TOW #28 - I owe you

     On media, US veterans are treated with great respect and admiration from the American public. Yet, the harsh reality of the soldiers' everyday lives are not vividly portrayed at times. In 2011, thousands of American veterans were "stop loss" soldiers, meaning their active duty service got an involuntary extension.  In a political cartoon on the controversial topic of discussion, Jeff Parker reveals the  unacceptable federal treatment to the United States soldiers by alluding to another famous drawing.
     Uncle Sam, one of the key political drawings of the past century, is referenced with the play on words in order to express the unacceptable "stop-loss" policy.   While the original depiction of Uncle Sam is a serious painting, Parker changes the facial tone to a guilty expression.  In addition, the original phrase, "I want you..." is modified to "I owe you" in order to intensify the stigma. Parker depicts Uncle Sam in this manner to ultimately condemn the actions of the government for not paying over 50,000 "stop-loss" soldiers and vets. The stance of the soldier also strengthens his argument as the he disapprovingly looks upon Uncle Sam's guilty expression. The tense relationship between the two men accurate represents the uneasy nature of the growing problem with American veterans. Overall, Parker condemns the governmental actions as their decision are affecting not only thousands of veterans, but also their family as well.
     Hence, through the depiction of a uneasy relationship between Uncle Sam and the American soldier, Parker effectively disapproves the actions of the federal government. With the allusion to a historically famous figure, millions of Americans can relate to the unacceptable choice of keeping American soldiers in foreign countries for longer periods of time, without paying them.

TOW #27 - Under the Trump Tax Plan, We Might All Want to Become Corporations

      Less than a year into his presidency, Donald Trump is making huge strides to reform the taxing system, for better or for the worse. In his new plan, President Trump plans to cut down the tax for corporations and small businesses across America, all while maintaining higher taxes for wage earners. With this new plan, Neil Irwin, the senior economics correspondent for the New York Times, believes that many loopholes are going to be involved. Irwin argues that Trump's new reform policy will benefit high end corporate moguls and lower class members will seek loopholes in order to reduce personal taxes.
      For low income citizens, or even lower middle class members, President Trump's plan will be a financial burden. However, because the new system benefits citizens working in corporations, Irwin believes people will "play the game" and maneuver away from high taxation. To simply explain the cost benefits and disadanvantages of the new plan, Irwin draws a parallel by stating, "My earning are labor income; I happen to be in the 28 percent tax bracket. Suppose I instead formed Irwin Scribblings, LLC, a "company"... could contract with The Times to provide articles about economics for a rate equivalent to the value of my current salary and benefits".  By exemplifying the new system through a personal point of view, Irwin effectively captures the "loophole" in which millions of Americans will begin to seek in order to reduce annual tax payment. By creating an own "Irwin Scribblings LLC", Irwin believes US citizens will cut their rates over ten percent, a significant portion of people's income. However, the new policy is not the first time these tricks have been sought out by the public as Scott Greenberg, an analyst at the Tax Foundation states, "As long as you have differential rates, there will always be incentives to try to classify income in ways that take advantage of whichever rate is lower". Through a reference to a credible expert in the field, Irwin effectively capture his argument as he validates his point that people will continuously attempt to find "incentive" to reduce the taxes, such as joining a corporation in order to manipulate Trump's system. There will always be a large portion of the American population that seek new ways to "play around" the system and this always has and will be a continuous economic pattern.
     In one of President Trump's first major economic reform policies, thousands of high corporate bosses will reap the benefits from the changes, all while millions of Americans will end up paying nearly double the percentage of the high end workers. In all, Neil Irwin believes there will evidently be a loophole around these new reforms, and will continue to cause more and more Americans to cheat the system.


Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/upshot/under-the-trump-tax-plan-we-might-all-want-to-become-corporations.html?_r=0

TOW #26 - The smartphone is eventually going to die — this is Mark Zuckerberg's crazy vision for what comes next

    Just in the past decade, the world has experience a technological boom with the rapid innovations of the Internet, smartphones, and most notably, social media. With nearly every American staring at their smartphones every single day, technology has undeniably made huge advancements.  However, social media mogul, Mark Zuckerberg, believes smartphones will eventually die off. Zuckerberg created a 10-year plan for Facebook, a long term program that projects to make even greater advancements in the technological realm. Rather than a hand held device, Zuckerberg believes that his plan can transform everyday lives through the use of cutting-edge technology.
    Facebook boldly projects a society that has never been seen before: a world without screens. Many wonder how this is possible, given the fact that the company's application itself runs on devices with screens. For Zuckerberg and his team, they believe that smartphones are only part of the beginning stages of their ten year plan.  In the future, the hope is that, "instead of smartphones, tablets, TVs, or anything else with a screen, all our computing is projected straight into our eyes as we type with our brains". While hand-held devices have already altered the lifestyle of millions of smartphone users, the company's projection will revolutionize how humans see, hear, and perhaps, think. The use of artificial intelligence to virtual reality may soon change the fantasy into a reality considering Facebook's rapid technological advancements that Facebook has made. Just in the past week, the leaders of virtual reality, Oculus "unveiled Facebook Spaces, a social VR app that lets denizens of virtual reality hang out with each other." By the end of the ten year plan, the connectivity between humans will undoubtedly alter as there may be a dual-universe in which people live in. The human behavior and interactions between one another may never be the same if the company's plan holds true.
     With incredible innovations and inventions quickly making great strides, Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook may have a serious impact on individuals' everyday lives. In less than a decade, humans may completely change their daily habits thanks in part to the "crazy vision".


Link: http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-f8-mark-zuckerberg-augmented-reality-2026-2017-4

IRB Post #4

For the final marking period, I have decided upon reading Star Struck: Seeing the Creator In the Wonders Of Our Cosmos. The book integrates the scientific world with the religious world as the professor of Eastern University examines evidences of the existence of God through the means of studying astronomy. I am excited to read this book as I believe this may expand my knowledge of the natural world as well as develop my faith even further.

TOW #25 -IRB The Closer

     Mariano Rivera, one of baseball's all-time bests, has won almost all possible accolades throughout his highly successful 19 seasons as a New York Yankee. Starting out his career from a long, slinky kid from the streets of Panama to closing out numerous World Series Games under the bright lights of Yankee's Stadium, Rivera's journey toward success is far from ordinary. Rivera is truly a "legend built from the group up" who continues inspire people through his version of the "American Dream".
     While there are 29 other Major League teams and millions of non-Yankees fans, all baseball fans can agree on one fact: Mariano Rivera's career was undeniably one of the best in MLB history. But what separates Rivera from other Hall of Fame players such as Nolan Ryan, Cy Young, and Steve Carlton is his journey towards being on a Major League roster. As a young, naive Puerto Rican teenager, Rivera dealt with obstacles that most American baseball players do not face in the already difficult race towards the Major Leagues. With language barriers, fierce competition with well-prepared players and no friend and family to support him in the United States, Rivera constantly fought through the difficulties. Yet, in the midst of all the difficulties, Rivera revealed his strong mentality as he explained his philosophy as “I just try to take away what I can from every situation, to always keep learning. Life is hard. Life is humbling. I do all I can to keep it simple”. The tenacious personality was what got him through the hard hits in his life, and his firm mindset and humble personality led to great success throughout his long career. Now, he is an inspiration to not just American fans, but to Puerto Ricans back at home and all around the globe. Rivera will not only be remembered as a dominant force for nearly two decades in the Majors, but also a true professional in which all people can learn a lesson or two through his story.   
      Although Rivera eventually received notable accolades and will be remembered as Major League Baseball's all-time saves and ERA leader, thirteen-time All-Star, and a five-time World Champion, he did not by any means just "receive" these goals. By overcoming long day and nights, Mariano Rivera made history through his incredible motive. Through his composed character, Rivera is not only a baseball player, but a great role model from which everyone can learn from.

