http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35612301/ns/sports-olympic_sports/
Now, I am embarrassed that I do not follow the Olympics like a good, red blooded American is supposed to. Even with this handicap, I have been able to identify a few of the "shining stars" on the US Team. Again embarrassed, I only know who Apolo Anton-Ohno is because of his time on Dancing with the Stars. I said I was embarrassed, so stop judging.
Since his is a name I was familiar with, he is someone that I feel safe rooting for during the madness that is the Olympic Games. Tonight I watched some of Ohno's race, but guess I missed the wipe out. From reading this article, whether or not the author intended to appeal to Pathos in this article, I find myself affected emotionally by the news. Even though I am not a sports genius, the Olympics inspire national pride in even some of the less patriotic. It is in the human nature to want your team to win. As the grand dame of all sporting competitions, Olympic wins are a huge accomplishment for the nation that brings home the most wins.
It is appealing to the Lagos that as a fact, more medal wins equals a better team. A better team equals a more skilled competitor or team. The best team has the most bragging rights.
Since this article was obtained from a trusted news source, it is fair to assume that the author is well versed in the sport and in the manner in which the offense is laid out seems to be that of an authority.
Nationalism in general seems to lean toward appealing to pathos, there are factors that appeal to ethos and lagos, depending on the situation you are in. It seems, thought, that most patriotism is from an emotional place. Someone insulting your country would have the same effect to some as insulting their mother. Those that defend it to the death, while knowing logically that if they don't defend no one will, mostly do it because of their emotional motivation. National pride with me is evident to all that are around me because I cry every time I hear our national anthem.
Do I think Ohno should have been disqualified? I have no idea since I really have no grasp of the rules of speed skating. As an American, I want the US to have as many victories as we can.
Friday, February 26, 2010
My response to writing my community profile essay
Since I am the kind of person who loves to explore new places, I was loving the assignment to write about a place I had recently visited. Sadly, with all of the demands of life, I don't get to travel much. When I do, however, I feel like I am cheating myself if I do not take advantage of the opportunity to see EVERYTHING! Of course, every time a trip comes to an end, I feel let down that I didn't get to see every nook and cranny of the place I am visiting.
This assignment gave me the opportunity to re-live my trip to New Orleans. In addition to the the strong feelings I have about making the trip, I also feel especially close to New Orleans because it was my honeymoon when I was there. Being in such a special place for such a special reason was amazing.
Of course, with all of the wonderful experiences I had during the short trip there (I wish I could have stayed for 2 weeks!), the less than happy realizations come flooding back. This city is still in a recovery from one of the most brutal events of my lifetime. So many lives were lost, possessions destroyed and lives changed forever. Not only changed by the devastating natural disaster but the way this impossible situation was handled by the government. While this is not something you could ever be prepared for, more should have been done and what was done could have been done so much better.
As with all things, the good comes with the bad. Since my trip was made after Hurricane Katrina, it has a happier connotation because the city is on the mend and working toward being back to its former glory.
One last note, thanks to this assignment, I am already planning another trip to New Orleans.
This assignment gave me the opportunity to re-live my trip to New Orleans. In addition to the the strong feelings I have about making the trip, I also feel especially close to New Orleans because it was my honeymoon when I was there. Being in such a special place for such a special reason was amazing.
Of course, with all of the wonderful experiences I had during the short trip there (I wish I could have stayed for 2 weeks!), the less than happy realizations come flooding back. This city is still in a recovery from one of the most brutal events of my lifetime. So many lives were lost, possessions destroyed and lives changed forever. Not only changed by the devastating natural disaster but the way this impossible situation was handled by the government. While this is not something you could ever be prepared for, more should have been done and what was done could have been done so much better.
As with all things, the good comes with the bad. Since my trip was made after Hurricane Katrina, it has a happier connotation because the city is on the mend and working toward being back to its former glory.
One last note, thanks to this assignment, I am already planning another trip to New Orleans.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Responding to Courtney's post
Courtney brings up some very good points in his blog about the police officer in Dallas, Texas who was arrested.
