An Oil Boom Takes A Toll On Health Care

Within his first couple paragraphs, author John Eligon uses diction to illustrate the intensity of the situation in North Dakota. He uses words such as, “furious” “swamped” “flocking” “sinking under skyrocketing debt” and “flood of gruesome injuries and bloated business costs” to illustrate the circumstances in North Dakota. He focuses on one hospital, McKenzie County Hospital, and shows the drastic effects of the oil boom though these effects are “acute” compared to other hospitals in the area. His use of quotations from the hospital’s chief executive also allows him to directly input the struggles with debt that they face within the hospital.  Many of their patients are without health care and give false information which allows them to escape the payment of their hospital bills.  Making the article more personal, the author uses quotations from a man who faces dangers everyday since he works in the oil industry. Eligon also addresses diseases and health issues that the poor living conditions of the “housing camps” generate. He uses many statistics in his article to clearly show the changes that are a result of the industry’s boom. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/us/boom-in-north-dakota-weighs-heavily-on-health-care.html?hp

President Hillary Clinton? If she wants it

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/26/opinion/rothkopf-hillary-clinton/index.html?hpt=hp_c2
In this article, David Rothkopf argues that if she wants it, Hillary Clinton is on track to become the next democratic presidential nominee, but the president of the United States. Rothkopf bases his argument in logos by stating Clinton's various accolades during her time as First Lady, Senator, and most recently Secretary of State. He commends her actions and behavior during her tenure as Secretary of State, going so far as to name her "the most successful U.S. secretary of state in two decades" and an "equal of the likes of James Baker, George Schultz or Henry Kissinger". Rothkopf goes in detail describing her cooperation in the investigation following the tragedy in Benghazi, and her graceful, honest responses when the  she faced accusations and conspiracy theories from the Senate and House at hearings on the events surrounding Benghazi. Rothkopf also cites the fact that Clinton has helped improve relations between the Unites States and the Middle East and Asia. Rothkopf makes good points about why Clinton would be a great contender for President in 2016, but his lack of criticism concerning any of her actions lessens the effect of his argument to the point where it just becomes obsequious praise.  If Hillary Clinton were to become the first female President, it would show how progressive this country is becoming and that the words  of our Constitution are truth, rather than false promises of equity.

Holocaust Film Covertly Beamed into Iran by Wiesenthal Center

This past Friday, in coordination with Holocaust Remembrance Day, an Iranian Satellite broadcast the 1980's film Genocide for the first time. The article explains that the Iranian public has been denied information about the Holocaust. The author, Lisa Daftari, states that the Iranian government has not allowed the public to access information about the Holocaust and that the Iranian president is an advocate for Holocaust deniers. Daftari's obvious hatred of the Iranian regime is clear from her description of the president and the government. The article points out that the Iranian population will relate to the film since many are "suffering and are repressed." Daftari gives some background on the organization who sponsored the airing of the movie, while also explaining the importance of the broadcast to the Iranian public. She uses a mixture of quotes and her own personal perspective to explain the importance of the airing of Genocide.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/26/holocaust-film-covertly-beamed-into-iran-by-wiesenthal-center

Arguement on Contraception

Today's edition of the New York Times featured an article, A Flood of Suits Fights Coverage of Birth Control, where Ethan Bronner analyzes the two sides to the argument of whether or not health insurance should cover the costs of contraception.  He acknowledges the fact that the issue is beginning to grow and will most likely eventually reach the Surpreme Court.  After the speaker on Wednesday I found this article very interesting due to its connection with the topic of Supreme Court cases. Bronner immediately introduces the topic as a controversial issue due to religious views.  He sets up the contrasting arguments that the guaranteed coverage of contraception is against certain religious views opposed to the thought that it is necessary and just. He backed each side with statements of different supporters.  Although the religious fight against contraception is obvious to many, Bronner includes quotations to have fair support to each side.  For example Bronner quotes Mr. Greene when he writes, “Our family is now being forced to choose between following the laws of the land that we love or maintaining the religious beliefs that have made our business successful and have supported our family and thousands of our employees and their families. We simply cannot abandon our religious beliefs to comply with this mandate.” As opposed to simply explaining the opinions of those who support the religious ideas, Bronner includes a direct quotation to act on pathos.  However, Bronner also makes a pathos contribution to the other side of the case when he quotes Judy Waxman, a vice president of the national Women's Law center, "Ninety-nine percent of women use contraceptives at some time in their lives. There is a strong and legitimate government interest because it affects the health of women and babies.” The fact that Bronner creates a balanced description of both side forms a information article that demonstrates the entire case without a biased impact.  

Solar Blob Attacks the Earth!

Well with a title like

Solar Blob Attacks the Earth! 

you are bound to want to read this article from time.com. This article describes the sun's ejection of a hot blob of charged particles into space. The sun is in the peak of an 11 year cycle of solar flares, blotchy sunspots, and brighter light. Usually this is not a concern to us earth bound citizens but this blob was directed at the earth at a million miles per hour. If this blob had hit the electro magnetic field surrounding the earth it would create a geomagnetic storm which would disrupt satellite and radio communication and could cause massive blackouts. This blob however did no damage at all. However the sun is still in the peak of this irregular activity so we could see more of these blobs and solar tornadoes which send more of these charged particles toward our planet. 

This article with such a jarring title was very anti climactic and the author, Michael Lemonick acknowledges that toward the end of the article. This article, discussing lofty solar science, clearly explained the phenomenon that is occurring. Not exactly objective the article did include some of Lemonick's opinions but it gave this scientific piece a voice that is usually absent from such pieces. If this were a threatening issue this opinion would have been unnecessary but when confronting such a casual issue it made this uneventful article more interesting to read.  

Blaze in Brazil

At a packed and popular night club in southern Brazil, a fire lit up and swept through the building, killing an estimated number of 233 party-goers. An article reporting the event opens with imagery of workers rummaging through the aftermath of the fire, and being tormented by the sound of lost cell phones ringing through the rubble. The cell phones represent the worry with which distant friends and relatives were desperately trying to contact those who were present at the Kiss Night Club during the disaster, trying to find out more about the well-beng of their loved ones. For many, the calls would never be returned as they would soon discover that many had not survived the disaster. The imagery of cell phones ringing through the rubble at the beginning of the article not only brings the tragedy to life with audio imagery, but also reminds readers that events like the fire in Brazil are real, and by connecting the event to something so every day to Americans as the cell phone, the author of the article is connecting the fire to something that could just as easily happen in the states. After capturing the hearts of readers through the use of pathos, the article then continues with logos and the details of the fire and the efforts being taken by workers and volunteers to mend the tragedy in Brazil.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/27/world/americas/brazil-nightclub-fire/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

America's Most Misleading Product Claims: 24/7 Wall St.

Michael B. Sauter, Samuel Weigley, and Alexander E.M. Hess, authors of this article, explain the misconceptions and misleading claims that producers make to sway consumers into buying their product. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently sued the juice maker POM Wonderful for its claims of health benefits. Sauter, Weigley, and Hess also provide a link to other companies that have embellished their statements with their products. A variety of other government agencies have risen up against "to protect consumers from misleading advertising." Also, Sauter, Weigley, and Hess mention other cases that that have been involved in the past. They speak of related cases mostly aiming towards drink and food products, hoping to win because of the companies lack of evidence.

