Spin Cycle :: essays research papers

SPIN CYCLE With so many different scandal to his credit and numerous ongoing investigations pending, President Clinton has been bombarded by the media in a fashion not seen since the last days of the Nixon administration. Despite this unwanted attention, Clinton has managed to maintain lofty approval ratings and successfully deflect even the most ardent attacks. How does he do it? This question is answered in full in Spin Cycle, a backroom look at how news is created and packaged in the White House and the methods used to distribute it to the public. In painting a detailed picture of the hand-to-hand combat known as a press conference, Kurtz shows how the use of controlled leaks, meticulously worded briefs, and the outright avoidance of certain questions allows the White House to control the scope and content of the stories that make it to the front page and the nightly network news. As Kurtz makes clear, the president and First Lady are convinced that the media are out to get them, while the journalists covering the White House are constantly frustrated at the stonewalling and the lack of cooperation they encounter while trying to do their jobs. In the middle is the White House press secretary Mike McCurry, a master at defusing volatile situations and walking the fine line with the press. Though less paranoid and cynical of the media than Clinton, he often finds himself on both ends of personal attacks and vendettas that veer far outside the arena of objective reporting. The anecdotes and carefully buried information that Kurtz has uncovered give this book a brisk pace, along with ample invaluable information that cuts to the core of this age of media overkill. Kurtz focuses mainly on White House response to scandal news in 1996 and 1997, and he does not purport to cover most other aspects of the relationship between the president and the press. And within the narrow scope of his research, he had only fragmentary access to important information. For legal and political reasons, white House aides were probably not inclined to volunteer the whole truth. What’s more, the story is still unfolding. Though he adds nothing to what is known about recent happenings in the Oval Office, he does shed light on a subject that remains of considerable importance: the techniques used by the Clinton administration to shape the way it is portrayed in the press. It never seriously takes up the issue that seems to lie at its core.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Twenty

This is way worse than the obstacle course, thought Matt. And building a house out of newspaper. And the firewalk. This is definitely the worst pledge event yet. He twisted the toothbrush in his hand to real y get into the little niche running along the bottom of the paneling on the Vitale Society's pledge room wal s. The toothbrush came out black with ancient dirt and dangling cobwebs, and Matt grimaced in disgust. His back was already sore from hunching over. â€Å"How's it going, soldier?† Chloe asked, squatting down next to him, a dripping sponge in one hand. â€Å"Honestly, I'm not sure how scrubbing out this room is going to help us develop honor and leadership and al the stuff Ethan keeps talking about,† Matt said. â€Å"I think this might just be a way to save a couple of bucks on a cleaning service.† â€Å"Well, they say cleanliness is next to godliness,† she reminded him. Chloe laughed. He real y liked her laugh. It was sort of bubbly and silvery. Internal y, he gave himself a little eye rol . Bubbly and silvery. She had a nice laugh, was al he meant. They'd been spending a lot of time together since Christopher's death. Matt had felt like nothing could be as bad as living with al of Christopher's stuff when Christopher himself was gone, but then Chris's parents came and packed it up, gently patting Matt on the back as if he deserved some kind of sympathy when they had lost their only son. And with just empty space where Christopher's things had been, everything was a mil ion times worse. Meredith, Bonnie, and Elena had tried to comfort him. They wanted so badly for him to be okay again that he'd felt guilty he wasn't, making it harder for him to be around them. Chloe had taken to coming by the room, hanging out with him or getting him to come to the cafeteria or wherever with her, keeping him in touch with the world when he felt like locking himself away. There was something so easy about her. Elena, the only girl he'd ever loved – before now, part of him whispered – was much more work to be around. Inside, he flinched at his own disloyalty to Elena, but it was true. Now he was starting to wake up and take an interest in things again. And he kept noticing with fresh surprise the cute dimple Chloe had in her right cheek, or how shiny her curly dark hair was, or how graceful and pretty her hands were despite the fact that they were often stained with paint. So far, though, they were just friends. Maybe †¦ maybe it was time to change that. Chloe snapped her fingers in front of his face, and Matt realized he had been staring at her. â€Å"You al right, buddy?