Tea Party Supporters are not just conservative, they are very conservative

A recent poll taken by New York Times/CBS News reveals that tea party supportes are not just extremely conservative, but they are more educated and have fatter pockets to hold all their money, reported the New York Times.


The data extracted from the poll showed that the supporters are generally, Republican, married, middle-aged to edlerly white males. These tea party supporters obviously oppose Obama's adminstration. One of the many reasons for their opposition is that they believe the adminstration shows favoristism over a specific race and economic class.

"More than half say the policies of the adminstration favor the poor, and 25 percent think that the the administration favors blacks over whites," the article reported.

I wonder if they would have the same perception if Obama was not bi-racial and just white. I get the impression that they feel as though Obama favors blacks because he is half black, but if that is the case, then they are inferring that the last 43 white presidents favored their own race. Moreover, the article cited that the tea supporters do not favor the health care bill or government spending and they feel like they have no voice.

Honestly, the information pulled from the polls did not shock or surprise me. I understand that the Obama administration is not perfect. No adminstration in any case is perfect; however, I would like to know what the supporters suggest Obama to do? Do they have any better ideas and if so what economic class would it benefit the most?

The current recession is creating a significant gap between the upper and middle class. Much of middle-class Americans are experiencing the severe effects from the troubled economy such as, struggling to keep their jobs and homes. A Huffington Post article reported that the government estimates 8.4 million jobs were lost so far. An alarmingly high amout of citizens who have lost their job and health insurance.

Additionally, Americans have become victims of housing foreclosures. An ABC news article titled The Come back: Defining the American Middle Class in Recession noted from Moody's economy.com that, "Since the recession began more than 5.2 million Americans have lost their homes in the financial crisis."

They feel that their voices are not heard, but the same complaint can be made about the 8 years of the Bush administration. Some can argue that their voice were not acknowledge during that administration. And we must not forget how our economy fell to pieces or how we are poured trillions of dollars for war. We are still funding the war with money that is borrowed. I'm still looking for the weapons of mass destruction. More importantly, we can not forget that Bush’s promotion of deregulation allowed Wall Street to run a muck.

It is safe to say that every administration is flawed in some form or fashion; however, it is important for all of us to not lose sight of what is important, which is getting our economy off of life support. It is essential for our economy to be nurse back to health for the sake of the many Americans struggling to regain financial security.

Yes, it may be true that tea party supporters concerns are not acknowledge from Obama's current agenda, but I think that the administration is making a great effort to deal with a grave situation. I believe they are trying to tackle the most pressing issues to the best of their ability.

Image courtesy of Google

RNC chairman in the hotseat

In recent events the GOP has taken the spotlight, but not because of their opposition to the health care bill, or Sarah Palin reading notes off her hand; this time its about the RNC's extravagant and non-conservative spending sprees.

RNC staffers enjoyed spending $1, 946.25 of the committee's money at lesbian-bondage club in West Hollywood. Throwing hundreds of thousands dollars away at risque clubs are not the only splurges the RNC is cited for. The RNC donation dollars were used for luxury hotels, private jets and other extravagant ventures, the Washington Post reported.

In light of the extreme spending habits of the RNC, many are questioning chairman Michael Steele's leadership. Damage control is imperative for the chairman to regain credibility and trust.

He has received scrutiny and criticism for letting irresponsible staffers spend committee money inappropriately under his watch, but he claims the he is being treated different from other chairman, according to the Washington Examiner report of the account.

"Barack Obama has a slimmer margin. We all--a lot of folks do. I mean, its a different role for, you know, for me to play and others to play. And that's just the reality of it. But you take that as part of the nature of it," Steele said.

Steele comment gives the impression that he feels that his race may be a factor for the severe criticism he faces. I do not know whether race is necessarily the case for scrutiny, but I do believe that the issue revolves around the fact that thousands of donor dollars are frivolously wasted when the country is experiencing a recession.

