“There’s about 60,000 medically treated accidents on table saws every year, about 3,000 people take their fingers off, about 10 a day.” – Steve Gass is using a quantitative claim here. By revealing this information, he is effectively encouraging and persuading people to use sawstop in order to avoid injury. This claim is effective because that is an alarmingly high number.
News reporter
“SawStop is currently available in the marketplace to any consumer who chooses to purchase it.” I think that this could be a definition claim because they are explaining that sawstop is available to anyone who wants to use it. In other words, they are leaving it up to the consumers, defining sawstop as an optional tool.
Industry Spokespeople
“Table saws cause more injuries than any other woodworking tool.” This phrase is a causal claim, showing that table saws cause the most injuries. It could also be a factual claim, when you look up the most dangerous tool “table saw” comes up first. This factual information shows the dangers of using table saws, and persuades people to use sawstop.
Personal Injury Lawyers
“If you or somebody you know was injured, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation.” This is a recommendation/proposal claim. The lawyer is using persuasive language by saying “should” in order to encourage people to reach out.
Injured Plaintiffs
“The scary thing about table saws is that they are so much faster than human reflexes.” This is a quote from Rex Krueger, who made a youtube video describing his experience with a table saw injury and promotes sawstop. This is a comparative claim, he is comparing the table saw to human reflexes. By saying this, he is alarming and warning people that with table saws, you can injure yourself so easily by accident because it happens so quickly.
Consumer Safety Advocate
“The unanimity of this vote powerfully reaffirms the Commission’s original attempt” This quote comes from Chairman Inez M. Tenenbuam, addressing the table saw blade injury problem. I think this is an evaluative claim because it involves judgement of the situation. By using words such as “unamity” and “powerfully”, we are able to understand how important it is to give attention to this issue.
7. Government Officials
“The Commission voted unanimously” This quote is from a government official, and explains the commissioners voting on the laws regarding table saw blade injuries. I’d say that this is a quantitative claim because they use the word unanimously, meaning that everyone involved in the decision was in agreement, showing its importance.
8. News Reporters
“I found out that table saws cause thousands of these really horrible injuries every year.” This quote is from Chris Arnold, a news reporter who showed interest in sawstop. He writes about how dangerous table saws are and how sawstops are a great way to protect users. This is a causal claim because he is telling the reader that table saws are the cause of thousands of horrible injuries.
Manufacturers: Steve Gass invented the SawStop in response to saw finger injuries that occurred as a result of an accident across the United States. He claims the technology behind this function uses electrical sensors for any flesh detected that would automatically stop the chains of the saw, jamming the machine in the process. But it has serious consequences. The problem for saw manufacturers is that they are dissatisfied with the invention because it requires the saw to break down in order to prevent injuries losing its value. “I was just out in my shop one day, and I happened to look over at my table saw and thought, ‘You know, I wonder, if you ran your hand under the blade, if you could stop it quick enough that you wouldn’t get a serious injury.”
Customers: Customers would be grateful for this technology as it uses sensors. The claim itself is true, that stopping the saw before it cuts any flesh is brilliant, but causing the machine to jam will render it unusable until it is repaired or until a new one is purchased, becoming a hassle for the customer. “That sounded like a pretty good innovation.”
Industry Spokespeople: Susan Young is the representative for Black & Decker, Bosch, Makita, and many more who believe that the use of the SawStop tech is now available for consumers to buy and implement it into their table saw as it is the customer’s choice to do so. “You commissioners’ have the power to take one of the most dangerous products ever available”
Consumer Safety Advocates: According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the implementation of the SawStop technology on all Table saw products is required for customer safety in order to prevent saw amputations. This claim demonstrates the importance of consumer lives over the machine that has injured many people across the country. “acting through PTI has also actively lobbied the Consumer Product Safety Commission…to prevent the adoption of flesh detection systems as a safety standard on table saws.”
Injured Plaintiffs: The plaintiffs’ lawsuit against power tool companies makes no mention of SawStop not using miter saws for the experiment, instead opting for table saws. “The plaintiff claims that “flesh detection and braking technology” and “user-friendly blade guards(s)” have been available for years. The flesh detection technology stops a blade instantly when it is touched by human flesh.”
Personal Injury Lawyers: Schmidt Firm has handled table saw injury court cases all over the United States. “Although SawStop safety technology has been around for more than ten years, not all table saw manufacturers have adopted it. In fact, the world’s largest tool manufacturers rejected it.”
Gov’t Officials: Lawmakers and regulators met with the National Consumers League about the Sawstop case as Washington accepted the course of action, claiming to shift the requirements of safety for the better.
News Reporters: The Chris Arnold from NPR heard about the SawStop on an ad which revolutionizes safety for power tools and has talked with Steve Gass of the story behind the invention. This claim is how famous Gass has become as getting the court case to implement the technology for table saws. The claim makes way of how big this topic is, from a simple solution that would become an idea that could save more people from getting their limbs or fingers cut off.
“Roughly 10 people lose their finger per day due to table saws. 3000 a year.” This is a claim that customer safety advocates would jump on instantaneously. Safety advocates would jump on this statement ASAP, less people injured the better for safety advocates. This is a numerical claim that must’ve been made through analysis of some sort, although nothing is cited.
