Summary/Analysis 3 - David Brook's Blog

    Respected moderate and journalist David Brooks examines many key intellectual issues in his eponymous titled blog which is distributed through the New York Times Opinions Page. Brooks incorporates Life Reports from his blog followers that add an ethos and pathos appeal to his blog, he defines words like humility that allow a better illustration of the intellectual issues covered in his blog. He does this in order to give the readers a better idea of the intellectual issues affecting the world. His audience is anyone who wants a greater understanding of the key intellectual problems in the world.
    Brooks recent blog entries show his commitment to his senior readers and his willingness to share their stories. By simply relisting these stories with a little of his insight added in, he gives his blog a more emotional filled approached. This also give his blog a better understanding of the intellectual issues both positive and negative that affect a person over the course of their life. His definition of humility as something that is necessary over a child's life because it makes them less egotistical and more self - aware. He beliefs that mistakes are also necessary to the intellectual growth of all humans.

Blog 3 - By the Way

By the Way (2002), the eighth album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers continued the success the band achieved from their previous release Californication. The same lineup returned for only the second time in the bands history and this allowed for the band to explore new musical directions without changing lineups. The album takes a more melodic and subdued approach in comparison to the bands previous outputs and this leads to a ultimately unique set of songs from the band. Several of the non singles are standouts such as Don't Forget Me, This is the Place, and Midnight which are all great examples of the bands shift to more melodic music and insightful lyrics. The singles too are cleverly written and instantly memorable. Be it the title track which became the most successful track off the record, to one of the few fast rockers on the album in Can't Stop. The Zephyr Song, Universally Speaking, and Dosed were all successful as well and add further credence to the new melodic style of the band. Perhaps the best song is the closing track Venice Queen --- a tribute to the late Gloria Scott a rehabilitation therapist who helped the Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis through his drug addiction --- which is truly one of the best written songs by the band from a lyrical standpoint. The B - Sides aren't nearly as good but the cover of Teenager in Love is enjoyable. Nonetheless this was the third most successful album by the band to date and is thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. Another highly recommended album especially for those interested in lighter more melodic rock.

Tracklisting:

1. By the Way
2. Universally Speaking
3. This is the Place
4. Dosed
5. Don't Forget Me
6. The Zephyr Song
7. Can't Stop
8. I Could Die For You
9. Midnight
10. Throw Away Your Television
11. Cabron
12. Tear
13. On Mercury
14. Minor Thing
15. Warm Tape
16. Venice Queen 

Summary/Analysis 2 - Paul Krugman's Blog

     Professor and Nobel prize winner, Paul Krugman tackles many important worldwide economic issues in his New York Times blog The Conscience of the Liberal. Krugman uses straight up evidence as well as various comparisons to back his view points. He does this in order to make the audience aware of these issues in a factual sense and allow them to assess these problems in comparison to past problems. His audience are people interested in the state of the economy not only in the United States but in other areas around the world.
     Krugman's recent blog entries show his interest in the recession that the United States is currently struggling through. He compares this recession to "the 80s recession, and for that matter like what happened in the 70s" as this recession too is creating a "clockwise spiral” in the unemployment chart he presents. However this recession's chart spiral has been "scrunched as if it’s bouncing off a hard surface at or near zero". Not only does this suggest the economy will continue to struggle as rises in employment rates have been minimum but it also does in a factual way that uses similes to compare this recession to those of the past. He also takes a look at austerity, a policy of deficit cutting and lower spending. He takes an existing article on the subject, critiques it, and adds his own insight as well. He uses a chart of British unemployment rates in the 1900's and again tries to draw comparisons between those unemployment rates and those of the United States currently.

