Reflection #4 - Prom

So this year's prom was certainly interesting. We can start with the stupid rules and my date. So I have a friend from GMU, and I was going to go with him to prom. He had asked me a while ago, and I said we could go as friends. here's the problem, he is 21. Apparently that is against the rules. So, my mom called the school and several friends tried to help as well, but nope, he isn't allowed to go to the dance. Problem number two, I already said I would go with him, so I couldn't really ask anyone else, even though I wanted to. :( So, I go to pictures and dinner with him and the dance all by myself. The other thing that made prom this year not so great was that I hurt my knee on Monday. So, there I was at my senior prom with no date, and a busted knee that I couldn't really dance on. However, the evening as a whole, wasn't bad. I had a bunch of great friends there that were all very sweet and took turns sitting, and trying to dance, with me. I still got to get all dolled up and overall had a good time. Oh well, it wasn't as much fun as it could have been, but still a pretty darn good night after all.

Current Event #4 - Mandy Moore

This week I chose an article from the Washington Post. However, it still has to do with the entertainment Industry. My article, Mandy Moore gets back to basics on new CD, is about the good girl image of Mandy Moore and how accurate that image really is.  Most of her songs are targeted toward tweens, but the article shows some hidden meanings in the lyrics that suggest her songs are not all flowers and bunny rabbits. For example in the song “I Could Break Your Heart Every Day of the Week,” there are lyrics talking about squeezing the life out of someone. This shows that people don’t really listen to songs for the lyrics, but mostly for the music. However, Moore is perfectly happy to keep her good girl label. She takes it as a compliment that people think she is good. However, she does have lyrics and songs that are a little edgier. She says none of it is meant to be taken seriously. She just let out a little of her more sassy side. Her newest album takes inspiration from Joni Mitchell and Paul and Lunda McCartney. She claims it is a kind of folk-pop-rock fusion. In conclusion Many Moore talked about one other influence that affected her album. She recently married Ryan Adams, a indie singer-wongwriter, and, although he didn’t directly contribute to the album, she claims he influenced her by just being around her.

I picked this article because I had no idea Mandy Moore even sang. I always thought she was just an actress, so I figured I would find out a little more about her singing career. It turns out I didn’t know about it because her main audience is young teens and preteens, or tweens, as the press has started calling them. Anyway, the article was mildly interesting, but I think I was perfectly happy to remain in the dark about Mandy Moore’s life outside acting.

Reflection #3 - College Orientation

This past Sunday through Tuesday was my college orientation. Driving down, I was a little nervous because I had no idea what to expect. They did not print a schedule, so I didn't even know what I would be doing for the next two and a half days. I checked in around 8:30 Sunday night, and some of the student leaders invited me to come back down and socialize. I wasn't feeling great after the seven hour car ride, but I decided I should make an effort to meet people. We all watched a movie and headed to bed. The next day the real orientation schedule started. We had a little tour of the campus. Then we met with advisors to work out our schedules. The whole first day was pretty fun, and I even made some friends. That night, around 8:00, we were given some free time, so we decided to play some ultimate frisbee. It was really fun. Then, I was jumping up to catch a pass in the end zone, when a guy behind me jumped up to try and block it and ended up colliding with me. We both fell down, and I hurt my knee. I was on crutches all the next day, and I have to go to physical therapy for at least the next month. All in all, it was a good trip. I just hope that isn't an average day at Appalachian State University.

Current Event #3 - The Colbert Report

I think it is awesome that Colbert is doing this for the troops. I hope that it goes over well, and they think it is funny. The last thing I want is for him to accidently insult or offend the troops. I think it is good that he picked a relevant topic to focus his show around, but that means he has to be careful what he makes fun of. It is always hard to make comedy out of serious issues. The article, “Colbert to broadcast four Shows from Baghdad,” caught my attention because I am a fan of his show, The Colbert Report. It turns out Stephen Colbert will actually be traveling to the former Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory to record some of his shows. The shows are each going to be taped in front of about four hundred and fifty troops. The shows are even being marketed under the name, “Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando.” Colbert is a strong supporter of the troops in real life, so he translates a lot of that into his character on the show. The trip was actually brought up by a guest on the show, former Assistant Secretary of Defense Bing West. After he was done talking about the presidential campaigns he decided to follow up on the invitation to Iraq. Now, Stephen Colbert, and thirty staff, is going to where to troops are to give them a taste of life back home. He spent a little while going through very basic training, and is bringing several care packages for the troops with him. The show is going to focus on the declining attention paid to the United States troops oversees and the war in Iraq1 He doesn’t really know what to expect when he gets there. He said he isn’t nervous about the danger issue, but is nervous about giving a good show for the troops.

