This is a link to one of many articles found from The Forum about the flood updates. This may be a very common blog topic not only in our class but in the entire blogosphere. Also, people all over Facebook who aren't from around here are talking to me and other friends about the flood. This article talks about the town of Linton, ND being evacuated. I was quite young in the flood of '97, but I remember how awful everything was. My hometown, Cooperstown, isn't close enough to any bodies of water that it flooded too bad. It kind of shocks me how these towns are flooding so bad that they need to be evacuated already.
If you read the article, you will see comments written by others. The idea of these comments relates back to an idea discussed in another class (that I am also blogging for) talking about Web 2.0 (social media and a more interactive version of the internet). This pretty much means that readers are able to not only read the article but to also show their viewpoints. If you read these comments, you can see a clash in some readers' views, causing what I think is sarcastic comments. Even though arguments can break out from comment enabling, I think it's important that the readers are able to share their ideas. The internet is a new and growing form of communication, and this way people are able to talk with others, maybe not even from around here. Do you think that comment enabling on news stories is a good thing or a bad thing?
After I write this, I am going to go out sandbagging, as I'm sure most of you are doing right now. It's scary to think that our classes were cancelled because that is how desparate we need those sandbags. I went up there last night for a few hours and got a lot done. It was great to see many people from the community out volunteering. Some people say they do not understand why we live in North Dakota. Obviously, the weather is awful at times, but what about the people and the community. From some previous blog entries I've read for this class, I am aware that not everyone is as giving as we are.
Moreover, I think it's great that the community is keeping us informed with the latest information on the flood. I refresh the Forum's homepage as well as the road report's page many times throughout the day, checking to see the latest updates. It's amazing how just a week ago, many of us weren't even thinking of the damages that can, will, and are being done.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Blog 9 (The Money's in McDonald's)
According to this article, Coke and Oreos are not the compaines to be investing in right now. "Grocers report that customers in record numbers are going for the generic house brand, priced at up to a dollar less." Last week I bought an entire box of cereal for 54 cents from Target. It didn't taste nearly as good as the leading brand, but it was edible...I think. I buy generic if I think its quality is good enough for its price. All in all, I generally prefer the leading brand, but if the generic brand is almost as good (and probably at least a dollar less), I usually grab the generic brand.
If you scroll down this article, you will see many familiar brands. Apparently the generic brands are taking over these leading brands. It kind of seems shocking to me to hear that even brands like Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola are suffering. When I worked at a grocery store three years ago, those were some very popular brands that made their way down the black revolving belt many times a day. So why are people going for generic brands? The article states this: "In similar eras in the past, it's turned out that consumers downshift into lower consumption modes quite rapidly and with remarkable ease, and even start to pride themselves on developing an upside-down view of luxury."
Also according to the article, some companies might not see as much of a downfall. Family Dollar and McDonald's were two familar names. This makes sense to me because of the low prices of their product. This article states that McDonald's was just one of two DJIA companies to soar in the stock market in 2008. According to Owen, “You’re more likely to encounter a McDonald’s than a Burger King or Wendy’s on your way to work, which gives it a tremendous advantage in the breakfast category." This isn't true in Valley City, but in other cities, I can spot the golden arches from a mile away....
So does this mean we should all go invest in McDonald's? A recent survey of franchisees by New York City found franchisees worried that rising labor and raw product costs will crimp margins. According the survey, franchisees also believe business will be only fair to good through the first six months of 2009.
If you scroll down this article, you will see many familiar brands. Apparently the generic brands are taking over these leading brands. It kind of seems shocking to me to hear that even brands like Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola are suffering. When I worked at a grocery store three years ago, those were some very popular brands that made their way down the black revolving belt many times a day. So why are people going for generic brands? The article states this: "In similar eras in the past, it's turned out that consumers downshift into lower consumption modes quite rapidly and with remarkable ease, and even start to pride themselves on developing an upside-down view of luxury."
Also according to the article, some companies might not see as much of a downfall. Family Dollar and McDonald's were two familar names. This makes sense to me because of the low prices of their product. This article states that McDonald's was just one of two DJIA companies to soar in the stock market in 2008. According to Owen, “You’re more likely to encounter a McDonald’s than a Burger King or Wendy’s on your way to work, which gives it a tremendous advantage in the breakfast category." This isn't true in Valley City, but in other cities, I can spot the golden arches from a mile away....
