Alternative Broadcast Magazine Project on Vos Yeux Salon

Broadcast on Vos Yeux Salon

            (ANCHOR ON CAM)

THE NEWEST NAME IN THE COSMETIC INDUSTRY IS VOS YEUX SALON. WE ARE HERE TO TEL YOU WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. NEWWSCHANNEL 2’S HARRIET MUMFORD IS SITTING WITH THE OWNER RIGHT NOW.

(HARRIET/VO)

THANK YOU, BOB, I AM SITTING HER WITH SARAH GRIMM THE YOUNG OWNER OF THIS ADORABLE BOUTIQUE. SARAH WHY DID YOU GET INTO THIS BUSINESS?

             (GRIMM)

“WELL I WAS ALWAYS BEING ASKED TO DO FRIENDS MAKUP FOR WEDDINGS AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF WHY ONLY CATER TO MY FRIENDS?”

            (HARRIET/VO)

INTERESTING AND SO YOU STARTED YOUR BOUTIQUE. DO YOU USE ALL KINDS OF MAKEUP OR DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC BRAND YOU PREFER?

            (GRIMM)

“MY PREFERRED BRAND IS BARE ESCENTUALS BUT I DEFINATLY USE WHAT MY CLIENTS WANT AND ALSO WHAT WILL DO THE BEST JOB FOR THE REQUIRED LOOK.”

            (HARRIET, LIVE IN STUDIO)

AS YOU SAW THIS IS AN ADORABLE LITTLE BOUTIQUE THAT IS WELCOMING TO ALL AGES. THIS IS A GREAT GIFT IDEA FOR ALL OF THOSE LADIES ON YOUR LIST.

Fast Facts Box

Who: Vos Yeux Salon

What: A new salon just for makeup lovers

When: Founded in August 2008

Where: Morgan Hill, CA

Why: This salon provides affordable makeovers

           for the entire community and friendly service.

 

Fast Facts Box

Who: Vos Yeux Salon

What: A new salon just for makeup lovers

When: Founded in August 2008

Where: Morgan Hill, CA

Why: This salon provides affordable makeovers

           for the entire community and friendly service.

 

Magazine Review

 Vos Yeux Salon is the newest name in the cosmetics industry.  It is a fun energetic salon started by newcomer Sarah Grimm. Unlike the conventional hair salon, this salon caters to your makeup needs entirely. Although there is no new line to introduce the knowledge and the fun atmosphere is worth the experience.

Grimm, unlike her name, is a bubbly newly married twenty two year old.  When you walked into her salon she is the first to greet you with a huge smile. She was tired of going to the mall to get her makeup done and having the sales associates put on too much makeup or they did not give her colors that matched her skin tone.  She always left feeling as if she looked like a clown or worse oily! She was tired of paying the eighty dollars that it would take to schedule an appointment. She started wearing makeup when she was 16 years old and had fallen in love since that point. She loved to experiment with the colors and different products. Over the next six years many friends and family members encouraged her to pursue her talent. She dismissed the suggestions and started college at San Jose State University pursuing a Public Relations degree. In the summer of 2008 she finally decided to start her own business, doing people’s makeup. She had already done a few weddings in the past couple of years, including her own. So she started a website, made fliers, and printed up business cards.  It started out slow but as the months flew by and word of mouth started to get her business going she was building her clientele.

She eventually had to buy a space to set up her salon, and since then her business has started to boom. But it is not only because she does such a beautiful job on her client’s makeup, she has this captivating personality. You cannot help but like her.

When you walk into her salon she will greet you and bring you over to a huge station. This is where she keeps all of her makeup and brushes. There is every kind of makeup from MAC to Dior. She lets the client tell her what kind of event she is going to or if it is just a new look that the client is looking for. She will then ask you the colors of your outfit, once she knows she will start picking out the makeup that she thinks will compliment the client and also make her outfit complete. As she puts on the makeup she explains every step to the client.

Sarah Grimm has it all, the charm, and the level of customer service that is expected from a well-respected salon, and it is at an affordable rate. If you need a new look or just have a special event make you way over to Vos Yeux Salon. You will not be disappointed in the services that are provided.

 

Online Writing Exercise

Fox News

a) Do the news items reflect immediacy? yes
b) Does the site try to help readers save time? yes 
c) Is it quick and easy to get information? yes
d) Does it provide both visual and verbal information? yes
e) Do the stories contain lists and bullets to make them easier to scan? yes
f) Are the stories broken into “chunks”? yes
g) Do stories provide hyperlinks to additional information? yes 
h) Are there opportunities for readers to "talk back"? yes
i) Does the site use multimedia to enhance understanding and add appeal? yes

Alternative Broadcast Project-Radio-Revised

ANCHOR:A FIRE IN SAN JOSE LEFT A MAN IN GRAVE CONDITION. LUKE BILLINGS IS LIVE AT THE SCENE AND JOINS US WITH THE LATEST UPDATE.

BILLINGS: THANK YOU SARAH, IT IS A SAD SCENE HERE TODAY AT ROBERT KENTS HOME. A FIRE STARTED IN THE KITCHEN AND QUICKLY SPREAD TO THE ATTIC, LEAVING KENT WITH SECOND AND THIRD DEGREE BURNS ALL OVER HIS BODY. THE FIREFIGHTERS WHO RESCUED HIM, UNCONSCIOUS,  SENT HIM TO VALLEY MEDICAL HOSPITAL.   THERE IS STILL BLACK SMOKE ENCOMPASSING THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD, NO OTHER PERSON OR HOME WAS EFFECTED BY THE FIRE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WILL BE PUT UNDER INVESTIGATION. REPORTING LIVE IN SAN JOSE, LUKE BILLINGS, NEWS RADIO 820 AASP.

Topical Blog Post #2-Revised

Protestors circled the SJSU campus on trying to make their voices heard in the matter of the budget cuts.

In the Spartan Daily there was an article on the budget cuts that are happening to all CSU’s. “Protesters take stand on budget cuts that leave CSU with nothing left on its plate”.Although I do agree that there has been a noticeable decrease in the amount of sections and different time periods for the classes I believe that there is still enough money to keep running a school. We have not been left with nothing on our plates! It is still hard to get classes but our state has a lot of debt and if cutting the school budgets is being cut then the students and administration should learn to work with it. A school is supposed to teach us how to deal with real life well this is real life. Budgets will be cut, programs will be cut, and people will be fired. It is not fair but that is the world. The economy is not at its peak and because of that there will be certain fields that suffer, in reality all fields will suffer because of the economy. Again it would not be fair if the schools were the only institution that was not affected. I believe that the budget cuts will show the CSU’s who really wants to graduate and which students really want to do well in the system

Find that Lead-Revised

Spartan Daily-"Health and Wellness event ask students to consider a better breakfast than cereal" As students walked near the barbecue area on Paseo de Cesar Chavez on Wednesday morning, life-size walking mascots of a carrot, a bannana and a carton of milk asked them, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

This article started out with a Scene-Setter lead

Spartan Daily-"SJSU students' food and dance show some Pacific Island pride"

In one week's worth of participation in the Pride of the Pacific Islands club, one can learn the hula, the haka and how to make origami. This article started out with a roundup lead.

