Animal of Steel

Iron Animal

    Many animals can't survive extreme  , extreme cold, radiation, and the vacuum of outer space. But there is an animal that can survive all of these conditions. Meet the Tardigrade, also known as the water bear. These animals ( only about 0.5 mm to  12 mm long) do the impossible they go into a stage called cryptobiosis. This is when the water bear retracts itself and loses most of its water. In this state, they are indestructible. Water bears are known only to die because of old age. They also have an average lifespan of 200 years!

My View

     I think that the water bear is a huge step forward. It shows how powerful some tiny animals could be. But the best part is that you can see these creatures under a simple microscope in garden moss. But any evil scientists out there better not try intertwining their DNA!  

The Poet of Poetry

The Life of Jack Prelustky

         Jack Prelutsky was born on September 8, 1940, in Brooklyn. He is currently 73. When he was born, a fire burned his house, but Jack Prelutsky was saved by his uncle. Jack Prelutsky hated poetry, but later rediscovered it. Jack Prelutsky  gets his ideas for his poems from things that are around him ,things that are happening, and things that happened. An interesting fact about him is that he's been a cab driver, furniture mover, piano mover, carpenter, folksinger, photographer, actor, and a lot more jobs. Another interesting fact is that he had his beard a foot long and keeps a frog collection. Sources: http://jackprelutsky.com/;http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/68; Wikipedia

  

Poem Analysis

        

A Dragon’s Lament – (from THE DRAGONS ARE SINGING TONIGHT)

I’m tired of being a dragon,

Ferocious and brimming with flame,

The cause of unspeakable terror

When anyone mentions my name.

I’m bored with my bad reputation

For being a miserable brute,

And being routinely expected

To brazenly pillage and loot.

I wish that I weren't repulsive,

Despicable, ruthless, and fierce,

With talons designed to dismember

And fangs finely fashioned to pierce.

I've lost my desire for doing

The deeds any dragon should do,

But since I can’t alter my nature,

I guess I’ll just terrify you. - Jack Prelutsky

      I think this poem the message that it sends is that you can't change who you are so be happy with yourself. This poem stuck to me I often wish that I were someone else but know I can't change. This is also why I can relate to this poem. I think during this time the poet was a sad person when writing this poem because he felt like changing himself.










    

Aliens: Creators of the Moai of Easter Island?

The Mystery of Easter Island

The Moai

              Easter Island: a place of mystery and suspicion. The Rapanui were a stone age culture that lived on Easter Island. The cleared the forests, planted crops, and became great artists. The Rapanui carved enormous statues called the moai, which ranged  from four to 33 feet in height and weighed up to 80 tons! but suddenly, all but disappeared. On Easter Sunday,1772, the first European  visitors arrived to Easter Island. Nearly 900 moai covered the island, but much of the island was destroyed. The palm forests had disappeared, with many plants and animals one as well.many Statues had been forgotten and toppled over. The few Rapanui that were left had turned into cannibals. What happened to this peaceful island? Many  wacky theories have formed over time. The theory that I believed happened is the walking theory because it showed why there were only a few Rapanui,why the forests were gone,l and how the Rapanui were able to move the moai.

The Theory of Carl Lipo & Terry Hunt

          Archaeologists Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt . They say that there were only a few Rapanui is because the population reached just about 3,000 people. They argue that there was never really was a big population to crash. A reason for this small population is the

fact that families were to busy with the moai( there were 900 moai) to grow large families. According to the article "Did Aliens Make These Statues?", Lipo and Hunt say that rats were the cause of the lack of palm forests. Confused? The Rapanui moved to the island about 1000 years ago. They probably brought rats with them for food( YUM). These rats were released on the island and started gnawing at the plants and nuts. This caused the destruction of the palm forests. This is supported by the fact that fossils of palm nut had gnaw marks on them.

         But they puzzle isn't solved yet. The statues were moved 11 miles across the island. How could this be possible when the Rapanui only had stone tools? Lipo's dnd Hunt's theory are that they " walked" the statues.They would tie ropes to the moai and rock them towards their destination. The archaeologist duo  demonstrated this by "walking" the statue with a team of 18. They were able to move the statue a few hundred yards.

