Bradley Manning Hearing

Bradley Manning, an Army private, worked as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. During his service, he aided the enemy, leaked several thousands of war logs, and a video of troops gunning down 11 men. His first crime alone is enough to put him away for life in prison. Entering his 10th day of court, it was brought up that he may have suffered from pretrial punishment, as he was held in Quantico for almost a year, before being moved to a prison is Kansas. In these prisons, he was confined with no clothes, aand placed under severe watches and restrictions. Officials justify that they did so to prevent any self harm or suicide attempts.

The author of the article had no sympathy for Manning, shown through her introduction of the circumstance. She omits his name in the first sentence, referring to him only as "an Army private" and follows that description with a summary of his crime. She identifies him as a criminal, and only includes his name in the second section, after which she introduces Officer Denise Barnes, a commander in Quantico, where he was confined. She includes all of Manning's crimes, and rather than explore his argument further, she includes the argument the officials made as to why they detained him in such a manner. She describes the governments position on this case, claiming that they were confining him to maintain his physical health, which she agrees with, because she immediately follows that by listing every crime he committed against our country, and the severity of the act.


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/breaking/bs-md-manning-wikileaks-20121210,0,1974207.story

Research on Stricken Bats MayHelp Fight AIDS

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/research-on-stricken-bats-may-help-aids-fight/2012/12/09/8cc93ab8-38cc-11e2-b01f-5f55b193f58f_story.html?hpid=z4

In this article, the author uses childish diction which is condescending to the reader because he makes the assumption that they are not scientific enough to understand what is happening. He uses words such as "very weird", "little bats", and "tiny corpses" which are all informal. This technique of easy reading words draws in an audience to learn about complex science while feeling they can keep up with terminology. After the introduction, the author starts using polysylabic words and more terminology about his resaerch. Words such as "hyperaggressive" and "immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome"give the reader a sense of accomplishment as they feel as they have learned more within the article. Throughout the lengthy explanation of how bats have contributed to AIDS research, the author intertwines the science terms with easy-to-understand explanations of what is happening. The author then pursues the idea of the importance of bats, comparing them to bees so the reader can have some concept of their function in nature. Overall, the author effectively argues the importance of bats and thier use for further science research while not losing the audience in a sea full of boring, scientific terminology.

U.S. Service Member Killed During Hostage Rescue Mission In Afghanistan: White House

The journalist in this article explains the mission our military volunteers underwent which lead to the death of one America hero.  He builds up the character of the service member, making careful effort to explain his "courage, skill, and patriotism," appealing to ethos by making his audience respect the man that was killed in the mission.  What a shame that a man of such high standard should die, protecting our country.  Furthermore, he points out that the U.S. service man was part of a mission to save a "U.S citien" who was in "imminent danger of injury or death." The journalist's formal diction here makes the reader feel as if this mission was one of true heroes, a battle of life or death.   It feels as if the soldiers were aiming to save the nation rather than just one man.   This creates a feeling of respect for our military because they care about each American life as if it were the lives of every American citizen.  The journalist's point in doing so, creates a feeling of true appreciation for our soldiers, holding the lost soldier up to the standards of a true hero, and making Americans feel for his death.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/09/afghanistan-hostage-rescue-service-member-killed_n_2268390.html

Horror of Sex Slavery

Shauna Newell lives in fear of her kidnapper being free and unafraid of prosecution. She was kidnapped, drugged, gang-raped and savagely beaten, while being sold into sex slavery. She told NBC News, “I went out to the beach a few weeks ago and I saw the dude who raped me, and he just looked at me,” Like, hey … you ruined my whole life. You have scarred me for the rest of my life and you're just sitting there going on with your life like nothing is wrong.”
Marc Klaas, who founded the advocacy group Klasskid, explained, “First of all, many of these kids are missing children. But what happens is when they’re trafficked, they’re turned into hookers; they’re turned into prostitutes. So we find this situation where we find these young victims, these young girls that all of a sudden are being treated and looked upon as criminals.” Thanks to her mother and Klaas’ organization, which organized a search for her, she was rescued after three days. She’s gone public to warn other girls about how easy it is to be kidnapped and trafficked.
This article that i read, written by Mike Celzic, was poorly written. I felt as though it was unorganized and incomplete. He didn't state any facts and he didn't answer all of the 5 W's (who, what, when, where, and why). 

