'Pull over, pull over!': Driver describes horrific Bay Area limousine fire

This article discusses the recent tragedy of a limousine fire. The journalists begin with logos and explain that five women were killed as the limo drove over a bridge over the San Francisco Bay. The article contains a quotation from the limo driver who describes that he thought one woman was asking him to pull over so she could smoke. What instead was occurring was that the woman was crying that there was actual smoke and a fire, so the driver should pull over. The driver understood this cry for help just a little too late. With the journalists' inclusion of these horrifying quotations from the desperate women, they appeal to pathos and make the audience sympathize and grieve over the tragic sudden death of these women. The journalists then switch back to logos when they include quotations from the coroner who deduced that the women were trying to escape from the passenger compartment into the driver's compartment, but only one woman was successful in doing so. The journalists then include information about the bride who was in limo, on the way to her bridal shower. This information appeals to both pathos and logos as many female readers will feel deep sympathy due to the fact that this woman was newly married in the United States and was about to hold a ceremony for her family in the Philippines in the near future. The article concludes with a statement of sympathy from the limousine company regarding the immense tragedy.


Link to article: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/06/18085625-pull-over-pull-over-driver-describes-horrific-bay-area-limousine-fire?lite

Bangladesh Riots

Hefazat-e-Islami, or the "Protectors of Islam," are a conservative group of Muslims that came together with the common goal to conserve the ideals of Islam. The author describes the ordinary streets of Bangladesh, usually filled with markets and children, then transitions to describe the violent riot, caused by this Islamic extremist group, where more than 14 people were found dead, and over 75 wounded.The Hefazat-e-Islami went tot he government to share their strong beliefs that anyone who blasphemed Islam should be put to death. Other beliefs include mandatory Islamic education, a ban on all statues, and that, in a country of 150 million people, men and women should not be allowed to mix and interact. When their demands were not met or even acknowledged by the government, these bloody riots broke out in the streets of Motijheel. The country's direction at this point is unpredictable, as two opposing forces are intensifying. The youth in these conflicted cities are rising up and going to the government in attempt to ban extremist groups such as the Hefazat-e-Islami. The next couple months, or even weeks, will reveal whether Islamic radicals will take over Bangladesh cities, or whether these violent riots will continue.

Evidence Syria "used sarin"

There is evidence that a human rights violation occured when rebels in Syria, have used sarin gas against citizens. The use of this gas has been made illegal by the UN and as a result the case will be brought to the UN as a human rights violation. The author of this article is completely detached from the matter simply listing facts about the event, and quoting others. It causes less of an appeal to pathos making the reader react to the intensity of the situation less. However, their logos is clearly displayed as the reader is fully aware of the fact that their was a violation, and this adds to the already current tension  within this area of the world.

Google Glass, the beginning of wearable surveillance

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/01/opinion/chertoff-wearable-devices

In this article,  Michael Chertoff argues that google glass is a step towards a world the likes 1984, where privacy is nonexistent. Although he may be right, his overall argument was weak and lacking proof. He begins with an overstated analogy that compared the new google glasses to "wearable drones" where millions of Americans would walk around "capturing video and audio recordings of everything that happens around them" that would be uploaded to "the cloud", which is basically free Internet storage. His analogy is a little contrived; he's comparing a pair of advanced glasses to militarized weapons capable of keen surveillance and mass destruction. To prove that google glasses are damaging to personal privacy, he cites the fact that one  bar owner has banned the device because he fears it will make his patrons uncomfortable. There are hundreds of thousands of bars in this country; one owner's negative reactions is not nearly enough proof to support his argument. In addition, his ethos as secretary of homeland security during the Bush administration works against him because the Bush administration was responsible for tightening security and increasing national surveillance.Unfortunately, the rest of the article is him going on to ask the same question in multiple ways: who owns this information on the cloud and what will the consequences be? He is correct in arguing that videos can be taken of people without their knowing; someone wearing the glasses could be walking down the street and taking video. However, any smartphone or camera can do the same thing- even cameras on buildings do the same thing! Chertoff may be right in that the google glasses will promote the invasion of privacy, but the privacy of Americans has been disregarded for years with things such as the patriot act and previous technological advances; the only difference is now the power of surveillance rests with the people, rather than the government.

