The Times Picayune
This editorial is about President Bush deciding to hold the North American Leaders Summit in New Orleans. This was an opportunity for the world to focus on the New Orleans community and its recovery. President Bush used this opportunity to call attention to the importance of the work being done in the city. The author then talks about President Bush right after hurricane Katrina in Jackson Square promising the citizens that the government would stay as long as it took. The author also says that President Bush holding the summit in New Orleans is not exactly what he meant by the government staying in the city, but also shows a piece of the city’s recovery at the same time. This article was a little short and did not have too much information. I think the author could have elaborated a little more on President Bush and his role in the recovery efforts and what the summit would bring to the city.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Crime Records are Public
The Times Picayune
This article discusses New Orleans’ crime records and how they should be made public. The author says that many attempts have been made to work with the police department on this issue, but they have failed to give residents prompt access to this information. The author of this article works for The Times Picayune newspaper and says that the newspaper is threatening to file a suit against the police department if this is not fixed. The reason so many people are angry is because of the time they have been giving the NOPD to find a solution. State law requires that initial reports should be released for public safety. If this issue is not fixed soon, the newspaper plans to file suit along with many residents of New Orleans. This article is very informative, especially if you are from New Orleans. I think the author did their research and had knowledge of the situation.
This article discusses New Orleans’ crime records and how they should be made public. The author says that many attempts have been made to work with the police department on this issue, but they have failed to give residents prompt access to this information. The author of this article works for The Times Picayune newspaper and says that the newspaper is threatening to file a suit against the police department if this is not fixed. The reason so many people are angry is because of the time they have been giving the NOPD to find a solution. State law requires that initial reports should be released for public safety. If this issue is not fixed soon, the newspaper plans to file suit along with many residents of New Orleans. This article is very informative, especially if you are from New Orleans. I think the author did their research and had knowledge of the situation.
A Misplaced Effort
The Times Picayune
This article is discussing the public school crisis in New Orleans. The author talks about how bad the school system was before the storm and how it is somewhat recovering after. Now, many schools in Orleans parish are state run or charter schools. The main topic of this article is House Bill 1347, which would use tax money to help pay private school tuition for some New Orleans students. The author notes that this would have been a good proposal before hurricane Katrina when the schools were horrible, but now they are beginning to recover. He believes that many taxpayers would be strongly opposed to using 10 million dollars of their tax money to pay for private school when the public schools are fine. I think this article was very informative and interesting. The author did a good job with his research and provided many facts.
This article is discussing the public school crisis in New Orleans. The author talks about how bad the school system was before the storm and how it is somewhat recovering after. Now, many schools in Orleans parish are state run or charter schools. The main topic of this article is House Bill 1347, which would use tax money to help pay private school tuition for some New Orleans students. The author notes that this would have been a good proposal before hurricane Katrina when the schools were horrible, but now they are beginning to recover. He believes that many taxpayers would be strongly opposed to using 10 million dollars of their tax money to pay for private school when the public schools are fine. I think this article was very informative and interesting. The author did a good job with his research and provided many facts.
Keep FBI's focus
The Times Picayune
This editorial is about Jim Bernazzani, who was the special agent in charge of the FBI in New Orleans. The author talks about how Mr. Bernazzani’s mission was to root out public corruption and oversee high profile probes in the city. While he is known for his great toughness, he was recently reassigned to the Washington post. This came after he publicly stated interest in running for mayor of New Orleans. The author states that the Hatch Act prohibits any FBI agent from engaging in “partisan political activity.” The author then starts talking about who should replace him and the criteria they should have. This was a very well written article. The author did his research and had facts and interviews to back up his article.
This editorial is about Jim Bernazzani, who was the special agent in charge of the FBI in New Orleans. The author talks about how Mr. Bernazzani’s mission was to root out public corruption and oversee high profile probes in the city. While he is known for his great toughness, he was recently reassigned to the Washington post. This came after he publicly stated interest in running for mayor of New Orleans. The author states that the Hatch Act prohibits any FBI agent from engaging in “partisan political activity.” The author then starts talking about who should replace him and the criteria they should have. This was a very well written article. The author did his research and had facts and interviews to back up his article.
Elderly cause annoyance, discomfort
By: Ryan Sands
The Daily Reveille
In this article, Ryan Sands is talking about how old people irk him. He says that they not only drain social security, but also take forever in line at the supermarket. He says that he is not heartless, but he has never been around the elderly since his grandparents were dead when he was born. He seems to be taking his anger out on others who still have their grandparents or are close to someone elderly. Sands goes on to say that he cannot talk to someone over the age of 70 without getting anxious. He then begins to talk about why there are benefits to getting old. He says that retirement homes are slutty and they are one of the highest sources of STDs. He ends by saying that if he were in a retirement home, he wouldn’t care if he caught gonorrhea. This article is definitely opinionated and very biased. The author did no research when writing this article, he just spoke what he felt. At the end of the article, he begins to lose his mind and talk about old people and sex.
The Daily Reveille
In this article, Ryan Sands is talking about how old people irk him. He says that they not only drain social security, but also take forever in line at the supermarket. He says that he is not heartless, but he has never been around the elderly since his grandparents were dead when he was born. He seems to be taking his anger out on others who still have their grandparents or are close to someone elderly. Sands goes on to say that he cannot talk to someone over the age of 70 without getting anxious. He then begins to talk about why there are benefits to getting old. He says that retirement homes are slutty and they are one of the highest sources of STDs. He ends by saying that if he were in a retirement home, he wouldn’t care if he caught gonorrhea. This article is definitely opinionated and very biased. The author did no research when writing this article, he just spoke what he felt. At the end of the article, he begins to lose his mind and talk about old people and sex.
Dead Issue?: Legislature Should Review Burials
The Clarion Ledger
April 30, 2008
The article begins with a story of how a town near Jackson, MS has been found grouping bones together of deceased people. Therefore, the bodies are not properly distributed to the correct burial sites. The author then states how the people of this town have no recourse for action since cemetaries are not under regulation. This article pleas for a call to action by the legislature. He leaves information at the end of the article regarding how you can cotact your local Congressman. This was a very effective and efficient article. It was easy to read and provided information I had never known before. I would definitely say it is worth a read.
April 30, 2008
The article begins with a story of how a town near Jackson, MS has been found grouping bones together of deceased people. Therefore, the bodies are not properly distributed to the correct burial sites. The author then states how the people of this town have no recourse for action since cemetaries are not under regulation. This article pleas for a call to action by the legislature. He leaves information at the end of the article regarding how you can cotact your local Congressman. This was a very effective and efficient article. It was easy to read and provided information I had never known before. I would definitely say it is worth a read.
Boycott of Beijing Olympics would accomplish nothing
By: Jack Collens
The Daily Reveille
This article talks about why many people want to boycott the Beijing Olympics. The author says that many world leaders have contemplated boycotting the Olympics because of China’s weak human rights record. He also says that it would be more effective to just let the games go on and not boycott them. The author then talks about the last time the Olympics were boycotted and why. He also says that the Olympics are good for the Chinese people so they can see the importance of international cooperation. However, he does say that the Olympics are not going to stop the Chinese government from its oppressive practices, only politics can do that. He also says that President Bush made a good decision to not boycott the Olympic Games and notes that he will be present in China. I think this article is very interesting and the author did a good job covering the whole matter. He uses past and present examples to argue his point.
The Daily Reveille
This article talks about why many people want to boycott the Beijing Olympics. The author says that many world leaders have contemplated boycotting the Olympics because of China’s weak human rights record. He also says that it would be more effective to just let the games go on and not boycott them. The author then talks about the last time the Olympics were boycotted and why. He also says that the Olympics are good for the Chinese people so they can see the importance of international cooperation. However, he does say that the Olympics are not going to stop the Chinese government from its oppressive practices, only politics can do that. He also says that President Bush made a good decision to not boycott the Olympic Games and notes that he will be present in China. I think this article is very interesting and the author did a good job covering the whole matter. He uses past and present examples to argue his point.
Dumb as We Wanna Be
By: Thomas Friedmen
April 30, 2008
New York Times
This article starts out referencing all the go green commercials, specifically the ones that feature big name politicians with different views actually coming together and saying they agree on something. He states that it is great to finally see some unification in our politicians. However, the author thinks that the idea is ridiculous for the people that are aspiring to lead our nation. He then goes on to talk about gas and how Hillary and McCain want to take away a gas tax for the summer. He says this will put us more in debt to other countries and that it is a very bad idea. After talking about all the gas problems, he simply states what he's been trying to say all along; "But here’s what’s scary: our problem is so much worse than you think. We have no energy strategy." The author provided some very interesting facts about the US government and their stances on saving energy. I thought this was a very well written, descriptive article. Usually people that write something like this get labeled as a "nutcase", but this author talked about his theories while still seeming credible. This article was very interesting and had great flow. I enjoyed reading it.
April 30, 2008
New York Times
This article starts out referencing all the go green commercials, specifically the ones that feature big name politicians with different views actually coming together and saying they agree on something. He states that it is great to finally see some unification in our politicians. However, the author thinks that the idea is ridiculous for the people that are aspiring to lead our nation. He then goes on to talk about gas and how Hillary and McCain want to take away a gas tax for the summer. He says this will put us more in debt to other countries and that it is a very bad idea. After talking about all the gas problems, he simply states what he's been trying to say all along; "But here’s what’s scary: our problem is so much worse than you think. We have no energy strategy." The author provided some very interesting facts about the US government and their stances on saving energy. I thought this was a very well written, descriptive article. Usually people that write something like this get labeled as a "nutcase", but this author talked about his theories while still seeming credible. This article was very interesting and had great flow. I enjoyed reading it.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Annotated Bibliogaphy: tobacco use laws
Bethesda, Md. United States. National Cancer Institute. National Institute of Health. State and Local Legislative Action to Reduce Tobacco Use. 2000.
section 1. The role of public policy change in tobacco control: current state of the science -- section 2. State laws and local ordinances to reduce tobacco use -- section 2 appendix. Summary of state tobacco control laws -- section 3. Workplace smoking restrictions, rules about smoking in the home, and attitudes toward smoking restrictions in public places -- section 4. Model ordinances. I feel this congressional publication will be instrumental in my argumentative paper. It clearly defines the Government’s stance on wanting to reduce the number of smoking Americans.
Jones, Jamison. "Legislator Proposes Raising Smoking Age." The Daily Reveille 10 Apr. 2008. 20 Apr. 2008.
This is the shortest article I have ever read I don't feel it will be too helpful and may argue against my point. I don't have a lot to comment on this because this summary is as long as the article was.Robicheaux, Justin. "Plan Aims to Inform Both Sides." The Daily Reveille 29 Sept. 2003. 20 Apr. 2008.
I think this is a great article, not necessarily for my argument, but it gives a clear understanding of how local LSU students feel about smoking around campus. It talks a lot about the Louisiana department of health issuing radio broadcasts about second hand smoke and its dangers. good stuff.Louisiana. Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. A Strategic Plan for Identifying and Eliminating Tobacco-Related Health Disparities in Louisiana. 28 Jan. 2008. 20 Apr. 2008.
This PDF is very helpful. it fully outlines some of Louisiana's goals involving tobacco use. here are a few...1.Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.2.Promote quitting tobacco use among adults and youth.3.Prevent initiation of tobacco use among youth.4.Identify and eliminate tobacco-related disparities among populations. This is a great government document to help in my research."Drug Facts." Free Vibe. National Drug Control Policy. 20 Apr. 2000.
This website is very helpful on learning about the smoking's hazards but it seems like one of those websites aimed at youthful teens to prevent smoking in early high school. i think its going to aggravate me then help. But I’ll still give it a read.
All Eyes on Ireland's Smoking Ban. BBC. BBC News Online, 2004. 20 Apr. 2008.
This is great that I found an article of a ban that isn't related to the U.S, if other countries are taking this action, and then the US will sure follow. It is an article about the smoking ban that was put into place in Ireland in may of 2004. It’s mostly about people’s reactions in Ireland and their opinions about it.Shuler, Marsha. "New No-Smoking Bill Targets Bars That Serve Food." The Advocate 27 Mar. 2008: 1-2. Baton Rouge. 20 Apr. 2008. Keyword: smoking.
This is a very current article about closing the loophole in Louisiana’s new clean air act saying you food, even if it only sometimes does, have patrons smoking inside. This bill will close that loophole meaning no more smoking in bars that serve food. Great article. It will be used.Johnson, Kirk. "Colorado Court Rules ‘No Smoking’ Means Exactly That, Even on Stage." The New York Times 21 Mar. 2008, Online ed. New York Times Archive. 20 Apr. 2008. Keyword: smoking laws.
I think this article will add a few good sentences of how strict the government and the people want smoking completely banned. In Colorado, an actor playing a part on stage, and his character happens to smoke cigs, constitutes breaking the law.
section 1. The role of public policy change in tobacco control: current state of the science -- section 2. State laws and local ordinances to reduce tobacco use -- section 2 appendix. Summary of state tobacco control laws -- section 3. Workplace smoking restrictions, rules about smoking in the home, and attitudes toward smoking restrictions in public places -- section 4. Model ordinances. I feel this congressional publication will be instrumental in my argumentative paper. It clearly defines the Government’s stance on wanting to reduce the number of smoking Americans.
Jones, Jamison. "Legislator Proposes Raising Smoking Age." The Daily Reveille 10 Apr. 2008. 20 Apr. 2008.
This is the shortest article I have ever read I don't feel it will be too helpful and may argue against my point. I don't have a lot to comment on this because this summary is as long as the article was.Robicheaux, Justin. "Plan Aims to Inform Both Sides." The Daily Reveille 29 Sept. 2003. 20 Apr. 2008
I think this is a great article, not necessarily for my argument, but it gives a clear understanding of how local LSU students feel about smoking around campus. It talks a lot about the Louisiana department of health issuing radio broadcasts about second hand smoke and its dangers. good stuff.Louisiana. Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. A Strategic Plan for Identifying and Eliminating Tobacco-Related Health Disparities in Louisiana. 28 Jan. 2008. 20 Apr. 2008
This PDF is very helpful. it fully outlines some of Louisiana's goals involving tobacco use. here are a few...1.Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.2.Promote quitting tobacco use among adults and youth.3.Prevent initiation of tobacco use among youth.4.Identify and eliminate tobacco-related disparities among populations. This is a great government document to help in my research."Drug Facts." Free Vibe. National Drug Control Policy. 20 Apr. 2000
This website is very helpful on learning about the smoking's hazards but it seems like one of those websites aimed at youthful teens to prevent smoking in early high school. i think its going to aggravate me then help. But I’ll still give it a read.