Penn State sorority photo: Insensitive or just fun?

http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/07/penn-state-sorority-photo-insensitive-or-just-fun/

The author first describes the controversial incident where a Penn State sorority posted a Halloween picture of their members dressed in Mexican-themed costumes and holding signs that played on offensive racial stereotypes. The sorority was forced to submit a public apology and the school board and president denounced their irresponsible actions. The author uses logos in the form of quotations from school officials. However, she juxtaposes the opinions of Latino students from Penn against the opinions of other Latinos who commented on CNN's facebook page. The commentators thought that the picture was not offensive and only a little bit of harmless, college fun. Finally she ended with the opinion of race relations specialist, who cemented the fact that the line between "fun" and"insensitive" is dangerously thin. The author provides the opinions of people with many different viewpoints, allowing her article to be as objective as possible.

Many still missing in Philippines

Yet another typhoon has hit a very poor area in the Philippines. The author explains how hundreds are missing, were killed, and are starving after this natural disaster. This area, like many in east Asia is completely based on agriculture, however as reported there is 100% devastation and it will take a long time for recovery. The author truly appealed to pathos by talking about a child who held up a sign, begging for food as people drove by. It seems so unjust that the poorest parts of the world are often hit with these natural disasters, yet they have the least amount of resources to recover from the devastation. Specifically in the Philippines these typhoons hit multiple times a year, and people there are helpless. Just last year 1300 lives were taken, and it seems many more will follow suit.

In Syria, Marriage is Definace

With people in Syria experiencing constant violence on a day to day basis, it has become something that is expected. A women named Al-Qassab and a man, Jumbaz, were set up to be married in the midst of Jumbaz fighting in the Free Syrian Army. The author, Abdelaziz, shows that through this alliance, revolution can take place, and they can begin to influence an entire new generation. Al-Qassab and Jumbaz comment that love follows after marriage. But, it is not the overwhelming romantic love that is celebrated in the United States; it is called ashra. Ashra describes the mutual respect and understanding of one another. Jumbaz says that the violence and chaos makes his bond with his new wife stronger everyday as they get to know eachother on a deeper level. They both believe that they can pass their experiences down to their future kids and teach them how to overcome the violence in their culture.

Mayan Apocalypse: Panic Spreads as December 21 Nears

Mayan apocalypse: panic spreads as December 21 nears, by Nick Allen, Malcolm Moore, and Tom Parfitt recaps recents events in several countries precipitated by the approaching Mayan doomsday. The entire article captures the prevalent sense of fear as it jumps from one country to the other, describing the ongoing pandaemonium and planning for the end of the world. People all over the world are stocking up on candles and survival shelters in preparation for December 21st. The owner of a company that manufactures underground survival shelters, Ron Hubbard, said business is increasing as the day comes closer. Government officials around the globe have felt it necessary to address the issue of the Mayan doomsday. For instance,  in France the mayor of Burgarach  banned UFO-watching from the top of mount Pic de Burgarach. As Russians began to panic, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev concluded that he should address the situation. He assured the public that the world was not going to end. Since the release of the movie 2012, the Chinese population has become ever more interested in the apocalypse. Recently, the Chinese have been buying candles in preparation for the three days of darkness. Con artists have been able to persuade many people to give away all their money to charities before the world ends. Mayan cites in Mexico are profiting from the apocalyptic fear as tourism increases. The article concludes with quotes from NASA which offer assurances that the world will not end and that all conspiracy theories are impossible. The authors of the article conclude by leaving the question open. Will the world end?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9730618/Mayan-apocalypse-panic-spreads-as-December-21-nears.html

A Little Apple Goes a Long Way

Gross begins the article with a quotation from the credible business source Bloomberg Businessweek. He uses the metaphor "that's a drop in bucket" when comparing Apple's investment compared to their annual income. Gross makes use of this metaphor to illustrate the critics perspective in that Apple is doing little to stimulate any economic activity with an investment of only 100 million. When discussing the differences seen between manufacturing firms and other firms, Gross makes use of semi-colons to extended a sentence. This sentence is used to depict the endless number of jobs that manufacturing firms can offer versus any other type of firm. Towards the end of the article Gross begins to speak in first person using "I" and "We". He discusses his experience traveling to numerous factories and then in the concluding sentence uses "we" to address the whole nation. In concluding this way he is able to illustrate that the types of decisions that companies like Apple make, no matter how small, can affect the economy in a big way.  

