Bless Me, Ultima 13-16

            Now, that we are half-way through the book, I keep wondering when a dramatic event or surprise will occur. I know that Narciso's death was a big event and Tenorio's constant planning of Ultima's death. I believe that eventually Tenorio will kill Ultima, but then Antonio will take her place. Antonio has been wondering a lot about God lately and tat will play a part in his decision. He is constantly thinking about God, church, consequences to his actions, and the Golden carp. Antonio is a very bright, young man who is constantly asking himself questions about the world. I am happy that the brothers have gone away, they always created tension between the family members and need to stay away. I did not like it when Tenorio confronted Antonio, it did not seem fair to me, a father against a young boy, Antonio was at a disadvantage, but still held his ground to protect ultima. Ultima is too overconfident for my liking, as she is always acting like she will never die. Anaya puts off mentioning the ending and how it will wrap up, but many of my predictions are staying the same. I believe that Tenorio will get his revenge, Ultima will die, and then Antonio will take her place so that they cycle will continue.

My Brilliant Second Career

            Psychics are powerful people that can answer our questions about some of the most important topics and decisions in our lives. One man was walking down the street when he was stopped by a psychic and she told him that he would have a new job that was very creative. At the time, this man was tutoring kids for the SAT's and delivering food. That man is actually now a writer for Salon.com, but he started off as an intern. He even helped to redo and rewrite the website for the company. 

           This article was written almost as a life story about writer, Ibrahim Madha. He used humor when explaining how he got the job he is working at today. It is very interesting when you begin to read this article because at the beginning, I thought it would be about a billionaire or celebrity, but then it took a turn. It was an interesting look into how jobs and peoples lives can change so quickly. I have never been to see a psychic, but would be thrilled to see what they would say about my future.

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/21/the_psychic_who_predicted_my_career/

All 5 Aboard Plane Die as It Crashes on an Interstate in New Jersey

            What if you knew you were going to die? Would you accept it and say "I love you" or would you fight it until your last, dying breath? Recently, in New Jersey a small plane carrying five people and one dog, crash landed onto Interstate 287, they all died immediately. A banking firm from New York confirmed that it was "Jeffrey F. Buckalew, 45, and Rakesh Chawla, 36, were aboard the plane, as were Mr. Buckalew’s wife, Corinne, their son, Jackson, and their daughter, Meriwether" (Flegenheimer). This is an extremely sad tragedy due to icing on the plane. Pilot Buckalew enjoyed flying and attempted to rev the engine before it crashed. Residents who live close to the highway could see, hear, and smell the smoke in the air when the plane got extremely close to their homes. This accident should never have occurred, but, "It’s a very traumatic crash,” said Lt. Stephen Jones of the New Jersey State Police. “There is no cockpit to be seen." (Flegenheimer). Families are morning the lose of their loved ones who had recently sent out their Christmas cards that said, "they hope to see me during Christmas. said the aunt" (Flegenheimer). 

           It is always a troubling story to tell when people die, but especially since small children were involved. This article, written by Matt Flegenheimer, hits close to many peoples heart and makes you think about how life can be taken away form you so quickly. Flegenheimer, uses pathos to his advantage when writing this and emphasizes on the families reactions. This is a troubling story, but made me think about what I would do if I was in their position. I have thought about death, not in a morbid way, and I would never want to die like that, not being able to say goodbye to the life that I love so much. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/nyregion/at-least-3-dead-after-small-plane-crashes-on-i-287-in-new-jersey.html?src=mv&ref=general

Bless Me, Ultima (Chapters 8-12)

            As the plot thickens and the family's struggles are continuously simmering, I can not imagine what else is in store for the Marez family. While reading chapter nine, I get the feeling that Antonio's mom, Maria, is the person who controls the entire family. Eugene, Leon, and Andrew are back from war, struggling with post traumatic stress syndrome and they are having a difficult time adjusting back to their normal lives, especially Leon. Maria must comfort him at night, but she is often comforting everybody in her family. She has control and that is why I believe that Antonio's dad, Gabriel, has not left yet. The family is divided, half want to move to California, half want to stay in New Mexico. I predict that half of the family might separate from the other half after Antonio makes his decision. The older boys are even divided about what Antonio will do, "'Tony will be a priest', he laughed. 'Tony will be her farmer,' Leon added"(Anaya 68).
            The plot in this novel does not seem to fit with the time period. To me, it would fit better if this novel was set during the American Indian Wars. Their lifestyles seem to be very minimal for being set in the 1940's. They have no telephone or radio and to me the, witchcraft and healing abilities of Ultima seemed to have been occurring in earlier time periods. Ultima's abilities keep becoming more and more dangerous and complicated as the novel continues on. She first cures Lucas, but then kills one Tenorio's daughters and I just want Ultima to only do good things with her magic. I also do not like that Ultima is introducing all of this bad witchcraft to Antonio, seeing as he is only a young boy. Although he is extremely mature and advanced two grades in school, sometimes Ultima seems to be a bad influence on him.
          I am looking forward to the rest of Bless Me, Ultima seeing as now the plot events are getting more interesting and appealing. I believe that Ultima will have to face the angry mob again and their tricks to try and prove her evil witchcraft, but she will always escape it. I predict that the Marez family's growing tensions against each other will guild Antonio into spending more time with Ultima to escape his family's feuding. As of right now, I do not know if Ultima's intentions are admirable or evil and look forward to seeing what other miracles she can perform.
           

