Mediterranean Diet Can Cut Heart Disease

Studies have found that heart disease, the most common type of disease found in the United States, is largely related to diet. Researchers have found that the Mediterranean diet, consisting mostly of nuts, olive oil, fish, beans, and fruit, can decrease the chances of developing heart disease. Surprisingly, it is also beneficial to drink a glass of wine at dinner. At the beginning of this study, evidence for this diet was somewhat weak because they could not find a direct correlation between diet and heart disease; there were too many factors. Yet scientists did not give up because they found that people living in Mediterranean countries mostly had lower heart disease risk than in other regions around the world. They conducted an experiment where they assigned a specific diet to more than 7,000 people living near the Mediterranean. Half were assigned a low-fat diet, while the other half were told they could only eat the Mediterranean diet. After five years, studies showed that the diet, over other factors, was extremely important in lowering the risk of heart disease.

Test Scores Widely Vary for Hispanics Across the Nation

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/22/education/analysis-of-student-performance-in-5-biggest-states.html?hpw

 This article discusses the change in America's demographics where many Hispanic people are now a huge part of our nation's public education system. Mainly this article is a summery of a recent analysis of the test scores of Hispanic students in various states. To establish logos, the author includes that the Association that conducted this study is claimed to be the most reliable standardize testing. By adding this minor detail, it actually accredits the author and the  entire experiment by affirming its authenticity. The article proceeds with many interesting statistics, and it is concise. Unfortunately there is almost no variety in the author's use of rhetoric. Sentence after sentence of logos is tedious, and the author has a lack of emotional connection to the article. The author only uses mild diction without much conviction of any sort. Overall, the article is succesful in informing a reader about the situation, but without any other use of rhetoric, it fails to grab the audiences attention.

Church Helps Fill a Void in Africa

Church Helps Fill a Void in Africa

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/world/africa/catholic-church-fills-growing-void-in-africa.html?hp&_r=0

Author Adam Nossiter begins his article with imagery creating a picture of a haven where people in Lagos, Nigeria can escape to. By paying specific attention to the “cool marble floor” and “purified water” Nossiter is able to illustrate a haven where “rail-thin young” people can take refuge from a “slum”. His use of diction and specifics in the first couple paragraphs establish a clear picture that construct a foundation for the rest of his article. Nossiter focuses on a church in Lagos, Nigeria called Christ the King. Nossiter brings up the  fact that the church acts as a government as well as a moral inspiration.  Often Nossiter goes back and forth between the refuge that the church offers and the chaotic life that people live outside of their church life/experience. Nossiter concludes with a paragraph and quotations from a local man who attends church services at Christ the King. His closing sentence is a quotation from the man, which sums up the entirety of the article when he states, “Peace, satisfaction, confidence in God. It helps me cope with the circumstances of daily life.”

Phil the Chimp

   Zookeepers gave the chimps a homemade puzzle of plumbing pipes. Inside the network of pipes were two red dice. The chimps had to figure out where to poke sticks into holes in the pipes to get the dice to change directions and fall into an exit chamber. The game is based on the real-world task of using sticks to pull termites out of their nests as a snack.
"We noticed that the chimps were keen to complete the puzzle regardless of whether or not they received a food reward," study researcher Fay Clark of the Zoological Society of London said in a statement. "This strongly suggests they get similar feelings of satisfaction to humans who often complete brain games for a feel-good reward."
   This article was found on the Live Science website, written by Stephanie Pappas a LiveScience Senior Writer. Unfortunately, this journalist failed at mentioned important names of the researchers involved in this project. It was also focused on all logos.

The Oscars

The Oscars last night had many ups and downs, and "borderline-offensive" jokes made by the host, Seth Macfarlane. He mocked the abusive relationship of Rihanna and Chris Brown alluding to the violence in Django Unchained, and President Lincoln's assassination by the only actor “who really got inside Lincoln’s head... John Wilkes Booth.” Jennifer Lawrence won Best Actress, tripped on her way to the stage, and managed to give a well-done speech, contrary to her behavior on the red carpet in which she "let fly a profanity that ABC barely bleeped in time". The author, Alessandra Stanley, discussed the failures of the Oscar's overall structure: beginning the show with all the "technical awards" at 8:30, and concluding with all the awards people actually care about when it nears midnight. Stanley also critiqued the overbearing theme of the night, movie musical, including performances by the Les Miserables cast, Barbra Streisand, Shirley Bassey and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who she thought were "overly long" and "unnecessary", as well as Jennifer Hudson's "showstopping number from Dreamgirls".

When discussing any TV show, especially such an esteemed awards show, it is difficult to regard it with only logos. The author includes a heavy personal voice, giving her own opinion on every aspect of the night, and uses extensive detail in an attempt to sway our convictions. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/25/movies/awardsseason/macfarlane-hosts-an-oscar-show-for-all-ages.html?hp

Daytona Nationwide crash: Kyle Larson's frightening wreck sends car parts into stands

This article written by Jeff Owens depicts the awful crash during a NASCAR race in Daytona.   Owens opens the article using logos, giving many specific facts about the crash.  He explains the details of the crash, as car parts were strewn across the track and fire caught in the grandstands. Owens states that though no drivers were injured during the “12-car crash,” “11 spectators were being treated in the emergency room at Halifax Medical Center, with two of them critically injured” and “four others are on trauma alert.”  Owens then quotes Smith, the driver responsible for the “violent crash.” Smith apologizes for the injuries caused to the fans, but justifies his mistake by appealing to pathos.  He says, “But when you can see the checkered flag at Daytona, you’re going to throw a block and you’re going to do everything you can to be the first car back to the stripe.” Owens includes this statement in order to appeal to athletes reading his article, who share a common desire to reach goals and win competitions under any and all circumstances. The author wraps up the article, finishing with statements from drivers which explain their knowledge of the danger of the sport, and love for the fans who take the risk to support them. "There are moments that occur that we’ve just never seen before and can’t really plan for.”

