Stuff YOU Should Know
Meet the New VP Candidates
Shortly before the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last week, Donald Trump officially announced his running mate. After much speculation that included such high-profile Republicans as New Jersey governor Chris Christie and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Mike Pence was selected as the GOP vice presidential running mate. Currently the governor of Indiana, Pence, 57, is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. A devout evangelical Christian and Tea Party supporter, Pence gained considerable attention last year when he signed the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) into law. Many speculate that Trump chose Pence because the Indiana governor has developed strong relationships with the Republican leadership, including current House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell.
In the days leading up to the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton announced her own running mate, Tim Kaine. Kaine currently serves in the Senate (elected in 2012), representing Virginia. While some criticize him as not being “liberal enough,” Kaine’s record on pressing for stricter gun control measures should appeal to many who favor stronger regulation. Some of the advantages Clinton gains in picking Kaine are the fact that he represents an important Electoral College swing state, he has strong ties to the African-American community as a former civil-rights lawyer, and he has a similar background as the presidential candidate. His is also outgoing and has a personality thought to be a good match for Clinton, who many see as stiff and sometimes inauthentic.
Dig Deeper Do some research and find out what the members of the GOP and Democratic leadership think about their own nominees and that of the opposition. List at least two pros and cons of each choice.
Lifting Weights: Light or Heavy?
From the earliest days when people learned that lifting heavy rocks created stronger muscles, there has probably been conflicting advice on how best to develop and maintain those muscles. Traditional wisdom suggests that one should work toward lifting at least 80 percent of the maximum amount of one repetition. New wisdom, which supports this notion, also suggests other alternatives. According to a new study recently published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, lifting lighter weights can be just as effective as heavy ones–as long as the lifter plans their workout correctly.
Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, a group of researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario conducted a study on two groups of subjects that lasted for 12 weeks. One group followed a standard regimen, while the other had their weights set between to 30–50 percent of the maximum and were asked to do repetitions of 25. In the end, there were no significant differences between the two groups. This is good news for those who find the notion of heavy weights intimidating.
What Do You Think? Do you participate in any kind of weight program? If so, what is your regimen and how often? If not, do you think you could benefit from lifting weights of any kind? Write a few sentences to explain your answer.
Will Live-streaming Kill Journalism?
While we have long lived in a society with an appetite for “breaking news,” the way that news is collected, processed, presented, and commented upon is rapidly changing. Live-stream apps and services by Twitter and Facebook are making it easier than ever to eliminate the middle man of traditional reportage. Think of the cellphone footage that immediately accompanied news of the shooting death of Philando Castile. There are some that fear this type of “citizen journalism” will replace traditional journalism. Others believe that this easy access to equipment and outlets will simply expand or enhance coverage, that viewers are still in need of in-depth reporting and analysis.
Credit: Shutterstock / Jesus Sanz.
Some historians believe that it was the Persian Gulf War in 1991 that ushered in the 24-hour news cycle. Before that, wars and world events were covered, but the footage was shot on film and had to be shipped, developed, edited into a segment and then broadcast. When Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait on August 1, 1990, the U.S. immediately deployed troops into the region. A relatively new network, Cable News Network (CNN), installed satellites and began to broadcast live from the region.
What Do You Think? (Other than btw . . . ) what are your primary sources for news? Who or what do you depend upon (if any) to expand upon or interpret what happens in the world?
Ghostbusters All-Female Reboot
News of movie sequels—especially those of a well-established franchise or sentimental favorites—can generate either excitement or incite rage. The 2014 announcement of an all-female reboot of the 1984 classic Ghostbusters caused an uproar in many online fan communities. Some fans went so far to say that the mere idea of an all-female cast had “ruined their childhood.” Like the original, this new reboot features screwball academics interested in paranormal activity. Like the recent return of the Star Wars franchise, the filmmakers made an effort to feature characters and plot points from the original to appeal to fans of the original.
Despite being successful comedians in their own right, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Lesile Jones, have all been subject to angry, insulting comments on social media sites. Jones, in particular, became a target of hateful comments on Twitter, leading to the hashtag #Love4LeslieJ. Reviews of the film have been largely mixed, but has definitely gained a new following among many female movie-goers. The script was written by Parks and Recreation staff writer Katie Dippold, and directed by Paul Feigg, known for another television series Freaks & Geeks and the blockbuster film Bridesmaids. On the popular movie website, RottenTomatoes.com, the collective critic score is 73% while the audience ranking is 58%.