"The Autumn of the Multitaskers"

When I first began reading Kirn’s “The Autumn of the Multitaskers” I struggled to identify what exactly the article was about. Was Kirn commenting on the small town he grew up in? The inventions of the thirty-something brothers? The political action in the Middle East? It all seemed a little confusing to me. When I turned off my itunes, logged out of Facebook, and focused on the article, I knew EXACTLY what he was talking about.

Kirn’s article is closely linked with our society today. As a college student, I regularly see my peers eating while studying, watching television while studying, and listening to music while studying. Growing up my parents always reminded me to focus on the homework in front of me and leave the distractions for later. Now in college, it is rare to find a student JUST studying.

However, Kirn doesn’t put himself above the multitaskers he is commenting on. Instead he categorizes his self as one. Including his personal experience with a car accident caused by a cell phone gives Kirn authority to comment on the topic. He has seen the negative side effects it can cause and hopes through his article, to inform others.

I enjoyed the quotes Kirn embeds in his article from actors and politicians. It proves that multi-tasking isn’t only done by students trying to complete a homework assignment. It is done by Bill Clinton, Jennifer Connelly, Robert Pittman, and Rudolph Giuliani…just to name a few. Everyone is guilty of trying to get as much done in the shortest amount of time possible, It just doesn’t always give us the best results.

Kirn concludes his article by mentioning the Microsoft software he introduced in his lead. He reminds the reader to get away from the hustle life brings and reminds us to get away, and think clearly.

"Obama's Moment"

I found “Obama’s Moment” by Matt Tabbi to be a very entertaining article. Even though I didn’t agree with his position, I found his writing to be engaging. At the beginning of the article, Tabbi reaches out to his audience. He doesn’t want to appear to be the typical uptight political analyst who usually writes about the presidential race; instead he wants to seem like an average American. He begins his article by relating to Americans frustrations with the presidential race:

“People don’t want to feel this way, but the attitude everywhere is the same: What choice do these assholes give us? And it’s that grim prejudice that has pervaded this process for a generation, forcing the public to choose from an endless succession of lesser evils and second-raters of the Kerry-Dole genus, stuffed suits who offered nothing like a solution to the main problem of feeling like shit about the American civic experiment."

Tabbi is obviously fed up with the way the American political system is run and like his audience, is ready to see change. To him, that is exactly what Obama embodies. Now that he has connected with his audience, Tabbi feels free to give his comments on the election.

Tabbi remains connected his audience by directing his commentary and language to the average person. He is obviously sick of the status quo and believes Obama represents a fresh angle to politics. He says Obama is “a stark contrast to the bloated hair shitbags we usually elect to positions of power in this country."

As a commentary, it is appropriate for Tabbi to give his negative opinion of certain politicians. (Which he freely does while bashing Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Rudi Giuliani claiming they are vengeful and greedy). However, as a commentary he is not attempting to write facts. It is his personal opinion and comments regarding the presidential election. The reader doesn’t have to agree with him.

Have a GLEEful day!

(A Review)

Fall is filled with television season premieres. Meredith and McDreamy are still struggling to make it work, House is in rehab, and Serena, Blair, and the rest of the gang have moved on from graduation. There is one new show however, that you absolutely cannot miss. The FOX comedy “Glee” attracts a diverse audience from middle school tenny boppers to middle aged empty nesters. Everyone is entertained!

The show portrays the life of a group of high school underdogs coming together in a Glee Club. With their motivational teacher, Will Schuester, the group learns to believe in themselves. The show does have its fair share of drama; an unplanned teen pregnancy and temptation to commit adultery are major contributors to the plot. Regardless, this is no sappy television show. The witty characters and sarcastic tone make the hour long episode the highlight of anyone’s day. The characters glee “performances”, which randomly appear throughout the show, are sure to put a smile on your face. The creative use of pop culture as an expression of the student’s beliefs is a light-hearted and fresh approach to the traumatic four years that high school can be.

Glee airs Wednesdays at 9/8 central on FOX.

Scully's Profile on Mike

It seems that every time we turn on the news we hear some sort of criticism of the Bush administration. When I began reading this article I thought it was going to spotlight one of Bush’s top speechwriters and commend him for his work. The article cites credible newspapers praising Mike Gearson as a powerful and articulate writer.

The deeper I got in to the article the more I realized that the profile was not praising Mike Gearson, but was actually attempting to break his glorified reputation. The article, at times, made him appear like an attention grabbing evangelical.

I appreciate this twist in Scully’s writing. He wanted to create an accurate portrayal of Mike’s character and dispel the myth that he is the sole contributor to Bush’s speeches pointing out specifically that he didn’t create the famous line “Axis of evil” that he often takes credit for.

However, Scully does not use his article as an opportunity to bash Mike. Instead, he paints the picture of the men working together and collaborating on speeches. He points out their individual strengths and makes them appear as a team. He goes on to say that he likes Mike as a person and admires him.

After reading Scully’s article I hope to imitate his ability to write a truthful and accurate profile. He writes a compelling article that keeps the reader guessing what he will say next. which is crucial when trying to hold a readers attention.