3,456 Matching Annotations
  1. Nov 2023
  2. colemcmahon.substack.com colemcmahon.substack.com
    1. The New England Journal of Medicine has an academic article discussing the association vaping may have with other risky behaviors

      An article in the New England Journal of Medicine links vaping with other risky behaviors

    2. Let’s talk about music. When doing so it’s almost impossible to not bring up Drake, a record-breaking artist with streaks on almost every chart across the globe. His mastery of lyrics, wordplay, and storytelling has solidified him as one of the best hip-hop artists ever and an icon in the eyes of the younger generation. While Drake’s music has benefited so many lives, some of his lyrics only add to our problem.

      Cut

      Replace with something like: References to vaping also appear in popular music where artists such as Drake romanticize the practice.

    3. If you are or have loved ones a part of these media induced statistics, you deserve to know what is happening.

      If you or a loved one are among these users, you deserve to know what is happening.

    1. Regardless, I my love for the adaptogen remains sound.

      maybe add a paragraph wrapping up your thoughts. also, while the products you discuss are celery juice, mudwtr, and ashwagandha, your opening promising something more expansive

    2. Considering their capacity for content to become instantaneously viral, modern platforms such as Instagram Reels and TikTok only perpetuate these often inaccessible modes of wellness by providing them with an unprecedented platform to reach audiences at an exponential rate.

      circular. edit for concision

    1. fear the most.

      i would advise seeking out and incorporating more evidence about voters driving our troubled politics. maybe check out Ezra Klein's book Why We're Polarized as well as commentators like Jonathan V. Last who have written and spoken (on podcasts) about the problem of voters seeking solutions without having a firm grasp on the issues

    2. In the Nixon-Kennedy Presidential debates, for example, millions of Americans were influenced to favor John F Kennedy because his campaign team recognized the value of styling his appearance before appearing on television, something that Richard Nixon did not consider

      Not sure this example quite works. Yes, campaigns could exploited televised debates, but media consumption in the 1960s looked a lot different than it does now: far fewer networks and news sources

    3. social media

      you might want to acknowledge content moderation (or lack thereof) and algorithmic distribution of (mis)information. but yes, voters seem to desire certain kinds of political actors and actions

    4. I focused primarily on objective readers who were aware of current affairs and the state of political discourse in the US today but didn’t have strong allegiances themselves

      but by writing a college essay you've limited your audience to a professor and perhaps a few classmates. you can take argumentation into other genres, such as magazine articles, op eds, etc.

    1. the incorporation of cultural competence in the healthcare field has been criticized for generalizing the health needs for racial and ethnic communities and overlooking factors that result in health disparities within cultural minorities

      this reads like a thesis, potentially setting up an argument about how "cultural competence" hasn't solved all the problems associated with acknowledging cultural difference in health care

      if you don't aim to develop this point further, why bring it up-- especially at the beginning of your piece?

    2. The term “cultural competence” emerged in the late 1900s and became widespread throughout the United States during the early 2000s

      clarify that the term relates to the health care space

    1. sound.

      There's a tension in this piece: sometimes it wants to be a review, other times it wants to be a feature or profile; elsewhere, it wants to be a blog post

    2. She also debuted it on Jimmy Fallon, signifying the first time she ever performed her music by herself without a band backing her; the performance received a lot of praise.

      She debuted the song on Jimmy Fallon, performing for first time without a backing band; the performance received a lot of praise.

    3. She then started being managed by a family friend at FADER label

      Soon family friend Jon Cohen of Fader Label became her manager and shortly thereafter Clairo released an EP and, later, her debut album Immunity ...

    1. “Our effort is to get beyond this argument that you hear all the time about, ‘Why do these, you know, poor white Southerners vote against their economic self-interests,’ right? Thinking they're kind of, like, dumb. When you feel like your economic situation is not going to get better no matter which party is in charge, you know, when people don't really feel like there's going to be an option for things to get better, then they vote on their values.”

      create a block quote for citations of this size

    2. The largest misunderstanding undermining the validity of my opinion

      watch out for long, abstract subjects like this one. it's form of sprawl that delays the verb (here, just a weak linking verb) creating a confusing reading experience

    3. I believe this frame-shift in the political narrative must be a refocusing on local issues that concretely affect Coastal Georgians specifically

      a bit clunky. this seems like a crucial moment; best to spend more time fleshing out this sentence

    4. Carter barked about the Southern Border: “Walls Work! After years of IGNORING and DENYING the crisis at our southern border, Biden has finally been forced to restart construction on the border wall.”

      citation needed

    5. Republicans like Peter O’Donnell and Barry Goldwater recognized the increasingly racially progressive national Democratic Party was creating a prime opportunity for Republicans to challenge their hegemony in the South.

      citation needed

    6. Lisa Ring’s campaign, however, represents the exact vein of narrative change Coastal Georgia needs to move beyond tired racial tropes from yesterday’s Republican Southern Strategy.

      Despite losing, Ring’s campaign put up a formidable fight, showing that her message had considerable appeal among Coastal Georgian voters. The tone of her campaign and the ideas she advanced are precisely what's needed to move beyond the tired racial held over from yesterday's Republican Southern Strategy.

