Over-Arching Question 1/25/11

I think that all that Jay Gatsby ever wanted to accomplish was to get Daisy back. He didn’t really care about anything else. Every single action he performed was in order to win her back; all the parties and such were just to one day get her over to his house. All of the money that he made was just so he could return as a rich guy. Although he had an impact on other people, it wasn’t really on purpose. He didn’t really have any wish to impact the world in a certain way.

The Narrator in Invisible Man wanted to become someone who was accepted by the world at large. Throughout the novel he tried to gain the respect of all the people around him, but most of them were just using him and they never saw his inner identity. By the end, when he realized this, he found his true identity and removed himself from the world. When the Narrator was a part of the Brotherhood, he wanted to impact the world by ending oppression towards his fellow African Americans.

IR Blogpost 4-NPR Topics: News

Article: Unemployment Drops To 9.4 Percent In December
Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/01/07/132732781/unemployment-drops-to-9-4-percent-in-december?ft=1&f=1001

1. This article is about the recent unemployment shift down from 9.8% to 9.4% over the last month.
2. 103,000 new jobs were added, which is a lower amount than many thought would be added in December.
3. The job market it growing, but many experts and politicians say unemployment should be decreasing faster.

1. What was the unemployment rate at the start of last year?
2. Should we be worried that the unemployment rate is not decreasing faster?

1. I think it's good that the unemployment rate has dropped so much recently, and this shows that the change in government policy over the past 2 years has had a good effect on fighting unemployment.
Article about payoff of democratic policies: http://www.talkradionews.com/quicknews/2011/1/7/reid-unemployment-drop-shows-dems-policies-are-paying-off.html

IR Blogpost 4-NYT > Books

Article: Publisher Tinkers With Twain
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/books/05huck.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

1. This article is about a new version of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" that has been censored by the publisher.
2. The published replaced the N-word 219 times with the word "slave".
3. Many people have conflicting views on the issue: Twain admirers are against it, while many teachers are for the change.

1. What effect will this have on other literature of the same genre?
2. Is this actual censorship? Or is it just an attempt to reduce the usage of offensive language?

1. I feel that people shouldn't feel awkward for reading the N-word in literature because the author was just using it to make the novel more real, but people should abstain from using it in everyday speech.
Article about Roger Ebert apologizing for his comment about the new "Huckleberry Finn" http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=20239&count=0

IR Blogpost 4-NFL.com

Article: With Young on his way out, Titans to explore all QB options
Source: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81d81dd5/article/with-young-on-his-way-out-titans-to-explore-all-qb-options

1. This article is about the Tennessee Titans getting rid of quarterback Vince Young.
2. They are searching for a new quarterback because of Young's problems with coach Jeff Fisher.
3. The team will decide on their new quarterback after deciding whether or not to keep the coaching staff.

1. What quarterback on the market would the Titans like to have most?
2. Are there any quarterbacks on the market that are better than their current quarterback, Kerry Collins?

1. I think that Kerry Collins should play as long as he is still effective in the game, which he will be next year.
Article about how Kerry Collins wants to continue playing next season:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81d5e082/article/titans-qb-collins-ive-got-some-good-football-left-in-me

IR Blogpost 3-NFL.com

Article: Redskins' McNabb benched; Grossman to start vs. Cowboys
Source: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81cfa243/article/redskins-mcnabb-benched-grossman-to-start-vs-cowboys

1. This article is about the benching of long-time Philadelphia Eagles qarterback Donovan McNabb for Rex Grossman.
2. The other players on the team are not very happy with the benching.
3. Coach Shanahan does not know whether McNabb will be back next season.

1. Why did the Redskins play McNabb all season if Grossman was who they're looking at for the future?
2. Will McNabbs NFL career continue after this season is the Redskins don't want him?

I think that McNabb was a great player back in the day, but now that he has left the Eagles and he's not as good as he once was, his career is coming to an end. I don't think he should be benched for Grossman though; McNabb is still much better than him.
Article with player reactions to benching: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/12/daryl_johnston_on_mcnabb_bench.html

IR Blogpost 3-NPR Topics: News

Article: "Prospects Look Bright For 'Don't Ask' Repeal"
Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2010/12/17/132140253/prospects-look-bright-for-ending-dont-ask-policy

1. This article is about how the "don't ask don't tell" policy in the military is coming to an end.
2. The GOP leaders in Congress are the ringleaders of this movement.
3. Although many government officials have voted to repeal it, the military and the President have to sign off as well.

1. Why is the government voting to repeal this? Why do they care so much about having gays in the miltary?
2. Will the President sign off on this bill?

I think the GOP senators shouldn't be meddling in the affairs of the military, even if their personal beliefs would have them do so. Several key GOP senators are with-holding their votes on the bill.
Article about GOP senators: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/17/dadt.debate/

IR Blogpost 3-NYT > Books

Main Article: "Funny Guys, Serious Business"
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/books/17book.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

1. Author Bill Carter wrote a book called “The War for Late Night".
2. The book is about the conflict between Conan O'Brian and Jay Leno for "The Tonight Show".
3. The book shows remarkable empathy to all sides concerned, whereas a previous novel the author wrote about Jay Leno and David Letterman in 1994.

1. I thought all these guys had their own shows. Why are they all competing for the same job?
2. Is there a limit to the amount time that a late-night television host can keep his/her job for?

1. I think it's important for these types of social models to keep their business matters more private. They're all the same type of people, and I don't think they should be competing this much for a job, and the networks shouldn't have such paying discrepancies.
Article about similarities between hosts: http://entertainment.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977994145