Personal Meditations #4

Black Friday, Crowds, Pushing, Shoving; all of these words can be used to describe Holiday Shopping. I have never personally been shopping on Black Friday, yet, this year my family like countless others are strapped for cash. Therefore, I braved the crowds this year, it was insane. I am the person that would rather do my shopping earlier than deal with the crowds. I saw women fighting over a t-shirt they both wanted (on clearance), people were waiting in line not to pay but to just get into a store! It is amazing to me that the Christmas spirit is more about gifts in todays society that spending a day with loved ones. I miss the simplicity of making a gift rather than buying one, and the recipient being overjoyed with the gift. I think that our country needs to go back to simplicity in every aspect of our culture. Spend time with our family, bake with your mom, play football with the guys, just enjoy what has already been given to you.

Personal Meditations #3

Walking down the aisle on the arm of my father I  saw him looking at me and I started to cry. I loved him so much. Now I was going to proclaim that love for him in front of two hundred people. At that moment I understood the predestination of God. Everything that had happened in the last year had lead to this moment. The moment were I became a wife. I believe I was crying because I knew if one thing had been changed in that past year then I wouldn't be there. I believed that the man I married was different from the other men that I had met before. Yet, there were many complications. We came from completely different families, had completely different beliefs and world views. Yet, we both changed for each other and today even though we still have to work through some issues we are happier than we ever were. If you love someone do not give them up. Fight for what you love because if that person makes you happy then that should be enough. The good times should carry you through the hard times. Have faith in love.

Personal Meditations-Revised

Driving down the highway on a clear sunny day I was not paying attention when I noticed a tire in the road. I swerved onto the shoulder and started to lose control on the loose gravel. I swerved back into the four lanes of traffic almost being hit head on by an 18-wheeler truck. The next thing I knew I was in the air looking at the ground underneath my car. When the dust settled from the crash I realized that I was upside down with my ponytail stuck underneath my car. The sunroof had been open. Men froma construction site came and lifted the car off of me. I had a 6 inch gash in my head that went down to the bone. I should have died several ways in that crash. As a little girl I only lost one person I loved, my great-grandmother, and yet I never realized how short life was. As I enter into my mid-twenties I see death and sickness all around me. Parents have cancer, heart attack, seizures and yet the sickness and death do not stop at the old. Their are children with bone cancer and leukemia. I was in two nearly fatal car accidents within a year of each other between the age of 17 and 18. It is amazing to think of how many things I have done in my life that God has saved me from. I always thought that life was such a happy wonderful thing to live, how niave youth is. Now that I am older I realize that life has happy moments and a person needs to cherish those moments in the times of sadness. Because those happy moments and God are the only thing that will get you through the sadness of this world. The brevity of life is something to wonder at.

Ethical Decision Making

Scenario 1:
I would not read them or take them. I would ask her about the papers. I think it is unethical to look at somethin that is not yours. I do understand why a reporter would need to read them but I still believe it is unethical.
Scenario 2:
Yes I would.
I would do it because it is not right that people pay a business ownerto take care of the people they love and then turn around and mistreat the patients. I as a citizen would be outraged.
Scenario 3:
I would credit the written source. I would make sure the website was credible if it was I would credit the website.

Focus Story

The boy walked onto the field with butterflies of excitement, he loved the game. The rush of being on the field and the feeling he got when he made that big tackle.

Pete Stenhoff, 17, was that boy. Until the thrill of ramming his head into the ball carriers chest cracked his vertebrae in his spine. He is now confined to a wheelchair for life. He weighed 210 pounds; now he weighs 172 pounds. He didn’t graduate with his class but he is trying to get his diploma through correspondence courses.

This is not an uncommon injury. There are 20,000 injuries in high school football each year, 12 percent of them permanently disable the victims. Thirteen youths died last year. Thirty-five percent of the injuries are to the neck or head. Most critics blame the helmet.

“I knew the risks involved when I decided to play football,” Stenhoff adds, “I just wish I would have known just how bad it could be.”

Find That Lead

Spartan Daily-"Award-winning playwright speaks to theater students" 

This article started out with a Basic news lead- A summary lead-

Spartan Daily-"SJSU students' food and dance show some Pacific Island pride"

This article started out with a roundup lead.

Topical Blog Post #2

In the Spartan Daily on Thursday there was an article on the budget cuts that are happening to all CSU’s. “Protesters take stand on budget cuts that leave CSU with nothing left on its plate”.

Although I do agree that there has been a noticeable decrease in the amount of sections and different time periods for the classes I believe that there is still enough money to keep running a school. We have not been left with nothing on our plates! It is still hard to get classes but our state has a lot of debt and if cutting the school budgets is being cut then the students and administration should learn to work with it. A school is supposed to teach us how to deal with real life well this is real life. Budgets will be cut, programs will be cut, and people will be fired. It is not fair but that is the world. The economy is not at its peak and because of that there will be certain fields that suffer, in reality all fields will suffer because of the economy. Again it would not be fair if the schools were the only institution that was not affected. I believe that the budget cuts will show the CSU’s who really wants to graduate and which students really want to do well in the system

Broadcast Style Exercise-Revised

We all like a Cinderella story, we thought we had that story this Sunday at the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. A non-elite runner ran the fastest time and thought she had won the race.

Arien O’Connell, knew it was her race when she started that morning, but she did not list herself as an elite runner. Because of this the officials dismissed her case and gave her winning title to an elite runner. 

Dan Hirsch said, if you’re feeling like you’re going to be a leader, you should be in the elite package. According to O’Connell she feels as if the association is saying it is her fault because she was being modest. Because the association had already declared the winner, O’Connell will not be our Cinderella.

Personal Meditations

As a little girl I only lost one person I loved, my great-grandmother, and yet I never realized how short life was. As I enter into my mid-twenties I see death and sickness all around me. Parents have cancer, heart attack, seizures and yet the sickness and death do not stop at the old. Their are children with bone cancer and leukemia. I was in two nearly fatal car accidents within a year of each other. It is amazing to think of how many things I have done in my life that God has saved me from. I always thought that life was such a happy wonderful thing to live, how niave youth is. Now that I am older I realize that life has happy moments and a person needs to cherish those moments in the times of sadness. Because those happy moments and God are the only thing that will get you through the sadness of this world. The brevity of life is something to wonder at.

InStyle

InStyle is a magazine that focuses on the styes that are "right now." The magazine focuses on high fashion that can be brought to normal women. They tell their target audience, women 18-35, how to achieve the hairstyles that the stars are wearing, and how to dress like the stars. They give tips on buying certain products, they will show you how to achieve a look with clothing that looks similar but is not a designer brand. The magazine writers treat their readers like friends, they write as if they are talking to you. It is a very personal writing style. Also, they give tips referencing experts so that you as the reader know that their sources are credible. The magazine is targeted at older women but it also reaches the younger crowds who keep up to date with all of the latest trends. This magazine keeps the trends going by giving tips on how to get the look for a lesser price tag.

http://www.instyle.com/instyle/

Got what it takes to be a reporter?

I got a 23.

I thought this was really interesting, because although all my answers were answered truthfully I do not believe that it reflected me at all. I do not want to be a journalist, first because that is not who I am and secondly because I do not think I would be very good at it. So I really do no think that this was a very good evaluation of myself and journalism.

