International News: Listening Journal 2

BBC: World newscast with David Austin, about the Greek Government’s debt crisis, Italy’s accusations of selling arms to Iran, Ethiopian rebels, and other world issues.

The newscast was very informative, however, the voice quality was extremely monotone. While this is understandable because the reporters and announcers have to be very professional and neutral on such newscasts, it is very unpleasant for the listener. Overall, the quality of the sound was clean and easy to listen to. This newscast was exactly 4 minutes and 59 seconds.

NPR: Corva Coleman was the announcer of the newscast. This newscast primarily focused on what was happening in America, although it did incorporate some important pieces of world news. It also included a small segment from a press conference held by President Obama, who talked about healthcare and the economy.

The quality of the sound is very crisp and clear. Coleman, along with the reporters who were a part of the newscast all had engaging voices that were neutral and professional, yet not monotone and boring. This newscast was more interesting for me because it had better sound quality, along with better announcers and stories. Its length was 4 minutes and 45 seconds.

Top 5 Al Pacino Movies

Here's a topic that I enjoy, yet rarely get the opportunity to write about: Al Pacino. To me, this man is a legend. His movies have left legacies for other actors to live up to. He won an Oscar for Best Actor and was nominated for six. One of the things that I love about him is, despite his rough edges, Pacino gives off a charming and classy vibe. The movie picks below are just a few of my favorites among his many amazing titles.

5) Scent of a Woman

Pacino plays the role of Frank, a blind, retired Lieutenant Colonel who is almost impossible to get along with. He is suicidal, yet comedic. Sad, yet cheerful at times. His character is extremely rich and impossible to not like, even though he is an irritable and grumpy drunk. The best and one of the most famous scenes in this movie is no doubt the Tango scene, where Frank, who is blind dances the Tango perfectly and on tempo with his female partner, played by Gabrielle Anwar.

4) Righteous Kill

This movie had two of my favorite actors of all time: Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. The two play the roles of partner cops and best friends. However, one of them has a secret. Can you guess which one? I won't spoil it for you, but this is an action-filled movie that will have you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out who the real culprit is. I loved every minute of it!

3) Carlito's Way

A young Puerto-Rican ex-con living in New York, Carlito is now committed to staying out of trouble after his release from prison. Although Carlito finds the love of his life and tries his best to settle down and stay out of trouble, he is faced with pressure due to New York's crime scene, which is full of drugs and thugs. I won't lie to you, if your a true Al Pacino lover, the end of this movie is tragic.

2) Scarface

Truly a classic indeed, this movie was so influential that it was remade in Egypt and starred one of the most famous Egyptian actors of all time, Ahmed Zaki. In Scarface, Pacino plays the role of the infamous Tony Montana, a young cuban who starts off with nothing, but ends up as a drug lord. However, his drug empire doesn't last long because greed gets the best of him. This one is a must-see because it's not only one of the best Al Pacino films, it is one of the best movies of all time.

1) The Godfather

Last, but truly not least, The Godfather lands the slot of number one. A young and sexy Al Pacino plays the role of Michael Corleone, a villain mafia boss that you could easily fall in love with. He has that Italian bad boy swagger with a touch of class that can pull in any lady. The above scene is when Corleone finds out that it was his own brother, Fredo, who betrayed him. It's a scene full of love, yet terror. Not only is the story of The Godfather a masterpiece, the way that Pacino accurately portrayed the character was truly amazing.

Egypt's walls between Gaza: Podcast 1

Inside the tunnels between Egypt and Gaza. Photo courtesy of CNN

By shutting off the tunnels between Gaza and the Egyptian borders, once again, Egypt gets the blame for not helping out their Palestinian neighbors. Although the tunnels were the only way for the Gazans to receive food after Israel imposed sanctions and blockades around the territory, Egypt still reserves the right to secure its borders by blocking off any illegal tunnels.