Sauter, Weigley, and Hess use logos to analyze related cases with producers and their products. They give several different types of cases as well as quotations from the Director of Litigation at CSPI to support their investigations.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/26/most-misleading-products_n_2553308.html?ir=Business

Hilary Clinton for President

This article talks about the 2016 election and whether or not Hilary Clinton will be running. The author, David Rothkopf, argues that if she wants the job, she has it. His confidence in her future success is seen through his description of how good she is at being the Secretary of State. Hilary has decided not to officially announce that she will be running for president in order to keep her potential opponents from raising money too early. With her husband being one of the more popular presidents of our country, Hilary seems to already have the election in the bag. Many people have argued that she is the best Secretary of Defense our country has had in the past two decades. She is been said to be "a work horse, not a show horse" which seems to be a giant step for women today. However, being that she is a women, some networks on TV will only focus on her style and appearance. Hilary Clinton has experienced much criticism about her hairstyle, and it was brought up in many magazines. If she were a man, these issues would barely exist, as no one ever comments on Barack Obama's hair or clothing. Nonetheless, Clinton seems to be a very strong, experienced future candidate. If she were to be elected, it would be such a giant step for women.

Brazil Nightclub Fire Kills At Least 232 People

Writers Juliana Barbassa and Marco Sibaja report on a freak incident concerning the tragic deaths of over 200 young Brazilian students trapped in a burning night club. The article depicts the horrific scene, using logos through the inclusion of quotations from firefighters, doctors and survivors.  It explains that students struggled to "push" their way out of the flaming building, but were confronted with many obstacles such as the thick smoke that caused many to be "asphyxiated," mistaking the "bathroom door for the exit" in their delusion.  Students who found their way to the "one exit" out of the club were faced with the challenge of filtering through the thin door way, over the "already dead bodies blocking the exit." The writers describe the students' difficulties in finding safety by using pathos so that the audience is able to share in the feeling of terror.   The reader can just imagine the young peoples' desperation as they approach the exit only to find that the door is blocked by others sharing in the same fate that they will inevitably have.  There is no question how this would have affected the spirits of those determined to save themselves and/or others around them.   Adrenaline meets hopelessness. The article produces such a response that readers are able to find tears not only for those lost, but also for the survivors who must now live with such a sight and conscience, and for those who had to receive notice of their young loved one's death or injury.  As heartbreaking as the story is, there is another entire side which remains equally as painful for those involved, the culprits of the fire.   A young band  performing at the night club continued with their usual routine, setting off flares to gain excitement in the crowd, when they looked up to find that the ceiling had caught on fire.   A bewildered band member told the press that the flares were "harmless" and that they had "never had issue with them before."  It was not a test run; in fact, the flares had been a consistent part of their show.  There is no way they could have anticipated the fire; however this is not the reaction they are receiving from the public, as they immediately began to receive "hostile messages."  Besides the mental degradation of knowing that they are responsible for so many deaths, the band lost one of their own members as well.  They are not without punishment; however they are forced to cope with the fear of "retaliation" and their possible conviction and imprisonment even though it was simply an accident that each will have to carry with him for the rest of his life.   The writers use pathos to develop sympathy for these young men who have suffered a loss and a terrible tragedy, just like everyone else involved.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/27/brazil-nightclub-fire-santa-maria-kiss_n_2560839.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmaing9%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk1%26pLid%3D262254

Bloomberg donates $350 million to Johns Hopkins for research, scholarships

Author Scott Dance begins his article addressing Mayor Bloomberg's most recent generous gift of over $350 million, bringing his total amount of money donated to over $1.1 billion. Dance uses logos in the beginning of his article, stating how Bloomberg has given over 10 years and how his money has contributed to the scholarships and endowment of Hopkins. Dance then proceeds to introduce pathos into his article, writing about how the president of the university responded to the acceptance of Bloomberg's generous donation. Dance then returns to his incorporation of logos, giving background history on Bloomberg and how he received his bachelor's degree in engineering and later began his tradition of donating money. Dance then goes on to comment on how Bloomberg's gift is the largest to ever be given to an educational cause and how it has allowed Hopkins to better their programs, bearing his family name on multiple buildings. Dance concludes his article by stating facts about Bloomberg's life; he has been mayor of New York since 2002, he is the 11th richest person in the US, and he has a net worth of $22 billion.



Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-bloomberg-hopkins-donation-20130126,0,2325827.story

The Second-Term Curse

This article, by John Steele Gordon, explains that Obama was elected to serve another term as president, yet it discusses that most of the former presidents elected to serve more than one term grew less successful after their first term.  Gordon begins the article using logos in which he explains that Obama is the sixteenth president to be elected to a second term.  He then includes examples of presidents who served disastrous second terms, and he states that the only truly successful second terms were served by Monroe, Jackson, and Theodore Roosevelt.  Gordon proceeds to categorize reasons for the failures of these presidents.  He begins with legal issues: Reagan was part of the Iran-Contra scandal, and Clinton was impeached for his involvement with Monica Lewinsky.  Grant's secretary was involved in the whiskey ring; Jefferson's Embargo Act failed.  Gordon continues to explain other reasons for these presidents' failures.  He discusses how these presidents often overstepped their responsibilities.  For example, Franklin Roosevelt wanted to "pack the court" but this was against stated laws in the Constitution.  Woodrow Wilson kept the country out of World War I during his first term, but only a month into his second term, he ironically declared war.  Since Gordon does not go into explicit detail with these examples, he is able to keep the tone of the article light-hearted but cautionary.  His inclusion of these anecdotes makes the public aware that second terms are statistically and obviously less successful than first terms, so the public should lower their expectations of Obama in his new term.  However, Gordon ends the article with a bit of hope, though awfully sarcastic: "Second terms are hazardous at best.  But no modern president is likely to suffer the humiliation that James Madison experienced in 1814 during his second term.  That was when the British invaded the country and burned the nation's capital."  With this quotation at the end of the article, Gordon seems to promise the country that although second terms usually are not a good thing, there was a president who set a precedent for rock-bottom.  With this sarcastic humor, Gordon reassures the audience that, although the past indicates that Obama's second term will not be good, it cannot be too bad.


Source: The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition

Want black votes, GOP? Listen to black voters

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/23/opinion/martin-gop-black-voters/index.html?hpt=op_t1

In the article, Roland Martin argues that GOP candidates need to stop disregarding Black voters and  conciously reach out if they ever want recognition or respect from the Black community. He details his own experiences as a political talk show host on "the nation's second-largest black cable network.", where it is a struggle to convince White republicans to appear on the show. Martin says that the GOP's problem lies in their inability and even reluctance to "listen" to black voters. He argues that this reluctance lies in the GOP's stereotypical perception of the issues black voters care about. White republicans assume that the majority of black voters only care about "welfare", rather than "education, taxes, etc...". Martin uses logos as he states that this idiotic misconception is " allowing the opposition party to get 90% of a group's vote without lifting a finger". He also uses logos when he names several White Republicans that interact successfully with black voters and reap the political benefits. For example, he references S. Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio who "enjoyed sizable black support because... he didn't avoid minorities and treat them as outcasts". By using the evidence of succecessfulc collaboration between republicans and black voters, Martin proves that the GOP is missing out by not making an effort to appeal to black voters. Throughout the entire article, Martin uses ethos identifying himself as one of the "black voters" that Republicans need to adress by continually incuding himself within his statements with thewords "us" and "we":  " I know a bunch of African-Americans who don't self-identify as Democrats... The issues that we care about vary".

