Media Bias

Rationale:

The original article is from the Wall Street Journal, which supports the idea of ISIS being responsible for bringing down the Russian jet liner last weekend. The article further supports the ideology that ISIS will become a worldwide threat if not defeated. The rewriting of the article supports the opposite ideology, that ISIS did not "down" the aircraft, as they don't have the capabilities to do so and are not at all a worldwide threat. The original article and my rewritten version support two contradictory ideas, but both use evidence to support it.

Original article URL: 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-terror-warning-in-sinai-1446854602

New article:

ISIS NOT responsible for "downing" Russian passenger jet

Cockpit of the Russian passenger jet prior to take-off.

It may be some time before investigators in Egypt can likely deny claims by Islamic State (ISIS) that it is responsible for the “downing” last weekend of a Russian passenger jet over the Sinai peninsula. Russian commercial carriers have a notorious safety record, and it’s too soon to rule out that a structural or mechanical failure caused the plane to break apart in the sky, killing 224 passengers and crew.

The wife of the co-pilot of the Russian plane that crashed in Egypt says her husband had complained about the plane's condition, according to a Russian TV channel.

State-controlled NTV ran an interview Saturday with Natalya Trukhacheva, who was identified as the wife of co-pilot Sergei Trukachev. She said that a daughter "called him up before he flew out. He complained before the flight that the technical condition of the aircraft left much to be desired." Technical issues could still be a major factor.

As far as ISIS is concerned, The Islamic State group seems to claim responsibility for bringing down the Russian Metrojet plane in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula — but it has have offered no evidence and is not known to have the capability to do so.

Militants in northern Sinai have not to date shot down any commercial airliners or fighter jets but there have been media reports that they have acquired Russian shoulder-fired, anti-aircraft missiles. These missiles, however, are only effective against low-flying aircraft or helicopters.

Outrage at the tactics of ISIS is certainly justified, but fears that it presents a worldwide security threat are not. Its numbers are small. They work by threatening, but not by carrying out those threats. They seek attention. In February President Obama was asked by the Vox website whether “the media sometimes overstates the level of alarm people should have about terrorism.” “Absolutely,” he replied, adding that level of attention given to terrorism is “all about ratings.” The solution is not to give them attention. 

IOC Practice

Act 1 Scene 2

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10YynvsXPY8dAqpUAmQ1rGEqacGwdcAuTiYQZyJeFNLo/edit?usp=docslist_api

What the hell is water?

"This is Water" is an essay written by David Foster Wallace. It is work that explores the mindset of the adult human, and their perspective and attitude towards the world. The general idea that is brought across in this essay is the choice that we have of that mindset. How we can either be self-centred and take our surroundings for granted, or we can open our minds to a bigger picture. This idea is simply illustrated in his opening paragraph, where two fish are swimming, before the one asks the other "what the hell is water?" A stupid question to some, but a brilliant example of a world we take for granted, through our default, oblivious behaviour. With more examples, David Foster Wallace is able to continually address the idea of choice between thinking with a closed mind or an open mind about ones surroundings. Another main idea that he is able to bring across is that through choosing against our default oblivious nature, we are able to experience more personal joy through a more open minded perspective.

David Foster Wallace then goes on to paint a mental picture of the everyday adult life. A seemingly eternal routine of waking up, working, eating, and then sleeping, before waking up to repeat an identical process, and he does so as if from the perspective of someone thinking in the default and judgemental mindset he mentions. But the specific example used is a typical trip to the supermarket. Here, there's author continues to speak through the perception of the easily angered and judgmental adult. This is particularly evident when he portrays the thinking process of an adult waiting at the checkout lines after a long day at work. "The glacially slow old people and the spacey people and the ADHD kids who all block the aisle." This line would be surprisingly relatable for the audience, which is exactly what David Foster Wallace is trying to achieve to prove his point. The fact that many can place themselves in the same shoes is evident of the fact that most adults think in the same self-centred, judgmental and oblivious way. "Because my natural default-setting is the certainty that situations like this are really all about me, about my hungriness and my fatigue and my desire to just get home..."

But then he proceeds to flip this mindset on its head. He begins to emphasise on the fact that in a supermarket, or in a traffic jam as mentions additionally, none of the other slow or spacey people with their ADHD kids want to be there either. What David Foster Wallace suggests is that the default mindset is what leads to such misery. Choosing to think differently is a choice, and in doing so, one is able to feel more emotionally satisfied in such situations. 

We could link such a idea to the inquiry question: How can literature develop empathy and emotional intelligence? Through the essay, the audience is able to gain knowledge and intelligence regarding the emotions of an average adult. In this specific piece of literature, a message can be taken away that helps to lighten the emotional aspect of any readers life, and that choosing to think a certain way can allow for such an emotional change to occur within a person, when musing on what lies without.

Another IOC Practice

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6t4QskHbgkjYU1XSnJoN0x2V0k/view?usp=docslist_api

IOC Practice

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6t4QskHbgkjT1hBb01QbFgyWHc/view?usp=docslist_api

Women's Literature Reflection

What is the purpose and benefit of the study of literature? 

