Thomas Boycotts the White House?

While the rest of his teammates enjoyed a ceremony at the White House dedicated to the team, Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas chose to sit out. Because of his strong feelings towards politics he felt he did not have to attend the ceremony. It was a personal decision he made but the majority of the Bruins fan base disagreed with him. In the statement Thomas released on his Facebook page he said, "I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People...This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government. Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country..." He stressed that it was an independent decision he made and did not have any outside influence. Thomas ended his statement by saying that the above statement was the only comment he would make on his decision. The Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli said that he can require a player to attend an event such as the White House ceremony and that he has the authority to suspend the player if they fail to show up but in this situation he chose not to suspend Tim Thomas because it was an independent decisions made by an individual player. 

Author Tom Weir used logos and pathos in his article. He included both statements from Thomas and Chiarelli about the White House Ceremony. However, the article was very short and dry. I wish he included some type of fan reaction or the opinion of one of Thomas's fellow Bruins. Personally, I think it was disrespectful of Thomas to not attend the ceremony because he chose what he wanted over his team. To me, that shows a lack of team work and dedication. I do not doubt that Thomas is a true Bruin but this recent decision by Thomas is not helping him on the fan favorite scale. Hopefully he will prove us all wrong by finishing off the season strong and taking the Bruins to another Stanley Cup. 

Bruins' Tim Thomas Boycotts White House Celebration by Tom Weir

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/01/bruins-tim-thomas-boycotts-white-house-celebration/1

Bruins, Meet the President

It has become a tradition in the White House for the President to invite the most recent sports champion to a ceremony. This past weekend, President Obama hosted the Boston Bruins, the 2011 Stanley Cup Champions. In his speech, Obama was sure to mention a few of the noteworthy players. When speaking to Brad Marchand, Obama asked about his unusual but perhaps fitting nickname, "Little Ball of Hate...What's up with that nickname, man?" He also pointed out that when Captain Zdeno Chara had his day with the Cup, he pushed it around in a baby carriage. After the joking had subsided, Obama congratulated the Bruins on being more than just a hockey team. He said, "these Bruins understand that winning a Stanley Cup is more than just men on ice...It's about the people that stand behind them." While congratulating the Bruins on their off-ice success, he applauded them on raising more than $7 million for Boston charities. However, with all of the happiness and celebration in the White House, one very important member of the team was missing. Goalie and MVP Tim Thomas decided not to attend the ceremony because of "political reasons." I think that Thomas missed out on an opportunity of a lifetime and will later regret this rash decision.

Author Stephanie Kuzydym used pathos and ethos in her article about the Bruins. She opened it with all of Boston's championship teams from within the past ten years, which includes the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots. She included many quotes from Obama's speech which added to her article. She included very positive quotes from Obama which made the Boston Bruins very likable. She wrote the article very light-heartedly as she only mentioned the positive events of the day. She briefly mentioned Tim Thomas's absent but then went on to talk about Obama's jokes. Go Bruins!

Stanley Cup Champions Boston Bruins Visit White House by Stephanie Kuzydym

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/bruins/story/2012-01-23/bruins-white-house-visit/52758150/1

Frozen Fenway

As you may have heard, the city of Boston has created their own tradition of the Winter Classic. Frozen Fenway has become a New Years tradition that continues into the first few weeks of the year. A hockey rink is set up in the middle of Fenway Park that hosts local youth, high school, and college hockey teams. Skating on Fenway is an opportunity of a lifetime and many local players were able to participate in it. Norwood High School and Revere High Schools were two of the few public high schools who were lucky enough to play on the ice. Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo was offered an hour of ice time and instead of taking it for himself he decided to donate it back to a town he was closely associated with. He offered the ice to Revere High School in their game against Norwood High School. When asked about his decision to give up the ice time he said, "It’s terrific to be able to give a public school this kind of opportunity...The kids were so excited when they found out they would be playing there." DeLeo also said he loved high school sports and thinks it is so important for students to stay involved with sports and other extra curricular activities through out high school. Not only did Revere High School and Norwood High School benefit from the enjoyment of playing on Fenway but a family in Norwood was helped out as well. In January 2010, Matt Brown of Norwood High School was seriously injured in one of his high school hockey games. He fractured two vertebrate in his neck and also suffered a bruised spinal cord, which has left him paralyzed from the chest down. After hearing Brown's story, DeLeo decided to make a personal donation to the Brown family to help pay for all of Matt's medical treatments and necessities. My family is lucky enough to know Matt as his dad and my dad were close friends in high school. Matt has not lost hope since his accident and events like Frozen Fenway inspire him to stay strong and positive.