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2013-02-23/daytona-nationwide-series-crash-kyle-larson-fence-grandstands-engine-car-parts?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D274514

What if there were no minimum wage?

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/24/opinion/greene-minimum-wage/index.html?hpt=op_t1

In this article, Bob Greene uses historical evidence, quotes, and interviews to argue that life without a minimum wage would be terrible.Although, he never says outright that the government should raise the minimum wage,  he implies that it would improve the quality of life for those who struggle to survive under the current $7.25 federal minimum wage law. He begins the article with rhetorical questions, asking "What do you think life in the United States would be like if there were no minimum wage. If employers were allowed to pay workers anything they wanted? Would much of American life turn into something out of Charles Dickens? Or would the country flourish?".  In the next few paragraphs he answers his own questions with logic. In 1938, congress passed the first minimum wage law, helping the country rise from the remaining vestiges of the Great Depression. Greene quotes FDR as saying "All but the hopeless reactionary will agree that to conserve our primary resources of manpower, government must have some control over maximum hours, minimum wages, the evil of child labor, and the exploitation of unorganized labor.". Another piece of evidence Greene uses is an interview with someone who makes minimum wage saying, "([With a minimum wage increase]I'd be able to buy better quality food some of the time. I could pay for gas and car insurance, so I could drive to my job instead of taking public transportation or riding a bicycle. And it would help me be able to pay my electricity and phone bills on time." These pieces of evidence support the idea that minimum age is necessary and that an increase in minimum wage would benefit the country. Greene then argues that as the minimum wage was increased from only $.25 cents an hour to $7.25 an hour over the decades, many people have argued that the raise would prevent employers from hiring more people and raise the cost of living, goods, and services. That same argument is currently being made in congress to prevent minimum wage being raised to $9.00 an hour. Greene ends the article with an interesting thought: "If there had never been a minimum-wage law passed...Americans today could be paid as little as employers could get away with". People could still potentialy be making $.25 cents an hour with no hope of making an adequate living, supporting a family, or providing for a future. Greene subtly answers the question e asked at the beginning of the article; without a federal minimum wage, our country would not be formed by the standards of democracy, but the a Darwinian idea of "survival of the fittest".

Afghanistan Bars Elite U.S. Troops From a Key Province

Matthew Rosenberg of the New York Times reveals harmful aspects of the America military in Afghanistan by acting on pathos, while also using logos to create a credible foundation for the story. Rosenberg initially uses logos by describing the series of events that led to the ban of American military from a certain region. After establishing the facts of the ban, Rosenberg begins to include quotes depicting the effects of the situation.  As opposed to following many other American journalists and defending our military, Rosenberg gave a different perspective of the story.  He included quotations to justify the Afghan's fear from the situation and explain the reasoning behind the ban.  For example one Afghan describes the American forces to be “running roughshod all around [their] country."  By including this quotation Rosenberg depicts the terror our military may cause in the eyes of foreigners.  He continues to build on pathos by quoting credible individuals, such as Mr. Faizi the presidential spokesman, concerning the effects we have on the well-being of their country as a whole.  Mr. Faizi refers to the growth of the country's "insecurity and instability" as a result of our military presence.  Rosenberg comes to a close by exploring the idea of what would happen if American military force was removed.  Rosenberg recognizes his need for logos to create a foundation for the story.  However, he goes on to explore sentimental aspects of the situation to help the reader connect to the circumstances.  By closing with the idea of the removal of American military action he highlights possible solutions.

Let Them Eat Horsemeat

 There was a recent investigation done on the presence of horse meat in various beef products from an Italian food processing company, Primia. Horse has been found in 2400 packages and the German Minister, Dirk Niebel, said to get rid of the tainted product they should be distributed to the poor. The food is not dangerous and the German government considers it to be wasteful and unnecessary to throw it out.

The article does not mention what conclusion was come to about the meat mixed with horse, but instead details other places where this meat was discovered. The author, not named, does not voice their opinion but instead sticks more to facts and quotes from government officials and other reporters.