Middle Class in Manhattan

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/realestate/what-is-middle-class-in-manhattan.html?pagewanted=3&_r=0&ref=general&src=me

 

In this article, the author asserts the lack of socioeconomic diversity in real-estate in Manhattan. He reflects the clear division and disorder of classes by comparing housing from the projects to five million dollar condos. The intended audience is concerned middle class people who are unsure where they fall in Manhattan's ridiculous house marketing. He appeals to the middle class by revealing the superfluous lifestyle of the upper class, saying that they buy their children $700 jackets, and sympathizing with the struggling working class who are not poor, but live in packed apartments for high rent. The author then tries to define exactly what middle class means in Manhattan since the expectations for living costs are higher. He neatly organizes each section by answering different key aspects of middle class living. Concluding the article, the author states his main thesis which is: not only will the middle class die out of Manhattan, but one day nobody will live there. To leave the reader with their own conclusions, he ends with a rhetorical question to keep his argument going. 

Obama's Evolved, Unapologetic Speech

Obama inherited a distraught country; one mixed in war with a plummeting economy. Now four years later, he plans to make a larger impact on the country than he did in his last term. In his speech, he focuses more on things that the nation never quite hears enough about such as the environment, and sheds light on the things he did well in his previous term rather than some of the questionable decisions he made. His new slogan, actually said by Dr. King, "the fierce urgency of now," is hopefully a foreshadowing of the next four years. Some believe that Obama's inability to deal with the large issues derives from his occupancy with getting re-elected. Now that he can focus his mind and talents on national problems, many believe he can be more productive these next four years.

On-Screen the Second Time Around, the Silly and the Sublime

Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times wrote up the experience of President Obama's Second Inauguration that happened to take place on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Stanley describes this event with a tone honoring Obama, yet hints of boredom and distraction regarding the event were also clear in her article.  Stanley establishes the trend of boredom at the opening of the fourth paragraph when she writes, "Second inaugurations are rarely as exciting as the first ones, and when the first was a never-before-seen historic moment, television has a hard time trying to whip up a similar sense of wonder and novelty." She acknowledges the fact that second inaugurations in general are less exciting, and then states that Obama's is even less recognized as a repercussion of his ground-breaking first inauguration.  This statement is a mixture between her two tones, because the potential boredom with the even appears in her opinion that second inaugurations are less exciting, but she also honors Obama through pointing out the fact that he had a renowned first inauguration. In the following paragraph, Stanley strays from the topic of Obama himself as she describes a celebrity citing of Jay-Z and Beyonce and, as a side note, refers to a former incident with reporters complimenting girls on television.  This tangent still deals with the inauguration, yet quickly develops into another topic.  The inclusion of this detail further develops Stanley's bored and distracted tone as her attention is drawn away from the true importance of the event. Stanley begins her next paragraph characterizing all coverage on inaugurations as " trite and tiresome."  This statement adds to her bored tone since she clearly states the common dullness of the event. Stanley then slightly shifts her tone when describing the positive effect that the holiday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day had on the event.  The pairing of this holiday and Obama's inauguration made the potentially boring event more special and meaningful.  Remembering Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech puts the landmark event of inaugurated an African American president into perspective. After this description, Stanley continues on to include other side notes regarding other celebrities and news reporters.  The inclusion of these details helps characterize the event, yet also demonstrates the author's opinion that these details are more interesting and noteworthy than the routine event. However, contradicting her bored tone, Stanley closes by including a remarkable quotation from President Obama:  “I want to take a look, one more time. I’m not going to see this again.” This closing remark highlights the fact that this routine event means everything to certain people.  Although the coverage and reports on the event may become repetitive and boring, it is a special time for certain people and for our country as a whole.

       In Eastern Algeria, at least 37 hostages died in a terrorist attack of a natural gas facility.
" Five other hostages are missing from the In Amenas complex and could be dead", Prime Minister Abdul Malek Sallal said. Before this statement, officials from the companies that employed these workers confirmed 29 deaths. 7 of the 37 bodies have not been identified yet. Those who have been identified include seven Japanese, six Filipinos, three Americans, three Britons and one Algerian.
        The standoff ended Saturday, after four days. The government said it did so because the militants were planning to blow up the installation and flee to neighboring Mali with hostages. "If it exploded, it could have killed and destroyed anything within 5 kilometers or further," Sallal said.
       The crisis began Wednesday when Islamist extremists  struck the natural gas complex west of the Libyan border, gathered the Westerners who worked there and took them as hostages. Then, they planted explosives throughout the complex. According to the prime minister, Algeria's military talked with the militants, but their demands that prisoners in the North African nation be released were denied. The country's special forces waged the assaults to free the hostages and were backed by the Algerian Air Force. "At one point, the militants tried to flee the compound in vehicles that carried explosives and three or four hostages as human shields", Sallal said. "At least two of the vehicles flipped and exploded during the attempt", he said.
    Islamist militant activity is not new to Africa. Algeria's status as Africa's largest natural gas producer and a major supplier of the product to Europe encourages others to invest there. That interest is coupled with pressure to make sure foreign nationals, and their business ventures, are safe. Algeria can keep its gas facilities secure without foreign forces' help; foreign workers will soon return. Several foreign companies, including Statoil and BP, evacuated their workers from Algeria after the incident.
    This article was found on the CNN website and was written by an unspecified source at 8:31 tonight. I found the article a little confusing because it kept bouncing back and fourth with random details about the prime minister and then about the plant and then about the terrorists. The amount of detail given was much appreciated, however it needed clarity

Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh

Author Cindy Boren begins her article with short and humorous opening writing, "Oh, those Harboys. Good Lord, they must have been a handful." Boren's article is about the upcoming SuperBowl that will pin John and Jim Harbaugh against each other for the title of SuperBowl champion. Her focus seems to be the aspect of family instead of the game. To illustrate the closeness between the brothers,  Boren uses quotes from their parents as well as other relatives. She includes quotes from John about Jim's success and how proud he is of his brother. The article also establishes their closeness in age as a reason for their great relationship though at the same time, Boren makes sure to contrast the two. She does this by separating two paragraphs that state facts that pertain to each one individually. After this Boren illustrates their tightly knit family by providing similarities such as both of their "bold late-season decision[s]" 

Morality In The Animal Kingdom

An article by Elizabeth Landau reports an interview with animal behaviorist Frans de Waal. Waal gives insight on the behavior of animals, especially chimpanzees, who seem to behave and interact with one another with moral codes. The article opens by belittling the ego of humans, and states that morality is not simply a human characteristic, but rather, a basic instinct formed by evolution. The article goes on to show examples of how animals who live in herds, or packs, have developed empathies and emotions toward one another. The article tells that these animals have, like humans, evolved to take care of one another for the purpose of survival. Like a mothering instinct, animals have developed sentiments towards on another. The article refers to the expertise of Waal to help support the argument that moral codes are not a divine characteristic of human beings as many may think, but that caring for one another is actually one of the most basic of animal instincts which can be found in many different species of living things.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/19/health/chimpanzee-fairness-morality/index.html?hpt=he_t2

The Curious Case of Brooke Greenberg

The author of The Curious Case of Brooke Greenberg:16-Year-Old Has the Body and Mind of a Toddler opens the story by describing what sounds like a normal person, but the story quickly turns in a very different direction. At the time the article is written, Brooke is 16, but she still looks and acts like a baby because unlike most children, she is not growing. The author makes the obvious point that Brooke cannot do the things other girls her age do, such as learn how to drive or go to a prom, which evokes sympathy in the reader. The doctors don’t have all the answers about Brooke’s unique condition, but they do know that she has some kind of gene mutation that prevents her from aging. Brooke is not simply a tragic medical case but also important because she may give doctors an idea about how to delay aging in other humans. The author attempts in some ways to portray Brooke as normal. For instance, the author describes how Brooke had a Bat Mitzvah when she turned thirteen and that her two sisters have normal development. The author of this article seemed concerned with explaining why Brooke is so important to the medical world, while at the same time showing her as a real person who is loved and cherished by her family. Finally, the author wittily chose the title The Curious Case of Brooke Greenberg due to the short story written by Scott Fitzgerald called The Curious Case of Benjamin Button about a man who ages backwards, a unique condition similar in aspects to Brooke’s.