TOW #24 - Visual Text "Urbanization Is Killing Us"

     Just in the 1900's, the only 14 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas. In 2008, the entire world was met with unprecedented urbanization with nearly an even split amongst people living in urban and rural areas.  While there have been many economic and social benefits with the population growth in cities, environmental effects have been an undeniable drawback.  In the street art image, the artist emphasizes the fact that urbanization has detrimental consequences to human race through the integration of personification and irony.
    The facade of this particular building is like none other, containing a meaning and a soul on the surface.  While the exterior of most buildings contain plaster, bricks, or concrete, the painting on this building personifies the undeniable issues with urbanization.  By drawing a human like figure eating trees, this metaphorically reveals that humans are destroying trees in the process of building urban areas. By giving life to the building, the artist gave a powerful meaning and purpose for the building, as civilians can see the personified building directly speaking to them.
   In the message that the mural attempts to convey to humans, the artist incorporates irony into the mix to strengthen the idea of the human obligation in preventing rapid urban growth. While the artist could have painted the same picture on a canvas, he rather placed it on an urban building itself in order drive home the point. This ironic placement of the painting makes the civilians living in the urban areas think about the effects of urbanization and its harmful impact to their environment.  By strategically placing an anti-urbanization drawing on a city building, the ironic situation makes more people recognize the need for less urban growth.
   While urbanization does have both beneficial factors and detrimental consequences, the artist effectively conveys the idea of the inimical effects that urban development can have on humans. By adding human like life to the building and strategically placing the drawing in an ironic location, the artist opens up the eyes of humans on the environmental consequences of urbanization.

TOW #23 - Global Ranking Of Happiness Has Happy News For Norway And Nicaragua Listen· 2:58

        The Global Hunger Index. The Gross Domestic Product. The Gross National Product. All these statistics are essential in evaluating the current state of a nation as well as their development as whole. While these data can be easily calculated when the data is collected, is it possible to measure the level of happiness in a country?  The United Nations recently revealed the rankings of the happiest countries around the world, an unique form of statistical data calculated for each individual nation. While the idea of ranking counties based on a mood may seem questionable, when analyzing the rankings, interesting patterns and meanings can be uncovered in the process.
      Currently, Norway and many other Scandinavian countries have topped the charts in terms of their overall emotional satisfaction, and the geographic locations of these countries are only one of many similarities. When closely examining these developed countries, not only do they share great wealth, but are also share "all the main factors found to support happiness: caring, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income, and good governance". While the idea of ranking a country based on the citizens' feelings may seem arbitrary,  the patterns that emerge from the rankings reveal that the countries are not randomly ranked, but rather carefully placed in the order of the combinations of many vital factors for a healthy and happy country.  It is not merely a coincidence that the wealth European countries with high levels of income, health, and stable government are the homes to the happiest people in the world. In fact, researchers interview over 1000 people per country annually and ask numerous questions ranging from simple emotional health questions to complicated questions that identifies the "people's perceived level of freedom, generosity and trust - both in each other and in their government and businesses". While this data may not require number crunching such as GDP and GNP, the feedback that are collected are utilized to identify a sociological pattern within the 190 plus countries in the world. Clearly, continuous research that goes towards identifying a country's level of joy is much more sophisticated than many may think.
      Hence, while the global ranking of happiness may seem as a basic, unprofessional ranking system, when examining the factors that are included in putting the countries in order, one can see that the data is not merely made up, but rather a coagulation of intricate studies done by researchers.

Link: http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/03/20/520859626/global-ranking-of-happiness-has-happy-news-for-norway-and-nicaragua

TOW #22 - South Korea’s democracy does the right thing — but that won’t solve all its problems

     March 9th, what may seem like any normal day, became a historic date for South Korea as its president, Park Geun Hye, was removed from office after months of unsettling protests across the nation. South Korea's young democracy hit a major obstacle with the corrupt leadership of Park and on Thursday, there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel for many South Koreans. However, the Editorial Board at the Washington Post believes that the impeachment of Park resolved only a portion of a much larger problem: complicated international relations.
     While there are evident issues still present throughout the nation, the Editorial Board accredits the South Korean young democracy for managing to handle the difficult political process of impeachment. While the process may have been a "testament" for the country, "for all the disruption and difficulty, the nation has managed to perform one of the most tricky maneuvers in a democratic system: undertaking the transfer of power under the rule of law at time of extreme duress". While the impeachment did not solve all the problems that the country had faced since the beginning of Park's tenure in office, it was a necessary first step towards recovering from political corruption. Before revealing the daunting problems that are yet to be dealt with for the currently unstable South Korean government, the Washington Post acknowledges the vital step that the nation undertook and commends their actions despite their inexperience with democracy.
     While the impeachment was necessary, the move did not solve most of the problems that were still left behind in part to Park's corrupt presidency. Currently, one of the greatest issue that the Korean government faces is their fragile relation with their neighbor, North Korea, as "Ms. Park took an unflinching stand toward Kim Jong Un's dangerous and unpredictable regime in North Korea". Despite Dictator Un proving his nation was a force to be reckoned with, Park's questionable decisions during her presidency jeopardized the relationship between the bordering countries. The costly moves that Park made in just the past year has left South Korea in hot water with enormous consequences to be dealt with.
      Although South Korea's historic movement has caught the attention of the world and is being celebrated across the nation, it is clear that the country still has numerous obstacles that are yet to be dealt with, most notably the relation with their neighbors up north.