The Last To Fall: David Hickman

          This is one of the saddest things that could ever happen to a family, but hopefully it will never happen again. On November 14, 2011 David Hickman was killed by a makeshift bomb in Iraq. His mother received the news the next morning at her home in Greensboro. As the news spread that troops are leaving the Middle East, the Pentagon believes that Hickman was the 4,474 member of the United States MIlitary to be killed during the war and many are hoping that he will be the last. 

       Writer, J.Freedom du Lac, wrote this article, not only to pay respects to the Hickman family, but to recognize all of the families who have lost someone in this war. It is an extremely somber article and it is written extremely well, as to not offend any families. I am very happy that this terrible war is over and that there will be no number 4,4,75 member of our military lost. The Hickman family should be proud of David and he will never be forgotten. 

Dedicated to all of the families who have lost a member 

of the family due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 

may they rest in peace.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-iraq-the-last-to-fall-david-hickman-the-4474th-us-service-member-killed/2011/12/15/gIQAgwl00O_story.html

New England Asks: Who Has Fairest Lobster Trap Tree of All?

         Are you a fan of the classic Christmas tree, with its gleaming white lights, tinsel, and delicately hung ornaments? Well, if you said no then I have found the tree for you. The newest trend in Christmas trees in New England is creating lobster trap Christmas trees that are located in the town squares. They are carefully stacked and decorated with lights and lobster buoys. They have been found to stand up to 65 feet tall and have an intense presence in the communities. In Maine, these creations soon turn into competitions, with each community trying to make theirs biggest and better. “Well, we’re the lobstering capital of Maine — we should have a trap tree, said Lorain Francis,” (Bidgood), focuses on the communities competitions. 

       To me this is what Christmas is about, having a fun, community event where everybody gets involved instead of running people over in mall parking lots trying to get the best spot. This adds a unique element to every town, especially because they are only located in New England. Writer, Jess Bidgood, also enjoys this new tradition, writing a fun and festive article that New Englanders will be proud to read about. She knows her audience and uses the holiday season traditions as a base to draw readers in. This holiday article is sure to get you into the spirit of giving. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/us/new-england-asks-who-has-fairest-lobster-trap-tree-of-all.html?_r=1&hp

Bless Me, Ultima (Chapters 1-7)

           First things first, I am pleased with my choice to take Spanish as my second language in high school because it is extremely helpful while reading this book. Unlike some of my other classmates, I enjoy the Spanish phrases, they add a quirkiness to Rudolfo Anaya's novel. The Spanish additions to the novel make it unique, along with its setting in New Mexico, as not many novels are set in the World War II period in a "llano" located in New Mexico. As I keep reading, the Marez'a families customs and habits keep reappearing. The family obviously respects the elderly and when Antonio called "La Grande", Ultima, his mother scolds him along with saying, "It would be a great honor to provide a home for la Grande"(Anaya 4). Another habit that keeps reappearing is when Antonio's parents constantly bicker and fight with each other. Anaya also keeps restating the fact that Antonio's mother was the daughter of farmers, which might be a factor in predicting what Antonio will do in the future. There is a constant appreciation and love for nature seen in the beginning of this book and I believe that this behavior will continue on throughout the book.
           Antonio often describes his dreams and I believe that each dream he has will have a connection to either his past or to his future. Antonio has big expectations to fulfill, his mother wants him to become a priest while his father wishes that Antonio will become a "cowboy" and wander across the llanos, but I believe that he will make his own choice. I also believe that Ultima will have a huge impact on Antonio's decision. He is very adventurous, as seen when he sneaks out and hides in the bushes to see Lupito get shot by his father and a group of men. Antonio's adventurous nature is sure to be a factor in his life choice. There are a lot of things that Antonio must think about before he makes his choice and he has plenty of time, but his brothers off fighting in a war, his parents constant bickering, beginning school, and Ultima's new presence in his life are all factors in his choice.
          I wish I was like Antonio, a carefree, adventurous person with potential to do whatever
they please.  So far, I am enjoying this book tremendously and cannot wait to see Antonio's life play out.

*I Want Snow*

Nation Pauses to Remember Pearl Harbor

            Seventy years ago, 2,400 brave soldiers lost their lives when the Japanese attacked the United States. Today, in honor of these men and the one hundred and twenty men still alive today that survived Pearl Harbor, a moment of silence will occur at 7:55 am. At the Pearl Harbor visitors center in Hawaii over three thousand people will come to witness a rifle salute, wreath presentations, and to honor those who have died. It is sad to say, but the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association is dissolving on December 31 due to the loss of chapter leaders and the gradual loss of its members due to old age. Interviewers are rushing to get their final interviews with the last of the Pearl Harbor survivors.