Election Day

This was my second time voting for a presidential candidate. I voted in Morgan Hill in a church. I voted on election day, I was supposed to vote by mail but the forms were never sent to me so I had to go to a polling place. The last source I went to was a local news channel but it is usually Fox news. I believe that the news coverage of the election is about right, it is overdone, and everyone is saying the exact same thing as everyone does every four years. The election news source that worked best for me was Fox News it is the most conservative news outlet in my opinion. 

Alternative Broadcast Project-Radio

Alternative Broadcast Project-Radio

Anchor:Tragedy hit today as a fire in San Jose left a man in grave condition. Luke Billings is live at the scene and joins us with the latest update.

Billings:Thank you Sarah, it is a tragic scene her today at Robert Kents home. A fire started in the kitchen and quickly spread to the attic, leaving Kent with Second and Third degree burns all over his body. The Firefighters rescued him, unconscious, where he was sent to Valley Medical Hospital. 

There is still black smoke encompassing the entire neighborhood, thankfully no other home or person was effected by the fire. The cause of the fire will be put under investigation. 

reporting live in San Jose, Luke Billings, News radio 820 AASP.

Alternative Broadcast Project-Radio

News Story #4-The Car Jacker-Revised

San Mateo-A man tried to steal a car with a new bride still in it.

Saturday night a 21-year-old man, Alan Ticas-Soto, tried to steal a car with a woman still in the passenger seat. According to Sheryl Wilcott a deputy district attorney , the woman and her new husband, whose names were not released,had stopped for a late-night snack at the Taco bell on East Fourth Avenue on their way to their hotel. The groom was still in his Tuxedo and the bride was still in her wedding dress.

The groom had got out of his car a 2003 Nissan Altima, and left the engine running, he did not even get inside the restaurant before Ticas-Soto ran through the parking lot and leaped into the idling car. He had a hard time getting the car into reverse as he fiddled with the gear shift getting the car into the right gear. The police speculate that he was distracted with the frantic screams of the 22-year old bride,who was trying to unbuckle her seat belt and get out.

As soon as the groom realized what was happening he ran to his wife helpingher out of the car. She finally tumbled out, landing in the parking lot. Neither of them were hurt but they were shaken up.

Ticas-Soto proceeded to put the car into a forward gear and promptly smash into a Taco Bell sign. He then leaped out of the car and ran away. Witnesses called the police. Patrolling nearby, police noticed a man matching the suspect's description. He was running southbound on South Delaware Street at Ninth Avenue. Boyle called it in and patrol cars converged on the scene. They caught Ticas-Soto and arrested him without incident. He told police that he'd been taking methamphetamines for three straight days.

Ticas-Soto is now facing felony carjacking charges and misdemeanor drug charges. He is being held in San Mateo County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 bail. No attorney has yet been assigned to his case. Ticas-Soto does not have a criminal record, and he pleaded not guilty in San Mateo Court on Monday. If he is found guilty, Ticas-Soto could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking.

Runaway Truck-Revised

El Cerrito- A runaway asphalt truck left a path of destruction and a power outage in its wake in El Cerrito yesterday afternoon.

The 10-wheeler snapped a power pole and badly damaged five vehicles on Moeser Lane before smashing into a house, which subsequently caught on fire. Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples, was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene. He heard cries coming from the burning truck and house, and he started digging through the debris. He spotted the driver lodged between the wheels of the truck, which had flipped on its side. The driver was not able to move because his legs were mangled in the wreckage. Maples, Police Chief Scott Kirkland and Detective Ken Zinc, were able to pull him to safety. Maples said, "We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there."

A neighbor, Ruben Sharma, was about to head back to work, and came out to his front yard littered with bricks, broken glass  car parts, splintered wood and palm fronds. He said, "I thought it was a major earthquake."

One of the cars that was hit was a Honda sedan that was hit by the truck was so crumpled that the driver was trapped inside. Rescue workers sliced into the car, finding that the driver broke both of his legs. He was listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

Profile-Revised

Anne Bernal went to her optometrist because she thought she needed glasses, she came away from that appointment having been told that she had a brain tumor. She had had extremely bad headaches for over six years."I just thought that they had to do with my menstruation period, I never had time to closer investigate them." Then, last April she started noticing that she was having a hard time focusing when she read. So she went to her local Costco to get her eyes checked. The optometrist on duty after doing simple tests told her that something was very wrong with her. She explained further that Anne did not have any peripheral vision. This could only mean two things: one she was having an aneurism at that very moment, or she had a brain tumor. She immediately went to her primary doctor. Within two weeks of finding out about the cancer, she had to have brain surgery. "It was so hard for my family and I, we had to rethink everything that was normal, my kids are so young, I was so scared for them."  Her family and friends did not even have time to get used to the thought of losing their wife, mom, and friend. The only thing they could do was pray for the best and start taking over her every day tasks. The surgery took place on a Tuesday and she was home from the hospital on Saturday. It was a miracle she was going to have a long recovery but she was going to be fine. Sadly, it was to good to be true, on Sunday evening she had a level 10 headache and was rushed back to the hospital by ambulance.

For the next week Anne was hanging on to her life by a string.  The part of the tumor that was left in her brain was bleeding.  She went into a comatose state because of the degree of pain that she was in. The doctors did not want to go back into her brain fearing what the complications would do to her. Yet, after a week of her almost dying multiple times they rushed her into emergency brain surgery on Friday afternoon.

She was in the ICU for over a month after her surgery. She finally was able to come home to her family but she would never be the same. Because of the second surgery she also had to have three surgeries after that due to the complications. A stint was put in her brain to her abdomen to drain the fluids in her brain; this caused syatica in her left leg, which she now lives with every day.  She then had to have radio surgery to eliminate the last bit of the tumor that they could not get in the operation. Thirdly, she had to have a staple that was in her head removed because it was hurting her.

It has been almost a year and a half since her last surgery. Her face was paralyzed from the second surgery. The tumor was on the left side of her brain, which means that only the right side of her face should be paralyzed, instead her entire face is still paralyzed. Although, some movement has come back she will never smile like she used to. "My husband tells me I still have a beautiful smile, but I disagree."  Her pictures before her surgery show her surrounded bya beautiful family, with a radiant smile. Now, when she smiles her neck looks as if it is straining, her mouth does not turn up anymore, it only forms a straight part in her mouth. She does not like pictures taken of her even though her family and friends insist that she looks great. 

After she was home for a couple of months she started having seizures on a weekly basis.  She also has daily headaches that are nothing like we can imagine, and the medication that she is given makes her feel worse than before and it does not help the pain. Lastly, she is going blind. The tumor was on her optical nerve. She will never drive and she even has to hold on to someone when walking because she still does not have any peripheral vision and she does not want to run into anything. "Sometimes I feel like a child, I am constantly being told I can't do things, that I need to take a nap, and then I have to be lead around like a baby."

You would think that this woman leads a bitter life and yet if you talk to this woman she is just happy that God gave her a few more years to be with her family. "I know I complain sometimes, but I thank God every day that I was able to see my daughter get married, that I can still watch my two sons play football and baseball, and that I can still be there for all those tough adolescent times a young teenage girl will go through, and most importantly I am thankful that I still have time with my husband who is a constant loving support to me." 