All Eyes on Ireland's Smoking Ban. BBC. BBC News Online, 2004. 20 Apr. 2008
This is great that I found an article of a ban that isn't related to the U.S, if other countries are taking this action, and then the US will sure follow. It is an article about the smoking ban that was put into place in Ireland in may of 2004. It’s mostly about people’s reactions in Ireland and their opinions about it.Shuler, Marsha. "New No-Smoking Bill Targets Bars That Serve Food." The Advocate 27 Mar. 2008: 1-2. Baton Rouge. 20 Apr. 2008. Keyword: smoking.
This is a very current article about closing the loophole in Louisiana’s new clean air act saying you food, even if it only sometimes does, have patrons smoking inside. This bill will close that loophole meaning no more smoking in bars that serve food. Great article. It will be used.Johnson, Kirk. "Colorado Court Rules ‘No Smoking’ Means Exactly That, Even on Stage." The New York Times 21 Mar. 2008, Online ed. New York Times Archive. 20 Apr. 2008. Keyword: smoking laws.
I think this article will add a few good sentences of how strict the government and the people want smoking completely banned. In Colorado, an actor playing a part on stage, and his character happens to smoke cigs, constitutes breaking the law.
Monday, April 28, 2008
A Really Big Bang
The Sun Herald
April 28,2008
"There's a chance that the world, maybe even the universe, could be swallowed by a black whole this summer." This was the first sentence of the article, and it definitely caught my eye. However, the whole article was filled with jargon about physics and space and black holes. Although it was written for a local newspaper, the language used in the article could have been in a scholarly reviewed journal. It was way over my head and not efficient at presenting information at all. When trying to explain complicated subjects, the author needs to keep in mind the audience's knowledge of the subject, which this author did not do.
April 28,2008
"There's a chance that the world, maybe even the universe, could be swallowed by a black whole this summer." This was the first sentence of the article, and it definitely caught my eye. However, the whole article was filled with jargon about physics and space and black holes. Although it was written for a local newspaper, the language used in the article could have been in a scholarly reviewed journal. It was way over my head and not efficient at presenting information at all. When trying to explain complicated subjects, the author needs to keep in mind the audience's knowledge of the subject, which this author did not do.
Is Cheating Good for Sports?
NY Times
February 21, 2008
Stephen Dubner
This article discusses the recent trend for athletes to be using Steroids in Sports. This came out shortly after the Mitchell report accused some famous baseball players of using the drugs to help thier game. The author then states that he doesnt think its all bad for the game and that he thinks thats why the fans love it. He thinks that the fan loves controversy and so the fact that the athletes are using drugs kinds of excites them. The author states that the way we cheered players who came out and said they do just goes to show that its not the fact that fans dont approve of steroid users, but instead just dont approve of the ones who lie about it. He believes the controversy adds interest and is actually good for the game. I dont agree with this mans article at all. I am a firm believer that this situation tarnishes the game, and i wnat the people who have used steroids throughout thier career be penalized. So when he says that its not the steroid users who are the issue for me is rediculous. Im embarassed to be placed in the group of sports fan that he generalizes. Overall i think he puts too many people into groups, and i think thats a major flaw in his article. I know for a fact I wasnt one of those who cheered the ones who admitted to using performance inhancing drugs.
February 21, 2008
Stephen Dubner
This article discusses the recent trend for athletes to be using Steroids in Sports. This came out shortly after the Mitchell report accused some famous baseball players of using the drugs to help thier game. The author then states that he doesnt think its all bad for the game and that he thinks thats why the fans love it. He thinks that the fan loves controversy and so the fact that the athletes are using drugs kinds of excites them. The author states that the way we cheered players who came out and said they do just goes to show that its not the fact that fans dont approve of steroid users, but instead just dont approve of the ones who lie about it. He believes the controversy adds interest and is actually good for the game. I dont agree with this mans article at all. I am a firm believer that this situation tarnishes the game, and i wnat the people who have used steroids throughout thier career be penalized. So when he says that its not the steroid users who are the issue for me is rediculous. Im embarassed to be placed in the group of sports fan that he generalizes. Overall i think he puts too many people into groups, and i think thats a major flaw in his article. I know for a fact I wasnt one of those who cheered the ones who admitted to using performance inhancing drugs.
Honest Data on High School Dropouts
NY Times
April 28,2008
Editorial
This article explains the past issues with the way public schools were fixing thier numbers to reflect that thier dropout rate was much lower then it really was. She discusses how schools wern't accepting the people that dropped out in 9th,10th, and 11th grade and were only considering seniors who didnt get thier deplomas as dropouts. the author also states that the ones who recieved thier GED wern't counted either as dropouts because they did eventually get high school credit. It is discussed in the article that the new way the schools will be judged is by the number of incoming freshman who dont graduate and that GED graduates wont count either. I think this article was well researched. I dont like how the author blames the federal government for these numbers not being acurate. I would have perfered that they put more emphasis on the schools doing it right, and if they wanted to blame a government that they blame the state governments that run the school. The author just seems very upset about they way it was done by saying it will be a relief to get it right. I wouldn't have said that it will eb a relief, but a more subdued word. They act as if they have like been losing sleep over it.
April 28,2008
Editorial
This article explains the past issues with the way public schools were fixing thier numbers to reflect that thier dropout rate was much lower then it really was. She discusses how schools wern't accepting the people that dropped out in 9th,10th, and 11th grade and were only considering seniors who didnt get thier deplomas as dropouts. the author also states that the ones who recieved thier GED wern't counted either as dropouts because they did eventually get high school credit. It is discussed in the article that the new way the schools will be judged is by the number of incoming freshman who dont graduate and that GED graduates wont count either. I think this article was well researched. I dont like how the author blames the federal government for these numbers not being acurate. I would have perfered that they put more emphasis on the schools doing it right, and if they wanted to blame a government that they blame the state governments that run the school. The author just seems very upset about they way it was done by saying it will be a relief to get it right. I wouldn't have said that it will eb a relief, but a more subdued word. They act as if they have like been losing sleep over it.
Ban Cell Phones While Driving
Danny Church
Letter to the Advocate
The Advocate
April 28, 2008
This letter to the Advocate implores voters to ban all cell-phone usage in cars period. Not just using hands-free devices, but completely banning cell phones altogether. He presents his argument by quoting a previous article in The Advocate which commented on a study done at different Universities which prove that cell phone usage in cars is a retardant on reflexes. He seemed believable up until he cited these serious studies and used the phrase "yakking on a cell phone." Which seemed to present himself in a negative light. Also, it brings up the questions of it even being possible to not talk on a cell phone while driving at all? I rarely, if ever, talk on my cell phone while driving, however, there are times when I need to get information to get somewhere, or I need to call for directions, or another legitimate reason (not just to chat with friends) and it would puzzle me if I got pulled over and given a ticket for making a phone call when I really was not trying to be negligent. Where is the line? The author of the letter does not seem to be taking these kind of instances into consideration and where he could be more effective, he lacks credibility.
Letter to the Advocate
The Advocate
April 28, 2008
This letter to the Advocate implores voters to ban all cell-phone usage in cars period. Not just using hands-free devices, but completely banning cell phones altogether. He presents his argument by quoting a previous article in The Advocate which commented on a study done at different Universities which prove that cell phone usage in cars is a retardant on reflexes. He seemed believable up until he cited these serious studies and used the phrase "yakking on a cell phone." Which seemed to present himself in a negative light. Also, it brings up the questions of it even being possible to not talk on a cell phone while driving at all? I rarely, if ever, talk on my cell phone while driving, however, there are times when I need to get information to get somewhere, or I need to call for directions, or another legitimate reason (not just to chat with friends) and it would puzzle me if I got pulled over and given a ticket for making a phone call when I really was not trying to be negligent. Where is the line? The author of the letter does not seem to be taking these kind of instances into consideration and where he could be more effective, he lacks credibility.
Hillary Gets No Respect
NY Times
April 28,2008
William Kristol
This article reflects the oppinion of the author as a conservative that likes Hillary Clinton and thinks she should be the one for the democratic nomination. He discusses how Clinton won many of the big states like California and Texas. He also states that the media has a huge crush on the candidate Obama. He also mentions that Obama isnt willing to debate Hillary and that there are more people then stated who are actually voting for Hillary as opposed to against Obama. The author figures Hillary wont win the nomination, but has been impressed with her resiliancy while having her back against the wall. Overall i think this was a good article. Ima little disapointed in the total biased oppinion of this man, but there isnt much that could be done about it. He used good numbers in reflecting that she was greatly out numbered in terms of dollars spent, but still won anyway. This article gave insight to a different side of Obama that I had not seen before, and for that i think it did well and achieved its goal.
April 28,2008
William Kristol
This article reflects the oppinion of the author as a conservative that likes Hillary Clinton and thinks she should be the one for the democratic nomination. He discusses how Clinton won many of the big states like California and Texas. He also states that the media has a huge crush on the candidate Obama. He also mentions that Obama isnt willing to debate Hillary and that there are more people then stated who are actually voting for Hillary as opposed to against Obama. The author figures Hillary wont win the nomination, but has been impressed with her resiliancy while having her back against the wall. Overall i think this was a good article. Ima little disapointed in the total biased oppinion of this man, but there isnt much that could be done about it. He used good numbers in reflecting that she was greatly out numbered in terms of dollars spent, but still won anyway. This article gave insight to a different side of Obama that I had not seen before, and for that i think it did well and achieved its goal.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Try 'Pakistan First'
Washington Post
April 27, 2008
Jim Hoagland
This article reflects Jim's oppinion that we should definatly pull people out of Iraq and start placing them in Pakistan in an attempt to combat terrorism there. He explains that it is a much larger threat then Iraq is and more then Afghanistan as well. He thinks that it is very important for the president hopefulls should all make this some of thier primary concerns. He also questions the apointment made by President Bush of a new Pentagon central commander. The author believes this is a ploy to keep and even add more focus on Iraq and not so much on Afghanistan. Hoagland does do a pretty good job with the article. I would ahve liked to see him do more with talks about Pakistan. He focused most of his article on how the Iraq and Afghanistan situation is going, and didnt even really mention Pakiistan untill the last few paragraphs. It seemed like the title is a little misleading being that it seemed to me he wanted to focus more on Afghanistan then Pakistan.
April 27, 2008
Jim Hoagland
This article reflects Jim's oppinion that we should definatly pull people out of Iraq and start placing them in Pakistan in an attempt to combat terrorism there. He explains that it is a much larger threat then Iraq is and more then Afghanistan as well. He thinks that it is very important for the president hopefulls should all make this some of thier primary concerns. He also questions the apointment made by President Bush of a new Pentagon central commander. The author believes this is a ploy to keep and even add more focus on Iraq and not so much on Afghanistan. Hoagland does do a pretty good job with the article. I would ahve liked to see him do more with talks about Pakistan. He focused most of his article on how the Iraq and Afghanistan situation is going, and didnt even really mention Pakiistan untill the last few paragraphs. It seemed like the title is a little misleading being that it seemed to me he wanted to focus more on Afghanistan then Pakistan.
50 Bullets, No Conviction
NY Times
April 26,2008
Editorial
This article talks about how three police officers who fired off 50 rounds of bullets at a man by the name of Sean Bell and got off free from all convictions. One policeman even reloaded his gun and continued shooting. The article discusses how even though they respect the decision that has been made from the judge, there should still be some investigation and ways to fix this problem because it has been happening to often. The author also speculates that part of the reason the cops have fired on the people they did is because they were black. Also they kind of assume that the cops may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of teh shooting, but were not breathalyzed. The author believes we must correct the policy the police officers use. I think this could have been a good article if there was not a lot of presuming going on. They use no numbers to back up thier ideas that the cops may have been drunk or that this happened as many do because the person was black.
April 26,2008
Editorial
This article talks about how three police officers who fired off 50 rounds of bullets at a man by the name of Sean Bell and got off free from all convictions. One policeman even reloaded his gun and continued shooting. The article discusses how even though they respect the decision that has been made from the judge, there should still be some investigation and ways to fix this problem because it has been happening to often. The author also speculates that part of the reason the cops have fired on the people they did is because they were black. Also they kind of assume that the cops may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of teh shooting, but were not breathalyzed. The author believes we must correct the policy the police officers use. I think this could have been a good article if there was not a lot of presuming going on. They use no numbers to back up thier ideas that the cops may have been drunk or that this happened as many do because the person was black.
A Shameful, Ugly Ad
April 26, 2008
New York Times
Editorial
This article shows Senator McCain's response to an ad that bashes Obama and has been run in North Carolina. The ad, as discussed in the article, makes a point to try to steer people away from voting for Obama because of his backround. The ad shows his former minister saying "God Damn America", and also makes commentary about Obama being black. According to the article, Senator McCain tried to get the ad pulled, but the republican party said no including the senator for North Carolina. The author hints that if McCain doesnt start to get control over his party then there could be worse things to come in terms of ads and such. The author of this article does a good job giving us the story, but definatly uses a lot of charged words. They use a lot of "we find" comments that means they are obviously biased. This causes a slight loss of credibility. Overall, it was an ok article that ahd both its strong points and weaknesses.
New York Times
Editorial
This article shows Senator McCain's response to an ad that bashes Obama and has been run in North Carolina. The ad, as discussed in the article, makes a point to try to steer people away from voting for Obama because of his backround. The ad shows his former minister saying "God Damn America", and also makes commentary about Obama being black. According to the article, Senator McCain tried to get the ad pulled, but the republican party said no including the senator for North Carolina. The author hints that if McCain doesnt start to get control over his party then there could be worse things to come in terms of ads and such. The author of this article does a good job giving us the story, but definatly uses a lot of charged words. They use a lot of "we find" comments that means they are obviously biased. This causes a slight loss of credibility. Overall, it was an ok article that ahd both its strong points and weaknesses.
Is trade the problem
April 27, 2008
NY Times
Editorial
This article discusses the thought that the reason for our floundering economic situation is the increase in international trade. The author does not believe that this is the case. They explain that though a lot of our coporations are begining to go international and hence decreasing the jobs in the united states because we arent opening as many on the homefront may have a little to do with it, but is by no means the largest reason. The author says that though this may be an issue of large concern for the presidential hopefulls, there are more reasons then just trade. They explain that increases in technology and decreases in the amount of people who are graduating college. With the changes in these variables, it brings about more people who can only do lower income jobs, and for most of those jobs technology can do them at a less expensive rate then people. I think the article did a good job backing up the claim that the trade is not the only reason for the economic problems. The author did a good job explaining the situation and the backround for the situation. They ddint use big words that could get in the way and confuse the readers that are unknowledgable about the issue. This is an article anyone with some form of idea of the situation we are in economically can understand.
