How Much Do YOU Know?

How much do you know about your personal finances? In the March 2013 edition of the Reader's Digest, a popular literary magazine in the United States, comedian Heather McDonald learned that the answer was not much. In the article Suze Orman Thinks I'm a Slacker, written by the traumatized comedian, McDonald learns about the importance of knowing one's assets. Financial guru Suze Orman gave financial advice to the writers at Chelsea Lately, where McDonald works, and learned that McDonald knew practically nothing about anything. After a stern talking to, she decided that it was time to have a chat with her husband about their financial affairs.
     A rhetorical device used in this article many times is hyperboles, which were used for comedic effect. For example, she writes, "[Suze Orman] 'I can't tell you how many women have rolled over in the middle of the night to feel their husband's icy-cold deceased body lying next to them, and they don't even know where the key to the safety-deposit box is." Although this is indeed an overstatement, it gets the point across that a woman cannot depend on her husband to handle their assets, because he might suddenly die.
     The author's purpose in writing this article is to stress the importance of women understanding their own money situation. Like Suze Orman said, your husband isn't going to be around forever, and if he were to suddenly drop dead and you knew nothing about insurance policies, mortgage rates, or current debts, your husband can't exactly take care of it when he is six feet under. I think that Heather McDonald is able to achieve her purpose in the text by relating her own wake-up call for the readers. Although women have come a long way in the workplace and in the home, there still is a lot that they need to learn in order to no longer be dependent on men.

No More Snail Mail?

Although officially founded on July 1st, 1971, the United States Postal Service can trace its roots back to 1775, when Benjamin Franklin was appointed the Postmaster General by the Second Continental Congress. In the days of E-mail, phone calls, and instant messaging, letter carrying business is now slowly becoming obsolete. Traditionally, because of the Christian Sabbath, the post office is closed on Sunday, but now with fewer and fewer people actually using the post office, the United States Postal Service has decided to close on Sundays as well, a decision that has been met with much controversy. Mailmen have been an important part of our daily lives for decades, so should their hours be cut back even more?

The author of this political cartoon is Walt Handelsman of the Chicago Tribune Media Services. His main commentary is his disappointment in that people no longer use letters to communicate with one another and that a sighting of one has become rarer than a unicorn. The author is able to achieve his purpose of chastising the USPS for cutting their delivery services from six to five days. His intended audience is the general public, because he wants to make them realize just how important the postal service is, and the United States cannot afford to have it slowly disappear.

As an interesting side note, the first postal service in America arose in February 1692, originally funded by grant money from King William and Queen Mary.

And The Oscar Goes To...

     This year's coveted Movie of the Year Award at the Oscar's is going to be a difficult choice to make. Having seen three of the nominations: Les Miserables, Lincoln, and Zero Dark Thirty, it can be agreed that all of the nominees are most deserving of that tiny statue. I just saw Zero Dark Thirty on Saturday, and was completely blown away by it, so I was interested to know what others thought of the movie. A review that I found quite fitting came from CinemaBlend.com, which features reviews, trailers, and photos of almost every contemporary and classic film. 

     It was only a matter of time until someone decided to make a movie about the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, but that does not come until the very end of the 160 minute movie. The first two hours tell a shockingly different story, beginning with the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, and it was very interesting to see how this ten year manhunt for a single person unfolded. 

     Almost as incredible was the main character portrayed by Jessica Chastain. "In the middle of such a complicated story, Zero Dark Thirty, presents such a complex character in Maya (Chastain) ... who sidesteps every imaginable possible cliche. Everything about her ... speaks to her unusal position as a woman in the Middle East, but that contrast never becomes text, just another fascinating layer in a story with no simple conclusions." I agree with the article about the way Maya was portrayed: it was extremely important for the character to be written and acted well. The use of contrast in this movie allowed the viewer to realize just how different it is for women not only in the CIA, but in the Middle East as well. Maya wore a headscarf as well as many other things in order to talk to the prisoners of war. The power struggle between her and many of the male CIA officers was evident. 

     The scenes of torture, which was needed to extract crucial information, were very powerful and deeply employed pathos. Waterboarding, food deprivation, beatings, etc. were used in this movie (including video from actual interrogations) shone a spotlight on a subject we like to keep hush-hush. Initially, you think "Wow, I can't believe we are doing this to other people." But then you start to think, "I guess comparatively, this isn't too bad as long as we can stop people from blowing up buses and hotels." 

     "Zero Dark Thirty exudes a constant, quiet confidence telling a story with an ending we all know and making it feel thrilling, suspenseful, and completely vital." The visual statements made in the movie are profound and make you wonder if the ends really do justify the means. I highly suggest, as well as those at CinemaBlend.com, that you see this movie.