Blog Post #3

 
Dear Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus search committee,

I believe that I possess many qualities that would make me the best candidate for the open juggler position in your organization. I understand that having a career in the circus industry will require constant travelling that can be difficult for some, but my passion for travelling makes this position a perfect fit. I am willing to go anywhere at anytime and will always have a great attitude about it. Another quality that I possess that makes me the best candidate for this position is my personality. The atmosphere of the circus is upbeat, positive, exciting, and family friendly, and this describes my personality perfectly. I enjoy kids and always have a positive attitude that would allow me to thrive in this position. The most important quality that I possess that qualifies me for this juggler position is my insane juggling talent. I can juggle a wide variety of objects and rarely make mistakes. For this position, consistency is key and my talent will positively contribute to the success of your show. My love of travelling, my personality, and my skills as a juggler would make me an ideal fit for this position in your organization. Thank you for your consideration.
 

Can you hear me now?

The New York Times released an article outlining the policy claim that headphones are damaging hearing abilities and that headphone usage should be reduced among America's youth. This article begins by stating that "One in five teenagers in America can't hear rustles or whispers" (Heffernan). It also states that the number of teenagers with hearing loss has grown 33% since 1994 (Heffernan). These facts and statistics give this claim a strong logos appeal. The grounds for this claim is that this loss is due to the introduction and popularity of the Ipod and other music/media players that play music loudly through headphones. This article also contains substantial backing through the use of additional statistics and information to support the claim that headphones are the cause. The article closes with a pathos appeal by saying, "... protecting our kids' hearing is not just as important as protecting their brains; It is protecting their brains." (Heffernan) This leaves the viewer with the final thought that it is their duty to protect their children and headphones are harming them. This article contains a valid argument with a strong logos appeal, but adding a greater pathos appeal might make it stronger. If the author adds a real world testimony of a teenager who's hearing has been impacted by the use of headphones, it will be more emotionally effective in convincing the audience that headphones are harmful and should have limited use among America's youth.

Photo: http://static01.nyt.com/images/2011/01/09/magazine/09medium_span/09medium_span-articleLarge.jpg
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/magazine/09FOB-medium-t.html?_r=0

Who would YOU rather see live?

I came across this image depicted on a billboard that makes a pretty shocking argument. The argument is for the support of research and clearly states the fact claim that research saves human lives. It also makes the assumption that viewers are aware that research labs utilize rats for testing and research and argues that this must be done in order to better the lives of children. It uses a strong pathos appeal by using an image of a cute little girl and an image of a not-so-cute rat. It is designed to affect parents and children's loved ones and argues that research saves lives even though it may take the lives of lab rats. This ad is most likely aimed at animal rights activists who are against the mistreatment of animals in research labs. This billboard makes the argument that human lives are more valuable than the lives of rats, and this is a sacrifice that must be made in order to save human lives.




https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCObS0pehi8gCFUjQgAod_JMCDA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthenonsequitur.com%2F%3Ftag%3Dbillboards&psig=AFQjCNGEyoS077a21Ofi4D6zwYoFCmfxtA&ust=1443032490257803

Blog Post #2

As I was walking through HEB, this bag of Chex Mix caught my eye. On the back of the package it claims that this snack "Keeps life interesting". The label claims that Check Mix is unlike any other snack, and that the variety that the consumer experiences in each handful prevents it from being like the other boring snacks on the shelf. On the front of the package, it claims that it has 60% less fat than regular potato chips. This information is bright green and catches the consumer's eye almost instantly, helping persuade people to buy it. Many consumers love potato chips but are often searching for a healthier alternative and Chex mix is claiming that they are that alternative.
The grounds for this claim is that because Chex Mix has better nutritional value and contains more variety, and the warrant is that snacks that contain more variety and less fat are a better option for consumers. The package uses the exciting phrase "Keeps life interesting" to instill pathos with the consumer, while the claim on the front stating that Chex Mix contains 60% less fat uses the logos appeal. After investigating other potato chip nutrition labels throughout the store, Chex Mix lives up to its claim. While the average serving of potato chips contains approximately 16% of the daily value of fat, Chex Mix only has 5% per serving. The claims indicated on the Chex Mix package are valid and live up to consumer expectations.

Blog Post #1

I currently work in the Office of Admissions at Texas A&M University where I am one of twelve student workers. Because we rotate work spaces very frequently, I saw this as a great opportunity to leave an encouraging post-it note that might brighten one of my coworkers’ day. I wrote “Today is a good day for a good day!” and stuck it to the computer at my station that morning. This message was intended to persuade my coworkers to have a positive attitude and that their day can be good if they decide that it should be. It probably did not do any good in the world as a whole, but it might have done some good around the office. Two days later, I was assigned to sit at the desk next to the one with the note. One of my coworkers pointed it out and made a comment about how nice it was. I agreed and pretended that I did not know where it came from and went along with my day. Another way someone could make a small but appreciable difference through an act of persuasion could be creating a personal rule to say at least five positive things about people to their face every day. This would persuade whoever you compliment that they have value and something to offer to society. I often notice that some of the greatest people in the world sometimes need to be persuaded of their worth in order for them to make a difference in the lives of others.



http://www.buzzblimp.com/2014/12/31/16-motivational-post-it-notes-on-trains/

Does smoking make your life fade away?

I was browsing the internet and came across this image containing a pretty strong claim about tobacco products. The claim in this ad is that if you continue your smoking habit, your life and health will fade away. The graphic image of a man's face rotting away while smoking displays strong Pathos and the basic public knowledge that smoking is hazardous to your health makes this claim strong. The ad also contains creative fonts and imagery to evoke a serious attitude in the viewer. This claim does not contain any fallacies, but one weakness of this ad's claim may be the lack of reason/hard evidence displayed in the image. One could look at this ad and immediately assume that they are exaggerating in order to scare the audience out of using tobacco products. They may say that it will make your life fade away, but how or why will it make your life fade away? In order to make this claim more effective, I would maybe adjust the image to include more Logos by using more hard evidence to support the notion that smoking does make your life fade away by inserting a statistic or piece of research.

Image: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAQQjBxqFQoTCOPC3p_X5ccCFUIXkgodzGQJng&url=http%3A%2F%2F41.media.tumblr.com%2F5c66d9ffe2efeffd300dc3d82968b11f%2Ftumblr_inline_nob89ac9EI1tswb5f_250.jpg&psig=AFQjCNGY6V-Bmz7G8cqq-hIERJlOwv5dxA&ust=1441741269610410