So does this mean we should all go invest in McDonald's? A recent survey of franchisees by New York City found franchisees worried that rising labor and raw product costs will crimp margins. According the survey, franchisees also believe business will be only fair to good through the first six months of 2009.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Blog 8 (Writer's Block)
Well, the semester is half-way over and if writer's block hasn't sunk in for you yet, you're lucky. I like to write, but I know that even the best writers experience writer's block. I have quite a bit of writing assignments for my classes, so I often find it hard to find a topic on which to write. These blogs are acutally more easy to write than our news story assignemnts, probably because we don't have as strict of guidelines to follow.
Purdue's OWL site lists many different scenarios in which people experience writer's block. They suggest physically stretching to relieve stress-caused writer's block. I think this is effective because it's relaxing. Being relaxed can inquire thought and thus writing. One of the best tips on Purdue's site that I often use is this: "Force yourself to write down something, however poorly worded, that approximates your thought (you can revise this later) and go on with the next idea." I use this when I know what I want to say, but I don't know how to word it. I often find that coming back to my work after a while, even a day, helps me revise my writing.
For those of you creative writers, here is an intersting website that takes a slightly different approach to writer's block. Languageisavirus.com generates words, characters, phrases, etc. for people who may be stumbling on, say, a character's name in a novel. It also gives random titles to stories. Some of these may be a little whimsical or unuseful, but you never know what kind of creativity the site may spark. You can have fun with it too, go to the site and click on Cut up Machine, type in a random phrase, and click "Cut It Up." See what kind of crazy sentence you may get.
This website states some causes for writer's block that are very familiar to me. One of them is neglecting my writing. Sometimes I put off assignments and end up later sitting down to write nothing. The site suggests just writing ten minutes a day can be helpful. I think that works because it gives me a break and allows my creativity to develop and recover. They also mention the concept of perfectionism. That can be an issue to me, but I don't necessarily consider it writer's block. If I'm worried about perfecting my work, I must have writing intuition at that moment. They mention just a change of scenery can be a cure for any cause of writer's block. That can be so true to me.
Do you have any suggestions for writer's block? What do you think is the best cure for writer's block?
Purdue's OWL site lists many different scenarios in which people experience writer's block. They suggest physically stretching to relieve stress-caused writer's block. I think this is effective because it's relaxing. Being relaxed can inquire thought and thus writing. One of the best tips on Purdue's site that I often use is this: "Force yourself to write down something, however poorly worded, that approximates your thought (you can revise this later) and go on with the next idea." I use this when I know what I want to say, but I don't know how to word it. I often find that coming back to my work after a while, even a day, helps me revise my writing.
For those of you creative writers, here is an intersting website that takes a slightly different approach to writer's block. Languageisavirus.com generates words, characters, phrases, etc. for people who may be stumbling on, say, a character's name in a novel. It also gives random titles to stories. Some of these may be a little whimsical or unuseful, but you never know what kind of creativity the site may spark. You can have fun with it too, go to the site and click on Cut up Machine, type in a random phrase, and click "Cut It Up." See what kind of crazy sentence you may get.
This website states some causes for writer's block that are very familiar to me. One of them is neglecting my writing. Sometimes I put off assignments and end up later sitting down to write nothing. The site suggests just writing ten minutes a day can be helpful. I think that works because it gives me a break and allows my creativity to develop and recover. They also mention the concept of perfectionism. That can be an issue to me, but I don't necessarily consider it writer's block. If I'm worried about perfecting my work, I must have writing intuition at that moment. They mention just a change of scenery can be a cure for any cause of writer's block. That can be so true to me.
Do you have any suggestions for writer's block? What do you think is the best cure for writer's block?
Monday, February 23, 2009
Blog 7 (11-year-old Tried as an Adult)
An 11-year-old boy will be tried as an adult in court for killing his father's pregnant girlfriend. Jordan Brown used his own shotgun to kill her. He had his own gun at 11-years-old because his father was training him to be a hunter. The boy got on the school bus after the shooting and got picked up several hours later. He is in the county jail, away from adults inmates. Dennis Elisco, the boy's attorney, hopes the school will sent him assignments while he's in jail.
