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Fulfilling

Since changing my lifestyle, I feel that I am living a more rewarding life.  Everything is better. My attitude, my work ethic (although I’m pretty sure I get my work ethic from my dad, who probably works harder than anyone I’ve ever met), and finally my health.

This morning I woke up with full-blown allergies. The stuffy nose, the sinus headache, tunnel hearing, itchy eyes, the whole works. But I forced my way out of bed and got in a half hour of intense workout. (The Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred)

And even though I still have my allergies, I’m feeling a lot better.  I’m also waiting for this Zyrtec to kick in.

Writing is becoming much easier now. I’m in a creative flow. I like this. I hope it stays.

Okay, enough of my random chatter. I just wanted to talk.

 

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New article up!

I interviewed a press secretary for the White House.  He was a really cool dude.

Read up about his story and what he does right here!

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Busy body.

I love reading books.  You pick up a book, open the cover, and read chapter 1. It’s sometimes the hardest chapter to read because you may not have a feel for the book or characters yet.  But,, you read on and finish that book.

I’m saying this because I am starting a journey to become healthier.  It’s a tough rigorous journey and it’s going to take a lot of my time up.  So don’t expect a lot of talk from me for a bit.

Let’s wish me luck!

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Devastations…

If you’ve turned on any device that can connect you to the news, you’ve heard of the tragic shooting at the Aurora, Colorado movie theater during the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises.

I’ve been watching NPR’s coverage of it since they have been focusing on the events chronologically.

I came across this:

A Litany of Victims: Dispatch Tapes Reveal Chaos, Bloodshed of Mass Shooting: The Two-Way NPR

Absolutely horrifying, and I thank NPR for getting the dispatch tapes. It really gives insight to the intensity of the situation and the organization of the police during this horrible incident.

I will update this post with other coverage I find that is good.

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There’s discrimination for everything

So I have very curly hair and I recently cut it several inches.  In June, my hair reached the curve of my back, and now my hair just falls over my shoulders. It’s always a huge change when I chop off so many inches.

So why am I talking about my hair on a blog about journalism?

Apparently, having curly hair is unprofessional in the workplace.

Yes, on occasion I do straighten my hair, but that takes nearly an hour and standing with a hot iron for an hour is not something I want to do in the summer, and all the time.

I came across this post.

But, darn it. I love my curly hair. I feel confident and powerful with it. People love to talk about it and play with it. It’s exciting.

But it is not unprofessional. I’m appalled that an employer would tell someone they can’t do their job because of what their hair looks like.

My hair does not affect my writing, it does not affect my intelligence, and it sure as hell shouldn’t have any affect over what jobs I can get. That should all be based on my skill and intelligence.

/endrant.

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Bloggers vs. Journalists

It’s almost a Spy vs. Spy kind of scenario.

Now, if you run a Google search on it, what you’ll see is a gaggle of annoying results. But, I fear none of these results give the audience the view of what it really means.

Okay, so right now I’m writing on a blog, but I’m also a journalist, WHOA NOW. That is Inception of the WEB, my friends. No, not really, but I’m working you into my point.

Blogs CAN (KEYWORD IS CAN) be viable sources of information.  Most blogs are not. It depends on the author and the sources they use to get and distribute their information.

See, when I originally started blogging I made it  a point to talk about the credibility of information. What I’m about to tell you is what I’ve learned in my Press in America and Mass Media Law classes.

People tend to choose the sites they visit based on their own perceptions and beliefs. This is fine, HOWEVER, people tend to ONLY view these sites and don’t background check where the blogger/writer is getting their info.  I watched a documentary that was made that’s belief was that 9/11 was a government plot. The first 15 minutes of it, you’re thinking to yourself ‘how can I not believe this?!’ But then once you realize that the filmmakers were picking and choosing preliminary articles that covered 9/11 but did not post the information we knew coming in the next months after the tragedy, well, the documentary is completely false.

And a lot of people don’t understand that.

Take this article by Forbes about the Farleigh Dickinson University poll about how informed viewers are of their news.

When you view/read/consume news with an ideological preference, you are seeing a one-sided or unbalanced view.