Flacco Shrugs Off Critics and Chalks Up Another Win

This article, written in the New York Times by Scott Cacciola, describes the Ravens, and more specifically, Joe Flacco's ability to disregard what sports media says about him, and remain down to earth. Cacciola uses a lot of logos to describe Flacco's average statistics, but very admirable diction when discussing the young quarterback's decisions in games like "carving up the Patriots". Cacciola accurately describes not only Joe Flacco's persistance and determination, but also the entire Ravens organization. The team faced 49 out of 50 states not believing in them the past two games, yet managed to prove the vast majoirty of the country wrong both times. Cacciola's use of logos builds the argument against Flacco and the Ravens, showing their average statistics, yet counters the popular argument with fond diction when describing Flacco's and the Raven's achievements over the years.

Taliban attackers storm police office in Afghan capital

The second attack in a week on a government office in Kabul, the Afghan capital, occurred on Monday. Outside the traffic police compound a bomb was set off by a suicide bomber and then 3 others charged inside the building to attack. Part of the building caught on fire and around 10 people were wounded. The Taliban were responsible for this attack and similar attacks one of which occurred outside the national security office. In that attack around 30 were wounded. These attacks are common in Afghanistan and even heavily guarded government buildings are targeted. NATO and Afghan troops can respond now but by the end of 2014 NATO troops are moving out and the local forces will be left to combat the Taliban.

This article shortly summarized the events and then continued to its relevance. The author, Masoud Popalzai, made specific use of sound imagery, describing the gunfire echoing around the neighborhood. The author inserts no personal feelings about this event. Instead it is stated plainly and objectively which is best when concerning the war in Afghanistan  It is often important for reporters to stay objective because people have many different opinions about these kinds of things and it is important just to state the facts not try to convince the person of one feeling or another

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/21/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Inauguration: Barack Obama tells US to seize the moment

               Carpe Diem is an older ideology, urging people to seize the day, for the day will soon be no more. Today was the inauguration of President Barack Obama, where he gave a speech using a similar phrase : "seize the moment". This article was mainly about ethos, it discussed the president, his inauguration, his speech, and what his plans were for America. However, the president himself was all about pathos, something that was shown through in the article as it made use of many of his quotes from his speech earlier today. President Obama said things such as : "My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it - so long as we seize it together.", "We, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it", and "Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm". At no time does he use the word "I". His diction revolves around "we", "us", and "our", which is the job of a president. They are here to focus on the people from the bottom of society to the top.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21133210 

Inauguration on King Day an emotional tie for many

The author of this article begins with a snippet of pathos, introducing his topic while allowing the reader to understand a bit of background knowledge. The woman the author previously mentioned, Nathasa Werts, then goes on to explain how she feels emotionally tied to the inauguration of Obama, expressing her feelings in an included quotation in the article. The author, Pitts, describes Werts' faith in Obama to win the election, describing her efforts to obtain passes to today's inauguration before she knew that he was going to win.

Werts also feels as though today has a very significant meaning, as it marks a groundbreaking day for race equality as well as hope for the black community.  She then goes on to explain how President Obama embodies the epitome of King's vision as he continually pushes for equality in gender, race, and other issues present amongst today's society. Pitts includes a quote from Elijah Cummings, who acknowledges all of the difficulties Obama has had to overcome and how it is such a coincidence that his inauguration has fallen on the same day as Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

Pitts later includes another quote from Fachina Lawson, who was present at Obama's first inaugural swearing in, with over 1.8 million people on the mall that day. She describes the unity she felt amongst the many people present; she tells Pitts how people were sharing food and blankets, despite their race.

Pitts concludes his article with a collection of many similar statements from those whose racial identification spans across the board. They have pride in being able to witness such a historic event, despite how others may view them.


source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-mlk-inauguration-20130120,0,1048771,full.story

Former Orioles manager Earl Weaver dies at 82

Earl Weaver, the former manager of the Baltimore Orioles and Hall of Famer, died at age 82 on Friday while on a baseball-themed cruise. Peter Schmuck and Mike Klingaman, authors of this article, explore the ways Weaver contributed to the Orioles baseball history.

Weaver "piiloted the Orioles from 1968 to 1982, and in 1985-86, earning nicknames like 'the little genius' and 'the Earl of Baltimore.'"  The Orioles won over a thousand game under Weaver and  only "failed to ear a winning record under Weaver only one (1986)."During his managing career, Weaver won six American League titles, four pennants and on worlds title. According to Peter Angelos: "Earl Weaver stands alone as the greatest manager in the history of the Orioles organization and one of the greatest in the history of baseball." Weaver is credited for establishing The Oriole Way, "a standardized approach to minor league instruction." Weaver establish a large legacy with the Baltimore Orioles and it saddens the fans and community wit his passing. 

Schmuck and Klingaman use many direct quotes from Oriole athletes that played under Weaver as well as quotes from current managers and players. This use of quotes helped develop the article with the feeling of emotion. These people fully expressed their thoughts and feelings about hearing of Weaver's passing. Without these quotes, the article loses the ability the fully comprehend Weaver's impact.

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-orioles-earl-weaver-dead,0,1452570.story?page=2

Attacker splashes acid on Bolshoi ballet troupe's artistic director

This article discusses a recent occurrence when the director of the Bolshoi Ballet company in Russia was attacked outside of his apartment.  The attacker was masked and threw acid on the director's face which was "endangering his eyesight" and left him in the hospital with many bandages.  The journalist uses pathos when including direct quotations from the director, Filin, who said he was "scared...thought he was going to shoot [him]."  The journalist also includes logos when he provides context of where this attack may have come from.  He describes that Filin had been receiving mysterious phone calls for the past two weeks, had had his emails hacked into, and had his car tires slashed.  Unfortunately, all of this led to this brutal attack.  The journalist then continues to discuss possible reasons for this attack: competition for roles in such famous ballet companies can be brutal.  However, no one expected the reactions to casting to be so violent and harmful.  The journalist then reverts back to pathos when he includes quotations from one of Filin's soloist who is in tears as she says, "It's clear that there may have been people who were dissatisfied, but I can't even imagine what would have been the reason (for the attack)."  The article continues to discuss the condition of the company director, including details of the burns on his face and the struggle to save his eyesight.  The journalist concludes the article by including information about how famous and competitive the Bolshoi Ballet company is and quotations from friends and family of Filin who plead the people to stop being so concerned about the politics of the ballet theatre and to show respect to Filin during his recovery.  



Link to article: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/18/16580035-attacker-splashes-acid-on-bolshoi-ballet-troupes-artistic-director?lite&lite=obnetwork

Vandalism of Vacant Houses

With the current economy, many Americans have been losing their houses, leaving them subject to vandalizers. This article comments on the fact that rising home prices are actually a direct cause to decresing property values. Foreclosed homes are vulnerable to anyone coming in and destroying anything in sight. In Prince George's county had numerous foreclosures and many houses were broken into. In one case, windows wee broken, the door was busted, and the air conditioning unit was stolen. Concerned neighbors complained to local police that the house needed to be boarded up, but as the days went on, the house remained unprotected. Soon after, in the middle of the night, one man looked out his window and saw the house engalfed in flames. These types of destruction lower the values of the houses around them, enfuriating people that are trying to put their houses on the market.