NY Times
Editorial
This article discusses the thought that the reason for our floundering economic situation is the increase in international trade. The author does not believe that this is the case. They explain that though a lot of our coporations are begining to go international and hence decreasing the jobs in the united states because we arent opening as many on the homefront may have a little to do with it, but is by no means the largest reason. The author says that though this may be an issue of large concern for the presidential hopefulls, there are more reasons then just trade. They explain that increases in technology and decreases in the amount of people who are graduating college. With the changes in these variables, it brings about more people who can only do lower income jobs, and for most of those jobs technology can do them at a less expensive rate then people. I think the article did a good job backing up the claim that the trade is not the only reason for the economic problems. The author did a good job explaining the situation and the backround for the situation. They ddint use big words that could get in the way and confuse the readers that are unknowledgable about the issue. This is an article anyone with some form of idea of the situation we are in economically can understand.
Tax Holiday Bad Idea
Tax Holiday Bad Idea
Advocate Pg.8B, 4-18-08
This article is about the proposal to cut the federal gasoline tax to nothing for the summer. The author failed to explain her claim or the tax cut clearly. The author makes it obvious that he/she is against this tax cut.The author pokes fun at this idea and John McCain. There are no facts in this article. The introduction caught my attention, but the body paragraphs let me down. I don't even remember the author's points.This was an overall bad article.
Advocate Pg.8B, 4-18-08
This article is about the proposal to cut the federal gasoline tax to nothing for the summer. The author failed to explain her claim or the tax cut clearly. The author makes it obvious that he/she is against this tax cut.The author pokes fun at this idea and John McCain. There are no facts in this article. The introduction caught my attention, but the body paragraphs let me down. I don't even remember the author's points.This was an overall bad article.
Playmakers hits landmark
Playmakers hits landmark
Advocate pg 8B, 4-18-08
This was a very effective article. The author introduces the Playmakers of Baton Rouge, says what they do, and how to support them. Playmakers of Baton Rouge is a nonprofit children's theater company. This article was written to salute the Plymakers' first 25 years. The author says it is important because it fosters the next generation of art supporters. Then, it ends with the phone number and email address, so the reader can support the cause if they want to. I didn't even know there was a Playmakers of Baton Rouge. the article informed me whithout trying to persuade me. I enjoyed reading this article.
Advocate pg 8B, 4-18-08
This was a very effective article. The author introduces the Playmakers of Baton Rouge, says what they do, and how to support them. Playmakers of Baton Rouge is a nonprofit children's theater company. This article was written to salute the Plymakers' first 25 years. The author says it is important because it fosters the next generation of art supporters. Then, it ends with the phone number and email address, so the reader can support the cause if they want to. I didn't even know there was a Playmakers of Baton Rouge. the article informed me whithout trying to persuade me. I enjoyed reading this article.
Code Phrase could protect a child
Code Phrase Could Protect a Child
Advocate pg.8B, 4-18-08
Elizabeth Miner
After reading about a child being abducted in Houston, Elizabeth Miner felt compelled to share a simple plan her mother taught her to prevent kids from being kidnapped. She suggested that parents teach their children a secret code phrase. So, if parents ever have to send someone the child doesn't know to pick him or her up, then the parents will give the person their secret code phrase. If the person doesn't know the code phrase, the child knows they should run away as fast as possible.
This was a very good article. You know from the title what the article is about. It shares information to help children, so I was more receptive to the information. She could have put facts about how many children have been abducted to try to get more people to act. However, she fulfilled her objective of sharing information to protect children.
Advocate pg.8B, 4-18-08
Elizabeth Miner
After reading about a child being abducted in Houston, Elizabeth Miner felt compelled to share a simple plan her mother taught her to prevent kids from being kidnapped. She suggested that parents teach their children a secret code phrase. So, if parents ever have to send someone the child doesn't know to pick him or her up, then the parents will give the person their secret code phrase. If the person doesn't know the code phrase, the child knows they should run away as fast as possible.
This was a very good article. You know from the title what the article is about. It shares information to help children, so I was more receptive to the information. She could have put facts about how many children have been abducted to try to get more people to act. However, she fulfilled her objective of sharing information to protect children.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Popular Saudi Blogger Released From Prison
Washington Post
Faiza Saleh Ambah
Saturday, April 26, 2008
This articles title really caught my attention since all of us have been blogging for the past semester. The article's intent is to inform the audience about this bloggers four month prison stay for speaking out against the constitutional monarchy that Saudi Arabia uses. It is very easy to understand and full of facts. Although there is a bias that the author is in support of this blogger, it did not hinder his argument against the constitutional monarchy in Saudi Arabia. He provides other examples of bloggers and journalists being jailed for speaking out against the government. The author says he is from Saudi Arabia, which definitely increased his credibility. It was a great article that not only informed the reader but gave a point of view of a citizen in Saudi Arabia and how they live day to day.
Faiza Saleh Ambah
Saturday, April 26, 2008
This articles title really caught my attention since all of us have been blogging for the past semester. The article's intent is to inform the audience about this bloggers four month prison stay for speaking out against the constitutional monarchy that Saudi Arabia uses. It is very easy to understand and full of facts. Although there is a bias that the author is in support of this blogger, it did not hinder his argument against the constitutional monarchy in Saudi Arabia. He provides other examples of bloggers and journalists being jailed for speaking out against the government. The author says he is from Saudi Arabia, which definitely increased his credibility. It was a great article that not only informed the reader but gave a point of view of a citizen in Saudi Arabia and how they live day to day.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Boy or Girl? The Answer May Depend on Mom's Eating Habits
New York Times
Author: Tara Parker
April 23, 2008
The title of this article caught my eye immediately because it goes against everything that I have been taught in school. However, after reading the article it paints a clear picture of the author's issue. She states that the foods that the mother eats may affect the sperm at the time of conception. Studies have shown a high glucose concentration in male embryos that is not there in females. Throughout the entire article, the author states facts and studies which helps her credibility. Yet, she was willing to voice her doubts which made her even more trustworthy. She wrote the article in a clear, concise manner so that everyone could understand her purpose. I would recommend this article to someone as it was very interesting and raised many questions.
Author: Tara Parker
April 23, 2008
The title of this article caught my eye immediately because it goes against everything that I have been taught in school. However, after reading the article it paints a clear picture of the author's issue. She states that the foods that the mother eats may affect the sperm at the time of conception. Studies have shown a high glucose concentration in male embryos that is not there in females. Throughout the entire article, the author states facts and studies which helps her credibility. Yet, she was willing to voice her doubts which made her even more trustworthy. She wrote the article in a clear, concise manner so that everyone could understand her purpose. I would recommend this article to someone as it was very interesting and raised many questions.
Empty Talk On Taxes
The New York Times
Author: unknown
April 24, 2008
The author explains what has been very distressing to him lately: the promises the potential presidents are making about not raising taxes. Without raising taxes, there can be no improvement in health care, rebuilding the militray, or no other major issue. He says that Sentator John McCain's tax talk is "particularly divorced from reality" because he is offering a "free-lunch extravaganza — hundreds of billions of dollars in new tax breaks per year, on top of extending President Bush’s tax cuts, with no credible way to make up for the money the government will lose. The more criticism he has faced, the more nonsensical his justifications have become." The author is very biased against John McCain and without meaning to do so, he degrades him in two paragraphs of the article. This breaks the attention away from the main topic he is trying to get across, and instead makes the reader not trust him anymore because of the way he talks about a particular canidate. After that, he tries to get back into the real topic by quoting from the other canidates about thier promises of tax breaks. Instead of writing paragraphs of discrimination against the other canidates, he just says their quotes are not possible and leaves it at that. I enjoyed this article up to the paragraphs where he starts degrading a canidate, and then I could not trust him.
Author: unknown
April 24, 2008
The author explains what has been very distressing to him lately: the promises the potential presidents are making about not raising taxes. Without raising taxes, there can be no improvement in health care, rebuilding the militray, or no other major issue. He says that Sentator John McCain's tax talk is "particularly divorced from reality" because he is offering a "free-lunch extravaganza — hundreds of billions of dollars in new tax breaks per year, on top of extending President Bush’s tax cuts, with no credible way to make up for the money the government will lose. The more criticism he has faced, the more nonsensical his justifications have become." The author is very biased against John McCain and without meaning to do so, he degrades him in two paragraphs of the article. This breaks the attention away from the main topic he is trying to get across, and instead makes the reader not trust him anymore because of the way he talks about a particular canidate. After that, he tries to get back into the real topic by quoting from the other canidates about thier promises of tax breaks. Instead of writing paragraphs of discrimination against the other canidates, he just says their quotes are not possible and leaves it at that. I enjoyed this article up to the paragraphs where he starts degrading a canidate, and then I could not trust him.
To Screen or Not for Lung Cancer: Does It Make a Difference?
New York Times
24 April 2008
Philip M. Boffey
Most victims on lung cancer usually die within the next few years. A new screening program claims to reduce the amount of deaths caused by lung cancer through early diagnosis. Weill Cornell Medical College researchers believe they can prevent 80% of deaths through a spiral CT scan, which leaves many disbelievers. In doing a spiral CT scan, the research team found 484 patients with lung cancer and removed most of the tumors through surgery. They predict that 92% of them will be alive for the next ten years and found that the eight who did not remove their tumors died within the next five years. Other studies have found that this scan only works to detect small tumors for removal but cannot prove to reduce the amount of deaths due to lung cancer. This scan also leads to other surgeries, which can be costly and dangerous. Some might not want to face the risks for the small benefits.
This article proved very informative and seemed well researched. The author was credibly, citing many references, studies and foundations. The overall flow was good but sometimes hard to follow. It seemed to jump back and forth and use big words at times.
24 April 2008
Philip M. Boffey
Most victims on lung cancer usually die within the next few years. A new screening program claims to reduce the amount of deaths caused by lung cancer through early diagnosis. Weill Cornell Medical College researchers believe they can prevent 80% of deaths through a spiral CT scan, which leaves many disbelievers. In doing a spiral CT scan, the research team found 484 patients with lung cancer and removed most of the tumors through surgery. They predict that 92% of them will be alive for the next ten years and found that the eight who did not remove their tumors died within the next five years. Other studies have found that this scan only works to detect small tumors for removal but cannot prove to reduce the amount of deaths due to lung cancer. This scan also leads to other surgeries, which can be costly and dangerous. Some might not want to face the risks for the small benefits.
This article proved very informative and seemed well researched. The author was credibly, citing many references, studies and foundations. The overall flow was good but sometimes hard to follow. It seemed to jump back and forth and use big words at times.
Protecting a Basic Freedom
The New York Times
In this article “Protecting a Basic Freedom,” the author talks about the effort to pass the Free Flow of Information Act which was signed by all three Presidential hopefuls. This Act would give reporters limited protection against being compelled to reveal confidential sources in federal court. The author says that the Bush White House over the past eight years has secretly and aggressively targeting reporters. The article also says that a similar bill was approved last October but is still waiting on the Senate vote. The author also says that many believe we should have this law for national security but will allow the robust reporting that is essential for the country’s safety and freedom. I think this was a very well written article and easy to understand. The author took a stance on an issue and presented all of the points.
In this article “Protecting a Basic Freedom,” the author talks about the effort to pass the Free Flow of Information Act which was signed by all three Presidential hopefuls. This Act would give reporters limited protection against being compelled to reveal confidential sources in federal court. The author says that the Bush White House over the past eight years has secretly and aggressively targeting reporters. The article also says that a similar bill was approved last October but is still waiting on the Senate vote. The author also says that many believe we should have this law for national security but will allow the robust reporting that is essential for the country’s safety and freedom. I think this was a very well written article and easy to understand. The author took a stance on an issue and presented all of the points.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Crime and Punishment in Connecticut
The New York Times
This article is about a “three strikes” law that Connecticut Republicans are trying to pass. Under this law, a criminal with three felonies would face life in prison. The author gives two examples of why the Governor wants to pass this law. After reading the two incidents, almost anyone would vote for this law. However, this author is definitely a Democrat because they are against this law. They give examples of why the law would be unacceptable and make a good point. This is a well written article but there is a lot of bias from the author
This article is about a “three strikes” law that Connecticut Republicans are trying to pass. Under this law, a criminal with three felonies would face life in prison. The author gives two examples of why the Governor wants to pass this law. After reading the two incidents, almost anyone would vote for this law. However, this author is definitely a Democrat because they are against this law. They give examples of why the law would be unacceptable and make a good point. This is a well written article but there is a lot of bias from the author
Pass the Fair Pay Act
The New York Times
This article is about the government making it much harder for an employee to sue over unlawful pay discrimination. The case in this article is that of Lilly Ledbetter, a supervisor at a Goodyear Tire Company in Alabama. She claimed that she received lower yearly raises than the male employees. The jury found that her rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were violated. However, the Supreme Court ruled that she would be entitled to no compensation because she filed this claim past the 180 day mark. The author does a good job talking about how the Senate is reconsidering the bill and tells what would be restructured. The only bad thing the author said is when he bashes the Bush White House in the last sentence clearly showing his bias. This was an overall well written article.
This article is about the government making it much harder for an employee to sue over unlawful pay discrimination. The case in this article is that of Lilly Ledbetter, a supervisor at a Goodyear Tire Company in Alabama. She claimed that she received lower yearly raises than the male employees. The jury found that her rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were violated. However, the Supreme Court ruled that she would be entitled to no compensation because she filed this claim past the 180 day mark. The author does a good job talking about how the Senate is reconsidering the bill and tells what would be restructured. The only bad thing the author said is when he bashes the Bush White House in the last sentence clearly showing his bias. This was an overall well written article.
Annotated Bib: Drinking Age Laws and Alcoholism
-Giesbrecht, Norman. Drinking and Casualties: Accidents, Poisonings, and Violence in an International Perspective. New York: Taylor & Francis E-Library, 2003. Drinking and Casulaties. 15 Apr. 2008 . This is a very good source if you need international experience with alcohol. Instead of the focus being on policy, it looks at casualties in certain countries due to alcohol. It also goes into detail about alcohol availability and injuries. If you are stuck and need a good source for comparison check this one out. Its kind of hard to get to but just follow the URL and you will be there.
-Hanson, David, ed. "Legal Drinking Age." Alcohol Problems and Solutions. 15 Apr. 2008. Ever wonder what the laws are by state? This website tells all. It even gives a detailed map showing what's legal by state. It also tells drinking age by country. This website would be a good start in your research. It just tells what the legal ages are. You would have to then check out another website to see rates of alcoholism.