The Taste of Morgan Hill-Revised

It was an early Saturday afternoon in Morgan Hill, the sun already beating down onto the asphalt streets. People were milling around some looking relaxed, some with content expressions on their faces, others just looked liked they were having fun with their friends. It was the Taste of Morgan Hill. It has taken place in the streets of downtown Morgan Hill for over 30 years now.  This event is for the vendors, citizens, and outsiders of Morgan Hill. Nina Grimm commented that "It is a fun relaxing time to run into people that you have not seen in a while, and also look at what all of the stores have to offer." The vendors stretch out under the old downtown of Morgan Hill under the shade of the old trees that line the midsection and sidewalks of downtown. A young family walks by the vendors stopping occasionally to see what odds and ends interest them. Their is something for everyone, a jump house for young kids, clothing for the women and cars for the men.

Herb Billings has lived in Morgan Hill for twelve years and has been coming to the Taste of MOrgan Hill for all twelve of those years. He always bring his 1969 GMC/Chevy Cadillac. It is a baby blue color and it is as long as two Honda Civics put together. Billings commented that he, "Loves to come here every year and look at all the other cars in the festival and talk to the other men who enjoy the mechanics of how the mechanics work." This festival brings people together that have an admiration for something old and beautiful.

It is also said that the Taste of Morgan Hill is god for the community. Emily Bailon noted "It allows vendors to advertise, it gets our name out into the Bay Area, it is also a fun and relaxing time for families to get out, and also just something different to do for the weekend." The festival allows certain products that are only produced in Morgan Hill. Their is a certain rock only found in Morgan Hill, it is called the Poppy jasper rock, it a reddish color with orange, yellow, and black streaks running through it. Their is a brewery, El Toro named after the Mountain in Morgan Hill, that has named their beer after that and therefore you can only find Poppy Jasper in Morgan Hill. 

James Grimm said "This festival is a way for organizations to reach out to the community, the citizens are able to be more involved in their community, and the community can grow closer."

Broadcast Style Exercise

Sunday, Arien O’Connell, ran the fastest time in the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco… but she didn’t win.S

O’ Connell knew it was her race when she started that morning, but she did not list herself as an elite runner. Because of this the officials dismissed her case and gave her winning title to an elite runner. Dan Hirsch said, if you’re feeling like you’re going to be a leader, you should be in the elite package. According to O’Connell she feels as if the association is saying it is her fault because she was being modest. Because the association had already declared the winner, O’Connell will not be our Cinderella.

BROADCAST STYLE EXERCISE

NORTHWEST AIRLINES ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT IT IS CUTTING ITS DOMESTIC FARES BY UP TO 40 PERCENT FOR HOLIDAY TRAVELLERS.

 FRANK DEWITT, CEO OF NORTHWEST AIRLINES SAID, WE LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS A HOLIDAY GIFT TO OUR CUSTOMERS.

 TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BY FRIDAY FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN NOVEMBER 12 AND JANUARY 14 IN THE LOWER 48 STATES, ALASKA AND CANADA.

 DISCOUNTS VARY DEPENDING ON TRAVEL DATES AND ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON CERTAIN POPULAR DAYS, INCLUDDING NOVEMBER 23, NOVEMBER 26, DECEMBER 23 AND December 26.

 WITH THE DISCOUNTED, NON-REFUNDABLE FAIRES, A PASSENGER COULD TRAVEL ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN BOSTON AND SAN FRANCISCO FOR 500 DOLLARS ON CERTAIN DAYS.

News Writing Project #2

The Taste of Morgan Hill was last weekend. It has taken place in the streets of downtown Morgan Hill for over 30 years now.  It is an event for the vendors of the town to show the inhabitants of Morgan Hill and other people who show up to the festival what they are all about.  The main drag of Morgan Hill is Monterey Road. The street form Main Street to Dunne Ave is lined up and down with all of the vendors. It is a fun time to see what is going on with the local stores and also many of the vendors have sales around this time of year.  The vendors are also able to make personal contact with people, which make customers trust the vendor and commit to buying products from that vendor.

There is also a section of the street that is dedicated to all of the families of Morgan Hill who own older cars. Here they get to show them off for admiration, or they can also try and sell them and put them up for sale at the festival.  The scene at the festival was one of excited people, who were there to have fun and see their friends. There was an alcohol station that featured beer that was made in Morgan Hill. It is called Poppy Jasper.  It is brewed in Morgan Hill at a local brewery called El Toro.  They gave out glasses that had a Morgan Hill logo on the back of it.

This is a good festival for Morgan Hill because it is such a small town and although it has been around for a long time it is not very well known. This festival is a way for the town to put their best foot forward and also to get their name out more publicly in throughout the Silicon Valley. It was broadcasted over the radio, in the newspaper and then there was a review about it in the Morgan Hill Times. 

Ap Style Exercise S-Z

1) When he heard the building plan for the new high school had been rejected, Bill pulled out his stationery to write a letter of protest. (2)

2) Ben really knows his Scriptures, but he knows little about the Talmud or the Shariah. (3)

3) Her home in upstate New York is surprisingly ultramodern and unique for its middle-class neighborhood. (4)

4) To celebrate Veterans Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troopes of former soldiers will march down Main street carrying U.S. flags. (3)

5) Word-of-mouth has it that Ellen will wind up with the only “A” in the class. (2)

6) When Sara spotted the Louis L’Amour paperback, she asked whose book it was. She couldn’t believe it was John's; after all, nobody reads Westerns anymore. She had no idea he was such a weirdo. (3)

BONUS:

• The man was arrested for brandishing a 12-gauge shotgun outside his home. (1)

Ap Style Exercise S-Z

1) When he heard the building plan for the new high school had been rejected, Bill pulled out his stationery to write a letter of protest. (2)

2) Ben really knows his Scriptures, but he knows little about the Talmud or the Shariah. (3)

3) Her home in upstate New York is surprisingly ultramodern and unique for its middle-class neighborhood. (4)

4) To celebrate Veterans Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troopes of former soldiers will march down Main street carrying U.S. flags. (3)

5) Word-of-mouth has it that Ellen will wind up with the only “A” in the class. (2)

6) When Sara spotted the Louis L’Amour paperback, she asked whose book it was. She couldn’t believe it was John's; after all, nobody reads Westerns anymore. She had no idea he was such a weirdo. (3)

BONUS:

• The man was arrested for brandishing a 12-gauge shotgun outside his home. (1)

EXERCISE #2: Reporting with Numbers

Please refer to the “Math for Journalists” section in Inside Reporting (Ch. 4, p. 84-85) for the information you will need to complete these exercises. You’ll need to review the segments on calculating percentages and figuring the mean and median (p. 84), as well as the “idea file” bullet points (p. 85) on how to present numbers.

 

1) A local college releases figures showing that its total budget is $120 million. Of that total, $80 million comes from the state, $6 million from student tuition, and the remaining $34 million from fees, grants and gifts. 

 

* Figure the percentage of the college’s budget that comes from each source.

-The state was 33% of the budget

-The Student tuition was 9.5% of the budget

The Fees,grants, and gifts was 71% of the budget

* Identify the significance of each funding source (the most vs. the least, etc.).

* Using plain words, instead of numbers, explain the proportion of funding that comes from different sources. Say it in the way you think would make it most easily understood.

- The local college released figures showing that it’s total budget was 33% from the state, 9.5% from the student tuition, and fees, grants, and gifts comprised the rest of the 71%.