So, what do I want you to know about Bloggers vs. Journalists?

A blogger can be a good harbinger of news if they back up their arguments with credible (fair and well reporting/coverage). It is the same with  journalists. Journalists are guilty of being one-sided, but they are never as drastic as a blogger can be.  Keep that in mind also.

My tip to you is to keep your mind open, question everything, and don’t box yourself into your ideology. Sometimes finding out what you believe in is wrong about something absolutely sucks because no one wants to be wrong.  But, it’ll make you a better, smarter person.  I’ll promise you that.

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Funny and Useful Journotips.

Yes, I am making journotips a word. Journalists can do that.

So any journalist or anyone interested in newsy things (ah the dreaded thing word…) should check out a couple of sites I’ve been really digging lately.

This blog right here gets some good tips for journalism in the social media age.

Shout out to Ivan Lajara, who works for the Daily Freeman and also is the Engagement Editor for Digital Media First’s. This is his pinterest (pinboard?) He’s very clever. I’ve met him a few times up at my college, and have learned a great deal from him! His boards are HILARIOUS. He features a lot of memes, cats, and useful tips.  Also he lists great case-studies of journalism/news gone BAD.

Lajara also operates this PERFECT Tumblr. It’s incomparably the best thing ever for journalists. It’s cats, man. That’s all I’ll tell you right now, because you NEED to click on it and view it’s greatness.  BOW TO IT.

I’ve mentioned this next Tumblr before in a past post. Frustrated Journalist Cat.  Being a journalist is hellishly stressful, but like the Tumblr above this one, cats just make it better.  LOLS COMMENCE.

I’ll post some more later. You know what, I’ll just add a computer-assisted reporting page to my blog. Don’t need that clogging up my posts every so often.

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Writing the rights of rites?

Haha, okay the title is a joke.  But it’s only a joke for me and my sillyness.

Anyway, yesterday was my meeting in the city.  My website idea is good but I need to start getting serious about it if it’ll ever work.  I’m going to ask some of my most trusted and creative friends/family to sort of work with me.  Some friends I can springboard ideas off of at a rapid-fire.

I also really want to get my other blog idea started, a literary journalism online magazine.  There are so many of them out there but I think if it features fresh quality work, it can happen, plus, I’ll send the link to colleagues/peers of mine.  And my LinkedIn.

So, anyway back to yesterday in the city.

I don’t know if I’ve shared this before, but, I am so directionally challenged.

I need to use a map to get anywhere in the city (and I never drive without my GPS).

I have no idea as to why I do not possess the talent of knowing where the hell to go, but I sure wish I had it.

Yesterday wasn’t so bad though, I walked in the wrong direction a few times and looked at a map the wrong way which led me in the opposite direction of Penn, but that’s okay, I eventually got there and didn’t miss my train.

Speaking of the LIRR, the air condition wasn’t working in the car and it was so hot.  The LIRR worker kept trying to get it to start and he totally didn’t clip my ticket. So yay, I get a free ride!  This is especially good because I accidentally purchased the wrong station and also under off-peak hours.  But I was traveling on peak. Thank you Mr. LIRR guy. Even though it was hotter than how the Internet feels about Kate Upton, a free ride is always nice too.  Especially since the LIRR is super expensive.

Okay, no one likes long posts, but I wanted to prattle on.

OH YEAH AND YOU LIKE THE NEW THEME?  IT’S FUN. I am fun ^.^

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Beefy!

So I want to beef up my blog.

And talk about interesting things rather than just posting my accomplishments and so on.

I have a lot of ideas but I think if I do them all it would just make my blog look bipolar.

I need an angle.

An answer to the question as why would people want to read my blog.

Why do you? Anyway?

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ESA Article

First off, let me start with I did not write this article.

BUT…I was here!

If you scroll a few blog posts down, you’ll find my recant about the East Side Access Tunnel project.  One of the journalists on the trip covered it and wrote up  a great all-encompassing story.

Give it a read HERE so you understand the technicality of the project as well as its developments and importance.

 

You won’t be sorry!