News Reporters
“Steve Gass is trying to bring 10 down to 0.” News gets clicks based off of negativity and the solution to said negativity, and nothing screams “clicks” like 10 people losing their finger a day turning into 0. This is a causal claim as they’re bringing up the possibility that Steve may have found a solution to the issue at focus. If his new saw is introduced at a big scale, it will cause the lost fingers to drop dramatically.
Manufacturer
“The blade of the saw stops before it comes in contact with your skin.” The manufacturer would use this to explain the mechanics behind the new innovation. This is a factual claim from the manufacturer as they have put this to the test hundreds of times and will proceed to show us again.
Customer
“That’s amazing, I mean it’s like nothing even happened.” The customer is reacting to the test ran by Steve Gass. This is an evaluative claim, as after the test has been conducted, it proves the worth of the saw. There was little to no mark on the finger/hotdog. The more convincing the test, the more likely a customer will be to purchasing the new saw.
Industry Spokespeople
“The saw can see the difference between a piece of wood and your finger.” With a new innovation in the industry, everyone will have to reach this newly set standard. This is a categorical claim as it splits up two different possibilities into their own categories. While inanimate objects will not be cut, fingers and such of that nature will not be cut.
Injured Plaintiff
“Your typical $400 jobsite saw would potentially rise in cost to around $625.” This is a numerical claim that a plaintiff would use to explain why they couldn’t afford the new technology. Although it could be a finger-saver, the worth is something not everyone can pay for.
Government Official
Today’s unanimous vote by the Commission to approve an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) on table saw blade contact injuries should send a clear signal to consumers and the industry that the Consumer Product Safety Commission is determined to be part of the solution to reduce the serious number of preventable table saw injuries that occur each year. The gov’t uses a causal claim here, believing that advancing the new saw mechanisms will lead to a decline in saw related injuries.
Personal Injury Lawyers
Every year, thousands of people are severely injured after using table saws. For more than a decade, flesh-sensing safety technology has been available that could prevent almost all table saw injuries. Unfortunately, the manufacturers have refused to adopt it. This is an evaluative claim made by an injury lawyer referring to the new advancements in saws. Although there have been new technology in this department, there still seems to be injuries. This could possibly be a factual claim.
“Within a few thousandths of a second, the blade slammed to a stop.” This quote demonstrates the manufacturer showing how long it took for the blade to come to a complete stop after coming in contact with the hot dog. Due to the claim being based off of definitive facts and measurements, this is a quantitative claim. This claim was to educate Chris Arnold on Weekend Edition Saturday on the safety of his invention, with aim to gather attention around the product to increase its popularity.
2. News Reporters
“That sounded like a good kind of saw to me”. This quote demonstrates a recommendation claim. This is because the author of the article is telling his audience that he believes the saw is a good option to have. This claim that was made makes it obvious that he is recommending the idea of a safer saw to his listeners.
3. Industry Spokespeople
A reporter in the industry reported that “between the 8% fee and the additional hardware costs, your typical $400 jobsite saw would potentially rise in cost to around $625.” This quote demonstrates the extremely high costs that is being charged by Steve Gass. This claim is a quantitative claim, as it is again based off of facts. This quote states that for a company to invest in the safer saws provided by Steve Gass, it would cost them about $225 per saw to do so.
4. Consumer Safety Advocates
The Schmidt Firm, a national law firm, stated that “Every year, there are over 40,000 table saw injuries, resulting in more than 4,000 amputations.” This is a causal claim, as it was described that due to the saws that do not have the safety precautions such as the flesh-sensitive technology that is readily available for over a decade, there are over 40,000 injuries annually from them, which result in over 4000 amputations.
5. Injured Plaintiffs
“The bringer of the suit is essentially claiming that his permanent and “traumatic injury” could have been prevented if Bosch and its competitors had not rejected and fought against the safety technology.” This quote is described how a man who was injured from a miter saw is explaining how his injury could have not occurred if Bosch and its competitors weren’t negligent and stubborn to welcoming the safety technology into their workplaces. Due to the nature of the claim, which blames the actions of the companies for the effect of the injury on the man, this claim can be classified as a causal claim.
6. Personal Injury Lawyers
Yet again, the Schmidt Firm, a national law firm, is currently accepting clients for lawsuits on table saw induced injury cases in the United States. One of the big bolded titles on the page is named “Man Awarded $1.5 Million in Table Saw Injury”. This is a factual claim, as that man in the paragraph below was actually rewarded $1.5 Million from the lawsuit. This bolded title will attract injured people to engage in a lawsuit with the Schmidt Firm because it makes them feel like they’d get the same or similar result.
7. Government Officials
Inez M. Tenenbaum, the chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, put out a statement that read that he wanted “to emphasize that the injuries resulting from the use of table saws are, in many cases, particularly gruesome”. This statement classifies as a categorical claim, as he describes the injures as gruesome. Putting this statement out will benefit him as it supports his stance on the issue and has potential to rally support behind him.