Why was the cop carrying a weapon? I know as a sworn peace officer, he was allowed to carry a weapon. But I would think that the bar should have rules against weapons inside their premises. Maybe they do and the officer just did not think that the rule applied to him. That seems to be a common idea with some officers. Now, I don't want to lump all law enforcement officers into the same group. I know plenty of city police officers, sheriff's deputies and highway patrol that are stand-up good guys and gals. I feel safe knowing that they are patrolling the streets keeping crime at bay. But there are always the exceptions. The few bullies that think their badge makes them invincible. This group of historically men, however I am sure there are women officers that abuse their position, who think that their position gives them an all access pass to get away with whatever they want.
This is unfortunate for many reasons. First, the officer's family is probably going to find themselves in a bad financial positions. With the loss of income, compounded with the probable difficulties he will face finding another position in this economy and with such a mark on his record, will come financial problems and most likely depression and a strain on the family unit. Not to mention the loss of a pension that I am sure they were counting of for retirement. Second, the impact on the community will likely cause negative feelings and distrust of the police department causing more crimes to go unsolved and more criminals out on the street.
Hopefully this officer will get some sort of anger management and alcohol abuse counseling that may be able to save his job and the department will be able to restore relations with the community it serves.
Why was the cop carrying a weapon? I know as a sworn peace officer, he was allowed to carry a weapon. But I would think that the bar should have rules against weapons inside their premises. Maybe they do and the officer just did not think that the rule applied to him. That seems to be a common idea with some officers. Now, I don't want to lump all law enforcement officers into the same group. I know plenty of city police officers, sheriff's deputies and highway patrol that are stand-up good guys and gals. I feel safe knowing that they are patrolling the streets keeping crime at bay. But there are always the exceptions. The few bullies that think their badge makes them invincible. This group of historically men, however I am sure there are women officers that abuse their position, who think that their position gives them an all access pass to get away with whatever they want.
This is unfortunate for many reasons. First, the officer's family is probably going to find themselves in a bad financial positions. With the loss of income, compounded with the probable difficulties he will face finding another position in this economy and with such a mark on his record, will come financial problems and most likely depression and a strain on the family unit. Not to mention the loss of a pension that I am sure they were counting of for retirement. Second, the impact on the community will likely cause negative feelings and distrust of the police department causing more crimes to go unsolved and more criminals out on the street.
Hopefully this officer will get some sort of anger management and alcohol abuse counseling that may be able to save his job and the department will be able to restore relations with the community it serves.
Friday, February 12, 2010
In the news today.....
Gene Kirkpatrick is out on a $1 Million dollar bond. He is the man accused of being the mastermind in the murder of his son-in-law.
This headline is everywhere today, it has been on every local news stations, printed in the local papers and on so many different websites I could not begin to count. A lot of people have a lot of things to say about the matter....none of which is probably as a result of being fully informed.
I am not here to talk about whether this is right or wrong. You have your opinion and I have mine. In case you are curious, mine is that Gene Kirkpatrick is a good man who is not a flight risk and is the kind of person that will stand up and accept his punishment for anything that he did that was wrong or illegal. Being a Christian, he will face his God to account for what was done and being an American he will stand before a judge and jury who will consider all of the evidence and give him a fair punishment if a crime was committed. I am not a legal expert. I only know what I pick up from the "loosely based on fact" crime shows that I watch from the comfort of my sofa. What I do know is Gene Kirkpatrick. I have faith that what needs to be done will be done. He is my friend. Not was. Is.
My point, however, is not to argue any of these points with anyone. I respect everyone's right to make their own informed opinion. The problem seems to be that can any of us ever be really fully informed? The media saturates our worlds with bits and pieces of a story only to abandon it as a newer, hotter story comes in. Online media has both pros and cons. As a pro you can get information on demand. If I wanted to know the most recent things that were said, I can simply go to my favorite web browser and search anything that fits my criteria. A con is that anyone can post anything on the web, causing the masses to go largely misinformed, which is more dangerous in my opinion than being uninformed.
Journalism was once thought of as something that was well trusted. When you turned on the 6 o'clock news, what you heard was assumed to be well researched and the absolute truth as they knew it. Now, journalism is hard hitting, always trying to one-up each other competing for your attention with catchy taglines and shocking information. The integrity of information in the quest to grab your attention is merely a casualty along the way.