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/09/a-little-apple-goes-a-long-way.html

The NFL Kickoff Debate: Why Teams May Take More Risk Without Them

Recently, the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell proposed to eliminate kickoff in professional football. Sean Gregory, author of this article, further explains that "Kickoffs produce more concussion risk than punts, since players charge at each other during kickoffs, while on punts, they bunch at the line of scrimmage and run down the field together, toward the player making the return." Goodell's proposition sparked various debates and concerns with the fans.

Gregory recalls the idea of kickoff being eliminated from football in 2012 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano after one of his players got paralyzed on a kickoff. Schiano brought forth the “Schiano Rule:” instead of a kicking off, a team receives the ball at its own 30, and runs a 4th and 15 play from scrimmage. The team would most likely punt, since a failed 15-yard conversion — a risky play — would result in stellar field position for the opposition. So in essence, punts replace kickoffs." Gregory argues that by replacing kickoff, the game would be closer and more exciting for fans. 

Gregory uses logos combined with pathos to persuade football fans to join in on the debate over kickoffs. By Gregory referencing the past events and a company named STATS, he makes his argument reliable. Also, by ending his article with a rhetorical question: "In any case, these numbers show that if this rule change would take place, teams might have an incentive to take more risk. And wouldn’t that be fun for fans?" he persuades football fans to look at this proposal with a new view and perspective.


Link to Article: http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2012/12/07/the-nfl-kickoff-debate-why-teams-may-take-more-risk-without-them/

Forced To Beg

An article reports on an event in Bangladesh, where a young boy was cornered into an alley by gang members. The gang attempted to recruit the child into a forced begging organization which they ran, however when the child fought back, the five gang members brutally abused and mutilated the boy, until he was nearly dead. The article begins with quotations from the reaction of the boys parents upon finding their son lying bloodied in the dirty alley, and the anguished language draws readers in from the start. The use of pathos at the beginning of the article wrenches the hearts of any reader. As the article continues, it progresses into logos as it describes the horrid statistics surrounding forced begging. For the purpose of appealing to American readers, the article refers to the popular move Slumdog Millionaire in order to help Americans understand the motives behind the boys attack.  The good of humanity is then represented in the article as it goes on to explain how a doctor at John's Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD read about the boys attackers in the news, and upon hearing the story offered to volunteer his time to repair the mutilated portions of the boys body. The article progresses from the gut wrenching story of the boys attack to the awe inspiring aid of a sympathetic stranger, and the heavy contrast between the two halves of the article beautifully emphasizes the outreach of the American people toward the little boy.

Real 'DUI' tragedy? It's preventable

This article discusses the recent tragedy involving two members of the Dallas Cowboys football team.  The journalist, Jen Floyd Engel, opens the article using logos in which she describes when and where the car accident occurred.  She then uses pathos and explains how police found the scene: with Josh Brent trying to save his friend Jerry Brown.  She explains, however, that Brent failed and his friend died.  Engel then transitions into other decisions that people should make instead of drinking and driving--to call a cab or a friend to drive them home so that accidents like this could be avoided.  The journalist includes statistics from MADD about how many people are killed by drunk drivers every year.  Engel explains that these statistics should be "sobering" --literally--but unfortunately they are not.  She then references other tragedies involving football players: another Cowboys player, Goodrich, who struck three people when driving drunk and ended up in jail, and the recent tragedy caused by Jovan Belcher, a Kansas City Chiefs player.  Belcher shot his girlfriend and then committed suicide.  Engel says that this incident was a choice and states also that the tragedy caused by Brent's decision to drive when drunk was also a choice, not an accident as the public continues to say.  Engel then puts her own opinions into the article where she states that people need to start taking responsibility for their actions and make wise choices that will not result in such "accidents."  Through these statements, she conveys that something needs to be done about all of the tragedies that result from such bad decisions as drunk driving.



