Reviews: The positives and negatives

1. Postive review: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/10920578/Ed-Sheeran-X-review-genuinely-great.html

2. The topic of this review is Ed Sheeran's most recent album "X".

3. The reviewer's attitude towards Ed Sheeran's new album is positive. The reviewer sums up their opinion by saying that the songs are "genuinely great".

4. A) A fact that is included is listing other artists that Ed Sheeran has worked with on songs, such as, Pharell Williams. Another fact is that Sheeran provides a variety of styles on this album, whereas, on his previous album "+", the songs were relatively similar. 

    B) An opinion that is included is that the reviewer believes that the album provides the listeners an easy listen. Another opinion provided was that the reviewer think that the main part of Sheeran's appeal to consumers is his "apparently effortless absorption of contemporary music styles."

5. I do agree with the reviewer's postition because I also think that the album was really good and there was also a very wide range of styles on this album. 

1. Negative review: http://www.flickfilosopher.com/2014/05/bad-neighbours-aka-neighbors-movie-review-stubbing-brain.html

2. The topic of this review is the movie "Neighbors".

3. The reviewer's attitude towards this movie was negative. The reviewer sums up their opinion by using words and phrases like "crap", "incongruous", and "thrown against the wall."

4. A) A fact that was provided was that the movie was intentionally meant to be a mess and discombobulating. Another fact is that it provides details from the movie and it's intentions like making fun of the main couple by portraying them as parents who don't have fun as opposed to their new neighbors which is a fraternity. 

    B) An opinion was that the reviewer believes that the movie was an attempt at a comedy but it was a horrible attempt and that it was basically a bunch of nonsense in hopes to make the audience laugh. The reviewer also states that they think that the movie was very disconnected and didn't make much sense from scene to scene.

5. I do agree with the reviewer because when I watched the movie I also felt confused and didn't find the overall movie funny besides the exceptional few parts or a few things that were said. 

What Really Matters to Americans

cartoon: 

article: http://www.oudaily.com/opinion/editorials/pop-culture-is-not-breaking-news/article_fe12ce50-8844-11e3-8350-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm

Questions:

1. The topic of the editorial and the cartoon is what's really on American citizens' minds.

2. The cartoon represents the topic by showing different pop culture topics on a diagram of a brain and a small section of the brain that had important topics in the world and government showing that American's care more about topics like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's baby, new movies, and basketball teams. The written editorial represents the topic by expressing opinions on how topics like Miley Cyrus scandals are not breaking news and asking the reader would they rather hear about a celebrity scandal or the U.S. economy.

3. The cartoon and written editorial a alike because they both show that Americans would much rather hear about pop culture topics over topics like the governmental issues like the IRS scandal a few months back and the September 11, 2011 Benghazi, Libya attack. The cartoon and written editorial are different because the cartoon just shows what the cartoonist's opinion is on what Americans think is important and leaves the viewer to let their mind wander about what the cartoonist may be trying to get across, and the written editorial blatantly says the writer's opinion on the topic.

4. The written editorial is more effective at proving their point because the writer expresses their opinion in a straight forward manner whereas the cartoon doesn't put the point of the cartoon across as straight forwardly.

5. The benefits of drawing a cartoon are that the cartoonist can be creative in expressing their opinion and point and also can use humor. The benefits of writing an editorial is that the writer is able to get their point and opinion across very effectively. The drawbacks of drawing a cartoon is that the  cartoonist is limited with how much they can really say when expressing their opinion and point and if is usually left up to the viewer to assume the opinion and point. Also, when a cartoon is drawn, the point that the artist is trying to put across could be confusing or hard to understand. The drawbacks of writing an editorial are that the writer is limited to how creative they can be and also that the opinion has to be supported by facts which could be hard if the opinion isn't necessarily able to be supported by facts.

"No-Shave November": For fun or for charity?

          "No-Shave November"  is a popular topic amongst the male population during the month of November. The objective of "No-Shave November" is to raise awareness for men's health issues such as prostate and testicular cancers. The money spent on shaving products is donated to charities that research cancer and work to develop treatments for the health issues. Majority of the participants do not know the reason behind "No-Shave November."

           The trend was introduced in Adelaide, South Australia in 1999 by a group of young men. Over recent years, notable celebrities, such as Mark Foster from the band Foster the People, professional soccer player David Beckham, and actor Ryan Gosling have participated in "No-Shave November." 

          When asked about the topic, Northwestern High School teacher, assistant athletic director, and coach, John Bramlett explains that he has never heard of it before and says, "I don't like to shave. That's why I look the way I do." After being informed about "No-Shave November", he admits that he likes the reason behind it stating, "I think any time we can raise awareness for health issues, it's a great thing." Bramlett also states that he would think about participating in honor of memory of someone who has cancer or has passed away from cancer. "No-Shave November" may be a popular trend but it is popular for reasons other than health issue awareness. 

caption: The official logo of "No-Shave November."