High School Sweethearts Reunite, Get Engaged After 23 Years Apart

The article opens with a stereotypical set up explaining the high school love connection between a couple, separated and reunited by what must be fate.   This is a pathos appeal to all of the saps reading the article.   Also, by setting the story up as a movie plot line, the author appeals to women, because the majority of love story viewers are women, and many women's idea of a perfect love story is a replica of these movies.   By opening the article is this manner, the author catches the attention of many women readers, including myself.   The author then goes into detail, explaining the timeline of events.   It is the perfect love story.   The couple met in high school and fell in love.   The women tell the author that this was love at first sight.  The couple suffers a separation after high school as the young woman moves hundreds of miles away, but their love for each other is so strong that not even years of total separation could break their infinite bond.  With lost hope, so many miles apart, they marry other people, but neither forget their love for one another./  There is always something missing.   The woman admits that she always questioned her relationship with er husband because he was not nearly as sensitive as her high school love.   Once again, the author is appealing to woman, drawing the picture of the ideal man, the sensitive, caring gentleman.   The readers are now hooked, rooting for the reconnect ion of this couple.   Both divorce their spouses, understanding that their relationships are not enough, and meet up so many years later.   They meet on "a bridge in a park in New York," the perfect picture.   They both "cry" as the hug, and recognize the passion that never left them.  The author paints this picture as if it were captured by a sappy artist in order to remember an indescribable moment.   The author goes on to reveal the happy ending.   A year after meeting up, the man proposes to his love on the bridge where they met and rekindled their love for one another.   How romantic!  The author finishes the article, comparing the couple's love story to that of a movie, appealing to pathos.  By comparing their story to one of a romantic movie he appeals to the idea that a perfect ending is possible.   The perfect ending to a perfect love story.

China's Air Pollution

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/science/earth/beijing-air-pollution-off-the-charts.html?src=me&ref=general&_r=1&

 

 

This article discusses the outrageous amount of air pollution in Beijing, China. With a dramatic introduction, the author sets the scene by describing the day that the United States Embassy rated Beijing's air pollution a 755 out of a 1 to 500 scale. To assist the reader's understanding of how the air looks like, the author uses a simile comparing the air to "an airport smokers' lounge". The thick, heavy air of Beijing always feels like smog compared to locally where we only experience heavily toxic air if we were to be in a room full of smoke. Even with skeptics who believe America has similar pollution problems, the author quickly dismisses this idea by adding a side note set off with parenthesis saying that New York City had a rating of only 19 on the same rating system. The author appeals to both logos and pathos. By packing the article full of facts, explaining how the rating system works, one can being to understand just how grim the situation in China is. He relates to pathos by recording some of Beijing's citizens' responses to the air pollution, using words like "post-apocalyptic", "terrifying", and "beyond belief". He also includes the people's desperate attempts of buying air purifiers, masks, and shutting up their houses to reduce their intake of the poisonous air. With articles such as this one, the people of Beijing are not only demanding better air quality, but are getting more educated so they can be aware of their environment

Fake Profiles

Alyssa Kramer, a Philadelphia blogger,  wanted to see how easily men could be tempted for a good time. The blogger created an outrageous facebook profile; creating "Marla", a sexy 26 year old from Queens, New York and wrote about her experiment for, her blog, Slackatory. She used the most ridiculous descriptions possible. In one line she described her body type as, "used up" and uploaded a photo that showed her hair lingering over her bare shoulders. She came up with a few of her own rules: don't make the first move, don't further conversations, and don't lead guys on. With all the weird suitors with strange fetishes, Kramer realized "There is someone out there for everyone as long as you're willing to settle for a guy who might be into some weird shit".
The article that I read was written by Llena Lorens on the Huffington Post. Her explicit diction made her article seem more real because she wasn't worried about being conservative. However, she didn't really describe what actually happened when guys chatted Kramer, which is a big part of the story.

Saudi execution: Brutal, inhuman and illegal?

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/opinion/saudi-arabia-sri-lankan-maid-opinion/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

In the article, Jo Becker, writes about the need for legislation to protect the rights of domestic workers in Saudi Arabia and other countries. She cites the case of a Sri Lankan girl sentenced to death at the age of 17, for the death of a baby that was under her care. The girl, Rizana Nafeek, stated that the baby died in a choking incident, but was brutally beheaded after she was convicted in an unfair trial that left her without a capable translator or even a lawyer  to defend her innocence.By identifying Rizana as "a child herself", the author uses pathos to raise even more sympathy and compassion by identifying Rizana as not just a person unjustly murdered, but an innocent child as well. The author uses logos by citing statistics that demonstrate the need for laws that protect the rights of  domestic workers across the world: "The International Labour Organization says that nearly 30% of the world's domestic workers are completely excluded from national labor laws. They typically earn only 40% of the average wage of other workers. Forty-five percent aren't even entitled by law to a weekly day off."The lack of protection under the law dehumanizes these domestic workers, leaving them vulnerable to mistreatment and violence in a society where their voices are not heard. The world is in desperate need of international legislation that guarantees that whether a worker is foreign or native, a doctor or a domestic worker, they have equal rights and protection under the law.

2013 Golden Globes

Sunday night started off the year's award shows with the Golden Globes, awarding TV shows, movies, actors and directors with a variety of "best" awards. The night was filled with extravagant dresses and overpriced suits gliding down the red carpet, and the two hosts, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, making the night just a little bit more comfortable for everyone, except the previous host of the event, three years in a row, Ricky Gervais.
The critic charged with writing this review, Hank Stuever, was not the most enthralled watcher of the Globes. Both his title and his first sentence state the only people that he enjoyed watching on that stage, the two hosts, with a side of Jodie Foster. He says that Fey and Poehler could "even run for office" and that is is an "indignity [of] having to host the Golden Globes". He continues with Foster, and her "baffling" speech following the acceptance of the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award. Apparently, she discussed "everything under the sun": being a mom, being an actress, and, shockingly, being a lesbian. After describing his favorites with as much praise as an entertainment critic can give while being highly satirical, he proceeded with the actual awards, a critic's biggest opportunity to bash everyone. He goes down the list, reciting the best actor and actress (Hugh Jackman and Jessica Chastain), best screenwriting (Django Unchained), and so on. He doesn't include too much detail on each award or winner, because really, the only thing that matters is the award and who got it, not all the people they thanked in their 30 seconds on stage. He also criticizes the technical difficulties which blanked out the speech of the original Argo agent, Tony Mendez, the one speech that might have actually been inspiring and meaningful. Following that, he once again praises Fey and Poehler, this time, by comparing their success with Gervais' failure. He moves into TV show awards, and at this point, uses the shows own credentials and and acceptance speeches against them, as with Homeland, Girls, and Game Change. He mentions Bill Clinton's appearance and his ability to "enliven just about any telecast", and uses that to segway into trashing winners like Adele to presenters like Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell, even bringing up the failed attempts of Sacha Baron Cohen and Aziz Ansari to make the night better by acting drunk on stage. He concludes the article by saying that this event, glamorous as Hollywood makes it seem, is "the awards show our culture most deserves".

U.S. Government unable to afford Deathstar

In the Washington Post reporter Rachel Weiner wrote one of the most sarcastic articles I have ever read. She begins saying "The Obama administration will not be building a death star" Well that certainly catches ones attention. The article discusses the recent declining of a petition to build a death star. According to the We The People Site anyone can post a petition and if it gets over 25,000 signatures the administration will respond. Well 25,000 people wanted to build a death star, but it would cost $850 quadrillion. She also addresses other petitions acted upon on this website such as "recognize extraterrestrial life, allow online poker, legalize marijuana."