Link; https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/south-koreas-democracy-does-the-right-thing--but-that-wont-solve-all-its-problems/2017/03/11/8aadde4a-05c4-11e7-b1e9-a05d3c21f7cf_story.html?utm_term=.389a37491d96

TOW #21 - IRB The Closer

     From being an ordinary kid on the streets of one of the most impoverished parts of Panama to being under the lights for the largest baseball franchises, Mariano Rivera has lived two polar opposite lives in his lifetime. While most immigrants such as Rivera may dream of living a stable life in a new land, the 13-time All Star paved an extraordinary life that most people in the entire world could not even imagine living. Through the sacrifices and drive to survive in America, Mariano Rivera reveals a life "of a legend built from the ground up" that everyone can appreciate and admire.
      Although Rivera eventually received notable accolades and will be remembered as Major League Baseball's all-time saves and ERA leader, thirteen-time All-Star, and a five-time World Champion, he did not by any means easily accomplish these goals. In fact, he had to work harder than most professional baseball players given the circumstances that Rivera was coming from. Coming from another country, the language barrier was the evident problem, but one of the toughest challenges for Rivera was the competition against experienced players as he describes his memory as, “All around me are guys who have been groomed to do this for a decade or more, and here I am, a guy who got here because one Sunday afternoon the Panama Oeste Cowboys needed somebody to finish a game.” No one would have imagined Rivera, a mere fisherman who occasionally played baseball with fishing nets and wooden sticks, to compete against talented Americans who had been playing their entire careers.  His tenacity to continue his survival in the new land was extraordinary as he left behind his family, friends, and even his future wife, Clara, with complete faith in his religious beliefs and his strong work ethic that he acquired back from working in the labor intensive fishing boats. While the chances of making it into the Majors is ever so slim, Rivera managed to accomplish the goal with even more obstacles the majority of professional baseball players, ultimately making his journey a story that everyone must respect.
      From the sandlot by the dirty beach to the world-famous Yankees Stadium, Mariano Rivera made history through his incredible motive.  Even with all the odds in the world against him, Rivera established himself as one of the most dominant athlete of all time, all while possessing composed character that everyone can learn from. Therefore, it comes to no surprise that Rivera is now know as "The Closer".

TOW #20 Visual Text "One dies, million cry. Million die, no one cries"

    Six years ago, humanity lost one of its most brilliant innovators.  Steve Jobs, the renown entrepreneur and Co-CEO of Apple, had changed the face of technology with the creations of the iPod, Mac, iPad, and most notably the iPhone. In merely a decade, Jobs rapidly advanced the "Information/Computer Age",  revolutionizing the modes of communication and lifestyles of millions of people. Despite Jobs' magnificent creations, the crucial humanitarian issues have yet to be solved. While the creation of new technological devices have impacted many lives, none of the devices saved any more lives than the pre-computer age. Through the use of juxtaposition and irony, the artist effectively opens the eyes of people to the vital problems that have yet to be solved in the world.
      Africa, the home to millions of impoverished people, is directly positioned next to the iconic logo of Apple, a multi-billion dollar company.  While Steve Jobs' Apple and his products changed the lives of many people, when looking from a broader scope, he was just a single man. Everyday, thousands of Africans die of malnutrition, infection, and many other medical deficiency. However, on the day that Jobs died, millions of people mourned his death, despite the fact that there are hundreds of deaths by the hour across the globe. By juxtaposing Apple and Africa, the author clearly wants to make a stark contrast between the two very different situations.
      The intended arrangement of Africa and Apple logo vividly reveals the irony behind the death of Steve Jobs. Although the death of such a notable man is heartbreaking, from a humanitarian standpoint, the idea of millions of deaths being forgotten is unacceptable. The play on words with the idea of a "million" people shows two completely opposite messages, all while tying the two ideas together at the same time. Perhaps the ironic Americans need to begin thinking outside of their bubble and step out into a larger perspective of the world, being aware of the countless death of their African brothers and sisters.
     In a simple, yet very powerful visual, the artist makes an effective and direct statement to Americans in hopes of changing their closed minded thoughts into a more humanitarian mindset.