8. Customers
The Schmidt Firm, a national law firm, made it clear that “if you or somebody you know was injured, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation.” This can be classified as a recommendation or proposal claim, as they used the key word “should” to persuade the audience to adopt a course of action if they fit the requirements. This claim would not only benefit the injured plaintiffs, but also the Schmidt Firm for more potential business clients.
Manufacturers: “It felt a little like a… buzz or a tickle almost.” The manufacturer is telling us what it felt like to put his finger up to the table saw that had the safer saw mechanisms. This is an evaluative claim because to someone else it may feel very different, and he could have been down playing it as well.
Customer: “That sounded like a good kind of saw to me.” This customer is saying that they believe a saw that wouldn’t cut off your fingers is a good saw. This is a causal claim because the customer is predicting what kind of saw it would be by just reading an ad.
Industry Spokespeople: “the saw stop module, which acts like a crumple zone in a car.” This is a spokesperson telling us that when the saw stops, the module that stops it acts like the front zone of a car that is supposed to take all the energy when it hits something. This is an analogy claim because it is directly comparing what the stop module does to the crumple zone of a car.
Customer Safety Advocates: “one of the CPSC’s primary goals is a commitment to prevention.” This advocate is telling us that their goal is to prevent table saw injuries as much as possible. This is a causal claim because it is basically a prediction of what the CPSC will commit to. We won’t know if they are actually completely committed to this prevention
Injured Plaintiffs: “acting through PTI, has also actively lobbied the Consumer Product Safety Commission…to prevent the adoption of flesh detection systems as a safety standard on table saws.” The plaintiff is saying that the CPSC has prevented the adoption of the flesh detection on saws to be standard. This is most likely a factual claim, because it states what the CPSC is doing, but could be an evaluative claim because the plaintiff may not know exactly what is happening with the CPSC.
Personal Injury Lawyers: “Every year, there are over 40,000 table saw injuries, resulting in more than 4,000 amputations.” The lawyers are providing information about table saws to show you that it is a very dangerous tool, causing many injuries. This is a numerical claim because of the use of big numbers that create stress among people, encouraging them to not buy the product or call them about having them as their lawyer.
Government Officials: “The Commission voted unanimously (4-0) to approve publication of the draft notice in the Federal Register.” This is telling us that the commission approved the draft notice being put into the Federal Register about the extension of the comment period for an advanced notice of rulemaking on performance requirements for table saws. This is a causal claim because it is starting something that will occur at the conclusion of a meeting from the commission.
News Reporters: “kickbacks are certainly more dangerous.” This reporter is telling us that kickbacks are more dangerous than cutting off your fingers from a table saw. This is an evaluative claim because it is the reporter’s own judgement, and could be argued against.
0:00 The video starts off with a straightforward camera view of a group of people of all age ranges, laughing, talking, and sitting at a dining room table outside on a nice day. The table is angled so you can see the entire length of the table and the people sitting on the other side of it. On this table is a wide variety of foods, consisting of chips, salsa, sandwiches, pudding, and fruits. Foods that you are able to pick up and eat. There’s a couple standing up at the middle of the table holding platters so it’s safe to assume that they’re hosting a bbq for family and friends. In the background, you can see children splashing and playing in a kiddie pool, a fire pit, and maybe some teenagers taking pictures in front of pink decorations I can’t identify. The mood is very positive, happy, and uplifting
0:02 as the video progresses the scene stays the same but the camera slowly moves forward focusing on the couple as they look directly at the camera. And everyone else around them is focused on the conversations of the other characters, not looking at the camera or their heads facing its direction. Besides the (grandma) older lady at the end of the table, she’s enjoying her shishkabob.
0:04 the scene changes and the view is angled closely on a round-shaped BBQ grill. The camera is still in slow motion and isn’t directly on top of the grill but it’s almost at a 30-degree angle from a front view. The grill is cooking shish kabobs, ham, and corn. And in the background, you can slightly see some chairs but the view is blurred.
0:06 the scene is changed again and you can see a glass lemonade jug with a dispenser. A hand with painted white nails and a red bracelet is pouring the lemonade into a glass cup. The camera is angled forward-looking more directly at the jugs dispenser in the corner of the screen. The table with the food is blurred in the background and now it seems like the angel of the table is long as if you were sitting at the head of the table and looking forward. The camera is moving forward to the food as the camera is unfocused from the jug and focuses on the food.
0:08 the scene changes again to a different table with a black cloth. There are lamps on each end of the table so it’s safe to assume that we’re now inside, possibly in a dining room. The table is decorated with stars hanging from the table and glitter on the top. There is a stand that looks like a half-yellow styrofoam ball with marshmallows, strawberries, and honey melon shish kabobs shaped like rocket ships coming out of it. There’s a cupcake stand with light blue cupcakes in dark blue wrappers, And blue jello cups on top of the table as well. In the background, there are different colored balls in different positions behind the table trying to replicate the planets, and a galaxy decorated backdrop that says “Feliz cumpleanos” that’s a happy birthday in Spanish. And confetti dropping from the sky that’s in all angels of the camera.
