Non-Existent Relationships: Just Let Them Go!
He’s Just Not That Into You is one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year, however the impressive list of stars is not the only attractive feature of this movie based on the award-winning book. In her article on WebMD “He's Just Not That Into You!” author Denise Mann addresses some of the common reactions women have when men seem to show little interest in them. In addition, the article includes a psychological explanation of why women have such reactions and why they are not the healthiest way to handle relationships. After summarizing the main points of the article, this paper will also include a critique of the author’s fairness towards men and women, the general message, and the overall tone of the article. In the beginning of the article, Mann discusses a common reaction many women have after a man they went out on a date with does not call back. This reaction includes making up excuses and analyzing the reasons as to why. The author includes the psychoanalytical opinion of Gail Shultz MD, author of Becoming Real: Defeating the Stories We Tell Ourselves That Hold Us Back, who explains that it is perfectly normal to behave in such a manner because it is a “defense mechanism” to prevent one’s self from feeling inadequate (1). Next, the article points out the role a woman’s friends play in such dating situations. Dr. Schultz explains how friends often add to the dilemma because they are unknowingly reacting as if it were them in the situation. Shultz suggests that it is more helpful to reassure a friend’s confidence rather than make up additional excuses which give a woman a false sense of hope for a non-existent relationship (2). Friends Don't Always Help Finally, Mann includes a male-perspective on the issues discussed. Terrence Real, founder of the Relational Recovery Institute in Cambridge, Mass., and author of several books on male emotional health, explains that this upcoming film sends a positive message to women that they should have some sort of “psychological boundaries” that essentially serve to allow a woman to accept that there is no chemistry between the two, and that it is not necessarily anything the woman did wrong to cause this, but rather the man had an emotional problem of his own or he simply “just wasn’t feelin it” (3). "He's Just Not That Into You" An important feature of this article is the author’s tone. Many articles written on similar topics seem to have a soft, soothing tone that is trying to reassure readers and essentially just make them feel better. Mann however, takes a different approach and instead of offering comfort, she writes her article in a tone that seemed like it is saying “wake up and snap out if it!” The first paragraph of her article sets the tone when she states “The bottom line: Men are not complicated and there are no mixed messages” (1). The overall tone of the article was blatant and straight-forward which was reinforced by the author’s use of phrases such as “the bottom line” and “he’s just not interested”. When speaking about making excuses as to why a man did not call back after a first date Shultz is quoted saying “…that's not useful either because it keeps you holding onto a relationship where there is none” and Real simply says acting in such a way makes it seem like “ you’re nuts” ( 1-2). Overall, this tone may seem harsh and insensitive to some but is an effective device for conveying the author’s message in a simple and clear manner. Taking the tone of the article into account, some readers may receive a level unfairness towards women. When speaking about a woman’s reactions towards rejection Shultz states "Hearing the words 'he's not that into you' are painful because it's like 'what's wrong with me?’” and Real is quoted saying "If you are on your hands and knees with a magnifying glass looking for a needle in a haystack as to why he stopped pursuing you, you're nuts” (1-2). Such quotes may appear to some that the article is generalizing women as people who are over-emotional and too sensitive to realize the result of their actions regarding relationships. This is unfair because not all women are emotionally “weak” and “needy” as the article seems to portray them. Conversely, some readers may view this article as unfair to men because many times women can be the person who discontinues the relationship or “doesn’t call back”. Furthermore, men can be just emotionally sensitive with dating matters as the women characterized in this article. Men Over-Analyze Too. However, the author’s use of professional opinions by a man and a woman as well as the section dedicated to the male perspective on the issue did help balance the fairness of the article. Also, the fact that the article was written by a woman and included the psychological opinion of a woman may encourage more women reader’s to listen and accept the message of the article because Mann and Shultz are generally easier to relate to when speaking about issues such as dating and relationships. While some may feel the article was at times biased towards either men or women, an attempt at equal representation was obvious in the article. In conclusion, Mann’s article gave an insight into some common ways women cope with rejection from men, as well as the psychological reasoning as to why. The blatant tone of the article could be read by some as harsh and insensitive or by others as straight-forward and easy to understand. In addition, the tone, at times, seemed to show favor towards women and other times towards men. However, regardless of tone or of favoritism, the message of the article was conveyed to the reader in a clear and concise manner: Just let it go! Light-Bulb! Works Cited
He_s_just_not_that_into_you_movie_image_jennifer_connelly__jennifer_aniston.jpg. 2008. MaxSpace- Movie reviews and pop culture from Max Weiss. 6 Feb. 2009. Baltimore Magazine.Net. 28 Apr. 2009 <http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/maxspace/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/he_s_just_not_that_into_you_movie_image_jennifer_connelly__jennifer_aniston.jpg>.
Mann, Denise. "He's Just Not That Into You!." WebMD - Better information. Better health.. 23 Jan. 2009. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/features/hes-just-not-that-into-you?page=2>.
"YouTube - He's Just Not That Into You - Conor's Never Going To Call You." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 26 Jan. 2009. 28 Apr. 2009 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImCQNq8rtWc&NR=1>.
"YouTube - He's Just Not That Into You - I'm Going To Say I'm Going To Bed." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 26 Jan. 2009. 28 Apr. 2009 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2687_53dv-k&feature=channel>.
"YouTube - He's Just Not That Into You - It's Ringing." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 26 Jan. 2009. 28 Apr. 2009 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRUsdVdDiMM&feature=channel>.
"YouTube - He's Just Not That Into You - We Are The Rule." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 26 Jan. 2009. 28 Apr. 2009 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdJuavbs2LA&feature=channel>.
Digital TV
Digital TV Transition…Is It Worth It?
In the century we live in, technology rules almost everything. It seems like every day there is something new being done and released to the world. In 2005, the changeover to digital TV was planned. But over time, things have not gone like they should and many Americans have began to worry. In Suzanne Choney’s article, “House votes to delay digital TV transition,” she goes in depth about the transition and why it is expected to be approved by President Obama to be shutdown until June 12th. The transition should definitely be shutdown because of unclear situations and many Americans are simply not ready.
Even though the transition has been planned for some time now, this past year, consumers began to get confused about the change and the coupon program apparently was not working. The coupon subside program was running out of money, waiting lists were growing, and not enough public education in general was being done about the transition, the coupon program or how to hook up the converter boxes, which some have found troublesome (Choney). Choney mentions in her article that some problems have also occurred because some people are confused about digital TV itself. The coupon idea became the major problem as well. In February 2008, two $40 coupons per household were made available to help offset the cost of two converter boxes, which range from $50 to $80 each. When people would request them, they were not getting the coupons or people were not redeeming them. They were only good for 90 days as well so some might have forgotten about getting the boxes
and they let the coupon expire. It is also reported that even if people get the box connected, they might need an antenna to get a signal. There are no coupons for the antennas and some antennas can be expensive. The Obama administration and many Democrats asked for the delay because they fell like people are not ready and with the economy steadily dropping, waiting seems like a wise idea. By June, it is suggested that people will understand the idea of the transition and be more prepared.