"It looks awful from the outside and sort of unspeakable, but these are the kinds of feelings that are pretty normal in a new stepfamily. You just hope there's not a loaded gun around," said Patricia Papernow, a psychologist from Hudson, Mass., who heard about the case on the national news.
This is the first time I'd heard of this story, and it quite saddens me. It makes me wonder how a child could get those kind of feelings. Is it because of violence on T.V.? In schools? On the news? It also makes me wonder how much of the feelings dealt with the blending of two families. It also makes me wonder if the woman he killed was threatening the boy, or making him feel like he wasn't going to be part of their new family.
This makes me think the family could've done more with gun safety. Shouldn't the gun have been locked up? Here is a link to an article about gun safety in homes. "Although the debate over gun control and gun rights seems intractable, all sides generally agree that firearms in the home should be stored in a manner that keeps them out of children's hands. However, many firearms are dangerously accessible."
What do you think of firearm safety? Do you think parents need to be more cautious? Do you think 11-year-old should even have access to guns?
"It looks awful from the outside and sort of unspeakable, but these are the kinds of feelings that are pretty normal in a new stepfamily. You just hope there's not a loaded gun around," said Patricia Papernow, a psychologist from Hudson, Mass., who heard about the case on the national news.
This is the first time I'd heard of this story, and it quite saddens me. It makes me wonder how a child could get those kind of feelings. Is it because of violence on T.V.? In schools? On the news? It also makes me wonder how much of the feelings dealt with the blending of two families. It also makes me wonder if the woman he killed was threatening the boy, or making him feel like he wasn't going to be part of their new family.
This makes me think the family could've done more with gun safety. Shouldn't the gun have been locked up? Here is a link to an article about gun safety in homes. "Although the debate over gun control and gun rights seems intractable, all sides generally agree that firearms in the home should be stored in a manner that keeps them out of children's hands. However, many firearms are dangerously accessible."
What do you think of firearm safety? Do you think parents need to be more cautious? Do you think 11-year-old should even have access to guns?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Blog 6 (Seat Belt Laws)
The decision to make stricter seat belt laws is something I've heard quite a bit about. This is a link to an article that talks about the state House rejecting the bill. Rep. Ed Gruchalla, D-Fargo, sponsored both bills. He said compliance with the seat belt law would go up and lives would be saved. Gruchalla also said that proposed increase in traffic fines were moderate and long overdue after several decades (Cole, 2009).
Currently officers must pull a driver over for another violation before they can write a ticket for failure to buckle up (Cole, 2009). Click it or ticket or Stay inside to survive! are two phrases you may hear in the late springtime around the area. Click it or ticket is a campaign that is used by almost every state to encourage drivers to buckle up. The campaign particularily focuses on nighttime buckling up because the nighttime crash fatality rate is about three times higher than that of the the daytime rate.
Click here to read a short article about politicians' policies on buckling up. Kind of interesting... I know we're not supposed to use Wikipedia as a source (which I hope someday will change), but it's the only detailed descrition of the campaign I could find, so feel free to read, if you'd like. And luckily, Wikipedia offered me a link to an article written by Dr. Williams in opposition to the law. The concept of his viewpoint is one that I know a lot of people like to use in arguments not just about seat belt laws. Click here to read it. His thoughts are "The point is whether government has a right to coerce us into taking care of ourselves. If eating what we wish is our business and not that of government, then why should we accept government's coercing us to wear seatbelts?" (Williams, 2003).
I've heard people say things similar to what Williams said time and time again. And I used to and still do to a point believe the way he does. There are laws that protect us from harming others, but not from harming ourselves, but did you know suicide is illegal?
I would like to hear your opinions about Click it or ticket and Dr. Williams' thoughts. Do you think the laws should be stricter? Do you oppose such campaigns. I've heard several arguments about this, both in favor and in opposition. I have no opposition to the law; I know too many people who've gotten severly injured or killed in car crashes for me to not care. On the other hand, I am against social government and I realize that people have the right as an American to choose whether they want to wear their belts or not. So, even though I don't consider this a bad law, it may just be a gateway to a seemingly increasing trend of socialism in our country.
