Monthly Archives: March 2014

Malaysia Flight MH370

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This week I will not be reviewing as much as explaining. Over the past couple of weeks we all have been wondering “Where did Flight MH370 vanish?” “Why haven’t we found it yet?” and other questions of the sort. I will be explaining just how different nations are looking for the plane.

 

As most know by now, the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 “disappeared” on March 8th while it was en route to Beijing, China from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The flight was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, all presumed “dead” by the authorities after the flight crashed in the Indian Ocean.

So how did we find out that the plane made a sharp detour from Beijing and eventually end up in the Indian Ocean?

Well the main way they came to this conclusion was by satellite based location detection. All commercial airliners give off “pings”, which basically communicate to the satellite and ground base that the plane is still there. A British based satellite operator, Inmarsat, used this “ping” system to determine how long it took for each ping to be relayed. Using this information they were able to tell whether the plane was moving towards or away from the satellite. This gave investigators a sense of the plane going west and then southwards in the Indian Ocean. Also, many governments and private companies employed the use of their own satellites to scour the Indian Ocean for debris fields. On the 16th and 18th, investigators discovered two pieces from the suspected plane.

Once the debris points were located via satellite, countries began to send out vessels to look for more debris with expert spotters. Till this point, there hasn’t been verified proof of the plane wreckage being found, but the authorities strongly suggest the plane went down in the Ocean. The next step for investigators is searching for the Blackbox to find out exactly what happened on board.

Opinion: I have been following this story heavily and I’m the type of person to hold out for hope so I would really like decisive evidence of the wreckage before I say anything. I don’t know if this was the work of hijacking or technical glitch, but it is bizarre. I am sure this disappearance will cause greater investment in tracking technology for planes and other vehicles.

Here is a great article going into further detail: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/communications-systems-aboard-malaysian-jet-were-shut-down-separately/

option 1

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How do you feel about exploration method?

B: Many people don’t want to take gen eds that aren’t helping their major

 

K: Exploration gives people a chance to get a feel for new classes/ideas

 

Does this method devalue the student’s major?

Da: Having to focus on gen eds, requires student focus less on their major

 

Do gen eds look better to employers than no gen eds?

D’m: Yes, it shows the employers that you have different skill sets

 

How do people feel about the overall idea of gen eds?

Q: Some people like the exploration of new ideas, others just want to focus on majors

Why is less rigorous a consequence?

K: its not a consequence, regardless on the rigor the alumni can still help network and get jobs for grads.

Da: it takes away from the prestige of the University

Rigor correlates with prestige in academia

 

Do we need new classes to be formed from this method?

General consensus: No, Penn State offers a wide variety of courses already so it doesn’t make sense to create new classes.

 

What is the goal of this method?

Da: Regardless of the set-up, students will forget the things in their gen eds anyway

K: People may forget specifics, but remember on big ideas they learn in gen ed classes they enjoy

 

What is the job of the University?

K: The duty of the University is to provide a strong education program to enhance the probability of getting employed, but also to develop the students as individuals.

 

stake

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The General Education course system is a great way to expose college students to a wide array of topics, interests, and classes students otherwise would never know about. Before we discuss whether the University requires a Gen Ed reform, we must decipher what the goal of the University is. Is it the duty of the University to simply provide students the skills required to acquire an occupation, or is it also responsible for developing a well rounded individual? By even having general education classes available I think most Universities believe it is their duty to develop well rounded individuals. Taking this into account, I believe it is good PSU is reconsidering the current GenEd system. Personally, I like the idea of Theme based GenEd courses. Similar to minors, the theme based courses would give you credit for getting a certain number of credits in a general topic. I like the idea of themes because we can implement ideas like diversity into the curriculum. Many employers look for people who are open to different ideas, tolerant, and able to work in team settings so a graduating with a Diversity requirement it betters your standout compared to other candidates, not to mention this would increase the cultural competency of students. This is just one theme I thought of.

3rd paper draft

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note ** means I need citation there.

One of the best known satirical shows in America is The Daily Show. Its host, Jon Stewart, highlights many political issues facing the American people and presents them in a entertaining way. Recently, he presented a segment pertaining to the CIA interfering in Senate investigations regarding post 9/11 torture techniques. In his March 12th episode, Jon Stewart uses satire (humor & commonplace) and fallacies to show people that the CIA undoubtedly interfered with the post 9/11 torture investigations.

