Assignment 1-3

Mothers on the Fast Track: How a New Generation Can Balance Family and Careers

The article is a book review. The review is about a book called "Mothers on the Fast Track: How a New Generation Can Balance Family and Careers," written by, Mary Ann Mason and Eve Mason Ekman. The book takes a close look at how to balance family life and a fast track career. The main question in the book is, "how can women have it all?" In addtion, they specifically look at when such women have children and when their careers take off. Only now, in the early twenty-first century, after a full generation of women has entered male-dominated professions in significant numbers, Mason contests, can we begin to see clearly ‘‘how the story of women on the fast track unfolds from university education to retirement." To make the reader understand these issues Elkman conducted interviews with several women, which is her primary contribution to the book.

In her findings they concluded that there must be "transformative solutions" in the work environment. They propose that employers create more flexibility for women at the front end of their careers so that they have more options should they want children and that employers help women return to work after a short or long hiatus. Establishing paid family leaves is most important, Mason asserts, and fathers should be encouraged as well as women to take leaves without career jeopardy. Mason also rallies for greater stability and opportunity at the second tier, such that, for example, part-time instructors are given job security, benefits, and better pay.

Mothers on the Fast Track: How a New Generation Can Balance Family and Careers. (2008, December). Journal of Popular Culture, Retrieved December 15, 2008, doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2008.00565.x

Assignment 5-1

Top 25 Greatest Movie Character' List
by Jonathan Crow on December 2, 2008

British movie magazine just released their list for top 100 movie characters of all time. These are the top 25 picks:

25. Yoda (Empire Strikes Back)24. Ash (Evil Dead)23. Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry)22. Red (The Shawshank Redemption)21. Michael Corleone (The Godfather series)20. Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump) 19. Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction) 18. Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver)17. Hans Gruber (Die Hard)16. Neo (The Matrix trilogy)15. Ferris Bueller (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)14. The Terminator (The Terminator series)13. Gollum (The Lord of the Rings trilogy)12. John McClane (Die Hard series)11. James Bond (007 series)10. Vito Corleone (The Godfather I & II)9. Ellen Ripley (Alien quadrology)8. Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy)7. The Dude (The Big Lebowski)6. Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones series)5. Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs)4. Han Solo (Star Wars trilogy)3. The Joker (The Dark Knight)2. Darth Vader (Star Wars series)1. Tyler Durden (Fight Club)

To see the full list go here: http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/empire-100-movie-characters.html

So was Tyler Durden (Fight Club) really better than Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) or Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump)? I believe they are all worthy of being on the top 25; however, if I made the list my top three would be:

1. Forrest Gump


2. Jack Sparrow


3. Hannibal Lecter

Forrest Gump was the first character of its kind. He was a mentally challenged boy who faced many obstacles in life. Even though he faced challenges he still was able to live a full life. He enlisted in the army, he played college football, he built a great friendship with Jenny, he was a captain of a shrimping boat, and he had a son and later married his sons mother the love of his life, Jenny.

I noticed that the list doesn't contain many female actors. I can think of several female characters that are worthy of being on the list such as, Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman) and Holly Golightly (Breakfast at Tiffany's).

If you made the list who would your top three be?