0:10 the scene changes and we see a young girl with long brown wavy hair. She’s wearing metallic ears with no designated shape, but she is wearing a metallic dress that resembles a space costume from the 80s. There are two blue dots in between her eyebrows so she’s probably dressed as a fashionable alien. Next to her is a child wearing a traditional Mexican wrestling costume and they are clapping their hands. And on the other side of the alien girl is another regular-looking young lady with no costume also clapping her hands. They’re all clapping because the alien girl is blowing out candles from a rocket-shaped cake with stars, planets, and rocket candles on top. The camera angle is focused on the alien girl as if an adult is looking at her from above but doesn’t pan out too far because you can only see two children on each side of her.
0:12 the scene changes to a frontward view of a group of people. The group is now inside flooding every corner of the room. We can tell the day has changed because the original group of people is in the view but their clothes have changed. There aren’t as many adults as before but more kids. And everyone is surrounding the birthday girl. And the birthday girl has her back facing away from the camera as well as the two other children from the previous slide. Same as before the group of people are not looking at the camera. But the couple is, and it’s safe to assume they’re celebrating their daughter’s birthday. All of the kids have costumes on, and there’s an abundant amount of birthday supplies all around the room. You can also see the “Feliz cumpleanos” backdrop on the back right side of the screen. The mood is still very happy and uplifting, still clapping.
0:16 the scene has changed drastically and what was once a happy uplifting video is not. The camera is now in black and white. The camera is in the middle of a road in a residential area capturing a falling telephone pole. Overall the mood is gloomy now zooming outward
0:17 the scene has changed but the camera is still in B&w. The mood is still gloomy. It’s now located near a large body of water. Possibly the ocean because the wave is splashing up on the road. Causing it to flood. There are possibly industrial buildings in the background of this scene. But the main focus is the flood on the road.
0:19 the scene has changed, the camera is still in B&W. It’s now in the middle of the woods. Capturing the image of wildfires spread across the burning grass and multiple skinny trees.
0:21 the scene has changed and the camera is in the view over someone’s shoulder looking at their phone. The words are in Spanish of an article but the word that sticks out the most in bold is “alertas de emergencia” which is emergency alerts in Spanish. And on the left side of the screen then it states “sign up for local alerts”
0:24 the scene has changed and it’s panning across the table as if the camera is on the ceiling looking downward. As the camera goes across the table you see a variety of items including water, cotton balls in a ziplock, money in a ziplock, bandaids in a Ziploc, medicine, tape, and flashlights. Another statement pops up next to “sign up for local alerts” and it states “prepare an emergency kit”
0:25 the scene changes focusing on a person checking off things from a piece of paper on a clipboard. The camera angles seem to be at a child’s height looking at a list from someone’s side. The top of the list says”suministros de emergencias” meaning supplies for an emergency. In the background, you can see a variety of blurred tools so it’s safe to assume the person is in a garage. Next to “prepare an emergency kit” another statement appeared saying “make a communications plan”
0:27 the scene has changed, we’re now in a garage because you can see tools hanging on the wall on the right side of the screen. The original couple is focused towards the middle looking at the camera. But there is also the young girl with long wavy hair, a young boy, and an older man and woman and it’s safe to assume that they are grandparents. They’re now all looking at the camera in different places around the room surrounding the table with supplies, including the waters, bandages, medicine. The grandfather is holding the supplies list, and the woman, a part of the young couple, is holding the phone. Probably looking at the emergency alerts article. The mood isn’t happy, not sad. But comforting like you’re a part of a family.
The scene opens with a close up of two flattened cigarette butts littered on a street. The background is out of focus, but it appears to be a city setting, as there are cars parallel parked along the road, street lamps, and brick buildings worn with cracks. The trashy cigarettes are contrasted by green trees and a bright blue sky in the background, to emphasize their filth.
0:02
A new shot depicts another cigarette butt with a plastic tip falling to the ground, spewing ashes as it makes its impact. One can assume it is being discarded after its user is finished with it. The background is out of focus, perhaps with the purpose of directing the viewer’s attention to the falling cigarette where it will now remain misplaced on the cement.
0:03-0:04
The camera cuts to show ripples being created in a body of water as a cigarette butt floats along the current. The water appears to be dark, possibly contaminated by pollution.
0:05
The scene changes to a beach setting populated with various beach dwelling birds. The camera is positioned in the sand, focused on the abundance of birds on the beach under a clear, blue sky. The beautiful ocean waves are featured in the background. A small orange object is in the forefront of the shot, but entirely out of focus to the viewer. At this point, it can be assumed that the object is a cigarette butt.
0:06
The camera rack focuses and zooms to change emphasis from the natural setting previously depicted to the unnatural cigarette butt disturbing nature’s aesthetic. The birds and ocean are now out of focus and become the background to the littered cigarette. The decision to create a visual contrast between nature and the littered cigarette is effective in sending an undeniable message that littered cigarette butts pollute the world’s beauty.
0:07
Then, a female hand with well-manicured, lavender nails is shown dropping a cigarette butt in slow motion. Her hand is parallel to the ground, indicating that she is discarding her trash from an above waist level height. The use of slow motion highlights the fact that she made an active choice to carelessly discard her cigarette on the ground. Her youthful nail color and tight skin indicate that she is a fairly young woman. One may question why she cares so little about her health and environment, yet clearly goes to the effort to maintain well groomed nails.