The inconclusiveness of the article personally bothered me because i want to know what happened to the meat, but ya know we all cant get what we want

Coca-Cola Bottle-Cap Scam

People sometimes steal strange objects and break laws for no apparent reason, so it comes as no surprise to learn that a mother and daughter managed to scam the international beverage company Coca- Cola via their bottle caps. It is amazing that a piece of plastic could cause so much trouble. Coca- Cola offers bottle cap promotions in which customers can send a phone text to find out if their bottle cap number is the winner; if it is, they then email the company with their winning number to collect a prize. Contest rules say that one person cannot win more than twice, and that a household cannot win more than four times during the four months of the contest. It seemed strange then when multiple winners kept appearing in the same town. It turned out to be the same two people, Carrie and Sarah Jones, the mother and daughter identity theft and computer crime culprits. The duo apparently created fake email accounts and identities in order to collect prizes. According to the article, the Joneses then sold the winning numbers in bundles on ebay, which brought in about “six figures” (Officer Mike Wood). Nobody seems to know how the Jones managed to have so many winning numbers. This article told the basic story of Carrie and Sarah’s plot, but it did not include much detail or any other interesting facts. The author neglected to try to explain how the Joneses obtained their winning codes.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/24/oregon-mom-and-daughter-guilty-in-coca-cola-scam/

The Sweet Smell of Success

Written by Ruth La Ferla for the New York Times, "The Sweet Smell of Success" describes celebrity Jessica Chastain's recent rise to fame and all the perks that come with it, such as her new perfume line. La Ferla uses adjectives to describe Chastain like "lanky" and "flame-haired" and uses voice such as "thrust a microphone to her face" in order to appeal to pathos and create the picture of the grueling, star studded life that Chastain leads. By calling Chastain "bait" for fashion, she creates the image that all Chastain is is a Barbie doll for various directors, designers, and agents to play with. By creating the image that Chastain is flawless and objectified, La Ferla targets the falseness of the Hollywood industry, directly influencing the pathos of the reader.

ND school investigating fans in KKK-style hoods

Writer Dirk Lammers write about a recent event that occurred at a North Dakota high school during the semifinals of ice hockey. Lammers begins with a general statement about what the article is going to entail, along with a picture from the hockey game. Lammers uses logos to describe when 19-year-old Shane Schuster tweeted a picture of three students donned in KKK apparel whilst sitting in the student section across the arena from him. Lammers then includes multiple quotations from the principle about how "appropriate action is being taken", although it is not mentioned what the "action" is and whether disciplinary action is being taken or not. Lammers then goes on to include the origin of the high school's name that Red River beat in the semifinals. Davies High School is named in honor of Ronald Davies, who was a"former federal judge from Fargo whose 1957 rulings integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. - a pivotal event in the civil rights movement".

Source: http://entertainment.verizon.com/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CDA4KM6682%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=1018

Nascar Crash

Saturday night, February 23rd, during the infamous Daytona 500 race, fans were actually injured due to a crash on the course. Due to the extremely high speeds that the race cars typically go during the biggest and most important competitions, sometimes there are crashes or hits because of lack of control. In the last lap of the race, one rookie, Kyle Larson's car was sent into the fence due to such speed and because of the heat from the engine in the front, the car burnt a whole in the once safe fence. This led to the explosion of many different parts from the car including debris, tires, and random pieces from a once together vehicle. At least 33 were injured due to the crash, not including the actual driver. Fortunately, due to the fact that driving cars at speeds topping 100 miles per hour is not typically a safe sport, there were many paramedics and emergency experts on the scene ready to help.

The author of the article us unknown but he/she does an excellent job bringing the reader in through the quick yet inviting blurb at the beginning of the article. The author does a great job giving the details quickly for one who just wants the brief summary but then continues giving the full picture with vivid visual imagery.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324503204578322621236878886.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

Vatican accuses Italian media of false reports ahead of conclave

As Pope Benedict announced on February 11, he will be resigning his duty as Pope on February 28th. This shocking news produced a variety of rumors and reports by the Italian media. The Vatican accused these italian reports of "spreading 'false and damaging' reports." With this misleading information being leaked, the Vatican believes that the Italian media wanted to influence the cardinals that will be meeting in the secret concave to elect the new pope in a month. The pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele, was believed to have stolen the personal papal documents and given them to the media. Although convicted and jailed, Gabriele was pardoned by the pope and released. The article also discusses the pope's final farewells to Italy's president and he resignation that will take place on Thursday. 

Philip Pullella, author of this article, uses logos to identify the facts regarding the misunderstandings between the Church and media.  Although this article was short and lacked any quotations from the public or Church, it gave the specific information needed to understand the events in context. 

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/sns-rt-us-pope-resignation-mediabre91m08w-20130223,0,6411844.story

Tweets reveal the happiest U.S. cities

This lighthearted article written by Tia Ghose explains the results of an online study that reveals "the happiest city in America." Ghose begins with logos when she explains how the survey was conducted. The sentiments of tweets were analyzed and the location from where these tweets were tweeted was taken into account.  The results show Napa, California as the happiest city, Hawaii as the happiest state, Beaumont, Texas as the most unhappy city and Louisiana as the least happy state.  Ghose explains that analyzing these tweets provides a more real, daily life account of how people are feeling about where they live, rather than some of the happiness surveys that exist like the "World Happiness Report." Ghose continues to use logos when she explains the process of the analysis: millions of tweets were gathered and broken down into individual words. Words like "hate" were considered sad words and words like "funny" were rated as happy words. Ghose also explains that happiness was, not surprisingly, related to income in the various regions, and was also inversely related to obesity rates.  Ghose does explain the flaws in the survey, however: the population sample is not all-inclusive or accurate since only 15% of the adults online use Twitter and the majority of those who do are from 18-29 years old. Another flaw could be cultural differences between the various regions in the ways they communicate their emotions. People of some geographical areas may be raised to be more expressive with their emotions while others do not express as much, so the survey may just reflect methods of expression, not happiness.  Ghose includes a lot of logos, but keeps the tone of the article light-hearted and informative without being overwhelming.