Natural Sounds

Library



Arabic movie



Some bags




Water



Car trouble

First Listening Journal

Going Radical: An NPR News Investigation

by Dina Temple-Raston

This investigative piece is exactly 7 minutes and 31 seconds long. While the feature is interesting, it is somewhat too long. In fact, I tuned out a couple of times. However, the beginning is interesting and it catches the attention of the listener by telling the story of the young Muslim man who spent his time in London immersing himself into Islamic fundamentalism. The story is interesting to me simply because I follow the news; however, it is not unique. It is just another story talking about another young man who turns into a Muslim radical. However, the reporter’s voice does not sound monotone, therefore it is easy to follow. The quality of the sound is crisp and clear. This is important since it would be terrible to listen to if it was long and had bad quality. Overall, the production quality of this story was very good and the interviews that the reporter conducted throughout the story were very clear and easy to follow.

This piece can be found at:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123663212

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Love Shack from World Vision Report

by Will Everett

This story is about a local Senegali man who has a small shack where he makes herbal

medicine, specifically love potions. It is a very interesting story that incorporates science, magic, and love. The only interesting parts where the interviews that the reporter had conducted with the Senegali man and his customers. However, the reporter’s voice sounded very monotone and uninterested.

This story is about five minutes long, however, I felt that it should have been longer. I was very curious to learn more about this man and the type of herbal medicine he practices in Senegal. Also, the story was missing the viewpoints of other local residents from the village who truly believe in this medicine man's work and actually go to this man for help. Overall, the production quality, the length, the reporter's sources and his voice in this story could have definitely been better.

This piece can be found at:

http://www.worldvisionreport.org/Stories/Week-of-February-13-2010/Love-Shack

India's women are in control

Chanda Kochhar, CEO & MD, ICICI Bank

Barriers for women may finally be tumbling

While no woman has ever held a leading position on Wall Street, women in India are climbing up the corporate ladder, specifically when it comes to banking.

According to an article by The New York Times, women in India are actually running some of the nation's largest banks. Women like Chanda Kochar, who runs the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI), are closing multi-billion dollar deals everyday.

In India, companies like HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS and Fidelity International, JPMorgan Chase, and Royal Bank of Scotland are all dominated by businesswomen. In a country like India, which is often criticized by the West for their different traditions and beliefs, progress and success for women is actually more attainable.

India's financial industry, which is younger than that of Europe and America, has succeeded in giving women the rights they deserve as corporate leaders. While in the West, women still continue to struggle in order to prove themselves to be as competent as their male counterparts when it comes to business.

The fact that these women are able to achieve such great accomplishments, while maintaining their culture and beliefs sets a great example for women, especially women living in the East.

This I believe...

On January 20, 2009, Neda Agha Sultan was sitting in her car amidst protests in the city of Tehran. Neda, who was not participating in the protests at the time, stepped outside her car to observe what was happening around her. Seconds after she stepped out, a police official shot her straight to the chest and Neda fell dead to the ground.

Neda’s murder did not just serve as a symbol of the Iranian people’s struggle. It has inspired the entire world to pause and pay attention to what it feels like to live under oppression.

While I have always strongly believed in the freedom of all individuals no matter what race or religion they may be, this year’s events have pushed me to strongly support human rights and the people who speak out to defend this cause. Among these events was the ongoing struggle of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Men and women, young and old have been calling out for their freedom against the injustices of their government.

Many Iranians have suffered and sacrificed their lives for their right to vote and they’ve sacrificed their lives just to have their voices heard in their own country. While they continue to struggle for these rights everyday, their voices are being heard all over the world by inspiring young people to actually get up and take a stand. In fact, they’ve inspired me as an aspiring journalist.

Imagine living in a society where you are totally confined. Imagine that you are not able to express yourself at all, whether it’s through the way you dress, the religion you practice, or what you do for a living. Imagine not being able to choose how you live your life or whom you vote for, or what goes on in your country. Not only would this oppression be hindering my personal freedom, but it would also hinder my society from progressing. After all, freedom of speech paves the way for creativity and change.

If I am not able to express myself, I don’t feel whole. In fact, I do not feel like I am reaching my full potential. This is why I truly believe that freedom is not a privilege; it is a god-given right that we should not have to ask for. However, this right is not easily attained because it is threatened by other people’s actions. We often have to fight for it and sacrifice our lives in order to secure it.

If sacrifice is what it takes for us to be free, then so be it. It is not an expensive price. Too many people have died and suffered already for this cause, so stopping now is just not an option.