           It is sad to think about when the final Pearl Harbor survivor dies and then their true memories and stories will be lost for forever. The news writers at CNN.com inform the readers about a solemn memorial service that is sure to be broadcasted on the news. It is a very sad story, but now this day focus' on the constant fight for global peace. Pearl Harbor can serve as a reminder to all about the gloomy past, but then they can look forward to a brighter future. There is so much emotion packed into a very small article and everybody can relate to this story and feel for the amount of lives lost seventy years ago. 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/07/us/pearl-harbor-70th-anniversary/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Sometimes a Purse is Just a Purse

        Seeing a cute handbag while walking down the street is like a seeing a puppy, you gotta have it. What happens when you decide to go on a plane ride and that cute clutch of yours has a gun embroidered on it, not a real gun, an outline of a gun. Well, the TSA will ask you to not bring it on board the flight even though it is not a real or replicated gun. Recently a teenage girl from Virginia was asked to either check her bag or give it up to the TSA agents. She was outraged and believe me, I would be too. The scanners at the airport had mistaken it as a real gun, so precautions were made, but then they saw that it was just a purse and yet they still made her give up her bag. It was just a purse, it couldn't shoot bullets or kill someone, it was an embroidered clutch. 

        The government, especially the TSA, have taken security measures to the extreme and writer, Patrick Smith has taken the sarcastic approach to explaining this unfortunate situation. I enjoyed reading this article because of Smith's sarcastic approach to writing this article. He made fun of TSA calling them, "Department of You Can’t Make This Up" and calling the situation worthy of the, " Hall of Shame ". This situation was ridiculous and should not happen again in the future. 

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/06/sometimes_a_purse_is_just_a_purse/

Student’s Death Turns Spotlight on Hazing

            Hazing kills, its plain and simple, yet it continues to be a major problem at colleges and universities. In November, Robert Champion, a drum major from Florida A&M died and many suspect hazing. "Before they even arrive at Florida A&M University here, the freshmen who are hand-picked for the famous marching band know all about the hazing, an unsanctioned tradition that goes back decades" (Alvarez), and she continues to explain many of the other hazing rituals than have remained constant over the years even after all of the anti-bullying and anti-hazing acts that have been passed. Champion's death is a surprise to many because he was, "a campus celebrity whose position reflects outstanding leadership skills and talent" (Alvarez) and even though the cause of death has not been determined, many people believe that hazing was involved. 

           Writer, Lizette Alvarez, is a concerned citizen who voices her views against hazing. The tone of this piece is very solemn and Alvarez packs this article with tons of emotion. I am thankful to be living in a community where hazing is not tolerated under any circumstances. As a member of the Hanover High School Marching Band, I was shocked to learn that a band acts this way towards other members because the band I am a part of is like a family. Hazing is a cruel way to show someone that you have power over them and I hope that Champion's death sheds some light on this life-treatening issue so no on else has to die because they were, "punched repeatedly by a small group of band members on the bus as part of a hazing ritual, then vomited and passed out" (Alvarez). Hazing needs to stop before another bone is broken or another life is lost. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/us/florida-am-university-students-death-turns-spotlight-on-hazing.html?_r=1

Photoshopped or Not? A Tool to Tell

         Has America become to obsessed with achieving perfection? My answer is yes. Who cares if you skin is not perfect or you are aging? People are becoming obsessed with their looks and achieving perfection when it is impossible and these people are wasting their life worrying about the little things. Photoshop is creating" images, research suggests, [that] contribute to eating disorders and anxiety about body types, especially among young women" (Lohr). For the advertisment business, Photoshop has become one of the most important tools that is used on a daily basis. Now there are new groups, mainly feminist groups, that created a system that can detect if an image has been altered on the computer. It would be a tool to remind people that they do not have to be Photoshopped to be beautiful and all that they see is fake. 

        I enjoyed this article very much because I do not support Photoshop. Though there are things that I would like to change about myself, I am a realists and there is not point to change photos if this is what I look like in person. Steve Lohr is against photoshop and makes it very clear. He supports people who want to set regulations for advertisement firms, so that they cannot Photoshop everything that they produce. Lohr provided great evidence to support his argument against Photoshop. As technology advances, so will peoples quest for perfection and I will let them waste their life away searching for the Fountain of Youth, while I enjoy my glorious life and accept what is.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/29/technology/software-to-rate-how-drastically-photos-are-retouched.html?src=me&ref=general

Obama to pardon two national turkeys for Thanksgiving

       "It’s good to have friends in high places. Especially when you’re a turkey. On Thanksgiving.", this was the perfect "grabber" to start off the light-hearted artcile. It made me laugh and keep on reading the rest of the article. I find it a useless tradition though, why does the President need to pardon two turkeys? Shouldn't he be fixing the budget defecate or bringing home troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. Even though his time could have been used to accomplish more important things, it is an interesting tradition that recently officially started with President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Maybe more turkeys could be donated to the local food bank besides the two that were this year. I think it is a great tradition that could be expanded so it is helpful to the needy, not just for entertainment. 
      Writer, David Nakamura, finds this new tradition very comical and shares his thought with everyone. He writes with everyone in mind, keeping it simple, short, and enjoyable to read. Nakamura informed the reader of every aspect of the tradition and even the  names of the turkeys that were pardoned.  In the short, but sweet article I learned everything there is to know about this silly tradition. I enjoyed this article and would love to read more of Nakamura's pieces. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/44/post/obama-to-pardon-two-national-turkeys-for-thanksgiving/2011/11/23/gIQAcWmbnN_blog.html