The entire article has a sarcastic tone. Even the quote from Paul Shawcross, White House science and technology adviser is laughable "Why would we spend countless tax payer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?" Shawcross obviously watched the Star Wars movies (judging by the detail of his response) and is laughing at the public's response to this petition. The thing that surprised me is that usually newspaper articles are so serious and formal and i have to say it was refreshing to laugh a little while reading the paper. So tragically our country will be one Death Star short, but we did save $850 quadrillion. I would call this a national win

Challenges Faced by Women in India

An article about the challenges faced by women in India begins by retelling the story of a woman who chose to go against the harsh wishes of her family, and give birth to the female child she was expecting. The article begins by showing how even before birth, women in India are exposed to discrimination due to gender. The introduction of the article immediately shines a negative light on the treatment of women, and sets the article up to explain the many other difficulties women face in their society. The article is rather biased toward American culture, and does not at any point attempt to explain the origins of these social norms or the exigence surrounding them in India. The article is purely from an American onlookers perspective, and although the intention is to raise awareness about some of the crimes which take place toward women in India, it is also ignorant of the Indian population perspective.

U.S. Debate On Gun Laws Is Put to a Test In Colorado

Jack Healy and Dan Frosch discuss the pressing issue of gun control in America that has recently been highlighted by the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.  The authors immediately present this topic as a dispute that needs to be resolved very quickly. The article begins when the authors write, "With politicians in Washington deeply divided over new gun regulations, an urgent national debate ignited by the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School is storming into state legislatures across the country."  In this single opening sentence Healy and Frosch establish the facts that the recent tragedy added fuel to this already burning argument, the issue historically causes innumerable disputes between different sections of the government and the country as a whole, and that it must be resolved quickly.  The authors begin by focusing on the side of the argument that is pushing for stricter gun control.  Healy and Frosch refer to two tragedies that occurred in Colorado as a result of gun possession.  By mentioning these awful events, the authors use pathos by acting on the conscious of the readers through these heartfelt and notorious stories. From these initial descriptions, the authors appear bias toward the side of the argument pushing for stricter control.  However, they quickly transition to explain the cultural aspects that justify the continued use of guns for a large portion of the country. The authors express this cultural aspect on a more personal level when they quote Mr. Hickenlooper: "Even saying that puts some people into a frenzy. People in the West have a very strong, deeply anchored belief in people’s right to bear arms.”  This quotation depicts the strong connection between western culture and the use of guns.  The authors directly juxtapose the main points of each side of the argument to demonstrate the heated debates resulting from this issue.  Not only do the authors use this tactic of juxtaposition, but they also describe the toll that the issue is taking on the government and the country as a whole.  Through this combination, they relay the fact that the best option would be to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.  Although the decision will produce further controversy, the government must reach a conclusion soon in order to find a balance of preservation of culture and necessary safety measures.

Florida Python Hunting Contest

Florida Python Hunting Contest Draws Hundreds by Barbara Liston gives a quick snapshot into the ever-growing python hunting competition that starts this Saturday. Liston’s first sentence paints a picture of what the competition will be like and what sorts of people plan to participate. According to Liston the contest is “drawing hundreds of amateurs armed with clubs, machetes, and guns.” Pythons are large snakes that are sometimes hard to picture in size, but Liston says they are a little longer than a mini-van, giving the reader something to visualize. Liston presents background information on the contest;  the state wildlife agency is awarding $1,500 to the person with the most pythons and $1,000 for the longest python.  Although this competition may sound silly due to the author’s initial approach, she quickly explains that it does in fact serve a purpose. Florida hopes to draw attention to the serious threat pythons are to the Everglades ecosystem. State officials also hope to discover whether such hunting contests can slow the growth of the species. Pythons originate in Southeast Asia and have no natural predators in Florida. Liston quotes some who worry about the contest’s safety; one man said he feared that “these idiots will be firing [guns] all over the place.” Others point out that participants must take a training class and will be prepared. Shawn Heflick, of National Geographic, said he believes that the swamp itself will drive away competitors after a while and that the real dangers are alligators, crocodiles, and poisonous snakes. Heflick mentioned that people are drawn to this contest for its “romantic mystique,” those attracted by dreams of adventure. Overall, the article is relatively neutral and unbiased. Liston includes quotes and information from both supporters and opponents of the contest.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/09/us-usa-python-hunt-idUSBRE9081CL20130109

Colorado Gun Control

In the aftermath of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, our nation has been forced to face the long time debated issue of gun control. Jack Healy, an author from New York Times, addresses the conflict over gun control in Colorado. Within the first two paragraphs he illustrates the need to address gun control as well as the wide range of opinions that represent Colorado's population.  To illustrate the differences in opinions throughout the article, Healy refers to the individual massacres in Colorado's history as well as the recreational use of guns for things such as hunting. He points out that even "Liberal Denver lawyers own handguns" and that "the Democratic governor" of Colorado "takes his son to hunting safety classes". He uses quotes from Democratic and Republican representatives illustrating credibility as well as the support and rejection of gun controls laws.  Healy ends with a quotation from the uncle of a kid who was murdered in the mass shooting in Aurora,  Colorado. The last words of his article are "'I don't understand why we are even arguing about this'". By the end of the article Healy wants to ensure that his message is encouraging immediate action. Throughout the article the differences in opinions help him to conclude in a manner that makes the issues at hand a great urgency. Healy aims to illustrate that differences must be put aside and compromises must be made in order to ensure the safety of American people in the future.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/14/us/colorado-may-pass-major-gun-control-legislation.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&hp

Haiti President Martelly criticises aid on quake anniversary

Already one of the poorest countries within the western hemisphere, Haiti, was hi by an earth quake three years ago. On the anniversary of this natural disaster Haiti's president Michel Martelly speaks on how the government has only received one third of the aid that was pledged. Not only do people in Haiti continue to live under even worse conditions than previously, but more natural disasters along with disease outbreaks have occurred and rising crime. The very first sentence of the article the country and president's ethos is established, as it gives an indirect quote about what little the country has received. It is clear that president has an upset tone and feels slightly hopeless for his country. Realizing the status of a country like Haiti, the article as a whole appeals to pathos truly trying to get the audience to understand the countries position.  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-21001060

Hospitals crack down on workers who refuse flu shots

The journalist, Lindsey Tanner, opens the article with the common knowledge that any patient can refuse a flu shot.  She follows with a rhetorical question, asking if doctors and nurses should be allowed this same refusal.  She states that many hospitals are beginning to fire employees who will not receive a flu shot.  The article includes quotations from certain hospital workers who were fired because they did not receive the shot, and they are outraged because of this.  One woman states, "Where does it say that I am no longer a patient if I am a nurse."  While this woman has a point, the journalist continues the article by talking about the recent cases of flu, using pathos and explaining that several children have died from the most recent outbreaks. Tanner then employs another rhetorical question: "Why would people whose job is to protect sick patients refuse a flu shot?" She then provides some explanations, such as allergies, religion, or simply skepticism.  Some other people with medical professions express that it should be a "personal decision" and the choice is an "individual right."  However, Tanner then includes a quotation from a medical ethicist who says that if these people want to work in health professions, they should receive the shot in order to protect themselves and the patients since some flu outbreaks can be extremely dangerous depending on the conditions of the patients.  Tanner then uses logos and provides statistics and percentages of how many health care workers have received flu shots.  These numbers fall short of the recommended numbers that hospitals would like.  Tanner then proceeds to discuss the legal aspect of the issue, including the fact that some states have a law for health care workers to receive the shot, but few states actually penalize those who do not.  She also includes examples of court cases involving the vaccine.  By combining logos and pathos, the journalist establishes both sides to the argument and presents the pros and cons and contrasting opinions of these health care workers when it comes down to whether or not they will be required to receive the vaccination if they want to keep their jobs in the future.