6 Feature Stories

Trend 1:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/31/showbiz/movies/jk-rowling-pottermore-halloween/index.html?iref=allsearch

          In honor of Halloween, author J.K. Rowling created a story for Harry Potter fans on the website 'Pottermore' based on one of the series' character's life. The story was on the Hogwarts professor Dolores Umbridge and her life. The story was also about how Rowling got the idea for the character. Rowling states in her story that she got the idea for the professor from one of her teachers and the character's obsession with cats from a former office mate.

Informational 1:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/03/us/ferguson-faa-no-fly-zone/index.html?iref=allsearch

          Due to the shooting of teenager Michael Brown on August 9th and the protests that followed, the federal government has restricted airspace over Ferguson, Missouri. It was first believed that the FAA, Federal Aviation Administration had imposed the flight ban to keep media and journalists away from the area, but it is now said that the imposition was put into place as an act of safety. It is unknown if this statement is true because phone conversations that were recorded say that the ban was aimed at news helicopters to keep them from flying over Ferguson.

Human Interest 1:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/01/us/washington-school-shooting/?cid=ob_articlesidebarall&iref=obnetwork

          On October 24, 2014, 15 year old student Jaylen Fryberg opened fire at his high school and proceeded to shoot himself after. One student died at the scene while another died the following Sunday. It is now known that a third victim has died. Shaylee Chuckulnaskit was 14 when she died Friday at Providence Regional Medical Center. She was one of four students that were shot that day. Two of the other students were wounded during the shooting. The motive behind the shooting remains unknown and may never be known.

Trend 2:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/04/showbiz/amanda-bynes-tweets/index.html?hpt=en_c1

          It's no surprise that Amanda Bynes has tweeted more random nonsense. Last month she tweeted allegations that her father was abusive to her which she later contradicted with tweets saying, "My dad never did any of those things to me" and "The microchip in my brain made me say those things but he's the one that ordered them to microchip me." This time around, she has tweeted things saying that she has been diasgnosed with bi-polar disorder and that she is fine because sees her psychologist and psychiatrist weekly and that she is on medication.

Informational 2:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/03/world/americas/mexico-american-siblings-killed/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

          Three U.S. Citizens were kidnapped and killed after returning from vacation. Erica, Alex, and Jose Angel were all from Progreso, Texas but now have been buried in El Control, a village in Mexico from which their father originates. The siblings disappeared on October 13th when the got back from visiting their father in El Control. Last week, the siblings' bodies were found. The three siblings, including Erica's boyfriend Jose Castaneda, were all found with their hands and feet tied together and a gunshot wound to the head. All four victims were killed on the same day as their abduction.

Human Interest 2:

 http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/04/travel/free-world-trip-elizabeth-gallagher/?cid=ob_articlesidebarall&iref=obnetwork

          A citizen of Toronto, Canada named Jordan Axani is offering a free trip around the world to any woman named Elizabeth Gallagher that resides in Canada. Elizabeth Gallagher is the name of Axani's ex-girlfriend and he states that he booked this trip while they were still together. The trip is planned out as the following:

December 21: NYC to Milan

December 28: Prague to Paris

December 29: Paris to Bangkok

January 7: Bangkok to New Delhi

January 8: New Delhi to Toronto

Axani says that he didn't want the tickets to go to waste after he and ex-girlfriend Gallagher broke up.

When In Rome

Rob and Carmen Faulkner sent their oldest daughter, MC, to Rome, Italy to study abroad in 2013. Rob, Carmen, and the youngest daughter, LeighAnn visited MC in Rome and brought home pictures that tell a story through the lens of a camera. 

MC Faulkner stands in a Piazza during her first weekend in Rome.

LeighAnn Faulkner tosses a coin over her shoulder to the Trevi Fountain in hopes of returning to Rome one day.

The Faulkner Family enjoys an authentic Italian cappuccino.

The Vatican is home to the Pope and is often referred to as the "Holy See" which means the central government of the Roman Catholic Church. 

Altare della Patria, or " II Vittoriano", is a monument built in honor of Vittorio Emanuele II, the first of a unified Italy and is also the site of Italy's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which has an eternal flame and is guarded 24/7.

MC Faulkner takes pictures inside the Colosseum, capturing history through the lens of her camera. 

The Colosseum is the largest ampitheater in the world and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. It was built during the years 70-80AD and could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators. It was mostly used for gladiatorial contests. 

People from all over the world flooded the streets of Rome and St. Peter's Square on Easter Sunday to attend the new Pope's first Easter Mass. 

5 Headlines From the Summer

-Michael Brown

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/25/us/michael-brown-spent-last-weeks-grappling-with-lifes-mysteries.html?_r=0

          For the entire month of August, the name you heard on the news was Michael Brown. Michael Brown was an 18 year old black teenager that was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, MO, a suburb of St. Louis. Brown was caught stealing a box of cigars from a convenience store and pushing the clerk into a display case. It is known that he struggled during his life on and off with drugs and alcohol, but would usually walk around with a smile on his face. After being confronted in the store, Michael and his friend were walking in the middle of the street when Officer Darren Wilson told them to get on the sidewalk. Brown hit the officer and struggled with him to get the officer's weapon; Brown was then shot.