† she asked, a little frown wrinkling her forehead, and Matt had to restrain himself from kissing her right then. â€Å"Yeah, just spacing out,† he said, feeling a flush creep over his cheeks. He was smiling like a goof, he knew. â€Å"Want to help with these wal s?† â€Å"Sure, why not?† Chloe answered. â€Å"I'l soap down the wal part, and you keep doing whatever you're doing there with that little toothbrush.† They worked companionably together for a while, Chloe now and then accidental y-on-purpose dripping soapy water onto the top of Matt's head. As they worked further along the paneling, the niche under the baseboard got deeper, until it was not so much a niche as a gap. Matt slid the toothbrush underneath to scrub – man, but it got grimy down there – and felt something shift. â€Å"There's something under here,† he told Chloe, pressing his hand flat against the floor and working his fingers into the gap. He slid his hands and the toothbrush around, trying to shimmy whatever was down there toward them, but he couldn't quite get a grip on it. â€Å"Look,† said Chloe after a moment, â€Å"I think the paneling might slide up here.† She wiggled the section of wood until it gave a raucous screech and she was able to work it up. â€Å"Huh,† she said, puzzled. â€Å"Wow, it's like a secret compartment. Seems like it hasn't been opened for a while, though.† Once she managed to ease the paneling up, they could see the space behind it was smal , only a foot or so in height and width and a few inches deep. It was ful of cobwebs. Inside was something rectangular, wrapped in a cloth that had probably once been white but was now gray with dust. â€Å"It's a book,† Matt said, picking it up. The grime on the outside of the cloth was thick and soft and came away on his hands. Unwrapping it, he found the book inside was clean. â€Å"Wow,† Chloe said softly. It looked old, real y old. The cover was flaking dark leather, and the edges of the pages were rough as if they'd been hand cut instead of by a machine. Tilting the book a little, Matt could see the remains of gilt that must have once been the title, but it was worn away now. Matt opened it to the middle. Inside, it was handwritten, black ink inscribing neat strong strokes. And total y indecipherable. â€Å"I think it's Latin. Maybe?† said Matt. â€Å"Do you know Latin at al ?† Chloe shook her head. Matt flipped back to the first page, and one word popped out at him. Vitale. â€Å"Maybe it's a history of the Vitale Society,† Chloe said. â€Å"Or ancient secrets of the founders. Cool! We should give it to Ethan.† â€Å"Yeah, sure,† Matt said, distracted. He turned a few more pages, and the ink changed from black to a dark brown. It looks like dried blood, he thought, and shuddered, then pushed the image away. It was just some kind of old ink, faded brown with time. One word he recognized, written three – no, four – times on the page: Mort. That meant death, didn't it? Matt traced the word with his finger, frowning. Creepy. â€Å"I'l show it to Ethan,† Chloe said, jumping up and taking the book from him. She crossed the room and interrupted Ethan's conversation with another girl. From the other side of the room, Matt watched Ethan's face break into a slow smile as he took the book. After a few minutes, Chloe returned, grinning. â€Å"Ethan was real y excited,† she said. â€Å"He said he'l tel us al about it after he gets someone to translate the book.† Matt nodded. â€Å"That's terrific,† he said, pushing the last of his unease away. This was Chloe, lively, laughing Chloe, and he would try not to think about death or blood or anything morbid around her. â€Å"Hey,† he said, pushing away the dark thoughts, focusing on the golden highlights in her dark hair. â€Å"Are you going to the party at McAl ister House tonight?† Maybe not pulled back, Elena thought, looking critical y at herself in the mirror. She tugged the barrette out of her hair and let her golden locks tumble, sleek and flat-ironed, down around her shoulders. Much better. She looked good, she noted, running her eyes dispassionately over her reflection. Her strappy short black dress accentuated her rose-petal skin and pale hair, and her dark blue eyes seemed huge. Without Stefan, though, what did it matter how she looked? She watched her own mouth tighten in the mirror as she pushed the thought away. However much she missed the feeling of Stefan's hand in hers, his lips on hers, however much she wanted to be with him, it was impossible for now. She couldn't be Katherine. And her pride wouldn't let her just mope around, either. It's not forever, she told herself grimly. Bonnie came up and threw her arm around Elena's shoulders, regarding them both in the mirror. â€Å"We clean up nice, don't we?† she asked cheerful y. â€Å"Ready to go?