Kirn's Multitasking

Kirn doesn't have one wasted word in his entire commentary. That is what is most impressive about this piece. It is obvious that he attained as much research as possible, while also sitting down, patiently, thinking of all the multi-tasking scenarios he could remember from his own life. This gives his position substance and a more personal feel. He could have just thrown research at us, but instead, he gives us real life instances in which he and other people try to do too many things at the same time.

His sarcasm is the second best thing. He mostly makes fun of society and himself, which makes his serious comments a bit more lighthearted than they would seem if they were taken out of the context of this commentary. His statistic about deaths and injuries caused by cell phone usage while driving is shocking and disconcerting. Fortunately, Kirn surrounds this and other depressing research by humor.

The commentary is structured in a way that exhausts the reader. I feel that because no words are wasted, the piece can be quickly read. He seemed to have made it read fast paced to reflect an ever-changing and never-slowing society. After I finished reading it, I told myself I would try every now and then to leave my computer in my room and the ice cream carton in the fridge while I'm watching TV. It'll be tough. Commercials are brutal and TV just makes me want to eat. The point is, reading Kirn's commentary did to me exactly what multitasking does to me - wears me out and leaves me yearning to just sit and stare into space while eating my ice cream. Or is that multitasking?

Anderson's American Roulette

Anderson hit the jackpot (no pun intended) with his choice of controversial topics. Yes Taibbi's piece about Obama gives it's readers something to think about and Hitchens covers something that's so controversial, most would just rather not talk or hear about, but they just didn't draw me in like Anderson did.

First, the title. So perfect. Like he says, a family today, has a one in six chance that their income will drop. Sounds like a game of roulette to me, except Americanized. The title really captures every aspect of his commentary. It is about America and it's failing economy that is putting people's quality of life at stake. Taking a risk is no longer "constructive," just as playing a game of Russian Roulette is far from offering anyone a pleasant outcome. Not only does the title fit perfectly with the topic, it drew me in instantly. Russian Roulette is something people don't take lightly. We joke about it and use it to mock the the unpredictability of things, but when it comes down to it - it's no laughing matter. Replacing Russian with American is quite effective in raising some questions. Questions that will be answered by reading his commentary, of course, exactly what Anderson wants.

The story he begins with is another very effective aspect of his piece. It really puts the economic crisis into perspective. Anderson gives his readers humans to sympathize with. He doesn't just start by ranting, all fiery, about the selfish CEO's. He gives us faces, literally. We see Sam and Paul feeling gipped, but having no choice but to continue with their day. At least they have a job. He builds his readers up to be able to appreciate, even more so, his passionate and also witty critique of what America has come to.

His language is very effective as well. Anderson is extremely witty, and choosing to compare the economic downturn to people involuntarily gambling gives him multiple angles of criticism to work with. He takes advantage of each of them. For example Anderson says,

"The spectacle of a few ecstatic big winners encourages the losers to believe that hey, they might get lucky and win, too. We have, in effect, turned the U.S. into a winner-take all casino economy, substitution the gambling hall for the factory floor as our governing economic metaphor, an assembly of individual strangers whose fortunes depend overwhelmingly on random luck rather than collective hard work."

Who ever would have thought to compare America's current position to a casino and it's loyal followers. Anderson couldn't have spelled it out any clearer. What is the most brilliant part of all this, is that he gives this controversial topic new life. Talk of the economic crisis, greedy CEOs, and the suffering individual is continuously leaving political residue in our ears and heads. Most of it, we don't understand. Anderson offers his readers a point of comparison that not only speaks clearly about what is happening, but also gives the situation a somewhat comical effect. Through the use of his witty and carefully constructed language, he presents himself as an expert on this serious issue, but also as someone who is willing to set aside the somewhat serious tone of the situation and speak in a way that will be understood by readers and will also keep them interested.

you can't really hate on Jon and Kate

Do we really need to hear anymore about parents who can't fight for their marriage? Even for the well-being of their kids? Their eight kids? This type of thing happens all around us these days. The last thing we need is to be reminded of it constantly in the news. Or maybe we do. Maybe it would be good for society, especially parents, to see the cruelty in our inability to TRY.

