Out of the Woods

Joel Achenbach, in his article Out of the Woods: Today’s Kids Can’t See the Forest for the MTV, makes a plead to parents to get their children out of the house and into nature. His thesis is that, “Children need to get in touch with their inner animals.”, meaning that he wants parents to show their children how enjoyable and good nature can be for them. He starts off the article by referencing a new book, Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv. He does this to bring in the reader’s attention and prove credibility through the use of a legitimate source. From there he goes on to explain the issue at hand: that the children of today have no desire or relation to nature. He then continues by pulling the reader in farther by relating the Nintendo and MTV society of today to the society that his intended audience grew up in. By using this comparison between the society of today and the society that the parents grew up in, he is able to help the readers understand the drastic differences and the issues that come along with them. He talks about everything from “lazy summer days” to his deciding to build a swimming pool as a child. He uses these relatable experiences to help his intended audience understand the situation. He finishes the article by explaining how he himself lives by his thesis. He explains that he always does his best to get his children out of the house-whether they’re helping him weed or going on a hike. Overall, this was a well-written article that was not only credible, but also relatable and interesting for his target audience.

Why You Should Own a Pair of Toms

            In 2006, Blake Mycoskie founded a shoe company called TOMS. With this he also founded his One for One movement. This meant that for every pair of shoes that was purchased, Mycoskie would donate one pair of shoes to a child in need. This movement is important because soil-transmitted diseases, which can get to skin through bare feet, is a leading cause of disease in developing countries. These shoes protect the children from getting cuts and sores, which are painful and can lead to infection. It also helps the children get an education because, for the most part, children can not attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they cannot go to school, they cannot get the education they so desperately need. As of September 2010, TOMS has given over 1,000,000 shoes to children in need all over the world. TOMS are given to children on an ongoing basis through their Shoe Giving Sponsors (humanitarian organizations throughout the world who have teamed up with the TOMS company). They also go on TOMS Giving Trips where people throughout the TOMS company go directly to the countries in need and size and put the shoes directly on the children’s feet. This is the main reason that I believe everyone should own a pair of TOMS. Not only do you get a pair of shoes, but so does a child that truly needs a pair. In addition, TOMS come in many colors and styles for you to chose from. There are 12 different styles for both men and women and countless colors and patterns that you can pick. Overall, TOMS are worth purchasing not only for the comfort and style, but also for the impact that they have on children in need all over the world.

Why the Music Industry Hates Guitar Hero

In Jeff Howe’s Why the Music Industry Hates Guitar Hero, he shows the need for change in the relationship between the music industry and music videogame companies. He explains that music videogames have become an industry of their own by pulling in over $2.3 billion in the last three years. He also explains that the music industry, specifically Edgar Bronfman who is the CEO of the Warner Music Group has been fighting this newfound industry to attain more money that they believe they are owed for the usage of their licensed music. It is clear that this article is overall aimed at consumers-those who actually purchase and use things such as the games in question and who also purchase music. It is aimed at them to show and explain to consumers the problem and the possible solutions for this war of sorts that is currently occurring between the two industries.

Howe begins the article by making a clear presentation of the problem at hand and presenting his argument that this war is “a fight that no one can win”. He goes on to back his argument by making a comparison. He compares this situation to what happened with Hollywood and the VCR years ago, a comparison that the audience (tech savvy consumers who read the magazine Wired, that this article is featured in) will understand and be able to relate to. He then goes on to suggest a potential solution-that the music videogames use cover version of songs from the Warner catalog. However, he explains that CEO Bronfman has already blocked this potential move out of fear that there will be a repeat of when the record labels “got ripped off when MTV was sold in 1985” and then again when Apple denied them control over pricing on iTunes. He goes on to show that Bronfman’s feelings on the issue can be understood by making a comparison to how the football league collects 30 percent of gross revenue on Electronic Art’s Madden NFL (another comparison that readers will surely be able to relate to). From here, he takes his final stance explaining, “there’s better money to be made by playing together” and proposes his potential solution. He does this by giving a fairly detailed explanation of what he has in mind and backing it up with an example of a case study.

Overall, he explains and makes it clear that this suggested reinvention would stop “petty haggling over fees” and bring the music industry in to this century. He brings the reader in by showing how important it is for a change between the two industries and backs it up with relatable examples and scenarios. He brings it together by providing a possible and reasonable solution, with information and a relatable case study to back it up. Howe did an excellent job with this article.

