Monday, December 19, 2005

The Case of Dividing a Nation: Cities vs. Towns


Ever since the establishment of the United States of America, there have been diverse communities, usually classified as cites or towns. Currently, 62% of the nation lives is made up of small towns, but 71% of U.S. citizens actually live in cities. It affects everyday life, what the surroundings are, what occupation a person holds, and if a resident does not get to experience both end of life, it is difficult to judge. Both cities and towns have benefits and problems, but which would you prefer?
From the perspective of some city dwellers who have not experienced the life of a town reisdent may believe that there is nothing to offer, but that statement is quite false. Towns offer much open land, which is good for most of the farming that takes place there. Why does most farming take place in small towns, because of the little farmland and rough terrains of cities? Although there are many elaborate shops in some small towns, resources can sometimes be scarce, and common luxuries, such as satellite television and sophisticated internet is un-available. Some small towns may be rural, but small towns can be quite astonishing with natural wonders, well-known restaurants or museum, and maybe and played a small role in history. For example, Newport, RI (population 26,475 people), has many boutiques, elegant restaraunts, and is well known across the nation for being home to dozens of mansions. Although Neport is a larger town, it still has a large resemblance of a city. So, not only is there diversity of cities and towns, towns themselves are different in many ways.
Major cities are the creation of post Industrial Revolution work. During the early 20th Century, many large skyscrapers and bridges made of recently massed produced items such as steel and iron started to become part of skylines across the nation. The trend swept the nation starting in the Northeast Region in cities such as New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia, but these communities were all cities for almost 100 years before. In fact, New York City was a large town until 1826 when it was deemed a city. Cities have various stores, restaurants, and offer the latest trends in commerce with ease, allowing residents to keep the city growing with spending money on goods. Large office buildings and corporate headquarters offer many occupations and jobs as well as creating a large tax sum to the city along with the state, making the school systems better and boosting the morale of the population. A detriment of large cities is the large cluster of people and automobiles, resulting in traffic on highways and byways, and many activists disapprove of the methods of cities because of the large amounts of pollution omitted from cars, busses, trains, and industrial buildings.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

At the Arista Records 30th Anniversary, many stars performed number one hits and timeless classics, but Barry Manilow was on stage with a medley of songs that, like I said, were timeless classics, such as "O Mandy", and "I Can’t Smile Without You". Manilow had a range of upbeat and slow songs with an orchestra band behind him. Barry played the piano outstandingly , which the audience seemed to enjoy. In my opinion, Manilow’s performance was somewhat bland, but later in his piece he sang an upbeat Spanish song which was an improvement from his other songs. The band was extraordinary, the violins, trombones, and many other instruments performed without a glitch. A standing ovation was given to Manilow after he was done performing, by the audience and fellow performers, like Whitney Houston, who was singing along with Barry Manilow as he played "O Mandy". At the end of the night, Barry Manilow and all of the other artists gave a stunning performance.

Friday, December 09, 2005

Atkinson, NH Town Hall- Cable TV Station

Atkinson, NH- With over 400,000 dollars in funds for Public Access Television, citizens are getting fed up with the funds not being put to good use. Goerge Cunningham, 50, says "With 400,000 some odd dollars in the budget, the Cable TV planner has been asking for new cameras equipment, but the selectmen have voted no." Many believe that if the town's Cable Access becomes more technological and advanced, morale of the town would skyrocket. Many citizens want a new professional Television studio, such as neighboring Plaistow's which costed almost 300,000 dollars.- Adam Cunningham A/P
Oscar Goodman- Las Vegas Mayor

Las Vegas, NV- Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman who recently announced that he wants to propose new disciplinary actions for graffiti artists or "taggers", should have their left or right thumb cut of depending on what the vandal’s dominant hand is. Goodman’s plan would be implemented in the city of Las Vegas, but Mayor Goodman feels his ways could guide young men and women around the nation. The action would not go without proper court hearing first. If found guilty, a graffiti artist would be brought to a doctor, and without be sedated, their thumb would be cut off, and maybe even publicly. Goodman also agrees with physical punishment towards young children behaving badly.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005



Boston, Mass- With the arrival of the new XBox360 to slaes floors, many shops are preparing for the rush. Although many fnas of the recently introduced XBox and XBox360 from Microsoft(c), the company expects over 10 million dollars in sales in the first week alone. The new system revolutionizes the gaming industry with enhanced graphics and games, but will be coupled in competition with the new PS3 (Playstation 3) coming out in Spring of 2006. Frank Allmand, 23, says, " I feel that the graphics are a plus in the XBox360, but the fact that it is not a Japaneese based company and Americans do not have to wait for it to come out is a bonus!"The new standard wireless controlers of the XBox360 have had players stunned. Christmas ideas for gamers on your list would very much enjoy the 360.