Because this article was featured in the Boston Herald, it was written very appropriately to the Boston audience. There was no author listed on the article but they used logos and pathos. They stated all the facts about Frozen Fenway and the details about the event. They used pathos when describing DeLeo's decision to offer up his ice time and his personal donation to the Brown Family. I wish they had included a few quotes from the Brown family about the event because I know how grateful they must be for the donation. However, I liked how the author ended the article with the link to Matt's website (mattbrownnumber3.org) where you can read more on his story or make a donation to his fund. Events like Frozen Fenway truly do boost Matt's spirit and it would have been nice to hear what he has to say about it.

Speaker of House Robert A. DeLeo on tonight's Revere-Norwood Hockey Scrimmage

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/high_school/index.php/2012/01/09/speaker-of-the-house-robert-a-deleo-on-tonights-revere-norwood-hockey-scrimmage/

Memoir: The Glass Castle

For my memoir reading in January, I chose the Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. It is the story of Walls' childhood where she had to care for herself and her siblings. Her mother was crazy and her father was an alcoholic. She tells the story of how her siblings escaped their horrible childhood to grow up and be successful on their own. However, both of Jeannette's parents are still living and in contact with their children. Jeanette lives in New York City with her husband, where her mother is homeless, by choice. Her mom is a free spirit and although Jeanette tries to take her in, she refuses to accept help. After reading 15 pages, I am captivated by Wall's story and I can not wait to read more.

What the Fudge?

Modern Family has crossed a line, or at least gone too far in their most recent episode. In the episode set to air tonight, "Little Bo Bleep", Mitchell and Cameron's daughter Lily is set to be a flower girl in a wedding. During the scene in which Lily is preparing to be a flower girl, she says the F-word. However, when filming, Lily actually says the word "fudge" which was bleeped out so it appears as if she actually said the F-word. Even though the episode hasn't even aired yet, there is already much controversy about Lily's line. McKay Hatch, the founder of the No Cussing Club is horrified by ABC's decision to air the episode. He said, "Our main goal is to stop this from happening...If we don't, at least ABC knows that people all over the world don't want to have a 2-year-old saying the `F-bomb' on TV." Hatch, along with his 35,000 members in his club hope to end t.v profanity. However, Steve Levitan, one of the creators of Modern Family disagrees with Hatch. He said he's proud to air such an episode and thinks it will win the audience over. He also commented saying, "we thought it was a very natural story since, as parents, we've all been through this." Personally, I think that Hatch is over reacting because although the F-word is used for humor, it can also be seen as a lesson.

Author Lynn Elber appears to be in the middle of this argument. She included quotes from both Hatch and Levitan that support their individual arguments. In the middle of her article, she included information on Modern Family's success and what the episode's plot is. She began her article with quotes from Hatch supporting his opinion, and then she went into the explanation of what the episode will be like. After she explained the episode, she included Levitan's side of the argument, leading me to believe she does not have an opinion either way. Because the episode has not even aired yet, I think it is too early to jump to accusations and conclusions.

Toddler Cuss Word on "Modern Family" Draws Ire by Lynn Elber

http://www.boston.com/community/moms/articles/2012/01/18/toddlers_cuss_word_on_modern_family_draws_ire/?p1=Upbox_links

Happy Birthday FLOTUS

How would you feel if millions of your husband's biggest fans all signed a virtual birthday card wishing you happy birthday? On January 17, 2012, Michelle Obama will be turning 48 and her husband, President Barack Obama has asked millions of his supporters to sign a birthday card for her. Her nickname in the White House and across America is FLOTUS, First Lady of the United States. Obama knows that he is going to have a tough ten months dedicated to the next presidential election so he is making an extra effort to show Michelle how much he appreciates her. In his message to his supporters the President wrote, ""This fall, Michelle and I will have been married 20 years...The next 10 months will be harder than any we've experienced together, and I couldn't do it without her. I know she'd love to hear from you today." Barack knows how touched his wife will be by her birthday card. Aside from this virtual card, I'm sure Barack has a few more sweet, but personal, surprises for Michelle.