The typical reply to such a question would evolve developing ones skills in communication. This is true, as studying literature as a whole can develop the skills to share ideas through speech and writing, but it also develops ones ability to read and listen to the sharing of others ideas. Overall, literature is a mere sharing of ideas, and studying it helps us do so too. But, in my opinion, it's more than that; more than just learning to communicate. Engaging in timeless literature allows for us to connect with anyone, through the communication of ideas. Themes from centuries before can still be relatable today, and time and place is of no significance when considering the connection that a reader can have to the literature being read. Such sympathy can be felt for characters who feel pain, and extreme joy is experienced for the characters who feel joy as well, and this is regardless of when, where, or by whom the piece of literature was created.

What is women’s literature and what is the value in studying it? 

Most literature is written by men. This is why there is no specific name for the literature of men. However, women's literature is different. It provides any single reader with a different perspective on life. Countless real life struggles are written by women, and because only women have experienced these struggles, only women can truly express these feelings in words. Men could try to write about the struggles of women, but the perspective and depth would not be the same. That's why so much value lies in women's literature, as embedded in it are so many themes that are inexpressible by anyone else but a woman.

Why were the themes and values of Munro’s social realism so significant during the 1950s-1980s? 

Alice Munro's work was significant during the second wave of feminism. This was when women wanted to separate from the social norms of society that forced them to carry out the roles associated with the female gender. Consciousness started rising, and this idea was expressed through her work. Rising out of her short stories was the awareness of the roles that women wanted to be freed from, and her works contributed in rising consciousness, and this was largely expressed through personal experiences, which is a value of women's literature.

Although she does not identify as a feminist writer, how has Munro’s work contributed to gender equality? 

She shares her personal struggles through her work, and, as mentioned previously, those, contributes in rising consciousness, which led to a greater level of equality between genders. This was through her own personal perspective of life, which was quite influential. She might not be fighting for the right to be equal through her literature, but she does express personal experiences to raise consciousness.

What do you enjoy most about the content of Munro’s work and what impact has it had on you?

Any person could research the facts of the discrimination against women and obtain  all the information they need to paint a vivid image of reality back then. But there is nothing quite like reading a piece of literature from the perspective of one of the many women that suffered during this time. Personal experiences allow for a greater degree of connection with the author, as I experienced, and this was overall the intention of her work. 

I feel Analytical

"Time" - Pink Floyd

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say

Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
When I come home cold and tired
It's good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away, across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spell

Analysis

The song "Time" by Pink Floyd is a depiction of the progression of time, and how it seems to  rapidly pass by over a lifetime. This is done through several intentionally incorporated techniques the help illustrate the passing of time, besides through the meaning of the words themselves. The flow of time is depicted through the structure of the song lyrics, as well as through metaphors, and the main idea of the song is effectively brought across through engaging the audience, by both literary devices and pronouns.

The general idea in the structure of the lyrics is that it begins with the view of life from a young age, but progresses to the view of life from the perspective of the older individual. "Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town..." This third line in the song symbolizes the beginning of a journey that is about to take place, symbolizing the younger phases of life. "You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today..." Another line, depicting the attitude towards time, which at a young age seems infinite; infinite enough to be wasted. However, the song gradually works it's way towards a point of no return: a man who has seen most of his life quickly pass him by. "Shorter of breath and one day closer to death..." A hard pill to swallow. The song hopes to portray how reality begins sink in too late in one's life. "Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time..." Ultimately, the song is brought to a point where time has travelled from one side of a lifespan to the other. This, in essence, is what effectively depicts the gradual progression of time through the structure of the lyrics, which is directly linked with the main idea of the song.

The depiction of the progression of time in this song also has great effect on the listener in terms of involvement. The common use of the pronoun "you" allows for the audience to put themselves in the reality that the lyrics describe, which will ultimately engage the audience more in spreading the message. This is the case for most of the song, before entering the last section where he focuses and reflects more on the reality of his own life. "The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say..." This is the first appearance of a personal pronoun, and it remains at his perspective. It allows again for the audience to use the experience of others to examine their own lives, and realize how fast time flies by.

Additionally, there lies within a few metaphors that are incorporated to exemplify the rapid passing of time. "No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun..." Through this lyric, Pink Floyd draws parallels between an individual's life and a race. This lays the foundation for a section of the song that follows. As it continues, parallels are drawn between the aging of an individual and the sun. "And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking..." Here the sun is seen as another contestant in this 'race,' and is compared to the aging of any given person in the audience. "The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older..." The line portrays the sun as an aging human, also running the race of life, and it too will run out of time.

Lastly, some literary features can more effectively spread the main idea. Most involves repetition of phrases and alliteration. "dull day..." As sung in the first line of the song, this is an example of alliteration, whose effect can draw the audience's attention. "And you run and you run..." Repetition here contributes in illustrating an ongoing race and emphasises its length, which also depicts the passing of time itself. To the same effect, the lyrics "Home, home again..." are also an example of repetition, through which the audience can ultimately be drawn in.

In conclusion, there is a clear thread that through multiple techniques, including structure, metaphors and audience involvement, the main idea of the song, which is the rapid passing of time throughout life, is effectively depicted to the audience.