When it comes to this situation, it seems as though things have not been thought out all the way. It probably is a good idea to push the date back to June and it might need more time than that. With this country going through so much financial turmoil, the last thing the government should be thinking about is the transition to digital TV. We have far much more at stack right now. When it comes to the converter boxes, they seem expensive with or without a coupon. There should be some kind of way for every American to receive a coupon if the government plans to change how our broadcast system works. Some Americans may not be able to afford the boxes so when the changeover happens, what are they supposed to do? TVs do not have to be digital, but they do need to be able to receive digital broadcasts (Choney). They main ways to do that are by buying a converter box to take a TV’s signal from analog to digital, and using an antenna as well; subscribing to a cable or satellite service; or buying a digital TV (Choney). This seems like too much. Why can’t things just stay like they are? In some Americans opinions, they like the way things are going now as far as TV broadcast and they do not even want a change. Another main point is that there are people that are at risk for not getting a converter box either way it goes. We have poor, disabled and elderly people that may not be able to get the boxes or cannot afford them and their situations should be considered.
The TV transition seems like it is a good idea and maybe after careful planning and taking everything into consideration, it might work but not as soon as June. With the economy like it is, we really should be worrying about more important things other than this TV transition.
Hoover High School Football Coach Resigns Over Scandals
James Montgomery, an editor from MTV, wrote the article “Two-A-Days Head coach Rush Propst resigns amid controversy”. The article talks about Hoover High school, a well known school in the small town of Hoover Alabama, whose football team was given an opportunity by MTV to have a reality TV show. After their second season of the hit MTV show “Two-A-Day’s” ended attention turned to the football team, coaches, and administration for wrong doing. After the Hoover board of education decided to investigate the situation, people narrowed the problem down to person, the head coach Rush Propst. Propst and some Hoover High School administrators were accused of grade changing, giving the football players special treatment, spying, and adultery.
For years people accused Hoover high school administrators and head coach Rush Propst of giving the football players special treatment and changing there grades. Then these accusations deemed true when Propst had an “ineligible player in four games this season including one against Hoover’s rival Spain Park leading the Alabama High school Athletic Association to rule that the school must forfeit those games” ( MTV. com, Montgomery). Then Propst was later on accused of spying on “one of Hoover’s rivals, Vestavia Hill” and having an affair with a school administrator says Montgomery in his article (MTV.com). These accusations forced the Hoover school board to do an investigation on Rush Propst and Hoover high school administrators. Before the Hoover school board could release what they found in their investigation Propst resigned. In an emotional speech Propst admitted to having an affair and conceiving a child during the affair, but he claims the affair wasn’t with an administrator. He also denied do wrong doing, but he take full responsibility for what happened. Propst wanted to let everyone he hurt how sorry he was, and then the Hoover City school board accepted his resignation.
The author of the article “Two-A-Day’s” Head Football coach Rush Propst resigns Amid controversy” implied thesis is “Propst has been at the center of a maelstrom in recent months, after Hoover City Board of Education investigation found evidence of laundry list of misdoings, including grade-changing and preferential treatment for some football players, questionable finances and the fact that the married coach had an affair and supported a second family in another town”. The author does a good job getting down to the facts and leaving out unnecessary information, but his article seems bias. The author is lacking opinions form both sides. He only has one statement, and it’s from the superintendent of Hoover City schools. Superintendent Andy Craig stated “Coach Propst has accomplished much that we are proud of during his nine years at Hoover High School”. The author should have gotten opinions from different people on how this affects them, the school, and the community. Having those opinions would have given the readers a way to connect with this story and given them more information to come up with their own opinions. The author does do a good job giving us information about the character and using conflict to draw in readers, and letting his story have a resolution.
To wrap this critique up, the author did a good job getting down to the information, but his article could use more statements. His article could use some background information for readers that may not know about Hoover high school and the show Two-A-Day’s. Overall this article is a good article that is easy to read, not long, and very entertaining.
Work cited
Montgomery, James. “Two-A-Days Head Football Coach Rush Propst Resigns Amid Controversy”. MTV.com. 31 October 2007. MTV. 4 February 2009. <http://WWW.mtv.com/news/article/1573178/20071031/index.jhtml>
When Olympians Go Bad
In her article “14-times Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps caught with cannabis pipe,” Georgina Dickinson writes of Michael Phelps’ wild behavior during a visit to the University of South Carolina. She implies that Phelps is not the golden boy that everyone thinks he is. Dickinson states that he has had prior issues with getting in trouble. She writes that he is an experienced, out of control partier. She also writes of his possible hits to his career as a result of his little escapade.
Dickinson states that Phelps unexpectedly crashed a house party at the University of South Carolina. Presumably, he was there visiting a student that he had been seeing, Jordan Matthews. She writes that sources say that he was out of control the moment he got there. He arrived with girls all over him. He was drinking, and when he was offered the bong, a device used to smoke various substances, he used it like he had done it before. Dickinson states that he was back to partying the next day, this time at a bar. She writes that Phelps has gotten in trouble before for partying too much. When Phelps was 19, he received 18 months probation for driving under the influence.
Dickinson writes that Phelps may not be affected in terms of his career but possibly in terms of his endorsements. The US Olympics Committee, Phelps’ Coach, and USA Swimming refused to comment on Phelps’ behavior. No one has even threatened to intervene in his career. On the other hand, Octagon, the marketing company that represents Phelps, states that his actions induced a huge blow to his character.
Dickinson writes that Phelps is a partier at heart and he shows no signs of slowing down. Partially, because the lack of punishment for his wild behavior. She conveys this by flashbacks, setting, foil, foreshadowing, and irony. She uses flashbacks when she writes that “in 2004, aged 19, he got 18 months probation for driving while under the influence” (Dickinson). This past event creates a sense that Phelps is experienced and is not going to stop his behavior. Dickinson uses setting by explaining that he was at a college party and a bar the next night. This makes it seem that Phelps is up to no good as a result of where he is, regardless of his actions. She uses foil by giving quotes from a source. When the source said, “You could tell Michael had smoked before when he grabbed the bong and a lighter, and knew exactly what to do” (Dickinson); This person gives the reader a firsthand view of what Phelps did and therefore gives a better understanding of his character. She uses foreshadowing by writing that “after sporting chiefs announced laws which mean four-year bans for drug-taking, Phelps’ dreams of adding to his overall 14 gold medal tally at the 2012 games in London could already be over” (Dickinson). She is hinting at the possible outcomes from Phelps’ actions. Dickinson also uses irony because Phelps is the last person someone would picture smoking weed, drinking, and behaving badly.
Phelps was viewed as an American icon for his achievements in the Olympic Games. As a result of his current actions, he is no longer the role model he once was. Phelps is not new to alcohol, weed, or the party life. He’s only getting a slap on the wrist, so he probably won’t show any signs of changing his behavior. Dickinson uses all these issues to bring to light the true behavior of Michael Phelps.
Works Cited
Dickinson, Georgina. “14-times Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps caught with cannabis pipe.” News of the World. 2 Jan. 2009. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/150832/14-times-Olympic-gold-medal-winner-Michael-Phelps-caught-with-bong-cannabis-pipe.html>.
“Michael Phelps.” Wikipedia. 13 April 2009. Wikimedia Foundation. 20 April 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps>.
Michael Phelps. 20 April 2009 <http://weblogs.cltv.com/news/local/chicago/phelps%20pot.jpg>.
Michael Phelps-2008 Olympics. 20 April 2009 <http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/29/phelps.jpg>.
Under Pressure
In the article, “Killer Dad: We Have No Job, No Place to Go,” BET News reports about the 40 year old man who killed his wife and five children after losing his job. The deaths were blamed on his job administrator, but I believe there is more to the story than meets the eye. Not only losing a job in America, which is an extremely difficult situation, but losing hope, and feeling pressured, were all possible causes of this horrific accident.