If you haven't already guessed, I'm speaking of the infamous Jon and Kate. While their situation has been looked down upon for a good while, they were actually booed at the FOX REALLY Awards. Will it get their attention? Most likely not. These days, we have all just become too self involved to really care about what others think. It's likely that the person thinking bad things about you has done the exact same thing. Hypocrite. I don't mean to sound so harsh, but really? If you're gonna boo, make sure you can. The divorce rate in the United States is 50 percent, most likely meaning that 1 in every 2 of the people that booed Jon and Kate have probably gone through a very similar situation. While not all of them may have had kids when they got divorced, it is likely a large number of them did.

I'm trying to make two points here. One. Maybe society should get a little glimpse of the slippery slope we are all heading towards. Two. You can't boo when half of America has done the exact same thing. It just goes to show that we really might need a wake up call. From Jon and Kate. ASAP.

Jon and Kate represent what society has come to. They are two people who were once in love, who decided to start a family, had some issues, and are now giving up. If two people can't even try with the whole country watching, then there seems to be no hope for the rest of us. Hopefully this isn't the case, but I'm convinced more so everyday. There is also no hope if we all act as hypocrites and criticize a situation that is only a publicized version of our own. There is something to be learned from their debacle, even if it is slightly sensationalized by the media. Maybe society will begin to remember that after having children, it's really not your life anymore, it's your children's. Whether people take this and use it towards their marriage and child-raising, or use it as birth control, it's their fish to fry. But fried it must be, because society as a whole will slip even further down that slope if the Jon and Kates out there don't straighten up and take some responsibility.

Laskas gave life to the "Underworld"

"Underworld" is probably my favorite article we have read thus far. Laskas took a subject that most would find boring and "out of date" (because most people have no idea we are still mining for coal) and gave it life. Coal mines are pretty lifeless places - dark, dreary, and literally lurking near the footsteps of death. That is until you really take a second to look at the things far from lifeless in a coal mine - people. Laskas really makes her readers appreciate what these men do. She makes it clear that they don't have to be there, they just are. Through an enormous amount of dialogue and description, Laskas turns a forgotten, eery profession into one that some might envy. She doesn't really capture the envious parts of the job itself, but what she does capture is the relationships these men have formed. She, herself turns out to be living proof of the relationships that grow out of the unique experience of working 50 stories down into the dark earth.

Throughout the entire article, I felt as if I was right there with Laskas, walking like a hunch-back and listening to these surprisingly vibrant men talk as if they weren't working under a million upon million pounds of rock that could come crashing down at any moment. In the dialogues she witnessed and was a part of, Laskas is able to capture how ordinary these men are - if the mine setting was removed, no one would know that these men worked in one.

Not only does Laskas have "i-felt-like-i-was-there" description and dialogue, she also adds in a lot of humor. This also brings a coal mining story to life. She seems to incorporate the very sarcastic sense of humor of the miners into her own description. It gives a coal mine a whole new atmosphere to imagine. Because of her very colloquial language, I have a completely different perspective about coal mines - mines aren't full of people who can't get a job anywhere else, they are full of people who don't mind getting their hands a little dirtier than usual to make a better living.

I think one of the main reasons Laskas was included in BAMW was because she took a seemingly dull topic and gave it some life - maybe even brought it back to life for those of you who thought coal mining was a dead profession.

i wanna see what happens to Tom and Judy

"Out in the Cold" begins by giving two stories of two different people who are both very passionate about their jobs, even though they are both aware of its dangers. This piece is quite ironic because the reader soon learns that these people were betrayed not only by the company for which they worked, but also by the government. Tom and Judy were willing to do anything to help out their country, and it seems as if those feelings were anything but mutual.

The testimony provided by Judy and Tom is very detailed. I imagine that Kessler was able to spend a lot of time with these individuals. He didn't just interview them, he got to know them. Tom even calls Kessler to give him the bad news about his blood loss and also that another tumor was discovered. The reader is able to really get a feel for both Judy and Tom, which makes the feature that much better.