0:08
The camera cuts to a falling cigarette, presumably the same cigarette dropped by the lavender fingernailed female in the previous shot. The cigarette is centimeters away from the ground, clearly about to make impact.
0:09-0:10
A close up shot of the cigarette dramatically crashing to the ground and bouncing several times, continuously ejecting ashes with each bounce, is shown. The cigarette begins to briefly roll before coming to a stop, perhaps to convey the message that it now will remain on the ground indefinitely.
0:11
The cigarette now begins to roll in the opposite direction and the ashes that have detached from the butt reattach, as if the previous action is being shown in reverse. The viewer is not expecting this and questions why this unnatural movement is occuring.
0:12
The cigarette is now shown flying back into the fingers of the manicured hand that had originally dropped it. This validates the viewer’s inference that the same sequence that was just shown is now being played in reverse. It can now be assumed that the message will be related to not littering cigarette butts, as the shot implies that this action must be undone.
0:13
The camera reveals that the woman is in a residential city setting, perhaps near her apartment. It is a pleasant environment, indicated by a decorative fountain, patio furniture, and lovely foliage. She is casually dressed in a tank top and jeans, revealing that she is enjoying a leisurely day. She begins to walk over to a cigarette receptacle, with her hand outstretched. The receptacle is attractive and clean, demonstrating that the residential community, in which she most likely lives, takes pride in maintaining their facilities. She is clearly heading over to the receptacle to dispose of the cigarette that had previously been shown to be disposed of improperly.
0:13-0:14
The camera shows a close up of her hand discarding the cigarette into the appropriate opening of the receiptable. The simplicity of the action is apparent.
0:14-0:15
The scene shifts to a bustling street scene outside of what appears to be a sports stadium. Cars are zooming by, depicting an ordinary day. The camera pans to focus on a large sign posted on what may be a telephone pole or street lamp. In bold black font the sign reads “DON’T LITTER.” Below this command, there is a silhouette of a hand dropping a lit, smoking cigarette. Over this graphic is the universal “do not” symbol of a red circle with a diagonal slash going through it. At the bottom of the sign, there are two logos reading “Clean City Commission” and “I Will Keep Virginia Beautiful.” It can be assumed that these two organizations are co-sponsors of a campaign to eliminate the littering of cigarette butts. One might question why this particularly busy location was selected, as opposed to a more tranquil setting, when emphasis is clearly meant to be on the poster. The viewer’s eye cannot help but be distracted, potentially missing the words on the poster entirely due to the brevity of the shot.
0:16
A new shot now shows the hands of a man holding a small, metal cigarette receptacle, as he grinds the butt of his cigarette into it to extinguish it. He is an average married man, as indicated by his wedding band. The device is pocket-sized and clearly a portable way to safely dispose of a lit cigarette. The viewer can gather that the lid of the receptacle can easily slide open and closed to conveniently and neatly discard cigarettes when no public receptacles are available. The logo on the receptacle says, “Thank You For Not Littering,” which implies that he received this item as part of a local anti-cigarette littering campaign.
0:17
We are now placed inside a well-maintained and newer model vehicle, beside a man. He is casually dressed and placing what appears to be a travel cup in the cup holder on the console in his car. In bold red, all capital letters the text printed on the cup reads, “STOP LITTERING.” Directly underneath it in bold white, all capital letters, additional text reads, “KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL.” It can be inferred that he received this cup as a promotional gift, quite possibly related to the same campaign as the portable cigarette receptacle featured in the previous segment.
0:18
The angle shifts to a slightly more overhead view to clarify that what was previously thought to be a travel cup is actually a portable ashtray, designed to conveniently fit in the cup holder of a car. The man’s hand is grinding a cigarette into the ashtray to demonstrate its use. The ashes that disperse from the cigarette are neatly contained within the confines of the device. The viewer may now have the epiphany that ashtrays have now become antiquated with modern vehicles. Additionally, it has now been established that there are many simple alternatives to littering cigarette butts.
0:19
Quickly, the scene changes to a city street filled with an abundance of people, varying in ages. There are families present with young children in strollers. People are both standing and seated along the curb of the street in a parade-like fashion. Green, white, and blue balloons are decorating the area. The sky is a bright blue and the sun is shining, depicting a pleasant day. In the forefront of this scene is a dark green cigarette receptacle. Showing this receptacle in this atmosphere emphasizes its accessibility throughout various settings.
0:20
The camera cuts to a new outdoor setting, possibly near the woods. The background is blurred, but reveals autumn trees. The focal point of the shot is a large white sign, almost identical to the sign that was shown outside of the sports arena. The same bold black and red message and graphic is displayed, however it is written in Spanish. The viewer can interpret that this campaign is attempting to reach a diverse audience. Furthermore, it can be gathered that everyone must do their part in order for this campaign to be effective.
