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.

Urgent Warnings as Hurricane Sandy Heads to Northeast

Marc Santora highlights the impending hurricane and the conditions that this storm will bring about in the upcoming days for northeastern states with this article. However, the audience Santora seems to be focusing on is the western and central states, most probably attempting to tell those not involved and, consequently, not informed of the serious implications this could have on the eastern coast. An interesting way Santora goes about revealing this information is through a comparison to Hurricane Irene, which struck just this past year. This rhetorical device allowed the article to give more detail and more relevancy, as it drew parallels to a well-known storm that occurred relatively recently. In this way, the states far from the impact points of Hurricane Sandy's path can connect the devastation that approaches the northeast to a similar encounter from the past. Through this comparison, the use of personification, and incredible detail in diction, Santora is able to achieve his purpose, spreading the message of the status of the northeastern states as they face an imminent weather catastrophe. By using descriptive language to explain the preparations people are making and the storm itself, Santora paints the picture of urgency and defense for the people living along the Atlantic and adds bystanders in the western and central states to the support groups to aid the preparations.

Testing My Twins

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/21/opinion/sunday/testing-my-twins.html?ref=opinion

Could twins hold more similarities than we currently know? This New York Times article, written by Claire Needell Hollander, explains an unusual correlation of test scores between two identical twin sisters. The article, a piece featured in the Opinion section, is addressing those affiliated with the education system (teachers, principals, guidance councilors, etc) as well as parents of children in both public and private schools. Hollander noted that her twin daughters had identical scores on their fourth grade standardized tests and almost exactly the same in fifth grade. However, the scores from fifth grade were fourty points lower than the test in fourth, leading to Hollander’s question: “How could they have not learned anything all year?” She questions whether this drop had something to do with her children’s twin-hood, making knowledge of studies of identical twins very beneficial for the reader. Hollander takes advantage of this situation, converting it from a story of twin relationships to a message of securing the optimal education of American youth. When looking through this lens, readers can confidently conclude that Hollander, with her use of logos, syntax, and repetition, was able to convey her desired message in the article. Maybe, Hollander proposes, we should focus more on the educators teaching our children than the students themselves.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints QB, says bounty penalties based on 'rhetoric'

In this article, Saints Quarterback Drew Brees delves into the details behind the alleged bounty scandal, a program the league believes funded rewards for players who injured members of the opposing team. More specifically, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is criticized for the punishments being "based upon speculation and rhetoric." Because of the uncertainty that now faces the bounty situation in the eyes of the league, this article attempts to display the effect of these accusations by Saints players on the outlook of the bounty scandal as a whole. The author of this ESPN.com article is speaking to the community that watches and supports the NFL, as the suspensions of Saints players and coaches seems to have played large in the mediocre performance of the team. It was difficult to find the use of rhetorical devices in this article, given that the nonfiction setting makes a writer's top priority to make sure the reader comprehends the event. If the author's purpose was to inform the the reader of the new direction of the bounty system case and leave the feeling of uncertainty surrounding the situation, the writer achieved his purpose, putting the reader at a more informed, but still suspenseful state as they wait for the next shift of momentum in this conflict.