Conclusion

         The moai and Easter Island are a huge mystery on the island, which is part of Chile today. There are many theories ranging around these mysteries. But, who knows, maybe aliens really did build the statues!

The Life Of Leonardo Da Vinci

       Leonardo Da Vinci : The Man of Many Arts

           Leonardo di ser Piero Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, " at the third hour of the night", in the Tuscan hill town of Vinci, in the lower valley of the Arno river in the  territory of Florence. Leonardo was the illegitimate son of Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, a Florentine notary, and Caterina, a peasant who may have been a slave form the Middle East. Not a lot is known about Leonardo's early life. But we do know that he spent his first five years in the hamlet of Anchiano, then lived in the household of his father, grandparents, and uncle Francesco , in the small town of  Vinci. His father had married a sixteen-year-old girl named Albiera, who loved Leonardo , but sadly died young. In later life Leonardo only recorded two childhood incidents. One, which noted as an omen, was when a kite dropped from the sky and hovered over his cradle, its tail feathers brushing over his face. The second occurred while Leonardo was exploring the mountains and discovered a cave. He was both terrified that theremight be some terrible monster there, but was also driven by curiosity to find what was inside. Leonardo was not ever married or known to have children. da Vinci was a man of many talents and interests. He was an architect, musician, engineer, mathematician, inventor, scientist, botanist, and anatomist. His most known painting is, of course, the Mona Lisa. But Da Vinci also sketched the first parachute, repeating rifle, first helicopter, first tank, first airplane, first swinging bridge, paddle boat, and first motor car. An interesting fact about Leonardo da Vinci is that he technically had no surname."Da Vinci" simply meant "of Vinci": his full birth name was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, meaning, Leonardo, son of ser Piero from Vinci. Another interesting fact about Leonardo da Vinci is that he was a professional lyre player. When he first presented himself to the Milanese court, was introduced as a musician, not a artist nor inventor. A final interesting fact about Leonardo is that he was an ambitious paranoid dyslexic. This enabled him to draw forward with one hand and write backwards with the other hand. Writing backwards caused him to  write a mirror image of each word making it nearly impossible to read( which is why he did it).

Quotes From Leonardo da Vinci

      A quote of Leonardo da Vinci's is "A well-spent day brings happy sleep." My opinion about this quote is that shows that if spend a well-spent day, you will fall asleep easily and contently.  Another quote is "As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death." My opinion about this quote is that if you are satisfied with your life, then you will die happy. The last, but not least, quote of Da Vinci's is, " Marriage is like putting your hand into a bag of snakes in the hope of pulling out an eel." My opinion about this quote is that i agree with Leonardo because marriage is risky and wen you do it , you hope it will be a success.

Major Accomplishments

                  I think that Leonardo da Vinci accomplished a lot in his time. His most famous painting, the Mona Lisa is beautiful and mysterious. No one quite know why she was smiling. What do you think? Another painting of Leonardo da Vinci's is the Last Supper. It depicts Jesus's last dinner with his disciples. it is also famous and is beautiful. His ideas for inventions , anatomy, science changed the world. He was creative and exceptional.

 Sources: http://www.leonardoda-vinci.org/biography.html

               https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101203101355AAB0Rvg

               http://discovermagazine.com/2006/may/10-da-vinci#.UwVIlPldU40

               http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/l/leonardo_da_vinci.html

              