Blog 2 - Californication

Californication (1999), the seventh album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers was upon release, described as a revitalization for the band and its easy to see why. The return of John Frusciante (who played on the bands 4th and 5th albums) saw the band yet again change direction in their music. The differences are vast, Frusciante and previous guitarist Dave Navarro are far different guitar players, but nonetheless these changes work extremely well. The hits, which drive the album are all excellent. The symbolic Scar Tissue is the best descriptor of the bands rebirth through song and fittingly became the most successful track off the record. Another major hit was Otherside. This track is especially important to me as it was the first Chili Pepper song I ever heard. This was back in 2000 when the song was on its way to becoming a huge hit. The third big hit Californication has one of the most memorable riffs created by the band. The album isn't without other great tracks from the energetic Around the World, Get on Top, and Right on Time to the more subdued This Velvet Glove, Savior, and Road Trippin. A few of the tracks such as Porcelian and I like Dirt aren't nearly as good and may have been better being replaced with the excellent b - sides Bunker Hill and Quixoticelixer. I personally wouldn't describe this album as a rebirth despite its place as the bands best selling album. This is due to my belief that the bands previous record One Hot Minute is exceptional as well. This is another highly recommended listen.

Track listing:

1. Around the World  
2. Parallel Universe  
3. Scar Tissue  
4. Otherside
5. Get on Top  
6. Californication
7. Easily"
8. Porcelain  
9. Emit Remmus
10. I Like Dirt  
11. This Velvet Glove  
12. Savior
13. Purple Stain 
14. Right on Time 
15. Road Trippin 

Blog 1 - One Hot Minute

One Hot Minute (1995) the 6th album by the California rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers was released over 16 years ago to a somewhat lukewarm reception, however the album is a truly underrated masterpiece. The addition of Dave Navarro on guitar --- rounding out a line up that included Anthony Kiedis on vocals, Flea on Bass, and Chad Smith on drums as well as Rick Rubin returning as producer for a second album --- sees the band exploring new styles, evident from the albums opening track Warped with its spiraling lead guitar riff. The album doesn't necessarily break new ground but provides a nearly perfect flow with its 13 songs. Virtually all the 13 songs are standout, from the lovely ballads that are My Friends, Tearjerker, Falling Into Grace, and Transcending to the furious rockers that are Coffee Shop, One Big Mob, and Shallow Be Thy Game. The Euphoric Walkabout is another brilliant track, the psychedelic Deep Kick is too and both perfectly illustrate the styles that the Chili Peppers were experimenting with at the time. The Four b-sides that didn't make the album are all excellent as well. The crunching opening riff of Let's Make Evil with its confessional lyrics is the best of the four but the others Bob, Stretch, and Melancholy Mechanics are unbelievable as well. Despite all these excellent tracks the album sold just half as well as the previous Chili Pepper album. One Hot Minute did however manage to produce three hits in Warped, My Friends, and Aeroplane. The lack of success as well creative differences ultimately led to Navarro's departure and the songs from One Hot Minute (aside from pea) have been left out of the bands live repertoire ever since. This is a highly recommended album for both Chili Pepper and alternative rock fans alike.

Track-listing:

1.  Warped - 5:04
2.  Aeroplane – 4:45
3.  Deep Kick – 6:33
4.  My Friends – 4:02
5.  Coffee Shop – 3:08
6.  Pea – 1:47
7.  One Big Mob – 6:02
8.  Walkabout – 5:07
9.  Tearjerker – 4:19
10.  One Hot Minute – 6:23
11.  Falling into Grace – 3:48
12.  Shallow Be Thy Game – 4:33
13.  Transcending – 5:46

Summary/Analysis 1 - Nicholas D. Kristof's Blog

       Journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas D. Kristof addresses many important ethical issues  on his blog, On the Ground (2001 - Present) which is distributed by New York Times. He uses the rhetorical appeals pathos and ethos to make the reader feel more connected to the topics he examines. He does this in order to illustrate the importance of human rights, equality, and education in societies throughout the world and how Globalization has further effected these issues both positively and negatively. His audience is anyone being affected by these issues as well as individuals who want a better understanding of these issues.
       Kristof's recent blog entries suggest a shift towards a more emotion filled approach to his writing. His use of ethos in a literacy blog entry describes education, "as an effective intervention party", that increases health and population growth while decreasing social conflict. Another blog entry about a teenage girl named Phung from Vietnam displays his use of pathos. He tells his audience that while Phung's situation is unfortunate there are "thousands of kids who are just the same" and because the audience is not informed of others in the same situation  they tend to forget about them. These examples not only provide his beliefs on education and world wide reform but also draw the reader into caring more about it.