Reflection #2 - Pops Concert

I have been meaning to go to a chorus concert for years, but other than Cabaret I haven't been able to. Last night I realized what I have been missing. It was awesome. The first number was good, but sort of hard to understand. I think it was because there were so many people. I had no idea chorus was that big. The following songs were awesome, including some amazing solos performed by seniors. After the intermissoin, Mr. Vanslyke performed a solo. It turns out he is a professoinal singer in New York, so, naturally, it was good. I did feel bad for him though when he messed up on the panio. He hit a couple of wrong notes, but he recovered well. The concert was longer than I had expected, but was well worth the time. The last song was so sad, and I know I saw several of the seniors crying. All I have to say is, Great Job Chorus!

Current Event #2 - Terminator Salvation

Last week I wrote about Hugh Jackman and his movie, Wolverine. Well, Christian Bale is just as hot, so I figured I would write about his new action flick as well. The article begins with when Bale first received the script for the new movie. He initially said “no.” However, director McG wouldn’t take no for an answer. He flew to London, even though he is scared of flying, to convince Bale to take the job. Bale still said no, so McG fell back on his last option, he begged Bale to take a chance on him. So, even though he was advised against it, Bale said he would do the movie.
Now, after production, Bale has to deal with the press. Unfortunately not all the questions will focus on the movie. Instead there will be questions regarding the actor’s temper and an incident of forceful language. On set, Bale yelled at a crew member who crossed through his sightline during an intense scene of the movie. He later apologized for the profanity saying, “It was unacceptable. I went too far. And I learned from it.'' The question now is; what kind of effect will this blowup have on the star’s popularity? Personally, I think it will take a lot more than a four minute rant to damage Christian Bale’s reputation.

Reflection #1 - College Orientation Registration

So I was registering for orientation a couple weeks ago and I had to write an essay after picking my choices for the Honors Courses. It was just a little annoying because I already wrote essays to get into the honors program. The prompt was stupid too, "What are you intellectually curious about...?" I don't really know if I responded the way they wanted me to, (I wrote about global warming and the environment) but I guess I don't really care. It was my mother that pushed me to do the whole honors thing anyway. Plus, I was already accepted. Also there was the section that made me chose classes, and that freaked me out a little. I couldn't even find course descriptions online, so I just picked what sounded interesting. When I called the orientation office, they said it wasn't a big deal and we would finalize our schedule when we got to orientation, so I'm not too worried about it. I am a little disappointed because I don't think I will get in the housing that I want. I applied for this special interest housing for people that like the outdoors, but when I called, they said they had over fifty applicants for around twenty spots. Oh well, I guess I can always apply next year.

Current Event #1 - Wolverine

‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’: Summer Movie Preview

I found an article in Entertainment Weekly (shown left haha) that focused on Hugh Jackman, who I love, so naturally I decided to use it as my current event. The article is an inside look at the movie, and it focuses on Hugh Jackman’s role as wolverine. Even before filming, Jackman had to spend months getting in shape for the role of wolverine. It is important for him that the movie, and his role in it, to be a hit, so he can solidify his fan base. The movie is a spin-off of the X-Men trilogy, and it tells the origin story of wolverine from childhood. The film encountered some problems during shooting in Sydney. One problem happened in March, when an unfinished copy of the movie was leaked online. A source estimated that Fox would lose “tens of millions of dollars.” The film was missing some footage and most of the special effects, but it still cut into the viewing base. Fox is working with the FBI to find the person responsible for leaking the film, but they have not been successful. Even so, Jackman has remained in good spirits and is doing what he can to keep the film on track to be a blockbuster hit. It is important for the film to do well because it has a reported budget of over $165 million, higher than any of the previous X-Men movies.
When I first saw the movie, I had no idea the movie had been leaked before its release, so I learned something new about the movie through that. The article provides a good description of the film, which is character driven, but with a lot of action. I enjoyed the movie, but there were definitely some parts that were flawed. I am not a comic book reader, but I would be interested to find out how true to the marvel comic version of wolverine’s origins the film is. The basic story of him as a child especially might have been different. I think they could have done a lot more about his history, but they wanted to get into the action part of the movie. Also, he stops aging around forty, and that is never explained. There are many problems with the plot of the movie caused by some holes and unexplained circumstances, but it is a fun movie to enjoy for the action.