Torture is no humorous topic, in fact it is a serious issue when it comes to protecting universal human rights. Jon Stewart knows the average American has no interest in listening to a depressing news clips after a long day of work, so he cleverly employs humor to lighten the story. Stewart first introduces the segment seriously saying “Sometime in 2002, the CIA was authorized to use interrogation techniques on prisoners that could be described as torture.”** He light-heartedly follows the statement with “Did I say could? I meant should have been described as torture… but for some reason were not described that way… instead described as “freedom tickling””** Although everything he is saying is important regarding the legality of torture of humans, he presents it in such a way that allows audience members to laugh about the situation and absorb the pertinent information. Stewart continues describing the background of the situation and educates the viewers that it wasn’t till 2009 that Congress actually started investigating the torturing. Stewart scratching his chin says “I cannot remember why it took so long to — I wish — hmmmm”** and as he is saying this, a picture of President George W. Bush pops up beside him followed by great audience laughter. What happened here was The Daily Show used the commonplace idea that Bush was staunch supporter of torture (http://ccrjustice.org/bush-openly-confesses-torture-authorization-no-prosecutions-cia-tape-destruction-why-we-care)** Stewart implies it is no wonder why it wasn’t till 2009, when Bush was out of office, that these investigations began. In addition, the image of the former President reminds viewers of his past bloopers and blunders, which works to keep the segment light and humorous.

Stewart then works to dissect the actually CIA interference claims by Congress. Stewart presents a CNN clip in which Congress claims the CIA accessed their computers and began to delete relevant case information. Stewart throws in a humorous line “Now originally the information that vanished, Congress believed it to be suicide, because the information left this note”** The note was on a MacBook screen reading “I deleted myself don’t look for me”** Now obviously a piece of information cannot commit suicide or even leave a Post-It note for that matter, but it is humorous in that it shadows conspiracies associated with the CIA. It is widely assumed that when a federal agency like the CIA has a problem, they tend to eliminate it (kill), and make it look like a suicide. The way Stewart formulates his statements is quite entertaining for the audience, but also sets up the CIA to be an organization that is more often than not in the wrong, which is great for his argument that the CIA is obviously behind the loss of Congressional data.

Following the suicide note bit, one of the most intriguing rhetorical devices employed by Jon Stewart was the red herring fallacy. First, Stewart shows CIA Director, John Brennan, speaking in defense of the CIA. Brennan in a sorrowful voice says “Nothing could be further from the truth. We wouldn’t do that”** To Stewart, Brennan’s statements show little truth in how the CIA actually works. Stewart exclaims “Y’all overthrew Iran and Chile, orchestrated the assassination of first democratically elected Prime Minister of Congo, wiretapped journalists and anti-war activists and carried out a mind experiment with LSD on prisoners”*** So Stewart is showing that the CIA hasn’t exactly had the squeakiest clean record Brennan suggests. As true or false as the aforementioned statements may be, we cannot assume that because the CIA overthrew a government or wiretapped journalists they would undermine the sanctity of the U.S. Constitution. Director Brennan presented his view that the CIA would do no such thing as hack into the Congressional computers. Stewart presents the CIA’s unofficial past to the audience in order to take away attention from the situation at hand.

The Daily Show also puts into effect the straw man fallacy to further strengthen its argument. Stewart poses the question to the audience “If the CIA weren’t purposely destroying evidence what happened to the files”** The show cuts away to another CNN answering this question “The CIA, when asked what was going on first denied the interference then blamed it on the IT guys”** Stewart immediately creates a distorted version of what the CIA claimed. Stewart views the idea that Information Technicians stole or destroyed the files as ludicrous. Stewart implants the idea of “nerds” stealing this top secret information in people’s minds, he also says “Bay of Pigs, yeah that was a problem in HR. Faulty Iraq Intelligence? That was (bleep) accounting”** It is very difficult to believe that such white collar “nerds” would steal Congressional information relating to torture investigations. Steward engages the distorted story rather than the actual claim made by the CIA. It is entirely possible that an IT guy destroyed the information, we don’t know for sure. Anyhow, Stewart does well in employing the straw man fallacy to his audience, knowing many won’t question it,

Jon Stewart and The Daily Show do a tremendous job in implementing humor & commonplaces, as well as fallacies to guide the audience to their argument. The well timed satirical devices work to inform to the general viewership of the political issues facing America. The Daily Show’s coverage of the CIA interference in Congress in satirical manner definitely persuades the audience to the idea that the CIA is in the wrong and must have destroyed the incriminating evidence. Which in all honesty is probably what happened.