Image courtesy of Google

Elian Gonzalez, A prideful Cuban

Every day I check my e-mails from my three accounts. The other day when I went to check my yahoo account and a feature article caught my eye. In fact, it was the headline that grabbed my attention and then the picture anchored below the headline. The picture showed a teenage Elian Gonzalez.

Can we say a blast from the past? I did not realize that much time has passed since the controversy surrounding Elian's custody battle.

Back in 2000, Elian’s mother fled from Cuba with her then six-year-old son. Unfortunately, she drowned in her attempt to make it to the shores of America, but her son Elian survived. Eilan's story swept the nation and he capturated the hearts of many people.

As much as it was family custody battle over the young boy, I remember it being more of a custody battle between nations of Cuba and the United States. Trials were held to determine whether Elian should be returned to his biological father in Cuba or should he be allowed to stay in the United States with his mother's relatives.

Eventually, Elian’s father won custody and took his son back to Cuba. Now, ten years later the article Cuban Government releases photos of a teenaged Eilan Gonzalez, reports his development as a prideful Cuban. He reportedly joined the Young Communist Union and he is viewed as a national hero.

What is interesting to note is that Elian’s story exemplifies how people are influenced and institutionalized by their government. His mother died in attempt to provide a different way of life for her son. Now, he has become the embodiment of Cuba's triumph over the United States according to the article.

Ultimately, the situation sheds light on the fact that we all are a product of society in which we evolve from. I wonder how different Elian would be if he was raised in the United States. Would he have the same ambitions, dreams, or goals?

(photo courtesy of yahoo)

Is the economy crippling millennials independence?

26 is the cut off age for young adults to remain on their parents' health insurance. According to the new health care bill signed by President Obama in late March, the bill extends the period in which young adults can stay on their parents insurance, the Washington Post reported.

The economic climate is one factor for the change. As more post grads try to obtain employment in the middle of a recession, it is a challenge to find jobs that offer decent health insurance, or for part time employees to be eligible for health insurance.

I know from experience that many retail jobs do not offer any health insurance to employees who work less than 35 hours, and not having health insurance is never a good feeling.This new feature to the bill is good news for Generation X-ers, but it can also be viewed as a setback as well.

Ian Shapira writes that, "In its bureaucratic way, the government's restructuring of health care sets a new starting point for independent adulthood: no longer at age 18 or 21, but deep into the 20s. The new health-care benefit, to take effect in six months, acknowledges the economic and social forces --the grim job market and delays in marriage and childbearing --that have the millennial generation, those generally in their 20s more dependent on their elders than their parents had been."

The economic state is creating a phenomenon of more young adults relying on their parents to provide for them. In my personal circumstance, I know that I will be a victim of parent dependency after I graduate from college. The likelihood of affording my own place is extremely bleak and next to impossible with apartment prices for rent over $1,100 a month not including utilities. I must say that I am not a fan of depending on my parents, but if it will help provide stability long enough for me to get on my feet then I will gratefully accept the invitation.

Image courtesy of Google

Hackers Use Social Networking Sites To Steal Data

Hackers have made a profession out of stealing data from computers. The more society depends on computers to archive and hold personal/non-personal data, the more vulnerable peoples' information becomes to theives.

Computer hackers' current target to steal information is social networking sites. Hackers' hit list includes sites such as, Facebook and Twitter, according to USA Today article titled An invitation to crime. It is problematic when account users log on to these sites at work. Unsuspecting users at work can imperil company data.



"Cybercriminals are moving aggressively to take advantage of an unanticipated chink in corporate defenses: the use of social networks in workplace settings. They are taking tricks honed in the spamming world and adapting them to what's driving growth of social networks: speed and openness of individuals communicating on the Internet," the article reported.



It is difficult to feel safe using the internet these days. I am even paranoid about disclosing particular information on the internet because nothing is 100% safe once its online. Hackers are finding creative ways to take information that is why it is essential for users to be aware of suspicious links or sites. More importantly, no one should log on to these sites in the work place.



