OP-ED

oP-ED COLUMNIST

Learning From the Sin of Sodom

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: February 28, 2010

A growing number of conservative Christians are acknowledging that to be “pro-life” must mean more than opposing abortion.

My view:

I love opinion editorial articles. Especially NY Times OP-ED articles. The author really connects with the reader. Talks to the reader with their words, as if they are expressing their views at the dinner table. I can find meaning in what Kristof says and agree with his view because the article is like a conversation.

Hard News

WORLD

‘State of Catastrophe’ After Chile Quake

By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO and LIZ ROBBINS

Published: February 27, 2010

The earthquake ripped apart buildings and bridges across Chile, and more than 300 people had died.

My view:

Sometimes I wonder how important a catchy headline is for hard news. People will pay attention to an article about another earthquake on the front page. I also wonder if the word 'deadly' is even needed for an 8.8-magnitude earthquake.

I think hard news should be treated delicately, in case someone has a relation to the event.

Wow, just Wow.

VIDEO GAME REVIEW | STAR TREK ONLINE

Scotty, the Warp Drive Needs Some Dilithium Crystals

By SETH SCHIESEL

Published: February 20, 2010

Star Trek Online, a massively multiplayer computer game, adopts the trappings of its namesake franchise without ever coming close to evoking the “Star Trek” sensibility.

And not "wow" in the popular online roleplaying game WoW. Wow, because this review is like a media version of Star Wars, Media Wars.

First, the writer talks about his 30-something year-old friend, then talks about how his friend likes Star Trek, then talks about how his friend like the Star Wars Online game, then goes on to say this:

"In other words, he perfectly fits the narrow yet potentially deep demographic that Star Trek Online aims to appeal to. That is, Trekkies who are willing to overlook brain-lockingly repetitive gameplay, unvaried design, thin storytelling, buggy client software and an almost complete dearth of meaningful social interaction in favor of a mildly diverting, moderately attractive, cleverly episodic collection of simple combat encounters among spaceships and soldiers."

What a sucky friend.

First Person

JOURNEYS

Alaskan Road Trip, 500 Feet Up

By SARAH MASLIN NIR

Published: February 21, 2010

Known as flightseeing, tours via small, sturdy aircraft capable of landing in uneven terrain help open up Alaska to the average traveler.

The reason I love Travel articles is because the writers use the "first-person" tense and it makes me apart of the story. A writer has so much freedom when they can say "I".

I love this article. What an amazing job that writer has.

Malaria

I IN REVIEW

Malaria: A Scourge as Old as King Tut

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD

Published: February 19, 2010

Malaria courses relentlessly through narratives of history and literature — and is expected to kill 700,000 children this year.

I do not love malaria, however, I do love articles that show the writer was not afraid to delve into the vast realms of history. A story that informs the reader that malaria is in fact, so old that its earliest known records are from the time of Attila the Hun.

A great story with a photo reel also does wonders.

Poor Poor People

THE NEW POOR

Millions of Unemployed Face Years Without Jobs

By PETER S. GOODMAN

Published: February 21, 2010

The social safety net was built for short-term gaps between jobs, but work may be scarce for years, even as the American economy shows signs of a rebound.

Another story about the recession. The lead leaves a lot to be desired.

What does it mean when the writer says, "Even as the American economy shows tentative signs of a rebound, the human toll of the recession continues to mount". Isn't the economy and the "human toll" all encompassed in one large package? We all effect each other.

Hey, it works.

The fashion world has always been some sort of underground party that looks glamorous in photographs but makes me wonder if it is all that spectacular. Celebrities (whom most likely barely know each other) grasp at each others waists and buckle down in laughter, clutching their skinny glasses of champagne.

I bet most of them sit their awkwardly, just like a lot of us do at an event where we don't know anyone. The people that do know people cling to each other in desperation.

'Don't leave me with these people,' they would sometimes whisper, tilting their sunglasses that they refuse to take off indoors, pulling at their waist high skirts and ruffled tops.

I don't think Lady Gaga has fashion sense. I don't think she is bold or daring. I think she gets paid a lot of money to wear those outfits, designed by the kookiest designers all in an attempt to gain a little fame. It works though.

FASHION & STYLE

Muscling In on the Front Row

By CATHY HORYN

Published: February 12, 2010

At fashion shows, V.I.P. status is defined downward, and fashion is not amused.