 

EmoPulse Smile

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This week I will be reviewing the Emopulse’s SmartWatch Smile.

smile-smartwatch

Overview:
A tech company called Emopulse used crowdfunding to develop a truly innovative piece of tech. The Smile SmartWatch is the latest smartwatch to put its head in the race of wearable tech, and it has the potential to be an industry leader. The Smile is currently up for pre-order for $380, and has already attracted many enthusiasts.

Details:
The Smile is like nothing else on the smartwatch market featuring many unique features.
Hardware: The Smile features a curved-screen that wraps around your wrist. The Smile is essentially a smartphone, watch, PDA all in one. Packing a OMAP 5 processor (really fast processor) the Smile allows seamless streaming of HD videos, pictures, etc. Despite such a powerful processor, the Smile’s power consumption is relatively low, allowing the watch to run for 7 days on one full charge. Also the Smile features 3 cameras! One for video chatting, a 12 MP camera for pictures and HD video recording, and another for scanning barcodes and more! The Smile is also accompanied by a PurePath program that ensures a stable wireless audio link to headphones, so consumers can enjoy music without hassle. Even crazier, the Smile comes with 128 GB of memory so storing music, videos, apps, etc. would be no problem whatsoever.

Software: One distinction aspect of this watch is it runs on Linux, not iOS or Android. This may be a disadvantage as far as apps goes, but is more professional in orientation. The inventors are also currently working on a Siri-like companion for the watch to allow easy internet searches, reservations, reminders, and more. Unlike other watches, the Smile is also capable of tracking personal statistics and the user’s taste preference.

Opinion:
This is amazing in my opinion. It is basically a smartwatch on steroids, with all the features it presents I see this device selling very well. I was not too into the wearable tech before this item, but I think it has changed my mind, and it is evident that the world is moving towards wearable tech rather than handheld anyway. It’s a bit pricey right now, but I am sure when companies like Verizon, ATT, T-Mobile, etc. get their hands on it, we all can get it on contracts for cheaper prices!

March 7th

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In this piece, actor Will Ferrell is on a Saturday Night Live skit impersonating President George W. Bush. The skit is suppose to be a Public Service Announcement on Global Warming. The whole satire is aimed at showing how very little Bush actually knows about Global Warming. The skit uses appeal to ethos by portraying President Bush as a gullible gentlemen who is not eloquent in his language. For example, he says “For centuries, the rays of the Sun have warmed the Earth’s crust… and apparently those rays are intensifying in such a way that it’s increasing lava flows” The audience knows the Bush has trouble getting his point across sometimes, and SNL used this point to show viewers that Bush knows very little about Global Warming, in fact “Bush” later says “I’m not gonna lie to you, I don’t know what the heck I’m talking about”. SNL also uses the false analogy when Ferrell alludes to Biblical times when “Adam and Eve talked to that snake 6000 years ago, when the world was created, it was hot back then too, why do you think Adam and Eve were naked?” So SNL and Ferrell are showing us that Bush believes that because Adam and Eve were naked they were hot, so that’s why it’s still hot now. You see the two have very little correlation. Lastly, there is an employment of Appeal to Popularity. This one is not popularity in numbers, but rather in status. Ferrell says “You didn’t hear Adam and Eve run around talking about emission standards and hybrid cars”. So “Bush” is saying if the 1st people on the Earth didn’t talk about Global Warming, why should we? This was a great satirical skit by SNL.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOjfxEejS2Y)

In this next Family Guy sketch Lois is in a campaign debate against Adam West. Both the prospects for mayor are speaking to undecided voters. Family Guy is questioning the intelligence of undecided voters, showing that most vote based on character. One of the most prominent satirical devices used in this piece was Red Herring. An audience member asks “Mayor West if elected would you increase the number of garbage pickups?” Adam West responds “Well citizen that’s an excellent question and I thank you for it.” Adam West completely dodges the question and just says what he wants. Then another audience member asks “Mrs. Griffin, what are your plans for cleaning up our parks” Her response “9-11 was bad”. And the crowd goes wild! Yes the acts committed on September 11th, 2001 were “bad” this is logical, but what does it have to do with the question? It is a diversion tactic, that Family Guy claims works well on undecided voters. Family Guy also employs the use of a Tautology to demonstrate how gullible undecided voters can be. When one audience member asked “What would you do about crime in our city?” She said “A lot…because that is what Jesus would want”. There is no way we can prove that is what Jesus want, though it probably is, but there is no way of proving the claim!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YOh-rpvjYg)

