Blog Group 6

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/newsweek-obama-first-gay-president-144158226.html
In the article Newsweek cover: Obama 'First Gay President' the issue of Obama's recent stance on gay marriage is discussed. Last week he announced that he was in full support of gay couples being allowed to marry and this caused a controversial topic that might affect his re-election campaign. The issue of gay marriage has been prevalent in American society for a while now and with the recent North Carolina ban on top of Obama's announcement it has quickly become a hot button issue in the presidential race. How do you think taking such a strong stance on a controversial topic will affect his campaign? Do you think that cover image was an appropriate reaction to his stance or was it offensive? Is it right that they are calling him the 'first gay president' for his opinions on the matter? 

Blog Group 5

Here is the link to the article

http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=12563434

The article is about a high school newspaper that was printed but the principal did not allow the students to read it. One of the articles in the paper written by a student was about legalizing marijuana. The principal read the article and did not allow it to reach the students because he believed it was inappropriate.  This leads to a big debate on whether the principal did the right thing or not. Was this a violation of the students right to free speech and free press? If you were the principal how would you have handled it and also as a student how would you have reacted? Also, let it be known that this blog argument is about the principal withholding the paper and not about legalizing marijuana. 

Blog Group 4

The link below is about secondhand smoking in apartment buildings and the effect it has on the residents.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/04/29/secondhand-smoke-permeates-many-apartment-buildings-stud

This article was about a study done nationwide that focused on the effects of secondhand smoke on residents living in apartment buildings.  In the study, 323 residents were questioned about how much they were affected by other smokers in the building.  The numbers showed that those with children were affected by secondhand smoking and noticed the smoke in the building more than those who do not have children.  The families with children need to speak up against smoking in the complex if they feel so strongly about not having their children exposed to secondhand smoke.  Should landlords be able to ban smoking throughout the apartment complexes?  Should the people who don't smoke have a say in the rules of the apartment?

Blog Group 3

The link below is an article found on Yahoo! News from the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan:

http://news.yahoo.com/kazakhstan-thanks-borat-tourism-boost-130427470.html

Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov is thanking Sacha Baron Cohen for boosting tourism in Kazakhstan after the release of his comedy movie, "Borat", over its "depiction of Kazakh rural life and the main character's difficult adaptation to the United States". Although the film is completely mocking the Kazakhstan lifestlye, it is still being praised by the nation's political figures for the impact it has had on their nation, mostly in the tourism area. Within the article, the author mentions that "Borat" was banned in the nation and the director's website was even blocked from Kazakh public access. Seeing this information, does this confirm your idea that any publicity at all is good publicity? Along with the idea, has our country become so ignorant that we judge/chatacterize another nation based off of a comedy film released in the United States? What does Kazykhanov mean when he says he approaches the film as "philosophically"?

Blog Group 2

The link below is to an article about the K-E diet that is catching the attention of women and brides in particular.

http://news.yahoo.com/k-e-diet-brides-using-feeding-tubes-rapidly-080053646--abc-news-health.html

This news article is about a recent diet called the K-E diet. This diet has been noticed by many brides as they prepare to fit into their dream dresses on their big day. This article questions whether or not there is too much pressure for women, and brides in particular, to be perfect. Also, this article states how this form of diet is unhealthy and ultimately won't last. What are the key controversial topics in this article and how do they pertain to the female image in pop-culture or any topic in pop-culture?

Group 1 Blog Post

Below is a link to an article about Facebook's recent acquisition of Instagram:

http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/will-hipster-photo-app-instagram-survive-facebook-690373

This article discusses how Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion.  Instagram is a photo sharing website with a built-in social network.  The article questions how long Facebook and Instagram will coexist independently before Instagram goes away and becomes a feature of Facebook.  It also comments on how some people don't like how the purchase will make Instagram mainstream and everyone will have it soon.  Let us know what you think about the points and questions raised in this article.

Welcome to the Spring Blog!

I'd like to welcome all of you to the spring blog project. This is where you're going to post the blog, facebook discussion, or online news article that you have found for the class to discuss.