New York Times Upfront; Ancient Vandalism

               Nowadays vandalism is a crime, but back in ancient Roman times it was respected. The word graffiti traces back to the Italian word graffito which means scribblings. While working on the Colesseum- the 50,000 seat ampitheater built in 70A.D. where ancient Romans went to watch Gladiator duels- archaeologists discovered writings and drawings beneath the stadium's walls.These "graffiti" word state victories and vengeance and other things of the sort that where meant to leave the mark and tell the story of their writer. The oldest trace of graffiti dates back 40,000 years in Spain taking the form of cavemen drawings. Experts on ancient Rome say that this "graffiti" was valued in ancient Rome because very few Romans were literate.

               The Author wants the reader to realize that once a long time ago "graffiti; was tolerated and even admired because very few people knew how to write or read. They want readers to know that this "graffiti" helps archaeologists see inside the world of the Ancient Romans and open up a new discovery into Ancient Roman life.

New York Times Upfront; Parallel Barking

               Dogs are trained to rescue people, sniff out drugs, detect oil spills, and many more things. Dog trainers have recently added a new skill to the list: driving. Animal Rescue Workers in New Zealand have taught three dogs awaiting adoption: Porter, Monty, and Ginny, to drive an SUV. They did this to prove just how smart dogs can be to adopters. They trained these dogs just as you would train any other animal, by rewarding them with treats every time they steered or changed gears. After 8 intense weeks of training Porter, Monty, and Ginny could drive. Recently the dogs took a driving test in New Zealand and they passed.(unfortunately they were underage so they didn't get their driver's licenses)

               The Author wanted the reader to realize just how smart dogs actually are. They wanted humans to respect the mind of our best friends. they wanted us to see this opportunity and take time to exercise our dog's brains because they are smarter than we think. 

 

New York Times Upfront; More to Emily Dickinson

               "Small like a wren; and my hair is bold, like the chestnut burr."in her own words is how she would describe herself. She was a celebrated, but solitary poet who usually stayed in the comfort of her home where she stayed a nobody until after her death. Until very recently we have had only one portrait of this beloved artist, but now the Amherst College library believes that they may have found another one. Experts say it was taken around 1859 when Emily was about 29 years old. They are using computer scanners to compare the two photos, and if this portrait is authentic Dickinson scholars will be able to better understand who Emily Dickinson really was.

               The Author was trying to inform the reader about Emily Dickinson and how solitary and untraceable she really was. The Author was trying to get the reader to understand how big of a discovery a portrait of Emily really was. The Author was really trying to get the reader to see how this one discovery could unlock a whole new side to Emily Dickinson.

New York Times Upfront; Erasing Women

               Ikea recently released its fall catalogue for Saudi Arabia. Customers were awed when they saw that they had photo shopped out all the women.Ikea was saying that they did it to respect Saudi Arabia's conservative Muslim culture, where women are to be covered from head to toe and they may not leave the house without a male. Although Saudi Arabia is strict about its women it has begun to change. Slowly women have been able to appear in ads as long as they are not too revealing. King Abdallah has allowed small reforms, like letting women take part in small local elections(that is all the country has since it is a monarchy). Ikea has since apologized for excluding women and has announced that they will include women in their future catalogues.

               The author of this article wanted the reader to realize that Saudi Arabia has slowly but surely changed some of its ways. They wanted the reader to know that Saudi Arabian women are gaining more and   more respect everyday. The author wanted the reader to know that although the world may not know it Saudi Arabia has started changing its view on women.