0:21
Once again, the camera cuts to a new setting. Yet another receptacle for cigarette butts is shown. The purpose of the receptacle is evident through the markings on it that show a graphic of a lit cigarette as well as labelling that reads “smoking outpost.” We see the top half of the receptacle in use by a man, as he begins to place his lit cigarette in the appropriate slot. One can assume it will safely extinguish as it drops inside the receptacle.
0:22
The proper procedure to follow while using the receptacle is revealed by the man, as he snubs out the lit embers in the designated area of the opening. He then inserts the entire cigarette butt into the slot, as presumed obvious in the previous second.
0:23-0:25
A white screen appears with a red message encouraging viewers to “Keep America Beautiful.” Beneath this statement is the logo “Cigarette Litter Prevention Program” in a red, white, and blue font. The choice of these patriotic colors was most likely a conscious attempt to have viewers associate this campaign with pride for their country and working together for a common cause.
0:26-0:30
The image transitions and eliminates the “Keep America Beautiful” phrase, while enlarging and raising the “Cigarette Litter Prevention Program” logo. In blue font, text reading “www.preventcigaretteliter.org” is displayed. In red font, the words “Thank you for not littering” are spelled out. The simplicity of this statement effectively conveys the message that not littering cigarette butts is not a difficult task, but can make a world of difference.
While the overall message of the video is quite apparent, the pacing of the second half is nonsensical. The first fifteen seconds of the video, which depicts examples of littered cigarette butts, is appropriately paced to allow the viewer to grasp the intention of the commercial. However, the second half, arguably of even greater importance, rapidly transitions from clip to clip, making it far more difficult to process the message—disposing of cigarette butts properly is not burdensome. Furthermore, eight seconds, almost one third of the ad, is devoted to presenting the logo of the organization. Lengthening the duration of the clips in the latter half would have been a much wiser use of this time, as it would have provided the viewer with the much needed time to visually process the information.
The scene opens with a close up of two flattened cigarette butts littered on a street. The background is out of focus, but it appears to be a city setting, as there are cars parallel parked along the road, street lamps, and brick buildings worn with cracks. The trashy cigarettes are contrasted by green trees and a bright blue sky in the background, to emphasize their filth.
0:02
A new shot depicts another cigarette butt with a plastic tip falling to the ground, spewing ashes as it makes its impact. One can assume it is being discarded after its user is finished with it. The background is out of focus, perhaps with the purpose of directing the viewer’s attention to the falling cigarette where it will now remain misplaced on the cement.
0:03-0:04
The camera cuts to show ripples being created in a body of water as a cigarette butt floats along the current. The water appears to be dark, possibly contaminated by pollution.
0:05
The scene changes to a beach setting populated with various beach dwelling birds. The camera is positioned in the sand, focused on the abundance of birds on the beach under a clear, blue sky. The beautiful ocean waves are featured in the background. A small orange object is in the forefront of the shot, but entirely out of focus to the viewer. At this point, it can be assumed that the object is a cigarette butt.
0:06
The camera rack focuses and zooms to change emphasis from the natural setting previously depicted to the unnatural cigarette butt disturbing nature’s beauty. The birds and ocean are now out of focus and become the background to the littered cigarette.
0:07
Then, a female hand with well-manicured, lavender nails is shown dropping a cigarette butt in slow motion. Her hand is parallel to the ground, indicating that she is discarding her trash from an above waist level height. The use of slow motion highlights the fact that she made an active choice to carelessly discard her cigarette on the ground. Her youthful nail color and tight skin indicate that she is a fairly young woman. One may question why she cares so little about her health and environment, yet clearly goes to the effort to maintain well groomed nails.
0:08
The camera cuts to a falling cigarette, presumably the same cigarette dropped by the lavender fingernailed female in the previous shot. The cigarette is centimeters away from the ground, clearly about to make impact.
0:09-0:10
A close up shot of the cigarette dramatically crashing to the ground and bouncing several times, continuously ejecting ashes with each bounce, is shown. The cigarette begins to briefly roll before coming to a stop, perhaps to convey the message that it now will remain on the ground indefinitely.
0:11
The cigarette now begins to roll in the opposite direction and the ashes that have detached from the butt reattach, as if the previous action is being shown in reverse. The viewer is not expecting this and questions why this unnatural movement is occuring.
0:12
The cigarette is now shown flying back into the fingers of the manicured hand that had originally dropped it. This validates the viewer’s inference that the same sequence that was just shown is now being played in reverse. It can now be assumed that the message will be related to not littering cigarette butts, as the shot implies that this action must be undone.
0:13
The camera reveals that the woman is in a residential city setting, perhaps near her apartment. It is a pleasant environment, indicated by a decorative fountain, patio furniture, and lovely foliage. She is casually dressed in a tank top and jeans, revealing that she is enjoying a leisurely day. She begins to walk over to a cigarette receptacle, with her hand outstretched. The receptacle is attractive and clean, demonstrating that the residential community, in which she most likely lives, takes pride in maintaining their facilities. She is clearly heading over to the receptacle to dispose of the cigarette that had previously been shown to be disposed of improperly.
0:13-0:14
The camera shows a close up of her hand discarding the cigarette into the appropriate opening of the receiptable. The simplicity of the action is apparent.