    7. succeeded in getting voters (red, blue, and purple) who cared about local problems to hit the polls and knock on doors (myself included)

      Ring succeeded in getting voters (such as myself) from across the political spectrum who cared about local problems to knock on doors and hit the polls ...

    1. An op-ed is used to reach a wide variety of audiences instead of a specific group of people, and the type of readers usually depends on the topic being discussed.

      how do you know?

    2. I had also considered a blog post or an informative essay on Fire Emblem where the goal would be to simply inform rather than advocate for an opinion, as the same casual style and visual aids apply to blog posts as well.

      the piece you've written seems more like a blog post

    3. I also thought that an op-ed was fitting for my topic, as it pulls from personal experience and opinion

      did you read the genre description linked to on the assignment sheet?

    1. All the President’s Men represented a time when journalism was at its peak and showcased the public’s love of the reporting that Woodward and Bernstein did.

      Another title for this piece could have been: "Why All the President's Men Couldn't Be Made Today." Rather than thinking of this piece as a review of the film, which it really isn't, you could approach it as an analysis seeking to answer questions like:

      1) did ATPM impact the popularity of journalism? 2) if so, did that happen as a result of casting two huge (and very hansom) stars? 3) the ATPM, the journalists seek to uncover government corruption; Americans love to hate their government-- did audiences respond because to feed into their fantasies about nefarious political actors? does the film put into relief the extent to which mainstream journalists are not suspected of defending government?

    2. why did this movie make people continue to trust the news media?

      You're assuming it did-- that there is a causal connection between ATPM and confidence in journalism.

    3. It was so well received that All the President’s Men garnered ninety-four percent on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a ninety-two percent audience score

      RT isn't an index of how well the film was received in 1976; use contemporaneous reviews

    4. It usually includes those who watched the movie

      Probably more those who haven't. Reviews are evaluations and recommendations-- should readers see the film or not?

    1. 32 performances.

      The final section in which you describe Adele's performance is the strongest part of the piece. Things that seems oddly absent include: reference to her prior performances (how different from her tour dates); to what extent has the show been overshadowed by U2 at the Sphere; how does her show invoke Vegas divas of the past; how does Adele's spectable differ from that of other modern divas (like Taylor)?

    2. To sincerely respect the magnitude of this moment in Adele’s career and the impact it had on the world, we first must delve into a bit of her biography.

      could probably be cut

    1. possible reforms

      it's unclear what the problems are and how pressing. again, one would expect to reports of misuse, case law, and perhaps research conducted by law professors

    2. a jury acts on emotion and are more likely to determine if someone is guilty based on the appalling nature of the crime rather than the defendant’s disoriented mental state

      doesn't this statement undermine jury trials generally?

    3. this defense should be more concise and difficult to achieve successfully.

      One would expect to see more case law examples where defendants entered a defense plea

    4. This policy brief is targeted toward the American government, specifically President Joe Biden, Congress, and others it may concern

      Normally one wouldn't include this info in the executive summary. Here, one would expect to see an introduction to the topic and a preview of the policy argument to come.

  3. mstrickland.substack.com mstrickland.substack.com
    1. way

      what's clear: the topic of this piece is NewJeans; they have several songs and vidoes that remind you of music/fashion that remind you of the aughts

      what's less clear: what, exactly, about Y2K (or the late 1990s) are they invoking? how, exactly, are their songs reminiscent of TLC and Destiny's Child (from 1999)? how do summer crushes and lonely winters invoke Y2K?

      Op-eds advance a clear stance on an issue usually in the first sentence; they quickly clarify why the issue at hand is important; they engage with counter arguments; they usually aim to compel readers to take some kind of action or adopt a way of thinking.

      In what ways is the piece you've written an op-ed? It seems more like a piece aimed at introducing NewJeans to readers and explaining why you find them enjoyable. It could be an autobiographical reflection in which you explore your love of NewJeans, or, with some changes, it could be a magazine feature or profile

    1. I want to examine Lee’s eclectic style, direction, and cinematography that has inspired a generation of new bright-eyed filmmakers aiming to make an impact just as great.

      This set up sounds more suitable for a film analysis than a review

    1. But with that being said, many people my age rely on social media platforms for information, platforms that are built to feed us content that we like which in politics, means content we agree with

      Sentences like this suggest you're writing for an audience other than your peers

  4. lucaemerson.substack.com lucaemerson.substack.com
    1. especially in low-income neighborhoods, where members of the community can come together to discuss health, nutrition, and weight loss efforts openly, without fear of judgment.

      okay, but weight gain relative to limited food resources seems like a different conversation that they one you wish to have about body positivity discourse, which seems accompany a certain degree of privilege

    2. The federal government could increase requirements regarding health information and food labels, tax unhealthy foods the same way we tax cigarettes, tax farmers who grow crops used to mass-produce unhealthy foods, and provide grants to stores in low-income communities so that they can afford to sell and display healthier items and fresh produce at affordable prices

      Easier said than done

    3. reject the notion that individuals can be healthy at any size and should simply accept their body no matter the ramifications

      in order for this, your main argument, to persuade readers (whoever they may be), you need, first, to provide them with ample evidence, not only that such a notion exists, but that it its influence is felt on a scale that warrants sounding the alarm as you do here

    4. positivity movement, which began as a way of encouraging people to feel comfortable and confident in their own skin, and the fat acceptance movement.

      you need to show clear evidence that these things exist. who's responsible/involved? how widely accepted?