link to article: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/dallas-cowboys-josh-brent-intoxication-manslaughter-charge-jerry-brown-biggest-tragedy-it-was-preventable-120812

Baltimore Spectator gains higher profile in police standoff

This author of this article mostly uses pathos in order to get his point across. Beneath the picture of the man accused, the article begins by explaining why this man is in so much trouble and what he has done to anger those in authority. The author explains how MacArther is a blogger and also tweets his strong opinions about the police to his followers in order to gain more publicity from international sources. His tweets were used as evidence as he was arrested from his home and later taken to trial. As the Baltimore  police continued to negotiate with MacArther, he tweeted and allowed live feed to be broadcast to his followers, gaining more than 2,000 new ones. The author continues on and uses logos to explain MacArther's childhood and life prior to this event. The uncertainties of MacArther's life are highlighted to show the incompetence of the government's system, seeking sympathy for MacArther. His previous jobs are listed, and the quotes from neighbors who knew the man say that he has always appeared nonthreatening. Past offenses are later listed when MacArther was charged with carrying a weapon for the intent of hurting kids who damaged his car. Flash forward to the present-day and the author ends the article with MacArther's current sentencing of remaining in jail without bail, awaiting a preliminary hearing next month.






Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-baltimore-spectator-20121209,0,3392735,full.story

Crime Free?

Monday the 26th was the first date in history that a murder has not been reported in New York City. As the article explained, the NYPD were celebrating this accomplishment. In the last ten years NYC crime has been declining, and this past Monday was “the first time in living memory” that no one had been shot or stabbed there. The use of logos is most prevalent in the article as it uses numbers and historical records to explain Monday’s importance.The article provides an historical perspective as it describes the height of crimes in New York City during the 199’s. In 1990 there were 2,245 murders. In 1994, 14 people were shot a day. I personally had never realized how many people were killed in NYC. This statistic about the 90s shocked me as it was meant to do. Tom Reppetto, a NYPD historian, described this situation: ‘“We lived in a town where people were afraid to come out of their houses, where babies slept in bathtubs to avoid getting shot, where nursery schools ran drills- ‘When you hear the shots, drop down.”’ If this was true of NYC today, I doubt there would be as many tourists as there are.  Few would want to shop in a city where babies had to lie in bathtubs. Although perhaps slightly exaggerated, the statistic emphasizes the changes in the city, and the radical decline in crime over the last twelve years.

http://www.theprovince.com/news/York+breaks+record+with+without+violent+crime/7634483/story.html#axzz2E87OC9E2

Death Toll in Bangladesh Garment Factory Rise Rises

  Last week a factory in Bangladesh caught fire and more than 100 people died. This catastrophic event happened due to lack of fire escapes and other safety measures. The factory had been producing Walmart materials, but it was unclear if Walmart was still purchasing goods produced there since the factory was given a high and them medium risk in the last inspection. According to the article, Walmart said they will not place orders with a factory that receives three high risk ratings within a two-year period. The article communicates the story, but first uses logos by providing the facts of the matter and using pictures to help promote the emotional message.  The cover picture of a distraught woman sets the tone for the article. Towards the end of the article, the author uses ethos to show the extent to which this fire devastated so many people. One woman cried, “Oh, Allah, where’s my soul? Where’s my son?” The following quotes are not emotional and simply explain how the disaster could have been averted. The real emotion comes from the pictures of dead bodies and of the interior of the burnt factory. This fire could be compared to the early 20th century Triangle Shirtwaist fire in which many young woman died due to lack fire safety. In our modern world today, one would assume that fires would pose less of a threat. Fire safety seemed to have progressed, but that clearly depends on location. Most people today fear bombs and terrorists, but in some places fires are also to be feared.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57553939/death-toll-in-bangladesh-garment-factory-fire-rises/

