Arts and Acadamea Post #3

Pakistan’s Palette of Blood and Tears

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/arts/design/18rising.html?_r=1&ref=arts

3.

A woman opened up a museum, Mohatta Palace Museum, focusing on the blooming of Pakistani art. Often times their art is about the pain and violence there. 

Much of the art has to do with the terrorism between Islamic militants and the relationship between Pakistan and America. The artist that has made pieces based off of such things said "To hell with Uncle Sam"

All of the artists have similarities having to do with the violence they see coming from America. The woman made the exhibition to show that the city where she is from is more than violence and fear.

2.

Is it by accident that all of there art just so happens to do with the violence they experience, or does the violence have such a great impact that that is all they can express?

If her city has ore to say then violence and fear then why is that all she displays at the museum? I understand that all of the pieces have strong meanings, but maybe they can show the aspect of other people of the city not having to do with the violence and possibly the peace of the city comparing it to the violence.

1.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69G0BC20101017 

This article is one example of the violence occurring in the city of Karachi in Pakistan.

Politics, History and Current Events Post #3

Obama to sign tax deal Friday afternoon

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/17/tax.deal/index.html?hpt=T1 

3.

The final vote was made last week with an approval of 277:148 with an almost equal number of votes between Republicans and Democrats of approval.

It is a two-year extension of the Bush administration's tax cuts also extending unemployment benefits for another 13 months, cut payroll taxes by 2%.

Obama and the other Democrats had long opposed the wealthy's tax cuts. He complaine that the Republicans were not allowing tax cuts for the rest of the country.

2.

What will be the ending result after these drstic tax cuts?

Why couldn't the people allow for more reasonable changes in the taxes, this could easily make the debt even worse.

1.

The tax cuts seem to be making both sides upset, and there is no real way to please either side without giving up one thing.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7159453n&tag=mncol;lst;5

Entertainment Post #3

Talk show veteran Larry King signs off after 25 years

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12016273

3. 

Larry King has been a talk show veteran for 25 years. Barack Obama made a video for King saying how "he opened families eyes to the world outside of the living room".

Larry King made over 6,000 shows and over 50,000 interviews during his time on the air.

It was so touching to other entertainers that Bill Maher had to remark that, although it is the end of the show, we will continue to see him around, "it is not a funeral of a man." 

2.

What will Larry King do next? Will he continue showing up on TV? 

 Why did Larry King make the decision to leave the talk show?

1. The fact that he has such famous people such as authors, politicians and actors on the show is amazing, that even the President made a personal message to him and ending his TV talk show career.

 http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/12/16/larry.king.finale/index.html

 

Arts and Acadamea Post #2

Higher Education
 
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/11/28/is-the-cost-of-college-a-bargain.html

3.
People believe that the reason that the price of tuition for college has risen over inflation is because of unnecessary spending on faculty and amenities.

Economists argue that the price for in-state colleges is reasonable because the benifits have increased since the rise of tuition.

In the future there will be a decrease in the amount of people attending colleges because of how high the price of room and board is.

2.
Do the kids actually benifit in the future more now than they used to when the price of college was lower?

Why don't they have more ways other than scholarships to provide for lower class families who have children going to colleges?

1. The rates for in-state colleges rose aproximately 6.5% http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/the-skyrocketing-costs-of-attending-college/

Entertainment Post #2

Music and Your Body: How Music Affects Us and Why Music Therapy Promotes Health

http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/music_therapy.htm

3.

Music therapy has shown to  benefit cancer patients, and children with ADD. Hospitals are beginning to use it to ease depression, pain, and promote movement.

Music effects brain waves in such ways that slow music will make a person more calm and music with a faster beat will make people think faster and stay more concentrated, for example, even I at this very moment am listening to fast music and it is allowing me to stay on top of this blog post.

Studies have also amazingly shown that music can lower blood pressure as well as boost immunity and ease muscle tension.

2. What if one listens to fast, somewhat disruptive music, would that have a negative impact?

The article doesn't really touch on if it makes exercising easier, does it?

1.  The other article talks more about how music can ease depression, relieve stress and anxiety.

http://stason.org/TULARC/health/alternative-medicine/Music-Therapy-Health-Benefits.html

Current Events Post #2

Wikileaks US cables: Pakistan rejects nuclear arms fear

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11885588 

3. 