RYNO- The One-Wheeled Motorcycle

The One-Wheeled Electric Motorcycle

        Over many years, there have been many unusual models of transportation such as the Segway, the Solowheel, the Uno, etc. However, none of these match the latest entrant to the market. Now introducing...... the RYNO! The Ryno, which stands for "Ride Your Own Opportunity,"  it is an electric uni-motorcycle that consists of only 25 inch one wheel! Its just like a motorized uni-cycle. But unlike a uni-cycle, the RYNO is not hard to balance on or to ride. you might ask, "How is that possible?"  Well, thanks to a combo of gyroscope sensors and  accelerometers, this unique vehicle is able to self-balance  itself. In order to get the RYNO started, all the rider of the bike has to do is lean forward on the handle! Simple, isn't it? But how does this happen? When you lean forward on the handlebars, it causes the sensor-balanced to re-adjust and propel the bike forward. Plus, if you need to stop, you can use the hand brakes, or simply lean back! the RYNO is fitted with a rechargeable battery that can provide power for approximately 10 miles, and has a top speed of 25 mph. But don't go swapping your car for this cool motorcycle just yet. That's because the RYNO is not street-legal yet. Though it is okay to drive around on sidewalks and bike lanes, you might find some resistance from the authorities simply because it looks as though it would topple over any minute.

 source: http://www.dogonews.com/2014/1/27/one-wheeled-electric-motorcycle-ready-to-make-its-debut

Eco-Friendly 

                      The RYNO is also very eco-friendly. It is electrically powered and does not use gasoline to power it. This makes it very eco-friendly. I think that newer types of transportation or newer models should be eco-friendly like the RYNO. Cars and transportation devices that use gasoline are one of the main causes of global warming. That could change the climate of Earth and could possibly cause a ice age. It could also cause the destruction of humanity. But by building transportation that can use alternative sources of fuel, we can prevent this from happening. The RYNO is a step towards preventing global warming.

                                                           This is the launch video of RYNO.     

Thinking Matters

          The RYNO is a great eco-friendly advancement. What other eco-friendly advancement can you think of?                            

An Airplane Made of Paper,(Literally)!

The Greatest Paper Airplane Made!

      When you think of a paper airplane, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? A flimsy piece of paper that you fold that glides when you throw it the right way. But don't tell this to Luca Iacconi-Stewart. He has spent precious time on a manila airplane. This plane is made with such detail and preciseness, that it could pass for a real jetliner, if it weren't for its 1:60 scale and inability to fly!  Luca starts this  section by printing out the detailed design and then carefully carves it down with an X-Acto  knife. After this is done, he painstakingly glues it all together. Luca got the idea of making this plane when he stumbled upon some detailed drawings of a Air India Boeing 777-300ER Luca This detail-oriented artist is so particular about the plane that he spent an entire summer building the seats for the plane. He first started by dividing the cabin into three sections: first class, economy, and business. He then crafted the exact number of seats.

Source: http://www.dogonews.com/2014/1/23/is-this-the-worlds-most-incredible-paper-airplane-we-sure-think-so

Patience Counts

       Luca's  plane is still not finished, even after FIVE years. Lucas needs a lot of patience to build this plane. For example, it took him twenty minutes for ONE economy seat, four to six hours for ONE business sea, and an astounding EIGHT hours to make a first class seat. Imagine making a hundred of these seats for countless hours. I would probably freak out and get really frustrated. For someone to build a paper airplane like this you need to have extreme patience. A normal paper airplane is usually made in seconds. Luca is very patient and will finish this plane.

  

The videos above show some parts of making the

Thinking Matters

  Luca also was stopped by college when making the plane because his course got heavy. That's why recently, he quit school to pursue his dream and passion. Do you think this decision is correct? Comment in the comment box below about whether his decision was right or wrong.

Its A Miracle, No Stains!

Wow, No Stains!

            Have you ever been scolded by your mom for spilling milk or juice on your t-shirt?  Those long, repetitive lectures about spilling liquids on your clothes? But no more! Thanks to this fantastic invention by a San Francisco student, you clothes will never get stained! Aamir, a university student majoring in entrepreneurship  began developing the fabric about  year and a half ago. Aamir's first prototype was made by coating the t-shirt with hydrophobic  spray. This, however, did not work well because the protective layer would wash of in one wash.Then the inventor got the idea of incorporating tiny particles of silica, the same material that is used in umbrella's, into the fabric itself. Because this mineral is bonded at a microscopic level, it helps create a layer of air between any liquid dripping down and the t-shirt. This product was called Silica This in turn causes the offending stainer to magically roll off (like rain does of an umbrella) , instead of seeping through. Finally, the victim of the stain wins over the stainer! The best part of this material does not irritate the skin,and according to the inventor(Aamir), is completely safe to wear all day!