 

2) Your editor assigns you to do a story about prison sentences handed down in cases of aggravated assault. He gives you the following figures from an anti-crime group that is lobbying for tougher sentencing guidelines. The cases represent the people convicted for aggravated assault in San Jose in one month in 2006.

 

* Calculate the average prison term for people convicted of aggravated assault, taking care to convert some of the terms to figures that will compare properly (months vs. years).

-18 months

* Calculate the media prison term for people convicted of aggravated assault.

-1 yer

* Explain why the average or median figure is the most accurate description of prison terms.

- Because everyone has close to or the same term except for one, so the average is bale to show people that the average person is going to get about 18 months in prison.

 

Name        Sentence

Donald Lee    1 year prison, 2 years probation

Richard Smith    1 year prison, 1 year probation

Wesley Mitchell    14 months prison, 1 year probation

Mary Jones    1 year prison, 1 year probation

Juan Rodriguez    1 year prison, 2 years probation

Harold Rothstein    8 months prison, 1 year probation

Michael Reese    7 years prison, 5 years probation

 

3) The state legislature is considering exempting restaurant food sales from the sales tax in the same way grocery sales are exempt.

 

* First, find out the state sales tax.

-.0825

* Then determine and explain how much fast-food patrons who pay $5 per meal would save in a year if they eat out once a week.

-$9.90

* Explain how much people would save if they spend $20 per meal once a week for a year.

-$39.60

AP Style Exercise M-R

1. He hopes to make 1 billion dollars by the time he's 40. Already he figures his net worth is between $2 million and $3 million, depending on current stock prices.

2. Lt. Col. John Carpenter was a Cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet.

3. Twenty-one winners were named two days after the third annual procrastination awards ceremony.

4. It was a one-sided game, and he was a poor loser. After losing the play off when his ball went out of bounds, he made an off-color remark that could be heard in the stands.

5. Hundreds of people attended Sunday's race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line.

6. Every winter, the Joneses and the Kinneys pore over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they're hoping to go to Panama City, Fla.

Top News #6-Space Invaders: Brazilian Villagers Launch Protests of Rocket Base

A Brazilian tribe is being disturbed by scientists who want to build a rocket base near their village. According to The Wall Street Journal they are a 200 year old tribe that has lived among the stone ruins of the plantations, farmed communally, played drums, and revered spirits in the wilderness. 

The impact of this story does not seem very great for the front page, and yet the bizarreness of the article is definitely there. The news story does have conflict because the tribe did not want the scientists to build their station there. This story is current although it is not in our country it does effect us. It was our scientists that wanted to build that launch which would have furthered technology and research. Therefore that it is why this article has an impact on our lives. Even if it does not directly effect us.

Profile

Imagine going to the doctor one day because you thought you needed glasses, and being told that you have a brain tumor. This is what happened last year to 44-year-old Anne Bernal.  She had extremely bad headaches for over six years. She always dismissed them as menstrual headaches, because she only noticed them around that time.  Last April she was noticing that she was having a hard time focusing when she read. So she went to her local Costco to get her eyes checked. The optometrist on duty after doing simple tests told her that something was very wrong with her. She explained further that Anne did not have any peripheral vision. This could only mean two things: one she was having an aneurism at that very moment, or she had a brain tumor. She immediately went to her primary doctor. Within two weeks of finding out about the cancer, she had brain surgery.  Her family and friends did not even have time to get used to the thought of losing their wife, mom, and friend. The only thing they could do was pray for the best and start taking over her every day tasks. The surgery took place on a Tuesday and she was home from the hospital on Saturday. It was a miracle she was going to have a long recovery but she was going to be fine. It was to good to be true, on Sunday evening she had a very bad headache and was rushed back to the hospital by ambulance.

For the next week Anne was hanging on to her life by a string.  The part of the tumor that was left in her brain was bleeding.  She went into a comatose state because of the degree of pain that she was in. The doctors did not want to go back into her brain fearing what the complications would do to her. Yet, after a week of her almost dying multiple times they rushed her into emergency brain surgery on Friday afternoon.

She was in the ICU for over a month after her surgery. She finally was able to come home to her family but she would never be the same. Because of the second surgery she also had to have three surgeries after that due to the complications. A stint was put in her brain to her abdomen to drain the fluids in her brain; this caused syatica in her left leg, which she now lives with every day. She then had to have radio surgery to eliminate the last bit of the tumor that they could not get in the operation. Thirdly, she had to have a staple that was in her head removed because it was hurting her.

It has been almost a year and a half since her last surgery. Her face was paralyzed from the second surgery. The tumor was on the left side of her brain, which means that only the right side of her face should be paralyzed, instead her entire face is still paralyzed. Although, some movement has come back she will never smile like she used to.  After she was home for a couple of months she started having seizures on a weekly basis.  She also has daily headaches that are nothing like we can imagine, and the medication that she is given makes her feel worse than before and it does not help the pain. Lastly, she is going blind. The tumor was on her optical nerve. She will never drive and she even has to hold on to someone when walking because she still does not have any peripheral vision and she does not want to run into anything.

You would think that this woman leads a miserable life and yet if you talk to this woman she is just happy that God gave her a few more years to be with her family.  When I asked her if she was bitter she told me that she was able to attend her daughters wedding. She never complains and she always has a smile on her face. Anne Bernal is an inspiration to the every day person.

Top News #5-Wells Fargo Eyes Wachovia; Crisis Hits European Banks

In the wake of so many banks going under and others being bought by other bigger banks. Wachovia bank has been catapulted into one of the top banks in the U.S. banking industry.  They were talking to several banks about selling itself to Wells Fargo. The Wall Street Journal on Monday had this story as their top story. 

The impact of this story is great because the national economic issues are so scary and banks being sold and going under is scary to the American people. The timeliness is appropriate because it happened over the weekend. The prominence of these banks is crucial, as already stated Wachovia was a top bank in the banking industry. The proximity of the story has to do with anyone who is involved with either Wachovia or Wells Fargo. There is conflict because the fact that huge banking corporations are being bought out is scary to people. This is also a current issue. We as the american people are worried about the economic issues in our society and this is definetly one of them.

Top News #5-Wells Fargo Eyes Wachovia; Crisis Hits European Banks

Top News #5-Wells Fargo Eyes Wachovia; Crisis Hits European Banks

Runaway Truck

El Cerrito- The Scene was chaotic at Moeser lane last night, as a big 10-wheel hauler, overturned and smashed against someone's home. It was an asphalt truck which left a power of destruction in its wake: a snapped power pole and five badly damaged vehicles. The accident also knocked out power to El Cerrito, Berkeley and Richmond, and caused a fire on Moeser Lane. 

Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples, was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene. He heard cries coming from the burning truck and house, and he started digging through the debris. He spotted the driver lodged between the wheels of the truck, which had flipped on its side. The drivers legs were mangled and he could not move. Maples, Police Chief Scott Kirkland and Detective Ken Zinc, were able to pull him to safety. Maples said, We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there."

A neighbor, Ruben Sharma, was about to head back to work around 1:30 when the crash occurred. He said, " First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable." His front yard is littered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, splintered wood and palm fronds.

Another incident that occurred was a Honda sedan that was hit by the truck was so crumpled that the driver was trapped inside. Rescue workers sliced into the car, peeling back the roof to free the trapped driver. The driver broke both of his legs. He is listed in serious but stable condition at john Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

A couple other people were involved but no serious injuries were reported.