What’s in a Name? Ask Google

        Picking out and deciding on a baby name can be one of the most important decisions in life, so why not ask Google because now a days Google has all of the answers. Parents want a name that is unique, but not weird, classy, but not elderly and young, but not trashy. There are many aspects to think about when coming up with a name and Google can help make the decision easier. Google is the go-to spot to make sure that your baby has a beautiful name with no underlying meaning that might be inappropriate or embarrassing for the child. Now, "a small survey on LilSugar, a parenting and pop culture site, found that 64 percent of respondents had Googled their baby’s name before settling on it", so forget those multiple naming books and just create a name then Google it. Uniqueness is now becoming a competition among parents and Google makes sure that no one else has their child name. 
      For someone who likes to imagine their life ten or fifteen years from now, it is fun to think of baby names, but soon you will discover a new name and you will forget about all of the others that you have come up with. Writer, Allen Salkin, has fun writing this article, asking many parents about their adventures when deciding on a name. There are many first hand accounts of parents picking the wrong name or liking a name and Googling only to find out that a sex offender or serial killer has the same name. This was an interesting article, mainly aimed towards pregnant mothers in the process of picking out many different names. When picking a name that your child has to live with for the rest of their lives, you do not want to take any chances, so just Google it before putting it on the birth certificate. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/fashion/google-searches-help-parents-narrow-down-baby-names.html?src=recg

How About Better Parents?

        Instead of blaming things on the bad teachers in our school systems we should also blame the parents. Parents are teachers too, they taught their kids how to read and tie their shoes, they are the children's first teacher outside of a classroom setting. The article informs us that, "Every three years, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or O.E.C.D., conducts exams as part of the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, which tests 15-year-olds in the world’s leading industrialized nations on their reading comprehension and ability to use what they’ve learned in math and science to solve real problems" and America is lagging behind other nations. Now, the O.E.C.D. is also asking the participants how they were raised and what their childhood was like. There were three main findings published including, children who were read to as children had higher scores. Parents who encouraged their children to go to college also scored higher. 
     Thomas L. Friedman's thesis stated, "To be sure, there is no substitute for a good teacher. There is nothing more valuable than great classroom instruction. But let’s stop putting the whole burden on teachers. We also need better parents. Better parents can make every teacher more effective", and I agree. Parents choose the easy way out and blame the teachers when parents should step up and also act like a teacher. Friedman's audience is parents that want to help their children become the best that they can be and he uses simple diction to reach a broader audience. Teachers are a vital part of our country and are hardly even recognized for their work. We should all support teachers and congratulate them on their excellent contributions to children's lives. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-about-better-parents.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general

Facebook Security Breach Raises Concerns

          The Internet is not a safe place and people do not realize that so much of their personal information is venerable to a hacker. There has been recent Facebook hackings that have many worried. There was a, "widespread spam attack on Facebook has caused violent and pornographic images to be posted on some users’ profile pages, representing one of the worst security breaches in the young Web site’s history and raising concerns about its vulnerability to hackers". Facebook is trying to fix the problem, but is saying that no personal information has been taken from the users....yet. Facebook executives promise that keeping their users information private is their top priority. Users were tricked into posting the spam into their browsing bar and clicking "enter", allowing the hackers to log in as that person and post the photos. Now technology professionals are worried that this is not going to be the last attack on Facebook and they could get worse. 
          Writer, Hayley Tsukayama, knows her audience very well, every worried Facebook user in the world and even Tsukayama is worried herself. Facebook is a global company that has many glitches that have been hidden from the public, but are becoming more and more evident. I am worried about my personal information being stolen and I am sure that everyone else is worried as well. All I know is that Facebook needs to fix this problem before people begin to terminate their accounts.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

          Lauren Oliver's first novel, Before I Fall, tells the story of Samantha Kingston, one of the most popular girls at Thomas Jefferson High School in Ridgeview, Connecticut, and how she dies. Sam and her three best friends, Lindsey, Ally, and Elody all leave a party only to get into a fatal car crash on the car ride home. Sam dies, but wakes up the next morning to realize that she is reliving the same day, February 12. On the first day Sam just thinks that it was all a bad dream and that she is going crazy, but then she  relives the same day another six times, learning something new each time she wakes up to face the same day. The outline of this frightful day begins with the four girls on their way to school and they are all matching because it is Cupid Day at their school and they are all competing with each other to see who can receive the most roses. Sam's day continues as she attends her classes, having a chemistry quiz where she cheats off of a classmate, and then she skips seventh period to go to TCBY with Lindsey. Her day continues as they all go to Ally's house to hang out before Kent's party. Sam is very nervous about hanging out with her boyfriend, Rob, after the party because he believes that he is going to get "lucky".  The whole night Lindsey tries to calm Sam down with alcohol and loud music. When they arrive at the party Rob is completely drunk and Sam regrets her decision to go. When trying to leave the party the girls come across a confrontation with the classic "weird girl", Juliet Sykes, but they soon leave the party after dumping beer onto Juliet's head. Sam, Lindsey, Ally, and Elody all jump into the car and drive off and the last thing Sam can remember is looking at the clock, then Lindsey yelling, and finally the car flips off the road, but then Sam wakes up to relive this day seven more times.
              Lauren Oliver knows her audience very well. This is a perfectly written young adult book, aimed towards teenage girls. Before I Fall  begins as any other young adult book normally would, with a girl and her popular friends living the perfect life, but soon the novel takes a gloomy turn. What I thought  would be a very predictable book soon became filled with mysteries as each day something changed in Samantha's life.  Once I read up to Sam reliving her fourth day, it became a little dull and I did not know if I also wanted to keep reliving the same day. Each day Sam tries correct a mistake or learn a valuable lesson in the end, but it does not matter because she is dead. Sam's life is made up of a perfect boyfriend, sex, drinking, smoking, and partying and it is the typical protagonist of a story and I wonder how the novel would have evolved if the main character was a "normal student" or the girl that Sam and her friends always made fun of. The novel's storyline is not very creative, making me think of the movie "Groundhog Day" where a man, just like Sam has to relive a day in his life. The moral of Sam's tragic death is to treat people with respect and to die with no regrets about the life that she has lived. Each of her last days is altered because of a decision that she has made. One day, Juliet is at the party with Sam, the next bight Sam stays over Ally's house and Juliet commits suicide. I would recommend this book to any teenage girl wanting a book that is easy to read, but also makes the reader think about their own life and the decisions that they have made. My favorite quote from this relaxing read happens to be located on the last page reading, " I'm not scared if that's what you're wondering. The moment of death is full of sound and warmth and light, so much light it fills me, absorbs me: a tunnel of light shooting away, arcing up and up and up, and if singing were a feeling it would be this, this light, this lifting, like laughing...the rest you have to find out for yourself" (Oliver 470).