0:14-0:15
The scene shifts to a bustling street scene outside of what appears to be a sports stadium. Cars are zooming by, depicting an ordinary day. The camera pans to focus on a large sign posted on what may be a telephone pole or street lamp. In bold black font the sign reads “DON’T LITTER.” Below this command, there is a silhouette of a hand dropping a lit, smoking cigarette. Over this graphic is the universal “do not” symbol of a red circle with a diagonal slash going through it. At the bottom of the sign, there are two logos reading “Clean City Commission” and “I Will Keep Virginia Beautiful.” It can be assumed that these two organizations are co-sponsors of a campaign to eliminate the littering of cigarette butts.
0:16
A new shot now shows the hands of a man holding a small, metal cigarette receptacle, as he grinds the butt of his cigarette into it to extinguish it. He is an average married man, as indicated by his wedding band. The device is pocket-sized and clearly a portable way to safely dispose of a lit cigarette. The viewer can gather that the lid of the receptacle can easily slide open and closed to conveniently and neatly discard cigarettes when no public receptacles are available. The logo on the receptacle says, “Thank You For Not Littering,” which implies that he received this item as part of a local anti-cigarette littering campaign.
0:17
We are now placed inside a well-maintained and newer model vehicle, beside a man. He is casually dressed and placing what appears to be a travel cup in the cup holder on the console in his car. In bold red, all capital letters the text printed on the cup reads, “STOP LITTERING.” Directly underneath it in bold white, all capital letters, additional text reads, “KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL.” It can be inferred that he received this cup as a promotional gift, quite possibly related to the same campaign as the portable cigarette receptacle featured in the previous segment.
0:18
The angle shifts to a slightly more overhead view to clarify that what was previously thought to be a travel cup is actually a portable ashtray, designed to conveniently fit in the cup holder of a car. The man’s hand is grinding a cigarette into the ashtray to demonstrate its use. The ashes that disperse from the cigarette are neatly contained within the confines of the device. The viewer may now have the epiphany that ashtrays have now become antiquated with modern vehicles. Additionally, it has now been established that there are many simple alternatives to littering cigarette butts.
0:19
Quickly, the scene changes to a city street filled with an abundance of people, varying in ages. There are families present with young children in strollers. People are both standing and seated along the curb of the street in a parade-like fashion. Green, white, and blue balloons are decorating the area. The sky is a bright blue and the sun is shining, depicting a pleasant day. In the forefront of this scene is a dark green cigarette receptacle. Showing this receptacle in this atmosphere emphasizes its accessibility throughout various settings.
0:20
The camera cuts to a new outdoor setting, possibly near the woods. The background is blurred, but reveals autumn trees. The focal point of the shot is a large white sign, almost identical to the sign that was shown outside of the sports arena. The same bold black and red message and graphic is displayed, however it is written in Spanish. The viewer can interpret that this campaign is attempting to reach a diverse audience. Furthermore, it can be gathered that everyone must do their part in order for this campaign to be effective.
0:21
Once again, the camera cuts to a new setting. Yet another receptacle for cigarette butts is shown. The purpose of the receptacle is evident through the markings on it that show a graphic of a lit cigarette as well as labelling that reads “smoking outpost.” We see the top half of the receptacle in use by a man, as he begins to place his lit cigarette in the appropriate slot. One can assume it will safely extinguish as it drops inside the receptacle.
0:22
The proper procedure to follow while using the receptacle is revealed by the man, as he snubs out the lit embers in the designated area of the opening. He then inserts the entire cigarette butt into the slot, as presumed obvious in the previous second.
0:23-0:25
A white screen appears with a red message encouraging viewers to “Keep America Beautiful.” Beneath this statement is the logo “Cigarette Litter Prevention Program” in a red, white, and blue font. The choice of these patriotic colors was most likely a conscious attempt to have viewers associate this campaign with pride for their country and working together for a common cause.
0:26-0:30
The image transitions and eliminates the “Keep America Beautiful” phrase, while enlarging and raising the “Cigarette Litter Prevention Program” logo. In blue font, text reading “www.preventcigaretteliter.org” is displayed. In red font, the words “Thank you for not littering” are spelled out. The simplicity of this statement effectively conveys the message that not littering cigarette butts is not a difficult task, but can make a world of difference.
The article How Does Sunscreen Work explains that there are two different types of sunscreen. Physical Blockers are ground particles that lay on your skin and reflect the UV rays from the sun away from you. Chemical Absorbers are thin layers on the skin that will absorb the UV rays before reaching your skin. These are most often used together, therefore it is hard to individually argue each one. The author also included that 1 in 3 cancers reported are skin cancer.
2. Sunscreen use: controversies, challenges and regulatory aspects
This study by the British Journal of Dermatology shows the possible adverse effects of sunscreen. The article addresses sunscreens toxicity, its increase of risk in melanoma, the effect it has on vitamin D consumption, and the way sunscreen is used. The study shows that a vast majority of people use sunscreen improperly, rendering it “technically inadequate”. Therefore people are still being exposed to the harmful rays of the sun while the blockage of vitamin D keeps your skin unhealthy and weak.
