Redskins, Robert Griffin III stake position in NFC East

With the beloved Eagles struggling tremendously to hang on a playoff spot in the NFC, attention has shifted from the Philadelphia team and to the rest of the teams in their division, the NFC East. After an incredible game Thanksgiving night, the new talk of the division has become quarterback Robert Griffin III and his Washington Redskins. In this article, though, Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post does not simply state the statistics from the game, but argues to her informed football audience that the Redskins showed something more than one good performance in their win over the Dallas Cowboys and are a legitimate threat to the New York Giants for the NFC East title. As a result, Jenkins is sending a message to her audience to jump on the Redskins' bandwagon now, since she envisions their recent surge to only grow in the coming weeks. She is able to back up her claim with substantial evidence: for example, the flailing performances of the Eagles and Cowboys, the easy schedule the Redskins now face, the return of many injured Redskins players, and the improvement in Robert Griffin III and his offensive line's performances. With the substantial backing used to defend her point and her use of diction to detail the present situation, Sally Jenkins was, in my opinion, able to achieve her purpose and bring attention to what could be one of the NFL's defining storylines this season.

Saturday Night Live 11-17-2012 Weekend Update Skit

In an attempt to please its thousands of weekly viewers, Saturday Night Live constantly works toward one goal: to entertain the audience with satires of the events surrounding the United States and the world. The script writers of SNL are able to do this through their Weekend Update skit, a satire on new broadcast stations and their display of information from a distorted lens. Through the host Seth Meyers, hilarious truths are uncovered in the current events that circulate in our daily news. An example of this is seen in this week's skit, the first episode since the revelation of former CIA director David Petraeus's affair. SNL takes advantage of this news to dissect the events from recent days regarding the affair and create an entertaining product for its audience by putting a humorous twist on the situation. In fact, the skit displays cause and effect in Seth Meyers's assumption that if the director of the CIA can't get away with this kind of relationship, no one can. Chris Christie's appearance is effective in satirizing the public as well, as they make fun of Christie's favorite fleece and his handling of Hurricane Sandy. By revealing all of these satires of political figures through an edgy perspective, especially after the recent election, SNL achieves its goal in entertaining the audience with the hilarious Weekend Update skit.

The Cliff is a Hard Place to Compromise

As our reelected President Barack Obama moves forward, he has been tasked with a very tall task: finding middle ground between the Republicans and the Democrats to bring the two parties together. Obama's second 4-year term could prove to be crucial to the unification, or at least compromise, of our currently divided American people. Author David Leonhardt is explaining this possibility to those, both Republican or Democrat, wondering what Barack's reelection means for the country in the next four years. This political article keys in on the limits that Obama faces as he enters his next term with a House of Representatives controlled by a Republican majority, but also the incredible amount of change Obama could impose as well. Leonhardt uses hyperbole to explain the restriction the Republican House places on Barack's ability to pass legislation, saying Obama's legislation will not have any signficant change, as opposed to a bill "on climate change". Leonhardt is able to convey his message of an open and bright future for Obama, shedding light on the positives that face the future of the Republican-Democrat conflict. With imagery involving Obama's approach on "the cliff", the outlook readers have on the post-election America changes dramatically and becomes more hopeful for the citizens of the United States of America.

Rory McIlroy: The Biography (IRB #2)

I found this reading in the biography of Rory McIlroy very interesting, as it connected to issues discussed in our European History classes early in high school. McIlroy, being a Northern Irish and Catholic man, faced religious conflict when the Catholic and Protestant denominations of the Christian religion divided Ireland. McIlroy even needed to swallow the death of his great-uncle Joe who was killed by a UVF hit squad upon moving to a Protestant region of the country. Through this information regarding the harsh conditions Rory grew up around, the purpose of the author is clear: to show the development of McIlory's golf skills and personality to seen as readers as a miracle. B making each of Rory's accomplishments the result of a miraculous beginning in Ireland, the achievements he has conquered and will continue to conquer in the future are enlarged significantly in the scheme of the world of golf. Author Frank Worrall also uses many quotes from other golfers, both retired and playing currently, to prove the great effect McIlroy has had on the game in just the start of his career. This strategy also seems to be used by Worrall to put the progress of the Irish prodigy's career under the microscope and increase the level of respect the audience of readers learn to show for Rory McIlroy.