Link to article: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/tweets-reveal-happiest-u-s-cities-1C8502786

Does Childhood TV Viewing Lead to Criminal Behavior?

    Recent studies by the University of Washington and the University of Otago concluded that watching television increased the chances of a person developing antisocial problems and engaging in criminal activities. This article highlights known negative facts about television use.  According to the article, the average pre-schooler watches 4.4 hours of television a day; this extremely high number confirms what doctors have been saying for years: children watch too much TV. However, the University of Washington researchers also recommend that parents and doctors should focus more on what children are watching rather than only looking at how much TV they watch. Children in the modern era continually watch violent and age-inappropriate things on TV that impact who they became and create their norms, said the researchers. Research found that such children became desensitized to violence and often lack the skills to communicate with others due to the overuse of electronics. The article was short but raised profound questions about television for children and teens in the twenty-first century.

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-television-intervention-20130218,0,3260824.story

Home from war, troops face 'white knuckled' first month

In this article, the journalist, Briggs, talks about the life of military men and women when they return from war. He begins the article with vivid examples about some soldiers who have returned with anxiety and gone wild upon their return home. Briggs then transitions to logos when he explains that Obama will begin shipping service members back home from Afghanistan during the next year. He then includes statements from military men who explain what returning home is like. They explain that at first everything is exciting, but as the months wear on, anxiety, tension, strained relationships, and culture shock set in. Briggs then transitions into a section entitled "Distant from family."  In this section, Briggs uses pathos when he includes the personal stories and quotations of two veterans. The veterans talk about how their relationships were different because they were away and solo for so long. The veterans also discuss how habits from war would come back, such as getting antsy when lines at the store grew long behind them, due to paranoia. One veteran described how his senses were overly sharpened, and he would pull off to the side of the road if he just saw garbage because he had been trained to avoid things that might be bombs or other weapons. After discussing these effects that war has, Briggs transitions into another section entitled : "'Lucky I Didn't Die.'" In this section, Briggs discusses the crazy impulses people give into when returning from war. He includes examples and uses pathos with these personal stories in which veterans discuss how upon returning from war, they felt so behind on life, so they went crazy to try to make up for what they lost. This article combines logos and pathos to describe the negative effects of war on relationships, conscience, and ways of life.


Link to article: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/18/16976156-home-from-war-troops-face-white-knuckled-first-month?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=4

Meteor a once-in-a-century display

On Friday February 16th, a meteor exploded twelve miles above Earth's surface "creating a powerful shock"and a "a once-in-a-century occurrence." The meteor, fifty feet in diameter with a weight of 287 million pounds, exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia and was recorded as the largest meteor since 1908 when one exploded over Siberia. This meteor's result from the explosions "was equivalent to detonating about 300 kilotons of TNT — making it roughly 20 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima," according to NASA scientists. Around 1,200 people were injured from broken windows and wall collapses. Events like this are extremely uncommon: "they occur every 50 to 100 years. But because so much of the Earth is ocean, only about once a century does something comparable occur over an inhabited area." Although devastating to Russia's land and people, the meteor was an extravagant sight and occurrence due to its  rarity. 

Carolyn Johnson, author of the article, mostly uses logos to clear up any misleading conjectures about the meteor and to inform the public. Johnson also includes a video of the meteor skyrocketing across the sky to visually depict the scene in Russia. 


Source: http://bostonglobe.com/news/science/2013/02/15/meteor-shower-russia-unrelated-large-asteroid-predicted-make-close-pass/78lSppXTMJTLMfuHo1dIBM/story.html

New details of tragedy emerge in Pistorius case, per South African newspaper

New reports show that Pistorius attempted to give mouth-to-mouth after shooting his girlfriend. After preliminary reports showed that Pistorius shot her after believing she was an intruder, he then carried her downstairs and attempted to revive her. Steenkamp was barely alive when paramedics arrived on the scene, but died shortly later.
According to reports, there were blood spatters along the path that he carried her, and bloody towels were discovered in the area surrounding her body. Papers cite that she was seated on the sink when she was shot. Pistorius could possibly face 25 years in prison; his family believes he is innocent and is a victim of a tragic accident.
The article is mostly based on logos, but at the very end of the article, pathos is incorporated when Pistorius wishes to send his sympathies to Steenkamp's family as well as ask for prayers and support for the Steenkamp family as well.


Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/details-tragedy-emerge-pistorius-case-per-south-african-175122833--oly.html

Gunman dead after killing

    Monday, February 11, a Delaware gunman was shot by police after murdering his wife and wounded 2 innocent onlookers at 8:10 am at New Castle County Court house in Wilmington. Wilmington Mayor Dennis Williams said Monday in a telephone interview that the shooter was killed by police.

      A Wilmington police spokesman said earlier in the day that three people were shot. Cpl. Jamaine Crawford said the victims were two women and a man. The man was described as a security person.
Hours after the shooting, there was still a heavy police presence around the courthouse and streets were blocked off.
     The post was written by an unknown Journalist in the Daily News. His article was about 3 paragraphs and very brief. He gave the audience an idea of who was involved in this crime but did not give specific names. He told what the crime was, where, and when. However, he failed to enrich his article with details.