After having just been fired from his job at Kaiser Permanente’s West Los Angeles Medical Center, where he and his wife were technicians, Ervin Antonio Lupoe killed his wife, Ana Lupoe and five small children and then killed himself, after having been investigated for misrepresentation of employment to an outside agency for themselves, childcare. Ervin stated that the deaths were the fault of his job administrator; in a suicide note faxed to an LA station Ervin said, “I was told by my administrator…that you should not even have bothered to come to work today. You should have blown your brains out,” upon reporting for work four days later after the initial investigative interview. The company objected and said that no one told him to take his own life, nor the life of his family, and that it should have never happened.
Also in the fax, he stated, “after a horrendous ordeal, my wife felt it better to end our lives; and why leave our children in someone else’s hands…we have no job and five children under eight years, with no place to go. So here we are.” In this story it seems since implied that in the American society if you do not have a job, it is both hard to find another one and after being fired, you will lose your house and other means of living during the process. The title helps communicate the statement made by Laboe, implying that the loss of his job is the reason he killed his children, by correlating killer dad, no job, no place to go. With our country facing an economic crisis, it is becoming common for news reporters to not necessarily support crimes as these, but they surely do not bash them as people, including myself, would expect. The underlying message, with job losses and the economy the way it is, is that, America needs to wake up. Messages as that stimulate citizen’s minds and others, such as news reporters begin to sympathize with people such as Laboe.
The concluding statement in the faxed letter stating, “Oh Lord, my god, is there no hope for a widow’s son?” caught my attention. The “whys” began to arise; did he believe in God, but killed his family although knowing God frowns upon murder? Also, I began thinking maybe his father died recently or while he was still a young man, and he was still mourning or did not want to let his kids down in any way raising then, nor did he want to put pressure on his wife, so instead he thought it best to kill them all. Referring back to the statement, “and why leave our children in someone else’s hands,” maybe his father died and his mother had help raising him and he was treated differently by the new caretaker as opposed to his father; Ervin may have experienced physical, mental, or verbal abuse from the caretaker.
Before, it seemed vague to me, the article was stressing the fact that Ervin blamed the death of he and his family strictly on his job administrator. After exploring the article, as a psychological reader, I believe there is more to it than what the article portrays. The struggle to live happily and successfully in America and a loss of hope, along with pressure took a toll on Ervin. He may have been experiencing mental issues as well. I feel the article brings about suspense also. Who is to say Ervin was telling the truth about the statements he made about his job administrator and wife made; and who’s to say the statements the company objectively made were true, leaving many to wonder what really happened, what was the real reason for the death of Ervin, his wife, and children.
Works Cited:
BET News. “Killer Dad: We Have No Job, No Place to Go.”
BETArticle.<http://www.bet.com/WebApplications/betRoot/Templates/Posting- Art
Stimulus Package Controversy
In “Obama, Lawmakers Battle to Close Stimulus Divide Before Self-Imposed Deadline” by Trish Turner of the conservative FOX News, the new economic stimulus package proposed by Obama is being discussed. This article is about how eager Obama and the Democrats are to pass this new stimulus bill, but Republicans want to make sure that the money is well spent.
The stimulus bill proposed by Obama has grown from $819 billion to $920 billion as it went through the House of Representatives. The bill is intended to fix the ailing economy of the United States. The elements of the bill are creating controversy between the House and the Senate, and between Democrats and Republicans. Obama is urging that this bill get passed soon because the economy is worsening everyday. Republicans responded by saying that the president should not be using scare tactics to rush such a large and important bill. Republicans point out that the bill contains a large amount of wasteful spending on projects such as climate research, removal of fish barriers, sexually transmitted disease prevention and many others. The House and the Senate have some difference in their versions of the bill that need to be worked out before it can be passed. Obama’s goal is to have the stimulus package ready by February 16.
This article does present both sides of the argument; however, the article tends to take a conservative point of view. This is done by using phrases such as “pet projects” when describing the elements of the stimulus bill that would not create jobs or stimulate the economy. Also, this article quotes more Republicans’ opinions and criticisms about the stimulus package than it does Democrats defending it. An example of this in the article is when Obama is quoted saying, “the time for action is now...Crisis could turn into catastrophe,” followed by quoting many conservatives criticizing the President for trying to scare Congress “to make bad decisions,” and for the “pork barrel projects” that are included in the package (Turner). On the other hand the author does use a metaphor to criticize some of the Republicans’ contributions to the bill. Turner mentions that all though Republicans want to decrease the size of the bill, one of their amendments has added “Miricle-Gro” to the cost of the stimulus package.
This article summarizes the disagreements that are taking place between political parties over the new stimulus bill. Democrats want to rush the economic stimulus bill, while conservatives want to cut out the unnecessary spending. The article does take a tone in favor of a conservative’s view, but when it comes to spending nearly a trillion dollars, being fiscally conservative is a good idea.
Work Cited
Turner, Trish. “Obama, Lawmakers Battle to Close Stimulus Divide Before Self-Imposed Deadline.” Associated Press 5 February 2009. 5 February 2009. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/05/self-imposed- deadline-stimulus-sets-obama-lawmakers-battle-substance/
Law Enforcement in Society
Law Enforcement in Society
Alexis Huicochea is a reporter for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson, AZ. She wrote about a punk band that used the picture of a downed officer as their cover for their CD that they produced. This enraged many people including law enforcement officers, the family of this downed officer, and many citizens. The band is called “Awful Truth.” The reporter did a great job writing this article in that she stayed objective.
The setting took place in Arizona where a local punk band decided to disgrace a police officer by putting a picture of him fatally wounded on the cover of its CD case. Once this was found to be published, enraged law enforcement personnel along with the family of this officer spoke out. The lead singer, David Stine, said “Its cover was meant to be “dark humor.” This came with a question asked by Tucson Police Chief of staff Capt. Clayton Kidd. Kidd asked, “What part of an officer giving his life is humorous?”
Along with this remark by Stine, he did not give any apology for having offended as many people as he did. “It’s a pretty serious picture, and the topic itself is, too,” he said. “It’s really dark humor, and as much as anybody else, we don’t particularly like cops, so we made a song about it.”
Huicochea uses characterization by showing Stine as someone who hates the police. She tells of how Stine writes his music about killing police officers. She did not have to say it directly but it was definitely implied in her writing. At the same time, she shows police officers as a family in the fact that every police officer that has commented on this is outraged about the situation. The picture shows how each officer, whether in the same department or not, is considered part of a big family; they will fight for each other.
Being a disgrace and obscene for its intent of purpose is only one part of the problem for this picture. The band took this from an issue just after the officer gave his life for the people of Tucson. I understand that if one does not like the police then that is their every right but to place the picture of a dead officer as your cover and then make a song about killing police officers is just sick. The picture was printed by the Arizona Daily Star and they are now looking into a lawsuit for copyright violations. Captain Kidd stated, “While they may have certain beliefs that they want to express, the venue in which they expressed it is disgusting, and I’m outraged.” I, along with the reporter, completely agree. Even though we do agree, I came to decision before reading her article for the fact that I am studying to be in law enforcement myself.
In critiquing this work by the reporter, I have noticed that her task of staying entirely objective was not a problem. She has no problem at all identifying characters or painting a picture of what the characters might look like to an audience just by writing the way she did. I think that every reporter’s job is to stay objective and let the public think what they want to with all of the facts, but sometimes this can not happen because of the style of writing. Overall, I believe that this reporter did an excellent job.