I'm a firm believer in maintaining professionalism and a good work ethic. Checking your a Facebook page or other social network sites should not be an option for any employee at work unless it is work related. It is unprofessional to use company time to check out a page even if it is for 10 minutes or 2 minutes.



I was taught that there is a time and place for certain things. The fact that companies data are threatened by hackers because employees view the sites is unfortunate, but maybe it would be best for companies to block unwanted sites.

Network News Cutback

Network news much like the newspaper industry is plagued with downsizing. Decreasing revenue is the blame for networks shaving down their staff size, the New York Times reported. So what does this mean for aspiring journalists like myself? It means that the competition is as stiff as an ironing board.



If entering the industry seemed challenging before, now its downright difficult. Since the networks can not fund for staff that specialize in specific areas such as a camera operator or sound engineers, it is up to reporters to pick up the slack. Needless to say journalists job description and requirements is progressively extending. Ultimately, journalist have no room to compromise the quality of work even if they are taking on more tasks.



Upon reading the March 1st, New York Times article, I was anxious about the development in network news because I have a personal interest in broadcast journalism. It makes me wonder about the difficulty of entering, excelling, and maintaining a position in network news (broadcast journalism).



It seems that job security is a thing of the past. With the economy in poor health, the concept of job security is becoming extinct and anyone can be a causality of layoffs. However, there is a positive side to this grim situation. The rapid changes in the industry will allow for colleges and universities to upgrade their curriculum to coincide with the skills and demands required to succeed as a journalist. The more journalist know, the better.

(Photo courtsey of Google)

HIV rates in D.C. Rise

The heart of the United States is nestled on a small slab of land off the tip of Maryland. This small yet significant piece of land is called the District of Columbia. It harbors the U.S. government and a large part of American history, and it is still making history but not in a positive way.



HIV continues to affect D.C Residents. The HIV rate increases from 3 percent to 3.2 percent as more residents get tested, the Washington Examiner reported.



"Overall, 3.2 percent of the total population has been diagnosed with HIV, and that number will continue to rise as more people are tested, enter medical treatment and receive the care they need to stay alive," the article reported.



There is no cure for the disease,however,the more research and information uncovered helps educate people on prevention. Public schools, free clinics, and the public libraries offer information about the disease, so its appalling that the nation's capital has an alarmingly high HIV rate.



More importantly,diagnosed individuals can have long and meaningful lives due to the advancement in medicine. This is why it is essential for people to be aware and get tested.The earlier it is detected the greater chance of survival.



I find that this problem continues to spread like wild fire; it appears that little progress has been made to address the HIV diagnosis among residents. I hope that the passing of the health care bill will encourage more individuals to get tested.

(Photo courtesy of Google)

Violence Meets Hempstead High Again

Teaching and learning are not the only things happening at Hempstead High School, violence too. Racial tensions appears to be the cause of the latest altercation at the public school. March 9th, Newsday reported the story that ended with eight students being injured in the fight.



The specifics of how and where the affray started is still unclear, however, it seems that those questions are irrelevant. The more pertinent questions are why and what can be done to resolve the apparent issues.



After reading the article, I want to know what the school will do to deal with and resolve the racial divide between the African-American and Hispanic (Latino) communities. It is a ongoing issue that dates back to 2008. So where are the guidance counselors? Are the issues being addressed by the parents and faculty? What plans does the principal have to unite the school? Questions that I would be interested in knowing and hoping to follow in the papers if they make the news again.



I personally do not know why students succumb to violence like its the last resort. It never solves the deep rooted problems that exist among the students. Now I have witnessed a school fight or two, but they never lead to an emergency school closing to prevent jeopardizing the safety of the remaining student body.

The Game Plan

My plan to create my non-linear story (website) is to start with my trunk that will essentially explain my beat, which is cheap eats and places to see in the D.C. area.  My branches will consist of the different activities one can do for a reasonable price. 