Manhood, Football and Suicide

This article describes the horrible events taken place this past weekend when NFL player, Jovan Belcher, murdered his girlfriend and then made his way over to the practice stadium and committed suicide in front of the head coach. The author comments that the couple's three month old daughter was sleeping in the room next to where her mother was shot repeatedly. Belcher's family and closest friends were shocked to hear the news and claimed that he never had shown signs of this behavior and was actually a very family-oriented man. While people who did not know the football player commented on the internet that he was a coward and psychopath, the author, Kevin Powell, offers a different perspective. Powell argues that Belcher was not suffering from a mental illness or anger issues; he suggests that our society celebrates manhood and condemns violence as a way for men to show that they are superior to the people surrounding them. Powell is disappointed that people are telling boys at a young age to "toughen up" and to "stop being a girl." He claims that people who say these things "do not realize that they are unwittingly teaching that manhood has little room to express hurt, disappointment and sorrow." This article shows that if men were encouraged to express emotion and speak their mind, violence in our society would decrease.

Native American designers fight cultural caricatures

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/30/living/native-american-fashion-appropriation/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

The author, Emanuella Grinberg, writes about the sterotypical way Native Americans are represented in today's pop culture. She uses logos by citing specific cases including a No Doubt music video where gewen Stefani sits on a horse in a sacred Native American headress and a Victoria's Secret fashion show that features a model in tribal lingerie and a floor-length headress. In addition, many fashion retailers like Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters carelessly use tribal symbols without knowing their meaning or significance and mass produce them on clothing to be sold to masses. The author talks about how Native Americans resent being represented as outdated caricatures and having their cultural traditons and symbols exploited for the profit of non-native companies. In contrast, she also cites successful collaborations between Native Americans and large companies such as Nike during the creation the N7 sneaker. She ends on a hopeful note, citing a quotation from a Native American singer that says, "We need allies who may not be from our community, but know our community because someone educated him. That's what's going to help change how others see us."

The Curious Case of the Clark Brothers

Matthew and Michael Clark, 39 and 42 respectively, have been diagnosed with leukodystrophy, a genetic disorder similar to that described in the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This disorder causes the deterioration of physical, mental and emotional states; they age backwards. 

Piper Weiss starts the article describing the household of the parents, both in their sixties as stated later. Weiss comments on the toys strewn in house, and the cartoons on the TV, stating that it would appear as if children of 7 inhabited the house. This introduction establishes the logos and the foundation of the story. The second paragraph then introduces the brothers, and their current age and condition. Weiss concludes this paragraph with an allusion to the movie documenting a fictional character also aging backwards. This reference creates an image that enables those unfamiliar with medical terms to envision the progression of this illness, and to spark sympathy for the boys, whereas it began sympathizing with the parents, creating pathos. The article continues with a flashback to before the disorder took its toll, where both brothers had stable jobs, and Matthew was even raising a daughter. This parallels the effects of the disease in that Weiss began with the present, and went back in time, much like then brains of the Clarks'. It continues with statistics on the disorder and a quote from a doctor, both of which establish the credibility of Weiss. She ends the article with a quote from their mother talking about the difficulties they face, and the struggle she faces in caring for them in this condition, and another from an American doctor discussing that their path is likely terminal, and how, had they been US citizens, tests could have been performed to evaluate their disorder more thoroughly, possibly leading to a cure. She does this to combine all three modes of rhetoric, ethos, pathos and logos.

In South Africa, Lethal Battles for Even Smallest of Political Posts

This article was written by Lydia Polgreen for the New York Times.  It explores the struggle for political power and influence in South Africa at the time and the violence that is related to it.  Polgreen demonstrates the extremity of the problem through her use of numerous examples.  The shift in the South African government brought about a democratic system that was supposed to be accompanied by equality and peace in politics.  Polgreen contrasts the ideal peaceful South Africa with the realistic violent country, "The killings threaten to tarnish the image of the so-called rainbow nation, whose largely bloodless transition from white minority rule to nonracial democracy has made it a beacon of peace, tolerance and forgiveness."  Polgreen's use of "so-called" depicts her opinion that the country's reputation is evolving into an empty hope and being overrun by the violent reality.  Polgreen continues to describe the difficulties faced by the country when she writes, "Fewer than half of South African’s young black adults have jobs, and many lack the basic skills to find work after years of attending substandard schools in townships and rural areas."  She accompanies her previous inclusion of opinion through her degrading tone of the country with facts when she reports the unemployment and education of specific citizens.  These facts demonstrate the harsh reality faced by a large portion of the population.  Through her inclusion of multiple examples of murder, harsh statistics, and a degrading tone, Polgreen is able to demonstrate that South Africa has failed to fulfill its goal of becoming a peaceful and tolerant country.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/01/world/africa/south-africa-corruption-fuels-battle-for-political-spoils.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1354381966-aTpgsO/Tk5rj23RmfuJmRw&_r=0