Link to article: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/13/16492631-hospitals-crack-down-on-workers-who-refuse-flu-shots?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=6

Are We Really Outraged By Steroid Use in Athletics?

Dan Treadway, author of this article, uses persuasive diction, facts and memories to prove his opinion about steroid use. Treadway begins his article with a short memoir about the time he saw Mark McGwire break Roger Maris' home run record in 1998. He follows this short story with patronizing the media for "demonizing the event's existence" due to McGwire's substance use although many sports fans remember the event "fondly." Next, Treadway describes the Hall of Fame for baseball. On Wednesday, the Baseball Writers Association of America, decided not to induct any baseball players from the "dubbed baseball's 'steroid-era'" into the hall of fame. Treadway follows with a rhetorical question: "is the media, and by extension, the public, really outraged by the use of steroids in athletics, or have we simply been told that we're outraged and decided to follow along?" Next, Treadway follows with his opinion of steroids and athletic performance by proving one excerpt from an athlete who used steroids and an excerpt about steroid use in college football. Again, Treadway uses a rhetorical question to further his point: So my question is, if we as a nation are truly upset and outraged by steroid use, why is our concern so targeted [to baseball]?" By using this rhetorical question Treadway finishes his article with points about steroids use in football and college, which is rarely brought up. 

Treadway uses several rhetorical questions and short memoirs of specific events in baseball history to further his point. With Treadway's topic, he questions the Baseball Writers Association of America and their stubbornness to induct historical baseball players to the hall of fame. Finally, Treadway questions the sports media and their ability to dismiss certain topics of steroid use when it involves college athletes and pro football players. Overall, Treadway brings forth an interesting topic relating to drug use through persuasive language and rhetoric questions. 

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-treadway/baseball-hall-of-fame-vote_b_2458651.html

Horse gets loose, leaves Laurel Park and runs down Route 1 for more than a mile

The author of this article begins with a lighthearted rhetorical question for the reader: where would horses go if they could roam free? The author then continues on to include details about where a certain horse went after he escaped from his home. A quote is included, describing the horse's peculiar path of travelling and amazingly good luck. The author describes how shortly after a workout, the horse, Bullet Catcher, bucked his rider and surpassed security before the guards had time to close the gate. Eyewitness accounts of the horse's bold escape are included in the article, as well as how far the horse travelled and for how long. Bullet Catcher was lucky, getting all green lights and avoiding crashes with cars speeding through busy intersections, unaware of his presence. Packing the article with pathos, experienced jockeys are interviewed, giving their perspective and commentary on this extremely unusual situation. Luckily, by the end of the article, Bullet Catcher was captured and brought back to his permanent residence at Laurel Park.

source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-horse-gets-loose-leaves-laurel-park-and-runs-down-route-1-for-more-than-a-mile-20130111,0,5108233.story

After Pinpointing Gun Owners, Paper Is a Target

As a result of the horrific shooting in Connecticut, the United States has become obsessed with the gun control debate. A small, local newspaper in New York published an article pinpointing gun owners in the area. Their intention was only to show people actually how many of their neighbors and innocent people owned guns. However, the response from all over the country was chaotic. Gun owners immediately felt vulnerable to people who were rooting for harsh gun control laws. The article includes mostly quotes from employees at the local newspaper, many of whom have hired guards to walk them to their cars from work. The newspaper editors have encouraged their staff to change their home phone numbers to avoid harassment from other people. The main purpose of the article, it seems, is to show that sensitive topics should not be written about in such blunt terms, especially during a national crisis.

Allergy Bullying

As if it weren't already hard enough for a child with many food allergies to face the every day challenges of avoiding unhealthy ingredients, there is a new threat to children with food allergies in schools. Bullying. A CNN article reports the story of a young 7 year old boy who came home from school in tears after a classmate had threatened to force the boy to eat a peanut: something the boy was severely allergic to. From the boys perspective, being forced to eat a peanut was not a joke, but a death threat. By introducing the article with the story of the young school boy, the author effectively brings these types of situations to life, raising the awareness of readers. The author then puts a twist on the story, and states the statistic of nearly half of children with food allergies have been relatively bullied in school. The author uses the statistic to support his statement that the bullying raises not only safety concerns, but social ones. The introduction of the article sets the author up perfectly for an argument about social norms, and how we are raising our children in our society. Additionally, the author has given himself room to also suggest safety procedures for schools and alternate parenting methods which may deter some children from bullying, or tolerating bullying.

Canadian Child Killer

 Canadian child-killer’s release draws outrage by Paula Newton, describes the horrifying murder of Oliver(5) and Anne-Sophie(3) by their own father Turcotte. The article is filled with strong emotional appeals as well as much practical information that helps to present the position of Turcotte’s ex-wife Dr. Isabelle Gaston. A detailed video is also attached to the article, explaining the case in detail with emotional interviews by Dr. Isabelle. Turcotte has been released from prison after only 46 months due to his mental state, but many feel this explanation and his release in unacceptable. The article makes the point that both children died from “gruesome” deaths as Dr. Isabelle knows from being a physician and coroner. The boy was stabbed 20 times and Anne-Sophie 19. The Article quotes Gaston saying, “My little girl, she had 19 wounds, maybe she was luckier? Because she had one that was more mortal than the other. But she felt 19 shot, that’s for sure.” Gaston is among those who believe that Turcotte’s murderous behavior does not prove a psychiatric incident and that he knew what he was doing. Turcotte had no past of erratic behavior, other than the fact that his marriage was collapsing.  Gaston said in an interview that she thought her husband did this to punish her for leaving him. The article concludes with the shocking evidence that Turcotte hopes to practice medicine again and have a family. This outraging final piece of information is suppose to anger the reader and make them understand the author’s point of view, that Turcotte should be in prison.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/13/world/americas/canada-killer-released/index.html

How to Choose a College

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/opinion/sunday/bruni-how-to-choose-a-college.html?src=me&ref=general&_r=0

In this article, the author begins with a personal experience, establishing ethos, by using his niece as an example. He lists the contributing factors that she has to consider for selecting a college which transitions into his main argument. His argument is that one should not necessarily pick a certain college for its reputation or because it happens to be party school. People should choose their college to expand their boundaries and discover new aspects of life in which might not be what is comfortable for them. Just like his message of pushing boundaries, the author uses informal syntax (contractions) and constantly addresses the reader by using both first person and second person points of view, “you, you’re”. Most established writers tend to write in third person, as it is traditional and formal, but he goes beyond the typical way of writing and disregards those walls. The author applies pathos the most, being very specific in his intended audience and appealing to them in a way they would understand. The intended audience is high school students who are a bit lost with the college process. He relates to them by separating himself as a parent since students already have their own parents telling them what to do. He never mentions any children of his own, but instead talks about his nieces and nephews. Also with the relaxed writing style, the audience does not feel like they are being lectured by a teacher. With his effective use of pathos, ethos, and small dosage of ethos, the author creates an article that is high school student friendly, so they will actually take away a message from his article.