Redefining the News: Everyblock

EveryBlock news is very interesting to me. It seems like it is really fun and interactive. You as the reader don't just go to a news site and see all of the headlines. For a visual person this is a really good way to have them remember what they read, because they can associate the pictures of the block with the story that they read. I like this idea because i am a very visual person give me a picture with a story and I will remember that much more than a headline and a long story.

AP Style Exercise I-L

1) There's been no letup all day. After class, I plan to soak in my Jacuzzi and then lie down for a short nap.

2)They called the late Sen. Fred Fried a left-winger because he voted against the Patriot Act.

3)As they unfurled her white sails, the sailboat caught the breeze and began to slice steadily through the waves. Their dream cruise of the Pacific Islands had begun.

4)After two days of hard rain and rising waters, the river flooded its bank,leaving the road partly impassable.

Top News #4-Financial Crisis Upends Campaign

This is the headline of  Wall Street Journal's top story on Thursday. Republican Senator John McCain suspended his campaign to help tackle a $700 billion bailout proposal. The senator wanted to postpone the presidential debate on Friday night. At first Obama said he would not because a president could not just focus on one thing at a time. If they were running for the presidency they had to be able to deal with the bailout proposal and also deal with their debate. This is important because this article deals with many issues and yet every issue would impact our entire nation. Even if someone does not care about the presidential debates or the fact that our country is in financial trouble each issue will affect every single american in one way or another. The timeliness is important because these are the top issues of the entire nation so the fact that it is happening right now means that we need to pay attention to this article. These are the two most prominent people in the nation right now. They are common names in the american home. Although neither of these men are in close proximity to me it is still important because everything they do matters to everyone in our nation. The conflict of this story is that these men are opponents and they want to beat each other. This news story is dealing with issues that are hapenning at this moment and a debate that will take place tomorrow evening. Therefore these issues are very current and very important to our daily life.

News Story #4-The Car Jacker

San Mateo- Newlyweds were hijacked on their wedding night.

Saturday night a 21-year-old man, Alan Ticas-Soto, tried to steal a car with a woman still in the passenger seat. Sheryl Wilcott a deputy district attorney gave some of the details of the crime.The woman and her new husband, whose names were not released,were wanting a late night snack. They stopped at the Taco Bell on East Fourth Avenue, on their way to the Embassy Suites, the hotel they were planning to spend their wedding night. The groom was still in his Tuxedo and his new wife was still in her wedding dress.

The groom had got out of his car a 2003 Nissan Altima, and left the engine running, he did not even get inside the restaurant before Ticas-Soto ran through the parking lot and leaped into the idling car. He had a hard time getting the car into reverse and then had to fiddle with the gear shift getting the car into the right gear. The police speculate that he had difficulty because he was distracted with the frantic screams of the 22-year old bride who was still in the passenger seat, trying to unbuckle her seat belt and get away from him.

As soon as the groom realized what was happening he ran to the passenger side of the car, trying to help his wife out of the car. She finally tumbled out, landing in the parking lot. Neither of them were hurt but they were shaken up.

Ticas-Soto proceeded to put the car into a forward gear and promptly smash into a Taco Bell sigh, according to the police. He then leaped out of the car and ran away. In the meantime, witnesses called the police. Patrolling nearby, police officer Brendon Boyle noticed a man matching the suspect's description. The suspect was running southbound on South Delaware Street at Ninth Avenue. Boyle called it in and patrol cars converged on the scene. They caught Ticas-Soto and arrested him without incident. Police say he told them that he'd been taking methamphetamines for three straight days.

Ticas-Soto is now facing felony carjacking charges and misdemeanor drug charges. He is being held in San Mateo County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 bail. No attorney has yet been assigned to his case by the county private defender program. Ticas-Soto does not have a criminal record, and he pleaded not guilty in San Mateo Court on Monday. If he is found guilty, Ticas-Soto could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking.

News story #3-Gas LIne Break

San Francisco-A private construction crew severed a two-inch underground gas pipe with a backhoe. 

Four blocks were shut down in the South of Market area yesterday a little before 12:30 p.m. Traffic was at a standstill,  and people were standing around the edges of the area. At least 100 people were forced to leave the area including neighborhood residents, dozens of business owners and their customers.

Carlann Lauria, manager of Crocker's Lockers, a self-storage company on Folsom near 10th Street, said, "Ask my customers. They were pretty irate."

Samantha Feldman another manager said that the restaurant, Wa-Ha-Ka, lost about $500 worth of business in the shutdown. The ruptured gas pipe caused business owners in the area to lose money and it was an inconvenience to the residence. 

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. was able to turn the gas back on at 5:09 p.m.

Feature Lead: An Alarming Event

Tulsa, Okla.- Firefighters crash 95 year old woman's birthday party.

The First United Methodist Church women's group threw a Birthday party for 95 year old Mabel McCullough.  They had a carrot cake with 95 candles and with help she blew them all out. Eddi Carlin commented, "There wasn't an inch to spare. By the time we had them all lit, it looked like a torch. The party had just sat down to eat when they saw 24 firefighters standing in the doorway. The smoke from the birthday candles set off a smoke alarm. As a result, five engines and two ladder companies arrived. Fire Chief Lonnie Lamb commented, " In my 23 years on the job, I've seen a lot of things set off a fire alarm, but I don't think I've ever heard of one going off because of a birthday cake." Although the firefighters didn't eat birthday cake they did take a picture with McCollough.

Feature Lead 1: Squirrel

New York-Squirrel met it's fate after playing on a power line.  The squirrel caused an electrical power surge after it climbed onto the Metro-North Commuter Railroad power lines on Monday afternoon. The power surge weakened a bracket which caused a wire from the overhead bracket to dangle down in front of a train passing underneath. This caused the train to tear down all of the lines. 

The loss of power resulted in affecting 47,000 rail commuters, they could not get out of Manhattan. Commuters waited for hours to realize that the trains were not coming. Service was restored by Tuesday afternoon. The squirrel died due to electrocution.

Foreclosure wave-S.J. fights to protect neighborhoods

All throughout the state we are seeing foreclosures and houses that are for sale. The Mercury News wrote about these foreclosures on Thursday 18, 2008. The impact of this article is great because the whole bay area is being affected by the housing market. Even if someones house is not going to be foreclosed on, the cvalue of the house has reduced considerably because of the market. For example, my husband and I want to by a house in the near future but because of the market if we sell our condo then we will lose money. Because of this the timeliness and proximity of this article are crucial. This story effects the entire bay area and it is happening right now. The currency and conflict of this story are also very important, This market is causing conflict because it is so hard to make a decision especially if you need to move. The currency is that everyone is concerned with this problem, even though the housing market always has its ups and downs, it is always scary when it is in a downward turn.

Missing Boy-Revised

Seven year-old boy was found after three years in Brick Township, N.J., after a neighbor called the police after recognizing the childes picture.

Smoking Wheels-Revised

Forty passengers were evacuated at Municipal Airport in La Crosse, Wisconsin, after a landing tower employee spotted smoke near the wheels of a Northwest Airlines Jet.

AP Style Exercise #1 (A-D)

JOUR 61 – AP Style Exercise #1 (A-D)
(contains 15 errors)

Please find and correct the AP style errors in the following sentences. The number in parentheses at the end of each sentence tells you how many errors are in that sentence. Be sure to consult your AP Stylebook for this exercise.