         The residents of Ferguson, MO claimed that this fatal confrontation was an act of racism and started to riot in the streets of Ferguson. Police force against peaceful protesting initiated the rioting and grew into vandalism, looting, and some gunshots being fired. Police established curfews and deployed riot squads to try to calm matters, but there was little impact. The shooting of Michael Brown and aftermath are newsworthy because it took the attention of Americans and people all over the world informing them that people truly believe that violence is the answer to many things. 

-Malaysian Plane

http://online.wsj.com/articles/dutch-officials-say-malaysia-air-jet-likely-shot-down-by-missile-1410537115

         After President Putin of Russia invaded Ukraine earlier in the year, militants in Ukraine and Russia have been on edge. When the news of a crashed passenger plane arrived, people around the world were concerned about their own safety. We now know that Malaysian flight 17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over Eastern Ukraine. There were 298 passengers and crew aboard when the plane was shot down; all passengers and crew aboard were killed. The Boeing 777 was shot down at close range by what is believed to be a missile, but has been left called a "high energy object". The downing of this aircraft is newsworthy because it was the killing of 298 innocent civilians and also because back in March, another Malaysian passenger plane went missing and has yet to be found.

-Ebola

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/09/19/ebola-in-the-u-s-dont-bet-on-it/

          Ebola has been known in the world for a while now, but the recent outbreak has caused major concern worldwide. It's no secret that Africa is home to many people infected with the Ebola virus, but the United States is not so normal. The United States has very elaborate medical centers nationwide, so disease and viruses are able to be prevented a lot of the time. When 2 American citizens came back into the country and brought the Ebola virus also, doctors and other citizens became worried that more people may become infected. The citizens have been quarantined and because of this, the United States was able to avoid and slight outbreak of Ebola. The possible Outbreak of Ebola in the U.S. is newsworthy because one of the citizens is from Charlotte, NC which is close to where we are and also because the latest outbreak is the largest one to date.

-ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2014/08/29/the-als-ice-bucket-challenge-has-raised-100m-but-its-finally-cooling-off/

          All the rage this pass Summer was the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease" is a disease that affects the muscles and nervous system. The ALS Ice Bucket challenge is where people who are nominated record themselves taking a bucket of ice and water and dumping it over themselves to raise money for ALS research and proceeded to nominate other people. If you are nominated, you have 24 hours to complete the challenge or you can forfeit by way of donating money. Many celebrities have participated in this challenge as well as your everyday citizen. Notable celebrities who have participated include:  Katy Perry, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg. Many celebrities and some people also donate money along with their completion of the challenge. The ALS Ife Bucket Challenge is newsworthy because it's a fun way to promote awareness and raise money for ALS.

-Tony Stewart

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tony-stewart-kevin-wards-death-will-affect-my-life-forever/

          One of the more disturbing headlines this Summer was the news that Nascar and Sprint-Car racer Tony Stewart had struck and killed a fellow racer during a sprint-car race in New York. The video that was shown was very disturbing as it showed racer Kevin Ward Jr. stepping out of his car to confront Stewart about something that had happened and had upset him when Tony Stewart hit Ward and killed him. Stewart announced that he was withdrawing from the race and races in the following weeks to cope with the incident and in support of Kevin Ward and his family. Investigators reviewed the video and claim that Stewart not necessarily intended to kill or even hit Ward, just scare him a little as he accelerated when he was making the turn where the accident occurred. The case has since been completed as of September 11, 2014 and it has been announced that any action that will be taken is to be announced in the following week. The death of Kevin Ward Jr. is newsworthy as it shows that things aren't always intended and they may not have the outcome expected. Also, it is newsworthy because Tony Stewart is a big name racer and athlete.

Faulkner and Family Takes a Trip to Italy

On March 29th, 2013, LeighAnn Faulkner and her parents left the United States and flew to Rome, Italy.

           It was the week before spring break and MC, Faulkner's older sister, was studying abroad in Rome. She was studying over there for her entire second semester, so the parents of Faulkner thought it would be nice to make a trip over there to visit and explore Rome. Faulkner and her parents flew from Charlotte, NC to Newark, NJ on March 29th where they had a 5 hour layover before boarding the next flight. When they landed at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino International Airport after a 9 hour flight, it was 7 in the morning the next day. The Faulkners spent that day checking into the hotel, meeting up with the eldest Faulkner child, and walking around the city. During their trip, Faulkner and her family saw Castel Sant'Angelo, went to the new Pope's first Easter Mass at The Vatican, saw St. Peter's Basilica, The Sistine Chapel, The Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and ate plenty of Italian food. The European lifestyle is much different compared to the American lifestyle in many different ways from taking a siesta during the day, to eating late at night and taking 2 or 3 hours to eat at dinner.

"I never thought of Italy as a place I've wanted to go, but I became so attached and have wanted to go back ever since. It was truly a vacation to remember." This experience changed the younger Faulkner and she now has hopes of returning to her new found home away from home.