Anxiety

Richard Lucas often described himself as confident and fearless before he began to experience the effects of stress and anxiety. When at work five years ago, Lucas had immense chest pains and was rushed to the ER because he thought he was experiencing a heart attack. After examination, the doctors told him that the pain was induced by stress. He was released from the hospital with over the counter drugs and Lucas believed he would be fine. Within the next few years, Richard had gone to the ER 25 times and had made 30 doctor's appointments to help get rid of his excruciating chest pains. Finally, the doctors came to the conclusion that Lucas had severe anxiety, or "panic disorder." In this article, Lucas reaches out to others affected by anxiety and says to not let it control their lives. He argues that anxiety is just as dangerous as any other physical disease, and just because its a mental disease does not mean it can be disregarded.

Relax to Work

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/opinion/sunday/relax-youll-be-more-productive.html?src=me&ref=general

 

In this article, the author reveals the best way for getting more done: to stop working. Loaded with rhetorical questions, the author lures in an audience. If just one of the questions applies to the audience, the reader is meant to continue on to find a resolution to their hectic lives. Although the heavy pathos introduction seems to lack actual substance, the author infuses logos to logically explain why rest can benefit our work. He even ties in some physics to reestablish the very core of his logic. Using some astounding statistics, he claims that over $63 billion goes to waste due to a lack of productivity cause by sleep deprivation. The article goes on with facts on the dramatic effects of substantial sleep and rest has on one's productivity, performance, and even memory. Why then do we continue to push harder when we feel pressure than take a break? The author establishes pathos in that he knows exactly what questions would follow each new explanation on rest, while always adding logos to keep his answers legitimate. To demonstrate our mind set of constant work, he writes "Our bodies regularly tell us to take a break, but we often override these signals and instead stroke ourselves up with caffeine, sugar, and our own energy reserves—the stress hormone adrenaline, nonadrenaline, and cortisol". Just like our minds, the sentence should take a break after the first independent clause. However, to rhetorically demonstrate our restlessness, the sentence continues using lists, a hyphen, and a couple of conjunctions to push the author's thought to an unnecessary extent just like we do with our work. The author wraps up the article by adding anecdotes of his experiences with a shorter schedule and more rest. This ethos approach verifies the rest of his argument by proving that his method works and that anyone else can achieve better productivity. 

In rampages, it's about revenge

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/08/opinion/fox-la-rampage/index.html?hpt=op_t1

In this article, James Alan Fox argues that spree killings are usually not the result of a violent madman gone crazy in a random burst of rage, but the actions of a methodical killer targeting others in sch of retribution. He uses ethos by identifying himself as well educated and knowledgeable on the subject of shooting sprees as he says "It is a story that my Northeastern University colleague Jack Levin and I have seen time and time again in our several decades of research on this extreme form of violence." This shows that he is a reliable source with valid opinions on the rationale of these seemingly deranged killers. Fox uses logos by citing the statistic that "nearly two dozen massacres  occur each year in the United States" and arguing that despite the recent shootings in Connecticut and Colorado, most killings are all but random. He identifies the stereotypical qualities of a spree killer like ticking off  qualifications on a list: middle-aged man, a false sense of being wronged, and a dangerous need to seek revenge on those who have "wronged" them. Lastly, he cites the current killing spree by a former L.A. cop who has already killed three, wounded two more, and promises to not stop until "his name is cleared". In a way our society glorifies these violent events. The media swoops on violence and chaos like vultures to carrion, broadcasting events on on multiple television stations, writing numerous front-page articles, and blogging about the deaths of innocent people alongside New York Fashion Week. The media only encourages more violence by not only providing these killers with widespread infamy across the nation, but immortalizing them.

Murder in Jail

Sunday, the third of February, marked the third homicide in the North Branch Correctional Institution. The victim was Ricky Bailey, 51, who was sentenced to life in prison for breaking and entering into a woman's home, and binding her and her 16-year-old daughter with tape, while they raped the woman's 20-year-old daughter in another room. They also forced the woman to rob the bank which employed her. Around 4 am, while officers were delivering breakfast to the inmates, Bailey's cellmate told them they needed to remove his body, which was found dead with multiple injuries on his head, neck, and other areas. The suspect appears to be another inmate, paralleling this case with two previous murders in the same jail: Charles David Richard IV, who murdered two people in Columbia, and Michael Armstead, a serial rapist.

Carrie Wells uses only facts to build her article. Her story merely tells of the event that occurred, and the bare facts surrounding it. Her article appears completely devoid of emotion for the deceased, but as such, she makes it clear she has no sympathy for the victims, because they were also criminals, and deserved their ends. Each of the three had been sentenced to a life in prison for their actions, and their life was cut short by what may become a vigilante within the prison.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/blog/bs-md-state-prison-inmate-homicide-20130210,0,7454763.story

Booze Blues: Utah's Laws Make it Tricky to Get a Drink

Alicia Acuna’s article is flippantly casual but entertaining. She combines wit with logic by explaining Utah’s strict drinking policy. Her article is one-sided, and her opinion is obvious: Utah’s laws are ridiculous. She reinforces this opinion through her her catchy title “Booze Blues” and her opening sentence “If you like Utah, and also like to imbibe, better get used to the rules. The list is long.” Acuna creates an interesting article that combines factual information with a little sarcasm. For instance, she calls Utah’s drinking regulations “pesky booze rules.” Acuna impresses the point of how hard it is in Utah to buy any kind of liquor; she explains the regulations restaurants have to deal with in order to sell liquor. If you want to have a martini before dinner, you can’t; you must order first. The only place to buy alcohol for home use is a state-run store that has exorbitant prices. Acuna showcases Utah’s strictness and tries to expose some of their ridiculous laws, while also providing general information about the state’s alcohol legislation and policy.