Are Cookbooks Obsolete?

          For a baking fanatic, this made me a little worried. I love my cookbooks and all the stains that they receive from the spilt vanilla or sifted flour. Not all of my recipes lie in a cookbook, some are printed off line and some are in a notebook, so maybe a one stop app for them all could be beneficial. Writer Julia Moskin, begins the piece by describing what ever cook in America will be doing in preparation for thanksgiving. Many of the first cooking apps were more unhelpful than the actual fifty year old cookbook, but then came the tablet. Whether you have Apple of Blackberry's version it does not matter, the cooking apps will soon exterminate the boring, yet extraordinary cookbook.
        Moskin knows her audience very well because they, like her, love to cook or bake. It is an informative  article, listing prices and culinary institutions were their textbooks are now tablets, but it is also persuasive. Throughout the article, I always felt like she was advertising the new apps for cooking or trying to sell her audience the new technology. For now, I will still hold on to my scraps of paper and stained filled baking books because to me they have a lot more character and personality than a iPad.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/dining/are-apps-making-cookbooks-obsolete.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=general&src=me

Remains of War Dead Dumped in Landfill

           What happens when you believe that your loved one was going to be disposed of properly by the government, but then you receive a letter that their remains were dumped into a landfill. This is a little sadistic. Craig Whitlock and Greg Jaffe shed some light on this dirty little secret hidden in a Virginia landfill. From 2003 until 2008, partial remains of deceased soldiers have been cremated and then dumped into a landfill. The Air Force defends their decision by telling the Washington Post that they were only partial remains that could never be identified. Before being cremated the Air Force must attain permission from the soldiers families, but the families were never aware that their loved ones would be disposed of in a landfill like they were garbage. Gari-Lynn Smith was "appalled and disgusted" by the way that her husband’s remains were taken care of. Lynn continued by saying, "My only peace of mind in losing my husband was that he was taken to Dover and that he was handled with dignity, love, respect and honor. That was completely shattered for me when I was told that he was thrown in the trash”. Needless to say, thousands of military families are upset and angry at how the Air Force treated the fallen soldiers that dies for their country. The procedure has since been changed.

         Jaffe and Whitlock are sensitive to the deceased one’s families and support them. The purpose of this article was to inform the public of the government’s mistakes and how they are handling them. Co-writers were disgusted at how the Air Force monitored and responded to the Washington Post’s questions. The persons responsible for their errors were placed under an eighteen-month investigation, but were never fired. This article is packed with emotional testimonies from loved ones, but also is filled with hatred towards the people responsible. These fallen soldiers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and not just tossed away. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/national-security/remains-of-war-dead-dumped-in-landfill/2011/11/09/gIQAz7dM6M_story_1.html

Woman Accuses Cain of Groping; He Denies Charge

         Will we ever see a time in America where a presidential candidate is not surrounded by a controversy? I don't believe so. The most recent scandal involves Republican candidate Herman Cain allegedly groping four women back in the 1990's. My question to these women who all but one have remain anonymous, Why now? I am positive that if he was not running in the election that these women would not have ever come forward. This political article is very informative and its purpose is to inform the public that another women has come forward in this ever growing scandal.
         “Mr. Cain said, ‘You want a job, right?’ ” she said, writers Jim Rutenberg and Michael D. Shear used many quotes from Sharon Bialek, the accuser, in order to show all of the facts. This article is written to inform, but also I find it a little sarcastic. Rutenberg and Shear use simple diction because this article has a very large audience, from a high schooler to a man on his way to work. At this point in time, I believe that everyone is a little annoyed with all of these women and I believe that the past is in the past and should be forgotten about. It has been well over ten years and how do we even know that these women can remember word for word conversation with Herman Cain. 