Lipstick Study

Occasionally stories about poison in makeup and strange substances being used to manufacture toiletries appear in the news, but a recent study by University of California-Berkeley's School of Public Health claims that there are potentially high levels of metal in lipsticks that women all over America use every day. The article states that “lipsticks could result in excessive exposure to chromium, a carcinogen linked to stomach tumors.” The study tested 32 “commonly sold lipsticks and lip glosses” which they found contained “lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum, and five other metals.” Author Wendy Koch stresses the fact that it is not merely the presence of the metals alone causing the potential health risks, but the amount in the lipsticks that are then used multiple times a day. The article explains that lipsticks are absorbed into the system as a woman wears them. People who apply lipsticks and lip glosses a dozen times a day could be at risk for health issues.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/02/toxic-chemicals-lipstick/2125325/

North Korea Says Prisoner Won't Be Used As Leverage

North Korea Says Prisoner Won’t Be Used As Leverage

Though the title leads readers to believe that the article is solely about the prisoner, author Choe Sang-Hun focuses on the tensions between North Korea and the US. Sang-Hun makes use of many quotations to establish points of view from North Korea, which is normally very isolated. This catches his readers’ attentions since North Korea is often very closed off from the rest of the world in terms of communication. He references previous Presidents who met with North Korean leaders in order to free prisoners, establishing the fact that this time things are different and a quick fix might not be in the near future. He makes the tension between the two nations conspicuous when writing, “During his trial, Mr. Bae confessed and admitted his crimes, the North said, according to the state news media.” Here Sang-Hun puts in his own beliefs very subtly. Sang-Hun is skeptical about Mr. Bae’s trial and his confession since the only perspective we have is from the North Korean media, which is obviously monitored by the government. Sang-Hun leaves the conclusion inconclusive, establishing the fact that the tensions between the US and North Korea are unresolved and the future for the two nations is very unpredictable.    

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/06/world/asia/north-korea-says-kenneth-bae-isnt-a-bargaining-chip.html?ref=world

Utah soccer referee dies after attack by teenage player

The article begins with a general description of what previously occurred, then goes into greater detail about what happened between the player and the referee.  The 17-year-old player struck the referee, Ricardo Portillo, in the face after Portillo made a call that penalized the player.  The player was issued with a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct on the field.  After being taken to the hospital, what was originally believed to be minor injuries was later determined to be a substantial injury to the head.  Portillo went into a coma and was in critical condition until the time of his death Saturday night.  The teen was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and is being held in a juvenile detention center.  He will face additional charges this week in connection with the death of the referee.  The author includes a quotation from an interview with the victim's daughter.



Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-utah-soccerbre94407f-20130505,0,861077.story

Study: US is texting less

This article, written by Peter Svensson, discusses the decline of the popularity of texting in the United States. Instead, Svensson describes, people are turning more to internet applications as a mode of communication. Svensson uses logos when he includes the fact that last year, texting was down 5% from 2011, although Americans still sent 2.2 trillion messages, which is 19 texts per person a day. Svensson then includes the history of texting when he explains that it used to be extremely popular when it first came into being, even though the messages usually cost 10 cents each. Now, text messaging is typically free, which is why the decline in usage is confusing. Svensson does not provide an explanation for the sudden decline, but does include interesting facts about the history of texting. The first text messages were used in Europe in the 1980s and 1990s, and did not catch on in the United States for awhile because phone calls in the US were significantly cheaper than those in Europe. Svensson does include a quotation that states that text messaging will most likely remain popular because of its convenience and ease of use, and therefore the decline in the past year is probably not extremely significant.


Link to article: http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=AP&date=20130502&id=16431769