David Jackson was the author of Obama Asks Backers to Wish Wife a Happy Birthday. I was surprised at how he approached it though. He wrote it as more of a breaking news story than anything. If I were Jackson, I would have made the article a bit more cheerful and light hearted because of the topic. Although he did include a segment from the letter Barack emailed to his supporters, the article was very dry and plain. I think if Jackson had approached this article in a more positive and up beat way, I would have liked it better. But on another thought, happy early birthday Michelle!

Obama Asks Backers to Wish Wife a Happy Birthday by David Jackson 

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/01/obama-asks-backers-to-wish-wife-a-happy-birthday/1

Stayin'Alive

The second I saw this article, the first thing that came into my mind was Ms. Comeau singing "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees while her wellness class practiced chest compressions. Thinking back to our CPR training, I am so grateful that Ms. Comeau offered her skills and training to us. Thank you Ms. Comeau! Because cardiac arrest is so serious and can end in a fatality, everyone is stepping up in an effort to become educated and certified in CPR. This year, for the first time ever, the Boston Marathon is offering CPR classes for runners and family members. Dr. Aaron Baggish is the associate director of the cardiovascular performance program at Mass. General. He said, "teaching basic chest compressions to marathon participants and race observers -- a form of CPR than doesn’t involve mouth-to-mouth resuscitation -- might lead to fewer deaths in the future" (Kotz 1). He also added that “The number one predictor of survival of cardiac arrest during a race was whether a runner had access to bystander CPR" (Kotz 1). The training session is going to be offered for free by the Boston Athletic Association (BAA). Although there are 28 medical tents throughout the race course, including two at the finish line, the BAA is hoping to be able to extend help through this program. Executive Director Tom Grillk said they are hoping to “bridge the gap between racers and various trained medical professionals" (Kotz 1). The American Red Cross and American Heart Association are teaming up to teach the CPR course. I think this is a great idea because as Dr. Erika Feller of the University of Maryland Medical Center said, “In these situations, minutes really count" (Kotz 1).

Author Deborah Kotz appears to be in agreement with the BAA about the CPR training. She wrote very positively about the training sessions to prove she thinks it is a great idea. Kotz used logos to persuade her audience to agree with the BAA. She included many numbers and statistics about deaths related to cardiac arrest at the Boston Marathon and when referring to the amount of people who need CPR or medical attention at the race. She also used pathos when she interviewed runners who went into cardiac arrest at the Boston Marathon and were able to recover, thanks to someone who was CPR certified. CPR is such a great skill to have; it is easy to learn and hard to forget. Hopefully this new step will be very helpful at the Marathon this April!

Boston Marathon to Offer CPR Training After Study Finds It Could Have Been Prevented in Past Races by Deborah Kotz

http://www.boston.com/Boston/dailydose/2012/01/boston-marathon-offer-cpr-training-after-study-finds-could-have-prevented-deaths-past-races/jgcaVGPqqBAEiqxVzW1DZK/index.html

Savannah Smiles

Well, it's that time of year again. Put your New Year's resolutions of healthy eating aside and make room for Girl Scout Cookies! Every year Girl Scouts go door to door nation wide selling their delicious treats to raise money for their groups. Savannah Smiles is the newest brand of cookies to join the line-up this year. Savannah Smiles will be available for sale along with the classic Samoas, Do-Si-Dos, Tagalongs, Thank You Berry Much, Lemonades, Dulce la Leche, Thanks-A-Lot, Trefoils, Shout Outs!, and of course the most popular, Thin Mints. Savannah Smiles are named after the hometown of Girl Scout Founder Juliette Gordon Low. They were introduced this year in honor of Girl Scouts' 100th anniversary. Juliette started Girl Scouts in 1912 in her hometown, Savannah, Georgia. The Girl Scouts describe their new tasty treat as "bite-sized, lemon-wedge cookies dusted in powdered sugar and bursting with zesty lemon flavor." They first offered Savannah Smiles in Savannah, Georgia. A local group of Girl Scouts set up a stand in front of Juliette's childhood home to sell the cookies. However, when neighbors called the police to complain about the stand, the city's zoning administrator was forced to rule that girls were violating a city ordinance by setting up a table on the public sidewalk" (Stanglin 1). Personally, I think it is ridiculous that the girls were forced to move their sale from their founders home. They were innocent!