People aren't worried about an Islamic militant stealing a nuclear weapon, but rather that they could slowly smuggle material to make such weapons. 

The leaks are harmful in this case because there is distrust forming between the US and Pakistan on their security of nuclear weapons being kept there. They say that they have been successful from keeping it from the military and that  they are a sovereign nations that doesn't need help from the US.

 There are worries that the Pakistani government isn't being aggressive enough against the military and keeping them from smuggling the weapons.

2.  

What exactly did the man put out there that made the US concerned?
How are the Pakistanis making sure that there is no possible way militant groups will smuggle the nuclear weapons that have been made?
1. there have been many worries over all the aspects of the wiki leaks, from this example and many other pieces of information that have been put out there, that it could be risking lives. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11882092

 

 

Arts and Academia Post #1

The idea of extending the school day—and year—is gaining momentum. (Sorry, kids.)

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/29/educators-should-embrace-extended-school-hours.html

3. Some teachers don't feel that they have enough time to devote to actual analytical teaching and only have time to focus on basics during class periods.

More people are gaining interest in having longer school days and not allowing for a summer break, people believe this custom is outdated.

There have been tax cuts to public education, taking away the extracurricular classes such as music and art, and if these are taken away all you are left with is constant reading and math. If they have to constantly focus on those things, students and teachers will slowly lose interest.

2. Why would they make the changes to time, but not public school funding?

Why don't they take into consideration the students ideas? This new system, I believe could easily take away from any enjoyment in school.

1. Obama proposes either extending the school day, or extending the school year.
http://www.eduinreview.com/blog/2009/03/obama-proposes-longer-school-days-extended-school-year/

Entertainment and Leisure Post #1

3D Cinema - Emerge of Golden Era with End of Standard Filmmaking

http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/entertainment/3d-cinema-emerge-of-golden-era-with-end-of-standard-filmmaking.html

3.
3D in cinema has existed since 1952 in a movie called Bwana Devil. The idea didn't last long and they called it "futureless".

Since 2003 there has been a steady rise in newer 3D technology for movies, and as time has been going on they have made a larger amount every year.

Because of newer 3D technology, the people making the movies have begun to use it more because they can charge $5 more for a 3D movie than a normal movie.

2.
Why did 3D technology become more popular again after its lost popularity in the 1950's?

How does the decrease in sales of DVDs have to do with 3D movies?

1.
3D isn't only quickly emerging, but so is 3D gaming.
http://www.gamerlive.tv/article/total-immersion-sees-augmented-reality-enhancing-3d-movies-and-games

Augmented Reality (AR)- live direct or indirect of a physical real world that is enlarged.

Politics, history, and current events Post #1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11686796

US elections 2010: Democratic losses and Obama's agenda

3.
Obama recently passed the health care reform bill, but since the Republicans recently gained the majority in the house of representatives they will try to take some of the aspects away over the next two years of Obama's term.

Obama wants to slowly stop the low tax rates for the upper class and and lower the taxes for the middle class, others oppose this because they believe it will ruin the economic progress that has been made.

The president will try once again to pass a reform for immigrants to pave a path to becoming legal citizens, this reform was put down a few years ago during Bush's presidency.

2.
It seems that the republicans won't allow any chance for Obama to pass any of his reforms to help America wen they are asking for such things, why?

Why haven't any of the politicians made a plan for foreign policy issues, when we are in debt to many foreign countries?

1.
51% of people view Obama's new plans to be a good idea, but only 23% view it to be completely negative. http://people-press.org/report/490/obama-stimulus

The Three Sites

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ - History, politics, and current events (could go under all three, but mostly current events)

http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/entertainment.html- Entertainment and Leisure


http://www.princeton.edu/main/campuslife/media/blogs/- Arts and Academia

Reading for meaning..

Reading for meaning usually has to do with books you read because you have to, like for school. When people read for meaning they have to come up with a habit to analyze the work, such as taking notes. A lot of times these books are considered classics because they are typically known to have a lot of in depth thought behind them with many themes within it to find. Usually these themes can be heard to decipher though. A book that comes to mind is To Kill a Mocking Bird.  Reading for pleasure usually is a simple book with not much underlying meaning to it. These books could include mystery novels, romance novels, Science Fiction books but no specific ones come to mind.