TOW #19 - BILL GATES: A new kind of terrorism could wipe out 30 million people in less than a year — and we are not prepared

    While most billionaires may relax and live an enjoyable self-centered life, Bill Gates, the renown CEO of Microsoft, is seeking to make an impact in this world.  For his philanthropic work, Gates is tackling on an enormous problem that may in fact affect millions of lives globally. Although military defense budget is vital for the safety of humanity, Bill Gates effectively argues that there is a much greater problem that people must be aware of: Epidemics.
     The military defense of a country may save human lives, but Gates explains how people are not concerned about the war with pandemics.  Gates is alarmed by the fact that people tend to ignore health security when discussing global security and emphasizes  "whether it occurs by a quirk of nature or at the hand of a terrorist, epidemiologist says a fast-moving airborne pathogen could kill more than 30 million people in less than a year".Gates clearly portrays the possible outcome of an flu outbreak and the deadly consequences, ultimately opening up the eyes of the human race. By providing the statistical evidence of the sky high mortality rate of disease outbreaks, Gates argues that people must focus on another form of "terrorism" that could wipe out a huge portion of the human races.
      Gates also examines the aftermaths of the previous epidemics and emphasizes the need to prepare humans, for there is no absolute guarantee of epidemic prevention. Although a monstrous flu has not yet affected millions of lives around the globe, Gates reminds people, "It's hard to get your mind around a catastrophe of that scale, but i happened not that long ago. In 1918, a particularly virulent and deadly strain of flu killed between 50 million and 100 million people".  Bill Gates understands that it is difficult for people to expect a disease that has not been seen for many decades, but he reminds them that there is a chance, a great chance, that a pandemic of similar size may occur at any moment. He logically argues that the scariest part about this fact is that people are not prepared, and may in fact damage perhaps another 50 million to 100 million people once again.
   Hence, through the integration of statistical data and logical reasoning, Bill Gates effectively argues for the necessity of an increase in humanitarian funds for his philanthropic epidemic project.

Link: http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-op-ed-bio-terrorism-epidemic-world-threat-2017-2

TOW #18 - Should we leave Earth to colonize Mars? A NASA astronaut says “nope”.

     Living on a different planet, particularly Mars, has rapidly become a popular topic of discussion in the science field. While the thought of expanding human civilization to new horizons may be intriguing, the idea may not be as ideal as many people portray it to be. In an interview with Quartz Media, former NASA astronaut Ron Garan explains how people should not abandon life on Earth in order to establish new homes on Mars. In his argument, Garan effectively convey's his point through scientific logical reasoning as well as appealing to the emotions of all human beings.
   As a winner of the NASA Exceptional Service medal and the NASA Space Flight medial, Garan is considered to be one of the most qualified space astronaut in the world.  While he has already established his credibility through his years of experience out in space, he still gives scientific rational as to why life on Mars is not ideal.  When asked why Garan believes humans should not colonize Mars, he answers, "if we can't even "terraform" - which is to control our climate and environment - our own planet, what makes us think that we can go to another planet and control the environment there?".  Although Garan provides scientific reasoning behind his claim, he also gives insight as to what "terraform" is, which allows the audience to not only be informed, but believe in Garan's stance. While he does provide logical reasoning through his experiences as an astronaut, he also explains what he wants to convey in order to make his argument more appealing to all people, even if they are interested in space programs or not.
    To continue his point on the flaws of permanently settling in Mars, he appeals to the human emotions that is universally felt by everyone. While many people romanticize the idea of living out in another section in the solar system, Garan warns, "There are a lot of things that define beauty of life on oiur planet, like the breeze in your face, mist on a lake, and the sound of the birds. If you're going to live on Mars, your're not gonna have that for the rest of your life". As an astronaut himself, he has the first hand experience of the feeling of isolation in outer space. He opens the eyes of many people by sharing his years of spending time out in space, depiciting the less-than-ideal life on a different planet. By revealing the true beauties of planet Earth, and the numerous hardships that hopeful martians may endure, Garan effectively proves his claim.
    Hence, by sharing his first hand experience as an astronaut to the world with the inclusion of scientific rational and appealing to pathos, Garan reveals as to why colonization of Mar is less than ideal to humans living on Earth.