1) The new head of the journalism department, Dr. Deborah Dunwoody, Ph.D., recently bought a house at 6 Riverside Dr. in San Mateo, a lovely city in the San Francisco bay area. (4)

2) “What kind of person would break in to my apartment and rob my brand new thongs?” she asked her friend. (3)

3) The instructor asked her students to read Chapter 6, which began in the late 1920s and continued through the 1930s. (5)

4) Sarah Smith has not let partial blindness or wheelchair confinement stop her from living life to the fullest. In spite of her partial blindness and wheelchair confinement, she volunteers at a local senior center and enjoys going for strolls, she calls them “rolls,” with her friends. (3)

AP Style Exercise #2 (E-H)

JOUR 61 – AP Style Exercise #2 (E-H)
(15 points)

Please identify and correct the AP style errors in the following sentences. Post the corrected sentences on your blog.

1) To insure the accuracy of the news story, Sarah Jones checks with her source. For Jones this is an every day practice, not the exception. (4)
2) As the two boys argued over who should get the last piece of pizza, both seemed equally hungry. Clearly, they had forgotten their earlier decision to forego having seconds. (2)
3) He suspected his neighbor was selling drugs, so he called the FBI. His neighbor however, cried fowl at the accusation. (2)
4) She grew up on the great plains, near Alliance, NE, where the winters are long, harsh and the living is hand to mouth. (3)
5) Her car was sideswiped by a hit and run driver on route 1A this morning. She wasn't really injured, but the impact sent the contents of her purse helter-skelter. (4)

Cathedral Robbery- News Story #2

San Francisco- Tourists were robbed at gunpoint yesterday at Saint Mary's Cathedral.

Sergeant Lawrence Price of the San Francisco police department states that WeiMing Chen, 28, and his wife, Li Lu, 30 were with their  tour group in the morning. They left the group around 10 a.m. to take pictures at the cathedral's lower parking lot. 

The victims said that a man approached them wearing a black jacket and cap and he was waiving a pistol around. Chen described his assailant as being 18 years old.

Chen gave the assailant $100, the assailant still demanded more. Chen then gave him Visa card, passports, camera, and airline tickets.

The suspect took off running. San Francisco police are looking for him. 

The tour group was scheduled to leave at 1 p.m. back to Taipei.

Nobody knows if the couple was able to make the flight.

News Story #1-Firefighters

San Jose- Yesterday, Firefighters rescued Robert Kent from his burning home. 

Kent was found on the kitchen floor unconscious. HE was surrounded by flames and the house was engulfed in smoke. 

San Jose fire Captain Rob Piper stated that the fire was reported around 3 p.m. The fire started in the kitchen and spread to the attic in Kent's single story home on Annapolis Way. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Piper described Kent as in his 50's and retired. Kent has second and third degree burns  over fifty percent of his body. A nursing supervisor at Valley Medical Center in San Jose said that Kent was listed in grave condition.

AP Style Exercise A-D

Lead 1 Revised

A couple was awarded $150,000 in damages. Last March, in Butte County they suffered injuries due to a traffic accident.

Another snowstorm is expected to hit the Sierra's today. This is part of a series of snowstorms.

Three firefighters were injured while they were helping evacuate 41 families from a fire at 204 Union Ave. which roared through the six story building.

Top News Story: Palin Lifts McCain's Support

Senator John McCain has chosen Sarah Palin as his running mate for the presidential race. This choice has considerably stirred things up in the political arena.  The Wall Street Journal stated that the choice is "lifting enthusiasm among once-subdued supporters and boosting the ticket's appeal with women" This is a very important news item because we are seeing as a nation what one woman is doing. 

Women are not usually elected to the vice presidency and therefore this is a very bizarre news story. We are able to talk about a woman influence in the top most part of our government. There is a lot of conflict surrounding Sarah Palin  because she allegedly does not have that much experience in Washington, and another issue is that her 17 year old daughter is with child. Although these are major concerns with the American people polls have indicated that support is rising for the duo. The impact of this story is that McCain cold win this  upcoming election. 

Car Accident (Lead 5)

Immediate Identification Lead- James W. Cunning was hit by another driver, Wayne Clay, after he crossed the center line

Delayed Identification Lead-Yesterday, two young men were involved in a car accident which resulted in minor injuries.

Pipe Fitter (Lead 5)

Immediate Identification Lead- Duane La Chance, 55, suffered third-degree burns yesterday, while installing new pipes he accidentally touched a power line carrying 15,000 volts.

Delayed Identification Lead- Yesterday, a pipe fitter suffered third-degree burns.

Missing Boy (Lead 4)

N.J.- 7 year-old boy was found after three years.

Monday evening a neighbor called the police after recognizing the child's picture, which was shown after the movie Adam: The Song Continues. Ellen Lynn Conner, the boy's mother is facing charges of kidnapping and interference with a custody warrant.

Smoking Wheels (Lead 4)

Wisconsin-Yesterday 40 Passengers were evacuated from a Northwest Airlines Jet.

A Landing tower employee spotted smoke near the wheels of Flight 428. The evacuation was at Municipal Airport in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

McCain Vows End to 'Rancor' betting on Maverick Appeal

McCain Vows End to 'Rancor' Betting on Maverick Appeal

This story ran in The Wall Street Journal on Friday Sept. 5th. The article was written about McCains acceptance speech as the Republican candidate. McCain focused his speech on the theme of 'Country First!'  all evening, he spoke about going to Washington not for himself but for the people. 

The impact of this story is great, because people need to know what he believes in, because if McCain is elected to the presidency then whether you are democrat or republican your life will be effected by this man. McCain has high prominence in the news circle because he is running for president, he is sharing prominence with Obama and only Obama, they are the most important news items at the moment. The proximity although far away is important because he is running for president so he effects our entire nation. The Strife in this piece is high because he is competing for a position of high importance and he has to prove his worth to the people of this country. This is the most current and ongoing news story right now because we as a nation will be voting a new man in to be our leader and we as a nation need to know what is current and what the new news is on these men everyday. This story has great relevance to everyone in our country because it is of a national context.

Lead 2

PITTSBURG-U s Air Airplane coming from Chicago crashed yesterday killing all 131 passengers and crew on board. it is the worst air disaster in the United States in the last three years. The crash occured as the plane was beginning to descend, it plummeted into the ground.

Lead 1

1) Last March a couple in Butte County suffered injuries in a traffic accident. Yesterday the two were awarded $150,000 in damages.

2) There is another snowstorm expected to hit the Sierra's today. This storm is part of a series of snowstorms.

3) Police stated that three firefighters were injured while they were helping evacuate 41 families from a fire at 204 Union Ave which roared through the six story building

Journalism 61

Hi,
My name is Sarah I have two more semesters after the current semester is finished before I graduate. My major is Public Relations and I love it. I would really like to further my writing skills through this class and learn how to write for the media.

Mindless Communication

It is amazing to think about your conversations through the day and realize which of them is mindful and which of my conversations are mindless communications. If I look back on a days conversations with people I realize that besides family and my husband all of my communication is pretty much mindless, phatic, or script. I usually appear to be a very sociable person and yet three quarters of my day is devoted to these mindless sorts of communication. Yet, it is normal those people that engage with me do not necessarily know me and therefore neither wants to know about each others personal lives. I believe that mindless communication is necessary though if we did not have it we would not be able to have those “best friends” and closest family members.