Editorial #5

The article I chose this week is entitled, Separation Anxiety, and it focuses on gay rights. The editorial focuses specifically on gay Americans whose partners are not citizens of the country. As it stands now, “foreign partners of American citizens are unable to use the family immigration system, which accounts for a majority of the green cards and immigrant visas granted annually by the United States.” The Uniting American Families Act, which was introduced to both the House and Senate last month, would change the immigration system to include gay partners. In the new system, “permanent partner” and “permanent partnership” would be added after the words “spouse” and “marriage.” This would allow gay Americans the opportunity to stay with their partner. The article concludes by discussing more in detail the problems with the system the way it is now. It says that many gay couples are forced to choose between their country and their partner. Others take a third option, staying in the country illegally. This is wrong, and the Uniting American Families Act, if passed, will change this.
I agree with everything in this article. The fact that gay couples are not allowed to get married in many states is wrong, but this bill is at least a step in the right direction. What many people do not think about is how much marriage can affect a couple. It isn’t just getting to call the other person your husband or wife, there are many legal factors as well. The Uniting American Families Act rights one of the wrongs done to gay couples, but there are still many others waiting to be fixed. Wrongs such as not being able to make medical decisions, death benefits, and adoption are all unfair processes when it comes to gay rights. Those that fight against gay marriage should take time to consider what they are forcing those people to give up.

Editorial #4

This week I chose the Washington Post editorial “Science Over All?” Author Yuval Levin questions President Barack Obama’s stand on stem cell research. The President recently announced his policy on federal funding of stem cell research, but failed to address the ethical issues behind it. Instead, Obama concentrated on the scientific side of things. Obama’s stand was based on the promise of science and he said his administration would “make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology.” Obama signed an executive order that promised ethical guidelines, but would leave it to the National Institutes of Health to actually define what the guidelines will be. Levin criticizes Obama’s decision on scientific policy being left to scientists by saying that it is a combination of science and politics. He claims it is the government’s (and Obama’s) responsibility to consider the countries morals and ethics before making any policy. If a government fails to do this, Levin claims “an increasing proportion of public concerns [are being] kept beyond the reach of democracy.” He concludes by saying that science policy does require the help of scientists to clarify complex details of the subject material, but the policy should be based on priorities and worldviews. Science policy should be just like any other governmental decision, and it should stay in the government.
Levin is right is some ways because the countries moral and ethical opinions should be represented in the making of scientific decisions on policy. However, I believe Obama addressed this a little more than Levin gives him credit for. What I believe Obama was really saying is that he believes that using embryos for scientific research is ethical. He did not have to specifically state that in his executive order because it was implied. That may not be the view of the general public, but as President, he has the power to rule that the scientific benefits outweigh the importance of public opinion.

Editorial #3

This week I chose a Washington Post editorial entitled Red Ink and Raises. It focuses mostly on the firefighters union and Montgomery County’s budget plan. John Sparks, who heads the union, is not willing to give up the four percent salary increase that was due to firefighters this year as a cost-of-living adjustment. However, the county Executive Isiah Leggett is refusing to approve the pay increase in the tight budget. The budget is currently in a 450 million dollar deficit, so other county employees such as teachers and school officials agreed to forfeit their pay increases this year. The firefighters union wants to keep it’s increase, costing the county an unnecessary seven million dollars. This alone would not be a big deal, except that it could cause other unions to change their mind and demand their raises as well. This puts Isiah Leggett in a rough spot because he can not grant the firefighters their request with out angering other unions. He has the choice to either refuse to fund the cost-of-living adjustments or risk fiscal calamity.

My first reaction to this article was surprise. I think it was very generous of all of the employees that did agree to give up their cost-of-living adjustment salary increase this year. However, I do not like the way the article makes the firefighters look. They have a right to demand that increase, and some of them might really need it. I understand all the problems that it is causing, but they risk their lives to save others and deserve to be compensated for it. I also do not think it is fair to judge firefighters as a whole, because it is the union and its representatives that are causing the problem. I look forward to reading later articles to discover the outcome of Montgomery County’s budget, and how the firefighters were affected.