-Moser, Joy. Alcohol Policies in National Health and Development Planning, Including a Summary of the Technical Discussions Held During the Thirty-Fifth World Health Assembly. 1st ed. Vol. 1. New York: WHO Publications Centre, 1985. Looking into the laws of other countries, Joy Moser writes of the policies of the time. It is strictly informative and gives specific information such as penalties for breaking drinking laws in those countries. This book also goes through the details of the world health convention. This source should only be used for comparative information. If you are for lowering the drinking age it will provide the information you need to compare our policies to other countries'. You might need to see something a little more recent.
-"State Profiles of Underage Drinking Laws." Apis. 17 Sept. 2007. National Institution on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 15 Apr. 2008
-"Statistics by Country for Alcoholism." WD. 2004. US Census Bureau. 15 Apr. 2008. This is the site for you! Whenever I wanted to compare the alcoholism rates to population this site set it up in an easy to read chart. I wanted to look at European countries and found all the ones I needed. Be careful though. The website does give warnings that rates may have changed in the past four years. It is a good resource besides that.
-"Calling Time on Young People's Alcohol Consumption." The Lancet 371 (2008): 871. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. LSU, Baton Rouge. 15 Apr. 2008. This article gives insight on the alcohol problems with the youth of our world. It gives solutions for alcoholism starting with the parents. If you are also looking for stats you can find a few here. This journal gives a great argument against alcohol by stating what it leads to. Everything from unprotected sex to liver damage is cited. This is perfect if you are for or against the lowering of the legal age to purchase and consume alcohol.
-Jasper, Gerard. "Should We Raise the Age of Legal Drinking?" Public Policy Research 14.1 (2007): 31-35. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. LSU, Baton Rouge. 15 Apr. 2008. It’s hard to find a good source for lowering the drinking age. This article is a great source for raising the drinking age. It throws out percentage facts in almost every paragraph and crime facts for 18-24 year olds due to alcohol. This article is good if you decide to take a numerical approach to your argument. The author does show some bias but it’s easy to see through and pull out the appropriate facts.
-Hanson, David, ed. "Legal Drinking Age." Alcohol Problems and Solutions. 15 Apr. 2008
-Moser, Joy. Alcohol Policies in National Health and Development Planning, Including a Summary of the Technical Discussions Held During the Thirty-Fifth World Health Assembly. 1st ed. Vol. 1. New York: WHO Publications Centre, 1985. Looking into the laws of other countries, Joy Moser writes of the policies of the time. It is strictly informative and gives specific information such as penalties for breaking drinking laws in those countries. This book also goes through the details of the world health convention. This source should only be used for comparative information. If you are for lowering the drinking age it will provide the information you need to compare our policies to other countries'. You might need to see something a little more recent.
-"State Profiles of Underage Drinking Laws." Apis. 17 Sept. 2007. National Institution on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 15 Apr. 2008
-"Statistics by Country for Alcoholism." WD. 2004. US Census Bureau. 15 Apr. 2008
-"Calling Time on Young People's Alcohol Consumption." The Lancet 371 (2008): 871. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. LSU, Baton Rouge. 15 Apr. 2008
-Jasper, Gerard. "Should We Raise the Age of Legal Drinking?" Public Policy Research 14.1 (2007): 31-35. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. LSU, Baton Rouge. 15 Apr. 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Allen's show had Broadway quality
| Rannah Gray The Advocate page 4B Monday, April 21, 2008 "Brothers of the Night" produced and directed by Debbie Allen was recently shown at the Magnolia Performing Arts Pavilion at Baton Rouge Community College. The play was said to have Broadway quality and was filled with an astounded audience, who sat from the opening number to the final curtain call full of excitement. The article first talks about how Debbie Allen has come back to Baton Rouge, aplace where she called home countless summers as a child. After a breif bit about Allen, the article goes on to say thanks to a number of different people. Derek Gordon, CEO of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge is responsible for bringing Allen back down to share with us some of her magnificent plays. Also to thank is Mayor-President Kip Holden and other sponsers who made it possible to pay for a place for Ms. Allen to reside. Finally the article talks about the love of theatre and the way it can bring people of all ages, nationalities, and races together for a beautiful show and to learn about your dreams. I think this is a rather boring article that gets nothing accomplished. I mean I am glad Debbie Allen came to Baton Rouge and put on a great show, but the whole part about the theatre bringing people together is quite a stretch and a little out there. |
US Military Recruits More Ex-Cons
This is a very interesting article about the acceptance of felons into the US Military. It compares 2007's entrance of 861 felons into various branches of the military to 457 in 2006. It goes on to describe what the excused felonies were, and that each person must go through a military investigation in order to be granted a waiver to enter. It does not discuss the potential problems this could cause or argue an opinion, but it does state that some people are concerned about this growing number. According to the article, the pentagon's explanation for this change in procedure is the growing pressure to recruit new troops.
This article is interesting in the sense that it is a debatable subject as well as an important one, and the writer does a good job of comparing 2007's military statistics to past years. The writer does an excellent job of not even beginning to talk about whether allowing more "approved" felons into the military is a good or bad thing, but instead states out the facts very clearly and with no bias. I think that this is a valuable article for the general public because it gives an introduction into a subject that we should be interested in without immediately swaying our opinions with bias.
This article is interesting in the sense that it is a debatable subject as well as an important one, and the writer does a good job of comparing 2007's military statistics to past years. The writer does an excellent job of not even beginning to talk about whether allowing more "approved" felons into the military is a good or bad thing, but instead states out the facts very clearly and with no bias. I think that this is a valuable article for the general public because it gives an introduction into a subject that we should be interested in without immediately swaying our opinions with bias.
Crime and Punishment in Connecticut
April 22, 2008
New York Times
This article discusses a law proposed by republicans in Connecticut to have a three strikes and you are out rule. This would mean that anyone who commits 3 felonies would automatically be sentenced to life in prison. The author of this article is clearly a democrat. Also discussed in this article is the issue of the number of prisoners who are released onto the street; many of these people are on waiting list for rehabs and have nowhere to live. The author recognizes the problems with the correctional system but does not agree with the Republicans idea to fix it. I thought overall this article was pretty good. The author could have included a few facts in order to be a little more convincing.
New York Times
This article discusses a law proposed by republicans in Connecticut to have a three strikes and you are out rule. This would mean that anyone who commits 3 felonies would automatically be sentenced to life in prison. The author of this article is clearly a democrat. Also discussed in this article is the issue of the number of prisoners who are released onto the street; many of these people are on waiting list for rehabs and have nowhere to live. The author recognizes the problems with the correctional system but does not agree with the Republicans idea to fix it. I thought overall this article was pretty good. The author could have included a few facts in order to be a little more convincing.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography
Harper, Brit; Tiggemann, Marika. “The Effect of Thin Ideal Media Images on Women’s Self-Objectification, Mood, and Body Image.” Sex Roles; May2008, Vol. 58 Issue 9/10, p649-657, 9p
Summary: The present study used an experimental design to examine the effects of media images on self-objectification. A total of 90 Australian undergraduate women aged 18 to 35 were randomly allocated to view magazine advertisements featuring a thin woman, advertisements featuring a thin woman with at least one attractive man, or advertisements in which no people were featured.
Participants who viewed advertisements featuring a thin-idealized woman reported greater state self-objectification, weight-related appearance anxiety, negative mood, and body dissatisfaction than participants who viewed product control advertisements. The results demonstrate that self-objectification can be stimulated in women without explicitly focusing attention on their own bodies.
This was a very helpful source. It combined a study with further research on how women can begin to objectify women as a whole instead of just their own bodies. I like how it mentioned the psychological effect of images in the media being projected as the standard.
O'Riordan, Siobhan S. Zamboanga, Byron L. “Aspects of the media and their relevance to bulimic attitudes and tendencies among female college students.” Eating Behaviors; Apr2008, Vol. 9 Issue 2, p247-250, 4p
Summary: Examines whether media pressures would mediate the association between two dimensions of the media (source of information and internalization) and bulimic attitudes/tendencies. The study sample consisted of 106 female college students. Participants completed anonymous, self-report measures on media influences on body image and appearance as well as disordered eating attitudes/behaviors.
Findings showed that the association between two dimensions of the media (source of information and internalization) and bulimic attitudes/tendencies was mediated by perceived media pressures. Such findings highlight the significant influence of media pressures on bulimic attitudes/tendencies. Future research and prevention implications are discussed.
This was also a good source, doing a study to determine a specific demographic of female college students. Not only this but the study examines how this body image can relate to eating disorders and influence psychological damage which can lead to physiological effects.
Ukachuckwu, Jephther, “The Media and Body Image: If Looks Could Kill.” European Journal of Communication; Mar2008, Vol. 23 Issue 1, p93-96, 4p
Summary: The article reviews the book "The Media and Body Image: If Looks Could Kill," by Maggie Wykes and Barrie Gunter. This was not helpful in the least, and it was simply a book review. I should probably go find the actual book before I listen to someone critique it.
Aubrey, Jennifer Stevens. “Does Television Exposure Influence College-Aged Women's Sexual Self-Concept?” Media Psychology; 2007, Vol. 10 Issue 2, p157-181, 25p
Summary: The present study examined whether television exposure shapes female emerging adults' sexual self-concept, defined as self-perceptions of one's qualities in the sexual domain. Results from two-year panel data collected from undergraduate women suggested that Time-1 exposure to soap operas, prime-time dramas, and amount of television viewing predicted a deflation in college women's Time-2 sexual self-concept.
In addition, Time-1 sexual self-concept negatively predicted Time-2 prime-time drama exposure and Time-2 television watched per day. The results are interpreted in light of the cognitive information processing model and the selective exposure hypothesis.
This was a bit confusing but it did offer me direction to take on the specific topic that I chose. I find this particular topic fascinating and think that this article would have been a lot more interesting if it weren’t so wordy.
Woo, Jane S. T.; Brotto, Lori A. “Age of First Sexual Intercourse and Acculturation: Effects on Adult Sexual Responding.”Journal of Sexual Medicine; May2008, Vol. 5 Issue 3, p571-582, 12p, 3 charts, 1 graph
Summary: The goal of this study was to explore the association between age of first intercourse and adult sexual function in a sample of Euro-Canadian and Asian Canadian university students. In addition, culture-based comparisons of sexual complaints were made to clarify the role of culture in sexual response. Ethnic group comparisons revealed that Asians reported more sexual complaints including sexual avoidance, dissatisfaction and non-sensuality.
Among the women, Asians reported higher scores on the Vaginismus and Anorgasmia subscales whereas the ethnic groups did not differ on the male-specific measures of sexual complaints. In the overall sample, older age of first intercourse was associated with more sexual problems as an adult, including more sexual infrequency, sexual avoidance, and non-sensuality.
This gave a whole lot of information which I did not need to know or think I would find out. This was more culture-based instead of on a general basis. But it was helpful in identifying the actual statistics of women’s sexual activities at young and old age to tie into my argument on how the media could affect this. This was basically to get a better perception of what is “normal.”
Unknown author. “Women hate distorted media depictions.” http://www.Chinadaily.com.cn.
Summary: Women hate betrayal the most and don't consider themselves subordinate to men. These are the findings of a major online survey on women's attitudes toward the media. It finds that media depictions of women as pathetic subordinates to men, sex objects and a "third person" between a couple are hated most.
They also dislike overused sensational media catch phrases that stereotype some types of women with sexy images and judge women based only on their appearance. The survey also finds that independence, self-worth and intelligence are the top three qualities sought by respondents, who are mainly aged 20-30 and have college degrees. But confronted with reality, about half said they would not be a woman if they had a choice. Social discrimination and physical pain caused by pregnancy and childbirth are the major reasons they gave.
This article was extremely helpful. My only complaint is that this demographic is wide in age and specific in race. It was only a study of Chinese women, but I think it will be helpful in finding a general attitude towards their own gender in the media. It was interesting to hear how liberal and conservative at the same time. I would recommend this to other people.
Reichert, Tom “The Ageless Allure: Sex, Media, and Marketing.” Journal of Promotion Management; 2007, Vol. 13 Issue 1/2, p3, 9p
Summary: In this introductory article, Reichert argues that greater research attention should be paid to the area of strategic-or direct-effects of sexual information in the media. He begins by describing the nature of sexual information and the response it evokes in viewers. More important, Reichert outlines several ways that media organizations and advertisers use sex to promote their content and branded goods with the ultimate goal of enhancing revenue.
Last, the author describes how the articles in this contributed volume advance the study of sex and promotion into new and important contexts (e.g., television news, sports coverage, magazine covers, etc.)
This was interesting in finding why there is even a projected image in the media about sex in the first place. Sex sells and is strategically placed in areas where it will lure viewers to indulge. Audiences are nothing but consumers and it appears we are motivated by sex, which is why it is so prevalent in our culture.
No More Dining in the Dark
This article is about the federal court’s effort to get restaurants to put the amount of calories in each item next to it on the menu. Many of the fast food chains, such as Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Burger King, are not complying voluntarily. They say that their nutritional information is on the website and sometimes on the placemats, but you can’t really get to that before you order your meal, and by then it’s too late. The author uses a good attention-grabbing statistic that New Yorkers have gained 10 million pounds over the last two years and most of the weight that was gained was from people who ate more fast food. The District Court judge of Manhattan thinks that having the calorie count readily available might help cut down the obesity rate and make people more conscious of what they’re eating.
This was a very interesting article. It reminded me a lot of the documentary, Super Size Me. It had covered a lot of the same issues with the fast food restaurants being so unhealthy and those restaurants not doing anything about it. The author had done a lot of research and had some very interesting facts about the topic, which made it believable and easy to read.
This was a very interesting article. It reminded me a lot of the documentary, Super Size Me. It had covered a lot of the same issues with the fast food restaurants being so unhealthy and those restaurants not doing anything about it. The author had done a lot of research and had some very interesting facts about the topic, which made it believable and easy to read.
Annotated Bibliography
Laura Schexnayder
Bazar, Emily. "Laws prohibit smoking around children." USA Today 27 NOV 2006 15 APR 2008.
This article discusses various laws that relate to smoking in the presence of children. The article mentions laws that address a ban on foster parents smoking in the home the foster children are being raised in. Also present in the article is the issue of smoking in a car with a child present.
The article is helpful because it gives the states that participate in certain smoking bans. It also gave a quote from opposition to smoking bans. From the information given further research can be conducted to gain specific knowledge of the state laws on smoking bans related to children.
"Summary Reports." Tabacco Control. (2007). American Lung Association. 15 Apr 2008.
This is the American Lung Association’s website. Contained on the website are lists of the states that have passed various smoking laws, both banning smoking in certain areas as well as “smoker protection laws”. Also found on the website is the revenue each states brings in from cigarette sales. There is a link that allows you to insert specific regulations you are concerned about and it will tell you state by state what laws are applied to smoking in designated areas.