This headline is everywhere today, it has been on every local news stations, printed in the local papers and on so many different websites I could not begin to count. A lot of people have a lot of things to say about the matter....none of which is probably as a result of being fully informed.
I am not here to talk about whether this is right or wrong. You have your opinion and I have mine. In case you are curious, mine is that Gene Kirkpatrick is a good man who is not a flight risk and is the kind of person that will stand up and accept his punishment for anything that he did that was wrong or illegal. Being a Christian, he will face his God to account for what was done and being an American he will stand before a judge and jury who will consider all of the evidence and give him a fair punishment if a crime was committed. I am not a legal expert. I only know what I pick up from the "loosely based on fact" crime shows that I watch from the comfort of my sofa. What I do know is Gene Kirkpatrick. I have faith that what needs to be done will be done. He is my friend. Not was. Is.
My point, however, is not to argue any of these points with anyone. I respect everyone's right to make their own informed opinion. The problem seems to be that can any of us ever be really fully informed? The media saturates our worlds with bits and pieces of a story only to abandon it as a newer, hotter story comes in. Online media has both pros and cons. As a pro you can get information on demand. If I wanted to know the most recent things that were said, I can simply go to my favorite web browser and search anything that fits my criteria. A con is that anyone can post anything on the web, causing the masses to go largely misinformed, which is more dangerous in my opinion than being uninformed.
Journalism was once thought of as something that was well trusted. When you turned on the 6 o'clock news, what you heard was assumed to be well researched and the absolute truth as they knew it. Now, journalism is hard hitting, always trying to one-up each other competing for your attention with catchy taglines and shocking information. The integrity of information in the quest to grab your attention is merely a casualty along the way.
After reading the sample community profile...
Reading the sample community profile brought back memories for me. About 8 or so years ago, I spent a great deal of time in a town that seems very similar to Edison, Washington. Trevor B. Hall’s description of the Edison Café was so well written that he made me feel like I was an actual observer of the morning crowds that called this quaint place their café. My mental image of Julie, the owner, cook and general crowd pleaser brings to mind the kind of woman who makes everyone feel welcome in her presence, but also one that could keep you in line if need be.
One of the central themes of Mr. Hall’s essay was food. Food consumed as nourishment for the farmers, providing them the much needed fuel for their hard day’s work that lie ahead of the, and as the staple needed to bring groups like the “shakers and rollers” together for conversation, camaraderie and human contact that makes life much better than a solitary existence. This aspect is not exclusive to the Edison Café, but all over the world. In our society, we eat to celebrate, we eat to mourn, and we eat to pass the time. While that is not an ideal situation, that is what most have come to accept as normal, even anticipated.
I close my eyes after reading Mr. Hall’s words and can imagine the beauty of this part of the country. I imagine the taste of the overwhelming but delicious pancakes that Julie serves up to customers that are more like family. Most of all, I feel the warmth that surrounds those that are fortunate enough to have a place to go to every morning where someone welcomes you with a kind word and a smile.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Response to C.L. George's blog
I am normally not a political person. I know that is embarrassing to say. Judge me if you wish. I think I am uncomfortable with all the opposing views and the debating. I don't really even keep up with what is going on with the war. I have a few friends that are in the military, a couple of which are currently deployed, so I do try to keep tabs on how they are doing. Other than that, I am pretty ignorant to the current state of affairs.
The shooting at Ft. Hood, however, was so close to home that I kept up with the news reports surrounding the tragedy. Mr. George's comments on the topic were very interesting. I believe, like Mr. George does, that there must be personal responsibility taken when something of this caliber happens. I think one of the problems with America today is we are always looking for someone else to blame.
I appreciate what Mr. George and all of the other men and women who are currently serving in our armed forces. I hope that the government starts to "practice what they preach" and quit looking for someone to blame.
The shooting at Ft. Hood, however, was so close to home that I kept up with the news reports surrounding the tragedy. Mr. George's comments on the topic were very interesting. I believe, like Mr. George does, that there must be personal responsibility taken when something of this caliber happens. I think one of the problems with America today is we are always looking for someone else to blame.
I appreciate what Mr. George and all of the other men and women who are currently serving in our armed forces. I hope that the government starts to "practice what they preach" and quit looking for someone to blame.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)