Death by Facebook

       Kenneth Brunetti and Lois Smyth reconnected two years via Facebook in order to plan and prepare their high school reunion. Several months after their rekindling, on May 29, 2011, Brunetti asked Smyth to meet him with the pretense of arriving together to a cookout, when he took her to secluded area of the woods, where he allegedly shot her in the head, and took her car keys and bank card, withdrawing $700 from an ATM and later appeared at crab fest in her stolen car. Smyth was found dead near a stream, where she had rolled to, by a jogger who made the call at 6:12 p.m.
       Ian Duncan makes his position evident by providing extensive details of the situation, such as how they first became rekindled, the exact times in which Brunetti called Smyth on the day of her murder, the time the jogger found the body, and the time Brunetti was caught on video at the ATM. He also includes thorough background on the accused, recounting his first offense at 17, where he was tried for armed robbery in juvenile court, his 2004 carjacking, and that he was on probation at the time he reconnected with Smyth. His placement of each of his facts also allows him to portray Brunetti as guilty. He begins the article by describing the general facts thats outline the case, and includes a quotation by Brunetti's attorney, Margaret Mead, that claims that Brunetti cared about this woman, and there is no possible way he could have done it. Duncan then includes all of his facts and details about the case and the accused's history of crime. This stacks the evidence against him, and discredits anything his attorney might say. Duncan finishes the article, however, by again including a statement by Mead providing one piece of evidence that can potentially clear the charges against Brunetti, saying that the medical examiner sets the time of death to a time in which Brunetti was not in the woods. This conclusion allows Duncan to appear neutral by displaying evidence from both sides, while still maintaining his own beliefs through withdrawing Meads second statement until the very end, minimizing it to two lines.


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/blog/bs-md-ci-brunetti-conviction-20130103,0,7473387.story

Man convicted of murdering old friend he found on Facebook

In the very beginning of the article, the author sets the stage for the following body of the article by explaining how Brunetti and Smyth - the accused and the victim - had met in high school years ago and found each other via Facebook and rekindled their friendship from their high school days. The author then incorporates more logos by revealing the details of the case, explaining how Brunetti, after killing Smyth, stole her car and bank card and then proceeded to withdraw $700 from an ATM. Brunetti then decided to enjoy a crab feast, like a true Marylander.  Brunetti was later convicted of murder, gun offenses, and theft in December. He could face life in prison after his hearing at the end of next month; however, the case's evidence is shaky and Brunetti's attorney plans to appeal the case on these grounds.  The author adds more background information, acknowledging that this was not Brunetti's first run-in with the law and later transitioning into the fact that he was still on probation when he reconnected with Smyth and planned to meet her at a high school reunion. The author packs more logos into the article, telling how there are photos from the ATM machine that places Brunetti withdrawing the $700 shortly after the time of Smyth's death. Brunetti's attorneys plan to use the fact that the medical examiner concluded that Smyth's time of death was much later than what was originally assumed and that Brunetti was not at the scene. But, if this is the case and Brunetti is innocent, one question still remains unanswered: how did he acquire her bank card and car?





Link to story: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/blog/bs-md-ci-brunetti-conviction-20130103,0,7473387.story

N.F.L. Hones Message for Its Female Fans

Natalie Kitroeff, author of the article, address the efforts to engage female viewers by broadening their marketing strategies. Overall, according to Kitroeff, "the N.F.L.’s goal is to convert casual fans, a category that describes the majority of female football watchers, into die-hards."

In the beginning of the article, Kitroeff gives an example of the Dallas Cowboys franchiseplacing a Victoria Secret in the stadium for women to by underwear and bras with the Cowboy's logo. Although appealing to women's desire for individualized football undergarments, women want to have the pleasure of owning something authentic such as a player's jersey. Kerry Ann Sullivan, a 39 year old woman, commented on how she likes the authentic player jerseys, “I want to wear the colors of the team — I don’t want to wear a softened up version of it.” After hearing the majority of women's opinions regarding player jerseys, football franchises and the NFL are now making jerseys in women sizes with the team's colors and not with pink dominating the jersey. Next, Kitroeff mentions the use of women in marketing. The NFL has produced several commercials with females as the prominent roles as well as football players and their mothers. However, a big concern with the NFL is the safety. Many females are concerned that the players are playing too "rough" and causing many injuries. The NFL has also produced several commercials promoting football safety in the NFL to calm concerning mother and female viewers. 

Overall, Kitroeff uses  facts and quotations to examine the change of the NFL. As females become a larger part of the football fan base, the NFL must combat the issues regarding the safety of the players. 

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/sports/football/nfl-hones-message-for-its-female-fans.html?ref=sports

Alleged teen rape shocks Ohio town

The article discusses two teenage football players in Ohio who were accused of rape.  As their trial approaches, an anonymous poster on a website published a photo and video and claimed that this photo and video were related to the incident.  Now there is a concern that these boys will not receive a fair trial.  The article contains quotations from the lawyer of one of the accused teenagers.  The lawyer claims that the photo is taken "out of context" and that "the right to a fair trial for these young men has been hijacked."  By including these quotations, the journalist provides a viewpoint from the representatives of the accused party in order to inform the public that these pictures may not be what they appear to be.  Supporting this idea, the journalist moves on to discuss the immense role that the media plays in society today.  "Anonymous'" post of these incriminating photos and videos may distort the opinions of the public and of the witnesses.  The journalist concludes the article by saying that not only do these posts hurt the accused teenage boys, but it also hurts the victim, saying that "every time something goes up on the Internet, the victim is victimized again. This conclusion to the article appeals to pathos and pleads with the public not to completely trust or favor the media because not only is the found information incorrect or out of context a lot of the time, but its falsity can hurt so many people because of one anonymous person on the Internet.


Link to article: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/04/16352593-high-school-football-players-accused-of-rape-lawyers-slam-anonymous-release-of-video-photo?lite

The Horror of Deportation

Life is much harder for the immigrants living all throughout America. Immigrants constantly have to live with the fear of deportation. In September of 2011, Ana Maria Cruz feared deportation. At that time, was eight months pregnant with 2 other children. Her immigration official, Chally Dang, took longer than usual to return from what was suppose to be a routine check-in with other immigration officials. "I sat there for about an hour because I didn't now what to do," said Cruz. "Then he collect-called me to say they weren't letting him go." U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials held Dang and three other Cambodian-Americans -- all legal permanent residents who had come to the United States as child refugees for the next nine months. Each of the men detained last September had committed a crime that carried a retroactive removal order. That allows them to be deported at any time, regardless of when the crime was committed. Dang, now 29, was arrested when he was 15, after firing an illegal handgun into the air. Although no one was injured, he was charged with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy and possessing criminal instruments in 1997. He was sentenced to 5½ years in prison and deported to Cambodia. His situation is very common within the United states, and immigration reform has become a huge conspiracy and debate between the citizens of America.
The article I read was written by CNN reporter Sarah Hoye on September 1, 2011. I found her article very interesting because with her logos, she provided many facts. Her facts gave me more reason to read because to me it didn't seem phony. She was very specific and detailed. Through her diction, I could hear the voices of the Immigrants that she wrote about.

Inappropriate T.V Profanity

Thursday, Stephan A Smith, a newscaster for ESPN, used inappropriate profanity during a broadcast on ESPN. However, this is not the first time he has slipped the "N" word during his airings. This time he did not slip out this profane word to make any logical or illogical argument. While discussing Kobe Byrant's foot injury with Skip Bayless, Smith accidentally dropped a racial slur. Smith stated, "Opening night. Kobe Byrant is going to miss it because, 'my foot is sprained?' Are you crazy, nigga please." The most ridiculous part of this story is that this is not only time Smith has behaved in an inappropriate manner and gotten away with it. In December 2011, Smith used the "N" word while talking about why Lebron James should be more like Kobe. Smith has denied these December accusations on twitter, but he has not denied the recent ones about Kobe.
This article was found on Huff Post Sports and I was unable to find the author of this article. I thought the article that I read was very vague. If there were more facts it would be more believable. However, the author of this article also posted a video of Smith saying the "n" word.