† â€Å"You do look amazing,† Elena said, looking at Bonnie with affection. The shorter girl was practical y glowing with excitement – eyes sparkling, smile bright, cheeks flushed, mane of red hair flying out seemingly with a life of its own – and her short blue dress and strappy high-heeled shoes were adorable. Bonnie's smile got bigger. â€Å"Let's get going,† Meredith said, al business. She was sleek and practical in jeans and a soft fitted gray shirt that matched her eyes. It was hard to know what Meredith was thinking, but Elena had overheard her murmuring to Alaric on the phone late at night. She figured that Meredith, at heart, might not be into the party either. Outside, people walked quickly in large, silent groups, glancing around nervously as they went. No one lingered, no one was alone. Meredith stopped midstride and stiffened, suddenly aware of a potential threat. Elena fol owed her gaze. She was wrong: one person lingered alone. Damon was sitting on a bench outside their dorm, his face tipped toward the sky as if he was basking in the sun despite the darkness of the evening. â€Å"What do you want, Damon?† Meredith said, warily. Her voice wasn't actual y rude – they'd gotten past that, working together this summer – but it wasn't friendly, and Elena could feel her bristling beside her. â€Å"Elena, of course,† Damon said lazily, rising and smoothly taking Elena's arm. Bonnie looked back and forth between them, puzzled. â€Å"I thought you weren't going to spend time with either of them for a while,† she said to Elena. Damon spoke quietly into Elena's ear. â€Å"It's about the Vitale Society. I've got a lead.† Elena hesitated. She hadn't told her friends about the hints she and Damon had found that the Vitale Society might be more than a myth, or that they might be connected to her parents in some way. There wasn't real y anything much to go on yet, and she didn't feel quite ready to talk about the possibility that her parents might have been mixed up in some kind of dark secret or how she felt, seeing the images of them when they were young. Making up her mind, she turned to Meredith and Bonnie. â€Å"I've got to go with Damon for a minute. It's important. I'l explain it to you guys later. See you at the party in a little bit.† Meredith frowned but nodded, and she steered Bonnie toward McAl ister House. As they went, Elena could hear Bonnie saying, â€Å"But wasn't the whole point†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Keeping his hand tucked firmly under Elena's arm, Damon led her in the opposite direction. â€Å"Where are we going?† she asked, feeling too aware of the softness of Damon's skin and the strength of his grip. â€Å"I saw a girl wearing one of those pins from the photo,† Damon answered. â€Å"I fol owed her to the library, but once she got inside, she just disappeared. I looked everywhere for her. Then, an hour later, she came out the library doors again. Remember when I said we needed to look for answers somewhere other than the library?† He smiled. â€Å"I was wrong. There's something going on in there.† â€Å"Maybe you just didn't see her?† Elena wondered aloud. â€Å"It's a big library, she could have been tucked away in a study carrel or something.† â€Å"I would have found her,† Damon said briefly. â€Å"I'm good at finding people.† His teeth shone white for a moment under the streetlights. The problem was that the library was so normal. Once they were inside, Elena looked around at the gray-carpeted floors, the beige chairs, the rows and rows of bookshelves, the buzzing fluorescent lights. It was a place to study. It didn't look like any secrets were hidden here. â€Å"Upstairs?† she suggested. They took the stairs rather than the elevator and worked their way down from the top floor. Going from floor to floor, they found †¦ nothing. People reading and taking notes. Books, books, and more books. In the basement, there was a room of vending machines and smal tables for study breaks. Nothing unexpected. Elena paused in a hal way of administrative offices near the vending machine. â€Å"We're not going to find anything,† she told Damon. His face twisted in frustration, and she added, â€Å"I believe you that there's something going on here, I do, but without any leads, we don't even know what we're looking for yet.† The door behind her, marked Research Office, opened, and Matt came out. He looked tired, and Elena felt a quick flash of guilt. After Christopher's death, she and Meredith and Bonnie had meant to stick close to Matt. But he was always busy with footbal or class and didn't seem to want them around. She realized with a shock that she hadn't talked to him in days. â€Å"Oh, hey, Elena,† Matt said, looking startled. â€Å"Are you going to the party tonight?† He greeted Damon with an awkward nod. â€Å"Mutt,† Damon acknowledged, giving a half smile, and Matt rol ed his eyes. As they chatted about the party and classes and Bonnie's new semiboyfriend, Elena cataloged her impressions of Matt. Tired, yes – his eyes were a little bloodshot, and there was grimness to his lips that hadn't been there a few weeks ago. But why did he smel so strongly of soap? It wasn't like he was particularly clean, she thought, inspecting a grubby trail tracing down Matt's cheek to his neck. It looked like something had been dripped on his head. It was almost like he had been cleaning something. Something real y dirty. Struck by a new thought, she glanced at his chest. Surely he wouldn't be wearing one of the V pins? As if aware of what she was wondering, Matt pul ed his jacket more tightly around him. â€Å"What were you doing in that office?