Works Cited
Huicochea, Alexis. “Punk Band Uses Picture of Slain Cop on Album.” Policelink.com.
17 January 2009. Police Link. 3 February 2009. http://www.policelink.com/news/articles/88603-punk-band-uses-picture-of-slain- cop-on-album
The Gold Medal Standards of Marijuana
Parents have always told their children that marijuana is bad for them and if they smoke it they will never be able to make anything of themselves. It is almost for certain that as a child Michael Phelps’s parents probably gave him that same advice. Most parents do not encourage their children to work hard to achieve their goals, in Michael’s case become an Olympic role model, and then go out and have fun smoking marijuana. Unfortunately, that is exactly what Michael chose to do. He worked hard, became the first Olympian to win eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympics, then he hit the bong! Not the choice his parents would have liked to see him make, but as it turns out, a “Gold Medal” choice for most of his sponsors!
John Wellington Ennis, writes about now Michael Phelps smoking marijuana could possibly help him and his sponsors with future advertisements and marketing strategies. In the article,’ Phelp’s Sponsors Supportive: “You Can’t Buy This Kind Of Product Placement”’, Ennis talks about how company sponsors such as Omega Watches and Power Bar, will make “Gold Medal” profits off Michaels moment of weakness. In Ennis’s article, a spokesperson for Omega Watches is quoted as stating “He’s modeling one of our blinged-out products as he expertly removes the carb from the bong, which we will also be selling replicas of: The Poseidon, as we are proudly calling it, holds actual water, just like what Michael Phelps swims in!”(Ennis pg 2). The Power Bar company is also looking for “Gold Medal” profits. They plan to “re—market a guy the country already loves, only now with 10% more bad boy included.” Said Ennis(Ennis pg2). A Power Bar communications director stated “Girls love a bad boy”.
With the company Omega coming out with a replica bong, like the one Michael Phelps used in the picture. This not only shows me, but America that the younger generation is more accepting of the drug marijuana. The younger generation of America is now more freely open to talk about marijuana and its uses; but they are pushing towards legalizing or lessoning the offenses of the drug. I remember at the beginning of the school year there was a petition you could sign that was for lessoning the criminal punishment associated with marijuana. If one thinks about it, some states have already legalized the drug marijuana, but not completely, one still needs a prescription to attain the drug. All of this just goes to show that the Y generation in society is more opened and giving to marijuana, and now a company like Omega is going to fix in on this opportunity to bring in the gold.
On a different part of the spectrum we have Power Bar saying “Girls love a bad boy”. In today’s society girls are more apt to lean toward a guy that likes to push the limits or take a chance. When girls see a guy that is conservative, they do not think much about him. Now when that same guy goes out and does something radical, there are more girls that look at him and give him an extra thought. Girls love to have excitement in their life and for some girls, it takes a boy with a little bit of bad in him to gain that wanted excitement. Just like Omega, Power Bar is going to use Michael’s bad side help boost their profits.
In today’s world, there is a huge difference of opinion separating the X and Y generations on the acceptance of marijuana. Yes, are parents told us as kids to never smoke pot and we will do the same for our children when they grow up. But this generation, the Y generation, will be the generation that just might change the outlook on marijuana from a horrible drug to an acceptable one like alcohol. Unfortunately, Michael Phelps is getting the best and worst of both worlds. Only time will tell if this event is to lead to greater success for him, or the demise of his career.
Bibliography
Ennis Wellington, John. “Phelps’s Sponsors Supportive: “You Can’t Buy This Kind of Product Placement” Huffingtonpost.com. 4 Feb. 2009. 4 Feb. 2009. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john- wellington-ennis/phelpss-sponsors-supporti_b_163592.html
http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:Xy7a2uk1E-x-LM:http://www.men-access.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/michaelphelpswatchchoices.jpg
Missing Part
“So long as little children are allowed to suffer, there is no true love in this world,” said Isadora Duncan. On May 3rd, 2007 Madeleine McCann went missing in Portugal. This information is retrieved from an article in People Magazine written by Bill Hewitt called, “The Madeleine McCann Mystery.” Portuguese police quickly became suspicious of Madeleine’s parents. Madeleine McCann’s parents quickly went from being victims in a kidnapping situation to being suspects in their daughter’s disappearance. The disappearance of Madeleine is a truly tragic story that is left with many unanswered questions.
On the night of May 3rd, 2007, Madeleine McCann went missing from her parents’ rented holiday apartment in Portugal. Her parents, Kate and Gerry, left their three year old daughter, Madeleine, and her two younger twin siblings in a rented apartment all alone. They enjoyed dinner with seven friends 100 yards away at a restaurant. This dinner that they engaged in took place at 8:30pm. Kate claims that they checked in on the children frequently throughout the night. At 10pm Kate went to check on her children and then realized that Madeleine was missing. At 11pm the Portuguese police arrived on the scene. Madeleine McCann was nowhere to be found.
There have been many conclusions to what has happened to Madeleine. One conclusion is that her parents sedated her. Rumors say that it lead to her accidental death and her parents then tried to cover up their horrible mistake. Another conclusion is that Madeleine was actually abducted by an intruder. However, Portuguese police have reason to believe that the McCann’s are responsible for their daughters’ disappearance.
The author of this article, Bill Hewitt, got the attention of his readers in several ways. First, he tells the McCann’s tragic story of conceiving children only through fertility treatments. Then he tells of the McCann’s being physicians. He also leads readers to believe that he believes that Madeleine was abducted. Hewitt tugged at the emotions of his readers in order to keep them in suspense and make them fall in love with the McCann family.
A missing child is every parent’s nightmare. A parent who reverts to such manners as fertility treatments is portrayed as a parent who would never harm a child, especially his or her own child. The McCann’s were a family. They loved their children. Hewitt really touches his readers with this information. Hewitt makes his readers believe that Madeleine was abducted by saying, “Kate McCann tells police she found Madeleine’s cuddle cat toy on a high shelf only an adult could reach, suggesting an intruder kidnapped her.” As a mother myself, I felt Hewitt really captures the heart of every parent reading his article. Every parent shivers at the thought of a child missing, even if it is not his or her own child.
Every parent has a flaw in parenthood. Hewitt then touches the subject of the McCann’s being the suspects in their daughters’ disappearance. He pulls the readers into the story of the perfect family then portrays the thought of horror upon them. Hewitt says, “According to McCann family sources police suggest Madeleine died accidentally after the McCann’s sedated her so they could go to dinner; they also believed the panicked McCann’s then covered up the death” (People Magazine 83). Readers are then in complete shock. They question if parents would really cover up their own daughters’ accidental death to keep from jeopardizing their careers. Hewitt send shock through his readers by suggesting a flaw in the McCann’s parental skills.
“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness,” said Friedrich Nietzsche. Parents, who loved their children deeply, being held responsible for their own daughter’s death is madness. Hewitt leads readers to believe that Madeleine was abducted due to the carelessness of her parents. Leaving three young children alone in an apartment lead the McCann’s into being victims in a horrible kidnapping situation that turned them into being the suspect in their daughters’ disappearance. On May 3rd, 2007, Madeleine McCann became a missing child that may never be found while her parents became the lead suspects in her disappearance.
By Clicking the link below you will be directed to YouTube to view a video clip about Madeleine McCann.
Madeleine McCann Video Clip
Work Cited
Duncan, Isadora. “Isadora Duncan Quotes.” Jone Johnson Lewis. 3 Feb. 2009. Isadora Duncan Quotes.