Inventors Change the World

     Everyday inventions amaze us.  The Silica t-shirt is one of many inventions us humans have  invented. These inventions help us every day.  For example, if Thomas Edison hadn't invented the  light bulb, we would still be using lamps and fire as a light source. If  Henry ford hadn't invented the car, a big part of today's world, we wouldn't be traveling to places as fast as nowadays. We wouldn't Mercedes, Ferrari, Bugatti, Lamborghini, etc. The inventions  we use and are invented everyday make our lives easier. These inventions are ingrained in our everyday life, helping us along the way.

         This video is the kick-start video for the product, Silic. This video explains the project better, and in more detail.

Thinking Matters 

    What is a new invention that you think will affect the world? I challenge you to find a new invention of thus type and research this. Then, please tell me what it is n the comment box.

It's Raining Diamonds!

It Just Might be Raining Diamonds on Jupiter and Saturn

       Do you like jewels, precious stones? Then you will certainly like this news! It might be raining diamonds on Jupiter and Saturn right now! chunks of diamond may be floating in helium and hydrogen fluid in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn. But there's more! at even lower depths the extreme pressure and temperature can melt the diamonds, literally causing liquid diamond rain, said researchers. This new information that has  confirmed that at depth, diamonds may be floating around inside Saturn. Some might even grow so large that they could be called "diamondbergs!"  But why are so many diamonds forming only on Saturn and Jupiter? Diamonds can form when elemental carbon, such as graphite or soot created by huge lightning storms on Saturn,falls into the deep atmosphere of the planet where it is crushed into the gem, say planetary scientists Mona Delitsky and Kevin Baines, who conducted the research for this topic.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/science/jupiter-saturn-skies-are-filled-diamonds-8C11371619

My Opinion

         My opinion is that we have a lot to discover in space, such as these diamonds. We might even find life on an other planet or even find a way to live on Mars! The universe is very big and we are a minuscule thing compared to the universe. But this also means  that we have a lot to learn and discover. We are prospering everyday, discovering new things. The diamond discovery is only part of our discoveries. We have made mistakes with a few of these discoveries, but we make sure to try to fix them.



This video shows more about the diamond rain, and also more on how they form. It also talks about a book called "Alien Seas," which has a picture that shows future mining robots. These robots might be used to mine the diamond from Jupiter and Saturn.

Think Matters

  I showed one discovery on space but there are man more. But I wonder if any other planets have diamonds on them/ I challenge you to research jis and comment on it.

      

A Year In Review

Events.... And the Tragedies

A radar loop of Typhoon Haiyan when it struck Leyte Island. 

          Well, 2013 is withering away and many events have happened. Some were tragic, while others were all right. One of the tragedies was the death of  Nelson Mandela. He died on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95. He died from a  respiratory infection. Another tragic event that happened was the death of musician/singer/songwriter Lou Reed. Lou Reed died on October 17, 2013, at the age of 71. He had a liver transplant but died of liver disease. Two more people who died were Cory Monteith, who was on the television show "Glee",  and Paul Walker, who was in the Fast & Furious movies. But a recent event that happened recently was the Super Typhoon Haiyan. 

Source: The New York Times/ Wikipedia

Memorable Things in the Year 2013

      The year is coming to an end and 2014 is right ahead. The news event that I will remember most this year is the strike of typhoon Haiyan. As I told you before, This was a devastating event destroying the Philippines.   A top pop culture moment that  will be a memorable to me is the internet meme  "What Does the Fox Say!". A pop song that I will remember Is the song by Katy Perry "ROAR". The most memorable event in my personal life this year is when I went to India after four years. Something that 2013 taught me is the fat that I am lucky to have food, water, education, shelter, and money. When I went to India, I saw many homeless people who were living in poverty. something that I am looking forward to in the year 2014 is the new movies that will come out, and the scientific and technological advances that us humans prosper.

Thinking Matters

                My favorite scientific advancement this year was the launch of a robot to Mars. What was yours? I challenge you to have fun this new year and also to make a new year's resoution.

Dream: Do Animals Do It?

Do Animals Dream?