    5. (Deedwania and Lavie)

      page number (this is a journal article)? have you draw all these stats from this article? also, is the idea here to write a persuasive college essay, presumably for a prof? why not a public facing document?

    1. The AUC was being funded by Chiquita, who were infusing the group with funds amounting to over $1.7 million USD to stimulate local conflict within Colombia so they could continue to purchase land at a low price.

      citation?

    2. Chiquita has obviously made lots of progress towards bettering labor practices since its early days of oppressive working conditions.

      Maybe say more. The activities you mention above regarding Guatemala took place in the mid-20th century, nearly 80 years after its founding. What early days are you talking about? What exactly do you mean by "early days"?

    3. When writing informative and descriptive essays, authors are usually considering an academic audience, such as professors or their peers

      this is inaccurate

    1. anymore

      A better title might have been, "What Glee Means to Me." This piece is very much an autobiographical reflection that zooms in on the aspects of Glee that appear to have affected you the most. It works as a blog post. Some aspects of the piece seem underdeveloped, such as 1) the section on cast member deaths and whether or not, in such situations generally, those responsible should end production, and 2) the notion of shame regarding your Glee fandom-- it's never entirely clear why you (or anyone else for that matter) should feel ashamed of your fandom.

      The lingering question, now, is of course-- what's next? In what way do you wish to re-imagine this piece for WP4?

    1. Instead of only posting visuals that alienate people with less access to luxury materials and spaces, influencers or aspiring influencers should promote visuals that appeal to college students, single moms, oldest daughters who typically have a lot of family responsibility, or average citizens who can’t just quit their job and go on vacation for three months

      the problem is that these people lack large amounts of disposable income. influencers are economic stimulators; they appeal to people with money to spend

    2. soft life trend

      you need to show evidence that soft life was something other than a modest relaxation of responsibilities available to people who can afford to relax

    3. influencers

      what do so-called influencers do? they persuade people to use certain products, adopt certain practices (usually involving products). The influencer phenomenon is inextricably tied to capitalism

    4. People are tired— and the soft life trend is a manifestation of this reality

      but isn't soft linked to class? to a certain level of financial success? it's not like day laborers are worried about soft life, right?

    5. Both men and women want to just BE and make a living doing what they love without being forced to continue the traditions of capitalism and exploitation

      lots of assumptions here re: gender, what it means to BE, feeling forced to operate within capitalism, etc.

    6. demanding a soft life

      avoid using basic dictionary definitions. it's a move that screams high school. define your terms yourself. include definitions if your piece is about definitions or if your dealing with a word's etymology. in that case, use the OED

    7. The reason I chose the op-ed over the blog post is because there are several layers to dissecting the soft life trend, and each layer (in my opinion) deserves its own piece of writing for the purpose of this clas

      why not a series of blog posts, then?

    1. It will only continue to grow bigger.

      Takeaways: 1) The overall tone here is very bloggy, which seems strange given that the assignment explicitly asks you to: "Imagine a respected publication focusing on music, film, dance, theater, fine arts, or some other artform has invited you to review a creative work of your choosing." 2) There's way too much focus here on the Jungle's music videos, especially the one for "Back on 74" (sometimes your review reads more like a hype piece for the videos on TikTok and YouTube). 3) Your paragraphs are well-proportioned 4) Adding links to works by other artists is a nice touch; doing so hits situate Jungle's sound and seems geared to draw fans of those artists to Jungle's work 5) But as an album review, your piece lacks depth, and seems preoccupied with the visual aspects of Jungle's work. Readers will likely come away from this review with a much clearer sense of Jungle's videos (and the dancers they work with) and their general similarity to Anderson Paak or Calvin Harris than of the album itself.

    2. When I came across the video for the first time, I watched it an extra ten times on the same day and learned the routine as quickly as I could

      Okay, but it's probably enough to mention their music videos and link to them (as you have). At this point, given that your stated aim is to review Volcano, best to get on with it.

    3. "Back on 74" has vocals sung by 24-year-old Lydia Kitto, a voice so soulful and timeless, her age might be surprising to learn about. "Back on 74" has vocals sung by 24-year-old Lydia Kitto, a voice so soulful and timeless, her age might be surprising to learn about.

      Are you proofreading your work?

    4. TikTok is known as an app where one can discover new music, so for most people, this is the perfect tool when going through the problem presented

      a bit awkward. you could probably take a simpler approach to making the point you're after in the paragraph. something like:

      Typically I avoid exposure to new music on TikTok; it's just not my thing. But recently i happened upon a video for "Back on 74" by Jungle and my heart skipped a beat.