FindMadeleine.blogspot.com. 2008. Help Find Madeleine McCann. 23 April 2009. Madeleine McCann Photos
Hewitt, Bill. “The Madeleine McCann Mystery.” People Magazine. 24 Sept. 2007. 80-87. People Magazine Article.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. “Love Quotations: Philosophical.” Susan Breslow Sardone. 3 Feb. 2009. Quotes.
YouTube.com. 2009. The Story of Madeleine McCann. 23 April 2009. YouTube Video Clip
An Unconditional, Unmatched, and Endless Love
Maria Goodwin’s short fiction “Someone to Care For,” is based upon a mother’s love for her son. However, this is not just a regular love, but instead it can be titled as an unconditional, unmatched, and endless love. This story consists of only three characters which gives the reader an in depth look at the relationship between the characters. She illustrates a mother’s love for her son in three ways: through raising the child, defending, and even forgiving her child.
At the beginning of the story a friend of the mother comes to visit. Her name is Natalie, and she is a single businesswoman who quickly begins to dislike the child from the first contact. This is because when she first sees the child he is spitting and drooling. The mother states that Natalie thought the child looked like a “creature from another planet” (Goodwin). The next time that Natalie comes to visit the mother the baby is now crawling. The child approaches Natalie and accidentally vomits on her expensive shoes. This causes Natalie to dislike the baby even more than after the first encounter between them. After Natalie leaves the mother explains to the child that Natalie just does not understand babies because she is too occupied with “clutching her Starbucks Coffee and her laptop” (Goodwin). When Natalie comes to visit the third time the child is now a grown adult. This time the young man is passed out on the couch after visiting a pub the night before. When he awakes he starts screaming in agony and the mother attends to him as Natalie leaves. The final time that Natalie visits the young man is not there. Instead he is at the pub again. When he comes home Natalie is still there. As he stumbles in he addresses her as Bob and vomits on her. Natalie is appalled once again by the young man and leaves quickly. After Natalie leaves the mother is very disappointed in her child. At the end of the story the mother tells her forgives her child, tells him how much she loves him, and that he is all she ever wanted.
The first way that the mother expresses her love for the child is through raising him. In this story it appears that she is a single mother because the father is never mentioned. This makes things a lot more difficult for the mother in that raising a child is not always clean and easy. This is especially evident when Natalie comes to visit the first time and the child is spitting and drooling all over himself.
In addition, when the baby starts to drool and spit, Natalie becomes disgusted by the child. In defense, the mother says that Natalie is “a little harsh” because she has seen the good he does (Goodwin).When Natalie sees the baby again he vomits on her expensive shoes and she is infuriated. This mother defends her son’s case by saying that it can be cleaned up. Finally, when the boy is grown up Natalie does not like the fact that he stares at her breasts, but the mother defends her son once again by saying “that’s what men do” (Goodwin).
Finally, the mother illustrates her love for her son by forgiving him. From the time he was a baby and threw up on Natalie until the time he was drunk and threw up on her again; the mother continually and unconditionally forgave her son. I believe that this is the greatest way the mother shows her love in the story because it shows that no matter what she will always love her son.
Overall Maria Goodwin does a great job of illustrating the unconditional, unmatched, and endless love of the mother for her son. I believe that she tries to imply that a mother goes to great lengths to raise, defend, and even forgive her son. I thought that it was interesting to see how Goodwin relates the grown adult male to the baby through Natalie. In which case, he threw up on her as a baby, and later on he threw up on her after drinking too much. This basically shows that even as time goes on people do not change as much as they tend to think. Goodwin also does an excellent job of setting the mother and Natalie as parallels. For example, Natalie is a successful businesswoman that has no desire of being married or having a child, while the mother in the story only wanted a child to love and care for.
Works Cited
Goodwin, Maria. "Someone to Care For." 04/08 1-3. 9 Feb 2009
<http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/SomeCare719.shtml>
A Glimpse into Techology
Technology has become more popular over the years; we are living in a world of high-tech influences. What most people haven not realized yet is that there are many ways in which technology could be harmful to society. Martha Irvine recently published her article “Teen ‘Sexting’ Results in Criminal Charges” in which she discusses a new way of sending pornography through the use of technology. Sexting is the new way for teens to text message, although they haven not realized how harmful and wrong it is. It is easy to communicate faster through the use of technology, but people need to be aware until what point it is the best option. If it is true that technology makes life easier, how reliable can people be on it?
Through the article, Irvine states that sexting consists in sending nude pictures of an individual through text messages. This new method of texting is very popular in among teens these days. There is a debate between students and adults whether this issue should be treated as child pornography or not. The main point of the article is to educate society about this issue that is going on. High school kids are taking pictures of their genitalia and erotic body areas as a new means of flirting with classmates and others they have interest in. What Irvine is trying to explain is that these kids do not understand what the consequences of sending these photos are. Irvine wants them to know that just because it is fun now, it does not mean it will remain that way in years to come. It can also show immaturity in the kids and can ruin their reputations with future acquaintances and lose the trust of friends and family. Irvine has noticed how this issue could be a big deal in society. Through the example of sexting one can realize how technology is part of human life and how it has a major effect on society.
The article portrays a message that we should all be aware of the reliability and repercussions of technology. Irvine makes it clear that there is not a concrete solution to the problem, though she states the reasons for which teens might be prompted to become involved in sexting. Studies have shown that teens might do this in order to get more attention from others, give a sexy present to their significant other, flirting, or to harass their peers. Irvine also notes that sexting could bring relationship problems, especially after breakup, resulting in the distribution of these pictures perhaps out of spite. This proves how fast pornography can be spread through the use of technology. “Certainly, technology makes it easier to do and say things we might not do in person” mentioned Irvine in her article, suggesting that technology could be considered the main source of the issue. The whole article revolves around the concern that this issue has brought to parents and school administrators. The real issue is how to handle the situation; Irvine’s opinion about it is that “It is not something that should be going through the criminal system” though most people don’t look at it in the same way. She points out that the “laws haven’t caught up with technology” which makes it harder to punish these teens, but sexting is another form of pornography and could probably be charged for it. The truth is that everyone is more aware of this situation and teens should be smarter about what they want to text their friends. Even if technology is ahead of most people and it is something most of us wouldn’t picture ourselves with, there has t be some boundaries. Sexting is now part of society but something should be done in order to stop in and educate teens about it.
Irvine makes a good point through out her article that society should be more aware of the way technology is being used. She raises a good question for parents about how well they are teaching their kids about what pornography is. Technology has definitely brought easier ways to communicate with each other; it becomes standard within society. This leads to the issue of sexting, teens probably think it is okay to do this since it is not monitored by anyone and it is approved by his or her parents to have cell phones. It seems that it has gotten out of hand and that teens need to reconsider the reasons why they should be sexting.
Works Cited
Irvine, Martha. “Teen Sexting’ Results in Criminal Charges”. The Associated Pres. 4 Feb. 2009.
<http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.reputationdefenderblog.com>
No One Wants a White Elephant
Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants” produces several literary devices that allude to the story’s unspoken reality. In his short story, Hemingway uses foreshadowing, symbolism, and imagery to assist the reader to uncover the true lives of his main characters. The commonness of the setting and the observed situation has a plausible relation to all young couples; who, at some point, may have this conversation themselves. Hemingway’s ice-burg theory of writing draws the reader to use his given hints to relate and find the underline theme of the story: abortion.