With Inquiry, an Attempt to Reassure Los Angeles

Jennifer Medina covers the controversy occurring regarding Los Angles' police department and its recent mishaps.  She immediately sets the scene and acknowledges the issue at hand within her first sentence: "Police Chief Charlie Beck stood in front of a bank of television cameras on Sunday afternoon facing what seemed like two impossible tasks: luring in a fugitive former police officer accused of three murders and simultaneously assuring the public that his department was not backsliding on accusations of racism and corruption."  Medina recognizes the fact that the police department is faced with very difficult tasks when attempting to deal with this issue.  By beginning the article in this way, Medina attempts to be unbiased.  As opposed to criticizing the police department's faults right away, she sets up the fact that they have very difficult and complicated tasks to face.  Following this statement, Medina pulls in logos by stating the facts surrounding the case of the fugitive officer. She frames these facts with more information surrounding the efforts of the Police Chief.  This technique makes it clear that the police department is putting forth an effort and this article is not purely to criticize them.  After setting the foundation for the issue, Medina transitions into the reaction of the public.  At this point, she shifts away from logos and turns to pathos when describing the fear and anxiety the citizens of Los Angeles face as a result of this issue.  Medina quotes Najee Ali to demonstrate the public's reaction when she writes, "That was a game changer for those who had just been casually watching and waiting for this to unfold. It gave the notion that they are out to get people credibility.” Medina continues to rely on pathos, while including logos when relaying more facts of the case.  In the end she circles back to the efforts of the police force and the local government to resolve the issue.  By making this complete circle, Medina is able to successfully develop an urgent and anxious tone by including the thoughts of the public.  However, she adds some reassurance by showing the police's efforts and opinions.

Heavy gunfire in northern Mali town of Gao

          The people of Mali continue to experience gunfire in their streets, as the "Islamist Militants" claim that they plan to fight all French troops and their allies. The gunfire in the town of Gao, began the day after a suicide bombing. The article begins by talking about the gunfire and suicide bombing to establish the author's logos, it is not until the end that pathos is established. At the end the author says that people are barricaded in their homes, to protect themselves. This is pathos because, it is a statement that allows the audience to identify with the intensity of the situation, but still communicates the logos that the fighting is serious and ongoing. It is also mentioned within the article that the Islamist are fighting in the name of jihad, this is also logos because it communicates again the usage of jihad incorrectly.These radical Islamist misrepresent the idea of struggle within the Islamic faith. Presenting it as a justification to kill and rebel, but in actually it is a basic principle to interpret and communicate with the world more peacefully than not.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21401202

Agriculture

An article by Diana Prichard discusses gender discrimination in the agricultural workforce. The article begins with an abundance of ethos from the author, in which she establishes herself as a credible source   when she tells the story of a situation in which the author was faced by gender discrimination. the article then transfers into how gender discrimination in agriculture is present in modern day society. Prichard references a commercial advertising Ram Trucks in this years 2013 Superbowl, and how only a small selection of diversity among farmers was represented in the ad. Following the example, Prichard uses a healthy amount of logos as she regurgitates percentages of ethnicities and gender division within the agricultural world. Prichard proves that despite an outrage at the unequal representation of diversity within the Ram Trucks ad, the actual real life percentages and the percentages of minorities represented in the commercial are actually quite accurate. The article then surprises readers by defending the advertisement which readers had previously thought to be inaccurate, and states that society should refrain from criticizing the accurate commercial, and rather work toward changing the inequity among farmers, since it is quite obviously something many people in the industry are ashamed of.

Christopher Dorner Firing From LAPD Will Be Reviewed As Search For Ex-Cop Continues

This article, by Gillian Flaccus and Tami Abdollah, features the recent events occurring in California, involving an ex-officer's vow to take revenge on those he deems responsible for "stripping him of his badge." The writers pack the article with logos, giving specific facts about the ex-cop, Christopher Dorner's background in military training, his threats to "use 'every bit of small arms training, demolition, ordnance and survival training he's been given to bring 'warfare' to the LAPD and its families," his recent involvement in the murders and attempted murders of multiple cops and their family members, and the LAPD's plan of action.  They use pathos, appealing to the audience through the eyes of the scared families wondering "what could happen?" in order to gain pity for the families and raise awareness of the issue in order to gain support in the hunt for the suspect. Knowing that many people would react to the article by wondering hoe the country can afford to fund such an extensive search for just one man for so long, the authors included a statement from a " Florida-based police consultant," Chuck Drago. Drago told reports that "The money is always an issue but not when it's somebody's life at stake," appealing to pathos by creating a brotherhood effect, proving that the police officers care about each and every life. This creates support for the mission to find Dorner, justifying the state's offer of a "$1 million reward for information leading to his capture." Overall, the article creates a supportive effect, as the audience roots for the capture and conviction of the monster, and the safety of the targeted victims.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/10/christopher-dorner-firing-lapd-reviewed-ex-cop_n_2656811.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk1%26pLid%3D268426

Escape from Westboro Baptist Church: Is fresh start possible for Phelps’s granddaughters?