† she asked him abruptly. â€Å"Uh.† Matt's face was blank for half a second, and then he glanced up at the door, at the sign saying Research Office. â€Å"Research, of course,† he said. â€Å"I've got to go,† he added. â€Å"I'l catch you at the party later, okay, Elena?† He had half turned away, when Elena impulsively put out her hand to catch his arm. â€Å"Where have you been, Matt?† she asked. â€Å"I've hardly seen you lately.† Matt grinned, but he didn't quite meet her eyes. â€Å"Footbal ,† he said. â€Å"Col ege bal ‘s a big deal.† He gently pul ed away from her restraining hand. â€Å"Later, Elena. Damon.† They watched him walk away, and then Damon nodded toward the door Matt had come out of. â€Å"Shal we?† he said. â€Å"Shal we what?† Elena asked, puzzled. â€Å"Oh, like that wasn't suspicious,† Damon said. He put his hand on the knob, and Elena heard the lock snap as he forced it open. Inside was a very boring room. A desk, a chair, a smal rug on the floor. Maybe a little too boring? â€Å"A research office without books? Or even a computer?† Elena asked. Damon cocked his head to one side, considering, then, with a swift movement, pul ed aside the rug. Below it was the clear outline of a trapdoor. â€Å"Bingo,† Elena breathed. She stepped forward, already bending down to try and pry it open, but Damon pul ed her back. â€Å"Whoever is using this could stil be down there,† he said. â€Å"Matt just left, and I doubt he was alone.† Matt. Whatever was going on, Matt knew about it. â€Å"Maybe I should talk to him,† Elena said. Damon frowned. â€Å"Let's wait until we know what we're dealing with,† he said. â€Å"We don't know what Matt's involvement is. This could be dangerous for you.† He had taken hold of her arm again and was pul ing her gently, steadily out of the room. â€Å"We'l come back later.† Elena let him lead her away, grappling with what he'd said. Dangerous? she thought. Surely Matt wouldn't be doing anything that would be a danger to Elena?

Essay On The Stranger - 1010 Words

The Stranger Essay The Stranger by Albert Camus is an analysis of the human psychosis if it was isolated and apathetic. Throughout the story, our protagonist, Meursault, tells the story of his life after his mother’s death and his experiences with everyday routines. Meursault explains to the reader only the surface of what he is feeling; despite that, as a reader, one is able to view his mind directly and closely. Meursault has all the power in this book because it is his life and mind. He is able to put things in his own perspective, not one’s. As the reader vicariously moves through Meursault’s world, we see how he interacts with others, despite his indifference with interacting with society. Being around characters such as Marie or†¦show more content†¦That is why his need for Marie is important; she is an uncomplicated passage to the world for Meursault. They seem to be similar people as they live uneventful lives. For the times he mentions Marie, one can conclude she is for being youthful and enjoying simple pleasures such as swimming and sex, like Meursault. She desires marriage and romance to which Meursault agrees to as he does not mind for her sake. He enjoys her company yet is not deeply attached to her; it is nothing deeper than just casual sex and conversation, which helps the reader infer how one desires to not be lonely. The next person Meursault tells us about is a beastly man named Raymond. Raymond is presented as a brusque personality with a short stout and a temper to match. He comments that it is a shame that old Salamano hits his dog yet beats his girl like a dog misbehaving. Raymond is a compromising character from what a reader can gather from Meursaults point of view. He speaks of his struggles with his girl, who may or may not be a prostitute, and throughout chapter III he goes on about himself, perhaps to explain himself so he is not judged by Meursault. Often when Raymond asks for Meursaults assistance, Meursault is contempt in doing whatever is asked. Meursault says what he thinks and follows his own laws of limitation which is shocking to society. Meursault seems to identify with Ray’s brutish and frank character as a normality trait for humans. Raymond beats up anyone who has wrongedShow MoreRelatedThe Stranger Essays556 Words   |  3 Pagesway because we are just misunders tood or as Albert Camus would say â€Å"strangers† to society. The stranger is a man lost in his own world where no one understands him but himself. This man was portrayed as a monster, un-human, and even heartless all because he chose not to express his emotions or feeling to the world. You may ask well how does this relate to me ? Well your about to find out why. In Albert Camus’s Novel â€Å"The Stranger† Meursault was portrayed as a man with irony, tragic hero qualitiesRead MoreEssay The Stranger754 Words   |  4 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Albert Camus’ The Stranger, is told by narrarator, Meursault . Our speaker seems to be a person detached from feelings, he shows no emotion. Neither the external world in which Meursault lives nor the internal world of his thoughts and attitudes possesses any rational order. He doesn’t have reasons for doing half of the things he does. For these reasons I believe Meursault is determined, but doesn’t know it. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Our protagonist and narraratorRead More The Stranger Essay1496 Words   |  6 PagesAlbert Camus creates a series of characters in The Stranger whose personality traits and motivations mirror those that are overlooked upon by the average man. Camus develops various characters and scenarios that show true humanity which tends to have been ignored due to the fact of how typical it has become. Camus incorporates abominable personality traits of the characters, variety, consistency, and everyone’s fate. Camus demonstrates the disregarded reason behind the origins of relationships betweenRead MoreEssay On A Stranger1597 Words   |  7 PagesAlright, so first and foremost we have to look at every possible suspect. I believe that our options are (in rough order of probability): 1. Another human 2. An extraterrestrial 3. An unexplained scientific phenomenon 4. A paranormal entity [b]1. The Human Angle[/b] Lets start with the possibility that it was another human, or group of humans. Obviously this would imply that mankind has reached technological levels FAR beyond what the average person believes we currently possess. Despite thisRead More The Stranger Essay879 Words   |  4 PagesThe Stranger The Stranger exhibits a society that has confined itself with a specific set of social standards that dictate the manner in which people are supposed to act. This ideology determines the level of morality, and how much emphasis should placed on following this certain ethical structure. Albert Camuss main character, Meursault, is depicted as a nonconformist that is unwilling to play societys game. Through Meursaults failure to comply with societys values and conform toRead MoreThe Stranger Essay1048 Words   |  5 PagesAlbert Camus influential novel, The Stranger, a great work of existentialism, examines the absurdity of life and indifference of the world. This paper provides a summary of the novel, and outlines some of the novels main themes. The novels protagoinist, Meursault, is a distanced and indifferent young man. He does not believe in God, and lives his life with seemingly sensuous abandon. After Meursault is caught up in the life of a local pimp, he rather inexplicably murders a young man on theRead More The Stranger Essay962 Words   |  4 PagesThe Stranger The Stranger was originally written in French. When Stuart Gilbert translated the novel, he came across a small problem. â€Å"The title of Camus’ classic novel is difficult to render into English because the French word bears the connotations of both ‘stranger’ and ‘foreigner’ at the same time, and each of these concepts is at play in the novel.† (Mairowitz1) Finding the right translation was crucial because the title is symbolic. â€Å"The Stranger symbolizes the theme of theRead More The Stranger Essay1301 Words   |  6 PagesWhile reading The Stranger I noticed that traits that Albert Camus character depicts in the book are closely related to the theories of Sigmund Freud on moral human behavior. Albert Camus portrays his character of Meursault as a numb, emotionless person that seems to mindlessly play out his role in society, acting in a manner that he sees as the way he’s supposed to act, always living in the moment with his instincts driving him, and if the right circumstance presents itself the primal deep seededRead MoreEssay The Stranger1275 Words   |  6 PagesThe Stranger In the book The Stranger, the main character, Meursault, is a stranger to himself, and to life. Meursault is a person who is emotionally and physically detached from the world. He seemingly cares only about himself, but at the same time could be concerned little about what happens to him. The title, the Stranger, could indicate Meursaults disconnection and indifference to the world that surrounds him and, therefore, his role as a stranger in the book. The title could also implyRead MoreThe Stranger Essay963 Words   |  4 PagesThe Stranger Chris Drusbosky 3/5/12 Professor Krauss In the story â€Å"The Stranger† by Albert Camus, the belief that the themes of loss and retrieval are at the core of Mersault’s mythology, and that they illumine the notion of exile to which he returns so often is widely discussed. I however do not believe that either one of those themes has anything to do with the Mersault and the exile to which he returns to so often, rather I believe that Mersault’s own attitude is the reason for the exile