Currently officers must pull a driver over for another violation before they can write a ticket for failure to buckle up (Cole, 2009). Click it or ticket or Stay inside to survive! are two phrases you may hear in the late springtime around the area. Click it or ticket is a campaign that is used by almost every state to encourage drivers to buckle up. The campaign particularily focuses on nighttime buckling up because the nighttime crash fatality rate is about three times higher than that of the the daytime rate.
Click here to read a short article about politicians' policies on buckling up. Kind of interesting... I know we're not supposed to use Wikipedia as a source (which I hope someday will change), but it's the only detailed descrition of the campaign I could find, so feel free to read, if you'd like. And luckily, Wikipedia offered me a link to an article written by Dr. Williams in opposition to the law. The concept of his viewpoint is one that I know a lot of people like to use in arguments not just about seat belt laws. Click here to read it. His thoughts are "The point is whether government has a right to coerce us into taking care of ourselves. If eating what we wish is our business and not that of government, then why should we accept government's coercing us to wear seatbelts?" (Williams, 2003).
I've heard people say things similar to what Williams said time and time again. And I used to and still do to a point believe the way he does. There are laws that protect us from harming others, but not from harming ourselves, but did you know suicide is illegal?
I would like to hear your opinions about Click it or ticket and Dr. Williams' thoughts. Do you think the laws should be stricter? Do you oppose such campaigns. I've heard several arguments about this, both in favor and in opposition. I have no opposition to the law; I know too many people who've gotten severly injured or killed in car crashes for me to not care. On the other hand, I am against social government and I realize that people have the right as an American to choose whether they want to wear their belts or not. So, even though I don't consider this a bad law, it may just be a gateway to a seemingly increasing trend of socialism in our country.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Blog 5 (Peer Critiquing)
This week is the first week of many more peer critiquing adventures on which we will embark throughout the semester. I have done this before, but I figured I needed to brush up on my skills, so I found this very helpful website. This site gives very detailed guidelines to peer critiquing. One of the first things I read on this site was one of the most helpful tips; it goes as follows:
Read the first paragraph and, without looking at the rest of the paper, write a description of what you think the rest of the paper will say. (Normally, the first paragraph should give a reader a pretty good idea about what is coming up.)
This is good advice because I think that if you cannot give a breif description of the paper, especially in journalism, the lead isn't strong enough. Most journalistic stories are written in inverted pyramid form, so the lead should be able to give that description.
More advice can be found on this link, prompting us to underline all sentences that appear as generalizations (not examples, quotes, or facts). This is also particularly important in journalism where our opinion is not needed.
This is another link to a peer critiquing guideline. The most important advice I found on this site was:
Intend to be constructive. Approach the piece with the intention of building it up, not tearing it apart, and as you would want a reviewer to critique your own work.
I think this is important because it allows us, as peer critiquers, to give constructive criticism without sounding negative. For example, I would not say, "Don't do this; it is wrong." Instead, I would say, "Doing this may be better or more accurate." That way the critique-ee isn't just looking at a bunch of negative remarcks. S/he is looking at ways to improve the paper.
Moreover, I think we also need to be open to giving our advice. I find that I am often afraid to offend someone by calling his/her work imperfect. I usually enjoy these opportunities of peer critiquing because I am able to perfect my story before turning it in. I don't know if someone else has the same reactions as me, though, so I tend to back off a little bit.
And finally, I found this article on eHow.com. Number 8 stood out to me, which stated this:
Explain why you made the comments you did. Say why you think certain things are effective and why others are not.
This is important because it may put things into perspective for the peer critique-ee. S/he will probably better understand the advice, instead of wondering if it is accurate or not. We're all learning here, so I would be more likely to take someone's advice seriously if s/he stated accurate reasons.
What do you think of the advice on peer critiquing in this post? Is it helpful? Do you have any other advice to offer?
My ethics blog: http://blogethics2004.blogspot.com/.
Read the first paragraph and, without looking at the rest of the paper, write a description of what you think the rest of the paper will say. (Normally, the first paragraph should give a reader a pretty good idea about what is coming up.)
This is good advice because I think that if you cannot give a breif description of the paper, especially in journalism, the lead isn't strong enough. Most journalistic stories are written in inverted pyramid form, so the lead should be able to give that description.
More advice can be found on this link, prompting us to underline all sentences that appear as generalizations (not examples, quotes, or facts). This is also particularly important in journalism where our opinion is not needed.