The website has a wealth of knowledge on the laws passed and proposed in each state. This is a professional website that provides reputable facts about smoking and the cigarette industry. Since it is the American Lung Association’s website it is biased towards the ban of smoking, but concrete facts are presented to make the point.
"State Smoking Restrictions for Private-Sector Worksites, Restaurants, and Bars --- United States, 1998 and 2004." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 08 July 2005. Center for Disease Control. 15 Apr 2008.
This article discusses the history of smoking laws from 1998 to 2004. The article gives an overview of the laws then goes into detail about which states lack certain laws regarding smoking. The article states that “national health objectives for 2010 is to establish laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that prohibit or restrict smoking in public places and worksites.”
The article has cited credible sources it has acquired its information from. It is a great summary of the laws passed during this time period, but further research would have to be done in order to obtain more recent state laws passed.
"Tabacco News and Information." Tabacco.org. (2008). 15 Apr 2008
This website has links to all of the latest news involving the tobacco industry including new laws that are being passed. There are also links to international smoking bans and links providing information in smoking laws across the world.
This website is biased toward the passing of smoking restrictions, but it still provides a wealth of knowledge about the latest headlines about issues related to smoking laws. Only gives brief quotes on the subject matter, but investigating the links provided will be helpful in gaining knowledge on the subject.
Neighmond, Patti. "Smoking Bans Help People Quit, Research Shows." Your Health. 25 Oct 2007. National Public Radio. 15 Apr 2008.
This article discusses the benefits smoking bans have on people. It states that by having bans on smoking it causes people to smoke less cigarettes, therefore helps to them to be weaned off of smoking quicker if the person would choose to quit smoking. The article goes on to say that another affect the bans have on people is that the bans “de-normalize” smoking, assisting in the want to quit. The article also suggests other methods to help break the habit of smoking.
This article is reputable because it comes from NPR which is an established source. It also provides valid points and facts from professional sources. The article is short but may provide additional knowledge to assist in the essay.
Stark, Lisa. "Do Smoking Bans Really Get People to Quit? ." ABC News 08 Nov 2005 15 Apr 2008.
This news articles discusses the effectiveness of smoking bans. It states that the bans have caused a reduction in the amount of cigarettes smoked in a day by typical smoker facing the bans. There is also an increase of people quitting smoking all together as a result of the bans. The article also gives various view points of the people in opposition to the bans.
The article is informative about whether the bans are in fact benefiting people. The article gives the oppositions view points which is helpful and gives the author more credibility by presenting more than one side of the story. The article sparks interest for further investigation on follow up effects of the laws passed against smoking.
"Tabacco Control." Community Healthy Promotion and Cronic Disease. (2006). Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. 15 Apr 2008.
This is the Louisiana Health and Hospitals website. All of the facts about the laws passed in Louisiana are provided here. Facts about Louisianans affected by smoking are listed on the website. The website provides clinics that offer support in quitting smoking.
This article will be helpful because it provides information and facts about the laws and bans in Louisiana. It also has many links that will be helpful in further investigation of the issue. It is a government based website, therefore it is credible.
"Secondhand Smoke: Questions and Answers." Smoking and Cancer. 01 Aug 2007. National Cancer Institute. 15 Apr 2008.
This is the National Cancer Institute’s website. The website provides much information on the effects smoking has on causing cancer in the body. The website has a question and answer page about the effects of second hand smoke. The website also contains numerous studies conducted on the relation of cancer and cigarette smoke.
This website will be extremely helpful because it is a quality source that has a large amount of information. There is scientific research provided as well as basic facts that will contribute information to the essay.
Bazar, Emily. "Laws prohibit smoking around children." USA Today 27 NOV 2006 15 APR 2008
This article discusses various laws that relate to smoking in the presence of children. The article mentions laws that address a ban on foster parents smoking in the home the foster children are being raised in. Also present in the article is the issue of smoking in a car with a child present.
The article is helpful because it gives the states that participate in certain smoking bans. It also gave a quote from opposition to smoking bans. From the information given further research can be conducted to gain specific knowledge of the state laws on smoking bans related to children.
"Summary Reports." Tabacco Control. (2007). American Lung Association. 15 Apr 2008
This is the American Lung Association’s website. Contained on the website are lists of the states that have passed various smoking laws, both banning smoking in certain areas as well as “smoker protection laws”. Also found on the website is the revenue each states brings in from cigarette sales. There is a link that allows you to insert specific regulations you are concerned about and it will tell you state by state what laws are applied to smoking in designated areas.
The website has a wealth of knowledge on the laws passed and proposed in each state. This is a professional website that provides reputable facts about smoking and the cigarette industry. Since it is the American Lung Association’s website it is biased towards the ban of smoking, but concrete facts are presented to make the point.
"State Smoking Restrictions for Private-Sector Worksites, Restaurants, and Bars --- United States, 1998 and 2004." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 08 July 2005. Center for Disease Control. 15 Apr 2008
This article discusses the history of smoking laws from 1998 to 2004. The article gives an overview of the laws then goes into detail about which states lack certain laws regarding smoking. The article states that “national health objectives for 2010 is to establish laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that prohibit or restrict smoking in public places and worksites.”
The article has cited credible sources it has acquired its information from. It is a great summary of the laws passed during this time period, but further research would have to be done in order to obtain more recent state laws passed.
"Tabacco News and Information." Tabacco.org. (2008). 15 Apr 2008
This website has links to all of the latest news involving the tobacco industry including new laws that are being passed. There are also links to international smoking bans and links providing information in smoking laws across the world.
This website is biased toward the passing of smoking restrictions, but it still provides a wealth of knowledge about the latest headlines about issues related to smoking laws. Only gives brief quotes on the subject matter, but investigating the links provided will be helpful in gaining knowledge on the subject.
Neighmond, Patti. "Smoking Bans Help People Quit, Research Shows." Your Health. 25 Oct 2007. National Public Radio. 15 Apr 2008
This article discusses the benefits smoking bans have on people. It states that by having bans on smoking it causes people to smoke less cigarettes, therefore helps to them to be weaned off of smoking quicker if the person would choose to quit smoking. The article goes on to say that another affect the bans have on people is that the bans “de-normalize” smoking, assisting in the want to quit. The article also suggests other methods to help break the habit of smoking.
This article is reputable because it comes from NPR which is an established source. It also provides valid points and facts from professional sources. The article is short but may provide additional knowledge to assist in the essay.
Stark, Lisa. "Do Smoking Bans Really Get People to Quit? ." ABC News 08 Nov 2005 15 Apr 2008
This news articles discusses the effectiveness of smoking bans. It states that the bans have caused a reduction in the amount of cigarettes smoked in a day by typical smoker facing the bans. There is also an increase of people quitting smoking all together as a result of the bans. The article also gives various view points of the people in opposition to the bans.
The article is informative about whether the bans are in fact benefiting people. The article gives the oppositions view points which is helpful and gives the author more credibility by presenting more than one side of the story. The article sparks interest for further investigation on follow up effects of the laws passed against smoking.
"Tabacco Control." Community Healthy Promotion and Cronic Disease. (2006). Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. 15 Apr 2008
This is the Louisiana Health and Hospitals website. All of the facts about the laws passed in Louisiana are provided here. Facts about Louisianans affected by smoking are listed on the website. The website provides clinics that offer support in quitting smoking.
This article will be helpful because it provides information and facts about the laws and bans in Louisiana. It also has many links that will be helpful in further investigation of the issue. It is a government based website, therefore it is credible.
"Secondhand Smoke: Questions and Answers." Smoking and Cancer. 01 Aug 2007. National Cancer Institute. 15 Apr 2008
This is the National Cancer Institute’s website. The website provides much information on the effects smoking has on causing cancer in the body. The website has a question and answer page about the effects of second hand smoke. The website also contains numerous studies conducted on the relation of cancer and cigarette smoke.
This website will be extremely helpful because it is a quality source that has a large amount of information. There is scientific research provided as well as basic facts that will contribute information to the essay.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Topics in University Security: Lockdown 101
New York Times
Author: James Alan Fox
April 16, 2008
I enjoyed that this article began with a story. A man walked in to a classroom at Elizabeth City State University with a weapon and held the class hostage for ten minutes. He told the class that at least one of them would be killed. However, this man was not a killer, but instead had been hired by the university to check out the emergency response systems. While this sounds a bit over the top for me, many universites have been going through numerous measures to prevent violent crime from occuring on campus. With the recent shootings all around the US it is no wonder that they feel that these precautions are necessary. Some of the programs implemented include the emergency text message system, the lockdown, and the campus police carrying fire arms. While these sound like effective measures, the author feels that they would prove inadequate. Aren't students supposed to have their phones off in class? Would the lockdown prevent innocent students from escaping? Rather the author proposes an increase in counseling. He feels that more funds need to go to this, because if the individuals had gotten help, would they have committed mass murder? This article proved to be very interesting as it presented a different point of view, but I would have liked to have seen more facts. He was purely speculating.
Author: James Alan Fox
April 16, 2008
I enjoyed that this article began with a story. A man walked in to a classroom at Elizabeth City State University with a weapon and held the class hostage for ten minutes. He told the class that at least one of them would be killed. However, this man was not a killer, but instead had been hired by the university to check out the emergency response systems. While this sounds a bit over the top for me, many universites have been going through numerous measures to prevent violent crime from occuring on campus. With the recent shootings all around the US it is no wonder that they feel that these precautions are necessary. Some of the programs implemented include the emergency text message system, the lockdown, and the campus police carrying fire arms. While these sound like effective measures, the author feels that they would prove inadequate. Aren't students supposed to have their phones off in class? Would the lockdown prevent innocent students from escaping? Rather the author proposes an increase in counseling. He feels that more funds need to go to this, because if the individuals had gotten help, would they have committed mass murder? This article proved to be very interesting as it presented a different point of view, but I would have liked to have seen more facts. He was purely speculating.
A Worsening Food Crisis
The Washington Post
Sunday, April 20, 2008; Page B06
This article talks about how the food prices have been rising over the past three years. He says this increase has put close to 30 countries on the verge of a food crisis because it is more expensive to buy food. The author then starts talking about how the new move towards biofuels is making the price of food rise even more.
Although the author uses facts and doesn't use loaded words, I was not very convinced by his argument. It lacked stories to back up his claim. He focused on how to get these countries money to buy food instead of trying to get these countries money for technology so they could produce their own. He spent a lot of the article talking about the negative effect of biofuel on the food supply; however, the last sentence of the few paragraphs on this was saying how only about 10-15 percent of the food shortage issue could be attributed to biofuels. I feel there were much better ways he could have gained the attention of the audience and presented the information, such as not focusing as much on biofuels.
Sunday, April 20, 2008; Page B06
This article talks about how the food prices have been rising over the past three years. He says this increase has put close to 30 countries on the verge of a food crisis because it is more expensive to buy food. The author then starts talking about how the new move towards biofuels is making the price of food rise even more.
Although the author uses facts and doesn't use loaded words, I was not very convinced by his argument. It lacked stories to back up his claim. He focused on how to get these countries money to buy food instead of trying to get these countries money for technology so they could produce their own. He spent a lot of the article talking about the negative effect of biofuel on the food supply; however, the last sentence of the few paragraphs on this was saying how only about 10-15 percent of the food shortage issue could be attributed to biofuels. I feel there were much better ways he could have gained the attention of the audience and presented the information, such as not focusing as much on biofuels.
annotated Bibliography
Works Cited
Bruinius, Harry. "Will Steroids Alter Baseball Records, Too?" The Christian Science Monitor. 24 Mar. 2005. 17 Apr. 2008.
This article for the Christian Science Monitor reflects the opinions of fans on the subject of steroids in baseball. They use percentages to show that they believe that steroids are a big problem in the game, and think the records of the steroid era should not be in the record books. It shows the huge bump in homeruns hit by major players such as Bonds, Mcgwire, and Sosa, and how the numbers never used to be that high. The article also discusses the effects pros using steroids can have on our young society.
I find this article to be helpful in establishing the thoughts of the casual fan. Baseball is america’s pastime, so the opinion of its fans represent America and their opinions are very important. It gives some good numbers and uses credible sources to share its message that the records shouldn’t stand. The asterisk is also used in the article as another means for helping with the problem, and I think its good that the article looks at many solutions.
Canseco, Jose. Juiced. New York: ReganBooks, 2005.
This book is Canseco’s coming out to the world that he took steroids and that it greatly increased his skills at the game of baseball. He explains how to use steroids and the advantages to doing so. He discusses the life as a professional athlete and all the off the field things like partying and such that you never hear about in the media. Probably the most important part in this book is the way Canseco talked about other players in the game such as Mcgwire and Brett Boone. There are also numerous pictures of Canseco in the book. He pretty much just describes the whole era and how many players juiced and that it was a common thing.
This book pretty much is a really good source if for nothing else then for names. He doesn’t just call out a few no name players, but big ones also. He calls out Roger Clemens and Mark Mcgwire as both steroid users. It’s thanks to this book that a whole congressional hearing was set up years ago. Its good to see the perspective of a player who is inside the game and knows a lot of current players. It helps lots with the argument that records now shouldn’t count because he has quotes from players saying that everyone was doing it. With Canseco also being a steroid user, he had nothing to lose, so it is more logical that he take down as many people as he could with him. He says his MVP and stats are a lie, and I think that works with the others as well even if its only because of the era they play in.
Fainaru-Wada, Mark, and Lance Williams. Game of Shadows. New York: Gotham Books, 2006.
This book focuses on the company called Balco and their experience dealing steroids to not just major league baseball players, but to other athletes as well. It brings into question the names of high profile athletes such as Marion Jones( a world class runner), Bill Romanowski ( professional football player), and Barry Bonds ( homerun champ and alleged user). It goes through the whole ordeal of getting steroids to the athletes to the now famous Balco trial. The book also has interviews with Bonds himself and discusses his alleged cream and clear steroids he took near the end of his career. There are also pictures and charts that measure up bonds early career and his sudden jump in numbers.
I find this book to be very interesting and helpful in the case against Bond’s record standing unasterisked. I think the pictures tell huge stories. It shows him back in the early 90’s as a guy who is very twig like and not very strong. The new pictures show him as a monster beast who looks as the book says “like a football linebacker.” Also, the book shows a partial admittance by Bonds to have taken steroids, and so there is proof he has cheated. There are a lot of stats as well that are helpful like his homerun per at bat ratio and the sheets of steroid order forms for him and other athletes.
"Mitchell Report" Baseball Slow to React to Players' Steroid Use." ESPN. 14 Dec. 2007. 17 Apr. 2008.