Men and Women Explore the Visual World Differently

This article from science daily discusses how men and women see certain things differently. Researchers have discovered that the two genders literally see things differently.  The author introduces a study in which researchers observed that when men and women look at the same picture, they focus on varying subjects for different amounts of time. To compare observations, the author use dependent clauses first to connect the variation in outcomes. The author quotes the leader of the study when he discusses the insight that these results could soon yield. He establishes credibility this way. The author is careful to use words such as “suggest” and “may” to illustrate that research is still in progress and that there has not been substantial evidence to prove any specific theory.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121130222243.htm

Missouri Bishop's Conviction Leaves Clergy Divided

This article, written by John Eligon and Laurie Goodstein for the New York Times, discusses the repercussions associated with the Bishop of Missouri, Robert Finn, not reporting a pedophile- priest to the police. This poor judgement on the Bishop's part has left any of his clergy in the Roman Catholic church questioning their faith in him as a spiritual leader, and there is controversy on whether or not he should resign as Bishop for his actions.  Eligon and Goodstein establish logos right away in order for the reader to grasp the facts of the situation before making their own decision on what should be done. The remainder of the article is just more logos, but presented in a way that shifts between the two opposing sides of the argument in order to make the article fair and unbiased.

Fears for Australia boy missing after crocodile attack

                        In Australia, a boy was allegedly dragged by a crocodile into deep waters, and he is now missing. A similar attack happened recently in the same area to a young girl, who's body parts were later found in the stomach of one of these crocodiles. The article begins by speaking about the boy being dragged away while others attempted to help by spearing the crocodile. It then immediately goes into talking about the girl who also was attacked. This appeal to pathos, by making the reader interested. The audience begins to believe that northern Australia truly has frequent crocodile attacks, and they should be on the look out. The author establishes his logos, through the same structure by claiming that the area is dangerous, however they seem to exaggerate a bit. One cannot assume the danger of the area simply from two attacks, but the author makes the article intriguing by making it seem like a warning even slightly more so than an article.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-20565373

Suitable Names For The Century

Dean Obeidallah wrote an article for CNN published on Sunday, December 7th, about the practicality of giving your children "unusual" names. Obeidallah begins the article with an extremely sarcastic tone, and pokes fun at some families in the 21st century who have named their children "siri", "mac" and "apple" in honor of the technology achievements of the Apple computer company.  Obeidallah's opinion is made very clear through his use of voice in his article as he states "Baby Siri? Seriously, who would name their bundle of joy after a frustrating Apple product that hardly ever works?". The article moves on to talk about unusual names from the authors personal life, and he predicts how his life may have been different had he been given a more ethnic first name by his parents, particularly during the 9/11 crisis. The article discusses how in the past it seemed to be only the celebrities who gifted extremely unusual names to their children. Now, in the 21st century, obeidallah states that the "condition" is spreading to the rest of society. Obeidallah furthers his argument that people should avoid naming their children unusual names, particularly ones relevant to technology, by using his mocking tone, and using examples that make naming children weird things seem to be a major disadvantage for the future well-being of their children. 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/01/opinion/obeidallah-baby-name/index.html?hpt=op_t1

Saying No To College

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/fashion/saying-no-to-college.html?src=me&ref=general

The author of this article discusses and questions the relevancy of going to college in present day. Provinding irrefutable logos of tremendously successful people who dropped out of college such as Mark Zuckerburg, Bill Gates, Steve Job, and other billionares, the author clearly states his messege on the worth of a college degree. His descriptions of those who reject the social norm of going to college is of admiration, using words such as "ambitious", "maverick", and overall implying their innovator-ness. He uses sarcasm to ridicule traditional-minded opposers, saying, "Risky? Perhaps. But it worked for the founders of Twitter, Tumblr and a little company known as Apple." Also his intended audience is probably those considering about skipping college and those who oppose a lack of a college degree. Throughout the article, the author uses uneducated diction, perhaps to appeal to the college drop outs and to satirize the critics. Describing people like Steve Jobs as "zillionares" shows his casual tone with hints of sarcasm. The author does not think that skipping college is for everyone, but those who do, he does not think of as unintellegent, rather he recognizes them as innovators who are smarter than the college institution. He ends the article with a bright high-school student applying to colleges, but ironically disapproving of the whole college process. The student ends by saying how common sense is overrated which leaves the messege that just because going to college is a logical step, does not mean that one should blindly follow it simply because it is expected.