This is another link to a peer critiquing guideline. The most important advice I found on this site was:
Intend to be constructive. Approach the piece with the intention of building it up, not tearing it apart, and as you would want a reviewer to critique your own work.
I think this is important because it allows us, as peer critiquers, to give constructive criticism without sounding negative. For example, I would not say, "Don't do this; it is wrong." Instead, I would say, "Doing this may be better or more accurate." That way the critique-ee isn't just looking at a bunch of negative remarcks. S/he is looking at ways to improve the paper.
Moreover, I think we also need to be open to giving our advice. I find that I am often afraid to offend someone by calling his/her work imperfect. I usually enjoy these opportunities of peer critiquing because I am able to perfect my story before turning it in. I don't know if someone else has the same reactions as me, though, so I tend to back off a little bit.
And finally, I found this article on eHow.com. Number 8 stood out to me, which stated this:
Explain why you made the comments you did. Say why you think certain things are effective and why others are not.
This is important because it may put things into perspective for the peer critique-ee. S/he will probably better understand the advice, instead of wondering if it is accurate or not. We're all learning here, so I would be more likely to take someone's advice seriously if s/he stated accurate reasons.
What do you think of the advice on peer critiquing in this post? Is it helpful? Do you have any other advice to offer?
My ethics blog: http://blogethics2004.blogspot.com/.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Blog 4 (Writing)
This is the week our first beat story is due, so it only seems appropriate to write about writing. Journalistic writing can be great because it features a lot of quotes, so all we do is tell them. Although, retrieving those quotes can be difficult. I am heading up to the Annual Student Exhibition at VCSU this week to interview artists and fellow exhibit-goers. I'm afraid that I won't be able to find a time when there is actually someone else there with me. Luckily, I've already found two sources. Three to go... If anyone in this class has gone to or will be going to the exhibition and would like to comment on some of the artwork, I would appreciate some more sources. Or if anyone here has an exhibit in the show, I would like to hear your story of inspiration.
Finding primary sources is essential in journalism. When I was talking to sources for my beat, I noticed a lot of them enjoyed giving me quotes and their opinions. This is good because the public likes to hear other peoples' interactions. They want to feel as if they were there. This can be especially beneficial for the event. The more readers, the better the story, the more possible event-goers.
I find that secondary sources are not used much in journalism. To find out the difference, click here. A primary source gives me information at the time. There is not element of being in the past. It's all about the present, which is what I think newsreaders like to read.
I found a link that gives some information on writing an advance. Check it out, if you'd like.
As I'm taking an algebra course this semester, I have realized how much I really do like writing. I'm good with words, bad with numbers...
One more thing, I am having the most difficult time finding all these professional blogs. I've posted a thread on BlackBoard saying this:
I am having the hardest time finding all these professional blogs. First, I don't know how to search. I can't find a search or even a browse on Blogspot, so I just type in the criteria for the blog on Google (which I know runs Blogspot) but I don't find anything.
Is there an actual search on Blogspot? And also, how do you determine what a "professional blog" is? I would really appreciate it if someone who's having better luck than I am offer some advice. :)
Finding primary sources is essential in journalism. When I was talking to sources for my beat, I noticed a lot of them enjoyed giving me quotes and their opinions. This is good because the public likes to hear other peoples' interactions. They want to feel as if they were there. This can be especially beneficial for the event. The more readers, the better the story, the more possible event-goers.
I find that secondary sources are not used much in journalism. To find out the difference, click here. A primary source gives me information at the time. There is not element of being in the past. It's all about the present, which is what I think newsreaders like to read.
I found a link that gives some information on writing an advance. Check it out, if you'd like.
As I'm taking an algebra course this semester, I have realized how much I really do like writing. I'm good with words, bad with numbers...
One more thing, I am having the most difficult time finding all these professional blogs. I've posted a thread on BlackBoard saying this:
I am having the hardest time finding all these professional blogs. First, I don't know how to search. I can't find a search or even a browse on Blogspot, so I just type in the criteria for the blog on Google (which I know runs Blogspot) but I don't find anything.
Is there an actual search on Blogspot? And also, how do you determine what a "professional blog" is? I would really appreciate it if someone who's having better luck than I am offer some advice. :)
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