“Hills like White Elephants” takes place at a train station in the Ebro Rivervalley. The scenery in the valley seems barren and ugly for the most part, and the day seems hot and muggy. The two main characters are a man, who Hemingway only refers to as The American, and a young woman with him, who the man calls Jig. We observe their conversations as they wait in a small bar for the train to Madrid. Their talk originally seems meaningless, but quickly changes to a discussion of an operation for Jig. She does not seem particularly interested in having it; however, the man tries to convince her of its safety. She eventually agrees saying, “I don’t care about me” (323). This statement stirs up a more carrying side of their conversation, which leads us to understand that they are romantically inclined. After a few drinks, the train arrives and the man picks up the bags to take to the other side of the station. He returns back to the bar, and the story concludes with Jig assuring the man that she is “fine” (324).
The thing Hemingway tries to allude to through their conversations appears to be an abortion. Though, never said, his writing styles and phrases lead us to that conclusion. His title, “Hills like White Elephants” is particularly interesting and foreshadowing, because in society nobody wants the white elephant gift. In the story, Jig references the mounts as looking like white elephants. Her comment could parallel to the baby. Jig may see the baby as a wonderful opportunity, while The American may only see the baby as a costly and unwanted white elephant.
Furthermore, Jig’s name proves symbolically significant. “The jig,” in earlier times, was used as slang for sex. If you imagine that “Jig” is not the characters real name but simply a nickname given to her by The American, then you can also build the idea that Jig seems to be no more than a sexual object to The American. In contrast to the couples argument over the operation that thought seems realistic. Just like most couples who talk about having an abortion, the woman tends to be skeptical about it. Jig is skeptical about it, but The American persuades her with prevarication that it is safe.
Once you combine the idea of Jig’s name, with the character’s conversation of an operation, and with the symbolic meaning of white elephant, then it becomes easy to conclude that the story represents a couple wanting an abortion. Hemingway’s ice-burg theory purposely does not lay things out in the open for the reader. Hemingway does this so that the story provokes thought deeper than what is given on the surface. The reader must note writing styles like symbolism and context so that she or he can come to their own conclusion of the story, whether it be what Hemingway intended or not.
Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills like White Elephants.” Day, Susan, Robert Funk, Elizabeth
McMahan. Literature and the Writing Process. Person Eduacation, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: 2007. Pgs 321- 325.
Miley Cyrus: She Love You Long Time
Miley Cyrus is no stranger to controversy. The 16 year old Disney starlet has gained an unprecedented amount of success from her starring role in the widely popular Hannah Montana series. Miley’s face is emblazoned everywhere. From Barbie dolls to toddler’s pajamas; from record deals to wrapping paper (which, I am a little ashamed to admit, I bought some last year to wrap my Christmas presents. Hey, it was a steal at Wal-Mart for $2.49 and it was red and purple. Don’t judge me.). This being the case, it is little wonder that Hannah Montana’s other persona, Miley, gets just as much attention as the blonde pop star. Cyrus’ provocative Vanity Fair photo shoot in July of 2008 seemed to make more headlines alone than the then upcoming election and the Beijing Olympics combined. Also, Cyrus’ three or so batches of leaked cell-phone photos (showing Cyrus in her underwear) and her involvement with 20 year old underwear model Justin Gaston proved to be every gossip publication’s wet dream. 2008 was a year of backlash and many public apologies for Cyrus. And already it seems that 2009 will be no exception. Despite Cyrus’ ill-advised shenanigans, she is still a normal 16 year old girl who partakes in activities any normal 16 year old girl would and should not be judged because of this.
Enter her first stint of 2009. Recently a personal photo of Cyrus leaked online of her at a party with some friends. The photo shows Cyrus and others squinting or (in Cyrus’ case) pulling the skin behind their eyes taut to emulate stereotypical Asian facial features. An Asian friend is in the foreground of the photo, his expression implies that he fully does not completely understand the joke at hand, but is not exactly against it either. Well you guessed it. The media (internet celebrity blogs in particular) are aflame with backlash at the photo. An article by Yahoo! News (which was featured on the front page, no less) reports that the OCA, an organization that “ensures the political welfare for Asian Pacific Americans” is offended by Cyrus’ gesture in the photo and calls for an apology. Not only that, the article cites the organization’s claims that the photo is harmful and offensive to Cyrus’ Asian friends and fans. Also, it quotes the organization in saying that “the fact that an Asian friend was included in the photo does not make it acceptable.” It later goes on to reference the aforementioned Vanity Fair controversy and the cell phone image leak that occurred last year. This brief article merely reports the situation at hand, yet it also comes off as an “eye roll” or an exasperated “Oh no…what now?” In all, it had nothing positive to say about the star. Although the act in question was ill-advised, it just goes on to show that Miley Cyrus cannot suck on a lollypop, more or less blink, without having the media at her throat about it. It is understandable that Cyrus is a role model in the tween community, and needs to uphold a wholesome image for fans to emulate…in addition, she is also a sellable product, and cannot deviate too far from the sugary-sweet innocence of her Hannah Montana series, lest Disney loses green. Amongst all these expectations, many seem to forget that she is a young teenager that likes to have fun and joke around. Although she can be edgy, she does not behave any differently than any other girl her age. The article also reaffirms the American Media’s unexplained obsession with 16 year old, most of it following her numerous (and, at times, seemingly innocuous) scandals. Oddly enough, only Cyrus’ pitfalls make headlines, not her triumphs. Is this because Miley Cyrus is so full of wholesomeness, naivety, and youth that America is waiting (or desiring) to see her slowly corrupt herself as she approaches adulthood as so many young stars before her? Or does America love her so much that they will go to whatever lengths to keep her relevant, lest she fade into obscurity? Whatever the reason, the media eagerly decries Cyrus’ weaknesses whenever given the chance. Is it because of her failure to meet the impossible expectations set upon her, or is it just schadenfuede, plain and simple?
Despite her obnoxiousness and terrible music (in my opinion, anyway), Miley Cyrus, despite being wealthy and being the daughter of a celebrity of sorts, is your run of the mill 16 year old girl, not a saint. She may be a role model in the tween community but the expectations put on her to stay in a state of perpetual, immaculate youth and wholesomeness are impossible to live up to, even for the most dedicated star. The article was brief, but it reinforced so many of the problems going on today—not only with Cyrus, but with the media’s unhealthy obsession with celebrities and trite scandals. Spare us the details. Just let Miley be Miley.
Sauce
Serjeant, Jill. “Miley Cyrus’ slant-eye pose slammed by Asian group.”
Yahoo! 10 Feb 2009 <http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090203/en_nm/us_cyrus>
Vision at Last
In the article “Beth gets her sight back after 72 years” featured in The Herald, Beth Trubridge is given the opportunity of a lifetime. After losing most of the sight in her right eye when she was only 13 years old, Beth goes on to suffer and then to celebrate.
By the time Beth was 15 years old she had lost all of the sight in her right eye. It was later discovered that Beth had contracted toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that is usually caught through the feces of an animal, more often cats. (http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/parasitic/toxoplasmosis.html) Her family had never kept pets before but the family thinks she might have picked this disease up after visiting her grandparent’s farm, which she made many trips to in her childhood. Beth’s daughter, Jane Stanford decided to take her mom to see top consultant eye surgeon, Nick Evans. Doctor Evans also discovered that deep-rooted cataracts had also formed in Beth’s right eye. Luckily, Doctor Evans preformed a procedure that would bring 80% of Beth’s vision in her right eye back. Beth and her family could not be happier about the results from the surgery, although it took a while for her brain to adjust.