For instance, one branch will be dedicated to the different restaurants, the second branch can be the interesting places or most overlooked places to check out, and the branch could be the places to lounge and get good drinks or something to that extent.

Furthermore, I would include a FAQ page and give information on the various forms of transportation that can be used to get in and out of D.C. easily. 

Additionally, I will also include a google map of the area and mark the places to check out. Also I would like to create a timeline of the special or upcoming events in the area.

I don't know how this will all work out, but this is just a draft of the possibilities. 

(Please feel free to make comments or suggestions)

For Whiners Only

If you are a wine drinker than this recent article may peak your interest. The Washington Post  published an article titled A Leesburg Oasis, which reviewed a new restaurant that specializes in the fine wines that are available. 

The Wine Kitchen is the name of this restaurant that is snuggled in Leesburg Historic District.

Apparently, from the article this small restaurant is booming with business despite the economic conditions. 

The staff writer describes the tight knit ambience. She states that, "As for the seating, let me warn you: It's sparse and eclectic.... There are a few small tables along the wall, and near the front door is a couch with an antique table that four maybe five, people could gather around. At the back of the restaurant are two small tables, plus the stools at the bar."

In addition, the article explains the chef's menu that includes dishes that can work well with the wines that customers are drinking. 

The article continues by critiquing the food  which received a lukewarm review by the staff writer who states that, "As for the food, several standout dishes are great as is; the other selections are good but could be so much better with modifications as simple as a little more time on the heat."

Moreover, the writer did not include or clarify the price range of the dishes, which could have been helpful for readers. Furthermore, the author did not give the price ranges for the various wines, but she did mention that it is cheaper to order a bottle of wine to go. 

Despite those few details that the author left out, I think she gave a good perspective of  the different aspects of the restaurant.

In all, the Wine Kitchen received a thumbs up. It seems like a great place to check out; I only wish that it was a little closer in location.

Worthiness

So the next assignment requires us to produce a two minute soundslide of a person who is interesting enough for the project. 

So what determines interesting or someone's worthiness? I have been trying to figure that out. I do know a person who is a self taught artist.

Her talents extend from personal portraits, murals, landscaping and interior decorating. She is also  at great antiquing for less. I've personally seen her complete a relatively large portrait in two days. In my opinion I think she may be worthy enough for the soundslide.

Obama in Iraq

ABC World News hosted by Charles Gibson at 6 p.m.  demonstrated the following editing techniques when covering Obama's visit to the Iraq. The piece lasted a little over 2 minutes. There were a series of wide to tight shots of Obama descending from his plane in Iraq as he was greeted by several military officers. 

The editor matched the images that were seen on screen to what the journalist was describing, which is crucial element to completing a video story. 

For instance, the journalist explained that the U.S. troops greeted Obama with a warm welcome and then the screen showed Obama receiving a stand ovation and cheers as he arrived to make a speech.  

The story used appropriate pacing as the story moved forward and even inserted sound bites of Obama's speech to the troops. There was use of natural sound as the voice over completed the story of Obama's trip. 

Overall, the whole piece displayed the proper way to produce a video story. It provided a variety of steady shots, voice-overs, sound bites,  natural sound, sequencing and the necessary pace to continue the story, which made the segment easily to follow and digest.

Aftermath

In class yesterday I finished posting my audio story about texting while driving. My story basically explained house bill 323 that is being reviewed by the Maryland General Assembly.

 If the bill is passed in to law, it will prohibit texting while driving.

I liked this topic because it is a common occurrence among my peers. If I could get a dollar for each time I saw a  person texting on the road, I would be a very rich woman. Wouldn't that be nice? Oh well back to reality.

 Overall, my story explained the house bill and provided insight on how some of the students at  Towson felt about the ban. 

Thank you to Kayla, Mike and Joe who agreed to do the interviews. (You guys were very helpful)

If you like to listen to my audio story just click the this link. And sorry if I sound funny. Recording my voice to sound like a radio spokesman was a lot harder than I assumed.