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/us/politics/woman-accuses-cain-of-groping-he-denies-charge.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

The Arts Bloom in Greece’s Second City

        Right now Greece is in an economic spiral, but in Salonika, which is about 320 miles north of Athens, the economy is thriving. There are new art galleries and nigh clubs opening, along with the International Film Festival being held there this month. Salonika is the cultural capitol of Greece and is drawing in the youth to come celebrate its success. The city, " Punctuated by palm trees and relics of antiquity, mazelike city streets open to century-old marketplaces, where ripe produce, freshly dismembered livestock and an extravagance of spices still form the city’s commercial heart", is capturing the hearts of travelers from around the world. There is also the nonprofit Dynamo Project Space, where new artists can go and become inspired. There are nightclubs on every block and the youth enjoys the joyous atmosphere that surrounds them. Maybe the capitol should listen to Koureas Grigoris who said, " “It’s better to have a place full of people who want to be out and listen to the music. Not everything’s about money".
         Writer Charly Wilder wants to show her readers that not all of Greece is in economic turmoil. Wilder's audience is the youth who have only seen the destruction of governments and economic recessions. The purpose of this article is to explore the wonderful city of Salonika and display everything that is has to offer. The article acted like a brochure, explaining some of the city's "hot spots" to visit. Wilder kept the article upbeat and filled with excitement to contrast the many negative articles written about Greece lately.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/travel/salonika-greeces-cultural-capital.html?pagewanted=1&ref=travel

Is the Era of the Motorcycle Over?

           I am not a fan of motorcycles; they are loud, unsafe, and occasionally tacky. From the first paragraph I knew that the author was a proud owner of four motorcycles and was certainly going to be biased, but the article took an unexpected turn. Frederick Seidel made the argument that the motorcycle industry is losing its customers to Apple. Motorcycles are now mainly for middle-ages men and Apple, "It’s their operating speeds that thrill. Young people cut a bella figura on their electronic devices". Seidel says that fifty years ago it was cool to own a motorcycle and now they are losing to Apple, so will Apple lose its customers to another product fifty years in the future? I don't think that will ever happen in my lifetime, but Seidel's argument made me realize that in the economy, companies benefit from others losses.
        Seidel's audience would be middle-aged men who enjoy motorcycles, and like him are disappointed by the younger generations loss of interest in them. His article mainly focused on the industry and how it is losing customers to Apple, but also to comment on the new Ducati motorcycle, debuting this week in Italy. His goal through this article is to get the younger generation interested in motorcycles, but for us a motorcycle would not be affected for our everyday lives. A motorcycle is a luxury item, when a computer is now a necessity for today's young adults.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/opinion/sunday/is-the-iphone-replacing-the-motorcycle.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Before I Fall

Falling Crime, Teeming Prisons

        The number of people in jail is increasing, while the crime rate is decreasing. The relationship was confusing at first, but then it made sense. The crime rate is decreasing because everyone who committed the crime is in jail, overpopulating the prisons. "The United States has 5 percent of the world’s population, yet 25 percent of the world’s prisoners.", this is pathetic. Is this because of incompetent parents, the area which we grew up in, or the bad economy? There are many factors that could affect this statistic, but none are mentioned in this article. "Spending on prisons has reached $77 billion a year" and now we have to wonder if we really want our tax dollars to be spent on criminals that probably have never paid into our government because they are spending life in prison. Prisons are now being used as a, "warehouse for people with drug or alcohol addiction", with less than half of the inmates being charged with a violet crime. We need prison reform.
      The New York Times editorial is very informative and influential. They want prison reform very badly and expressed everything in a short, but strong manner. I would not want to be the one in charge of prison reform, but this problem will not go away overnight. Prison reform was put on the back burner because of the weak economy, but its now or never to fix this ever-growing problem.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opinion/sunday/falling-crime-teeming-prisons.html?src=recg

Can you become addicted to anything?

          Are you addicted to exercise? Addicted to food? Addicted to gambling? Researchers are proving that people can become addicted to anything that heightens the pleasure area of the brain.They are now examining brain scans from multiple tests, one being involved in women addicted to money. The scans proved that the women were happier when they received money, but also when they gave it to charity. The more money they received, the happier that they became. Rats are common "test dummies" and were used in an experiment involving cocaine. Drugs such as cocaine, lite up the pleasure centers and actually rewired the brain to increase cravings. You can compared the normal brain scans to the one addicted to cocaine and tell the difference, the addicted one's is lite up like the Fourth of July. Now doctors are considering if people can also become addicted to exercise. With the information they have now, the answer is pointing to yes because exercise releases endorphins and other "happy" brain chemicals and people become addicted to that happy feeling.
         Writer, Nicholas D. Kristof, is a very informative, but light - hearted writer. He jokes about his own possible addiction to exercise and keeps the tone light and enjoyable. He himself does now make any predictions about what future results might be, but is convinced that people can become addicted to anything. I found this article enjoyable to read and very interesting. I would like to see some of these brain scans to see for myself if people can really be addicted to anything.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opinion/sunday/kristof-addicted-to-exercise.html?src=recg

You want to Track Me? Here you go, F.B.I.