   

                Have you ever wondered if your pet dreams? If Flash or Fluffy were running through a field of dandelions or chewing on a humongous  bone? Do animals really dream? If you ever watched a dog sleeping,you probably thought to yourself that the dog was dreaming.As a matter of fact, scientists would agree about this matter. But how do they know? Do they talk to the dog and ask what it dreamed about ? Of course not! Scientists have more clever ways to learn what is going on inside a brain of an animal when its sleeping. Researchers from Cambridge University used studies made at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to decide that animals do dream. In fact, they concluded that animals have very complicated dreams that replay memories or events that happened while they were awake. Researchers studied rats that had been trained to run on a track. They plotted and measured the brain activity with electrodes while the rats were awake and running.  They then did the same thing while the rats slept .The researchers learned that the rats experience rapid eye movement(REM) sleep like humans. During REM sleep is when humans experience dreams. Scientists observed similar behavior in the rats they studied. After  comparing the information from when the rats were awake with the data from when they were asleep.. They concluded that the data strongly supported the view that the rats had replayed long series of waking events while they were asleep. In other words, the rats were dreaming about running on the track!

Dogs Like Humans

               We know that  animals dream what they did before, but doesn't that mean that they dream similar to us. For example, according to an article in PawNation, a dog named Roxy survived in a drainage ditch in the wettest and coldest part of the year with compound fractures on both wrists, for five and a half weeks. When fast asleep on most on most nights, Roxy would whimper and growl to unidentifiable sounds.  We humans  sometimes talk in our sleep. For instance, when I was at a sleep over a boy was turning and flipping about a movie he watched the previous night. He was muttering and yelling, which scared me a lot. I myself don't watch horror movies because I get nightmares when I sleep. So animals have the basic dreams like us. Past events that we remember us.

10 Types of Dreams 

1. Daydreams:  Occurs during the day and when you let your imagination carry away. As your mind begins to wander and you lose yourself in your imagined scenario  and fantasy
2. Lucid Dreams: Occur when you realize  you are dreaming. You become an active participant in your dream and "make "  your outcome happen.
3. False Awakening Dreams: Some thing that you think happened but was only a dream. For example, You thought you brushed your teeth and got ready in the morning, But wake up to find it was only a dream. 
4. Nightmares: A disturbing dream that causes you to wake up feeling anxious or frightened. This may be a response to a real trauma or situation.
5. Recurring Dreams: Repeat  themselves with little variation in story or theme. These dreams may be positive, but are nightmarish in content.
6. Healing Dreams: Messages that regard the dreamers health. Ancient Greeks called these types of dreams "prodromic" 
7. Prophetic Dreams: Precognitive or psychic dreams. They foretell the future.
8. Signal Dreams: Help you solve problems or make decisions in your life.
9. Epic Dreams: Are so huge,so compelling, and vivid that you can't ignore them.The details of these dreams remain with you for years, as if you just dreamt it last night.
10. Mutual Dreams: described as such when two people have the same dream.Not much study has gone into the phenomenon of mutual dreams, but there is a very strong bond that exist between these two people.

Source: www.dreammoods.com

Thinking Matters 

      We know that rats and dogs dream, but what animals don't dream? I challenge you to research this topic and comment on it.

The Rhinoceros

Endangered and Rare

            In the dense forests of tropical Africa, thousands of these creatures were alive. Now, only a few are left. I am talking  about the rhinoceros. the rhinoceros, usually called the rhino, gets its name from its horn. the word rhinoceros comes from the Greek  words rhino(nose) and ceros( horn). For hundreds of years, rhino horn has been used by people as medicine for fever and stroke. However, rhino horn is made of keratin, the same substance of what our hair and nails are made of. Just like hair and nails, a rhino horn doesn't have any healing powers. Nevertheless, the rhinos still are being killed for their horns. Rhino horn is so valuable that in some areas of the world, it can be old on the black market for three times the price of gold!