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Italy

            Out of all the places I have been privileged to travel to, Italy has been my favorite. There are five main reasons why I love Italy, and you should too. First of all, for the cities and towns themselves. Each city and town has a different atmosphere and it is interesting to see how the old and the modern architecture come together. Rome, for instance, is full of bustling streets and stylish shops but if you take a second to look around you can notice all of the history that is has to offer (such as the forum, Palatine hill, and the Colosseum). Every place you can visit has different and unique specialties to offer. The second reason is for the food. Whether you go to a fancy restaurant or a very inexpensive one, you will almost always be served a meal that is delicious and was prepared with skill. For example, the pizzas are usually baked in a wood-burning stove. The most famous pizza is the Italian Pizza Margherita, which is named after the Italian queen and is meant to represent the Italian flag (red is the tomatoes, white is the dough, and green is the basil). Another of the best offerings is the gelato, which comes in flavors varying from chocolate to tutti frutti. The third reason is the beauty. The landscape, architecture, weather and style all help to make Italy such a beautiful place to visit. The fourth reason is the shopping. Even if you are just window-shopping, you will have a nice time. The quality of the window displays is remarkable. From local shops and markets to famous designers such as Prada and Jimmy Choo, there is a shop for everything and everyone. The fifth reason is the people.  It is fun to watch the Italians go about their daily life with an air of grace. Even in the heat of the summer in the city the men and women always look unruffled and elegant. Also, their family values are something to really be appreciated. Overall, Italy is really a beautiful place and it definitely deserves a spot on your travel itinerary.

(Above-Trevi fountain in Rome)

Hip-Hop Today

In Brent Staples’ How Hip-Hop Music Lost Its way and betrayed Its Fans, he discuses why he believes that hip-hop/rap music is negatively affecting society. Staples’ main goal with this article was to prove that the rappers of today are not only negatively impacting the music and industry itself, but also the fans. He goes about proving this by making a few main points. The first point that he makes is that this problem initially started in the 1990’s and shows through example that even deaths has not helped to stop the industry from continuing to benefit from violent and poisonous things. He goes on to prove his point by referencing the more recent rapper, 50 cent, and the controversy and tension that has risen in the industry because of him. He also references artists such as Jimmy Iovine and Dr.Dre. Through these different examples, I believe Staples was really able to achieve his main goal. He made claims and was able to back them up with facts and current news. In addition, all of the examples that were given were of major recording artists and legends in the industry. This was a good stylistic choice on his part because although most people who chose to read it will be rap fans themselves, other readers of The New York Times may not be familiar with lesser known artists. This helped with the audience awareness and credibility of the article itself. Each example that he gave were good illustrations of the artists wide, and for the most part negative, influences. They helped to lead up to his final conclusion. Overall, I believe Staples did a good job of making his claim and going on to prove it, thus achieving the overall goal of the article.

The tenth=The best

All fans of the show Doctor Who, which originated in Britain but was brought to America through the BBC, know that there has long been a debate over which actor portrayed the best doctor. Having seen all of the episodes, I believe that David Tennant is the best Doctor yet. David Tennant plays the 10^th regeneration of the doctor and I believe he does it best. Tennant, with some help through the excellent stories written by Russell T Davies, has helped to increase the shows popularity. The main reason that I believe he is the best is his emotions. He has and shows so much vigor and passion, which helps to make the doctor more lovable. This has also really helped to bring in a new generation, including myself, to the viewing audience. In addition, he has such prowess to show emotion, which really makes the show worth watching. This makes him a step up from all of the doctors before him, and the one after him, because the rest of them portray the doctor as a stoic, private person. He has shown these emotions through many episodes, specifically those that involved the Doctor’s love interests. Through the episodes the Tenth Doctor showed anger, extreme sadness, helplessness and a glimmer of happiness. For example, in the “Voyage of the Damned” Christmas Special, Tennant showed these great emotions throughout, when he lost a potential companion Astrid Peth when she fought to save his life, but through this sadness, he can change to the fighting hero all fans knows, which reveals many different aspects of the Doctor’s character that have not explored before. It is also through episodes like this one that we find how much depth Tennant has added to the character, which helps to draw the audience in and to relate. For example in the “Waters of Mars” special, Tennant was able to portray the Doctor showing sadness for the first time. Tennant has been able to show how complex the show and his character really are. Some people say that Tennant as the Doctor is too over-rated and that he is just as good as anyone else, but Tennant does deserve all the credit he gets because he has enormous talent.

Facebook:Useful tool or threat?

Jacquielynn Floyd’s intentions are clear in her article, On Facebook, Biggest Threat to Your Private Date May Be You. Throughout the piece, it is clear that her purpose is to convince her audience that we need as a whole to realize that it is not safe to put all of our personal information online through social media outlets such as Facebook. Floyd is of the belief that we need to stop sharing on the Internet and start sharing in real life. While her article discusses the main issue of Facebook, it also includes worries about privacy online in general.  While I can understand the concern for privacy issues online, I don’t believe that one should shy away from social media all together. While sites like Facebook can be used inappropriately and incorrectly, they can also be used as excellent tools to connect with those that do matter to you. Whether it’s for business, connecting with your family and friends, or even reconnecting with someone you haven’t seen in years, Facebook and similar sites can be used for good. Theses sites can also act as good outlets for your creativity. It is all just really about how you go about using these tools. It is in this sense that I do agree with Floyd. To quote Floyd, “You are your own front line of defense in maintaining your privacy”. This really rings true, especially today. While these social networking tools can be used to your advantage, if used incorrectly they can be your downfall. It is for this reason that we should continue to use these sites, but remember to be careful of what we allow through the, “boundary between what goes on inside and outside their skulls”.