In this article, SCL Health advises that getting sun is quite beneficial for your skin. The sun provides you and your skin with vitamins and hormones that are good for your bone health, mental health, and can even treat some skin diseases. They recommend 15 minutes in the sun without sunscreen can provide these benefits.
The statistics in this study show the steady increase in skin cancer. This leads me to infer that sunscreen does not help to decrease skin cancer rates since it has been regularly used throughout the years of the study. The survival rate of these diagnoses is attributed the the treatment given by medical professionals not sunscreen use.
The University of Maryland shows how you can manage your health to improve your immune system. The article suggests that certain strategies and supplements will strengthen your immune system to help you fight off diseases. This article promotes healthy living rather than using cosmedics and pills. In relation to sunscreen, if you stay healthy and take supplements that’ll boost your immune system rather then replace it with blockers, the longevity of healthy and life will improve.
6. Lasting immunity found after recovery from COVID-19
This article highlights the way your immune system can learn and adapt. The patients of covid-19 post infection have shown to have very effective immunity against the same disease.
Current State:
I am currently working on collecting small sources that i will make work together to get to my final conclusion. My thesis is still up in the air and I’m working to reach a revised final product.
Manufacturers: “You accidentally run your hand into the blade it’ll stop it so quickly that you just get a little nick instead of maybe taking some fingers off the blade has a sensor the detects electrical conductivity.” The manufacturer is explaining the feeling of the blade as a little nick and how the blade will stop so quickly. This is considered a casual claim because it is cause and effect. When the finger is put near the saw, the SawStop will stop the cutting of anything. It will stop cutting when in contact with the SawStop.
News reporters: “This demonstration of a man’s faith in technology is one of the coolest that was an unbelievable thing to do and you’ve proven your point.” This is something that would occur on the news and as a news report because it is “one of the coolest” things ever. This would be something that the whole world needs to know about. This would be an evaluative claim because it is given a judgment of the characteristics of an item or situation. They can evaluate the quality of an item. So whether or not this is considered the coolest thing ever or his faith in technology would be considered evaluative because it can be evaluated by others.
Industry spokespeople: The industry describes the SawStop and claims that “the various legal and patent issues surrounding the existence of a fairly new safety mechanism that promises (and in a large way follows through on) a system to provide unheard of safety with respect to the use of an electric saw.” This would be considered a factual and evaluative claim. It is factual because it PROMISES a system to provide unheard-of safety with respect to the use of an electric saw but it is also evaluative because it is based on the judgment of unsafe saws and what they can do to stop and fix that problem.
Consumer safety advocates: The actual US consumer product safety commission states that “the Commission voted unanimously (4-0) to approve publication of the draft notice in the Federal Register that will announce an extension of 60 days for the comment period for an advance notice of proposed rulemaking for performance requirements to address table saw blade contact injuries (Docket No. CPSC-2011-0074).” This would be considered a factual claim because it is a claim that circumstances or conditions exist beyond doubt. There is no doubt that there is an extended period of 60 days for the comment period for advance notice of proposed rulemaking for performance requirements to address table saw blade contact injuries.
Injured plaintiffs: “Yeah there’s about 60,000 medically treated accidents on table saws every year about 3,000 people take their fingers off about 10 a day.” This explains the injuries that the table saws cause every year and every day. This is a quantitive claim because medical treatment accidents of using table saws are being measured and compared to make SawStop more popular and to convince people to buy it.
Personal injury lawyers: “Now these manufacturers are facing dozens of lawsuits brought forth by people whose injuries could have been prevented had SawStop or similar safety mechanisms been in place. People who have lost fingers, hands, and arms to table saws have been devastated by their injuries, multiple surgeries, and medical bills they may never be able to pay so long as they are unable to work.” This is explaining the difficulties of facing dozens of lawsuits however if they got SawStop, this would not be a problem. This is considered a recommendation claim because it is a recommendation to get SawStop because there would be no lawsuits if people used it.
Government officials: This is the government officials outlook on saws is that “today’s unanimous vote by the Commission to approve an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) on the table saw blade contact injuries should send a clear signal to consumers and the industry that the Consumer Product Safety Commission is determined to be part of the solution to reduce the serious number of preventable table saw injuries that occur each year.” This is considered an evaluative claim because it is a unanimous vote on the rulemaking on the table saw. It is a judgment on what to do, whether it is anonymous or not, it is still considered a judgment.
Customers: The law that was made by the government officials to approve a set of laws is going to affect the way the customers react towards the saw. If there are many laws, fewer would like to buy the product. “I called on the table saw industry to address this hazard through the voluntary standards process and work to prevent the needless injuries that occur each and every day. Despite my public urging for the power tool industry to make progress voluntarily on preventing these injuries, no meaningful revisions to the voluntary standard were made.” This is considered a casual claim because the cause of the saw turned into the voluntary act of trying to prevent injuries. It is a cause and effect.
I prefer David or Dave, but students uncomfortable with first names can call me Professor or Mister Hodges. (Sir Dave and Dave-a-lot are popular alternatives.) My ESL students' charming solution, Mister David, is my favorite by far.
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Counterintuitive Spring 2023 