AOW Feb. 26

     In the article "5 Surprising Reasons You're Not Losing" Denny Watkins explains why you may be having a "stalemate with the scale" (1) and offers solutions to get back on track to be leaner and fitter.
     Denny Watkins is a freelance journalist who specializes in health fitness and nutrition.  He has been published in Men's Health and other magazines and newspapers.  Health Magazine is an American magazine focused on women's health, first published in 1981.
     The context of the article is the struggle with losing weight, even though in theory, you're doing everything correctly.
     The purpose of the article is to show simple solutions to lose weight and explain that the problem with not losing weight may be hidden among random things you do everyday.  The key is to outwit habits that are sabotaging your best efforts.
     Rhetorical elements used: appeal to ethos, pathos and logos.  Watkins uses the opinions and suggestions from a variety of experts: doctors, authors of diet books and research results from several studies.  Watkins also relates to the audience by speaking a simple language.  The ideas from the experts are simplified in a way that is understood.   The rhetoric is relatively informal, for example, "keep dollars on hand for snack breaks- you might just save on calories" (2).  This solution reads like a friend or close doctor is suggesting this.   Watkins also appeals to logic.  The shows that he understands many people struggle with balance and his solutions fit to a busy lifestyle.  For example, "If you awaken before the alarm, you can get by with less sleep.   But if you hit snooze, you may need eight or even nine hours a night to wake up refreshed, recharged and ready to burn some fat" (3). 
     The audience intended for this article are readers of Health Magazine and people who want to lose weight.
     The author is successful.  The suggestions for changes to your lifestyle are reasonable and adaptable.  There are many solutions I might try, like getting more sleep and eating only a small snack before exercise.

Article found in the March issue of Health Magazine

AOW Feb 19

     In the article entitled, The Nubile One, Lauren Slater discusses the confusing feelings of being a over weight middle-aged woman, watching her daughter on the cusp of her womanhood.  Slater describes what it's like to be nostalgic for her youth and how it can be difficult to deal with her growing daughter.
     Slater is a psycholoist and author.  She has written six books and is a contributer to the New York Times Magazine, Harper's Magazine, Elle Magazine and others. The article is found in Self Magazine which is a health magazine for woman, founded in 1979.
     The purpose of this article was to show that growing old is difficult.  Even though Slater believes she has lost some of her physical beauty, she sees that those losses have given her strength with great capacities.  She can guide her daughter in so many ways, because she is a strong person.The context of this article is: Slater is a 50 year old woman, ashamed of the weight she has become and confused at what she feels about her daughter's maturity. The audience intended for this article is readers of Self Magazine and middle aged women.
     The rhetorical devices used are: narration and dialogue.  Slater uses narration throughout the entire article, in addition to some reflection to give a more detailed look into her life.  She also uses dialogue between herself and her daughter to give a up close look at their discussions, therefore their relationship.  The author is successful in telling stories, but to me, she comes off as immature and silly.  I found it to be annoying to read of a grown woman's struggles with her aging body and jealousy with her daughter's! A mother never should be jealous of her daughter.  She's a good writer, but the whole context and purpose were very very strange in my opinion.

IRB February 13

   
 IRB Change to The Man Who Was Thursday by GK Chesterton


The Man Who Was Thursday is about mystery story  beginning with a debate about the meaning of poetry between Gabriel Syme and Lucian Gregory.  They get to the topic of anarchism and Syme suggests that Gregory is not a true anarchist.  This frustrates Gregory so much, that he takes Syme to an anarchist meeting underground. Gregory reveals that the secret of being in this group is to publicly talk openly about anarchy so to make yourself appear to be harmless.  The main council is made up of seven men, each named after the day of the week.  At this particular meeting, one man was going to be voted the position of Thursday.  Gregory is expecting to win, however just before the meeting began, Syme revealed that he was a undercover policeman.  Gregory is then afraid to give the speech he had planned as it could be used against him in prosecution, so then the council is unconvinced by his words and no longer want to vote for him.  Syme then makes a wonderful speech and all of the council intrigued.  They vote for Syme to receive the position of Thursday.  Syme is then terrified as he must closely deal with these anarchists.  Most intimidating is Sunday, the head of the council.  At one meeting, it is discovered that one of the men in the main council is actual another undercover policeman.  Some rhetorical elements used are: descriptive language and irony.   The words he uses to describe places are beautiful and captivating:  “The suburb of Saffron Park lay on the sunset side of London, as red and ragged as a cloud of sunset” (1).  He also very wisely observes aspects of life: “That young man with the long auburn hair and impudent face- that young man was not really a poet; but surely he was a poem” and “We say that the dangerous criminal is the educated criminal… Thieves respect property.  They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it” (2).  These insights say much about Chesterton and make the story  more compelling.  Much of this story is ironic:  Syme revealing that is he an undercover policeman at the anarchist meeting so that both men have secrets about the other that would result in major conflict if ever told; Syme winning the election and becoming Thursday.  The irony makes the story unique and intriguing.  I have come to expect many twists in the plot, but I am always surprised at what they are.  This book is fantastic! I love it so far.

IRB

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Section 1: 1-192

Section 2: 193-384

Section 3: 385- 576

I chose this book because it was highly recommended by both my brother and Mrs. Pronko.  I also want to be challenged.