This story is one of trial and hope but at the same time was
somewhat disappointing to me. The author uses a lot of quotations to
make the story become more personal to the reader and provide a better
insight to the struggle and happiness that Beth faced. For instance, the
article quotes Beth saying “I’ve really just seen light and shade all of my life,
so I am delighted.” But I also think that the article could have gone
deeper into Beth’s state of trouble from her blindness and credited her with
more sympathy. It seemed to upset me that it barely talked about how
much it bothered her drastically in her everyday life. After all, she was
blind…that is not something someone experiences everyday.
The article quotes Beth’s husband, Donald, saying “"It's made a big
difference to her getting around, and she's reading a bit and she can see
shapes, movement and colour….It's marvellous and it's really lifted her
spirits…It's been a great boost for her." Throughout the article, the author
uses a total of seven quotations.
Overall, Beth Trubridge has obviously faced a lifetime of challenges
and has overcome them to experience the joy that she has struggled to
receive since she was only 13 years old. The author uses quotations and
third person perspective to give the audience an inside look. This article is
one of hope, perseverence, respect and strength and is inspiring to
anyone whom may come across it
Works Cited
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Beth-gets-sight-72-yearsarticle- 661131-details/article.html
http://images.vietnamnet.vn/dataimages/200902/original/images1712194_clip_image.jpg
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/parasitic/toxoplasmosis.html
Returning is an Old Game
In her January 19th article entitled “Why Now? Why Not.” author Bonnie Ford gives an account of Lance Armstrong’s past and current attempts to return to the top of the competitive cycling world. It is a story of recurring victory in the face of struggle, and one that answers the many doubts and questions of “why” with the simple reply of “why not.” The following paragraphs will provide a summary of her article, as well as a critique of its literary significance.
Lance Armstrong is unarguably the face of professional cycling. He also happens to be simultaneously the most loved and hated athlete in the sport. However, regardless of one’s opinion of him, his life and career have truly displayed an incredible act of perseverance and determination. His diagnosis of testicular cancer, which metastasized to his brain and lungs, in 1996 did not prevent him from returning to the sport and winning seven consecutive Tour de France victories spanning from 1999 until his retirement following the 2005 season.
Not only has Lance become the face of professional cycling even after his retirement, he has also become in many ways the face of the fight against cancer. In the midst of his success, he founded Livestrong and The Lance Armstrong Foundation to raise awareness and support for the prevention and cure of cancer. It is upon this platform that 37 year old Armstrong has decided to return to the sport and ride in the 2009 Tour de France. His desire to increase global awareness of cancer coupled with his restless, competitive spirit have officially driven him back to the land of which he has previously been king. The question that remains, however, is “Will he be able to reclaim his throne?”
The most apparent underlying theme in this story is one of struggle. More importantly, it is a story of overcoming struggle against all odds. This struggle couldn’t possibly be recognized fully without the author presenting a protagonist who must endure it. The author provides this in the first few lines of the article by presenting Lance Armstrong as a grand figure, one who is “revered, feared, resented and admired.” This puts Lance upon a pedestal, so to speak, and allows the reader to side with him in his struggle.
For every hero, however, there must be a villain. Ford provides this necessity by showcasing the numerous critics that “have had more than enough of him” due to his alleged participation in blood doping, doubting that “a clean athlete could have prevailed” after cancer. However, the author is quick to point out that Armstrong has never tested positive, protecting his position as the story’s protagonist.
In the end, any true sports fan cannot help but recognize Lance Armstrong’s story as one that has an almost unprecedented opportunity for inspiration. He has overcome numerous trials to dominate one of the world’s most physically taxing sports with a cancer-ravaged body. He has stood tall in the face of accusations against his character and integrity and somehow managed to withstand the pressure of having to bear the cycling world on his shoulders. He now faces what will most likely be his last, and quite possibly the most difficult, challenge of his life. This is the challenge of defying age and mortality to once again stand atop the cycling world at the ripe old age of 37. This is most certainly literature at its finest, and not unlike many classic works, ends on the note of the most intriguing literary technique: suspense.
Do the Crime, Do the Time.
Do convicted felons violating their parole by owning guns deserve jail time? In “Rapper T.I. Arrested on Machine Gun Charges”, CNN writes about a well-known rapper that has been charged with possessing firearms while already being a convicted felon. I will be summarizing what this rapper has accomplished and what his future holds for him. I am also going to critique the literary devices the author used in the article. I’ll analyze how and why this article can change someone’s perspective on a super star. Rapper T.I. is a well-known rap artist from the Atlanta, GA area. At the BET awards ceremony, he was nominated for up to nine awards and was also scheduled to give a performance at the awards show. The author gives us background information on this artist to give us some insight on how popular this person is and a few of the things he has accomplished. Most of his music is built around a drug culture known as ‘trap music’. The bodyguard that was working for T.I. apparently turned on the rapper and worked undercover for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, or ATF for short. The reason the bodyguard turned on T.I. was to keep himself out of trouble. He lured the rapper into an undercover sting, and T.I. was caught with buying and owning multiple firearms while he was a convicted felon. Convicted felons are not allowed to own any type of firearm because it’s against the law. In the thesis of this article, it is telling us why the rap artist was arrested. It also tells us that he was arrested right before he was to appear at the BET awards. The BET awards show nominates mostly black music artists, actors, and actresses for their achievements. BET stands for Black Entertainment Television. Basically, the author uses foreshadowing by giving the audience a glimpse of what the article will be about. CNN uses foreshadowing in the title and in the first paragraph. That was the main purpose of the thesis statement. CNN states, “Rapper T.I. was arrested on federal gun charges just hours before he was scheduled to perform at the BET Hip Hop Awards, according to federal authorities.” (Bali) By the way this article was written, it seems as though there is both a protagonist and an antagonist in the story. T.I. is actually both the protagonist and antagonist. To start off, he is the antagonist by being a good guy, a superstar that everyone likes. He has created great music and has become a very successful recording artist. On the other hand, he is the protagonist. CNN does this by portraying him as a bad guy, a convicted felon. CNN states, “Court documents in the case show Harris was convicted on felony drug charges in Cobb County, Georgia, in 1998 and sentenced to seven years' probation.” "Harris has additional arrests and at least one probation violation for unlawfully possessing firearms," according to an affidavit.” (Bali) I think that the way this article was written, it change my perception of the rap artist. It made me see him as a bad guy, or a protagonist. I do think that convicted felons violating their parole by owning guns deserve jail time. Rules are rules and everyone should abide by them. I’ve summarized what this rapper has accomplished and what his future holds for him. I have also critiqued the literary devices the author used in the article.
Bali, Rahul. "Rapper T.I. arrested on machine gun charges, misses BET show." 12 10 2007 07 Feb 2009 <http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/13/rapper.arrested/index.html>.
Economic Solutions on the Table
In the article “Obama Pitches Stimulus Plan”, authors Paul Kane, Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray discuss how the then president elect Obama’s stimulus plan is to work. The initial bill, which was drafted by mostly Democrats, has the Republicans in Congress upset that they were not included until only recently. By discussing the argument over the bill, we can see how this will affect Obama’s presidency and our nation’s economic future.