This article focuses more on the Mitchell Report that identified 86 players current and past of Major League Baseball that have in some way been connected with steroids. It puts the names of high profile players such as Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Barry Bonds out in the open as potential enhancer users and cheaters. This is the first we hear about Brian Mcnamee, Roger’s trainer, and how he gave drugs to players he was trying to help. It also shows the number of players accused in the Government report per team, and explains who George Mitchell is.
I think this is a very effective source because it uses names of players who have been caught. There isn’t just speculation going on at this point, but there is evidence starting to pile up against some of these players who the public thought was innocent until now. Some more importance was that the report brought out some more big names that were sure to go into the hall of fame, but now that is not looking likely. Credibility is also given to another source I used in Jose Canseco because he is referenced in the report and is said to be a reliable source from the government.
Phillips, Rich. "Baseball Old-Timers Swing Away At Steroids Issue." CNN. 29 Mar. 2008. 17 Apr. 2008
This work was a small article used to show the opinions of older retired players on the issue of steroids in their game. The author interviews the ex-players and comes to find out that they don’t like that the new players are using drugs to get an advantage. It shows the older generation originally thought that all that was happening was that the players were just working out all the time and getting better that way. Now, the elders think that the players are cheating, and hate to see their records fall.
This article had its moments of helpfulness, but was not overly filled with important points for this essay. It was good to see another person’s perspective and not just the media’s or current ball players, but the ones that are having their records broken. The former players discuss their workout regimens and it allows the reader to be able to see the difference between the players then and now, which I think is helpful for comparing the two periods in time.
Rhoden, William C. "Steroids Inquiry Must Start with Old Scars." The New York Times 14 June 2006, Late ed., sec. D: 3. Lexis Nexis Academic. LSU, Baton Rouge. 17 Apr. 2008. Keyword: Steroids and Baseball.
This article brings into play the thoughts of the former commissioner of baseball, Fay Vincent. He discusses that there has been a lot of steroid problems in baseball and that it isn’t helping the game. There is a story in the piece about how it was a slight issue when he was commissioner because he heard stories that a man named Jose Canseco was using them at the time. Vincent did not know what a steroid was at the time, and knew of nothing he could do. The article discusses that the fans want the truth on the matter, and would prefer that over baseball being at a morally higher ground. The Mitchell investigation is discussed a little as is the search by athletes to get an edge on the competition in any way possible, and at any cost.
I find this piece to be effective in proving that the baseball steroid era has lasted a very long time. By discussing Canseco, that shows the problem was starting to occur in the late 1980s when Jose was a good ball player for the Oakland A’s. I don’t think it helps baseball by using the excuse that people are looking for an edge whatever it takes. The fans don’t want the whatever it takes method, but instead they want the hard work and fair way. The author uses the example of Barry Bonds and others to show that the drug problem is continuing to increase, and is not going away soon.
Sheinin, Dave. "A History Question: How Bond's Record Holds Up as Part of the Steroid Era Remains to Be Seen." Washington Post, sec. E11. Lexis Nexis Academic. LSU, Baton Rouge. 17 Apr. 2008. Keyword: steroids and baseball.
This article discusses the relevance of Barry Bonds homerun record he set last year. The issue is that Bonds is an alleged steroid user and so by breaking a held by a man who almost for sure did no performance enhancing substances it brings into question whether it should count. The author discusses how all of a sudden there was an increase in home runs especially by those who are linked to steroids. Bonds also is now being accused of perjury for lying about taking steroids and is having a hard time getting respect from the retired players of the league who think the end of his career is a lie. The article ends by saying that the steroid controversy will continue to linger and could even get worse if the game isn’t cleaned up.
I think this is an important and helpful article. It focuses on the main person and problem of the steroid era which is the issue with whether records of current day players should be considered equal to those of the past. It compares Bonds to some of the other suspects in the steroid era, Mcgwire and Sosa. The article pays particular attention to the defining moment for the steroid era in Bonds hitting the home run. The author never takes a side, but just displays the facts that there has defiantly been something going on that has caused the increase in production and the increase in skepticism.
Bruinius, Harry. "Will Steroids Alter Baseball Records, Too?" The Christian Science Monitor. 24 Mar. 2005. 17 Apr. 2008
This article for the Christian Science Monitor reflects the opinions of fans on the subject of steroids in baseball. They use percentages to show that they believe that steroids are a big problem in the game, and think the records of the steroid era should not be in the record books. It shows the huge bump in homeruns hit by major players such as Bonds, Mcgwire, and Sosa, and how the numbers never used to be that high. The article also discusses the effects pros using steroids can have on our young society.
I find this article to be helpful in establishing the thoughts of the casual fan. Baseball is america’s pastime, so the opinion of its fans represent America and their opinions are very important. It gives some good numbers and uses credible sources to share its message that the records shouldn’t stand. The asterisk is also used in the article as another means for helping with the problem, and I think its good that the article looks at many solutions.
Canseco, Jose. Juiced. New York: ReganBooks, 2005.
This book is Canseco’s coming out to the world that he took steroids and that it greatly increased his skills at the game of baseball. He explains how to use steroids and the advantages to doing so. He discusses the life as a professional athlete and all the off the field things like partying and such that you never hear about in the media. Probably the most important part in this book is the way Canseco talked about other players in the game such as Mcgwire and Brett Boone. There are also numerous pictures of Canseco in the book. He pretty much just describes the whole era and how many players juiced and that it was a common thing.
This book pretty much is a really good source if for nothing else then for names. He doesn’t just call out a few no name players, but big ones also. He calls out Roger Clemens and Mark Mcgwire as both steroid users. It’s thanks to this book that a whole congressional hearing was set up years ago. Its good to see the perspective of a player who is inside the game and knows a lot of current players. It helps lots with the argument that records now shouldn’t count because he has quotes from players saying that everyone was doing it. With Canseco also being a steroid user, he had nothing to lose, so it is more logical that he take down as many people as he could with him. He says his MVP and stats are a lie, and I think that works with the others as well even if its only because of the era they play in.
Fainaru-Wada, Mark, and Lance Williams. Game of Shadows. New York: Gotham Books, 2006.
This book focuses on the company called Balco and their experience dealing steroids to not just major league baseball players, but to other athletes as well. It brings into question the names of high profile athletes such as Marion Jones( a world class runner), Bill Romanowski ( professional football player), and Barry Bonds ( homerun champ and alleged user). It goes through the whole ordeal of getting steroids to the athletes to the now famous Balco trial. The book also has interviews with Bonds himself and discusses his alleged cream and clear steroids he took near the end of his career. There are also pictures and charts that measure up bonds early career and his sudden jump in numbers.
I find this book to be very interesting and helpful in the case against Bond’s record standing unasterisked. I think the pictures tell huge stories. It shows him back in the early 90’s as a guy who is very twig like and not very strong. The new pictures show him as a monster beast who looks as the book says “like a football linebacker.” Also, the book shows a partial admittance by Bonds to have taken steroids, and so there is proof he has cheated. There are a lot of stats as well that are helpful like his homerun per at bat ratio and the sheets of steroid order forms for him and other athletes.
"Mitchell Report" Baseball Slow to React to Players' Steroid Use." ESPN. 14 Dec. 2007. 17 Apr. 2008
This article focuses more on the Mitchell Report that identified 86 players current and past of Major League Baseball that have in some way been connected with steroids. It puts the names of high profile players such as Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Barry Bonds out in the open as potential enhancer users and cheaters. This is the first we hear about Brian Mcnamee, Roger’s trainer, and how he gave drugs to players he was trying to help. It also shows the number of players accused in the Government report per team, and explains who George Mitchell is.
I think this is a very effective source because it uses names of players who have been caught. There isn’t just speculation going on at this point, but there is evidence starting to pile up against some of these players who the public thought was innocent until now. Some more importance was that the report brought out some more big names that were sure to go into the hall of fame, but now that is not looking likely. Credibility is also given to another source I used in Jose Canseco because he is referenced in the report and is said to be a reliable source from the government.
Phillips, Rich. "Baseball Old-Timers Swing Away At Steroids Issue." CNN. 29 Mar. 2008. 17 Apr. 2008
This work was a small article used to show the opinions of older retired players on the issue of steroids in their game. The author interviews the ex-players and comes to find out that they don’t like that the new players are using drugs to get an advantage. It shows the older generation originally thought that all that was happening was that the players were just working out all the time and getting better that way. Now, the elders think that the players are cheating, and hate to see their records fall.
This article had its moments of helpfulness, but was not overly filled with important points for this essay. It was good to see another person’s perspective and not just the media’s or current ball players, but the ones that are having their records broken. The former players discuss their workout regimens and it allows the reader to be able to see the difference between the players then and now, which I think is helpful for comparing the two periods in time.
Rhoden, William C. "Steroids Inquiry Must Start with Old Scars." The New York Times 14 June 2006, Late ed., sec. D: 3. Lexis Nexis Academic. LSU, Baton Rouge. 17 Apr. 2008. Keyword: Steroids and Baseball.
This article brings into play the thoughts of the former commissioner of baseball, Fay Vincent. He discusses that there has been a lot of steroid problems in baseball and that it isn’t helping the game. There is a story in the piece about how it was a slight issue when he was commissioner because he heard stories that a man named Jose Canseco was using them at the time. Vincent did not know what a steroid was at the time, and knew of nothing he could do. The article discusses that the fans want the truth on the matter, and would prefer that over baseball being at a morally higher ground. The Mitchell investigation is discussed a little as is the search by athletes to get an edge on the competition in any way possible, and at any cost.
I find this piece to be effective in proving that the baseball steroid era has lasted a very long time. By discussing Canseco, that shows the problem was starting to occur in the late 1980s when Jose was a good ball player for the Oakland A’s. I don’t think it helps baseball by using the excuse that people are looking for an edge whatever it takes. The fans don’t want the whatever it takes method, but instead they want the hard work and fair way. The author uses the example of Barry Bonds and others to show that the drug problem is continuing to increase, and is not going away soon.
Sheinin, Dave. "A History Question: How Bond's Record Holds Up as Part of the Steroid Era Remains to Be Seen." Washington Post, sec. E11. Lexis Nexis Academic. LSU, Baton Rouge. 17 Apr. 2008. Keyword: steroids and baseball.
This article discusses the relevance of Barry Bonds homerun record he set last year. The issue is that Bonds is an alleged steroid user and so by breaking a held by a man who almost for sure did no performance enhancing substances it brings into question whether it should count. The author discusses how all of a sudden there was an increase in home runs especially by those who are linked to steroids. Bonds also is now being accused of perjury for lying about taking steroids and is having a hard time getting respect from the retired players of the league who think the end of his career is a lie. The article ends by saying that the steroid controversy will continue to linger and could even get worse if the game isn’t cleaned up.
I think this is an important and helpful article. It focuses on the main person and problem of the steroid era which is the issue with whether records of current day players should be considered equal to those of the past. It compares Bonds to some of the other suspects in the steroid era, Mcgwire and Sosa. The article pays particular attention to the defining moment for the steroid era in Bonds hitting the home run. The author never takes a side, but just displays the facts that there has defiantly been something going on that has caused the increase in production and the increase in skepticism.
Annotated Bibliography
Bright, Laurie C., and Mary G. Graham. “Faith-Based Programs Give Facilities A Helping Hand.” Corrections Today 69 (2007): 137-139. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 15 Apr. 2008.
At a minimum, at least one chaplain is available at every prison and many prisons are offering more than prayer services and religious studies. Evidence proves faith-based programs to change the behavior of prisoners and allow them to make their own decisions. The article highlights five studies of prisons around the United States using similar programs, and showing evidence of the behavioral changes in the inmates.
This article from Corrections Today is particularly useful because it actually shows five studies of different prisons around the U.S. Five studies, rather than just one, allows the reader to grasp the information and better compare them to each other, focusing on the similarities. Along with the studies, the article explains the process instead of assuming the reader already knows.
D’Amico, John. “Ask And You Will Receive: Creating Faith Based Programs For Former Inmates.” Corrections Today 69 (2007): 78-82. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 15 Apr. 2008.
More than 70,000 inmates will be released from prison in New Jersey in the next 5 years. Unfortunately, the majority of them will return to their community with high rates of addiction, illness, and limited education. The article explains the issues affecting reentry and how to combat recidivism. It also explains the success that faith-based programs have had on prisons.
By not only focusing on the advantages of faith-based prisons, this article from Corrections Today explains some of the disadvantages, also. The article is not biased which will help the researcher make a wiser decision for an opinion. Many citations are listed which is very useful for research purposes.
Hoyles, Arthur. Religion in Prison. New York City: The Philosophical Library, 1955.
Religion first entered the prison system through the imprisonment of religious men. Observances of faith were given a place in prison routine by creating religious facilities for those who desired them. It soon became a part of prison reform, but it is said that out of all the convicts that pass through the doors of the chapel, not many of them find deliverance from their sin. The National Association of Prison Visitors to Women was formed in 1901 promoting an idea that Christianity can be offered in the form of sympathy and friendship. Finally, the idea of religion and psychology is presented in the last chapter.
The book Religion in Prison is helpful for many types of essays on prison systems because of its broad spectrum presented on the topic. It begins explaining the start of religion in prisons and goes through the years of the organizations and volunteer work that is formed. A chronological order of the topic helps researchers better understand the subject.
Mears, Daniel P., Caterina G. Roman, Ashley Wolff, and Janeen Buck. “Faith Based Efforts to Improve Prisoner Reentry: Assessing the Logic and Evidence.” Journal of Criminal Justice 34 (2006): 351-367. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 15 Apr. 2008.
Prisoner reentry is one of the main criminal justice challenges in the U.S. society. Do faith-based reentry programs improve outcomes for released prisoners? Many questions are addressed such as what a faith-based program is, how the program reduces recidivism and improves behavior of released inmate, and what the issues are which affect the program. The insufficient funding for the program is explained at the end of the article.
The Journal of Criminal Justice article has many useful pieces of information. Although, it is extremely long, it never repeats information. The article has an organized outline that is easy to follow, and the information flows well. Citing facts from sources such as the U.S. Department of Justice throughout the article makes the piece credible and interesting.
Mears, Daniel P. “Faith-Based Reentry Programs: Cause for Concern or Showing Promise?” Corrections Today 69 (2007): 30-33. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 15 Apr. 2008.
Faith-Based reentry programs present concerns and promises. Many words are defined before going into detail about the positives and negatives of the program. After explaining exactly what a faith-based program is, the author goes into detail about the issues concerning this program, along with the positive outcomes.
This article from Corrections Today is a useful article, but very hard to understand. The sentences do not flow and the words need to be defined. A lot of time must be spent to read and understand the author’s points, because they are not very straightforward.