         Imagine being followed by the government? Your every move is noted and every person you meet is open to investigation. This is Hasan M. Elahi life. When traveling back to America, he was questioned for months by the F.B.I., accusing him of having explosives and asking him where he was on September 12, 2001. Luckily, Elahi had his phone which had his schedule with detailed accounts of his daily events. He used this, and passing polygraph exams, to convince the F.B.I. that he was not a threat. So once he was cleared an agent told him to call whenever he was planning on flying, Elahi agreed, but he went one step further. Elahi set up a website with a complete schedule of his entire life, complete with picture of the places he had been, the flight number of every plane ride, satellite images of him walking down a street, and more. Elahi wanted to make sure that he was never accused of anything like this again.
       Elahi compares his website to Facebook because they both have picture and "status updates", but his site came first. Elahi is very brave to tell this story because many people could read the first three line and think that he is a terrorist, but that is not the case. He tone is a little sarcastic when talking about the F.B.I. and how they can now watch his every move. I find it a little creepy that he set up this website with pictures and wrote about his whereabouts in such detail. Anybody could see this information and what happens when a crazy person gets their hands on this kind of personal information, it's scary. I would never set up a website like this, but it seemed to work out for Elahi.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opinion/sunday/giving-the-fbi-what-it-wants.html?_r=2

At Elite Schools, Easing Up a Bit on Homework

           We all know the burden of  homework and the toll that it takes on our stress levels. I am not a fan of homework and get very stressed out about it almost everyday. Lisa Waller, director of the high school at Dalton, is a very smart women. She understands the stress that homework puts on the elite students and focus' on the importance of sleep. It a very common thing to hear someone talking in the hallway about how they stayed up until two am finishing a paper. I am a fan of sleeping, if I could I would never wake up, but that is just not realist. I am so happy that someone is realizing how important sleep is to an average, stressed out high school student. "Denise Pope...looked at 496 students at one private and one public school and found that those with more than 3.5 hours of homework a night had an increased risk of physical and mental health issues, like sleep deprivation, ulcers and headaches", this is not a situation worth continuing. It gets worse, "In a separate study of 26 schools, Ms. Pope said, 67 percent of more than 10,000 students reported that they were “often” or “always” stressed out.", and this number will not decrease unless action takes place. Now I am not complaining about HHS workload a whole lot, especially compared to some of the elite New York private schools mentioned, but teachers never seem to understand that many other teachers give homework as well and soon it all piles up into a stack so high that a student is buried by their homework.
       Jenny Anderson, from the New York Times, seems to be a very understanding women. She sides with the students, believing that too much stress on a young student can cause some serious damage. Her target audience is students because they will agree with her beliefes. It was a nice article, with simple sentences, interesting statistics and a clear point of view. All school's should follow this trend of less homework in hopes for more sleep.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/education/24homework.html?pagewanted=2&ref=general&src=me

To the unavoidable death and taxes, add airline fees

        Are you serious? Continental Airlines charges a $50 service fee to refund a deceased person's ticket. First you will need to contact the airline's refund department, then provide a death certificate, and finally give a credit card number. Is America becoming too greedy and ignoring people's feelings? I know that some people will try and create schemes to make money off the airlines and that is why airlines need to be careful, but a fee for a dead person, that is a little extreme. Airlines are charging a fee wherever they can to make a profit in these hard economic times.
        Mitch Lipka is a caring writer who sympathizes with this concerned reader who first complained about the fee. He supports this person who is clearing going through a tough time in their life. Lipka's sarcastic view of the airlines is apparent in the quote, "A lot of businesses, the airlines certainly among them, are much better at taking money than giving it back". I support Lipka, airlines can fee for overweight bags and changing your seat, but not for a death.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2011/10/15/unavoidable-death-and-taxes-add-airline-fees/SlbKIvPQ6I3hs9Qba10mlL/story.html

Why Europe matters to Mass

        As if we didn't have enough to worry about, now we have to worry about Europe's economy too. Massachusetts and Europe's has various economic ties one of them being, "Heat Trace Products LLC, a Leominster manufacturer of cables for heating and cooling, weathered the 2008 recession by finding international markets for its products. Today, Europe accounts for more than one-third of its sales", that would be a huge loss if Europe's economy fell, impacting many towns close to our own. Europe also invests a lot of their money into Massachusetts mainly in tourism, "European tourists account for nearly half of all spending by international visitors to the state." Even if Europe's economy shifts slightly the people of Massachusetts might feel the crunch on our own economy. Even though our local news stations might only focus on the declining economy here in America, we should also pay attention to the international economies that could impact us in a big way. We would be foolish to care only about our own economy.
        Author Megan Woolhouse is not foolish. She knows that our own hometown economy is very important, but to also look at the big picture and not be as close minded. With the whole world in a recession, we need to focus on how to help everyone because every countries economy impacts another. Woolhouse is an informative writer who wants to change the minds of people who only care about America. The world is like an ecosystem, if one country fails, we all fail.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2011/10/15/mass-feels-repercussions-europe-falters/giIZZkdjl3EUwuLZeYOhZL/story.html