The article begins with Obama returning to Capitol Hill and beginning to work on the stimulus package. A 300 Billion dollar tax cut deal has been added onto the package. Some believe that this was an effort to persuade the Republicans to vote for the bill, but Obama insists that this is simply not the case. The stimulus package, which is designed to help our economy out of a slump by creating jobs and cutting taxes, is under debate right now from both sides of congress. The Republicans are not happy with the current legislation because of the future debt that our children would inherit. Families will qualify for certain tax credits depending on several factors. Obama states that he is trying to keep the package ideologically neutral. Some Republicans said that they would prefer tax cuts that were permanent, not temporary. Meetings with top democratic congress officials went smoothly since the new administration is primarily senators. Other issues about who should qualify for the tax credits have yet to be answered.
What the article says is mostly neutral, and in my opinion not biased. The writers do a good job at keeping their own opinions out. The Washington post is usually pretty good at staying in the middle of issues. Rather than bashing the incoming president themselves, they give other peoples quotes on the situation which are not always good. Quotes like, “When somebody lays off 10,000 people but hires back 1,000, should they get a tax credit? That doesn't really seem fair," said Leonard Burman. (Kane 3) and "I remain concerned about wasteful spending that might be attached to the tax relief. Simply put, we should not bury future generations under mountains of debt," Boehner said. (Kane 1) Even though the authors never directly criticize the President, they use other people’s quotes to do this job for them. The authors do seem like they are giving the new president a chance to do what he was elected to do. They seem hopeful in writing about all of the great things the bill can do, but also consider and explain all of its potential problems. It is their job to scrutinize everything any politician does especially the President.
This article shows that the success of this bill is very important to many people. And that it is also important for both parties to work out an agreement that will be beneficial to the entire nation. Its failure or success will predict the future of our country and how our new president will handle events to come.
Work Cited
Kane, Paul. "Obama Pitches Stimulus Plan." WashngtonPost.com. Jan 6 2009. The Washington
Post. 21 Apr 2009 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2009/01/05/AR2009010502752.html>.
http://dangerousintersection.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/stimulus-check-plus-interest.jpg
http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/w/A/2/obama_jedi_knight.jpg
Dope. You Are What You..Smoke?
In recent photographs released by News of the World, the well-known and loved Olympic star, Michael Phelps, is caught smoking marijuana at a college get together. Many people are certain this will be the end of Phelps’ careers. Others are fingers crossed for a second chance for Phelps. It just so seems that everyone has a word to add into this topic discussion, including Kevin Eason, a Sports News correspondent. In Kevin’s article, “Michael Phelps admits to smoking cannabis after bong picture is published”, he discusses the controversy action that took place, and everything that is now seemingly coming along with it (Eason). Phelps definitely got more than he asked for when he hit that bong, with most of his current sponsors and fans now contemplating whether or not to continue on with their support for him, and the future of his career in the hands of officials, and not his own.
Although it’s been said that the actual event dated all the way back to November of 2008, photos of Michael Phelps smoking weed have just recently being leaked to the public eye. In Eason’s article, he thrashes out the harsh consequences Phelps now faces with both adoring fans and high-paying sponsors. Some athletes caught can face a ban of 2 years, currently a serious consideration for Mr. Phelps. Sponsors such as Speedo swimwear, Kellogg’s cereals and Hilton Hotels are all reconsidering their decision to employ this gold medal Olympian. This is a major downfall in Phelps’ career, since at one point he was receiving as many as 50 sponsoring offers daily after his return from the Beijing Olympics. Not only does this affect his financial career, but it also affects the fan base he has, who have now seen Michael Phelps in a new light.
This short story is being very judgmental of Michael Phelps. The author tends to portray just the negative effects that will come from this. He said such statements as “Phelps career may now be tarnished beyond repair.” The other people that Eason questioned all had negative statements as well concerning Phelps. Phelps response was “I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.” Michael was very regretful for his decision, but yet promised it wouldn’t happen again which is one of the few positive points in this story. Eason and the media as well as the world should be more supportive of Phelps. Everyone tends to mess up now and then, but it’s how you lift yourself up from your mistakes and work to make it all better. The media always shows the dark side of every story they encounter, it seems to be what the public wants to hear. However in my opinion, Michael Phelps is a hero to the United States and much of the world for his talent this past year in the Olympics. We should not judge so harshly of others when we ourselves make mistakes daily.
Michael Phelps: Swimmer, Olympic Champion, Pot Head?
A recent photo in a British newspaper has surfaced showing U.S. Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps inhaling a substance from a marijuana pipe. The swimmer did not deny the authenticity of the photo. Many significant people have weighed in on the Olympians situation. In a recent article in the Associated Press entitled “Phelps: Photo with marijuana pipe real” many people who know Michael gave their opinions and reactions to the story. In this paper, I will summarize and critique this article.
Click here to see another side of Mr. Phelps
The AP article says that Michael Phelps acknowledged that the photo of him smoking from a marijuana pipe was real. He appeared to regret his previous decisions. Phelps said, “I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment” (ESPN Swimming). Phelps was displeased with his actions and apologized to his fans. Phelps although disappointed did acknowledge that the photo of him with a marijuana pipe was authentic.
The AP article also says that Michael Phelps with feel the repercussions of this most likely financially. He will possibly lose some of his big name endorsements. The AP article stated, “Phelps’ main sanctions most likely will be financial—perhaps doled out by embarrassed sponsors who might be reconsidering their dealings with the swimmer” (ESPN Swimming). This statement infers that Phelps will possibly lose some of his sponsorships. The AP article says that Phelps financial endorsements will be affected by this.
The article also contained opinions of individuals who know Phelps personally. The majority of the opinions acknowledged it was wrong but at the same time they would stand by Michael. Jason Lezak, Michael’s teammate, said “Unlike many fair-weather people, I’m sticking by him. If my wife and I can help him in any way, we will. I believe he will grow from this and be a better person, role model, and teammate” (ESPN Swimming). Lezak obviously is very supportive of Michael and plans to help him if needed. The article contained opinions about Michael’s situation of many significant people in Michael’s life.
The AP article inappropriately combined multiple elements of the story. It combined the actual facts and details with personal opinions. The opinions in the article varied from people who know Michael weighing in on the situation to a “random partygoer” describing how Michael was at the party where the photograph was taken. I think that the writer should have stuck to one group of opinions rather than use both friends of Phelps and a random person at the party. I also thought the information at the end of the article about Max Mosley participating in sexual acts with 5 prostitutes was irrelevant and unnecessary for the Phelps story. The author of this article was clearly trying to make Phelps look bad and try to help people make connections between him and people who have participated in far worse and different acts then Phelps himself. I thought the AP article included some unnecessary elements.
A photo was recently put out in a British newspaper showing Michael Phelps inhaling from a marijuana pipe. Phelps shortly after it being released acknowledged it to be real. The Associated press published an article about the incident, “Phelps: Photo with marijuana pipe real” which was filled with the basic story of the incident and opinions on the situation. The article described everything from the actual incident to reactions to the incident that tried to portray Phelps as being the bad guy. The author of the article was clearly trying to take a shot at Michael Phelps and portray him as not the “cover boy” everyone thinks he is. The author deliberately tried to tie Michael to other famous celebrities that have committed acts that are viewed by the public as wrong, even though some of these were irrelevant to Michael’s story. This paper summarized and critiqued the ideas and biased opinions presented in the AP article.
Works Cited
"Phelps: Photo with marijuana pipe real." ESPN Swimming. 02 02 2009. Associated
Press. 10 Feb 2009 <http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=3876804>.
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