The Washington Post published an article written by Diane Reese yesterday, reporting the departure of significant members of the Westboro Baptist Church. Reese first begins by describing the horrigfic acts that the organization has committed against local high schools in the area, and national protests. Two 27 year olds, Megan and Grace Phelps, who happen to be the granddaughters of the church's founder, publicly departed from the organization this past week. Reese plays into pathos by including heartfelt quotes by the sisters explaining their regret for the actions committed by the church and their strong desire to try and start fresh. She continues to sympathize with the sisters by including the hard decision they had to make, and all the sacrifices they made just in order to state their personal beliefs. Reese's use of pathos and not much else in the article allow people to see the good in the sisters and what their future entails, as opposed to only seeing them as homophobic monsters.

Johns Hopkins lacrosse begins season with victory against Siena

Author Edward Lee opens his article after including a picture from the previous game as well as the teams' outcome from their matchup against each other last year in comparison to the score of the most recent game. Lee uses ethos and logos whilst incorporating very specific facts of the game, such as the amount of time each goal took to be scored. Lee uses pathos as he interviews the players for their take on this game and what they believed they needed to improve on this year that the were lacking in last year. More logos is used as each play of the game is described, along with who scored what. Lee then goes on to describe the comeback of one of the Hopkins players who had a knee injury last year. Lee heavily incorporates the use of logos in his article, mainly for those who are fans of lacrosse or for those who play it. This was confusing for me to read, however, because I do not know all the technicalities of lacrosse. The quotations from coaches and players add a more personal touch to the article, making it more interesting to read and less robotic-sounding.


Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/lacrosse/bs-sp-johns-hopkins-siena-lacrosse-0209-20130208,0,3193501.story

Disney Rabbit Racist? Family Sues Disneyland Over Alleged Prejudice

Cavan Sieczkowski, author of this article, covers the alleged idea of Disneyland's characters and their racist behavior. Sieczkowski begins with the story of a South Californian family and their two sons being subjected victims of racism by Disneyland's "Alice in Wonderland" rabbit. According to the family, "When one of the boys attempted to hug the rabbit, the costumed actor reportedly turned his back. When the other child went to hold his hand, 'he kept on flicking [his] hand off.'" Although originally miffed by the rabbit's actions, the family disregarded them with the thought of new policies disallowing touchy behavior. However, the family later explained that the rabbit exhibited affections to other white children. Although this incident happened last August, the family filed a lawyer and continues to battle the issue. Also, Sieczkowski states that another lawsuit against another character, Donald Duck, for racism was filed on Thursday. Overall, Sieczkowski uses logos to establish the facts surrounding the skeptical scenarios at Disneyland. 

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/08/disney-rabbit-racist-family-sues-disneyland_n_2646634.html?ir=Business

Watson supercomputer to help doctors with cancer treatment

This article, by Jim Fitzgerald, talks about a "supercomputer" that may be revolutionary in the field of health care.  Fitzgerald opens the article with an article with an interesting twist that gets the reader interested: he makes the computer sound like an actual person: "Dr. Watson is accepting new patients."  The supercomputer is being offered to many doctors and health insurance companies soon.  The supercomputer will have to capability to diagnose and treat lung cancer and can manage health insurance claims.  Therefore, the computer will be able to help in multiple aspects of healthcare--with diseases and conditions themselves and also with paperwork.  Fitzgerald uses logos to explain the credibility of the machine: the supercomputer's "speed, huge database, and language skill" allowed it to defeat the best Jeopardy players. Since this Jeopardy face-off, the computer has supposedly improved by 240%. The supercomputer will be able to compare medical records, recommend the best treatment for some conditions, and deals with insurance for some treatments.  Fitzgerald includes quotations from an IBM general manager who assures the skeptical public that this machine is not making authoritative decisions by itself, but is simply a revolutionary tool that will simplify the overwhelming job of many doctors and nurses.  Fitzgerald concludes the article by stating that this technology has already been adopted in some healthcare locations and will probably continue to become more useful in the future.



Link to article: http://news.msn.com/science-technology/watson-supercomputer-to-help-doctors-with-cancer-treatment

Flacco’s Precision Typical of Elite Quarterbacks

Sam Borden, author of this article, begins with facts surrounding the players of Super Bowl XLVII, but mostly focuses on Joe Flacco's ability to be viewed as an "elite" quarterback.  Borden purposefully states that "Neither of Joe Flacco’s two brothers was on the field in the Super Bowl on Sunday night" and he "was not part of any pregame controversies involving deer antler spray, and he did not turn this game into a much-publicized finale of his retirement tour. At this point, there is no such thing as Flacco-ing." Next, after establishing that Joe Flacco does not have any striking reasons for his Super Bowl success despite his desire, Borden raises the topic of Flacco's accomplishments throughout his professional football career compared to Peyton Manning: 'at 28, Flacco now has the same number of postseason wins (nine) and Super Bowl titles (one) as Peyton Manning." Borden reverts back into history and discussed Flacco's unpopularity during his previous seasons. Finally Borden returns to the present and discusses the achievements of Flacco during his current season, playoffs and Super Bowl. 