Link: https://qz.com/907211/should-we-live-on-mars-nasa-astronaut-ron-garan-believes-we-should-focus-on-fixing-problems-on-earth-instead-of-martian-colonization/

IRB Post #3

For the third marking period, I will be reading The Closer: My Story by Mariano Rivera. The book is an autobiography of one of the best closing pitcher in Major League Baseball history. Although Rivera has gained recognition worldwide, the elite athlete surprisingly grew up in one of the most underdeveloped areas in the world. Throughout the book, Rivera leads the readers through his journey of ultimately becoming the man he has become know as today. I decided to read this book because growing up, I was a huge baseball fan and I was mesmerized by Rivera's skills when watching games.

TOW #17 - IRB Blink

Could a split second decision possibly be more effective than a well thought out timely decision? Contrary to popular beliefs, Malcolm Gladwell argues that decisions made in a blink of an eye can actually have very powerful effects, at times being even more effective than a planned decision. To a certain extent, Malcolm Gladwell's argument is valid as shown in his numerous strong evidences, but many times throughout Blink he also shies away from the importance of well-timed decisions as well.  

   Gladwell effectively proves the power of split second decision through the use of statistical evidence and persuasive credible sources.  In a study done on the theory of thin slice by psychologist John Gottman, "If he analyzes an hour of a husband and wife talking, he can predict with 95 percent accuracy whether that couple will still be married fifteen years later. If he watches a couple for fifteen minutes, his success rate is around 90 percent." (Gladwell 21-22). While most people may believe it would take a lifetime to truly get to know the relationship between two people, Gladwell proves the importance of thin sample size data. Although in statistics, the more data will lead to accurate results, Gladwell proves his argument that there is great power in quick analysis and decisions.  With such a high accuracy, it is hard not consider the out-of-the-norm claim that Gladwell brings up.

     Although Gladwell does an excellent job opening up the eyes of the audience with his stunning evidence, one must consider counterarguments to the claim as well. When meeting a new person, Gladwell argues, "you can learn as much - or more - from one glance at a private space as you can from hours of exposure to a public face" (Gladwell 37). Although this may be true in many cases, opposing viewers may argue against the statement by stating that the illustrated situation is based on people's prejudices. The people that quickly glance at someone's possession are merely making judgements based on their thoughts, not based on the others' personalities which can be better identified through longer conversations. Although the statement "decisions made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately" is a valid argument, Gladwell's claim cannot be said to be completely true as the ideas presented are highly controversial.

TOW #16 - Visual Text "Bad Grades: 1960 vs. 2010"

    The education system in the United States has dramatically changed over the course of the last few decades. Although the improvements in the quality of education have made positive impact on millions of lives, the change has also intensified the competitive nature amongst Americans. Due to the extremely competitive education system, there is currently a controversial change in the perception of bad grades. "Bad Grades: 1960 vs. 2010" vividly and humorously illustrates this 21st century issue through the use of clear juxtaposition.
    As the college acceptance process is currently at its all time high in term of competitiveness, more and more parents have changed their views on bad grades. In the 1960's scenario in illustration, the parents blame the child for simply failing a test and demand better performance from the student. However, in the scenario half a century later, the parents do not accuse the kid for the poor performance on his test, rather they blame the teacher for the critical grade. The illustrator explicitly reveals the differences in ideologies by positioning both time periods next to one another. By adjacently placing the two situations together, the viewers can easily make out the discrepancy of when a student obtains a bad grade. The author argues through the image that times have changed and today's parents usually blame teachers for bad grades, not the child. As colleges are becoming more selective, parents are prioritizing their child's grades before the improvement of the student themselves.
     The vast development of America's schooling has changed the views of countless parents across the nation, for better or for worse. While the cartoonist does not definitively take a stance on the change, the illustration effectively argues that there has been a huge shift in perceptions on students receiving bad grades.  With such a huge change in merely half a century, it is difficult to imagine how much differently the relationship between the parents and the education system will play out in the next fifty years.