Phase One: Brainstorming Topic Ideas

I've been thinking about a new topic for the next story and I keep coming to a dead end. I have no ideas. I would like to do a piece that relates to my blog topic, which is cheap eats and places to see in D.C. I hope that I will come across an interesting topic idea over the break.

3/23/2009

So after break I have come up with two ideas that could possibly work for this up coming assignment.

1.) texting and college students

A no texting while driving ban may get passed in the state of Maryland and I would like to get students perspectives on the new legislation.

2.) eating on campus versus outside of campus. I can determine whether students prefer campus foods oppose to fast foods off of campus and whether it is cheaper to eat on campus or not.

Reading vs. Listening

Summary leads for print/online stories slightly differ from audio summary leads. 

Print/online summary leads incorporates the 5ws and H, where as, audio leads narrow down the descriptions and give a short but sweet lead in order to keep the attention of listeners.

After scouring the Washington Post website I found three summary leads that can be narrowed down further for audio.

The summary lead for the  first article O'Malley Set to Move on as Death Penalty Repeal Sinks written by John Wagner  states, 

"Gov. Martin O'Malley is preparing to move forward with regulations to allow executions to resume in Maryland now that his effort to repeal the death penalty appears to have failed, a spokeman said yesterday."

Audio Summary Lead:

A spokesman says Gov. Martin O' Malley continues regulations for capital punishment to resume in Maryland after his attempts to repeal executions failed.

The summary lead for the second article titled  You Tube Video Has Gun-Toting Felon in Trouble Again written by Jerry Markon states, "People who commit crimes usually try to cover there tracks. But an Arlington County man posted his on YouTube--and it landed him in federal court."

Audio Summary Lead:

Arlington county man faces federal court after posting a self- incriminating video on You Tube.

Lastly, the third summary lead for the article Sentence-Reduction Hearing Is Allowed written by Ruben Castaneda states, "A man who was sentenced to life in prison after he admitted taking part in the murder of a D.C. police officer is entitled to hearing on whether his sentence should be reduced because of errors made by the then-Prince George's County judge who presided over the case, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled last week.

Audio Summary Lead:

Maryland Court of Appeals ruled last week that man sentenced to life in prison for killing a D.C. police officer is entitled to a hearing  to determine sentence reduction.

A Fiend For Mexican Cuisine

In America's backyard lies Mexico, a country rich with culture and great food. Tia Queta a restaurant nestled in Bethesda brings a little piece of Mexico to America. 

Washington Post journalist, Moira E. McLaughlin critiqued the restaurant in different segments based on the ambience of the restaurant, the best foods to try,  the foods to dodge, and drinks to quench your thirst. 

The menu features foods like nachos and enchiladas. Appetizers prices are between $3.95-$7.95 and entrees $11.95-$23.95.  The author expressed approval of the restaurant's enchiladas verdes which consists of "a solid dish full of fresh shredded chicken, a little cheese and a bit of green sauce. She also gave a kiss of approval on the desserts such as crepas and bunuelos.

Furthermore, McLaughlin conveyed distastes of the appetizers such as the tortilla soup. 

She stated, "Most disappointing was the tortilla soup, which just taste like tomato soup, albeit for a few strips of tortilla at bottom of the bowl."

In addition, the author also provided a little history of the creation Tia Queta. The restaurant is a product of Robert Montesinos, 60, who immigrated from Mexico 32 years ago. 

Despite the mixed review, the author described Tia Queta as a "casual place perfect for a night out with friends." 

In all, the article gave a balance view of the Mexican restaurant by presenting the positive and negative aspects. Though I personally felt that some of her criticism came off brash, she was nothing but honest. She did not sugar coat anything that she was not satisfied with.

 As far as the menu is concern, I did wish the author told the readers about the other entrees that are available besides the common food that most Americans are familiar with like enchiladas and nachos. Besides the one issue, the think the author overall presented a well-rounded article.