Borden uses an abundance of facts to support Flacco's accomplishments and Super Bowl win. However, Borden also uses ethos to establish Flacco's credibility with a quotation from John Harbaugh, the Raven's head coach. Overall, Borden uses ethos and logos to persuade the football fans to view Joe Flacco at the same caliber as some of the "elite" quarterbacks. 

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/sports/football/super-bowl-joe-flaccos-precision-typical-of-elite-quarterbacks.html?hp&_r=0

harmful synthetic drugs

Emily Bauer, a sixteen year old girl from Houston, was hospitalized last night due to using a drug that is sold in most convenient stores all around the country. It is a type of legal marijuana, however, this drug has hospitalized over 11,000 people, most of which were ages 12-17. The drug, also referred to as "Spice," can higher blood pressure so much that it could easily cause a stroke. The government sought to outlaw this substance, however, the scientific makers of the drug add new chemicals to it every time there is a ban, so thy can call it something else. These new chemicals being added are highly dangerous, even in very small quantities. Emily's story was shared all over social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter by her younger sister, and eventually reached CNN. Emily was sent into a coma, and her entire body was paralyzed from the neck down. Her brain damage was extensive as a cat scan showed that 70% of her brain was dead matter. Emily is currently going through physical and speech therapy, yet she cannot recognize her family and is often very confused about who and where she is. Her family decided to take her off life support saying that she would have no quality of life. Her parents are now working with organizations to inform teenagers about the harmful effects of synthetic drugs.

Deadliest Sniper, Dead

          As of February 2, 2013, Chris Kyle, one of America's deadliest snipers, was murdered. Kyle, along with his neighbor, Chad Littlefield, and the suspect, Eddie Ray Routh, went to a gun range that Kyle had initially helped to design as part of Rough Creek Lodge, in Texas. Routh shot both men at close range, and their bodies were found by staff during a routine check of the premises. The suspect then left the scene of the crime in Kyle's truck, driving to his sister's to tell her of what had just happened. She alerted the police after he left her home. It has not been verified whether Routh suffered from PTSD, as media claims. The suspect is charged with two counts of murder, and one count of capital murder, which can be punishable by death in Texas.

         This story was a collaboration of the reporting done by Barbara Goldberg and Phil Stewart, the writing by Karen Brooks, and the editing done by Ellen Wulfhorst, Will Dunham, and Stacey Joyce. These names were printed at the bottom, and established the credibility of the article as a whole. Having been produced by 6 people, the information can be considered accurate. This article was written with the viewpoint of Routh having a problem. Though his mental condition cannot be verified as of yet, by including all of Kyle's military and social achievements, including his two Silver Stars and Five Bronze stars, and the 160 people he had killed during his duty in the Navy SEALs, as told in his book, American Sniper. A quotation is included from the co-author of the book, Scott McEwen: "It just comes as a shock and it's staggering to think that after all Chris has been through, that this is how he meets his end, because there are so many ways he could have been killed". Being a sniper in the SEALs and having a 160 body count throughout his 10 year service, being murdered by an acquaintance, at close range, is unjust and unbelievable for such a decorated, well-known American soldier.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/sns-rt-us-usa-crime-sniperbre91202k-20130202,0,5988860.story

Corrupt Police

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/opinion/sunday/why-police-officers-lie-under-oath.html?pagewanted=1&ref=general&src=me

 

In this article, the author questions the police's honesty and integrity. By starting the article off with logos, the author recognizes the reasonable stereotype that cops are always upstanding citizens. She then transitions into a rhetorical question by asking if the cop's intentions are always squeaky clean like most people believe, which she then answers asserting her own opinion on the matter. By using first person and such a strong opinion, she establishes ethos when saying, "I think not". To help reestablish her argument on the corruption of police, she includes various cases of cops abusing their power and honor over convicts. The repetition of deceitful diction emphasize her resentment of corrupt police. She uses words like "trespass" "lying" "corrupt" and "misconduct". The police are also corrupted since they arrest people for money. Thier job pays them to make as many arrests as possible,even if they are minor or forged. Then, she shifts the article from being concerned about police to a general philosophy about humans. Cops are people, and people lie; however, cops have an important job that requires strict honesty which is what makes cops so honorable, they have to go above and beyond the normal human morals. The author concludes with a warning that all people should be aware of what they lie about because it might destroy another's life.

Keep dancing for Jesus, Ray Lewis!

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/02/opinion/martin-ray-lewis-faith/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

This article is about the media's criticism of publicly religious athletes. Roland S. Martin argues that sports fans and reporters that censure athletes like Ray Lewis, Tim Tebow, and Lolo Jones are hypocrites that "flock to the nearest church, mosque or synagogue; break out the prayer beads; and blow the dust off of the Bible in order to be comforted" when it is convenient for them. Martin uses logos by citing the flood of religious support during times of crisis such as when "President Barack Obama addressed the nation the day 20 children were killed in Newtown, Connecticut" or the night of 9/11 where "you would have been hard-pressed to find a seat in a house of worship.". Martin asserts that we should respect the piety of religious athletes whether they choose to be  vocal or reserved about their religious devotion. I feel that the only area where this article is lacking is that Martin never analyzes the reason why we are a country of hypocrites; He never asks why it is unacceptable to be proud of one' faith in the America of today or why it is cool to mock others for beliefs we secretly share. As a nation, we need to respect each others constitutional right to freely express our religion. We need to stop bullying others for having a strong faith in an age where the instability and violence of the world around us requires it.