Italy tracks down copy of Da Vinci's lost masterpiece

By David Willey
Italy's police division specializing in Art Theft have finally found a 400 yr old copy of a piece by Da Vinci. It shows men on horses fighting for possession of a flag  It originally resided in the Tuscan town hall and there is a copy in the Italian presidents house. The article then continues to the history of the painting and why it is unfinished and where he tried to paint it and how some guy made a copy because the original was lost. Willey then continues to discuss how often we learn more from copies of work than the actual originals. After 15 paragraphs we finally get back to the point that is was stolen. Then he summarizes in only 1 paragraph where the painting was taken when stolen even though it was missing for 50 years. He then states the rest of the painting may be hidden under some paint in the Tuscan town hall but the mayor of Florence said no one will do any more invasive procedures in the hall.
I take issue with this article. It says its about the theft and such, yet the layout didn't make it seem about the theft. Art theft is one of those super interesting white collar crimes that never really happen. And the article focused more on the history of the painting and its format than anything else. I very much agree that this information should be included but I would much prefer that historical information to come after the story about the theft its self.

Modern Day Gladiators

   Mike Sack discussed an interesting topic with sportswriter Patrick Hubry, law professor Roger Abrams, and former player and coach Tim Reynolds, reversing the sociological understanding of the United States' cultural identification with football. The four men debated the draw to football, recognizing the danger of the sport, and the true concept of the game.  In truth, football is almost a barbaric sport, yet as addressed in the debate, week after week, thousands of people pack the football stands, and behave almost as barbarically as the players.  One of the men elaborates on this idea, referencing the code of conduct for the fans, set in place by the NFL for safety reasons.  Do to the nature of the game, and the crowds attraction to violence, stadiums must ensure that rowdiness does not cross the line to present threat.   When addressing football in this manner, it is a wonder that the sport has become such a phenomena in the American culture.   If you were to describe football to someone who had never before heard of the game, the newcomer would probably be appalled by the concept.   Grown men, run round on a field, hitting each other as hard as they can, in order to win a game and entertain their fans who watch, and cheer, surrounding the players in a large stadium.  Wow.  As stated by the men, their is a striking resemblance to the gladiator battles held in the ancient Colosseum.   The debate was continued, as the host Mike Sack reviewed the question: Who is at fault? Just as Brooks used persuasion in order to craft an argument which completely reversed the standard Western viewpoint, these men reversed the argument that the NFL is at fault, instead blaming the American fans for the danger of football.   Interestingly, the men removed blame from the NFL, concluding that "the fans have a responsibility because if the people do not desire to be entertained by football and dangerous hits, then people aren't killing themselves to play football."  The men admit that though the fans are only partially at blame considering the players are aware of the danger, the players have an obviously reaction to the energy of the thousands of fans as they cheer for a major hit.  One man declares that "it is not until a player does not get up, that fans get down and realize that it is not a video game, but real life with real people."   Until then, fans are excited by life shortening hits and major plays.   Furthermore, Americans endorse the contact nature of the sport by giving the players stronger pads to allow them stronger hits, and in our state of denial, claim that the pads are protection rather than the sponsoring of harder hits.   However, as stated in the debate, research shows that sports such as boxing and football were much less detrimental to the players' health prior to the invention of more sturdy padding.   Personally, being a football fan, myself, I found this segment very interesting, and was impressed by the host's use of logos, as he debated with knowledgeable men.  The men also appealed to ethos, by addressing the emotional side of the pain felt by the players, forcing the audience to evaluate their behavior, and endorsement of the sport.

http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/nfl-football-roman-gladiators/50abcfbc2b8c2a40190004a0