This last clip from South Park has the intent to show how most Americans view the foreign customer service agents. In the clip, Cartmen is trying to get a hold of the security hotline because his house was broken into, but the call is transferred to India. Cartmen demands to know why his call is being taken someone out of the country, the Security company’s manager lets him know that “we have alarms going off around the country 14 times a minute, that takes a lot of employees manning phones”. The irony is the outsourced labour is a problem that was created from the massive amounts of people trying to get the security service, and now the customers of the security company are complaining about what they unintentionally created. Cartmen furthermore can be said to make a Hasty Generalization. He says “I didn’t sign up to get some Indian guy to call me”. Cartmen does not know the man he is talking to is located in India. He just came to the conclusion that he must be foreignly based because of the way he speaks. Also we can see the use of a Slippery Slope by Cartmen from 1:03 till the end. Cartmen leads us to the grizzly conclusion of the UPS guy raping his mother and robbing them. The conclusion is based on the small premises preceding it that are very unlikely to happen.
(http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/mql7ys/hallo-dis-is-varashnu#tab=featured)

Obalon

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This week I will be reviewing the Obalon, an innovative weight loss device.

Overview:

Recently the United Kingdom has begun implementing the Obalon for patients in want/need of weight loss. The balloon-like device is ingested as a capsule and afterwards inflated in the stomach, where it remains situated in that area for a period of 12 weeks. The goal is to imitate the sensation of fullness, thus reducing the urge to eat.

 

Details:

What separates the Obalon from other gastric balloons is its size and gas composition. The Obalon balloon is smaller and filled with nitrogen gas, which allows it to situate at the top of the patient’s stomach. “Clinical trials have shown a potential 50.2 percent reduction in excess body weight, a potential reduction of 8.3 percent in total body weight and a 2.8 point reduction in BMI over the three month treatment period.”

This product is only approved in Europe as of now as the FDA has yet to give it the OK for the US. The makers of Obalon say the balloon itself is not a cure for obesity, but must be complemented with healthy diet and exercise.

 

Opinion:

I actually had never heard of anything like this before, I have heard of bands but never balloons. I think this is a very interesting way to lose weight. Personally I feel like this isn’t necessary if you are slightly overweight, because you should just naturally work it off, but for people with BMI this may be a reasonable solution if used properly. Keep in mind this balloon alone cannot save you from obesity, but if implemented with a healthy diet and exercise this can be a valuable tool. I also do not know how much this procedure would cost.

Thermoelectric Hollow Flashlight

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This week I will be reviewing a product not yet available for the market, but interesting enough to get praise. This item is the Thermoelectric Hollow Flashlight.hollowbody-heat-powered-flashlight

Overview:
Every once in a blue moon you need to use a flashlight, whether it’s because the lights went out or you dropped something in the dark. Anyone you go get your flashlight, try to turn it on… but nothing, the batteries are dead. Don’t you wish you could avoid such a situation? Well a flashlight created by 15-year-old Ann Makosinki removes this trouble. Unlike all other flashlights this one uses a person’s self-created heat to generate light. Makosinki has already earned a place amongst 15 finalists in Google’s Science Fair, and has a legitimate chance of winning the whole thing.

Details:
While the product is still in its infancy and proto stages it has already shown promising results. Apparently a “person’s palm generates about 57 milliwatts of electricity”. This is plenty enough to create light from the flashlight.
Makosinki used Peltier tiles, which create electricity when one side of the tile is heated while the other is cool. So the idea is cool wind/air will flow in the aluminum flashlight while you touch the outer part of the tiles with your hand. This invention is very simplistic in nature, but very innovative at the same time.

Opinion:
First impression- WOW, this is such a simple yet brilliant idea, if only I thought of it. I think the Hollow flashlight will nail the coffin shut for traditional electrical torches. This clever device will take away the great inconvenience of going to the store to get batteries. I think we are likely to see similar human powered devices in other consumer fields like TV remotes or computer mice. Anyway, salute to this 15-year-old girl that materialized the idea.