Kessler also did a lot of research on "dose reconstruction" and the downward spiral of the Rocky Flats. This feature deals with a great amount of government agencies. I'm not sure of their level of secrecy, but I have a feeling, Kessler had to dig deep to get the good dirt. He did this either by talking to government officials or getting his hands on paperwork.

This story begins with two healthy people and then as Kessler tells they story of the Rocky Flats, the reader sees these people's health deteriorate right before their eyes. I think this is very effective in getting across his point. We aren't sure how long exactly Kessler followed these people, but their health seemed to deteriorate very quickly. While the technicalities of the Rocky Flats situation are a little confusing, readers keep reading to see what happens to Judy and Tom. The human interest is what is important.

living up to these won't be easy

I feel like I have a lot to live up to if my feature is to be anything close to "You Have Thousands of Angels Around You" or "Specialist Town Takes His Case to Washington." While the third reading was interesting, it did not draw me in like these two did. Williams constructed "You Have Thousands of Angels Around You" in a way that caused my eyes to remain glued to the text. While I can't even imagine the pain and suffering Cynthia endured, the detailed descriptions that Williams includes are successful in transporting you into at least the vicinity of Cynthia's life - not quite into her shoes, but i doubt Cynthia would wish that upon anyone. This story is so touching to me because this girl is close to my age and has been through more than I ever will or wish to go through. Stories such as these never fail to send me on a guilt trip. I read this laying in my queen size bed that sits in my cute green house which sits about .5 miles from a private University that likes to dig deep into my parent's pockets. There is not much I can complain about. Do I? Well, of course. There is telling a story and then there is bringing a story to life. Williams definitely accomplished the latter.

"Specialist Town Takes His Case to Washington" was also very successful a drawing me in. It is disgusting to me that anyone would treat a soldier in such a way. These men and women volunteer to put there lives at stake and then have it thrown right back in their face. What a disgrace to the American name. Both of these features are good representatives of a feature's purpose. They are controversial and heart-wrenching, while using cold-hard facts as their background. I can only hope someone won't be able to put my feature down.

hello future

After reading the review on hamburger restaurants in the DFW area, I was reminded about how wonderful my life would be if my job consisted of eating and then writing about eating. I aspire to be a restaurant/food critic/reviewer. I obviously need to do a little more research if I don't even know the job title of my dream job. Things are lookin' great. Regardless, you know what I'm talking about. The review showed me that there is more to a restaurant/food review than just writing about the restaurant and the food (unless, of course you don't want your review to be read). Yes, food is a wonderful part of being a human being and everyone loves to hear about the new greatest thing, but readers need the full effect. When I think of a typical food review, it includes the examination of the atmosphere, the prices, the service, and the food. In this review, they gave us more. They explained their journey in finding that one best hamburger, giving the reader a more interesting story to read. While I didn't want to review a review, I did want to reflect on the greatness of such a career. I'm sold.

i hope i'm more complicated than this

Hey there! My name is Lauren Tidwell and I'm a junior at TCU. I am an English major and a Business minor. Unfortunately I am the most indecisive person you will ever meet so there is no telling when I will graduate. I declared my english major at the end of my sophomore year. FAR FAR from good planning. As of now, May of 2011 is my projected graduation date, but that, of course, is subject to change.

As a writer, I believe I am strong and have been told so. I definitely have a lot of room for improvement and am looking forward to the challenges this class will bring. I am very interested in being a food critic so this class will definitely clue me in to whether or not that is truly what I want to do. I love to read, but am ashamed to say that I don't offer as much time to it as I should or as I would like. Regardless, I'm more of a non-fiction type of person. I like to gain something from what I read.

Just a little about myself in general... I am very lucky to have a wonderful family and friends. My mother is my hero, my best friend, my role model, and the list could go on forever. She is absolutely the most amazing person I know. Hopefully I will be able to use her for my profile article.

Although nervous after the first day, I am now very excited about this class. I can tell it is far from a typical english class, which I will enjoy taking a break from, at least for a little while.