As Companies Seek Tax Deals, Governments Pay High Price

By Louise Story

This article is about the ludicrous tax breaks rewarded to large companies, such as General Motors, by our political leaders. Such unfair tax breaks are now turning around and hurting the government as such companies are going into bankruptcy after years of unknown aid. The author opens the article simply stating: "In the end, the money that towns across America gave General Motors did not matter" to lay out her opinion of the matter. Because in the end, American tax dollars were fueling these large companies without the citizens knowing, and even though it was secretive with the idea that it would help these companies and spur job growth, the effect was the opposite. And while governors and mayors fought to keep GM factories in their towns to continue job growth by giving extremely large bribes (up to $153 million), GM "walked away and, thanks to a federal bailout, is once again profitable". So all of the money that we, Americans, gave unknowingly to the company has made them profitable while we lose the jobs. What is sad is that it has not only been General Motors who have turned their back after such large donations, but many others as well. In total, our political leaders have given about $170 billion as incentives to companies who have in turn turned their back on such officials. The author finishes the article stating that many would continue with the incentives if the companies returned to the cities to offer jobs. She finishes the article by trying to remind the reader that if we continue to let them govern us, we will end up right back where we started. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/us/how-local-taxpayers-bankroll-corporations.html?hp&_r=0

Catonsville child awaits heart after transplant falls through

The beginning of this article starts with the a picture of the little girl in need of a heart transplant. Directly beneath, the caption describes the family of the girl and how they are supporting a family of eleven; their four biological children and their five adopted special-needs daughters from China. This use of pathos continues in the first paragraph of the actual article as the author inserts imagery of the girl being prepped for surgery late at night in a Philadelphia hospital. The author then goes on to describe the support system that the family has successfully built in order to obtain prayers from their church family and the school that is affiliated with it. The family has also created a website which is used to help spread awareness about the girl's situation. The family is praying for the healing of their daughter from a late Pope, and if this should happen they are willing to ask for him to become titled a Saint through this act. Towards the end of the article, the author initiates the use of logos as they describe the procedures necessary for the surgery as well as the reasoning behind the declination of the use of the donor's heart.


Link: http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-md-bartlinski-update-20121130,0,5869543.story

Maryland and Rutgers Bolt For The Big 10: Are These College Conference Shakeups Worth It?

Recently, Univeristy of Maryland and Rutgers University signed a deal to switch from the Atlantic Coast COnference (ACC) and Big East to the Big 10 conference. This switch spiked a tremendous amount of controversy especially with the University of Maryland Terrapins. 

This article accesses Maryland's decision to switch to a different conference and abandon their past traditions. Sean Gregory opens his article by creating a scene at Maryland's campus as the students chant: “Not our rivals! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!” Obviously, most of the current students are unhappy with this switch to the Big 10. The ACC holds many of Maryland's traditions such as their rivalry games with Duke. Not only do Maryland and Duke fans tune in for their rivalry basketball game but many others are thrilled by the traditional rivalry. Gregory, even scrutinizes Maryland's abandonment of its long tradition as being "killed, by yet another college sports money grab." Next, Gregory goes into the financial reasons for Maryland's decision. He lays down hard facts by stating that the Big 10 conference was the first to own a network for college sports. By owning the Big Ten Network, sports games can reach many more homes for less money. Therefore, the more revenue the conference makes and less they have to pay for television time, the more the schools in the conference can have. Maryland, having to cut back on seven of its sports programs, would benefit from the extra money. However, the rivalry games against Duke and other ACC teams is destroyed. Even though the University of Maryland will not move to the Big 10 conference until the year 2014, their decision has sparked many fans to become upset.  Gregory cleverly summarizes Maryland's decision and its benefits in his last paragraph as: "Sure, a school should make extra money when it can. But if it’s going to destroy beloved traditions, let’s just hope it spends these funds smartly."

Gregory uses logos to emphasize the many traditions the University of Maryland has with the ACC. He cleverly accesses the choices and repercussions of Maryland's decision and also states how the fans feel about the change. 

Link to article: http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2012/11/20/maryland-and-rutgers-bolt-for-the-big-10-are-these-college-conference-shakeups-worth-it/