Sifakis, Carl. The Encyclopedia of American Prisoners. New York City: Checkmark Books, 2003. 45-46.
Charles Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, ministered to prisoners, ex-prisoners, victims, and their families to promote biblical standards of justice to the criminal justice system. Many volunteers participated in the prison and community ministry. There is evidence that the work of ministries may have rehabilitative impact on released prison inmates and the inmates behind bars. “Do we want prisoners to return to society as predators or as producers.”
The Encyclopedia of American Prisoners pages on Charles Colson are extremely useful. It tells the history of faith in prisoners by explaining how the founder started the program. It also uses quotes from the inmates to prove that they are motivated by Colson to attend the ministries. The history of the faith in prison systems serves as a helpful starting point of an essay on this topic.
Swanson, Cheryl, Grantt Culliver, and Chris Summers. “Creating a Faith-Based Restorative Justice Community in A Maximum-Security Prison.” Corrections Today 69 (2007): 60-63. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 15 Apr. 2008.
A faith-based honor dorm was placed at W.C. Holman Correctional Institution in Atmore, AL to promote peaceful resolution with conflict. Many requirements were needed in order to live in these dorms, yet the prisoners were able to design the living quarters. After six years the faith-based honor dorm became a management tool that is given an above average rating by most correctional officers. It shows that inmates can look after themselves with direction and proper structure.
This article from Corrections Today provides evidence that faith-based programs are beneficial to prison systems. By outlining the entire process of this experiment along with the requirements and privileges that the prisoners receive, the article answers the reader’s questions. Every statement presents evidence to back it up, which lessens the extra research required for the topic.
At a minimum, at least one chaplain is available at every prison and many prisons are offering more than prayer services and religious studies. Evidence proves faith-based programs to change the behavior of prisoners and allow them to make their own decisions. The article highlights five studies of prisons around the United States using similar programs, and showing evidence of the behavioral changes in the inmates.
This article from Corrections Today is particularly useful because it actually shows five studies of different prisons around the U.S. Five studies, rather than just one, allows the reader to grasp the information and better compare them to each other, focusing on the similarities. Along with the studies, the article explains the process instead of assuming the reader already knows.
D’Amico, John. “Ask And You Will Receive: Creating Faith Based Programs For Former Inmates.” Corrections Today 69 (2007): 78-82. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 15 Apr. 2008.
More than 70,000 inmates will be released from prison in New Jersey in the next 5 years. Unfortunately, the majority of them will return to their community with high rates of addiction, illness, and limited education. The article explains the issues affecting reentry and how to combat recidivism. It also explains the success that faith-based programs have had on prisons.
By not only focusing on the advantages of faith-based prisons, this article from Corrections Today explains some of the disadvantages, also. The article is not biased which will help the researcher make a wiser decision for an opinion. Many citations are listed which is very useful for research purposes.
Hoyles, Arthur. Religion in Prison. New York City: The Philosophical Library, 1955.
Religion first entered the prison system through the imprisonment of religious men. Observances of faith were given a place in prison routine by creating religious facilities for those who desired them. It soon became a part of prison reform, but it is said that out of all the convicts that pass through the doors of the chapel, not many of them find deliverance from their sin. The National Association of Prison Visitors to Women was formed in 1901 promoting an idea that Christianity can be offered in the form of sympathy and friendship. Finally, the idea of religion and psychology is presented in the last chapter.
The book Religion in Prison is helpful for many types of essays on prison systems because of its broad spectrum presented on the topic. It begins explaining the start of religion in prisons and goes through the years of the organizations and volunteer work that is formed. A chronological order of the topic helps researchers better understand the subject.
Mears, Daniel P., Caterina G. Roman, Ashley Wolff, and Janeen Buck. “Faith Based Efforts to Improve Prisoner Reentry: Assessing the Logic and Evidence.” Journal of Criminal Justice 34 (2006): 351-367. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 15 Apr. 2008.
Prisoner reentry is one of the main criminal justice challenges in the U.S. society. Do faith-based reentry programs improve outcomes for released prisoners? Many questions are addressed such as what a faith-based program is, how the program reduces recidivism and improves behavior of released inmate, and what the issues are which affect the program. The insufficient funding for the program is explained at the end of the article.
The Journal of Criminal Justice article has many useful pieces of information. Although, it is extremely long, it never repeats information. The article has an organized outline that is easy to follow, and the information flows well. Citing facts from sources such as the U.S. Department of Justice throughout the article makes the piece credible and interesting.
Mears, Daniel P. “Faith-Based Reentry Programs: Cause for Concern or Showing Promise?” Corrections Today 69 (2007): 30-33. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 15 Apr. 2008.
Faith-Based reentry programs present concerns and promises. Many words are defined before going into detail about the positives and negatives of the program. After explaining exactly what a faith-based program is, the author goes into detail about the issues concerning this program, along with the positive outcomes.
This article from Corrections Today is a useful article, but very hard to understand. The sentences do not flow and the words need to be defined. A lot of time must be spent to read and understand the author’s points, because they are not very straightforward.
Sifakis, Carl. The Encyclopedia of American Prisoners. New York City: Checkmark Books, 2003. 45-46.
Charles Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, ministered to prisoners, ex-prisoners, victims, and their families to promote biblical standards of justice to the criminal justice system. Many volunteers participated in the prison and community ministry. There is evidence that the work of ministries may have rehabilitative impact on released prison inmates and the inmates behind bars. “Do we want prisoners to return to society as predators or as producers.”
The Encyclopedia of American Prisoners pages on Charles Colson are extremely useful. It tells the history of faith in prisoners by explaining how the founder started the program. It also uses quotes from the inmates to prove that they are motivated by Colson to attend the ministries. The history of the faith in prison systems serves as a helpful starting point of an essay on this topic.
Swanson, Cheryl, Grantt Culliver, and Chris Summers. “Creating a Faith-Based Restorative Justice Community in A Maximum-Security Prison.” Corrections Today 69 (2007): 60-63. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 15 Apr. 2008.
A faith-based honor dorm was placed at W.C. Holman Correctional Institution in Atmore, AL to promote peaceful resolution with conflict. Many requirements were needed in order to live in these dorms, yet the prisoners were able to design the living quarters. After six years the faith-based honor dorm became a management tool that is given an above average rating by most correctional officers. It shows that inmates can look after themselves with direction and proper structure.
This article from Corrections Today provides evidence that faith-based programs are beneficial to prison systems. By outlining the entire process of this experiment along with the requirements and privileges that the prisoners receive, the article answers the reader’s questions. Every statement presents evidence to back it up, which lessens the extra research required for the topic.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Annotated Bibliography
1. Bilchik, Shay.
This report is a government study conducted to ascertain the range of influential factors and interventional measures pertaining to youth gun violence. It divides its research into numerous categories such as legislation, enforcement, prevention, etc. This document gives a very comprehensive overview of gun control centered on youth procurement and violence.
This report was useful for its objective governmental standpoint on the issue. It set a clear line dividing the opposing standpoints on the issue from the position of youth violence. It also offered a model outline for structuring my argument as well as including a number of federal mandates.
2. Bilukha, Oleg Phd, Md, Robert Phd Hahn, and Alex, Md Crosby.
Reports Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for Preventing Violence: Firearms Laws. 3 Oct. 2003. 16 Apr. 2008
This report focuses on the effectiveness of various gun control laws on reducing violence and injury in areas they are enacted. Most gun activists use the argument that violent crimes happen with or without guns but this study takes a highly objective stance backed with data approached scientifically.
This article was very effective in criticizing the effectiveness in gun laws which serves as the fuel for most gun activists arguments. Even though the report produced inconclusive results (as most govt. studies do), it still gave a critical account of our government’s legislative attempts to curb gun violence free from bias.
3. Edel, Wilbur. Gun Control : Threat to
This source is a rather poorly written book for the general public which tries to encompass all variables relating to gun control in this country. The author gives the reader a short lesson in American history and then divides the rest of the text into chapters such as “The Propaganda Campaign” and “The Practice in Other Countries”.
I didn’t think this source was very useful as I found the verbiage on a fifth grade level and most of the information rife will ill conceived opinion and conjecture. The book did however make a connection between
4. Henderson, Harry. Gun Control.
This source touts itself as being an “encyclopedia in a book” and earns that title by providing general information on laws and issues as well as numerous appendix listings of related organizations, court cases, and studies. It also contains an annotated bibliography of its own and a guide to further research.
I chose this source for its simplistic organization and inclusion of an annotated bibliography which I could use as a model for my own work. This source was very helpful in developing a general outline which I plan to use for the final essay.
5. Heston, Charlton. "Truth and Consequences." Yale Political
This speech given to Yale students covers the issue of gun control from the former president of the NRA. Mr. Heston speaks of the governments irresponsibility enforcing current gun laws and the increasing trend of blaming manufacturers for their products instead of the consumer.
This speech was far from what I expected as far as the namely conservative views put forth about the Kosovo conflict and gun policy. It was helpful to see the president of the NRA agree that current gun laws should be enforced but that may have just been icing to mask the bashing he gave the Clinton Administration. This speech helped center my argument by removing some of the bias I held.
6. "In the Cross-Hairs." The Economist 8 July 2000. Lexus Nexus.
This is a well written article centering on the NRA’s place in today’s politics. Ir discusses how the NRA affects gun control laws by helping elect and influencing lawmakers.
I found this article very useful as it established the rights attempts to stifle further gun control provisions. It was refreshing to see the NRA’s motives exposed on a worldwide stage.
7. Kruschke, Earl R. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
This book offers a simplified version of various court decisions and viewpoints from key debaters on both sides on the issue of gun control. It also divides its numerous arguments into an individualist and collectivist viewpoint.
I found it helpful to see this issue in the different sense of individual and collective rights. The simplification of the various court cases and their verdicts was better than the other sources and provided further insight with less jargon.
8. Levitt, Steven D. "Understanding Why Crime Fell in the 1990s: Four Factors That Explain the Decline and Six That Do Not." Journal of Economic Perspectives 18 (2004): 163-190. 16 Apr. 2008
This article focused on statistical changes in the crime rate during the 90’s. It also offered reasons why the drop occurred and discounted other reasons the media had put forth.
This article was very helpful in defining the academic voice apart from mainstream thought. The charts and diagrams gave a visual account of the information I have been researching,
9. Squires, Peter. Gun Culture or Gun Control? Abingdon: Taylor & Francis Ltd., 2000. 16 Apr. 2008.
This discusses the difference between countries that ban guns and cultures like ours. It offers a poignant discussion of the pros and cons of allowing citizens the right to carry arms.
This book helped to define the differences between cultures on opposite sides of the gun experiment. I found it very helpful in that it focused on actual trials and tribulations instead of theory and added a new perspective on my topic.
10. Tushnet, Mark V. Out of Range.
This book makes the claim that the constitution will never allow for this discussion to end. The author covers many of the viewpoints and believes the debate is unable to be settled.
This book didn’t really cover anything new except for stating there will never be a resolution. It was a change of pace to see the issue written about from that viewpoint.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Annotated Bibliography
Hayley Batherson
Hardin And Associates Inc. "Controversy Over Major League Baseball Steroid Use." PR Week (US) ns (2008). LexisNexis. LSU Libraries. 18 Apr. 2008.
This article was about Roger Clemens and his alleged use of steroids. It told who will serve on his council for his defense against his allegations with steroid use. He has denied using steroids and was scheduled to testify against it on February 13, 2008. It was a very short article and not a very good source of information. Although is had some good information about Roger Clemens and his defense, it did not have the information I needed about my topic.
Ward, Celeste. "New 'Got Milk' Spots Spoof Baseball's Steroid Scandal." NEWS; National (2005). LexisNexis. LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge. 11 Apr. 2008.
This article is about the Got Milk ads spoofing the Major League Steroid use scandal. There are five commercials each with a famous athlete saying they use "muscle-building substances" and we soon find out that the product is milk. This is a good strategy to promote healthy ways of building strong muscles and bones. However, this journal article was not exactly what I was looking for and it doesn't really have any information about steroids and whether or not they really affect the talent level of the players.
Elliot, Bob. "Solid Career Now Tainted." The Toronto Sun 2 Feb. 2005, Final ed. Lexis Nexis. LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge. 18 Apr. 2008.
This is an article about the careers of Mark McGuire and Rafael Palmeiro. Palmeiro denies ever using steroids, but he was suspended for 10 days for violating the MLB's "anti-drug" rule. The author questions whether or not he and the rest of the great baseball players who used steroids should still be let into the hall of fame. It goes on to list evidence and reasons who Palmeiro has used steroids. This is exactly the kind of information I needed. The author presents a great point that I can use in my paper. Should the "juiced" baseball players be let in the hall of fame and is it even fair for them to still play the game?
"Nobles and Knaves." The Washington Times 14 June 2007, sec. 10. Lexis Nexis. LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge. 18 Apr. 2008.
This article is talking about a man named Kirk Radomski who admitted to selling steroids to dozens of Major League baseball players. They were planning on releasing the names and searching Radomski's house, but the warrant was being withheld. They are now trying to cover up the substance abusers and the country really wants to know who these players are. This was a very well written article. It gave a lot of useful information towards my topic and it helped me a lot. The author did a great job of highlighting the fact that these players and their suppliers need to come clean.
"Wake-Up Call for Baseball." The Toronto Star 15 Dec. 2007. Lexis Nexis. LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge. 18 Apr. 2008.
This article is about there being more than 80 players in 30 teams that are linked to steroid abuse. The players have denied doing anything wrong, but that is all said in an effort to keep their reputations clean. The author said that fans expected this news for quite some time, but they want to see a clean slate with no unfair advantages; the way the game is supposed to be played. I like this article a lot. It had some very good information about what others think about the steroid issue.
Canseco, Jose. Juiced. Harper Collins, 2005.
Jose talks about how big of a role steroids play in major league baseball. He uncovers that there are a lot more steroids being used than everyone really thinks. He also says that steroids are safe and they do not give an unfair advantage to the men who do not use them. Some of the topics in this book really help me focus my thesis and direct my argument towards a certain way. Even though it is a biased book, it gives a lot of relevant information on the topic.
Kiesbye, Stephan. Steroids. Gale Group, 2007.
This book has so much information on steroids. It will tell you anything you need to know about any kind of steroid and the bad side effects of each one. This is going to help me so much in getting background information for my paper. I will be better able to understand what I'm writing about and it will show in my paper. This is an excellent book for anyone who needs steroid research.