Executing My Story

First and foremost to successfully execute the first story I need to determine what the main/focal point of my story then I can assess what information (sources) I would need to accomplish this task.

Once I determine the angle of my story I will develop questions I need to ask my sources. Then I can set up a time and date to conduct interviews. 

After completing those responsibilities then I can take the required photos for the story. Lastly, I will begin a rough draft applying the WSJ formula and revise, revise, revise. 

It's All In the Formula

Every story has a formula or structure. Like a recipe there are certain ingredients that are needed and are placed in a specific order. The prominent newspaper named after one of America's famous street developed a template known as The Wall Street Journal formula. 

The structure of the story includes the following:

-anecdotal or descriptive lead

-the nut graf 

-the body of the story

-the ending (the close of the story usually reverts to the subject that was in the anecdotal/descriptive lead)

As an example, a Baltimore Sun article titled Brushing up on dental care demonstrates the WSJ structure.

The story begins with an anecdotal lead about a dental student who asked a kindergarten class how many times a day should they brush their teeth. The children respond to the question by stating two to three times a day.

The nut graf is presented in the third paragraph as it describes that most children know that answer including those children who come from low income homes and never see a dentist. Furthermore, the Cohn gives a brief description of a 12-year-old who tragically died from infected tooth that was not treated. It expands to the next couple paragraphs as it describes the growing problem of children not seeing a dentist.

The body of the story elaborates on the issues with dental care among children. It discusses the development of the Dental Action Committee, which is striving to get dentists to treat more impoverished children. In addition, it discusses the committee's  accomplishments.

The story finally comes to a close by discussing that the committees seeks funding for an education campaign and then the story reverts back to the death of the 12-year-old boy and then it provides further statistics of dental services among children.

 

A Taste Of China For A Cheap Price

 The Mayflower Chinese Restaurant located on Nelson Street in Rockville, MD is serving up hot fresh food for a reasonable price, despite the economic downturn that has left many other businesses on the cusp of non-existence.

The restaurant has been in business since 2004 specializing in Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine. The prices for a meal range between $1.25 to $11.95. The lunch special meals are below $6.oo.

Part of the restaurants success is there ability to keep their prices fixed. 

"We just keep it regular price," restaurant owner, Joyce Kim said.

 For college student like myself, this restaurant is perfect. The prices are reasonable and the portion of food is more than generous. What more can you ask for?

Feature Presentation

With a society that has a shortening attention span it is essential for writers to grasp the public's attention in a creative and interesting way. 

Sometimes visual aids such as pictures may draw a person to an article in a paper or magazine, but what happens when there are no pictures to attract readers.  

Writers have to figure out a catchy way to lure potential readers to their article with a great feature lead. If a writer is capable of getting a person to read the feature lead than there is a greater chance that the person will read the entire article. Feature leads introduce the article and give a snippet of what to expect of the article. 

Feature leads differ from the traditional hard news summary leads because it enables the writer to be more creative. Instead of giving the the classic who, what, when, where, why, and how, which are the elements of a summary lead in a news story, feature leads have more flexibility and does not attempt to compress the 5 W's and H into one sentence.

An example of a feature lead is presented in an article titled Shaq's Last Hurrah by the Washington Post sports columnist, Michael Wilbon. His article discusses NBA player Shaquille O' Neal possible retirement.

He entices the readers to his article with a story telling like fashion. His feature lead states, 

"First, Shaq was in a suit. He was the only all-star in a suit. And a tie. And vest...like it was a special occasion that needed to be formally observed." 

Another example of a feature lead is also seen in a Washington Post article titled You Gotta Love the First Lady. No, Really, You Have No Choice.

Staff Writer, Robin Givhan begins her article with, "The rise of first lady Michelle Obama as an icon--of fashion, black womanhood, working motherhood and middle-class success--has propelled her onto a pedestal that would surely give the average person vertigo." The article continues to discuss Michelle Obama as a person and how she's a role model for women.

Overall, feature leads offer interesting and descriptive ways to begin an article.