Sizes of the five species of rhino

Illegal poaching is one of the chief reasons that rhinos are so rare today. 
              There are five species of rhinos. White and black rhinos are native to eastern and southern Africa. greater one-horned rhinos can be found in northern India and southern Nepal. Sumatran and Javan can be only found in small areas of Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Illegal poachers have destroyed the rhino populations in Asia and Africa. Indian and black rhinos have been reduced to only a few thousand animals, while white rhinos may exist in numbers in excess of  7,500.  Sumatran and Javan  are the rarest species of rhino. Scientists believe that there are 400 and fewer Sumatran rhinos and only less than 100 Javan rhinos left in the world.

Source: www. wonderopolis.org

            

Thoughts on Poaching 

                Poaching is the chief cause of the decrease of rhino population. According to Wikipedia, in the wild, adult rhinoceroses only have one natural predator, human. Although rhino's are viewed to be tough, they are easily poached. The rhino's visit to water holes daily can be easily killed while drinking. Only Nepal has avoided poaching, while poachers become more sophisticated. About 69% of rhinos are located in Nepal. To prevent poaching in some areas, the rhinos are tranquilized and have their horns taken off, being less likely to be killed.   

Top Five Rhinoceros Species 

1.

This is the white rhino. It is actually grey, not white.

2.

This is a black rhino. it looks like the white rhino, but has a wider snout.

3.

This is the Indian rhino(also known as the greater one-horned rhino). It is the largest species of rhino.

4.

This is a Javan rhino. It is one of the rarest species of rhino.

5.

This is the Sumatran rhino. it is the smallest, and one of the rarest species of rhino. 

Thinking Matters 

   What other uses does the rhino horn have other then medicine? I challenge you to research this topic and then comment on it.

The Cornucopia's Tale

What in the World is a Cornucopia?!

              A  cornucopia is a hollow horn-shaped wicker basket filled with seasonal fruit and vegetables. Even though Americans connect the cornucopia with Thanksgiving, the cornucopia has gone back way before Columbus sailed to America. Believe it or not, the cornucopia dates back to  5 B.C showing up in Greek mythology. In one legend, the cornucopia was a endless source of food. The bearer could ask for any food and it would be given. The cornucopia is a symbol of abundance. The cornucopia even appears in Thanksgiving, as a centerpiece on many tables. But don't think that the cornucopia is only  on Thanksgiving. The cornucopia appears on many flags and pictures of different cultures.

Source: www.Wonderopolis.org 

The Cornucopia's Travels 

              The cornucopia has traveled throughout the world appearing on many flags and artifacts, such as carvings. You might think that  the cornucopia is only in the U.S. But really, it has gone to many places. In fact, according to Wonderopolis, it shows up on the Columbia coat of arms, representing prosperity. According to Wikipedia In ancient Rome, the goddess Fortuna,the goddess of luck, carries the cornucopia as a sign of abundance and good luck. In Greek mythology, the cornucopia gives an endless supply of food. So you could have whipped cream every day without running out. Sadly, this  myth is not true. The cornucopia is an important  part of the world, having many different views.

Top Ten Pictures With the Cornucopia 

This is the coat of arms of Colombia.The cornucopia here represents  prosperity.

2.    

This is the coat of arms of Panama. Just like Chile, the cornucopia here symbolizes prosperity.

3.

This is the coat of arms of Peru. Just like Panama and Colombia the cornucopia symbolizes prosperity.

4.

This coat of arms of Venezuela. Just like Colombia, Panama, and Peru, the cornucopia symbolizes prosperity.

5.

This is the coat of arms of Victoria, Australia. The woman in the red is "Prosperity", so the cornucopia symbolizes prosperity.

6.

This is The Great Seal of North Carolina.The woman holding the  cornucopia is called "Plenty", so the cornucopia symbolizes abundance.

7.

This is the flag of Idaho. The two cornucopias symbolize Idaho's agriculture.






  

8.

This is a pot that shows the Roman god Pluto(god of agricultural, mineral, and spiritual wealth),who is holding the cornucopia. The cornucopia only distinguished Pluto and his Roman form, Hades.     

 9.

The base of a statue of King Louis XV of France. The cornucopia represents France's prosperity.

10.

This is the coat of arms of Copiapo, Chile. The cornucopia represents Ciapo's rich bronze and silver mines.