Author Douglas Stanglin appears to be a huge fan of the cookies. However, he used very little of ethos, logos, and pathos. He started the article with a mouthwatering description about the cookies but then went on to write about the cookie selling incident without any sympathy. I think he could have done a lot more with this article considering he was writing about cookies. I was expecting an article full of fun and attracting adjectives describing the treat. He included one description of the cookies, but it was from the Girl Scout website. Maybe he thought writing about Girl Scout Cookies was childish but who doesn't like Girl Scout Cookies?

Girl Scouts Add New Lemony "Smiles" Cookie to the List by Douglas Stantin

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/01/girl-scout-adds-new-lemony-smiles-cookie-to-the-list/1

Super Bowl Ad Times Are Sold Out!

The games just about a month away and the advertisers are more prepared than the actual players. Although the regular season for football just ended this past Sunday, the major advertising companies have already secured commercial spots during the big game. All of the 30-60 second slots sold by Thanksgiving according to Seth Winter, the senior vice president of sales and marketing at NBC sports. Winter reported that, All of the 30-second slots...sold for a record $3.5 million" (Winter 1). He let readers into a little secret about some of the new as well as returning ads. Commericials from Volkswagen, Dannon Yogurt, Go Daddy, and Doritos are expected to make an appearance. He also predicted that many ads will be full of celebrities as Bridgetone tire already had a former football star lined up. The author of the article, Bruce Horovitz, informed readers that, This year for the first time, USA TODAY and Facebook are partnering on the USA TODAY Facebook Super Bowl AdMeter" (Horovitz 1). For the first time ever, Super Bowl Viewers will be able to "view, rate, and share Super Bowl ads" through USA Today and Facebook.

Horovitz used used logos in her article. He included many statistics from Winter regarding the length and price of commericals. He also listed the number of commercials each company had purchased. His article began with a few opening paragraphs but then fell into a bulleted list format where she bulleted the company and included a few sentences about the ad they plan to show during the Super Bowl. I think that with the information he was given, Horovitz took the correct approach to writing this article. He had very limited information to work with and included as much as possible. Also, because he was writing about ads for the Super Bowl, it was important that he did not give away too much information. Hopefully, Horovitz gave away just enough information to keep readers on the edge of their seat during the commercials but not being able to predict each upcoming ad.

Super Bowl Ad Time Sells Out by Bruce Horovitz

http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/story/2012-01-02/super-bowl-ads-sell-out/52342052/1

"Bless Me, Ultima" January 3, 2011

Well, it seems to be a general consensus that the ending of Bless Me, Ultima was not well liked by our class. For me personally, the ending did nothing to sum up the amazing story of Antonio. It was much too abrupt and gave us absolutely no insight onto Antonio's future. While my most favorite books all end happily, all of the books I seem to love the most have an actual ending or a specific insight into what the characters future will be. Anaya seemed to be unable to come to terms with the ending of the book as the only way we found out what a characters future would be if they died. Unfortunately, Lupito, Narciso, Florence, and Ultima all passed away in the novel. It was so sad to see those characters die because they were all good who had done no harm. I did not expect Florence's death at all. I predicted that he would develop a strong relationship with the golden carp but I never expected him to die in the process. Anaya's use of pathos when describing Florence's death was very descriptive and effective. He was just a young boy who let his curiosity win. Although it was predicted and I could see it coming, Ultima's death was upsetting. One of the worst parts of her death was the struggles Antonio went through to try to save her. He was so young and innocent and had already witnessed more deaths than one should in a lifetime. When Antonio saw Ultima's owl being waved around by Terenio, his hopes were crushed. He lost all faith in himself and God. I think that Ultima was Antonio's last hope in understanding the work of God as his confession and communion did not teach him anything. One of my favorite lines in the book was "I bless you in the name of all that is good and strong and beautiful, Antonio. Always have the strength to live. Love life, and if despair enters your heart, look for me in the evenings when the wind is gentle and the owls sing in the hills. I shall be with you--" (Anaya 261). Ultima had come to terms with her death and knew that the only thing she could do to help was to comfort Antonio. 

