TOW #21: GMO Debate Cartoon

                Published on a liberal (and obviously anti-GMO) website, this cartoon makes a clear, and somewhat humorous case, against companies allowing and promoting GMO crops. Humor is used the make GMO promoting companies such as Montesano sound both stupid, and like liars to the public. The cartoon portrays them as clueless, greedy businessmen who want to make a profit over something that is harmful to the population. They want GMOs to seem harmless, but the cartoon clearly depicts that they aren’t.  This cartoon is admittedly clever in some aspects, but ultimately uses little solid evidence to back up its bold and hyperbolic claim. Many people jump on this bandwagon of fearing genetically modified products because they do not understand what they are. Liberal groups and health blogs spread untrue rumors about how GMOs are made and tested. In reality, humans have been genetically modifying crops such as corn and wheat for thousands of years through selective breeding and trait manipulation. The vast majority of GMOs have been tested extensively before being sold to consumers, and must meet very high standards to be allowed out to the public. In addition, GMOs actually help the environment by eliminating the need for farmers to use pesticides. Farmers can grow more food and sell it for cheaper prices. As the technology develops, GMOs could even make farming efficient enough that world hunger is ended because such a surplus can be produced. Cartoons like this are too shallow and uninformed to take other sides into account. Those who blindly argue against GMOs without bothering to educate themselves on exactly what they are chose to completely ignore the advantages. Therefore, while this cartoon is a little funny and does make a point about how some companies are only using GMOs for their own selfish purposes, it should not be taken seriously. 

TOW #20: "Four Seasons in Rome" (part 1)

When Anthony Doeerr is awarded in a writing competition with a chance to work in a studio in Rome for a year he, along with his young family, flies across the Atlantic to live in a place he had never been to before. In his vivid account of the experience, Four Seasons in Rome, Doeerr takes his readers to the ancient city as well on the exciting journey. To an audience that may never be as lucky to win a year in war themselves, Doeerr allows them to see through his eyes. Through his detailed anecdotes and delightful humor, the audience is able to feel like they are going with him and experiencing Italy themselves. Before leaving on his trip, Doeerr recounts that Rome remind him of a coloring booked he received when he was young “seven years old, Christmas night, snowflakes dashing against the windows, a lighted spruce blinking on and off downstairs, crayons strewn across the carpet”. It is true that everyone usually has some kind of expectation of a place they have never been before, either because of pictures they have seen, things they have read, or information they have heard. It is interesting to see how Doeerr first felt about Rome and the evolution of his feelings. A big part of traveling to somewhere new is all the nervous uncertainty. As he was going to a foreign country that did not speak English, Doeerr was worried, of course, about how he would communicate with the population. He explains his worries in a hilarious, relatable way that allows the audience to understand exactly how he feels. Doeerr flipped through an Italian to English dictionary before getting on the plane to Italy wondering, “Is "Here is my passport" in there? Is "Where for God's sake can I buy some baby wipes?". This humor not only endears Doeerr to his readers, but helps them feel part of the authentic experience like it really was. For these reasons Four Seasons in Rome, is really a fun, enriching book to read. Doeerr is an excellent writer, painting normal days and events in such a colorful way that they are all beautiful.