Competitive Strategy

Competitive Strategy is “a clear statement of why a customer should choose a company’s products or service over those of competing companies.” (pge310) It is amazing to see all of the competition between products out there today. All of the products promising the same results as the last one. How do we choose the product that we want when they all promise the same things? At this point you can only go on word of mouth, your gut feeling, and trial and error. We are inundated with advertisements all day long and yet what it comes down to is personal preference.

Trait Leadership

I always new that trait leadership existed. That people who had achieved greatness were always looked up too and you wanted to be like them, but I never knew that first, there was a term for this. Secondly, that there was a person that they defined through looks to be a recognized as leaders in the 1930’s to the 1950’s. The book says that this has died down as far as specific looks and yet there is a different kind of icon today. Society and our media says that to be successful you have to be tall, good looking and super model thin. As for a man they as well have to be tall, good looking, and have a very nice toned body. It is a different society that says that to be in any way successful a person needs to be beautiful. Nothing has really changed. In our earlier years “tall, blond, white males from upper-class or upper-middle class families” was the norm, essentially nothing has changed we just have a broader view of what “good looking” is.

Dialogic Democracy

It is interesting to see who far we as a nation have come since the time that the Constitution was first written by our fore fathers. Dialogic Democracy has given birth to many new ideas. I watch the news almost everyday and everyday I am appalled at what I am listening too. Although I agree with collaboration and everyone being passionate about what they believe in it is so hard watch what is happening in our nation. Also if you feel strongly about a situation if you do not devote your entire lifestyle to that cause you will not necessarily make a change. It is a hard decision whether or not you will actually involve yourself in Dialogic Democracy, because it is a life change.

Norms

Norms in the work place are very interesting. They “designate the boundaries of acceptable behavior in the group.” I think this is funny because these kinds of “norms” seem to always be changing in the work place. It seems that every time there is a new employee added to the company things are changing. Any kind of change in the economic environment of the country can also change the “norms” of the company. Yet these norms are still always expected even when things change.

Work/Life Conflicts

I think it is very interesting how the work place today wants to control people’s lives. I as a college student still living at home with my family was working at starbucks; they wanted me to make starbucks my life. It was kind of ridiculous, I was just promoted and I was not yet getting paid for the position. They tried to make me work on a holiday because they would not let me request the day off, then gave the day off to other people who had worked there less than me. It was made very clear to me that Starbucks was more important than my own personal life. I did not agree with the company’s policy so I left. I believe that there should be a strict line drawn between work and life.

Virtual or Real Communication

I believe that all communication is real. Even if we communicate virtually it is still real.. Although when we communicate virtually there is more room for misunderstandings. I have done a lot of group projects and because of too much virtual communication there was some misunderstandings with in the group and things got a little confusing. Therefore although virtual communication is very helpful it can not be the only way of communication there has to be virtual and face-to-face communication for things to work out.

Pervasive Communication Environment

Pervasive Communication Environment is extremely interesting in that it is very different than before. A perfect example of pervasive communication is this class. Anywhere we are that we have internet access we can access this class post a blog and look at everything else that is going on. We can access the class from phones, in a starbucks or at home. It is amazing that we can access information anywhere with a connection even with out the internet we just need to pick up a newspaper or be around a television.

Fragmentation Approach

Fragmentation is very interesting because I believe it is the most realistic of the three approaches. Yet, I also believe it is the best way to have things, If everyone was the same and agreed on everything in the company there would be no new ideas and companies would fail because as humans we are always changing. We want new things new ideas we want to be entertained, if corporations do not keep their customers interests through fragmentation then they will lose us and therefore lose their business. Nothing in our world is clearly defined and therefore, organizations find it hard to define their roles. But that is why so many people still have jobs because our world is always changing and we need corporations with their individuals to keep up with those changes

Domination Metaphor

The domination metaphor is very sad to me. I watched a movie in a marketing class called “The Corporation”. This movie talked about Corporations that used sweatshops that exploited little children. The Corporation Nike breaks down their day in to ten thousandths of a second to increase production. For every shirt these children make they earn .08 cents! The movie talked about using up the resources in this case people. Because as soon as the people realize that they are being mistreated they try and rebel, it usually does not happen though because this is the only income they have and they need corporations like Nike to stay.

Social Power

There are five types of Social Power. 1) Reward Power 2) Coercive Power 3) Referent Power 4) Export Power and 5) Legitimate Power. When I first read the word power I immediately thought the kinds of powers that are reward and coercive power. I never thought of any other of the other powers. I did not realize that they were really involved in the work place. Yet, they are, and now that I know they are involved I see where it applied in the organizations that I have been involved in. It never occurred to me that all of these powers had terms and I never thought of powers as a process in the work place.

Cultural Elements

The Book talks about how an organization shapes how “its members think, act, and behave in particular ways” (128) I find this very interesting I used to work in a very small Sushi restaurant that was privately owned. Inevitably when ever the father and daughter were fighting the whole restaurant was in a bad mood and when they were getting along there was a light air in the whole room. I never realized that what was happening in our restaurant was involved with cultural elements. As a Japanese restaurant we had to use metaphors to describe our foods so that less experienced customers would understand what some words were. We performed rituals everyday in that we had to perform certain tasks to make everything run smoothly. As for storytelling there was always one to tell. We had artifacts around the restaurant that represented the Japanese lifestyle. The Head Sushi chef was our role model because he was always kind and calm. Every time we would go u[ to a customer performance was watched by our boss to make sure we were being professional. As a family organization our values were to be very polite and give the customer what they wanted with in reason. As an employee I did all of these things never understanding that I was daily involved in a culture. I was also performing cultural elements. I never understood how much communication played in our world. I always had a very elementary view of communication, especially organizational communication.

Theories

I thought it was very interesting that I never realized that just like talk theories are partial, partisan, and problematic as well. The partiality concept was the most interesting to me. In arguments I am the person always trying to be right. In reading the section on partiality I realized that even though what I am saying might be right there might be another aspect of the story that is right also. As a child you read your history books and you assume them to be completely true, why would there be another point of view? I realized that the statement “It is logically impossible to say everything about anything.” is true.

Coopetition

It was interesting that companies started to share information with each other. I think it is very interesting that they did better after they shared. Looking back at history companies did not share information; they would protect that information with all of their effort. Now with open systems and companies understanding open systems people have realized that their “ecosystems” are being improved. It is fascinating to see the similarities between the biology of a body and how it works together and society and how it works together.

Biology and General Systems Theory

It is amazing to me how everything in life is connected. I know that everything in my body works together to make a whole but I never thought of it in the same way in context to a society. It is very interesting that they are termed “loosely coupled systems”. In my opinion a societies parts are much more fascinating and interesting to watch work together than bodies’ parts. In different ways obviously but a society is so fascinating.

From Empire to Hierarchy

I always knew that if you were able to live up in the hills, away from most people, then those people were well off. What I did not realize was that this kind of industrialization has been happening since the United States was born. I think it is interesting that our society still looks at status through where you live and how close you are to the cities. I think that as a society we have fallen away from Benjamin Franklin’s proverbs. People used to live by these saying but it seems as if our society now only wants to do the minimal amount of work that can be done for the most amount of money.