I wish that Anaya had given her readers a clearer view of Antonio's future. She left us at a bit of a cliff hanger, almost the type of ending that a book would have a sequel to. Anaya had many loose ends to tie up, especially with Antonio, his family and friends, Terenio, and his religious beliefs. If there was a sequel or a second part to the book that was about Antonio's future, this would have been the perfect ending. But, Anaya ended at Ultima's death to let us write our own endings. Overall, I enjoyed reading Bless Me, Ultima. I wish the ending had been a little more clear and specific as to how Antonio ended up but other than that I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read!

Living in the Present

With the new year underway, people all over the world are setting new goals and making resolutions. There are the usual resolutions such as living a healthier lifestyle, saving  more money, or quitting a bad habit but Bill and Giuliana Rancic have set a goal much different than that, Our goal is to really live in the present – to enjoy life"  (Bill Rancic 1). After being diagnosed with breast cancer about a year ago, Giuliana has stopped taking things for granted and is appreciating what she has in life to be thankful for. About three weeks ago, Giuliana underwent a double mastecomy, in hopes of getting rid of the cancer. Her husband Bill has been by her side every step of the way. Together, they hope to get stronger everyday and that the cancer will never return. 

Author Alison Schwartz used pathos to write this article. It was featured on People.com so the audience base was mainly those in the entertainment/lifestyle department. However, it was not written to be taken as celebrity gossip. Schwartz truthfully wrote the article and included many quotes from Bill and Giuliana. Because it was written for a "fun read" rather than for information, the article had little substance to it. It was short but sweet. The quotes included helped persuade her readers with pathos because of the emotions Bill and Giuliana had. I think that pathos was enough to persuade her readers in this instance. I liked how she kept the topic very positive and upbeat because that is how Giuliana and Bill want it to be, "Every day, I'm able to do something new that I wasn't able to do before" (Giuliana Rancic). Best of luck to Giuliana and everyone out there who has had to face cancer!


Giuliana Rancic: How I'm Ringing in the New Year by Alison Schwartz
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20557840,00.html

Kidney Donations through Facebook

Social networking sites have proven to be more than just a place for socializing with friends and family, they connect others for positive reasons that would not have met otherwise. Damon Brown, a husband and father of two had just received the saddening news that he needed a kidney transplant when he decided with his wife to create a Facebook account looking for a kidney. Damon created a page on Facebook under the name "Damon Kidney". The page eventually developed over 1,400 friends. Jacqueline Ryell, one of the 1,400, stepped up and volunteered to donate her kidney. Originally, Damon was embarrassed to have asked for help so publicly, "I'm a strong guy, but I would have to say, it's been rough this year" (Brown 1). Although many doubted Ryell's decision to donate her kidney to Brown as they were only acquaintances, she would not back down, "The real reason I'm doing this is he's got kids and he's a good guy, My life is in a good place. I've been given lots and I have a responsibility to give back" (Ryell 1). Originally, Brown was placed on the nation wide kidney waiting list, the wait was three years long. Thanks to the generosity and courage of Ryell, he will receive a kidney much sooner than expected and be able to be with his family.

The author of this article, Elaine Thompson, used mainly pathos to write her article. She mentioned Brown's family, especially his children, many times in an effort to show how important family life is and forever will be to Brown. One emotional quote that very upsetting was, "...he was constantly tired and achy. He couldn't sit on the bed to tell bedtime stories to 5-year-old Julian and 3-year-old Theo because he had to stay close to his dialysis machine" (Thompson 1). However, she also included many positive and uplifting quotes about the situation such as, "A few weeks ago, after the transplant was approved and scheduled, Brown posted the good news to his Facebook friends. More than 300 people responded: "Whoo hoo….what a great Christmas present," wrote Kelly L. Hallissey. "This is awesome!! Praying for you and your family for positive news and a great way to begin 2012!" wrote Brenda Tomtan" (Thompson 1). She used some logos as she mentioned other instances on Facebook and even Craigslist of successful organ transplants. However, she went on a bit of a tangent at the end of the article when she introduced another instance of a kidney transplant through Facebook. Personally, I thought it took away from Damon Brown's story. Hopefully by publishing this article Thompson was able to raise awareness about the extreme need for organ transplants.

For Some in Need, Facebook is Route to New Kidney by Elaine Thompson
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-01-01/facebook-kidney/52319734/1