States Adding Drug Test as Hurdle for Welfare

           America is in a bad economic state right now and we need to take precautions to make sure that our money is going towards people that really need it and not to people who spend it on illegal drugs. A supporter of this new idea that the government should drug test people that collect aid says, “Working people today work very hard to make ends meet, and it just doesn’t seem fair to them that their tax dollars go to support illegal things", and as someone who has money taken out every week from my paycheck I want my money to be spent wisely. At times America was naive to think that no one collecting money used it to buy illegal drugs, but as the budget got tighter the government needed to make sure that the taxpayers money was not being wasted. The largest debate was, "Money has also been an issue — the sides dispute whether the savings in unpaid benefits will eclipse the spending on administration, including the cost of testing." and that is a valid point. The government should look into the annual cost of testing to see if it will actually cut down on costs or just add on to the growing deficit.
     Writer, A.G. Sulzberger, is a very informative writer that presents both sides of the story. He wrote this article to inform Americans that their money would not be given to drug addicts in this recession. Many say that this new bill is stereotyping low-income families, but they should not take offense to this if they have nothing to hide. Sulzberger uses many facts, numbers, statistics, and dates to inform his readers. Towards the end of the article, Sulzberger points out that not everyone admits to recent drug use on forms that they fill out for the government so we could never get an accurate account of how much money the government would save. Sulzberger does not know if the bill will pass in Congress, but for right now it is just a heated debate.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/us/states-adding-drug-test-as-hurdle-for-welfare.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&src=un&feedurl=http://json8.nytimes.com/pages/national/index.jsonp

My Mother Never Worked

          "Do you believe that a homemaker who has never been a wage earner should be entitled to a Social Security death benefit for her survivor's?" I do believe that parents who stay at home should receive a death benefit because they are up in the morning getting the children ready for school and then they get to work on all of the housework. Their day starts early and ends far beyond five o'clock like any other average American worker. They are the ones stuck at home with a never ending list of things to accomplish. These stay at home parents raise the children, teaching them their first words and showing them how to make a bed. This is much more important than being a car salesman. Mothers and some fathers across the nation are raising the next generation of hard working Americans, that is a lot of pressure. My mother does much more in a day than an accountant. She wakes up at six to feed the dogs, horses, and cats and then gets to work on cleaning stalls, grooming the horses, walking the dogs, going to the grocery store, doing loads upon loads of laundry, and then on top of all of that she also has to drive all around town picking up and dropping off her three daughters at various after school activities. To add onto that her husband is a merchant marine and gone for six months of the year. She is a single parent for six months of the year and has to balance a lot and the government is telling her that she won't receive a death benefit? Ridiculous. Welcome to America.

Hiring Locally for Farm Work Is No Cure-All

     All day, every day you hear about the recession and unemployment rate that will not seem to go down, but when American workers are offered a job on a farm most of them quit by their lunch break. Many said that the work was too hard for only earning $10.50 an hour. To me this is pathetic. Colorado onion farmer, John Harold, thought that instead of hiring foreign farmers to harvest the crops this summer he would hire some locals that were out of work. He and many other farms who decided to help out the local economy made a bad business move. These American workers were complaining that they were unemployed and when a summer job presented itself they took it, only to quit six hours into it. Are Americans becoming that wimpy? Many politicians are complaining that we are sending jobs overseas, if they want to fix the problem they might need to talk to their states residents to tell them that work is not suppose to be easy, that is why it is called WORK.
      Author, Kirk Johnson, is very upset with America's work ethic. He believes that Americans are lazy and complain all the time and I have to agree with him. He said, "Still, Mr. Mattics said, he can’t help feeling that people have gotten soft. " and Johnson supports this viewpoint. Johnson's audience is most likely unemployed Americans and he wants to make the point that you might need to get a minimum wage paying job now and just deal with it until a better opportunities arises. Johnson also brings up the immigration debate because John Harold does hire Mexicans for the summer through a government run program. The American government is allowing Mexicans into America for six months to work on farms and do all of the jobs that American's laugh at, this is wrong. What happened to the days when Americans were proud to grow the food that they eat because it looks like it is long gone and no one seems to care.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/us/farmers-strain-to-hire-american-workers-in-place-of-migrant-labor.html?_r=2

Busted On Brooklyn Bridge

          Would you ever join a protest? Thousands of people did last Saturday on the Brooklyn Bridge, protesting against bank bailouts. The protests have been going on since September 17th and are most likely to continue on until elected officials acknowledge the problem. The group of protesters are marching up and down Wall Street trying to get their point across. The protests are gaining a lot of media attention, " I saw at least a couple dozen camera crews, reporters and photographers"( Page 1), which helps the protesters get their point across to even a larger audience. I am with the protesters, Why should banks be bailed out when the nation has a 9.1% unemployment rate (google public data explorer)? One protester said, " If the cops arrest 100 people, it’s the best thing they could do for us" because he knows that the more attention that is received, the better the chance of getting what he wants.
          Justin Elliott, a writer for Salon.com, is on the protester's side. He is not afraid to go on the protester's journey from Wall Street all the way down to the Brooklyn Bridge. Elliot's language is simple and easy to read, flowing from sentence to sentence. His audience is mainly people on their way to work, reading on the bus or subway, in his attempt to keep his fellow New Yorkers in the loop about what is going on right outside their doorstep. Elliott used the cover of this week's Wall Street Journal to back up his thesis. I don't believe in violence over simple things, but these people have been forgotten by their elected representatives and it was time that they stood up for themselves.

http://politics.salon.com/2011/10/02/occupy_wall_st_saturday/