TOW #15 - Disneyland for Gun Lovers: Inside the Notorious Darra Adam Khel Arms Market

     In a section of Pakistan, where the nation's laws are not normally applied, all imaginable types of guns are freely being sold to customers at an alarmingly cheap price. The town of Darra Adam Khel has become notorious for its knockoff gun business. Despite army crackdowns, the gun market is booming in the area as civilians as well as army men near the Afghan border are constantly seeking for weapons. In "Disneyland for Gun Lovers: Inside the Notorious Darra Adam Khel Arms Market", Wajahat Khan of NBC News reveals the surprising world of the open gun sale.
     For most citizens living in the United States, a lawless area devoted to a gun business that requires no paperwork, license or background checks is almost unheard of. Khan hooks the Americans' audience by opening the article asking, "Want to knock-off Beretta or AK-47 that's "guaranteed" to be as good the original at a fraction of cost?"  Khan goes on to illustrate a shocking area of the world that is considered as one of the most violent regions of the globe. Also known as "no-man's land", the infamous Darra Adam Khel is depicted as a mysterious territory with little to no regulations.
      Not only does Khan paint the scene of the dangerous region, but also incorporates primary sources in the report through interviews with the gun-makers themselves. Functioning guns that are being sold for the fraction of the cost of real licensed guns are taking the breaths of Americans as revealed in an interview, "'I can copy anything,' Orakzai says, ticking off a list that includes Turksih Zigana pistols, American Beretta handguns, and Chinese 30-caliber weapons, 'We guarantee our copies to be as good as the original. A guarantee of it working when you need it to'". Through the eyes of most US civilians, expensive gun replicas that are easily being distributed is an unimaginable. Not only are the replicas cheap, but they are just as effective as the original guns, which in turn may make Darra Adam Khel seem like a whole another world to Americans. Although guns are common items to many Americans, a "Disneyland for Gun Lovers" is an eye opening scenery to most. Through a clear depiction of the hazardous area of Darra Adam Khel and the words of the businessmen themselves, Khan vividly illustrates an unheard of society for Americans living halfway around the globe.

link: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/disneyland-gun-lovers-inside-notorious-darra-adam-khel-arms-market-n702236

TOW #14 - Eight Years Later: The Economy and President Obama's Legacy

     As 2017 will bring a new face in the White House, it is important to reflect upon President Obama's accomplishments during his eight-year tenure in office. Although Obama's presidential decisions caused disagreements among Americans on numerous occasions, many people can agree that the president's two terms were more beneficial to the country than destructive.  In an economy article by NBC's Martha White, the author effectively reviews the President's major accomplishments and weighs the extent to which America productively developed as nation.
     Many economist agree upon the idea that President Obama took the office during one of the most disastrous economic time periods in American history. 2008 was a catastrophic period for American citizens as the United States faced its worst recession since the Great Depression. White points out that by the end of President Obama's tenure, "178,000 jobs were created the previous month, bringing the unemployment rate to 4.6 percent, the lowest since August of 2007". However, the author also weighs the other side of the argument by pointing out, " Some economists even contend that the pace of the recovery was slowed by cutbacks in government spending and a divided Congress's inability to make infrastructure spending".  By reviewing both aspects of the miraculous recovery, White effectively reveals President Obama's success all while not crediting him entirely for achieving the economic feat.
     In nearly a decade, the American society not only made economic developments, but also huge strides in the technology field. When President Obama first took office, "the iPhone had only been around for one year and Twitter for two, Facebook wouldn't go public for another four years". After just two presidential terms, almost every single American transformed into depending on all forms of technology.  The country developed a whole new social media and app economy that are currently acting as gigantic markets globally.  America's economy truly revolutionized in the mere eight years that President Obama was in office. We can only wonder what the United States will be like after President Trump's final days in the White House.


http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/president-obama-the-legacy/eight-years-later-economy-president-obama-s-legacy-n703616