Editorial #2

This week I chose another article that focuses on the new stimulus package. It was written by Ruth Marcus, a journalist who currently writes an op-ed column for the Washington Post. She was also a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in commentary. The article begins with the stimulus debate, which ended up losing more Democratic votes than it gained Republican ones. Seven Democrats chose to vote against the bill, while only three Republicans voted for it. The Republicans are maintaining a fairly united front against the bill. This is helped along by the peer pressure other party members are putting on those who support the stimulus. Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins said, “The reaction against those of us who negotiated and endorsed the package is really harsh.” The pressure was so great that even Republicans that were “leaning yes” changed their mind when it came time to actually cast the vote. This stand against the President’s stimulus bill shows that the Republican Party still holds some power in the government. As for the three Republicans that voted in favor of the bill, they made it impossible to blame the entire party for the consequences of not passing the bill. The Republicans in the Senate face a tough two years, and they will probably look back on this as the good times of Republican unity.
I found this article interesting because I never thought that peer pressure could play such a major role in the Senate. I remember learning about the whips and how they supposedly kept Senators and Representatives voting within party lines, but I had never heard of a specific example. The story of the “party’s chief deputy whip” standing near a senator, that was leaning yes, during the vote and making him vote no really stuck with me. Hopefully the Republicans will not have such success with future bills.

Editorial #1

For this week’s current event I chose to read the editorial “Why I Support the Stimulus,” by Arlen Specter, a Republican Senator from Pennsylvania. The article stressed the importance of government action by focusing on issues like unemployment and earnings reports, which have been bad recently. Senator Specter also discussed the “moderates” bill, saying that it retained the new jobs and tax relief goals while cutting back on less important provision. The article supports the Senator’s version of the bill, saying it creates four million jobs and cuts one hundred and ten billion dollars from the previous version. Some concerns that are expressed include less money for Title I education programs. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi especially objected to the lack of money left for education. In terms of Health funding, both the House and Senate have included billions of dollars in funding for programs that deal with wellness and prevention. The “moderates” bill cuts this funding because “such programs are better left to the regular appropriations process.” The Pennsylvania Senator concludes by saying that the “moderates” bill does a good job of balancing the concerns of both right and left wing with the need for immediate action.
I agree with most of what Senator Specter is saying, but there are parts of the editorial I disagree with. The unemployment rates are the worst they have been in years, and many companies are reporting either very low, or even negative earnings reports. These are all signs of how bad the current economic recession is doing. I think that a lot of compromise will be necessary to get the bill passed quickly in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but I do not necessarily agree with what should be compromised on. I think health care should be left to the regular appropriations process, but education should receive money in the stimulus package.

Political Cartoon #5

This cartoon is basically saying that President Bush did a bad job while in office. He destroyed or "burned" many of the institutions of the United States Government and is leaving Obama to clean it up. I find it especially ironic that the environment is a burned tree. The cartoon also shows how much re-building Obama will have to do while in office. The speech bubble, "I'll pass the torch in juuust a minute...," serves to show that Bush is still doing damage in the last month of his last term. What he is burning is important because it is "Business Regulation" which represents a lot of the current problems with the economy. The torch, and the passing of it, represent the presidency, and it implies that the country will be safer if the flames are in the hands of President-elect Barack Obama.

Political Cartoon #3

This political cartoon is making fun of the incident when a shoe (or rather pair of shoes) was thrown at President Bush. This shows how disliked our curent president is in the world and the extent people will go to to insult him. In this cartoon the many shoes being thrown at Bush represent the actual shoe that was thrown at him, but also they represent the much larger issue of his inadequacy in the role of President. It is important to note that Bush is not trying to dodge these shoes, but instead closing his eyes, cowering, and hoping for the best.

Political Cartoon #4

This cartoon goes along with the new year. It shows an hourglass as the last number of 2008, and in it, a drowning man in the sand. This man represents the United States and how it has fared this past year. Looking back the "2008" represents all the bad things that happpened last year, and the hourglass shows the effect they had on the United States. The man is drowning in the sand because of all the problems that have come up over the course of the year, and the United States' inability to deal with them properly.