings aren’t yours or mine. They’ve made choices few of us would, but they’ve determined to accept them with as much grace and gratitude as they can muster." (Williams 10). I thought that was a very true and raw thing to say and it stuck in my memory.  With a lot of ethos emotional appeal, Williams also throws in a bit of humor. She writes, "– the fact that Joe Bob Duggar’s sperm count is to fertility what Ted Williams’ batting average is to baseball. Off the freakin’ charts." (Williams 4). Overall, the article was enjoyable and interesting to read.

http://www.salon.com/2011/11/09/stop_judging_the_duggars/

Voldemort Hates Twitter

           This article exemplifies the popular adult opinion that twitter, facebook, texting, and other shortened and technological ways for communication is rotting the brains and harming the social skills of young people everywhere.Ralph Fiennes, who plays Lord Voldemort, bashes the new popular forms of communication and claims that language has "eroded" and the "deeply ingrained idea that if it’s not a lot of words on a piece of paper, it’s meaningless" (Williams, Fiennes 4). I personally 100% agree with the authors stand on the topic. She writes that Fienne has "bias that ignores the fact that a tweet is not attempting to be a think piece for the New Yorker. Or that the world is full of people who can articulate an idea in 140 characters and still read and enjoy a Jeffrey Eugenides novel. "(Williams 4). Exactly! i can still read Shakespeare and be a s0cial pers0n evn if i use twitter and faceb00k and send txt msgs like this. If someone is dumb enough to write a school paper in the abbreviated online and informal fashion, then they probably have issues bigger than the fact that they use facebook like the other 3 billion people who do as well.
             The author, Mary Elizabeth Williams, is her usual pun-y persona in this article. She writes comments that include "Like!" after a statement she agrees with, poking fun at facebook. She also ends the article with the line, "The challenge, for both kids and adults, is to not lose that love along the way — and to maintain the distinction between emoticons and emotion." (Williams). I thought that was sort of funny in a lame way. She does a great job of telling the reader the positives, negative, underestimations, and overreactions of people about digital communication. She then supports her own opinion with personal experiences and examples that encourage the reader to agree with her thoughts. Her writing style is casual and friendly which makes this article enjoyable and easy to read.

http://www.salon.com/2011/10/28/is_voldemort_right_about_twitter/singleton/

Outside Reading (post #1)

         For my outside reading book I'm reading The Pact by Jodi Picoult. I chose this book because I have read and enjoyed other Picoult books in the past and loved the majority of them. Three different people have recommended this one to me so I thought I would try it out. So far, so good. I'm about half way through and the author has kept me hooked on the story and wondering and predicting the ending. She writes in every other chapter skipping time. "Now" and "Then". It keeps the reader actively comparing the characters past and present and guessing their future. I also find the aspects of the plot to be very relatable and find myself saying "that's something I would say". On the other end, I also find myself getting mad about the characters actions and choices, which just causes me to read on and find out the consequences they must serve. I definitely think the audience of this novel is toward young adults and Picoult does a good job of keeping the reader guessing and keeping the novel enjoyable to read.

More thought to come when I have finished the entire thing!

What's 10 Pounds less than an extra-small?

Left: Lauren on "Idol", Right: Lauren at CMT at the end of October

          This article is about teenage American Idol star Lauren Alaina and her recent weight loss. Sixteen year old Lauren has lost 25 pounds so far and is supposedly 10 pounds away from her goal weight. She is celebrating her new healthy lifestyle to the media and mentions that she now wears a size extra small. I feel that if she wants to learn portion control and practice a healthier lifestyle for her own benefit, good for her. Too many teenagers don't make eating and exercising in a healthy way a priority in their lives. However, "Health and weight are not the same thing" (Williams 5). Freaking out about the silly number that the scale says is unnecessary if you feel healthier and have more self confidence. I think too many people, especially teenage girls, get caught up in becoming barbie-doll-skinny.

         The author of this article, Mary Elizabeth Williams, is probably my favorite author from Salon.com. Her articles always seem to be the ones that I pick to read. She uses snarky and humorous comments in between facts. For example, after the statement about Lauren being excited about wearing a size extra small, Williams writes,"What’s 10 pounds less than extra-small? Lauren Alaina’s goal weight."(Williams). She also voices her opinion about adult writers commenting on a 16 year olds weight loss, she doesn't like it. She writes the pun-y statement in paragraph 2, "This is copy written by adults — about a 16-year-old-girl. Suddenly I’ve lost my appetite." (Williams). After including a quotes from Lauren about being "not like heavy heavy but I’m not the skinniest girl in the world.” Williams seems to answer her with another sarcastic comment, "Don’t worry, Lauren. Just a few pounds and a little more slavering encouragement from the celebrity press, and you will be." (Williams 6). She also seems to think that Lauren feels that she needed to lose weight to become a "real star". Williams also uses many press magazines and sources that make her argument convincing. She voices her opinion in a funny way and the reader can really hear her voice in her articles. Her persona is developed throughout all of her articles and I think that her sense of humor and sarcasm is similar to mine.

http://entertainment.salon.com/2011/11/02/is_a_teen_idol_star_suddenly_too_skinny/