Source: Wikipedia

Thinking matters 

                 But what other places have the cornucopia in use? I challenge you to research this topic and give a comment. The cornucopia had me thinking and I'm sure it will for you, too.

The Sneaky Spy: Commercials

The Sneaky Spy: Commercials

Name-calling + Snob Appeal

 

        The commercial above uses the commercial techniques name-calling and snob appeal.When you use name-calling, you use negative words and negative pictures to create negative feelings. When you use snob appeal, you are saying that your product is very valuable because only "special" people uses it.This commercial uses name-calling by saying that other popular companies. Notice that everyone coming forward is using an Apple or Samsung product.Also in the commercial you see someone's Iphone picture and it is blurry.Also,  whenever someone is saying some thing good about their phone (Apple or Samsung) they are cut off.For example, at the end, there is a woman who starts off by saying " Did you know that more pictures are taken everyday on the Iphone....,"before being dragged away by a man.This commercial uses snob appeal by saying that the Nokia Lumia 1020 is the best phone for taking pictures.For example, in the commercial, there is only one couple not going forward and fighting to take a picture.The man in the couple has a Nokia Lumia 1020 and is all the way in the back row of seats, yet still has the best and most clear pictures. 

Persuasive or Not?

    I liked this commercial because first, this commercial was really funny and was really easy to interpret. The strategy, name-calling, makes me want to buy this product by making me think about how bad the Apple and Samsung products are.The commercial makes the phone and the symbol on it stand out.For example, you can see  
the "apple' on the back of the Apple products(Ipad and Iphone) The commercial focuses on the phones they are using, the Iphone and Samsung Galaxy.The target audience for this commercial might be are people about 30- 40.I think that  this is the target audience, because the actors in the commercial are mostly about 30 and 40. 

The strategy, snob appeal, makes me want to buy this product because since it shows ONLY two people who are using the Nokia Lumia 1020 which makes you  think that only a few "special" people own it so you it makes you want to buy it.Plus, this couple looks very happy and good.Yes, I think that this commercial would make money because it is very persuasive and clearly shows how it is better. But since the Apple and Samsung products are popular, people who own  these products might really know how well the  phone works.

Top 10 Commercials that use Name-calling

      

This commercial uses name-calling by insulting each other's phone. Also they start fighting and showing how bad the Apple or Samsung product is.For example, they show a man under the table trying to search karate with SIRI but failing.



In this commercial they use name calling by saying that the Iphone or Samsung Galaxy 3, but the Nokia Lumia 920.They also give a source, "N Gadgets Readers"



This commercial uses name-calling by saying that the Verizon is very slow.To do this they do a comparison in which the Verizon download comes incomplete.


This commercial uses name-calling by saying that don't use PC Windows 7  because it is bad. They do this by creating an image that Windows 7 is not to be trusted because it has a lot of problems.
This commercial uses name-calling by creating an image that the PC is weird.To do this they make PC (Mr.Bean) do a weird dance while Mac acts "cool".

This commercial uses name-calling by saying that the PC is loaded with useless software and is very slow.To do this they show PC as chubby and slow.PC himself says it. 

 This commercial uses name-calling by saying that Microsoft doesn't care about their customers but more about advertising.To do this the commercial compares the amount of cash in advertising to fixing vista. 




This commercial uses name-calling by showing how "well" the PC works.To do this the commercial makes one of PC's "friend" repeat himself until you had to restart him.


This commercial uses name-calling by showing the support on Mac compared to PC.The trainer would keep on complimenting Mac making a negative picture about PC.




This commercial uses name-calling by saying that even in the future PC won't be able to  fix its problems.It shows this by showing how PC went to the future and still PC has problems like freezing.

Thinking Matters

 Think about how these commercials use the techniques name-calling and snob appeal.The next time you see a commercial, think about what they do to persuade you to buy  the product.Is the commercial Persuasive?Or could it use improvement?So watch out for commercials because they are very sneaky.To find out more about commercial techniques go to:  http://www.foothilltech.org/rgeib/english/media_literacy/advertising_techniques.htm