"BASEBALL: Yes, Steroids Help." Baseball Crank. 4 Jan. 2006. 10 Apr. 2008. This website was very informative and helped me find links to other websites with similar information. The website was asking the question, "Do steroids actually help? And why would they be banned if they didn't?". This is the point I'm trying to argue in my paper, so that topic was very helpful. The author was very straightforward
Hardin And Associates Inc. "Controversy Over Major League Baseball Steroid Use." PR Week (US) ns (2008). LexisNexis. LSU Libraries. 18 Apr. 2008.
This article was about Roger Clemens and his alleged use of steroids. It told who will serve on his council for his defense against his allegations with steroid use. He has denied using steroids and was scheduled to testify against it on February 13, 2008. It was a very short article and not a very good source of information. Although is had some good information about Roger Clemens and his defense, it did not have the information I needed about my topic.
Ward, Celeste. "New 'Got Milk' Spots Spoof Baseball's Steroid Scandal." NEWS; National (2005). LexisNexis. LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge. 11 Apr. 2008.
This article is about the Got Milk ads spoofing the Major League Steroid use scandal. There are five commercials each with a famous athlete saying they use "muscle-building substances" and we soon find out that the product is milk. This is a good strategy to promote healthy ways of building strong muscles and bones. However, this journal article was not exactly what I was looking for and it doesn't really have any information about steroids and whether or not they really affect the talent level of the players.
Elliot, Bob. "Solid Career Now Tainted." The Toronto Sun 2 Feb. 2005, Final ed. Lexis Nexis. LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge. 18 Apr. 2008.
This is an article about the careers of Mark McGuire and Rafael Palmeiro. Palmeiro denies ever using steroids, but he was suspended for 10 days for violating the MLB's "anti-drug" rule. The author questions whether or not he and the rest of the great baseball players who used steroids should still be let into the hall of fame. It goes on to list evidence and reasons who Palmeiro has used steroids. This is exactly the kind of information I needed. The author presents a great point that I can use in my paper. Should the "juiced" baseball players be let in the hall of fame and is it even fair for them to still play the game?
"Nobles and Knaves." The Washington Times 14 June 2007, sec. 10. Lexis Nexis. LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge. 18 Apr. 2008.
This article is talking about a man named Kirk Radomski who admitted to selling steroids to dozens of Major League baseball players. They were planning on releasing the names and searching Radomski's house, but the warrant was being withheld. They are now trying to cover up the substance abusers and the country really wants to know who these players are. This was a very well written article. It gave a lot of useful information towards my topic and it helped me a lot. The author did a great job of highlighting the fact that these players and their suppliers need to come clean.
"Wake-Up Call for Baseball." The Toronto Star 15 Dec. 2007. Lexis Nexis. LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge. 18 Apr. 2008.
This article is about there being more than 80 players in 30 teams that are linked to steroid abuse. The players have denied doing anything wrong, but that is all said in an effort to keep their reputations clean. The author said that fans expected this news for quite some time, but they want to see a clean slate with no unfair advantages; the way the game is supposed to be played. I like this article a lot. It had some very good information about what others think about the steroid issue.
Canseco, Jose. Juiced. Harper Collins, 2005.
Jose talks about how big of a role steroids play in major league baseball. He uncovers that there are a lot more steroids being used than everyone really thinks. He also says that steroids are safe and they do not give an unfair advantage to the men who do not use them. Some of the topics in this book really help me focus my thesis and direct my argument towards a certain way. Even though it is a biased book, it gives a lot of relevant information on the topic.
Kiesbye, Stephan. Steroids. Gale Group, 2007.
This book has so much information on steroids. It will tell you anything you need to know about any kind of steroid and the bad side effects of each one. This is going to help me so much in getting background information for my paper. I will be better able to understand what I'm writing about and it will show in my paper. This is an excellent book for anyone who needs steroid research.
"BASEBALL: Yes, Steroids Help." Baseball Crank. 4 Jan. 2006. 10 Apr. 2008
The Sorry Myth of Brucellosis
New York Times
18 April 2008
Author Unknown
For the past years, state elk in Wyoming have been lured to natural feeding grounds from Yellowstone Park. The states reason was to keep these elk away from the cattle as to prevent the disease, Brucellosis. The real reason for this feeding ground is actually because the range cannot support both cattle and elk. Arising now is a problem called chronic wasting disease on the feeding grounds, which is fatal. If these feeding grounds were nonexistent, the elk would disperse all over the land, not affecting the cattle. The chronic wasting disease is related to mad cow disease and is not yet known to affect humans. The only way to save thousands of elk is to destroy these feeding grounds, which will be contaminated for years to come.
I thought this article was very informative on this issue. However, I thought it was a bit hard to follow at times. The author tended to go back and forth between topics, making it confusing to read. Credibility seemed evident in mentioning authoritative figures, but lacked in not showing any quotes from public officials. Overall, the article flowed well and presented the information on this issue effectively.
18 April 2008
Author Unknown
For the past years, state elk in Wyoming have been lured to natural feeding grounds from Yellowstone Park. The states reason was to keep these elk away from the cattle as to prevent the disease, Brucellosis. The real reason for this feeding ground is actually because the range cannot support both cattle and elk. Arising now is a problem called chronic wasting disease on the feeding grounds, which is fatal. If these feeding grounds were nonexistent, the elk would disperse all over the land, not affecting the cattle. The chronic wasting disease is related to mad cow disease and is not yet known to affect humans. The only way to save thousands of elk is to destroy these feeding grounds, which will be contaminated for years to come.
I thought this article was very informative on this issue. However, I thought it was a bit hard to follow at times. The author tended to go back and forth between topics, making it confusing to read. Credibility seemed evident in mentioning authoritative figures, but lacked in not showing any quotes from public officials. Overall, the article flowed well and presented the information on this issue effectively.
Annotated bibligraphy
Elyse Bower Annotated Bibliography
English 2000
April 18, 2008
Bilofsky, Walt. "Second Hand Smoke and Community Laws." 27 Mar. 2003. 16 Apr. 2008
This article included such things as how and why to pass a smoking law. It also has a section on second hand smoke and asks are if you are poisoning your dinner companion. They also state out that the federal government can’t do much about these smoking laws but you need to do stuff locally. It also shows ways that the tobacco industry is trying to fight back against. The website also includes links to other tobacco related sites and an about the author section.
The author of this website has been a director of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights since its founding in 1982, and served as its president from 1987 to 1989. He gives the reader reasons to try and pass smoking laws. It is a good article to see exactly how the tobacco industry is trying to prevent these smoking laws. The links provided are also helpful because they lead you to legitimate nonsmokers websites.
Brandt, Allan M. The Cigarette Century. New York: Basic Books, 2007.
This book starts our with the authors first memory of cigaretts. He then goes into following the journey the tobacco industry has taken though out the century. He presents all the different people involved in the tobacco industry. The book also includes such information as when lung cancer was first recognized as a result of smoking and how America reacted. In the middle of the book they have pictures of all of the ads for smoking throughout time, and explains how the ads promise safer smoking but were later sued for false advertisement.
This was a really good source because they present really interesting facts that makes you want to keep reading. The author tells his story in a way that makes it easy to understand. The book also contains a lot of important people that made a big impact on the tobacco industry. The book really has stuff that you would never know about the tobacco companies and all the changes that have been made throughout time. It is also interesting to read about someone else’s experience growing up in this ever changing controversy.
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Eidelbus, Perry. "Smoker Rights?" Eidelblog. 19 Dec. 2005. 16 Apr. 2008
This is article is one persons argument arguing that a private company should not be able to dictate what you can cannot do in the workplace. If a company did not want to hire smokers that would be a type of discrimination. The author focuses on property rights and how this relates to smoking laws. The article says that people believe they have the right to tell other people what to do with there private property such as their cigarettes. The author also makes an important point that if a company won’t hire a smoker they could be hiring someone less capable for the job.
This article is a great example of what I would want my paper to be mostly about. It focuses on the property rights of Americans. The author feels very powerful about the subject and it makes you feel powerful about it as well. There are not many facts in this article it is mostly opinion so I don’t know how reliable it is. It does point out that discriminating against smokers is just like discriminating against women and minorities.
Juster, Harlan R.; Loomis, Brett R.; Hinman, Theresa M.; Farrelly, Matthew C.; Hyland, Andrew; Bauer, Ursula E.; Birkhead, Guthrie S."Declines in Hospital Admissions for Acute Myocardial Infarction in New York State After Implementation of a Comprehensive Smoking Ban." American Journal of Public Health 97 (2007): 2035- 2039. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Milliton, Baton Rouge. 18 Apr. 2008. Keyword: Smoking.
This is an academic journal about how after the smoking ban went into effect in New York, the admission to the hospital for acute myocardial infraction has declined. They have many tables to show how the rates of admission have decreased. They explained where they found all of there information for the charts. The article explains since the ban of smoking in the workplace, bars, and restraints has reduced peoples exposure to second hand smoke. The article contains a lot of statistics.
The author of the article admits that some data was hard to find due to lack of individual patient information. This made me realize that the authors could realize there faults. It was also kind of confusing to read some of the charts. There was a lot of references at the end of the article where these facts were found. The article seems repetitious about how the admission to the hospital has declined.
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Malek, Ninos. "Smoking and Property Rights." Ludwig Von Mises Institue. 3 Aug. 2000. Luwidg Von Mises. 16 Apr. 2008
This article tells that smoking is a moral issue for many people. It also states that the establishment gets to decide for itself its smoking policy and this is a moral issue as well. It also states two major issues which are the health argument and the economic impact argument. This article also includes percentages and facts based on surveys. The author also makes a funny point the smokers most likely cost the government less money because they die earlier and would not be able to collect social security checks.
The author makes some very good points and even says that you might think he is wrong and how he understands. I also liked how he stated it is not that big a deal if you cannot smoke in a restaurant but it is all about freedom. It is also a good article because it includes survey results from restaurant and bar owners. The author argues very well in referring to different sources. I also liked the way he argued both sides but he focuses on personal freedom.
Opposition to smoking ban still strong. Mental Health Practice, Oct2006, Vol. 10 Issue 2, p5-5, 1/5p; (AN 22666406). 18 April 2008.
This academic journal is about how the government wants to extent the smoking ban another year. They have researched people asking there attitudes about a smoke free environment. Many people that work in mental health units could trigger a fight with the patients. One in three physicians disagreed with a smoking ban in there office. The research showed many differences between general health care staff and mental health care staff.
This was a short article which was hard to pull a lot of information from. It includes good statistics that researchers have gathered. The author does not argue his point in a bias way. It is also interesting to see how the people who work in heath units don’t want to cause an uproar. This article gave another aspect to the problem with banning smoking.
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Pulley, Russ. "Smoking Bans Take Hold, But the Air Hasn't Cleared." The Kansas City Star. 15 Apr. 2008. The Kansas City Star. 16 Apr. 2008
This is a newspaper article about the smoking bans in Kansas. One restaurant owner voted against the ban because he believes that the choice should be left up to the owner of the business. They also interviewed many bar and restaurant owners and quoted how the smoking ban has affected there business. One person said the ban has decreased her business because people don’t come to smoke and hangout anymore. The article expresses peoples opinion from both sides and from all over.
I liked this article because you could really see the effects the ban was having on real people. The author did not have any bias and just told what the people had to say. The restaurant owners also present percentages about how there business has decreased. The people who were interviewed also said other things that were affecting there business such as drunk driving laws.The article was not that long and mostly contained interviews.
"Smoke-Free Policies Reduce Smoking." Smoking and Tabacco Use. Oct. 2006. CDC. 14 Apr. 2008
This is a fact sheet that shows the smoke free polices placed on adults and the youth to reduce smoking. They go to say how studies have shown that adolescents who work in a smoke free environment are less likely to smoke. It is mostly about how bans on smoking in public places have reduced smoking. They include a lot of percentages and facts that studies have shown. It says that a cigarette tax in New York City has led to 140,000 fewer smokers.
This is a good source of information because it contains a lot of facts and percentages. It is not very long and mostly just says stuff about the bans in the workplace and public places. They have all of the references that they got there facts from. They include not only the effect of these bans on adults but also on the youth of America which is an important aspect. The fact sheet is from an accredited website dedicated to a safer and healthier people.
"Smoking Ban Increases Accidents 12 Percent." Smoking Lobbing. 2 Apr. 2008. 06 Apr. 2008
This article states that since the smoking ban increases so do drinking and driving accidents. People are driving drunk from where they were to somewhere else so they can smoke a cigarette. People are not drinking more they are just driving more because of the smoking ban. The article contains studies done before and after the ban. It also states that nearly one third of Americans live in places where smoking is banned in some public places.
This was a good article because you see a different side of the smoking ban. You would never think that drunk driving would be a result of the ban. You receive statistics about the effects the ban has on drunk driving. The author is not arguing for or against the ban, he is simply telling you the facts. The article also tells you where the data was pulled from to get the statistics that they did.
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Thompson, Argus V. The Tabacco Industry Weezing or Breezing? Hauppauge: Nova Science, Inc., 2002.
This book contains the different issues surrounding smoking such as promoting public health vs. protecting personal freedom. It also shows all of the regulations put on the tobacco industry , products , and product use. They have many charts and tables with the total number of cigarette tobacco consumed by smokers in the United States. Some of the tables also contain the taxes on tobacco and how the tobacco farmers feel about smoking. There are also many charts with the comparison of tobacco settlement bills.
This was a good source because it contains a lot of information in charts and graphs. It has pretty much every statistic you need to know about the tobacco industry such as taxes on tobacco and the best selling cigarette. The book doesn’t focus on the issue of protecting personal freedom and smoking but it touches on the subject. Some of the tables were hard to understand because they had a lot of percentages and it was hard to understand some of the bills passed. It was a good source to find out the bans and restrictions the government has put on the tobacco industry.
Juster, Harlan R.; Loomis, Brett R.; Hinman, Theresa M.; Farrelly, Matthew C.; Hyland, Andrew; Bauer, Ursula E.; Birkhead, Guthrie S."Declines in Hospital Admissions for Acute Myocardial Infarction in New York State After Implementation of a Comprehensive Smoking Ban." American Journal of Public Health 97 (2007): 2035- 2039. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Milliton, Baton Rouge. 18 Apr. 2008. Keyword: Smoking.
This is an academic journal about how after the smoking ban went into effect in New York, the admission to the hospital for acute myocardial infraction has declined. They have many tables to show how the rates of admission have decreased. They explained where they found all of there information for the charts. The article explains since the ban of smoking in the workplace, bars, and restraints has reduced peoples exposure to second hand smoke. The article contains a lot of statistics.
The author of the article admits that some data was hard to find due to lack of individual patient information. This made me realize that the authors could realize there faults. It was also kind of confusing to read some of the charts. There was a lot of references at the end of the article where these facts were found. The article seems repetitious about how the admission to the hospital has declined.
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